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#I Ching #Dayan Method #Yarrow Stalk Divination #Yi Studies

On the Dayan Yarrow Stalk Method

Exploring the philosophical significance and operational principles of the Great Expansion divination method from the I Ching

Tianwen Editorial Team January 27, 2026 7 min read PDF Markdown
On the Dayan Yarrow Stalk Method

1. The Logic of Variations

In the three changes, the stalks removed (Suspended + Left Remainder + Right Remainder) follow specific patterns:

  • 1st Change removal: 5 or 9
  • 2nd Change removal: 4 or 8
  • 3rd Change removal: 4 or 8

To get the final result, we look at the combinations of remaining stalks:

  • To get Old Yang (9): One must have 36 stalks left. This means $49 - (5 + 4 + 4) = 36$.
    • Condition: Each of the three changes must result in the minimum number of stalks being removed.
  • To get Old Yin (6): One must have 24 stalks left. This means $49 - (9 + 8 + 8) = 24$.
    • Condition: Each of the three changes must result in the maximum number of stalks being removed.