Carl Jung thought that the principles embodied in the I Ching are engraved on the collective unconscious of the human race. Therefore it can be used to unearth unknown and hidden tendencies. This means that the I Ching can be very specific and precise in bringing to light something previously hidden. Often yarrow stalks or coins are used for the random selection of hexagram and lines, but cards may be used as well. There are many studies of correlating the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching with the 64 codons of the genetic code, which brings up a question of just how deep these oracles are.
Runes are a magical alphabet.
Runic oracles are based on 24 characters of an ancient European alphabet. The Runes are more than characters designed for giving information. They encapsulate symbolic meanings that emerged likely out of the shamanic traditions of central and northern Europe. Nigel Pennick, who studies Runes and Ancient Alphabets, says that the runes were derived initially from two basically separate sources and combined into one system by Odin. Runes are usually used in the form of stones with the patterns of the 24 letters of the runic alphabet upon them.