To use yarrow stalks to consult the I Ching, one divides a bundle of 49 stalks into two heaps. One stalk from one of the heaps is set aside, then each heap is counted through by fours until a remainder of four or fewer stalks remains. The remainders are set aside with the first stalk as a separate pile, and the two heaps rejoined into a bundle. This process is performed three times to generate one line of the hexagram. Six lines are generated in this fashion and recorded from bottom to top.
The easy way to see how many stalks are left in the bundle is to look at the three piles of remainders. Each pile will either be big, with 8 or 9 stalks; or small, with 4 or 5 stalks. Three big piles means 24 are left, or moving yin (6); two big and one small, 28 or yang (7); one big and two small, 32 or yin (8); three small, 36 or moving yang (9).
Yin is even, yang is odd, and the moving lines are 6 and 9.
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My favorite four-coin method, which has the same probabilities as yarrow stalks:
• Throw one coin to determine yang (heads) or yin (tails).
• Throw three more coins.
Exactly three heads among all four coins means the line is moving.