Yarrow Stalk I Ching

The oldest way to cast a hexagram. Forty-nine stalks are divided and counted three times for each line, eighteen changes in all.

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Line 1 of 6

Sample reading

The Cauldron changing to Work on the Decayed

Primary hexagram

Where things stand

鼎

50. The Cauldron

Changed hexagram

Where things are heading

蠱

18. Work on the Decayed

What to read

One line moves, so read that line of the primary hexagram.

Line 4 · The Cauldron

鼎折足，覆公餗，其形渥，凶。

The cauldron breaks a leg and spills the duke's stew. The body is drenched. Misfortune.

These rules come from Zhu Xi's 《易學啟蒙》. The Chinese is checked against two classic editions. The English is our own modern version.

The six lines

  1. Line 67Young yang
  2. Line 58Young yin
  3. Line 49Old yangMoving
  4. Line 37Young yang
  5. Line 27Young yang
  6. Line 18Young yin

Understanding the yarrow stalk method

The yarrow stalk method is the classic way of casting the I Ching. The 《繫辭》, one of the commentaries in the book itself, describes it. It takes fifty stalks, sets one aside, and divides and counts the rest. The slow pace is part of the practice: it gives you time to stay with your question.

How it works

  1. Set one stalk asideFifty stalks are used. One is put aside and never touched, leaving 49.
  2. Divide and hangSplit the stalks into two piles. Take one stalk from the right pile and hang it between the fingers.
  3. Count by foursCount each pile by fours. Keep what remains, which is 1 to 4 stalks from each pile.
  4. Set the rest asideThat is one change. It sets aside 5 or 9 stalks the first time, and 4 or 8 after that.
  5. Three changes make a lineRepeat twice with the stalks that remain. Then 36, 32, 28 or 24 stalks are left. Divide by four to get 9, 8, 7 or 6.
  6. Six lines make a hexagramEighteen changes in all, from the bottom line up.

How to read it

  1. Start with the primary hexagramIt describes where things stand now.
  2. Look at the moving linesThey show what is in motion. The number of moving lines decides which text to read.
  3. Look at the changed hexagramIt shows where things are heading if they keep moving this way.

Our method

The steps
We follow 《繫辭》 and Zhu Xi's 《易學啟蒙》, including hanging the stalk from the right pile.
The division
A real hand divides the stalks roughly in half, so we split near the middle. This gives the traditional odds exactly.
Randomness
Divisions use your browser's secure random numbers. Nothing is sent to us.
Which text to read
We follow the seven rules in 《易學啟蒙》. Other teachers use other rules.

Common questions

Why does it take so many steps?

Each line takes three changes, so a hexagram takes eighteen. In a real ritual this takes about twenty minutes, and that time is part of the practice.

Is yarrow better than coins?

Neither gives a better answer. Yarrow is older. Its odds also differ: an old yang line is three times as likely as an old yin line.

Why is one stalk never used?

《繫辭》 says the number of the great expansion is fifty and forty-nine are used. Commentators explain the unused stalk in different ways.

Does it predict the future?

Treat it as a tradition for reflection. It is not medical, legal or financial advice.

Sources

  • 周易·繫辭 Xi Ci
  • 易學啟蒙 Yi Xue Qi Meng, Zhu Xi