How to Consult the I Ching with 3 Coins (Complete Walkthrough)

The three-coin method casts an I Ching (Yi Jing, 易经) hexagram in about five minutes by tossing three identical coins six times to generate the six lines of a hexagram from bottom to top. The six steps are: settle your mind for at least one minute; frame one specific question; toss three coins six times (heads = 3, tails = 2, summed); record each line from bottom (line 1) to top (line 6); identify your primary hexagram; then read the judgment, image, changing lines, and resulting hexagram. The traditional yarrow stalk method takes 18 steps and 30 minutes; the three-coin method gives the same probability distribution in five minutes and is what most modern practitioners use.

If you've never cast an I Ching hexagram before, the three-coin method is the easiest way to start — you only need three identical coins of any kind and a quiet five minutes. Online tools simulate the same probability distribution in seconds; TodayFlow's free I Ching tool casts a hexagram automatically, and Yann, TodayFlow's Feng Shui guide for I Ching and Chinese divination, can walk through the resulting hexagram with you.

→ Cast a hexagram for free on TodayFlow

What You Need Before You Start

Three things:

• Three identical coins — any denomination, as long as all three match. Each coin needs a clear "heads" and "tails" side
• A quiet space — five minutes of uninterrupted attention is enough; the location doesn't matter
• One specific question — focused enough that the answer can be acted on (more on this below)

You don't need a special table, ritual setup, or formal posture. The I Ching responds to the focus of your question, not the formality of the casting.

How the Coin-to-Line Conversion Works

Each toss of three coins produces a number that determines one line of your hexagram. The coin values:

• Heads = 3
• Tails = 2

Add the three coin values together. The sum is one of four numbers, and each maps to a specific line type:

Sum	Line Type	Symbol	Meaning
6	Old Yin (changing)	⚋ → ⚊	Broken line that will change to solid
7	Young Yang (stable)	⚊	Solid line, stable
8	Young Yin (stable)	⚋	Broken line, stable
9	Old Yang (changing)	⚊ → ⚋	Solid line that will change to broken

Sixes and nines are changing lines — they describe what's actively moving in your situation. Sevens and eights are stable lines — the static structure of your hexagram. The probability distribution roughly matches the traditional yarrow stalk method (sixes and nines come up less often than sevens and eights), so the two methods are statistically equivalent.

Step 1: Settle Your Mind for at Least One Minute

Sit quietly. Take several deep breaths. Let mental noise fall away. A hexagram cast in agitation reads as murky and unclear — the practical reason this step is non-negotiable. The I Ching responds to the state of mind in which you cast, not the physical mechanism of the toss.

If you're stressed about the question, sit with the stress for a minute first. The reading you do after settling will be much sharper than the reading you do while spiraling.

Step 2: Frame One Specific Question

The I Ching answers focused questions clearly and vague questions vaguely. Frame your question concretely:

• ✅ "Should I accept this specific offer given the current situation?"
• ✅ "What is the right approach to this conflict with my business partner?"
• ✅ "What is the configuration of forces around my career right now?"
• ❌ "What does my future hold?" (too diffuse)
• ❌ "Will I be happy?" (no specific situation)
• ❌ "Will I make $1M next year?" (the I Ching doesn't predict outcomes)

Hold the question clearly in your mind throughout the casting. Some practitioners write the question down before tossing — this is optional but helps focus.

Step 3: Toss Three Coins Six Times, Recording Each Sum

Hold the three coins together in your hands. Toss them onto a surface. Note the result (heads = 3, tails = 2 each). Sum the three values. Write down the sum.

The result is line 1, the bottom line of your hexagram.

Repeat five more times, recording each sum in order:

• Toss 1 → Line 1 (bottom)
• Toss 2 → Line 2
• Toss 3 → Line 3
• Toss 4 → Line 4
• Toss 5 → Line 5
• Toss 6 → Line 6 (top)

You now have six numbers, each between 6 and 9. Lines are read bottom-to-top in I Ching, the opposite of how Western text is read top-to-bottom.

Step 4: Convert Numbers to Lines and Identify Your Primary Hexagram

Convert each number to its line type using the table above (6 = old yin, 7 = young yang, 8 = young yin, 9 = old yang). Treat 6 and 9 as their underlying yin/yang for purposes of identifying the primary hexagram (so 6 is read as broken, 9 as solid).

Stack the six lines from bottom to top. The bottom three lines form your lower trigram; the top three lines form your upper trigram. The combination of these two trigrams identifies your primary hexagram from the 64 possibilities.

Use a hexagram lookup chart (any I Ching reference book has one, or TodayFlow's I Ching tool identifies it for you automatically). The chart maps each pair of trigrams to one of the 64 hexagrams.

Step 5: Read the Judgment and the Image

Look up your primary hexagram in an I Ching reference (the Wilhelm-Baynes 1950 translation is the standard English edition). Read the judgment (a short verdict on the hexagram's situation) and the image (a meditation on the upper and lower trigrams).

Read both slowly. The judgment is the headline; the image is the part that turns the headline into something usable.

If the hexagram has no changing lines, the judgment and image are the entire reading — your situation is what the primary hexagram describes, and no major shift is currently in motion.

Step 6: If You Have Changing Lines, Read the Line Texts and the Resulting Hexagram

If any of your tosses produced a 6 or 9, you have changing lines. Each changing line has its own line text in the I Ching reference — read these in order from bottom to top. Changing lines describe specifically what is moving and how.

Then flip each changing line to its opposite (6 becomes a 7-equivalent solid line, 9 becomes an 8-equivalent broken line) and look up the new hexagram. This is your resulting hexagram — it describes where the situation is heading after the change resolves.

A reading with changing lines is read in three layers:

1. The primary hexagram — current situation
2. The changing line texts — what's specifically moving and how
3. The resulting hexagram — where the situation is heading

A Worked Example

You ask: "Should I accept this job offer that came in this week?"

Your six tosses produce: 8, 7, 9, 8, 7, 7

Converting:

• Line 1 (bottom): 8 = young yin (broken, stable)
• Line 2: 7 = young yang (solid, stable)
• Line 3: 9 = old yang (solid, changing to broken)
• Line 4: 8 = young yin (broken, stable)
• Line 5: 7 = young yang (solid, stable)
• Line 6 (top): 7 = young yang (solid, stable)

Lower trigram (lines 1-3, treating 9 as solid): broken, solid, solid = ☱ (Dui, Lake) Upper trigram (lines 4-6): broken, solid, solid = ☴ (Xun, Wind)

Looking up Lake below Wind in the chart → Hexagram 28: Da Guo · Preponderance of the Great ("Pressure at the breaking point").

Read the judgment and image. The hexagram is telling you the current situation is overloaded — the structure is straining under too much weight.

You have one changing line at line 3 (a 9). Read line 3's text. Then flip line 3 from solid to broken, giving you a new lower trigram (broken, solid, broken = ☵ Kan, Water) under the same upper trigram. Looking up Water below Wind → Hexagram 48: Jing · The Well ("the deep, unchanging source").

Reading: the situation is overloaded right now (Da Guo), and the change in motion (line 3 shifting) is moving toward something stable and renewing (Jing, the Well). The hexagram is suggesting that letting this overloaded chapter resolve will lead you to a stable foundation — but the present moment requires careful handling, not bold action.

That's the full reading.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use any kind of coin?

Yes. Traditional Chinese coins (round with a square hole, called I Ching coins) are popular but not required. Three identical pennies, dimes, or quarters work fine. The only requirement is that all three match and that each has a clear heads/tails side.

Why three coins specifically?

Three coins produce four possible sums (6, 7, 8, 9), which map cleanly to the four traditional line types (old yin, young yang, young yin, old yang). The probability distribution roughly matches the traditional 50-stalk yarrow method that I Ching practitioners used for thousands of years before coins were standardized for divination.

Is the three-coin method as accurate as yarrow stalks?

Statistically very close, not identical. The traditional yarrow method gives slightly different probabilities for the four line types — old yang and old yin are slightly less common with yarrow than with coins. Some traditionalists prefer yarrow for this reason; most modern practitioners find the three-coin method's results functionally equivalent for daily readings.

Can I cast online instead?

Yes. Online I Ching tools simulate the same probability distribution in seconds. The reading isn't structurally different from physical casting; what matters is the focused state in which you ask the question and how carefully you read the result.

My reading has changing lines I don't understand. What do I do?

Read the line text slowly, then sit with the hexagram for 24 hours and read again. Most insights only surface on the second reading. If the hexagram still doesn't land against your situation, you can ask Yann, TodayFlow's Feng Shui guide for I Ching and Chinese divination, to walk through it with you.

→ Talk to Yann about your hexagram

Cast Your First Hexagram

You now have everything you need to cast an I Ching hexagram with three coins. The fastest way to learn is to do it — pick a real question and try the six steps.

→ Free online I Ching on TodayFlow — if you'd rather skip the physical coins, this tool casts a hexagram with the same probability distribution in seconds, identifies the primary hexagram, changing lines, and resulting hexagram automatically, and shows you the judgment and image.

If your hexagram needs interpretation against your specific situation, you can also chat with Yann, TodayFlow's Feng Shui guide for Bazi, I Ching, and Chinese divination.

→ Chat with Yann