What Carl Jung Saw in Tarot and the I Ching

Jung put the I Ching to work on his own question

In his foreword to the Wilhelm–Baynes translation, Jung described more than thirty years of interest in the I Ching. Jung then demonstrated a consultation by asking about his intention to introduce the book to Western readers.[1]

Jung received Hexagram 50, The Cauldron. He interpreted the vessel as an image of what the book could offer its readers. The account lets us follow a real question through a reading and Jung's explanation of how the symbols related to that question.

Jung returned to the I Ching in Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle. Jung discussed the consultation as a way of considering a situation as a whole.[2]

For someone trying a reading today, that broader view can be a useful aim. A disagreement with a friend may involve an unanswered message, an expectation you haven't explained, and something the friend is dealing with. Your first question may address only one part of the situation.

Tarot interested Jung because of its images

Jung's published work also mentions Tarot. In The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, Jung discusses Tarot pictures in relation to images of transformation.[3]

His seminar of March 1, 1933 gives us a more direct connection. Jung described Tarot cards as psychological images. Jung then compared Tarot with the I Ching as a way of interpreting the conditions of the present moment.[4]

A practical way to explore a Tarot image is to begin with what you can see. Notice the figures, their actions, and the setting. Check the card's meaning in a reliable reference, then consider how that meaning relates to your question.

The observation and the interpretation deserve separate attention. A figure facing away from others is a detail in a picture. Deciding that the figure represents you is an interpretation to examine.

Jung's sustained engagement with the I Ching is documented in his own writing. His Tarot remarks establish an interest in its symbolism and a comparison between the traditions. DuoSages builds its own combined-reading approach from those historical connections.

Keep your original question in view

Jung's foreword advises readers to stay close to the question when interpreting an answer.[1] We can apply that advice in a straightforward way: write your question down before the reading and return to the wording afterward.

Try the exercise with a familiar situation. Suppose a friend has cancelled plans twice. You want to ask whether the friend still cares about you. Write down what has happened and what remains uncertain.

You know that the friend cancelled. You may know the reasons the friend gave. You still need to find out whether another time would work and whether the friend wants to make plans.

A question such as “How can I raise this with my friend?” gives you something you can act on. After the reading, you could draft a message that explains why the cancellations disappointed you and asks whether another date would be better.

As you consider an interpretation, ask: “Which part relates to my question, and what do I still need to find out?” That follow-up keeps your actual circumstances in the conversation.

The exercise is our contemporary application. The historical account comes from Jung's writing and seminar remarks.

What DuoSages brings to the conversation

DuoSages brings Tarot and the I Ching into guidance you can discuss. You can ask how an interpretation follows from a card or hexagram. You can share a missing detail or explain why a suggestion feels off.

For the cancelled plans, a useful next step could be sending a clear message and giving your friend room to reply. The reading can help you consider that conversation. Your friend's response gives you information about the relationship that the conversation can then take into account.