Historical Context: The Western Zhou Dynasty

This article delves into the societal and cultural milieu of the Western Zhou Dynasty. We will explore the importance of divination practices during this formative period of Chinese history and how this context shaped the early development of the Zhouyi.

A New Era: Society and Beliefs

The Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046-771 BCE) was a crucial period in Chinese history, following the overthrow of the Shang Dynasty. It was a time of establishing new political structures, social hierarchies, and cultural norms. The Zhou rulers introduced the concept of the "Mandate of Heaven" (Tianming) to legitimize their rule, asserting that Heaven granted authority to a just ruler and could withdraw it from a corrupt one. This belief underscored the importance of moral conduct and responsiveness to cosmic and spiritual signs.

Society was largely feudal, with a king at the apex, granting land and authority to loyal nobles. Ancestor worship was a prominent feature of religious life, and rituals played a significant role in maintaining social order and cosmic harmony. The Zhou people believed that the ancestors had influence over the living and that their blessings could be sought, or their displeasure avoided, through proper rites and conduct.

The Pervasiveness of Divination

Divination was not a fringe activity but an integral part of governance and daily life in the Western Zhou. Rulers and commoners alike sought guidance from the spiritual realm for a wide range of matters:

• State Affairs: Decisions about military campaigns, appointments of officials, agricultural activities, and important ceremonies were often made after consulting oracles.
• Personal Concerns: Individuals might seek insight into matters like auspicious days for travel or construction, the outcome of illnesses, or the prospects of hunts and harvests.

The Zhou inherited divination practices from the Shang Dynasty, particularly the use of oracle bones (pyromancy, or divination by fire/heat on turtle plastrons or ox scapulae). However, new methods also emerged and gained prominence, including the use of yarrow stalks, which is strongly associated with the Zhouyi.

The deep-seated belief in an interconnected cosmos, where human actions had spiritual repercussions and where spiritual forces could offer guidance, created a fertile ground for the development and use of divination systems like the Zhouyi. It was within this environment—one that valued order, ritual, ancestral connection, and heavenly sanction—that the I Ching's earliest textual form began to solidify.