Question Rules & Cautions
The same cast answers differently depending on how you ask. Half of Liu Yao's accuracy lies in interpretation; the other half lies in how you phrase the question.
Core Principle: The Hexagram Mirrors the Present
Tradition holds that at the moment of casting, question and situation "resonate": your circumstances, state of mind, and where things are heading condense into six lines as the coins fall.
So the hexagram reflects the situation at the moment of asking and the near-term trend — a window of months to half a year. It is not a lifetime chart; that is BaZi's job. To ask about the "long term", first convert the question into "the next few months".
Five Rules for Asking
- 1. One matter per cast
One hexagram answers one thing. "Career or love — which goes better?" is two questions; cast them on two different days. - 2. No lifelong questions
"Will I ever be rich?" exceeds the hexagram's window. Ask instead: "Can this project land within three months?" - 3. Be specific
A subject, a matter, ideally a time frame. "What is their honest feeling toward me?" beats "my love life". - 4. Don't recast repeatedly
Recasting the same question within days is classically "asking thrice in disrespect — no answer given". This site's one-cast-per-day limit exists for exactly this reason. - 5. No idle or insincere casting
Without a real doubt — or when you already know the answer and just want agreement — the cast means nothing.
Good vs. Bad Questions
| Good | Bad | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Should I take this offer? | When will I be financially free for life? | Out of window: the hexagram covers months, not a lifetime |
| What is their honest feeling toward me? | How are my career, love, and health overall? | One question at a time: mixed topics blur the Useful God |
| Is switching jobs next month favorable? | Asking for a nod on a decision already made | Insincere casting: no real doubt, no answer |
Cautions
- For reference, not fate: the hexagram offers trend, timing, and advice; the decision and the responsibility stay with you.
- Cool down first when emotional: intense anger or grief scatters the mind before it scatters the coins.
- Ask about your own matters first: casting for someone else (a parent for a child) is traditionally allowed, but one layer removed and less clear.
- Your question is used only for this reading, never for anything else.
FAQ
Q: Is Liu Yao accurate for love questions?
A: Love is one of Liu Yao's most common uses. Accuracy starts with a specific question: "their honest feeling toward me", "where this relationship heads in three months" — not a vague "my love life". The reading is for reference; where a relationship goes still depends on what both of you do.
A: Love is one of Liu Yao's most common uses. Accuracy starts with a specific question: "their honest feeling toward me", "where this relationship heads in three months" — not a vague "my love life". The reading is for reference; where a relationship goes still depends on what both of you do.
Q: Can I cast for someone else?
A: Traditionally yes (a parent asking about a child, or about a traveler's safety), but casting for someone else is one layer removed and less clear. For private matters of others, ask for consent first, or reframe to "what should I do?"
A: Traditionally yes (a parent asking about a child, or about a traveler's safety), but casting for someone else is one layer removed and less clear. For private matters of others, ask for consent first, or reframe to "what should I do?"
Q: Does the hexagram change over time?
A: Yes. Recast the same matter after a while and you will often get a different hexagram — the cast didn't change; the situation and your position did. That is exactly why lifelong questions don't work: past the window, cast anew.
A: Yes. Recast the same matter after a while and you will often get a different hexagram — the cast didn't change; the situation and your position did. That is exactly why lifelong questions don't work: past the window, cast anew.
Q: How many casts per day?
A: One per day on this site. It comes from the classic "the first ask is answered; ask thrice in disrespect and no answer is given". Saving up your doubts into one sincere question beats shaking the coins repeatedly hunting for the answer you want.
A: One per day on this site. It comes from the classic "the first ask is answered; ask thrice in disrespect and no answer is given". Saving up your doubts into one sincere question beats shaking the coins repeatedly hunting for the answer you want.