Yue Lao Oracle Lot 93 · Excellent

而浮生若夢，為歡幾何？ And this floating life is like a dream; how much joy do we get?

The lot

Background: what the original says

Li Bai writes that life drifts by like a dream and happy times are few, so we should seize them while we can.

Li Bai (701-762) wrote this short preface for a spring banquet with his younger cousins. One spring night they gathered in a garden in bloom to drink and compose poems, and he wrote these lines to head their verses. Where and when, scholars do not agree.

Heaven and earth are an inn where all things lodge for a while; time is a traveller passing through a hundred generations; this floating life is like a dream, so how much joy can it hold? No wonder the ancients took candles and wandered by night. Then he turns to the evening at hand: spring calls with its misty scenery, so they gather in the fragrant garden to enjoy being brothers. He praises his cousins' talent and makes light of his own. Anyone who fails to finish a poem must drink the penalty cups, as at the Golden Valley parties of old.

It begins with life as a dream and ends in laughter and wine. The lot takes its question in that bright spirit.

What it means

Life is short, so make the most of the joy of being together.

Reminder: Cherish the time you get to spend with each other.

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 92; next: Lot 94.