Want to cast an I Ching hexagram for one specific question but not sure how to go about it? The most common and easiest method uses three coins: toss them 6 times, each toss gives one line, and you stack the lines from the bottom up into a hexagram of six lines. From that hexagram you can read the present situation, the key point, and the direction things may be moving. This guide walks through it step by step, with a clear rules table and a worked example, so you can read a hexagram in an orderly way instead of going by feeling.

What to Prepare Before You Cast

You only need a few simple things:

• 3 identical coins (traditionally old coins with a hole, but ordinary coins work too).
• Paper and a pen to record the results of the 6 tosses.
• A clear, specific question, and a calm state of mind.

Decide what the two sides of a coin mean: one side is Yang and the other is Yin. A common choice is to make the side with writing (such as a date or an inscription) Yang and the other side Yin. Any convention works, as long as you fix it before you toss and keep it the same for the whole hexagram.

In short: have 3 identical coins, paper and pen, and a clear question ready; decide which side is Yang and which is Yin, and keep that the same throughout.

How to Cast: 6 Tosses, One Line Each

Hold the 3 coins between your palms, focus on your question, and let them drop. Repeat this exactly 6 times, no more and no less. Each toss gives one line, so write them down in order.

The line is decided by how many Yang sides show among the 3 coins:

Result of the 3 coins	Type of line	Symbol	Moving or still
3 Yang sides	Old Yang	Yang line ⚊	Moving (will turn into Yin)
2 Yang, 1 Yin	Young Yin	Yin line ⚋	Still
1 Yang, 2 Yin	Young Yang	Yang line ⚊	Still
3 Yin sides	Old Yin	Yin line ⚋	Moving (will turn into Yang)

The key point: an "old" line (all 3 coins showing the same side) is a moving line, the place where the matter is in the middle of changing. A "young" line is a still line and stays as it is.

In short: toss 6 times; each time count the Yang sides to get a Yin or Yang line; three coins on the same side make a moving line, which marks where things are shifting.

Building the Hexagram: Stack the Lines from the Bottom Up

The six lines are stacked from the bottom to the top: the first toss is the bottom line (the first line), and the sixth toss is the top line. These six lines make the primary hexagram, which describes the present state of your question.

If the hexagram has a moving line, flip that line to its opposite (Yang to Yin, Yin to Yang) to get the changed hexagram, which describes the direction the matter may turn toward. If there are no moving lines, the hexagram stops at the primary hexagram.

In short: stack 6 lines from the bottom up for the primary hexagram; if there is a moving line, flip it to get the changed hexagram, which shows the direction of change.

A Worked Example

Say you ask about a decision at work and the tosses give you, from the bottom up: Yang, Yin, Yang, Yang (moving), Yin, Yang.

• The primary hexagram (the six lines as they stand) describes the background: what kind of situation you are in, and what is smooth and what is blocked.
• The moving line (the fourth line) is the key point: the place where the situation is changing, and the spot that deserves the most attention when you decide.
• The changed hexagram (after flipping the moving line) shows the trend: if you keep going in the current direction, where things may lean.

Reading a hexagram always means putting these three layers side by side: the present (the primary hexagram), the turning point (the moving line) and the trend (the changed hexagram), then connecting them back to your question. The detailed meaning of each hexagram and each line belongs to the system of 64 hexagrams, which is the next step once you have built your hexagram.

In short: reading a hexagram means placing three layers side by side: the primary hexagram (now), the moving line (the key point) and the changed hexagram (the trend), then linking them to your question.

Important Reminders When Casting

• Cast only once per matter (the old rule that one matter is not asked twice). Asking the same question again and again scatters your intention and makes the result harder to trust.
• The clearer the question, the easier the hexagram is to read. A vague question tends to get a vague hexagram.
• Stay calm while you toss. The heart of casting is that the numbers and the result reflect your intention at that moment.

In short: cast once per matter, ask a clear question, and keep a calm mind so the hexagram reflects your intention.

Another Option: Casting with Numbers

Three coins have their charm: they are hands-on and close to the traditional ritual. One thing to keep in mind is that the method depends on how you toss and on the coins themselves, which sometimes leaves people wondering "did I do it right?"

Casting with numbers is also a common method in Plum Blossom Numerology: you let numbers come to you naturally, following your intention, and then turn them into a hexagram. It keeps the I Ching's spirit of "a stirring of the heart", and it is objective and consistent: the same set of numbers always gives the same hexagram, just as the classical yarrow-stalk method gives the same result whenever the same steps are followed. It also suits modern habits, and it is not meant to replace the value of the traditional way of casting.

In short: casting with numbers keeps the spirit of a stirring of the heart while staying objective and consistent, and it can sit alongside the traditional coin method.

Conclusion: Five Points for Casting with Three Coins

Casting with three coins is not hard once you know the steps. Five points to remember:

1. Prepare 3 identical coins, decide the Yang and Yin sides, and settle on a clear question.
2. Toss 6 times, counting the Yang sides each time to get the matching line.
3. Build the hexagram by stacking lines from the bottom up; flip a moving line to get the changed hexagram.
4. Read it in three layers: the primary hexagram, the moving line and the changed hexagram.
5. Respect the rule of one cast per matter, and keep a calm mind.

If you would like a quick, objective way to cast that keeps the spirit of a stirring of the heart, you can try number casting in HOROS, so you can put your attention on the question instead of worrying whether the steps were done right.