Yue Lao Oracle Lot 27 · Good, steady

有宗室之美。 Graced with the fine bearing of a noble house.

The lot

Background: what the original says

The phrase describes someone with the good family background and upbringing of a royal clan.

The exact source of this line has not been traced. The closest wording appears in the Book of Jin (Jin shu). It tells how Sima Daosheng, eldest son of Emperor Jianwen of the Eastern Jin, died young without an heir. Later Emperor Xiaowu saw, in broad daylight, a vision of this late brother with another brother who had died young; the younger one said their eldest brother was hungry and suffering. Moved, the emperor adopted Sima Xunzhi, a distant kinsman, into Daosheng's line so the ancestral offerings would continue.

Xunzhi later served as governor of Wuxing and as an adviser on Liu Yu's campaign into Guanzhong. The history says that as the Jin house declined, Xunzhi was one of the finest members of the imperial clan; he was eventually killed along with the Prince of Liang. There it means an outstanding member of the ruling family; the lot uses it to point to a partner's background and upbringing.

What it means

The other person comes from a good family with sound values, your two households are well matched, and you have family support behind you.

Reminder: When you meet the parents, be sincere and mind your manners.

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 26; next: Lot 28.