The Yarrow Stalk Method: The Oldest I Ching Casting, and the Story of 50 Stalks
50 Stalks, 18 Changes, One Hexagram
The yarrow stalk method is the oldest casting technique, recorded in the Yizhuan · Xici. Confucius described it: 'The Great Expansion number is fifty. Of these, forty-nine are used.' The full process has four steps—divide into two, set one aside, count by fours, gather the remainder. Repeat three rounds to get one line. Repeat eighteen rounds to get a complete hexagram. It is slow. But every step helps you settle your mind.
The yarrow stalk method is the most orthodox way to cast a hexagram. It is slow, and that slowness is its value. Every step builds a connection with your question. By the time the hexagram appears, you are no longer the restless person who started.
Key Checkpoints in Yarrow Stalk Operation
- Prepare 50 yarrow stalks (or bamboo sticks, or toothpicks as substitutes). Set one stalk aside unused. Work with only 49.
- Each line requires three changes (divide → set aside → count by fours → gather remainder = one change). Repeat three times to compute the line number.
- Only four line numbers are possible: 6 (old yin), 7 (young yang), 8 (young yin), 9 (old yang). 6 and 9 are moving lines. 7 and 8 are static lines.
- Build the hexagram from bottom to top. After eighteen changes you get the original hexagram. Moving lines transform into their opposite, producing the resultant hexagram.
Common Breakers
- Forgetting to set aside the 50th stalk. The 49 stalks are for calculation. The 50th is symbolic. Using all 50 will throw everything off.
- Counting the remainder wrong during the count-by-fours step. The remainder is 1–4. Before you build muscle memory, double-check after every change.
- Mistaking young yin (8) for a moving line. Only old yang (9) and old yin (6) move. Young yang (7) and young yin (8) stay still. This is the most common mix-up.
- Building the hexagram top-down instead of bottom-up. The first change produces the first line (bottom). The last change produces the top line (sixth).
From the Great Expansion Number to Moving Lines: Core Principles of the Yarrow Stalk Method
Career & Wealth
The yarrow stalk method fits career questions best. It is slow, and that forces you to think through your question before casting. Major decisions—quitting a job, making an investment, forming a partnership—benefit from yarrow stalks more than three coins. The hexagram that emerges will more faithfully reflect what you truly meant to ask.
Love & Relationship
Use yarrow stalks for relationship questions when you are calm. Emotions run high in love. Casting in a heated moment skews the result. The ritual of yarrow stalks gives you a cooling-off period. After twenty-plus minutes of operation, your question is probably clearer than when you began.
Personality
People who prefer yarrow stalks tend to be patient, ritual-oriented, and accuracy-driven. They don't settle for 'good enough.' They willingly spend twenty minutes on what others do in three. When interpreting, they chew slowly. Surface-level good-or-bad judgments don't spook them easily.
Health
The yarrow stalk process is itself a calming meditation. Dividing, counting, and arranging stalks closely resembles mindfulness practice. Some people use yarrow stalks not for divination but simply to quiet themselves. For anxiety, insomnia, or restlessness, the process can matter more than the result.
The Great Expansion Number in the Xici: Original Text and Interpretation
Practical Tips for Casting with Yarrow Stalks
- Practice with Substitute Tools: Yarrow stalks are hard to find. Bamboo sticks, toothpicks, chopsticks, or matchsticks all work. Gather 50, set one aside, and start practicing with 49. For your first three attempts, don't record the hexagram. Just build the feel.
- Record After Every Change: After each change, immediately note the remainder (1, 2, 3, or 4). After three changes, immediately compute the line number (6, 7, 8, or 9). Don't trust your memory. Write it down on paper. One mixed-up line ruins everything that follows.
- Spend Extra Time on Hexagrams with Many Moving Lines: Old yang and old yin are changing lines. They signal that the situation is turning. When a hexagram has more than three moving lines, the situation is in heavy flux. Don't rush to conclusions. Read the original hexagram and the resultant hexagram together.
Yarrow Stalk Method FAQ
Q:Why use 49 stalks instead of 50?
A:
50 is the symbolic number—the Great Expansion number. One stalk is set aside unused. That stalk represents Taiji, the unmoving origin, the fundamental substance. The remaining 49 stalks perform the operation. Only then can yin-yang change begin to turn. Think of it like this: leave one on the shore, and send the other 49 into the water to find the fish.
Q:Why are old yang (9) and old yin (6) the moving lines?
A:
Old yang has reached the peak of yang. Old yin has reached the peak of yin. When things reach their extreme, they reverse. So old yang (9) transforms into yin. Old yin (6) transforms into yang. Young yang (7) and young yin (8) are still mid-journey. They haven't reached the point of change, so they remain static.
Q:Every yarrow stalk operation comes out different. What if I make a mistake?
A:
That's normal. The randomness is the value. You are not controlling the field. You are observing a number that arises naturally. If you worry about mistakes, practice more. Your hands will stabilize. If you genuinely doubt a result, cast the same question again a few days later and compare.