Yue Lao Oracle Lot 26 · Excellent

維熊維羆，男子之祥；維虺維蛇，女子之祥。 You dream of bears, both brown and black, a sign that a son is on the way, you dream of snakes, both small and long, a sign that a daughter is on the way.

The lot

Text notes (in Chinese): 流通本作「維熊維罷」，依《詩經》改「羆」.

Background: what the original says

In ancient China, dreams were read as omens about a coming child: dreaming of bears foretold a boy, and dreaming of snakes foretold a girl.

"By the Mountain Stream" (Si gan) belongs to the Minor Odes of the Book of Songs. The Mao Preface says it celebrated the completion of a palace for King Xuan of Zhou. It opens with a stream and the Southern Mountain and describes the building going up: walls pounded firm, pillars raised, eaves spreading like a bird's wings.

The second half moves inside. The master lays out his mats, sleeps soundly, and on waking asks for his dreams to be read. The diviner explains that bears foretell a son and snakes a daughter. The poem then imagines the children: the boy sleeps on a bed and plays with a jade tablet; the girl sleeps on the floor and plays with a clay spindle whorl, and it is hoped she will bring her parents no worry. The differing hopes for boys and girls reflect Zhou-era attitudes; the lot draws on the poem for its picture of a new home and a growing family.

What it means

Happy news is at the door, your household is thriving, and there are signs of a new addition to the family. The old idea of separate omens for boys and girls is best read today simply as a blessing for a happy home.

Reminder: Whether and when to have children is something the two of you should talk over carefully together.

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 25; next: Lot 27.