蓍 (shī) - Yarrow — a perennial herb (Achillea millefolium) used & also refers to divination stalks made from this

蓍Tone 1

shī ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

上姝

蓍 · shī

Yarrow — a perennial herb (Achillea millefolium) used in traditional Chinese divination;

also refers to divination stalks made from this plant.

Yarrow — a perennial herb (Achillea millefolium) usedalso refers to divination stalks made from this

Usage highlights

Yarrow stalksYarrow grassYarrow divinationYarrow and turtle shellYarrow fieldYarrow garden

Synonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The yarrow plant (蓍草) is used in I Ching divination.
  • Ancient diviners used yarrow stalks (蓍茎) for fortune-telling.
  • This is a field of yarrow (蓍田).
  • Yarrow has medicinal properties (蓍的药用特性).

Collocations

  • Yarrow stalks(蓍茎)
  • Yarrow grass(蓍草)
  • Yarrow divination(蓍卜)
  • Yarrow and turtle shell(蓍龟)
  • Yarrow field(蓍田)
  • Yarrow garden(蓍园)

Idioms

  • No need for yarrow and turtle shells to know the outcome(不待蓍龟)
  • The decision is as clear as yarrow divination(蓍决分明)
  • Consulting yarrow for guidance(问蓍决疑)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Yarrow stalks were the primary tool for I Ching divination in ancient China, used to generate hexagrams.
  • The plant was considered sacred and associated with wisdom and spiritual insight.
  • Yarrow divination dates back to the Zhou dynasty and was practiced by royal diviners.

FAQ