Yue Lao Oracle Lot 74 · Fair

恨相見晚也。 Sorry only that we met so late.

The lot

Background: what the original says

The phrase expresses regret that two people did not meet sooner.

The exact source of this line has not been traced. The closest match is what Emperor Wu of Han said to Zhufu Yan, as told in the Records of the Grand Historian. Zhufu Yan, from Qi, studied political persuasion young and the classics only later. Shunned at home and unwelcome in the north, he went to the capital around 134 BC and sought the help of Wei Qing, later the empire's top general, but the emperor never sent for him.

Out of money, he submitted a memorial directly at the palace gate. By evening he was summoned, along with two other men who had written at the same time. The emperor asked the three where they had been all this while, and why they had met so late. Zhufu Yan was promoted four times within a year. Sima Qian uses a similar phrase for two fallen nobles who wished they had met sooner. The oracle moves this feeling of a late-found kindred spirit into romance.

What it means

You feel you should have met long ago, but the other person may already have a partner, or the timing may be wrong. See your situation clearly before you decide.

Reminder: However strong the feelings, keep to proper boundaries.

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 73; next: Lot 75.