Yue Lao Oracle Lot 62 · Excellent, great fortune

嘉耦曰配。 A happy pairing is called a true match.

The lot

Text notes (in Chinese): 《左傳》原作「嘉耦曰妃」，妃、配古時通用.

Background: what the original says

Shi Fu, a minister of Jin, said that a good spouse is called a true mate, while a spouse who brings resentment is called an adversary.

The line comes from a remark by Shi Fu, a minister of the state of Jin, recorded in the Zuo Zhuan (Zuo Tradition). Marquis Mu of Jin named his eldest son Chou, "Enemy," because the boy was born in the year of a campaign at Tiao; a younger son, born in the year of the battle of Qianmu, was named Chengshi, "Completed Army." Shi Fu found this ominous. Names, he said, express principles: a happy match is called a fei, a spouse, while a resentful pair is called chou, enemies. To call the heir "Enemy" and the younger son "Completed Army" was a sign of coming disorder.

The heir did become Marquis Wen, but his son granted Chengshi the city of Quwo, and that branch grew strong. After some sixty years of rivalry, Chengshi's grandson displaced the senior line, just as Shi Fu had feared. His passing remark about names left behind one of the oldest and plainest definitions of a good marriage.

What it means

A wonderful partner; the two of you are made for each other.

Reminder: Cherish your partner, and be a good partner to them in return.

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 61; next: Lot 63.