《I Ching》is an ancient Chinese classic that documents an old divination system still widely used today. The process works as follows:
- Prepare 50 yarrow stalks and remove one to symbolize the Taiji (Great Ultimate).
- Randomly split the stalks into left and right piles.
- Take one stalk from the right pile and hold it between your little and ring fingers.
- From the left pile, group the stalks by fours and remove the remainder.
- From the right pile, group the stalks by fours and remove the remainder.
- Combine the remaining stalks on the table and repeat steps 2, 3, 4, and 5.
- After repeating three times, divide the final remaining stalks by four; the result will be one of four numbers: 6, 7, 8, or 9.
- This gives the first line: 6 is old yin, 7 is young yang, 8 is young yin, 9 is old yang.
- Start again from step 1 and repeat six times to get the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and top lines, forming one hexagram.
- Interpret the hexagram according to its text in the I Ching.