Coin method

The coin method is the most widespread way of consulting the I Ching. Three coins are tossed six times in a row; one side traditionally counts as 3 and the other as 2, so that each toss gives a total of 6, 7, 8 or 9, which determines one line of the hexagram, from the bottom up. Quicker than the yarrow stalk method, it does not give quite the same probabilities of changing lines. Old Chinese coins with a square hole are often used by tradition.