Hello everybody,Sorry for my poor English, but I will try to be as clear as possible.I started I ching about 1 year ago and instead of using coins, I preferred to use flat round pebbles that I found on the beach. It is easy to set a yin or yang side and if both sides are alike, it is possible to mark them differently.In the beginning, I used my 3 pebbles the same way as coins, but I found it was somewhat tedious and long to throw them six times so as to make a complete hexagram.From there, I searched for other 3 pebbles and eventually got 6 stones (it could be six different coins organized in 3 sets of pairs).The method I use, and have not found anywhere else on the web is as follows :each pair of pebble can represent either Yin or Yang, Old Yin, Old Yang (as I have conventionally determined on each pebble what is Yin, what is Yang) and have a definite place:the first pair (conventionally distinguished by its colors or general characteristics) is the first line of the trigram, the second pair, the second line, and the third pair, the third line of the trigram : each toss can be Yg/Yg, Yn/Yn, Yg/Yn, Yn/Yg.When the six pebbles are tossed the first time, I have a direct reading of the trigram, when tossed the second time, I get the second trigram.It is a great gain of time and it is very simple. Of course, it's important that each pair of pebbles keep the same position in hierarchy and pairing.Has anyone of you tried such method ?Thanks,Eric.

Hi, Eric

I really like the idea of using pebbles from the beach. The only thing I would find difficult to live with in your method is that there's a 50:50 chance that each line will be changing. I'm used to traditional methods where the odds of each line changing are only one in four, so that on average readings are simpler.

Yes, reading a little bit further I realized that on probability stand point, this method is not the best one. Thanks.

If I understand correctly the pebbles have the form and functions of coins? If so than one could search for a more appropriate coin method and use the pebbles instead.

Well, probability is not sacred - whatever works for you.

You could keep your eyes open for another three matching pebbles - one to match each pair - and revert in effect to the traditional 'three coin' method.