Archaic name for the plant Lespedeza, especially as used for divination sticks. Modern Japanese uses メドハギ.
See also: メドハギ
The 蓍 is a plant that was used in ancient times as a tool for divination.
divination sticks; fortune-telling with sticks
Archaic term for the sticks themselves and the practice of fortune-telling using them. The related word めどぎ is also archaic.
See also: 筮
In ancient China, they used divination sticks to tell fortunes.
Chinese lespedeza; sericea lespedeza
The historical derivation is uncertain; the kanji 蓍 is conventionally associated with the plant and its use in divination.