Yue Lao Oracle Lot 42 · Fair

重重疊疊上瑤臺，幾度呼童掃不開。剛被太陽收拾去，卻教明月送將來。 Layer on layer they climb the jade terrace, again and again I call the boy, he cannot sweep them away, no sooner has the sun gathered them up, than the bright moon brings them back again.

The lot

Text notes (in Chinese): 流通本作「重重迭迭」.

Background: what the original says

The poem describes flower shadows piled on a terrace that a servant boy cannot sweep away; when the sun sets they vanish, but the rising moon casts them right back.

"Flower Shadows" is a quatrain traditionally credited to the Song poet Su Shi (Su Dongpo), and it became widely known through the Qianjia Shi (Poems by a Thousand Poets), a primer generations of children learned by heart. Some point out, however, that it is missing from Su Shi's collected works, and another tradition gives it to the late Song writer Xie Fangde; the authorship remains unsettled.

On the surface the poem is simple. Layer upon layer of flower shadows climb the jade terrace, and the servant boy is called again and again to sweep them away. The setting sun clears them off, only for the rising moon to bring them back. No broom can sweep a shadow, and that is the wit of it. Many readers see an allegory of petty men at court who are driven out and then return; others simply enjoy the scene. The marriage oracle borrows the image of something that fades by day and returns at night.

What it means

Worries in your relationship keep coming back, and you cannot chase them off; the problem has not been solved, only hidden for a while.

Reminder: Face the problem itself instead of dodging it.

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 41; next: Lot 43.