yarrow-sort.js

var Stalks = 50; 
var HandPile;
var EastPile;
var WestPile;
var EastRemainder;
var WestRemainder;
var CountValue1;
var CountValue2;
var CountValue3;
var LineValue;
var asciipic;

var DivideStalks = function(YarrowStalks){
// Divide 49 stalks into eastpile westpile
// Subtract one from westpile put in handpile

WestPile = Math.floor((Math.random() * YarrowStalks) + 1);
EastPile = YarrowStalks - WestPile;
WestPile = WestPile - 1;
HandPile = 1;
}

var DivideEastAndWest = function(){
EastRemainder = (EastPile % 4);
WestRemainder = (WestPile % 4);
if (EastRemainder == 0) EastRemainder = 4;
if (WestRemainder == 0) WestRemainder = 4;
HandPile = HandPile + EastRemainder + WestRemainder;



}
var LineCast = function(){
//This function creates the pictures of lines as broken or unbroken
//and changing or unchanging 

Stalks = 49; //Remove one stalk and set it aside 

DivideStalks(Stalks);
// Divide 49 Yarrow stalks into two piles at random: East and West
// Subtract a single stalk from the West and put it in your hand 
// between thumb and pointer finger 
DivideEastAndWest();
// Pick up stalks from the West pile in sets of 4 and set aside
// until 4 or fewer stalks remain
// Put those 4 or fewer stalks between your pointer and ring fingers
// Now divide the West pile by 4 until 4 or fewer stalks remain
// Remainder goes in hand again between ring and fourth finger
// Now count the total remainder stalks in your hand
// Remainder will always be 9 or 5 (1+x+x where x is 0-4)
// If 9 stalks remain an arbitrary value of 2 was assigned to this step
// If 5 stalks remain an arbitrary value of 3 was assigned.
if(EastRemainder + WestRemainder + 1 == 9) CountValue1 = 2;
if(EastRemainder + WestRemainder + 1 == 5) CountValue1 = 3;
Stalks = Stalks - HandPile;
// Remove stalks from you hand and set aside.
DivideStalks(Stalks);
// Now divide the pile of stalks before you into two piles again
// And remove one from the West pile.
DivideEastAndWest();
// And sort each pile again by sets of four stalks
// Until 4 or fewer remain, place those remainder stalks in your hand 
// As your stalks are now 49-9 = 40 or 49-5 = 44, minus 
// the 1 you always take from the westpile
// the number you are dividing by 4 is either 39 or 43:
// the remainder will now always be 8 or 4
// 1+1+2=4
// 1+2+1=4
// 1+3+4=8
// 1+4+3=8
// (4 can only occur once, as neither 39 nor 43 are evenly divisible
// by 4)
// If 8 stalks are in your hand, the arbitrary counting value is assigned 2
// If 4 stalks, the counting value is assigned 3
if(EastRemainder + WestRemainder + 1 == 8) CountValue2 = 2;
if(EastRemainder + WestRemainder + 1 == 4) CountValue2 = 3;
Stalks = Stalks - HandPile;
// For the third and final time for this line, 
// you set aside the 8 or 4 stalks in your HandPile
DivideStalks(Stalks);
// You now have 35, 31, or 39 stalks before you
// Divide them into East and West piles for a third time
DivideEastAndWest();
// Remove one from the west pile again
// and repeat the removal of 4 stalks from each pile
// the possible outcomes are again 8 or 4
// and the same arbitrary count value is assigned as
// in the last step: an 8 means that value = 2 and a 4 means 
// it is assigned a 3.
if(EastRemainder + WestRemainder + 1 == 8) CountValue3 = 2;
if(EastRemainder + WestRemainder + 1 == 4) CountValue3 = 3;
LineValue = CountValue1 + CountValue2 + CountValue3;
// You now have 3 counting values of 2 or 3 which you
// add together. 
// the results determine the nature of this single line:
// If 7 Line = strong
// If 8 Line = yielding
// if 9 Line = strong but Changing
// if 6 Line = yielding but Changing
if(LineValue == 6) DrawLine('weak',true);
if(LineValue == 7) DrawLine('strong',false);
if(LineValue == 8) DrawLine('weak',false);
if(LineValue == 9) DrawLine('strong',true);
}// End LineCast Function

var DrawLine = function(line,changing){
if (changing && line == 'weak')   asciipic = '=== o ===';
if (changing && line == 'strong') asciipic = '====x====';
if (!changing && line == 'strong') asciipic = '=========';
if (!changing && line == 'weak') asciipic = '===   ===';
}