# Yarrow Stalk Method | |
A. Preparation | |
1. Take 50 yarrow stalks in hand | |
2. Set one aside. I place it in the distance in the center of the table | |
and use it as a bridge to lay out the final groups | |
B. Step 1 of 3 | |
1. Focus your mind on the question posed to the oracle | |
2. Fan out the remaining stalks in left hand | |
3. Quickly grab a portion into the right hand | |
4. Take one stalk from right hand and put it between pinky and ring | |
finger of your left hand. | |
5. Place remaining right-hand bundle down to the right of the table | |
6. Left Reduction Sequence: | |
- Remove 4 yarrow stalks from your left hand and place them to the | |
left of the table. | |
- Repeat the removal of 4 yarrow stalks until there are 4 or fewer | |
remaining in the left hand | |
- Place the remaining yarrow stalks between your left ring finger and | |
middle finger. | |
7. Pick up the pile on the right of the table and place in left hand | |
8. Right Reduction Sequence: | |
- Remove 4 yarrow stalks from your left hand and place them to the | |
right of the table | |
- Repeat the removal of 4 yarrow stalks until there are 4 or fewer | |
remaining in the left hand | |
- Place the remaining yarrow stalks between your middle finger and | |
index finger | |
9. Take the stalks from between your fingers and lay the group, together, | |
on the left side of the first discarded stalk. If this is the first set | |
of reductions for this line, set the extra pinky/ring finger stalk to | |
the side of the center stick. Don't include it in future gatherings and | |
don't count it as part of that set. | |
Check your work: Your pile will have either 4 or 8 stalks. | |
C. Step 2 of 3 | |
1. Focus your mind on the question posed to the oracle | |
2. Gather the yarrow stalks from the left and right sides of the table | |
back into your left hand. | |
3. Fan out the stalks in the left hand | |
4. Quickly grab a portion into the right hand | |
5. Take one stalk from right hand and put it between pinky and ring finger | |
of your left hand. | |
6. Place remaining right-hand bundle down to the right of the table | |
7. Left Reduction Sequence: | |
- Remove 4 yarrow stalks from your left hand and place them to the left | |
of the table. | |
- Repeat the removal of 4 yarrow stalks until there are 4 or fewer | |
remaining in the left hand | |
- Place the remaining yarrow stalks between your left ring finger and | |
middle finger. | |
8. Pick up the pile on the right of the table and place in left hand | |
9. Right Reduction Sequence: | |
- Remove 4 yarrow stalks from your left hand and place them to the | |
right of the table | |
- Repeat the removal of 4 yarrow stalks until there are 4 or fewer | |
remaining in the left hand | |
- Place the remaining yarrow stalks between your middle finger and | |
index finger | |
10. Take all the stalks from between your fingers and lay the group, | |
together, in the center of the first discarded stalk. | |
Check your work: Your second pile will either have 4 or 8 stalks. | |
D. Step 3 of 3 | |
1. Repeat the same actions from Step 2 of 3 | |
2. Place the final pile on the right of the first discarded stalk. | |
Check your work: Your third pile will either have 4 or 8 stalks. | |
E. Calculate the line of the hexagram | |
1. Each pile of 4 is worth 2 points. Each pile of 8 is worth 3 points. | |
2. Add the total points together for each of the 3 piles. | |
6 points = Changing Yang => Solid becomes Broken | |
7 points = Unchanging Yin => Broken remains Broken | |
8 points = Unchanging Yang => Solid remains Solid | |
9 points = Changing Yin => Broken becomes Solid | |
3. Draw your lines of the hexigram from the bottom to the top. | |
4. Gather all the 49 stalks back together and begin again | |
5. Repeat all steps until you have completed the 6 lines of the hexigram | |
6. Look up the hexigram and its changed form |