Plum Blossom Divination (梅花易数, Méi Huā Yì Shù)

Mei Hua Yi Shu — Plum Blossom Numerology or Plum Blossom Divination — is a classical Chinese divination method attributed to the Song-dynasty scholar Shao Yong (邵雍, 1011–1077). Unlike the coin-casting method of traditional I Ching, Mei Hua derives a hexagram from numbers associated with any moment, object, sound, or spontaneous event. The name comes from the legend of Shao Yong watching plum blossoms fall and using that moment to generate a hexagram.

The Core Principle

Mei Hua is rooted in the belief that any seemingly random moment carries energetic information about that moment's quality. The numbers used are not truly random — they are encoded by the time (year, month, day, hour) combined with a number derived from the thing observed (the number of petals, the hour of the sound, the direction of movement). These numbers, divided by eight and three respectively, produce two trigrams that form the hexagram.

How a Reading Is Generated

1. Upper trigram — calculated from (year + month + day) divided by 8; the remainder selects one of the eight trigrams
2. Lower trigram — calculated from (year + month + day + hour) divided by 8
3. Changing line — calculated from (year + month + day + hour) divided by 6; this position in the hexagram is the moving line

The two trigrams stack to form the primary hexagram. The changing line produces a second, changed hexagram. Together they form the complete divination.

Ti and Yong: Subject and Object

In Mei Hua, the two trigrams are called Ti (体, Body/Subject) and Yong (用, Function/Object). The Ti trigram represents the querent or the subject of the question; the Yong trigram represents the other party, the situation, or the outcome. Their elemental relationship determines the answer:

• Yong generates Ti → favorable, receiving support
• Ti generates Yong → the querent gives more than receives
• Yong controls Ti → challenging, facing resistance
• Ti controls Yong → querent has the upper hand
• Ti and Yong same element → neutral, parallel movement

Seasonal and Contextual Factors

Mei Hua also incorporates the current season's elemental strength. A Ti trigram whose element is strong in the current season (flourishing, 旺) is considered robust; one that is in a dying or imprisoned state (死囚) is weak. The seasonal assessment refines the reading beyond the simple Ti-Yong relationship.

Shao Yong's Legacy

Mei Hua Yi Shu is documented in Shao Yong's collected works and remains one of the most elegant divination methods in the Chinese tradition. Its appeal lies in its accessibility — no coins or yarrow stalks required, only the numbers of the present moment — and its theoretical depth, connecting each question to the I Ching's complete cosmological framework.