Kongming Divination: Five Coins Make a Hexagram
Toss five coins once and their faces form five positions: that is a hexagram. Kongming divination turns this into a fixed lookup table — five yin-yang positions define the hexagram, and the sign book supplies its name, grade and poem.
What This Method Looks At
Five coins are arranged into five yin-yang positions, and the matching hexagram name, grade, poem and categorical reading are looked up and interpreted for the matter asked about. You can supply five positions to reproduce a cast, or leave them blank and let the system draw at random.
What You Need to Prepare
- One specific question.
- Five yin-yang positions (optional): ● / ○, 1 / 0 or “yin / yang” all work; leave blank for a random draw.
What It Is Good For
- A coin-cast reading with simple steps and a sense of ritual.
- Short-term go-or-hold questions: do it or wait, which direction to try.
- A clear hexagram to use as the starting point for discussion.
What It Is Not Good For
- Complex questions that need several layers of evidence: the sign-book entries are short and support limited depth.
- Casting repeatedly until a satisfying hexagram appears.
- Follow-ups that need exact timing or amounts.
- Medical, legal or investment decisions.
What the Result Looks Like
- The five-position board: each coin’s face and the hexagram as a whole.
- The hexagram name, grade and poem.
- A categorical reading matched to the matter asked about.
- Conditions and a one-line summary.
Its Limits
Kongming divination is a folk coin method attributed to Zhuge Liang; its entries come from a fixed sign book and are fairly coarse. Casting repeatedly for the same matter produces different hexagrams and no new evidence. The result is a prompt for reflection, not a definite judgement.
Where to Start
If you have something to ask, go into the process here: give the question, then decide whether to supply the five positions yourself or leave it random; the system returns the hexagram, poem and reading. In the Zhanbu Mizhi process the hexagram and the matter are shown together for comparison.
Disclaimer: This article covers traditional culture and folk custom. It is for entertainment and self-reflection only, and does not constitute medical, psychological, investment, legal or marital decision advice. Please do not submit sensitive personal information such as ID numbers or detailed addresses. If you experience persistent insomnia, anxiety or physical discomfort, please consult a doctor or a qualified professional.
Sources
- This is a folk coin method attributed to Zhuge Liang, with entries taken from a common sign book and no systematic ancient text; no classical source is claimed here.