I Ching divination
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I Ching divination is a form of
cleromancy Cleromancy is a form of sortition (casting of lots) in which an outcome is determined by means that normally would be considered random, such as the rolling of dice, but that are sometimes believed to reveal the will of a deity. In classical civ ...
applied to the ''
I Ching The ''I Ching'' or ''Yi Jing'' (, ), usually translated ''Book of Changes'' or ''Classic of Changes'', is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. Originally a divination manual in the Western Zho ...
''. The text of the ''I Ching'' consists of sixty-four
hexagram , can be seen as a compound composed of an upwards (blue here) and downwards (pink) facing equilateral triangle, with their intersection as a regular hexagon (in green). A hexagram ( Greek language, Greek) or sexagram (Latin) is a six-pointed ...
s: six-line figures of ''
yin Yin may refer to: *the dark force in the yin and yang from traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine *Yīn (surname) (), a Chinese surname *Yǐn (surname) (), a Chinese surname *Shang dynasty, also known as the Yin dynasty **Yinxu or Yin, the S ...
'' (broken) or ''
yang Yang may refer to: * Yang, in yin and yang, one half of the two symbolic polarities in Chinese philosophy * Korean yang, former unit of currency of Korea from 1892 to 1902 * YANG, a data modeling language for the NETCONF network configuration pr ...
'' (solid) lines, and commentaries on them. There are two main methods of building up the lines of the hexagram, using either 50 yarrow sticks or three coins. Some of the lines may be designated "old" lines, in which case the lines are subsequently changed to create a second hexagram. The text relating to the hexagram(s) and old lines (if any) is studied, and the meanings derived from such study can be interpreted as an
oracle An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination. Description The word '' ...
.


Methods

Each hexagram is six lines, written sequentially one above the other; each of the lines represents a state that is either ''yin'' ( : dark, feminine, ''etc.'', represented by a broken line) or ''yang'' ( : light, masculine, ''etc.'', a solid line), and either ''old'' (moving or changing, represented by an "X" written on the middle of a ''yin'' line, or a circle written on the middle of a ''yang'' line) or ''young'' (static, unchanging). The usual methods for consulting the ''I Ching'' as an oracle produce a "sacred" or "ritual" number for each type of line: 6 (for an old ''yin'' line), 7 (young ''yang''), 8 (young ''yin''), or 9 (old ''yang''). The six lines are produced in order using the chosen method (see below for examples), beginning at the first (lowest) one and proceeding upward to the sixth (uppermost) line, each with its corresponding number. Then, the commentaries applying to the generated hexagram are studied; if the hexagram contains no old lines at all, that concludes the consultation, but if there are one or more old lines, the separate commentary for each such line is also studied. Then, the lines are appropriately changed (any old ''yin'' lines into young ''yang'' lines, and any old ''yang'' lines into young ''yin'' lines), which—with the young lines in the original hexagram remaining the same—results in a second, different, hexagram, the commentarial material on which is then also studied. The method used by the diviner to generate the hexagram(s) depends on their circumstances and beliefs; the yarrow-stalk method is usually employed by traditionalists who find significance in its complexity, and in the resulting time needed to manipulate the stalks to produce a hexagram. Coin methods, and others, are used either by those short of time, or by fortune-tellers who need a quick reading. There are also methods to generate a hexagram by interpreting the time, direction, person, ''etc.'', instead of throwing coins or dividing and counting yarrow stalks. Several of the methods described below ''force'' exactly one, or no, moving lines; the traditional yarrow-stalk method allows from zero to six moving lines. The yarrow-stalk method favours static lines over moving lines in the ratio 3:1.


Precursor to ''I Ching'': Cracks in turtle shell

Plastromancy Oracle bones () are pieces of ox scapula and turtle plastron, which were used for pyromancy – a form of divination – in ancient China, mainly during the late Shang dynasty. ''Scapulimancy'' is the correct term if ox scapulae were used for the ...
or the
turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked tu ...
-shell oracle is probably the earliest recorded form of fortune telling. The diviner would apply heat to a piece of a turtle shell (sometimes with a hot poker), and interpret the resulting cracks. The cracks were sometimes annotated with inscriptions, the oldest Chinese writings that have been discovered. This oracle predated the earliest versions of the '' Zhou Yi'' (dated from about 1100 BC) by hundreds of years. A variant on this method was to use ox shoulder bones, a practice called
scapulimancy Scapulimancy (also spelled ''scapulomancy'' and ''scapulamancy'', also termed ''omoplatoscopy'' or ''speal bone reading'') is the practice of divination by use of scapulae or speal bones (shoulder blades). It is most widely practiced in China an ...
. When thick material was to be cracked, the underside was thinned by carving with a knife.


Yarrow stalks

Hexagrams may be generated by the manipulation of yarrow stalks. These are usually genuine ''Achillea millefolium'' stalks that have been cut and prepared for such purposes, or any form of wooden rod or sticks (the quality ranging from cheap hardwood to very expensive
red sandalwood ''Pterocarpus santalinus'', with the common names red sanders, red saunders, protect it Yerra Chandanam, Chenchandanam, red sandalwood, Rakta Chandana, and saunderswood, is a species of ''Pterocarpus'' endemic to the southern Eastern Ghats mou ...
, ''etc.'') which are plain, lacquered, or varnished. When genuine ''Achillea'' is used, varieties local to the diviner are considered the best, as they would contain '' qi'' closer to, and more in tune with, the diviner, or they may come from a particularly spiritual or relevant place, such as on the grounds of a
Confucian temple A temple of Confucius or Confucian temple is a temple for the veneration of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism in Chinese folk religion and other East Asian religions. They were formerly the site of the administration of t ...
. When not in use, they are kept in a cloth or silk bag/pouch or a wooden case/box. Fifty yarrow stalks are used, though one stalk is set aside at the beginning and takes no further part in the process of consultation. The remaining forty-nine stalks are roughly sorted into two piles, and then for the right hand pile one stalk is initially "remaindered"; then the pile is "cast off" in lots of four (''i.e.'', groups of four stalks are removed). The remainders from each half are combined (traditionally placed between the fingers of one hand during the counting process) and set aside, with the process then repeated twice (''i.e.'', for a total of three times). The total number of stalks in the remainder pile will necessarily (if the procedure has been followed correctly) be 9 or 5, in the first count, and 8 or 4, in the second. 9 or 8 is assigned a value of 2; 5 or 4, a value of 3. The total of the three passes will be one of just four values: 6 (2+2+2), 7 (2+2+3), 8 (2+3+3), or 9 (3+3+3)—that value is the number of the first line. The forty-nine stalks are then gathered and the entire procedure repeated to generate each of the remaining five lines of the hexagram. The yarrow-stalk method produces unequal probabilities for obtaining each of the four totals, as shown in the table. Compared to the three-coin method discussed next, the probabilities of the lines produced by the yarrow-stalk method are significantly different. Note that the
Yarrow algorithm The Yarrow algorithm is a family of cryptographic pseudorandom number generators (CPRNG) devised by John Kelsey, Bruce Schneier, and Niels Ferguson and published in 1999. The Yarrow algorithm is explicitly unpatented, royalty-free, and open sour ...
is a particular algorithm for generating random numbers; while it is named after the yarrow-stalk method of consulting the ''I Ching'', its details are unrelated to it.


Coins


Three-coin method

The three-
coin A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...
method came into use over a thousand years after the yarrow-stalk method. The quickest, easiest, and most popular method by far, it has largely supplanted yarrow stalks, but produces outcomes with different likelihoods. Three coins are tossed at once; each coin is given a value of 2 or 3, depending upon whether it is tails or heads, respectively. Six such tosses make the hexagram. Some fortune-tellers use an empty tortoise shell to shake the coins in before throwing them on a dish or plate.


Modified Three-coin method

The three-coin method can be modified to have the same probabilities as the yarrow-stalk method by having one of the coins be of a second coin type, or in some way be marked as special (i.e., be distinguishable from the other coins). All three coins are tossed at once. The results are counted just as in the original three-coin method, with two exceptions: one to make ''yin'' less likely to move, and one to make ''yang'' more likely to move. (The probability for 6/8/9/7 in the coin method is 2/6/2/6, but in the yarrow-stalk method is 1/7/3/5; hence, 6 has to occur less often, and 9 has to occur more often.) In the case where the special coin is tails and the other two are both tails—which would normally produce a 6—re-flip the marked coin: if it remains tails, then treat it as a 6 (moving ''yin''); otherwise, it remains an 8 (static ''yin''). As a 6 can become a 6 or an 8, it reduces the probability of the moving 6. In other words, it makes the old ''yin'' less likely to change (or move). In the case where the special coin is heads and the other two are both tails—which would normally produce an 7—re-flip the marked coin: if it remains heads, then it remains as a 7 (static ''yang''); otherwise, it becomes a 9 (moving ''yang''). As a 7 can become a 7 or an 9, it reduces the probability of the static 7. In other words, it makes the young ''yang'' less likely and hence more ''yang''s change as a result. This method retains the 50% chance of yin:yang, but changes the ratio of moving ''yin'' to static ''yin'' from 1:3 to 1:7; likewise, it changes the ratio of moving ''yang'' to static ''yang'' from 1:3 to 3:5, which is the same probabilities as the yarrow-stalk method.


Two-coin method

Some purists contend that there is a problem with the three-coin method because its probabilities differ from the more ancient, yarrow-stalk, method. In fact, over the centuries there have even been other methods used for consulting the oracle. The two-coin method involves tossing one pair of coins ''twice'': on the first toss, two heads give a value of 2, and anything else is 3; on the second toss, each coin is valued separately, to give a sum from 6 to 9, as above. This results in the same distribution of probabilities as for the yarrow-stalk method.


Simplified two-coin method

A modified version of the two-coin method improves on the original on several aspects. First, while maintaining the probabilities of the traditional yarrow-stalk method, it simplifies outcomes such that they become intuitive at first sight, without need of further calculations. Second, it reduces the average number of coin throws per hexagram by 25%, from 12 to 9. It does so by requiring to throw the coins a second time only if both coins land on the same face (either both heads, or both tails), thus only in 50% of instances. Third, it is easy to memorize, as it clearly identifies heads with yang, and tails with yin, and a greater share of heads/tails with old (aka mature, moving, changing) yang/yin. The modified two-coin method involves tossing one pair of coins of different size or shape. The larger, or heavier coin is assigned primacy (and is reported here as first, dominant, outcome) while the outcome of the smaller one comes second. Let H be heads and T tails. If the coins land H, T, yang dominates and the outcome is young yang, unchanging. There is no need to throw the coins again for the same line. If the coins land T, H, then yin dominates and the outcome is young yin, unchanging. Again, there is no need to throw the coins again for the same line. If the coins land both on heads (H, H) then the outcome is for sure yang, but one must throw again to verify if the yang is changing (aka old) or unchanging (young). In case the second throw yields at least one H (either H, H, or H, T, or T, H), then the yang is changing. If both coins land on T (T, T) at second throw then the yang is unchanging. If the coins land both on tails (T, T) then the outcome is for sure yin, but one must throw again to verify if the yin is changing or unchanging. In case the second throw yields both tails (T, T), then the yin is changing. If any of the two coins lands on H (either H, T, or T, H, or H, H) at second throw then the yin is unchanging. The modified two-coin method yields old yang (changing) 3/16 of the times. Unchanging yang 5/16 times, and unchanging yin 7/16. The remaining 1/16 outcomes is old yin (changing). It is considered simplified as it reduces the number of throws and calculations needed to correctly identify the outcome of each hexagram line, compared to any other method. While this has its advantages, some purists consider the time required to build the hexagram as a fundamental aspect of I Ching divination, for its ceremonial as well as introspective purposes. This said, any other coin based method can be considered similarly lacking on this regard, when compared to the yarrow-stalk method. As is the case for the conventional two-coin method and the four coin method, the simplified two-coin method can be boiled down to binary numbers, simply interpreting any H as 1 and any T as 0. Then, old yin takes value of 0000 (0 in decimal numbers), unchanging yin values between 0001 and 0111 (1 to 7), unchanging yang those between 1000 and 1100 (8 to 12), and old yang from 1101 to 1111 (13 to 15). This also clearly showcases the relative probabilities of each outcome.


Four coins

With tails assigned the value 0 (zero) and heads the value 1, four coins tossed at once can be used to generate a four-bit binary number, the right-most coin indicating the first bit, the next coin (to the first's left) indicating the next bit, etc. The number 0000 is called ''old yin''; the next three numbers—0001, 0010, and 0011 (the binary numbers whose decimal equivalents are 1, 2, and 3, respectively)—are called ''old yang'', with a similar principle applied to the remaining twelve outcomes. This gives identical results to the yarrow-stalk method. The two-coin method described above can be performed with four coins, simply by having one pair of coins be alike—of the same size or denomination—while the other two are of a different size or denomination; the larger coins can then be counted as the first toss, while the two smaller coins constitute the second toss (or ''vice versa'').


Six coins

Six coins—five identical coins and one different—can be thrown at once. The coin that lands closest to a line drawn on the table will make the first line of the hexagram, and so on: heads for yang, tails for yin. The distinct coin is a moving line. This method has the dual failings that (1) it forces every hexagram to be a changing hexagram, and (2) it only ever allows exactly one line to be changing.


Eight coins on Ba Qian

Eight coins, one marked, are tossed at once. They are picked up in order and placed onto a
Bagua The bagua or pakua (八卦) are a set of eight symbols that originated in China, used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each lin ...
diagram; the marked coin rests on the lower trigram. The eight process is repeated for the upper trigram. After a third toss, the first six coins are placed on the hexagram to mark a moving line. This has the deficiency or allowing at most one moving line, whereas all six lines could be moving in traditional methods.


Dice

Any dice with an even number of faces can also be used in the same fashion as the coin tosses, with even die rolls for heads and odd for tails. An eight-sided die (d8) can be used to simulate the chances of a line being an old moving line equivalent to the yarrow-stalk method. For example, because the chances of any ''yin'' line or any ''yang'' line are equal in the yarrow-stalk method, there is a one-in-eight chance of getting any basic trigram, the same chance held under the ''ba qian'' method, so the ''ba qian'' method can be used to determine the basic hexagram. The d8 can then be used by rolling it once for each line to determine moving lines. A result of 1 on a ''yin'' line, or 3 or less on a ''yang'' line, will make that line a moving line, preserving the yarrow-stalk method's outcomes. Another dice method that produces the 1:7:3:5 ratio of the yarrow-stalk method is to add 1d4 + 1d8. All odd results are considered ''yin'', with the result of 11 denoting an old ''yin''. Any even results would be considered ''yang'', with both 4 and 10 treated as old ''yang''. Two dice methods that not only produce the yarrow-stalk probabilities but maintain the traditional even–odd associations of ''yin'' and ''yang'' are the 3d4 and 2d8 methods. In the 3d4 method, one rolls three four-sided dice and adds their outcomes, treating all odd totals as ''yang'' and all even totals as ''yin'', with totals of 4, 7, and 12 indicating a moving line. The 2d8 method works analogously for two eight-sided dice, but here, any total over 10 (with the exception of 12) is considered moving.


Calendric cycles and astrology

There is a tradition of
Taoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...
thought which explores
numerology Numerology (also known as arithmancy) is the belief in an occult, divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events. It is also the study of the numerical value, via an alphanumeric system, of the letters in ...
,
esoteric cosmology Religious cosmology is an explanation of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe from a religious perspective. This may include beliefs on origin in the form of a creation myth, subsequent evolution, current organizational form ...
,
astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of Celestial o ...
and feng shui in connection with the ''I Ching''. The eleventh-century
Neo-Confucian Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) in th ...
philosopher
Shao Yung Shao (; Cantonese Romanisation: Shiu; Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Shaw) is a common Chinese family name. It is the 86th most populous family name in China. It corresponds to last name So in Korean; "Thiệu" or "Thiều" in Vietnamese; “Zau” in Wu Chinese ...
contributed advanced methods of divination including the Plum Blossom Yi Numerology, a
horary astrology Horary astrology is an ancient branch of horoscopic astrology in which an astrologer attempts to answer a question by constructing a horoscope for the exact time at which the question was received and understood by the astrologer. The answer t ...
that takes into account the number of
calligraphic Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as ...
brush strokes of one's query. Following the associations
Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philo ...
drew between astrology and ''I Ching'' with the introduction of his theory of
synchronicity Synchronicity (german: Synchronizität) is a concept first introduced by analytical psychologist Carl G. Jung "to describe circumstances that appear meaningfully related yet lack a causal connection." In contemporary research, synchronicity ...
, the authors of modern Yi studies are much informed by the astrological paradigm. Chu and Sherrill provide five astrological systems in ''An Anthology of I Ching'' and in ''The Astrology of I Ching'' develop a form of symbolic astrology that uses the
eight trigrams The bagua or pakua (八卦) are a set of eight symbols that originated in China, used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each li ...
in connection with the time of one's birth to generate an oracle from which further hexagrams and a daily line judgement are derived. Another modern development incorporates the planetary positions of one's natal horoscope against the backdrop of Shao Yung's circular
Fu Xi Fuxi or Fu Hsi (伏羲 ~ 伏犧 ~ 伏戲) is a culture hero in Chinese legend and mythology, credited along with his sister and wife Nüwa with creating humanity and the invention of music, hunting, fishing, domestication, and cooking as well ...
arrangement and the Western
zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...
to provide multiple hexagrams corresponding to each of the planets.


Wen Wang Gua method

This method goes back to
Jing Fang Jing Fang (, 78–37 BC), born Li Fang (), courtesy name Junming (), was born in present-day 東郡頓丘 (Puyang, Puyang, Henan) during the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD). He was a Chinese people, Chinese music theory, music theorist, ma ...
(78–37 BC). While a
hexagram , can be seen as a compound composed of an upwards (blue here) and downwards (pink) facing equilateral triangle, with their intersection as a regular hexagon (in green). A hexagram ( Greek language, Greek) or sexagram (Latin) is a six-pointed ...
is derived with one of the common methods like coin or yarrow stalks, here the divination is not interpreted on the basis of the classic ''I Ching'' text. Instead, this system connects each of the six hexagram lines to one of the Twelve
Earthly Branches The twelve Earthly Branches or Terrestrial Branches are a Chinese ordering system used throughout East Asia in various contexts, including its ancient dating system, astrological traditions, zodiac and ordinals. Origin This system was built ...
, and then the picture can be analyzed with the use of 5 Elements (
Wu Xing Wuxing may refer to: Places in China Counties and districts *Huzhou, formerly Wuxing County, Zhejiang, China *Wuxing District (吴兴区), central district of Huzhou Subdistricts (五星街道) *Wuxing Subdistrict, Mudanjiang, in Dong'an District ...
). By bringing in the
Chinese calendar The traditional Chinese calendar (also known as the Agricultural Calendar 曆; 农历; ''Nónglì''; 'farming calendar' Former Calendar 曆; 旧历; ''Jiùlì'' Traditional Calendar 曆; 老历; ''Lǎolì'', is a lunisolar calendar ...
, this method not only tries to determine ''what'' will happen, but also ''when'' it will happen. As such, Wen Wang Gua makes a bridge between ''I Ching'' and the
Four Pillars of Destiny The Four Pillars of Destiny, as known as "Ba-Zi", which means "eight characters" or "eight words" in Chinese, is a Chinese astrology, Chinese astrological concept that a person's destiny or fate can be Divination, divined by the two sexagenary ...
.


Software methods

The preceding ("concrete"/physical) methods can be simulated in ("abstract"/conceptual) software. This has the theoretical advantage of improving randomness aspects of consulting the ''I Ching'' ("not-doing" in the personal sense, enhancing the "universal" principle). For all methods, one must pre-focus/prepare the mind. Here is a typical example for the "modified three-coin" method: #!/usr/bin/env python3 # # iChing_Modified_3_coins.py # # see https://github.com/kwccoin/I-Ching-Modified-3-Coin-Method # # Create (two) I Ching hexagrams: present > future (might be same). # # With both "3-coin method" and "modified 3-coin method" (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching_divination). # # 3-coins Probabilities: # old/changing/moving yin "6 :

x

" = 1/8 # (young/stable/static) yang "7 :

" = 3/8 # (young/stable/static) yin "8 :

" = 3/8 # old/changing/moving yang "9 :

o

" = 1/8 # # 3-coins Probabilities: # old/changing/moving yin "6 :

x

" = 1/8 # (young/stable/static) yang "7 :

=" = 3/8 # (young/stable/static) yin "8 :

" = 3/8 # old/changing/moving yang "9 :

o

" = 1/8 # # Modified 3-coins Probabilities: # old/changing/moving yin "6 :

x

" = 1/8 * 1/2 = 1/16 # (young/stable/static) yang "7 :

=" = 3/8 - 1/8*1/2 = 5/16 # (young/stable/static) yin "8 :

" = 3/8 - P = 7/16 # old/changing/moving yang "9 :

o

" = 1/8 - p = 3/16 # see # https://aleadeum.com/2013/07/12/the-i-ching-random-numbers-and-why-you-are-doing-it-wrong/ # especially see the remark why 1st round are 1/4-3/4 whilst 2nd and 3rd round are 1/2-1/2 import random def toss(method: str = "yarrow") -> int: """Toss.""" rng = random.SystemRandom() # Auto-seeded, with os.urandom() special_coin = 0 val = 0 for flip in range(3): # Three simulated coin flips i.e. coin 0, 1, 2 val += rng.randint(2, 3) # tail=2, head=3 for each coin if flip

0: special_coin = val # Coin 0 as the special coin if method

"coin": # Coin method note tth or 223 is 7 or young yang return val # Probability of 6/7/8/9 is 1/8 3/8 3/8 1/8 elif method

"modified 3 coins": # method similar to "yarrow-stick" need to have prob. # for 6/7/8/9 as 1/16 5/16 7/16 3/16 # now coin method is # for 6/7/8/9 as 2/16 6/16 6/16 2/16 # modified to change # -1/16 -1/16 +1/16 + 1/16 # 6 7 8 9 if (val

6) and (special_coin

2): special_coin = rng.randint(2, 3) if special_coin

2: val = 6 else: val = 8 elif (val

7) and (special_coin

3): special_coin = rng.randint(2, 3) if (special_coin

3): val = 7 else: val = 9 return val # probability of 6/7/8/9 is 1/16 5/16 7/16 3/16 else: # yarrow-stick method as effectively default # start_sticks, sky-left, sky-reminder, human, earth-right, earth-reminder, bin # value-> 49 0 0 0 0 0 0 # index-> 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 # on table: # heaven # heaven-left human earth-right # earth # # sometimes use finger to hold above def printys(ys, remark): # String format example: f"Result: " width = 3 print(f' \t, \t, \t, \t, \t, \t\t') return def ys_round(ys, round, debug="no"): if debug

"yes": print("Round is", round) if debug

"yes": print("

") if debug

"yes": print(f' \t, \t, \t, \t, \t, \t\t') # Generate a number somewhere in between 1/3 to 2/3 as human do not trick if debug

"yes": printys(ys, "Starting") ys = rng.randint(ys // 3, ys * 2 // 3) ys = ys - ys ys = ys - ys - ys if debug

"yes": printys(ys, "Separate into two") ys = 1 ys = ys - ys if debug

"yes": printys(ys, "and with one as human") ys = ys % 4 if ys

0: ys = 4 ys = ys - ys if debug

"yes": printys(ys, "then 4 by 4 and sky behind ...") ys = ys % 4 if ys

0: ys = 4 ys = ys - ys if debug

"yes": printys(ys, "then 4 by 4 and earth behind ...") ys += ys + ys + ys ys = 0 ys = 0 ys = 0 ys = ys + ys ys = 0 ys = 0 if debug

"yes": printys(ys, "complete the cycle ...") return ys ys = , 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 # May be better use dictionary ys = 55 # printys(ys, "The number of heaven and earth is 55") ys = 49 # printys(ys, "only 49 is used") # Round 1 need to ensure mod 4 cannot return 0 and cannot have 0 # wiki said cannot have 1 as well not sure about that ys = ys_round(ys, 1, "no") # "yes") ys = ys_round(ys, 2, "no") # "yes") ys = ys_round(ys, 3, "no") # "yes") return ys // 4 # We build in bottom to top print("Method is yarrow by default\n") toss_array = , 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 for line in range(0, 6, 1): toss_array
ine INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center * Instituto Nacional de Estadística (disambiguation) * Instituto Nacional de Estatística (disambiguation) * Instituto Nacional Elec ...
= toss() print("Line is ", line + 1, "; toss is ", toss_array
ine INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center * Instituto Nacional de Estadística (disambiguation) * Instituto Nacional de Estatística (disambiguation) * Instituto Nacional Elec ...
"\n") # Hence we print in reverse def print_lines_in_reverse(toss_array): for line in range(5, -1, -1): val = toss_array
ine INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center * Instituto Nacional de Estadística (disambiguation) * Instituto Nacional de Estatística (disambiguation) * Instituto Nacional Elec ...
# The changing line/hexagram need another program if val

6: print('6 :

x

')# , ,

> -------') elif val

7: print('7 : -------')# , , ------- > -------') elif val

8: print('8 :

')# , ,

>

') elif val

9: print('9 : -- o --')# , , ------- >

') print_lines_in_reverse(toss_array) print("\n\n")
With a modified three-coin method as default, this may avoid the Sung dynasty issue, ''i.e.'', when you have an easily available and simple method, you use it—but with a wrong probability! (Also, the first number starts from the bottom like a hexagram.) A JavaScript version of the Yarrow Stalk method, which generates slightly different probabilities, is available in open source form at GitHub.


Probability analysis of ''I Ching'' divination

Most analyses of the probabilities of either the coin method or yarrow-stalk method agree on the probabilities for each method. The coin method varies significantly from the yarrow-stalk method, in that the former gives the same probability to both of the moving lines and to both of the static lines, which is not the case in the yarrow-stalk method. However, the calculation of the frequencies for the yarrow-stalk method—generally believed to be the same as those described in this article in the simplified method using sixteen objects—contains a further error, in the opinion of Andrew Kennedy, which is that of including the selection of ''zero'' as a quantity for either hand. The yarrow-stalk procedure ''expressly requires'' that the four numbers be produced ''without'' using zero; Kennedy shows that by not allowing the user to select zero for either hand, or a single stalk for the right hand (this stalk is moved to the left hand before counting by fours, and so also leaves a zero in the right hand), the hexagram frequencies change significantly for a daily user of the oracle. Kennedy has modified the simplified method of using sixteen coloured objects described in this article as follows: This arrangement produces Kennedy's calculated frequencies within 0.1%.


In popular culture

* In ''Profiler'' Season 1, Episode 3: "Holy Alliance" (1996), a
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
uses ''I Ching'', and the hexagram determines what and how someone is chosen and killed. * In the ''Mad Men'' season 6 episode, "Crash", Frank Gleason's flower child daughter, Wendy, uses the three-coin method to tell fortunes at the offices of the newly merged firm. * In ''
The Man In the High Castle ''The Man in the High Castle'' (1962), by Philip K. Dick, is an alternative history novel wherein the Axis Powers won World War II. The story occurs in 1962, fifteen years after the end of the war in 1947, and depicts the political intrigues b ...
'' by Philip K. Dick, several characters consult the ''I Ching'' at various points and consider the answers given. Dick apparently used the ''I Ching'' while writing his novel, to help him decide on the direction of the plot. ** In the TV adaptation of the novel, the ''I Ching'' is habitually used by character Nabosuke Tagomi, who later teaches this to Juliana Crain and Trudy Walker. * In the song "
God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
",
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
states that he "doesn't believe in ''I Ching''", among many other religious and cultural phenomena that he claims to not believe in or follow. * The song "
Walking On The Chinese Wall "Walking on the Chinese Wall" is a song by American singer Philip Bailey released as the title track and third single from his 1984 studio album ''Chinese Wall'' produced by Phil Collins. The song features Collins on drums and background vocals ...
" by
Philip Bailey Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American R&B, soul, gospel and funk singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, Wi ...
references the I Ching and the coin method. * In Philip Pullman's ''
The Amber Spyglass ''The Amber Spyglass'' is the third novel in the '' His Dark Materials'' trilogy by Philip Pullman. Published in 2000, it won the 2001 Whitbread Book of the Year award, the first children's novel to do so. It was named Children's Book of the Y ...
'', Mary Malone uses the ''I Ching'' as a way to communicate with Dust. * In episode 700 of the ''
Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport ...
'' original TV series, Barnabas Collins and Professor Elliott Stokes discover a set of ''I Ching'' wands in a drawer in an abandoned section of the Collinwood mansion in 1969. Barnabas casts himself into a trance using the wands, allowing his astral body to travel back to the year 1897. * In the video game ''
Cyberpunk 2077 ''Cyberpunk 2077'' is a 2020 action role-playing video game developed by CD Projekt Red and published by CD Projekt. Set in Night City, an open world set in the ''Cyberpunk'' universe, players assume the role of a customisable mercenary know ...
'', players can undertake a mission to collect several self-driving cars driven by
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
. If the player chooses to grant the cars independence, they will receive messages from one vehicle stating that it has discovered the meaning of life through the 61st
hexagram , can be seen as a compound composed of an upwards (blue here) and downwards (pink) facing equilateral triangle, with their intersection as a regular hexagon (in green). A hexagram ( Greek language, Greek) or sexagram (Latin) is a six-pointed ...
. * The song "
Chapter 24 "Chapter 24" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1967 album ''The Piper at the Gates of Dawn''. This song was one of several to be considered for the band's "best of" album, ''Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd''. It was the second song recorded for the album ...
" by
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
takes its lyrics from the commentary on the 24th hexagram.


References


External links


I Ching Book of Changes
New free site with extensive interpretation of I Ching hexagrams, with free online I Ching reading, using Yarrow-stick Method algorithm, no ads no pop-ups.

Classic online I Ching fortune telling where the forecast is made using the classic Yarrow Stalks method.
Eight Houses
Basic information on the interpretive system of Jing Fang known as
Wen Wang Gua Wen Wang Gua () is a method of interpreting the results of I Ching divination that was first described in writing by Jing Fang (78–37 BC) in Han dynasty China. It is based on correlating trigrams to the Celestial Stems and Earthly Branches of ...
.
Github Source using 3 Methods including yarrow-stick, modified 3 coin and 3 coins
A source code for the yarrow-stick, modified 3 coin and the original coin method on GitHub for other people's comments and possible "pull request".
Casting I Ching
A collection of methods for casting I Ching hexagrams. Includes coins, sticks, cards, dice, and other devices. {{DEFAULTSORT:I Ching Divination I Ching Divination