Back to blog
#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. Complexity is the Enemy

A standard Da Yan divination takes 15–20 minutes even for a fast practitioner, and up to half an hour for others. It is incredibly easy to miscount; a single error ruins the entire hexagram. For urgent battlefield decisions or marketplace divination, this was simply too slow. Consequently, after the Tang and Song dynasties, the "Huo Zhu Lin" method (Coin Oracle) rose to prominence.