I Ching Yarrow Stalk Method: The Ancient Art of Casting

The yarrow stalk method is the oldest and most revered technique for consulting the I Ching oracle. Dating back to at least the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BCE), this method was used by sages, scholars, and rulers for millennia before the simpler coin method was developed. While the coin method has become more popular in modern times due to its convenience, the yarrow stalk method retains a devoted following among practitioners who value its meditative quality, its mathematical elegance, and its deeper connection to the I Ching tradition.

Using the yarrow stalk method is a fundamentally different experience from using coins. Where the coin method takes a few minutes, the yarrow stalk method takes 20 to 30 minutes or more. Where the coin method is quick and pragmatic, the yarrow stalk method is slow and ceremonial. The extended time and focused attention required by the yarrow stalk method create a meditative state that many practitioners believe produces more nuanced and more personally meaningful readings.

The Yarrow Plant

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a flowering plant that grows throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It has been used in traditional medicine, divination, and spiritual practice for thousands of years. In Chinese tradition, yarrow was considered a sacred plant, and yarrow stalks harvested from specific locations (particularly near the grave of Confucius) were especially prized for divination.

The yarrow stalk method uses 50 dried yarrow stalks of approximately equal length — typically 12 to 18 inches long. While actual yarrow stalks are traditional, many modern practitioners use bamboo sticks, thin wooden dowels, or commercially available I Ching sticks as substitutes. The material matters less than the intention and attention you bring to the practice.

If you wish to use authentic yarrow stalks, you can harvest and dry your own yarrow or purchase prepared stalks from specialty suppliers. Dry the stalks thoroughly before use, and store them in a clean, dry container — traditionally wrapped in silk cloth.

Preparing for the Consultation

Setting the Space

The yarrow stalk method is a ceremony, and it benefits from a ceremonial setting. Traditionally, the consultation is performed at a clean table or altar, with the stalks wrapped in silk and stored in a special container. Some practitioners burn incense, light candles, or perform other preparatory rituals.

At minimum, ensure that you have a clean, flat surface with enough room to work with the stalks. You will need space to divide the stalks into groups and to set aside stalks during the counting process.

Preparing Your Mind

Before beginning, take several minutes to quiet your mind and focus on your question. The extended time required by the yarrow stalk method is part of its power — it slows you down, pulls you out of the rushing pace of daily life, and creates a contemplative space in which genuine insight can arise.

Hold your question clearly in your mind as you begin to work with the stalks. Let the question infuse every gesture, every count, every division of the stalks.

The Process: Step by Step

The yarrow stalk method requires three operations to generate each line of the hexagram, and six lines to complete the hexagram. This means 18 total operations — a lengthy process that rewards patience and attention.

Initial Setup

Begin with 50 yarrow stalks. Remove one stalk and set it aside — it will not be used for the remainder of the consultation. This "observer" stalk is traditionally placed across the top of the stalks' container or laid aside on the table.

You now have 49 stalks to work with.

Generating a Single Line (Three Operations)

Each line of the hexagram requires three operations. Each operation involves the same basic process of dividing, counting, and setting aside.

First Operation

Step 1: Divide the bundle. Hold the 49 stalks loosely in your hands and divide them into two random groups — one in your left hand and one on the table to your right. This division should be spontaneous, without counting or deliberating.

Step 2: Take one stalk from the right pile. Place this stalk between the ring finger and little finger of your left hand.

Step 3: Count the left pile by fours. Take the left pile in your right hand and begin removing stalks four at a time, laying each group of four on the table. Continue until you have 4, 3, 2, or 1 stalks remaining in your hand.

Step 4: Place the remainder between your fingers. Put the remaining stalks (1-4) between the middle finger and ring finger of your left hand.

Step 5: Count the right pile by fours. Take the right pile and count it off by fours in the same way, until you have 4, 3, 2, or 1 remaining.

Step 6: Place the remainder between your fingers. Put these remaining stalks between the index finger and middle finger of your left hand.

Step 7: Set aside the stalks between your fingers. You should now have either 5 or 9 stalks between your fingers (the one from the right pile plus the remainders from both countings). Set these aside in a separate pile — they are out of play for this line.

If you got 5, you have 44 stalks remaining (49 - 5 = 44). If you got 9, you have 40 stalks remaining (49 - 9 = 40).

Second Operation

Gather the remaining stalks (44 or 40) into a single bundle. Repeat the entire process:

1. Divide into two random groups
2. Take one stalk from the right pile, place between fingers
3. Count the left pile by fours, place remainder between fingers
4. Count the right pile by fours, place remainder between fingers
5. Set aside the stalks between your fingers

This time, the total between your fingers will be either 4 or 8. Set these aside with the stalks from the first operation.

Third Operation

Gather the remaining stalks and repeat the process one more time. Again, the total between your fingers will be either 4 or 8.

Determining the Line

After three operations, you have three groups of set-aside stalks. The remaining stalks (those not set aside) determine the nature of the line.

Count the remaining stalks and divide by 4:

Record the line and note whether it is changing or stable.

Completing the Hexagram

Gather all 49 stalks back together and repeat the entire three-operation process five more times, once for each remaining line. Build the hexagram from bottom to top:

• First line generation = Line 1 (bottom)
• Second = Line 2
• Third = Line 3
• Fourth = Line 4
• Fifth = Line 5
• Sixth = Line 6 (top)

Probability Differences from the Coin Method

One of the key differences between the yarrow stalk method and the coin method is the probability of each line type:

Several notable differences emerge:

Yin predominates: In the yarrow stalk method, yin lines (6 + 8 = 50%) are more common than yang lines (7 + 9 = 50%), but young yin (stable yin) is the single most probable outcome. This reflects the I Ching's traditional emphasis on the receptive, yielding quality of yin.

Old yang is more common than old yin: The yarrow stalk method makes changing yang lines (old yang, 9) about three times more likely than changing yin lines (old yin, 6). In the coin method, these two changing lines have equal probability. This asymmetry means that the yarrow stalk method tends to produce readings where yang energy is more likely to be in the process of changing.

Old yin is rare: The rarest result in the yarrow stalk method is old yin (6), occurring only about 6% of the time. When an old yin line appears, it carries special significance — it represents a moment of yin energy so deep and so complete that it is on the verge of transforming into yang.

Many practitioners believe these probability differences make the yarrow stalk method more sensitive and more nuanced than the coin method, producing readings that more accurately reflect the complex dynamics of real-life situations.

The Meditative Dimension

The yarrow stalk method is as much a meditation as it is a divination technique. The repetitive process of dividing, counting, and setting aside creates a rhythmic, trance-like state that quiets the analytical mind and opens the intuitive faculties.

The Rhythm of the Hands

Pay attention to the rhythm of your hands as you work with the stalks. The gestures of dividing, counting, and placing become a kind of moving meditation — a physical mantra that focuses your awareness and connects you to the ancient lineage of I Ching practitioners who have performed these same gestures for thousands of years.

The Quality of Attention

The yarrow stalk method demands a quality of attention that the coin method does not. You must count carefully, track which operation you are on, and maintain your focus on the question throughout the 20 to 30 minutes that the process takes. This sustained attention is itself a practice of mindfulness that deepens your contemplative capacity.

The Space Between

There are natural pauses in the yarrow stalk process — moments between operations when you gather the stalks, moments between lines when you record your results. Use these pauses as meditation points. Breathe. Relax. Return your attention to your question. Let the wisdom of the process work on you.

Practical Tips for the Yarrow Stalk Method

Practice Makes Smooth

The yarrow stalk method can feel awkward and confusing when you first try it. Do not be discouraged. Practice several times without a specific question, just to get comfortable with the mechanics of the process. Once the physical gestures become automatic, you can devote your full attention to the contemplative dimension.

Use a Reference Sheet

Keep a reference sheet nearby that summarizes the steps and the line determination chart. It is easy to lose track of which operation you are on or to forget the correspondence between remaining stalks and line values.

Count Carefully

Miscounting is the most common error in the yarrow stalk method. Count deliberately and recount if you are unsure. An error in counting will produce an incorrect line, which will cascade into an incorrect hexagram.

Create a Consistent Setup

Develop a consistent physical setup for your consultations. Always place the observer stalk in the same spot. Always set aside the stalks in the same area. Always build the hexagram in the same direction. Consistency creates a ritualized flow that supports the meditative quality of the practice.

Honor the Time

Do not rush. The extended time required by the yarrow stalk method is a feature, not a bug. It creates a contemplative space that the faster coin method cannot match. If you do not have 20 to 30 minutes for the full process, use the coin method instead. The yarrow stalk method deserves your full, unhurried attention.

When to Use the Yarrow Stalk Method

The yarrow stalk method is best suited for:

Major life decisions: When the stakes are high and you want the most thorough, nuanced reading possible.

Deep contemplation: When you want the consultation itself to be a meditative experience, not just a means to an answer.

Ceremonial occasions: When you want to mark a significant moment — a new year, a major transition, a milestone — with a formal consultation.

Developing your practice: When you want to deepen your relationship with the I Ching and develop your contemplative skills.

The coin method remains perfectly appropriate for daily consultations, quick questions, and situations where time is limited. There is no hierarchy between the methods — each has its strengths and its appropriate applications.

The Living Tradition

When you practice the yarrow stalk method, you participate in one of the oldest continuous spiritual practices on earth. The gestures you perform, the counting rhythms you follow, and the contemplative state you enter are essentially the same as those of Chinese sages thousands of years ago.

This connection to the ancient tradition is more than historical nostalgia. It is a living link to a lineage of wisdom that has been tested, refined, and deepened over millennia. When you work with the yarrow stalks, you add your own experience to this lineage, contributing to the ongoing evolution of one of humanity's most remarkable wisdom traditions.

The yarrow stalk method is not for everyone, and that is perfectly fine. But for those who feel called to it — who sense that there is something valuable in the slowness, the attention, and the ceremony of this ancient practice — it offers a depth of I Ching experience that is truly extraordinary.

Gather your stalks. Formulate your question. Begin the count. And let the ancient wisdom speak through the dance of numbers and the silence between them.