A mysterious and ancient tradition in China involves practitioners who try to predict the future and communicate with the spirit world via a ritual known as rice divination, or mun mai, in the south of the country.
Its origins can be traced back to the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and a belief that all things in nature followed patterns and cycles, which are closely connected to human fortune and misfortune.
The term “rice divination” comes from the main component used in the practice, 1,080 round grains of rice in a bowl.
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Practitioners interpret omens based on the number of grains randomly grasped in each draw.
The number 1,080 holds symbolic meaning within a numerological system derived from the Yijing, or Book of Changes.
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