Two routes to a six-line figure
Coins and yarrow stalks are two methods of obtaining the six line values used in an I Ching consultation. Both can produce totals of 6, 7, 8 or 9. The first line becomes the bottom of the hexagram; five more lines are built above it.
The values have different roles: 6 is changing yin, 7 stable yang, 8 stable yin and 9 changing yang. The method affects how those values are selected. It does not supply a universal rule for which translation or interpretation you must use afterwards.
Three coins: a short, repeatable procedure
In the three-coin method, assign 2 to one face of each coin and 3 to the other. Toss all three together and add their values. Record the total, then repeat until you have six lines. Keep your face assignments consistent throughout the reading.
With independent fair coins, the probabilities are 1/8 for 6, 3/8 for 7, 3/8 for 8 and 1/8 for 9. You can see this by listing the eight possible combinations of three two-sided coins: one combination totals 6, three total 7, three total 8 and one totals 9.
Yarrow stalks: more time in the counting
The yarrow procedure described in the Attached Statements begins with fifty stalks, setting one aside and using the remaining forty-nine. It involves successive divisions and counts rather than a single toss of three objects. Tze-Ki Hon’s scholarly introduction describes this ritual and its place in the Changes tradition.
In the common probability model of the received yarrow method, the proportions for 6, 7, 8 and 9 are 1/16, 5/16, 7/16 and 3/16 respectively. Gregory Whincup’s method appendix sets out these familiar proportions. Actual results depend on how a physical procedure is performed; these figures should not be taken to describe every possible handling of stalks.
The probability difference that matters
Compare changing yin and changing yang. The coin model makes 6 and 9 equally likely. The common yarrow model makes 6 less likely than 9. Both models give a total changing-line probability of one quarter per line, but distribute it differently between the two kinds of change.
This is why a random generator that chooses uniformly among 6, 7, 8 and 9 would match neither model. It would make half the lines changing. An online tool should say which procedure it represents rather than describing every random selection as traditional coin casting.
Which method does Soft Changes use?
Soft Changes generates three virtual coin outcomes for each line, using the browser’s cryptographic random-number generator. Each outcome contributes 2 or 3. The six resulting totals follow the three-coin model; the tool does not claim to simulate the yarrow procedure.
Choose physical coins if you enjoy handling the objects, stalks if you want to learn a longer counting ritual, or a digital cast for convenience. The difference in pace may affect your experience of the moment. Neither the longer procedure nor the more convenient one establishes predictive accuracy.