Yue Lao Oracle Lot 25 · Good

可妻也。 He is fit to be a husband.

The lot

Background: what the original says

Confucius said of his student Gongye Chang that he was worthy of marrying his daughter: although he had been in prison, it was through no fault of his own. Confucius then gave his daughter to him in marriage.

The chapter of the Analects named after Gongye Chang opens with a very short passage. Confucius says his student Gongye Chang is fit to marry: although he was once bound and imprisoned, it was through no fault of his own. And Confucius gave him his own daughter as a wife. The next passage describes another student, Nan Rong, who would not be overlooked when the state was well governed and would stay clear of punishment when it was not; Confucius married him to his elder brother's daughter.

The Analects never says why Gongye Chang was jailed. A commentary by Huang Kan of the Liang dynasty quotes a story that he understood the language of birds and was drawn into a murder case because of it, but this is legend rather than history. What the passage records is Confucius choosing a son-in-law by the man himself, not by talk about his past, and that judgment is what the Yue Lao lot borrows.

What it means

This is someone you can trust with your future. Do not let passing gossip or the other person's past cloud your judgment.

Reminder: Judge a person by who they really are, not by one-sided stories.

This is a plain reading of the words and their source. How it applies to your own question is best settled with the interpreter at the temple where you drew it.

How to ask Yue Lao for a lot

1. Yue Lao, the Old Man under the Moon, usually has a side shrine inside a larger temple, such as a City God temple or a Mazu temple. Follow the temple's route: pay respects to the main deity first, then go to Yue Lao.
2. Tell Yue Lao your name, birth date and address, describe where you are in love right now, and state the one question you want to ask (for example, "Will this relationship last?" or "When will I meet someone?").
3. Cast the moon blocks (jiaobei, two crescent-shaped wooden blocks) to ask whether you may draw. One face up and one face down means yes; then pull one stick and cast again to confirm it. Many temples ask for three yeses in a row; if not, draw again.
4. Collect the slip with the matching number. Yue Lao lots are quotations from old books, so the meaning often depends on the original passage. If it is unclear, ask the temple's interpreter.

Ask about one thing at a time; the more specific the question, the easier the lot is to apply. Yue Lao lots are for love and marriage only; for other matters, use the temple's general fortune poems.

Common misunderstandings

Previous: Lot 24; next: Lot 26.