# 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