The Toltec I Ching: 64 Keys to Inspired Action in the New World [Paperback]

Martha Ramirez-Oropeza (Author), William Douglas Horden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 16, 2009

The Toltec I Ching replaces patriarchal/aristocratic biases of previous I Chings with accessible, inspiring words and striking images, to evoke the harmony/complementarity of masculine and feminine energies our be-wildering times demand. Distilling and updating deep lessons of ancient China and pre-Hispanic MesoAmerica for uplifting guidance in modern life-situations, it is for readers of Toltec wisdom books (e.g., The Four Agreements), budding spirit warriors (e.g., Dan Millman Peaceful Warrior readers), I Ching users, and people seeking hope-filled counsel worldwide. Each hexagram is introduced with a powerful, full-color indigenous image.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Combining the ancient wisdom of the Toltecs and the Chinese in a beautiful way to serve the urgent need for change in our modern world. Many individuals, and thus our entire culture, will respond and benefit from this message. .." --Allan Hardman, Toltec Master/ author of The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book

Review

"Ramirez-Oropeza and Horden present a synthesis of oracular traditions. . . The result is a beautiful, pictorial-based guide that advises on intention and action for dealing with present and changing situations. . . ."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Larson Publications (July 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 094391499X
• ISBN-13: 978-0943914992
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,122,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important new book for these challenging times, August 6, 2009

By 

Joseph Madia Jr. "author" (Fairmont, West Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Toltec I Ching: 64 Keys to Inspired Action in the New World (Paperback)

There is an ancient Eastern curse that says "May you live in interesting times." A quick glance at the daily headlines tells us that, a decade or so into the twenty-first century, these times certainly fit the bill.

The authors of The Toltec I Ching, Martha Ramirez-Oropeza and William Douglas Horden, have made the often difficult to use I Ching accessible with this brand new book. I found their text both enlightening and easy to follow, and their approach of marrying a Chinese system with a Mesoamerican one yields abundant fruit. Ramirez-Oropeza, according to the dust cover, is "a mural painter, a performer in popular theatre, and a researcher/lecturer of the Nahuatl pre-Hispanic codices of Mexico." Horden "has researched indigenous divinatory systems of ancient China and Mexico with passion and independence since 1969. He is steeped in the shamanic world view."

What is new and key to this book is the focus on Balance. East and West, Masculine and Feminine, the 64 hexagram paintings and descriptions move away from the male, aristocratic biases that have mired the I Ching in the past, and call strongly upon the feminine creative principle in providing much-needed guidance.

The book, with its Mesoamerican influences, also situates its contents in the coming of December 21, 2012, when the Mayan calendar ends one age in anticipation of another.

The opening material is clear, concise, and uplifting. The "Introduction" details all of the aspects of the authors' process and rationale for combining the two systems that I have thus far mentioned. The "Casting and Interpreting the Oracle" section takes the reader through the process from casting the coins to producing the hexagrams that will guide the reading. As I mentioned, there is no complicated language or convoluted steps as one often finds in previous I Ching manuals. I was casting my first coins not very long after cracking the spine.

The hexagram paintings are, in a word, beautiful. For me, this is important, as I use half a dozen different decks of tarot for inspiration and creation, all chosen for the meditative and conscious dreaming potential of their artwork. The paintings translate the Toltec tenets, symbols, and ways of living into spiritually stimulating visuals that merge with the prose explanations on several levels of resonation. The text explanations are broken into sections that will be familiar to users of the tarot. They are Image, Interpretation, Action, Intent, and Summary. I have found, after multiple readings, that the Line Change explanations that follow these sections, which have confused me in past experiences with the I Ching, offer action-oriented guidance for bridging the present and future aspects of each reading.

I have used The Toltec I Ching to gain clarity and direction for several important aspects of my life. I have come away from a reading feeling empowered, with a heart full of guiding principles to apply as I navigate my way through the personal, professional, global, and universal changes at work in my life.

I heart-fully recommend this book to users of divinatory tools, those interested in the symbol systems of the Toltecs, Aztecs, and Mayans, and those who see or wish to see 2012 and the twenty-first century as a time, not of curses and apocalypse, but of great opportunity for humanity to enter a new and blessed phase of existence.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Contemporary Spiritual Classic, June 11, 2010

By 

Dr. Jean B. Raffa "author and seeker" (Maitland, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Toltec I Ching: 64 Keys to Inspired Action in the New World (Paperback)

Once in a while a book appears that is exactly what the spirit of the times cries out for. The Toltec I Ching is one of those books. At the beginning of the 20th century Carl Jung said we each have a masculine and feminine side and repressing either creates psychological, cultural, and spiritual imbalance. Is there anything new about this message? No, spirit persons from every culture have always understood this truth and devised wonderful teachings to convey it, but advancing civilization keeps forgetting and digging itself into ever-deeper holes. So just when we are waking up to the frightening darkness and depth of our current hole -- featuring, among other things, genocidal wars, economic crises, and environmental disasters on a global scale -- along comes the Toltec I Ching.

The main character in this brilliant and beautiful oracle -- which combines the ancient wisdom of the Chinese and Toltecs with the sensibility of a modern-day spirit person in a series of 64 brief chapters that reads almost like a novel -- is the authentic Spirit Warrior.

The setting is the dual inner and outer worlds of the awakening soul.

The plot describes the journey of Everyperson through a series of psycho-spiritual tests which develop his/her masculine and feminine sides, strengthen intention, motivate action, guide direction, and create growing awareness.

The theme is how to free oneself from ignorance and transcend duality to become a conscious, responsible, enlightened being capable of making healing choices of benefit to the world.

William Douglas Horden's writing style is clear and masterfully organized logos artfully combined with imaginative, symbolic mythos.

And the format? Simply gorgeous! Martha Ramirez-Oropeza has painted 64 extraordinary full-color illustrations in a style as simple as it is profound; the print is plenty large for aging eyes; each page has a sense-satisfying heft; and the cover is as sturdy as a non-hardback book could possibly be.

In short, the team of writer, painter, and Larson Publications has created a work of art worthy to sit on the shelf with the world's spiritual classics. The only books I've underlined more are my King James Bible and the complete works of Carl Jung. If you have not yet added The Toltec I Ching to your spiritual library you're missing a key to the mystery, and mastery, of your soul.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful art and clearly written, September 18, 2009

By 

Lauren Cottrell - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Toltec I Ching: 64 Keys to Inspired Action in the New World (Paperback)

It is great to read such articulate thoughts. William, Mary, thanks. So often I find in the world of the oracular, a kind of fuzziness that I am told is supposed to be closer to the intuitions. Thinking is said to be a distraction. I appreciate your capacity to navigate the world of words and offer them to us clearly.
I was skeptical of this text at first. Although I am open minded, the idea of mixing these powerful traditions seemed like it would have produced a weak bastard of both. I have been surprised by what I am finding in this text that so skillfully combines the wisdom of these two ancient traditions. I am particularly happy to see the I-Ching in particular updated from a historic context that is long gone.
I have seen that if someone is open to the moment, the oracular nature of life itself will speak to them, no need for a book or sticks or coins. Life is the open book to be read. Having said that, I am grateful for your efforts and feel as if I am holding a newly forged tool by artists who have seen in a fresh way. I look forward to a developing relationship with the text, thanks again.