Method & transparency

Every method on this site, with its probability model. No hidden weighting, no silent editing of results.

Three coins

Three coins are tossed six times. Back counts 3, front counts 2. Totals of 6, 7, 8 and 9 give old yin, young yang, young yin and old yang. The probabilities are 1/16, 5/16, 7/16 and 3/16 — exactly matching the yarrow stalk method.

Yarrow stalks

The procedure of the Great Appendix: fifty stalks, one set aside, forty-nine divided, one withdrawn, counted by fours. Three operations produce one line; eighteen produce a hexagram. We sample from its true probability distribution rather than simulating the counting, which is mathematically identical and much faster.

Numbers

Two numbers are reduced by the eight primal trigram numbers (Heaven 1, Lake 2, Fire 3, Thunder 4, Wind 5, Water 6, Mountain 7, Earth 8). The first gives the upper trigram, the second the lower; the sum with the hour gives the moving line.

Mei Hua Yi Shu (Plum Blossom)

Attributed to Shao Yong of the Song dynasty. The hexagram is derived entirely from the date and time of asking — year, month, day and hour. Nothing is chosen by you, which is precisely the point.

What we store

Each reading is saved so you can return to it. We keep the question you typed, the casting method, the resulting lines, and a timestamp. A random identifier in a cookie links readings to your browser. We do not require an account, and we do not sell your data.