Yue Lao Oracle Lot 8 · Fair to good

期我乎桑中，要我乎上宮，送我乎淇之上也。 She waited for me among the mulberries, she invited me to the upper shrine, she saw me off at the banks of the Qi.

The lot

Text notes (in Chinese): 《詩經》原作「送我乎淇之上矣」.

Background: what the original says

This poem describes a secret meeting between lovers: she waits for him among the mulberry trees, invites him to the upper shrine, and then walks him to the bank of the Qi River.

Sangzhong (Among the Mulberries) belongs to the Airs of Yong in the Book of Songs. Yong was later absorbed into the state of Wei, so these are really songs of Wei. In each of the three stanzas the speaker goes out to gather dodder, wheat or turnips, then asks whom he is thinking of: the lovely eldest daughter of the Jiang, the Yi, or the Yong clan, daughters of noble houses, according to Zhu Xi. Every stanza ends with the same refrain: she waited for me among the mulberries, invited me to the upper palace, and saw me off at the River Qi. The Mao preface read it as a satire on the licentious ruling house of Wei, and Zhu Xi saw in it a man describing his trysts amid the loose ways of Wei's great families; some modern scholars read it simply as a folk love song. Either way, the meetings are passionate but hidden, and that is what the lot takes from it.

What it means

The romance is passionate, but meeting in secret never feels truly secure. Marriage is a big decision that should be made openly and willingly on both sides, and your families should know about it.

Reminder: A sincere relationship has nothing to hide.

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 7; next: Lot 9.