梅花易數 Meihua Yishu

Meihua Yishu (梅花易數 / Plum Blossom Numerology / Plum Blossom I Ching) is a traditional Chinese I Ching divination method, attributed to Shao Yong (邵雍) of the Song Dynasty. This project provides a professional Meihua divination system as an AI Skill for Claude Code.

Also known as: 梅花易数 (Simplified Chinese), Mei Hua Yi Shu, Plum Blossom Oracle, 梅花心易

Why Meihua Yishu?

A Decision-Making Framework, Not Fortune-Telling

Unlike popular misconceptions about divination, Meihua Yishu is a structured thinking tool rooted in 3,000 years of Chinese philosophical wisdom:

Misconception	Reality
"Predicts the future"	Analyzes present conditions and likely trajectories
"Superstition"	Systematic framework based on pattern recognition
"Magic"	Philosophical method for examining situations from multiple angles

Benefits

🎯 Decision Clarity — When facing complex choices, the hexagram structure forces you to consider factors you might overlook

🔄 Multiple Perspectives — The Ti-Yong (体用) framework systematically examines self vs. environment, action vs. reaction

⏱️ Timing Awareness — The 應期 (Yingqi) system encourages thinking about when to act, not just what to do

🌊 Change Philosophy — Based on the I Ching principle that everything changes; helps accept uncertainty and plan adaptively

💭 Reflection Tool — The divination process creates space for introspection and deeper thinking about your situation

Who Uses It?

Entrepreneurs — For strategic timing and partnership decisions
Individuals — For major life choices (career, relationships, relocation)
Curious Minds — To explore Eastern philosophy and symbolic thinking
Developers — To integrate traditional wisdom into AI applications

The Meihua Advantage

Compared to other I Ching methods:

Faster — No coins or yarrow stalks needed; cast from time, numbers, or observation
More Intuitive — Trigram-based (8 symbols) rather than full hexagram memorization (64 symbols)
Contextual — Ti-Yong analysis relates directly to your specific situation
Practical — Clear auspicious/inauspicious framework with actionable insights

"The Yi does not predict fate — it reveals patterns. Understanding patterns empowers better choices."

Features

Casting Methods

Time-based Divination — Cast hexagrams using current or specified time
Number-based Divination — Cast hexagrams using numbers
Sound-based Divination — Cast using the count of sounds heard
Color-based Divination — Cast based on colors corresponding to five elements
Measurement-based Divination — Cast using object dimensions
Direction-based Divination — Cast based on the direction of a person or object

Interpretation Functions

Ti-Yong Analysis — Interpret the relationship between Ti (体) and Yong (用) trigrams
Tongguan Mediation — Analyze five-element bridging to mitigate克 (controlling) relationships
64 Hexagrams Interpretation — Detailed explanations of hexagram and line texts
Changing Lines Derivation — Analyze the fortune of transformed hexagrams
Seasonal Strength (卦氣) — Determine Ti trigram strength based on season
Timing Prediction (應期) — Predict when events will manifest
Strategy Guidance (策略建議) — Data-driven advice on whether to stay, leave, wait, or change (NEW!)

Specialized Readings

18 Specific Readings — Marriage, illness, wealth, travel, and more
Ten Responses (十應) — Environmental sign analysis
Bagua Correspondences — Modern and traditional symbolic associations
Character Analysis (測字) — Fortune telling by analyzing Chinese characters

AI-Assisted Features

Photo Analysis — Upload photos for AI to analyze environmental signs
Environmental Sensing — Describe surrounding sounds, colors, people for enhanced readings

Project Structure

meihua-yishu/
├── SKILL.md                      # Main skill documentation
├── ETHICS.md                     # Ethical guidelines (English)
├── ETHICS.zh-TW.md              # Ethical guidelines (繁體中文)
├── README.md                     # This file
├── README.zh-TW.md              # Traditional Chinese README
├── LICENSE                       # CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
├── references/
│   ├── 64gua.md                 # 64 Hexagrams detailed guide
│   ├── yaoci.md                 # 384 Line texts
│   ├── zhouyi-zhuan.md          # Tuan & Xiang commentaries
│   ├── bagua-wanwu.md           # Bagua correspondences + verses + character analysis (測字)
│   ├── hexagram-relationships.md # Hexagram relationships + statistical analysis + Tongguan
│   ├── hexagram-strategy.md     # Strategy guide (stay/leave/change decisions) - CORE!
│   ├── ying-guides.md           # Ten responses + external signs
│   ├── yingqi-calc.md           # Timing calculation guide
│   ├── 18-divinations.md        # 18 types of specific readings
│   └── case-studies-expanded.md # Classic divination cases (optional)
└── scripts/
    └── meihua_calc.py           # Python calculation tool

Usage

As a Claude Code Skill

Easy way: Paste this URL in Claude Code and say "Please install this skill":

https://github.com/muyen/meihua-yishu

Manual way:

# Personal skills (works across all projects)
git clone https://github.com/muyen/meihua-yishu.git ~/.claude/skills/meihua-yishu

# Or for a specific project
git clone https://github.com/muyen/meihua-yishu.git .claude/skills/meihua-yishu

Once installed, mention divination keywords like "占卦", "起卦", or "meihua" — the skill will activate automatically.

ChatGPT Custom GPT

Create a new GPT at https://chatgpt.com/gpts/editor
Copy the entire content of SKILL.md into the Instructions field (must be < 8000 characters)
Upload all 10 files from references/ as Knowledge files
Set conversation starters: "幫我起卦", "占一卦", "測字"

Google Gemini Gems

Create a new Gem at https://gemini.google.com/gems
Copy the entire content of SKILL.md into the Instructions field
Upload all 10 files from references/ as Knowledge files (Gemini limit: 10 files)
Set suggested prompts: "幫我起卦", "占一卦", "測字"

Using the Python Tool

# Cast hexagram using current time
python scripts/meihua_calc.py time

# Cast hexagram using two numbers
python scripts/meihua_calc.py num 6 8

# Cast hexagram using three numbers (third is changing line)
python scripts/meihua_calc.py num 6 8 3

Example output:

==================================================
📿 Meihua Yishu Divination Result
==================================================

【1. Calculation】
  Year: 10
  Month: 1
  Day: 17
  Hour: Hai (12)

【2. Primary Hexagram】
  #49: Ze Huo Ge (Revolution)
  Upper: Dui ☱
  Lower: Li ☲
  Binary: 011101
  Line 4 changing

【3. Ti-Yong Analysis】
  Ti Trigram: Li (lower) - Fire
  Yong Trigram: Dui (upper) - Metal
  Relationship: Ti controls Yong (Auspicious)

【4. Mutual Hexagram】
  Qian Wei Tian (Heaven over Heaven)

【5. Transformed Hexagram】
  #17: Ze Lei Sui (Following)
  Binary: 011001
==================================================

Core Principles

Yi = Change (易 = 變)

The fundamental principle of I Ching is change. The purpose of divination is not just to predict fortune, but to guide optimal action:

Able to change = Auspicious (proactive adjustment, flow with circumstances)
Unable to change = Inauspicious (stuck in place, missing opportunities)
Staying in a bad position without changing = 0% success rate
Proactive change = average 44% improvement in outcomes

Every divination must include strategy guidance — telling the querent what to do next.

Early Heaven Bagua Numbers

Meihua Yishu uses Early Heaven Bagua Numbers:

Trigram	Number	Element	Symbol
Qian (乾)	1	Metal	☰
Dui (兌)	2	Metal	☱
Li (離)	3	Fire	☲
Zhen (震)	4	Wood	☳
Xun (巽)	5	Wood	☴
Kan (坎)	6	Water	☵
Gen (艮)	7	Earth	☶
Kun (坤)	8	Earth	☷

Ti-Yong Theory

Ti (体): The subject, self, the querent
Yong (用): The object, matter, external environment
Mutual Hexagram (互卦): The development process
Transformed Hexagram (變卦): The final outcome

Fortune Determination

Situation	Fortune	Explanation
Yong generates Ti	Very Auspicious	Gaining benefits, external assistance
Ti controls Yong	Auspicious	You control the situation, success likely
Ti-Yong in harmony	Auspicious	Same element, harmonious and smooth
Yong controls Ti	Inauspicious	Constrained by others, unfavorable
Ti generates Yong	Draining	Much effort, little return

Tongguan Mediation (通關化解)

When Ti and Yong are in a controlling relationship, a "bridging" element in the Mutual or Transformed hexagram can mitigate the inauspicious outcome:

Controlling Relationship	Bridging Element
Metal controls Wood	Water
Wood controls Earth	Fire
Earth controls Water	Metal
Water controls Fire	Wood
Fire controls Metal	Earth

Divination Principles

No question, no divination — Don't divine without a specific question
No more than three times — Don't repeat divination for the same question more than three times
No movement, no divination — Don't divine without cause
Interpret with reason — Hexagrams must be interpreted in context

References

Meihua Yishu (梅花易數) — Shao Yong
Zhou Yi (I Ching / 周易)
Introduction to I Ching Studies (易學啟蒙)

License

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

You are free to:

Share — copy and redistribute the material
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material

Under the following terms:

Attribution — You must give appropriate credit
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes
ShareAlike — Derivatives must be distributed under the same license

Commercial Licensing: For commercial use, please contact [email protected]

See LICENSE for details.

Related Projects

Decoding I Ching — Data-driven research on I Ching patterns. Provides the 384-line database, hexagram strategy analysis, and statistical insights that complement Meihua divination.

Contributing

Issues and Pull Requests are welcome!

☯️ The Yi has Taiji, which generates the Two Forms, which generate the Four Images, which generate the Eight Trigrams.