Principles and Odes of I Ching Divination: Including Mysterious and Subtle Discourse and Celestial Mysteries Ode (通玄妙论, Tong Xuan Miao Lun and天玄赋, Tian Xuan Fu)

Description

Mysterious and Subtle Discourse (Tong Xuan Miao Lun) & Celestial Mysteries Ode (Tian Xuan Fu)

Author: Unknown (Song to Yuan Dynasty)  |  Translated by Xuan Wanyan

Mysterious and Subtle Discourse (Tong Xuan Miao Lun) and
Celestial Mysteries Ode (Tian Xuan Fu) are two influential early texts in
I Ching Six Lines Divination, likely composed during the Song or Yuan dynasties (960–1368).
Both condense technical insights into poetic, easily memorizable formats.
Tong Xuan Miao Lun offers a broad theoretical foundation for divinatory logic, while
Tian Xuan Fu provides mnemonic verses on Six Gods, line movements, voids, and elemental interactions.

Frequently cited in later classics such as The Complete Book of Divination
(Bushi Quanshu / Bushi Daquan), I Ching Divination – Complete and Restored
(Zengshan Buyi), and The Orthodox Method of I Ching Divination
(Bushi Zhengzong), these texts remain vital to the structure of Na Jia interpretation and
continue to guide practitioners today.

This English edition—possibly the first—was translated by Xuan Wanyan, a Columbia University
graduate from a family steeped in the I Ching tradition, making this once-esoteric system accessible to
non-Chinese readers while faithfully preserving its original depth.

Key Highlights

• Concise, memorizable verses on Six Gods, moving lines, voids, and elemental interactions.
• Clear theoretical groundwork for Na Jia-based interpretation and divinatory logic.
• Annotated English translation preserving classical nuance while improving accessibility.
• Frequently referenced by later compendia, reinforcing its canonical status.

Edition Details

• Edition: English, digital-only (print forthcoming)
• Translator: Xuan Wanyan
• Historical attribution: Author unknown (Song–Yuan transmission)
• Language: English
• Rights: © All rights reserved