METHODS · 7 MIN READ

Chinese Divination Methods: A Beginner's Map

Compare the inputs and procedures of yarrow-stalk divination, Liuyao, Meihua Yishu, and Xiao Liuren.

“Chinese divination” is a broad label for methods that use different inputs, procedures, and interpretive rules. A yarrow-stalk consultation, Liuyao (六爻, liùyáo) reading, Meihua Yishu (梅花易数, méihuā yìshù) calculation, and Xiao Liuren (小六壬, xiǎo liùrén) method are not interchangeable simply because they may all involve signs or answer a question.

Four examples#

Yarrow-stalk divination is associated with the Yijing. The stalks are manipulated through a formal procedure to produce line values, which form a hexagram. The procedure and the text being consulted should both be recorded.

Liuyao, often described as six-line divination, uses a six-line figure and a set of calendrical and positional rules. Different schools may disagree on conventions or weighting. A useful record names the method and the source followed.

Meihua Yishu, often called the Plum Blossom method, can use time, numbers, or observed images to construct a hexagram. The inputs and conversion rules matter; an interpretation cannot be reproduced if they are omitted.

Xiao Liuren is a compact method that moves through six positions using date and time-related inputs in common versions. It is distinct from Da Liu Ren (大六壬, dà liùrén), another system with “Six Ren” in its name.

Record the procedure before the interpretation#

For any method, write down the question, time, input data, exact steps, symbols produced, interpretive rule, and a result that could later be judged. Keep the original statement unchanged. If the result is vague, define what would count as a hit, partial hit, miss, or indeterminate case before checking what happened.

That record helps distinguish three questions: Was the procedure followed correctly? Was the interpretation consistent with the selected tradition? Did the method make a prediction that performed better than a meaningful baseline? A “yes” to the first question does not answer the third.

Why the methods deserve separate pages#

Each system has its own vocabulary, historical sources, and boundary cases. Learning one method in depth is more useful than combining rules from several methods without noticing. The course introduces the foundations first, then presents each method in its own module.

For related entries, see the I Ching guide, how hexagrams work, and the glossary.