Mei Hua Yi Shu: Anything You See Can Start a Hexagram
Once I was waiting for a friend by a subway exit and saw a cat jump down off the steps and stumble as it landed. I said offhand to the person beside me that this probably would not go smoothly. He asked whether I had been watching something. I said no — I had just cast a hexagram, and the material for it was exactly that scene in front of me.
What this method looks at
Mei Hua Yi Shu (Plum Blossom Numerology) takes the principles of the I Ching as its frame. It forms a hexagram from the time, from numbers, or from something seen, and then judges the state of the matter through the Ti and Yong relationship. Its character is flexible casting and quick pickup, which suits small questions you can ask on the spot.
Information you need to prepare: one specific question, plus the information used for casting — the current time, a set of numbers, or one phenomenon in front of you.
Three ways to cast
Casting by time: convert the current year, month, day and hour into numbers and cast from them. This is the most common approach. Casting by numbers: a group of numbers that surfaces in your mind, or numbers you pick up at hand, split by rule into an upper and a lower trigram. Casting by outer response: cast from something that suddenly appears in front of you — a bird flying past, a sound, a scene you walk into. Outer response values the prompt of the moment: what is taken is the very first impression.
How to read the Ti and Yong relationship
The two hexagrams cast are divided into Ti and Yong: the Ti hexagram stands for yourself or the subject, the Yong hexagram for the matter asked about or the other party. Look at the generating and controlling relation between them. Yong generating Ti is mostly smooth, Ti generating Yong mostly draining, Ti controlling Yong is taking the initiative, Yong controlling Ti is being constrained. Then read the nuclear and changed hexagrams for process and outcome — that is the basic reading of Mei Hua Yi Shu.
Origins
Mei Hua Yi Shu is attributed to Shao Yong of the Song dynasty. The book records many examples of casting from a scene at hand, among them the story of watching the plum blossoms, which spread widely; records of this kind are often taken as the origin of the method's name. Its style differs from Liu Yao (Six Lines): Liu Yao stresses the assembled hexagram and the Six Relatives, while Mei Hua stresses image-taking and the Ti and Yong pair.
Its limits
Mei Hua Yi Shu is quick to pick up, and it also slides easily into saying whatever comes to mind. Its conclusions tend to be brief and are good for a sense of direction; if you want to dig into the key step that decides success or failure, a more complete structure such as Liu Yao fits better. Casting by outer response also depends on your attention in the moment, and one person casting several matters at once easily muddles the reading.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Does casting by time use the lunar calendar or the Gregorian one? Traditional practice mostly uses the lunar calendar and the double-hours. Either works, as long as you stay consistent.
Q: Is outer response superstition? It is closer to a way of focusing attention: first name the phenomenon in front of you as a symbol, then deduce by fixed rules. Whether you believe in it is a personal choice; we present it only as folk custom and traditional culture.
Q: How many matters can one hexagram cover? Generally one matter per hexagram. Ask several things at once and the Ti and Yong relations interfere with each other.
Q: Compared with Liu Yao, which one is more accurate? These are two systems of different granularity, and comparing them by accuracy does not fit. Ask instead whether you want a sense of direction or a detailed structure.
Where to start
If you have a specific question, you can use the flow on this site: describe it in natural language and the system will suggest a method — you can also specify Mei Hua Yi Shu yourself. You will then see the hexagram and the Ti and Yong reading, and can export it for your records if you need to. In the Zhanbu Mizhi flow, both the casting steps and the reading are given together.
Disclaimer: This article covers traditional culture and folk custom. It is for entertainment and self-reflection only, and does not constitute medical, psychological, investment, legal or marital decision advice. Please do not submit sensitive personal information such as ID numbers or detailed addresses. If you experience persistent insomnia, anxiety or physical discomfort, please consult a doctor or a qualified professional.
Sources
- Mei Hua Yi Shu (Plum Blossom Numerology), Wikisource: https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/梅花易數 (accessed 2026-09-17)
- Zhou Yi (the Book of Changes), Wikisource: https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/周易 (accessed 2026-09-17)