Greg Whincup's 'Rediscovering the I Ching' yarrow stalk rite

[siccarus]

Hi, i'm new to I Ching and new to this forum.

I was starting out with the yarrow stalk method and i found this Greg Whincup's book. He (and some other authors like Stephen Karcher - The Way of I Ching) use a slightly different method than the one most people seem to use. It is also an interpretation of chapter 9 of Ten Wings but by Gao (1963) and later by Chen (1973).

You can read the explanation here:

http://www.biroco.com/yijing/Whincup_yarrow.pdf

For what i've read and researched, it makes sense. But I was wondering what you think about it. Should I use this or another method?

Thanks

 

[pocossin]

Whincup's description of the casting is in error: 47.3.4 > 48.

 

[siccarus]

Thank you.

Back to the drawing board then.

 

[peterg]

yarrow

The first operation produces 9 or 5. The second and third operations produce 4 or 8.
After three ops you have one of the following lines :
6 x 4 + 9 8 8 = 49 = moving yin.
7 x 4 + 5 8 8 or 9 4 8 or 9 8 4 = 49 = static yang.
8 x 4 + 5 8 4 or 5 4 8 or 9 4 4 = 49 = static yin.
9 x 4 + 5 4 4 = 49 = moving yang.

I start with the one above. Underneath that I put the 9 or 5 and the 4 or 8.
Under these I have the bundles of four.

This approach is a form of double entry bookkeeping and will show up any counting errors. So I can let my mind drift to a more right - brain level of awareness.

 

[peterg]

yarrow.

Whincups example cast contains an elementary error. He casts the lines of 48 but shows the text of 59. A typo ?

His description of the yarrow procedure is accurate but far from definitive.
I think the definitive account has yet to be written.
Most descriptions of the method are quite laboured.
However, once learned the process becomes automatic. You dont have to think about it.

For those who like to do things the hard way and translate 9 8 , 5 4 into 2 or 3 :
9 8 8 = 2 2 2 = 6
5 4 4 = 3 3 3 = 9
9 8 4 = 2 2 3 = 7
etc.

I think its a good idea to put the remainders between the fingers of your left hand ( assuming youre right handed ) when youre counting them. One from right of split between lower fingers. Remainders from left of split between middle fingers. Remainders from right side between upper fingers . Helps avoid counting errors.

 

[pocossin]

Whincup's example cast contains an elementary error. He casts the lines of 48 but shows the text of 59. A typo ?

You haven't read this thread But it's not a typo. Translators typically focus on the appended text and have no idea what the hexagrams look like and make mistakes in using them. Blofeld did. I think Whincup looked up the trigrams backward when consulting his hexagram table, p.238.

 

[charly]

You haven't read this thread But it's not a typo. Translators typically focus on the appended text and have no idea what the hexagrams look like and make mistakes in using them. Blofeld did. I think Whincup looked up the trigrams backward when consulting his hexagram table, p.238.

«Nobody's perfect.»

Charly

 

[peterg]

«Nobody's perfect.»

Charly

Never say perfect or you might get the Sinatra treatment.
Sinatra to crony :'' I'll decide what's perfect. Don't push your luck creep ''
He should have told him he preferred Perry Como.

I still can't figure why Pocossin thought I hadn't read the thread.

As for yarrow , all the movements have become automatic for me and I regard them as an exercise in meditation.
I wonder if Siccarus figured out the moves ?
I wrote a description of the moves in a thread called ' yarrow symmetry ' in exploring divination.
Whatever variation in method used the result is the same four lines in asymmetrical proportions or symmetrical (as in coins ) if you prefer to use 48 sticks instead of 49.
I switched over to 48 about a year ago because I wanted a change from the yang biased casts.
I think ' the one above ' , 49 + 1 , is essentially a reminder : don't forget to add 1 to the remainders.

pg

 

[charly]

Never say perfect or you might get the Sinatra treatment.
Sinatra to crony :'' I'll decide what's perfect. Don't push your luck creep ''
...

Hi, Peter:
I like Sinatra for Strangers in the Night (doesn't belong to him, of course) , but I don't like people that decide what's perfect.
«Nobody's perfect» belongs to Billy Wilder.
Never is good to abuse of our luck, indeed.

Yours,

Charly

P.D.:
I don't know Whincup, but I believe that Blofeld had idea.
Ch.

 

[pocossin]

I don't know Whincup, but I believe that Blofeld had idea.
Ch.

I don't know Whincup either, but a decade ago he did me a courtesy, and I am still grateful.

 

[pocossin]

I still can't figure why Pocossin thought I hadn't read the thread.

This happed so long ago I don't remember why I thought you hadn't closely read the thread. Hospitalization last year seriously damaged my memory, and I wish you had brought this up several months ago when I could remember what I was thinking at the time. I have no objection at all to your use of yarrow. What I might have been thinking was, using yarrow isn't enough. You need to know the hexagrams as visual objects or you will make mistakes. And even though I know the hexagrams, when there are several moving lines I have to check and recheck, or I make mistakes too.

 

[rosada]

I hope you are feeling well now, Tom. I think I lost my memory back in the 80's. Isn't it amazing how well we get along without it?

rosada