Plum Blossom Oracle
Shao Yong's classic method · Cast at the stirring of the heart · Anytime
Plum Blossom Numerology reads the world through images, casting from the heart.
Hold your question silently in mind, and through a single thought sense the breath of heaven and earth.
Derive the hexagram from the current year, month, day, and hour.
Formula: (year branch + lunar month + lunar day) ÷ 8 → upper trigram; plus the hour branch ÷ 8 → lower trigram; total ÷ 6 → changing line.
Pre-Heaven Trigram Numbers
- 1(Optional) Write down what you want to ask and pick a category — love, career, wealth…
- 2Choose a casting method: by the current time, by two numbers from the heart, or random
- 3Tap the cast button — the system derives the primary, nuclear, and changing hexagrams with the moving line
- 4Read the Host-Guest analysis and guidance, and copy the result to share with friends
One who truly knows the Yi does not divine.Plum Blossom Numerology is part of traditional Chinese culture. This tool is for study and personal reflection only — do not treat its results as superstition. For major decisions, reason carefully and consult a professional.
What is Plum Blossom Numerology?
Plum Blossom Numerology (Mei Hua Yi Shu) is a divination method created by the Northern Song scholar Shao Yong. Its essence is "reading images and casting from the heart" — any time, number, or chance observation can become a hexagram. The cast is then read through the Host-Guest relationship and the strength of the Five Elements to judge which way a matter is heading. Flexible to cast and direct to read, it is known as the "heart method" (Xin Yi).
Which casting method should I choose?
Casting by time is the orthodox method, deriving the hexagram from the current year, month, day, and hour — best for a formal question. Casting by number uses two numbers that come to mind (a house number, a plate number — anything can cast). Random casting simulates Shao Yong's original "plum blossom moment": hold your question in mind and tap the button at the heart's stirring. All three share the same principles — sincerity is what counts.
Tips before you cast
Tradition says "no stirring, no casting; no question, no divination": cast only when you truly have a question, one hexagram per matter, and avoid casting the same question repeatedly. Calm yourself and hold the question in mind before casting. When reading the result, focus on the generating/controlling relationship between the Host and Guest trigrams — Guest generating Host is largely favorable, Guest controlling Host suggests obstacles — then weigh the guidance accordingly.
FAQ
Is online casting free? Do I need an account?
Completely free, no sign-up. Pick a casting method, tap the button, and the hexagram with its reading appears instantly.
Which method is more accurate — time, number, or random?
All three follow the same principles; none ranks above the others. Time casting is the most orthodox, number casting the most flexible, and random casting truest to the "heart method" spirit. What matters is your focus and sincerity, not the method itself.
Can I cast repeatedly for the same question?
Tradition discourages it. Plum Blossom Numerology teaches "no stirring, no casting" — casting the same matter over and over dulls the moment. Once the hexagram is set, read the Host-Guest relationship and the guidance, and let it be.
How should I treat the result?
Plum Blossom Numerology is part of China's cultural heritage; the result is for appreciation and personal reflection only. "One who truly knows the Yi does not divine" — reason through major decisions yourself rather than letting a hexagram decide for you.