Plum Blossom Numerology - Mei Hua Yi Shu
The Origin
Shao Yong (1011-1077) created Plum Blossom Numerology after observing a cat chasing a bird on a plum tree. From that moment, he understood that any natural event could serve as the seed of a divination reading.
The Five Methods
1. Time Method: Use the hour, day, month and year to calculate the hexagram. 2. Number Method: Use random numbers from any source. 3. Observation Method: Use natural events as divination seeds. 4. Sound Method: Use sounds you hear unexpectedly. 5. Question Method: Use the number of characters in your question.
The I Ching Hexagrams
Plum Blossom uses the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. Each hexagram represents a situation. The moving line reveals how that situation will transform. Upper hexagram represents the external situation. Lower hexagram represents your internal state.
The Eight Trigrams
Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Wind, Water, Fire, Mountain, Lake. Each trigram represents an element, a family member, a body part and a direction. Together they describe every situation in the universe.
How to Read
The primary hexagram shows the current situation. The nuclear hexagram shows hidden factors. The transformed hexagram shows the outcome. The relationship between these three reveals the full story.
"In Plum Blossom, the universe is always speaking. You need only listen."
Number Divination
Random number reading
Time Divination
Using the moment
Nature Signs
Reading natural events
Plum Blossom Numbers Method
The Plum Blossom numbers method is the simplest and most accessible form of Mei Hua Yi Shu. Any number you see can become a divination tool. When you see a license plate, a clock time, a page number or any number, pause and cast a quick hexagram. The number becomes your upper or lower trigram. The method requires no coins, no chart, no preparation. This is the daily practice of Plum Blossom: noticing numbers and reading their energy in the moment.
Plum Blossom Time Method
For any question, note the exact time (hour and minute). The hour determines your upper trigram. The minute determines your lower trigram. Together they form your hexagram. This method is used when no other number is available or when you want to use the cosmic time of your question directly. The time method is especially powerful because it captures the exact moment of inquiry and all the cosmic energy present at that moment.
Plum Blossom Nature Method
Nature around you is constantly providing divination numbers. A bird flying left (2 trigram) over a tree (8 trigram) forms a hexagram. A sound coming from the east (3 trigram) while you see a car (9 trigram) forms another. The Plum Blossom nature method trains you to notice the world and read its subtle messages. This is the highest art of Mei Hua: seeing divination in every moment of ordinary life.
Plum Blossom Ethics and Practice
Plum Blossom is not for compulsive use. Do not cast repeatedly for the same question. Cast once when a genuine question arises, read the hexagram with attention, and accept the guidance. Plum Blossom reveals the current energy of a situation. It does not control outcomes. Used mindfully, it trains your awareness and intuition. Used compulsively, it creates anxiety and dependency. The skilled practitioner casts rarely and reads deeply.
Plum Blossom and Daily Awareness
The Plum Blossom method ultimately trains awareness rather than prediction. By casting hexagrams throughout the day, you develop sensitivity to subtle patterns in your environment. You notice what others miss. You develop a felt sense of energy flow. This heightened awareness is the true gift of Plum Blossom practice. The divination is a means to this end, not the end itself. Awareness is the art.