Casting in Yi: from one question to six lines
Start by writing the question
Ask is not a wish, and it does not hand the decision to a tool. Note the situation, the options you are comparing and the time frame, so the reading that follows has something to land on.
You can also leave the question blank and keep a single thought. It is saved with the hexagram in the same record, so you can add to it later.
Three ways to form six lines
The device changes how you take part; the six lines, changing lines and hexagram structure still follow the chosen method.
- Coin method: three coins tossed six times, recorded from the bottom line up. The faces of each toss decide whether a line is yin or yang and whether it changes.
- Yarrow-stalk method: the traditional sequence of dividing and counting stalks, three changes per line and eighteen in all.
- Plum Blossom: the current time, two numbers, a longer Chinese sentence, or something in view and its direction becomes, by fixed rules, an upper trigram, a lower trigram and one changing line.
Read: how the coin and yarrow-stalk methods differ · Read: number- and time-based entry in Yi
Your part: movement and the device’s own randomness
- With the coin or yarrow-stalk method you can tap, drag or gently move the device. That movement is mixed with the device’s built-in randomness before the lines form.
- Even with very little movement the device’s randomness always takes part, so a result cannot be arranged in advance. The raw movement is used for that cast only; it is not saved or uploaded.
- Plum Blossom uses no randomness: the same input under the same rules gives the same hexagram.
What each casting record keeps
The record keeps no raw movement and none of the random values used for mixing. It stays with your question, notes and decision in your journal: on your device by default, and encrypted on the device before upload if you turn on sync.
- The method and the time of casting
- How each line formed, such as the faces of each coin toss or the result of each yarrow change
- The primary hexagram, the changing lines and the resulting hexagram
- The type of input, such as “movement mixed with device randomness” or “converted from your input”
A boundary for study and reflection
Each method organizes classical study and personal reflection, not prediction: what the hexagram means to you and what you do next remain your decisions.
Reading starts from the judgment, the line texts and attributed commentary. Write down your understanding and check it later against what actually happened.
What the website and the app each do
Casting currently happens only in the Yi app. The website offers classical texts, study guides and a hexagram lookup.
A hexagram you read here can be studied, recorded and revisited in the app.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cast a hexagram on the website?
Not yet. Casting happens in the Yi app. On the website you can first read classical texts, study guides and the hexagram lookup, then write and record your question in the app.
Is the result still sound if I barely move the device?
Yes. The device’s built-in randomness always takes part; tapping, dragging or moving only adds your own input and never makes the result something that can be arranged in advance.
Should I cast again right away for the same question?
Usually there is no need to restart for a different result. First write down what you understood and your next step. After you act, open the same record from Journal and add what changed.
Is the casting record uploaded?
By default it stays on your device. Only if you turn on sync is it encrypted on the device before upload. Raw movement is never saved or uploaded.
Bring your question to Yi
Write the question, choose a method, then read the source and commentary and note your understanding. Records stay on your device by default.
Download Yi on the App StoreThis page is a Yi original explanation of casting methods and records, for classical study and personal reflection. It is not classical text or historical commentary and is not practical advice.