Yue Lao Oracle Lot 47 · Fair

害女紅者也。 It harms the work of women's hands.

The lot

Background: what the original says

An edict of Emperor Jing of Han warned that overly lavish embroidery and brocade distracted women from the essential work of spinning and weaving.

In the fourth month of 142 BC, Emperor Jing of the Western Han issued an edict preserved in the Book of Han (Han Shu). It opens by warning that fine carving harms farming, and that brocade, embroidery and silk ribbons harm women's work, meaning spinning and weaving. When farming suffers, hunger follows; when weaving is neglected, people go cold; and few who are both hungry and cold can keep from wrongdoing.

The emperor says that he plows a field himself and the empress tends silkworms, to set an example for the realm. He has refused tribute, cut palace kitchen expenses and lightened labor service and taxes, hoping people will concentrate on farming and weaving and store up reserves against disaster. The second half rebukes officials who take bribes and prey on the people. The edict is a classic statement of early Han thrift. The oracle takes one phrase from it to speak about priorities between two people.

What it means

Focusing too much on looks and show gets in the way of what matters; keep your relationship grounded and practical.

Reminder: Worry less about appearances and more about what is real.

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 46; next: Lot 48.