《大慈好生九天卫房圣母元君灵应宝签》

According to the Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot of the Nine Heavens, the Celestial Worthy said: When husbands and wives in the world are joined in marriage, if they offend inauspicious stellar influences such as Xianchi and Tiangou, or encounter astrological incompatibilities such as the Three Punishments, the Six Harms, and Gejiao, and if they further suffer an imbalance of Yin-Yang (yinyang) and the entanglement of calamity, they may find it difficult to bear children, or even remain solitary throughout life. If they wish to obtain a male heir, they may recite this scripture; the Great Spirit Who Supervises Births of the Nine Heavens will then summon divine beings and harmonize the vital influences, enabling them to give birth to a worthy and good child.

When a woman gives birth, the deity Taiyi stands guard before the door, and the Director of Destinies keeps watch in the courtyard. If difficult labor arises from grievances and transgressions, ghosts and demons, taboos, or other baleful afflictions, one need only recite this scripture, and the Holy Mother Who Protects the Birth Chamber of the Nine Heavens will secretly protect and guide the woman in labor, so that she gives birth smoothly and remains safe from harm.

I reverently bow before the Greatly Compassionate, Life-Cherishing Primordial Lady, the Holy Mother Who Protects the Birth Chamber of the Nine Heavens. The Holy Mother dwells on high above the Nine Heavens, overseeing the related affairs of the Three Realms, proclaiming the Most High’s De (Virtue/Power) of cherishing life, and carrying out the ordinances of Yin-Yang transformation and generation and of protecting and nurturing life. From consorts in the palace to ordinary women, all receive her rescue and protection; the birth and propagation of human beings and the myriad beings are likewise under her watch. She records the good and evil of the world and examines women’s chastity and rectitude as well as their deviant conduct.

For those of virtuous conduct, the Holy Mother memorializes the Jade Capital (the celestial court), commanding spirits to protect them and entering their names in the registers of the immortals, so that their allotted lifespan is increased and their years prolonged. For those who have committed faults, she reports them to the Three Officials (the deities in Daoism who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water), who hand them over to the punitive divine offices of the Thunder Bureau to be judged according to celestial law. Those who are punished may encounter illness and hardship; their souls are detained in Fengdu (the seat of the underworld), sinking for a long time into the sea of suffering and losing the opportunity to hear the true Dao (the Way). Those who do good obtain worthy sons and grandsons; those who do not do good may suffer calamity generation after generation, with sorrow and vexation unceasing.

The Holy Mother’s merits are vast and hard to measure. Her kindness in cherishing life not only protects women at childbirth but can also shelter a person throughout life. Conduct both good and evil is recorded. Among the people of the world, few reverently serve the Holy Mother, while many fail to repay her kindness.

Now, in obedience to an imperial command, ninety-nine precious oracle slips have been issued, and nine principles are used to elucidate the profound mysteries within them and to make Heaven’s intent manifest. These oracle texts set forth the standards for rewarding good and the laws of the Thunder Bureau for punishing evil, warning the wicked and violent and exhorting people to benevolence and filial piety. They foretell blessings and misfortunes not yet apparent, make clear the compassionate aim of the Great Dao, and through auspicious and inauspicious signs inform people of good and evil, guiding all to practice goodness and avoid entering deviant paths.

All women, as well as sentient beings, receive the Holy Mother’s gracious mandate and are thereby able to give birth and multiply. Now, by command, this is announced to the Office for Supervising Births of the Nine Heavens, which is to lead the various spirit-generals and divine beings and carry out what is stated in this preface. If outsiders come to inquire, they should uphold the Holy Mother with sincerity and reverence, offer incense, and pray for blessings and protection. They must by no means treat her lightly, lest they incur blame. The awe-inspiring numinous power of the spirit-generals must not be slighted: for those who revere and serve them, calamity can hardly intrude, and divine protection is present; for those who treat them with contempt, illness and disaster come in life, and punishment follows after death. How could one not hold this in reverent awe?

Respectful Praise of the Holy Teacher of the Three Heavens

Each of the ninety-nine oracle slips has its own spiritual efficacy. They hold a profound and mysterious true meaning, and they also widely bestow the compassion of the Holy Mother. Lest living beings forget right mindfulness, the oracle texts were sent down to guide those who are lost. People everywhere are fortunate to receive protection. Every kind of opportunistic shortcut is, in the end, a mistake. If only people are willing to trust and practice loyalty and filial piety, I will personally report them to the Heavenly Court.

The First Slip

The Celestial Worthy sends down a decree to rescue the people. The divine generals reverently obey the command and spread the deities’ spiritual response. Fortunately one meets an auspicious opportunity and receives instruction in the methods of the Dao (Dao). One should do good early, so as to preserve life.

Interpretation: Heaven’s grace descends widely and brings aid to all the people. The deities reverently carry out the command, so that the methods of the Dao may be propagated. One should accumulate virtue and do good without delay; mother and child can then be reunited in safety.

The Second Slip

Treat others with benevolence, hold faith in the good Dao, show filial respect to your parents-in-law, devote yourself to chastity, and honor your husband. I now specially bestow the auspicious blessing of childbirth. You should also regularly wear the spirit talisman that protects the fetus.

Interpretation: Filial respect for elders and regard for one’s husband will carry one’s good name to the hearing of Heaven. Good conduct can preserve mother and child, and one ought to take refuge in the methods of the Dao. If the spirit talisman is worn regularly, childbirth will be auspicious, and both mother and child will be safe.

The Third Slip

Joy increases and blessings arrive. The birth of a son clearly comes from good causes. Since this happy matter has been fulfilled as wished, one should reverently care for the elders of the household.

Interpretation: A worthy and virtuous child will be born, and one ought to show filial respect to the elders of the family. After the heart’s wish is realized, still more joyful occasions will follow.

The Fourth Slip

The myriad trees give forth their fragrance, and a thousand flowers vie in bloom. Suddenly lightning flashes and thunder rolls, and the scene before one’s eyes turns empty in an instant.

Interpretation: Though flowers and trees are delicate and lovely, a chance encounter with wind and rain may cause them to wither, leaving one only to sigh with regret.

If one always acts in accordance with the correct Dao (the Way), one will naturally receive the protection of the celestial deities. If one reveres Xigu, the deities of childbirth venerated in Daoism, one will also receive the compassionate care of the divine generals.

When the time of birth arrives, delivery proceeds smoothly and everyone rejoices in celebration. Brows locked in worry relax, and the family is at last reunited.

Commentary: When the household lives in harmony from day to day, it receives the support of the sacred spirits. Waiting calmly for the proper moment, mother and child can be safely reunited.

Sixth

You fancy yourself clever, which is laughable, yet you do not believe that deities exist. Your words are unyielding and your heart is obstinate; it is to be feared that childbirth will be difficult for you.

Commentary: You should hasten to repent of your faults; perhaps then danger and distress may be averted.

Seventh

Spreading gossip and setting tongues wagging offends the deities, as do the use of schemes and unjust conduct.

Do not suppose that, because you rely on power and act overbearingly, there will be no retribution. When this moment comes, you had better look after yourself first.

Commentary: One shows off strength and contends for victory, cleverly deploying stratagems. The span of a human life is limited—and what, then, of turning back to reflect?

Eighth

Your ancestors accumulated De (Virtue/Power), and your own heart is kind and charitable. Signs of pregnancy have already appeared, and the day for announcing glad news is near.

When the ten months reach their term there will be further joy. All the more should one cultivate goodness and practice De, giving thanks to the deities.

Commentary: A family that accumulates goodness will have blessings to spare. Since one acts with fairness, childbirth can leave both mother and child safe. One should also do more good deeds to repay the deities, cultivate goodness and accumulate De, and offer sacrifice in gratitude to the ancestors.

Ninth

One reveres the great Dao and honors the deities, respectfully serves parents and elders, and also recites and upholds the Jing (scripture/classic).

The blessed recompense of goodness practiced in ordinary days will now become manifest. Celestial deities and the spirits of the human world will both attend and protect, keeping mother and child safe.

Commentary: The teaching of the great Dao is made manifest, and the deities stand by in protection. Filial conduct can move Heaven to respond, and reciting the scriptures can reach through to the Dao. Pregnancy and childbirth alike are occasions of joy, and the household will gain further honor.

Tenth

When De is upright and one is diligent and faithful in one’s duties, this can ascend to the azure Heaven. The causal affinities formed by good deeds bring auspiciousness and smooth success.

On the day of childbirth I myself will descend in person and command the divine generals to protect the worthy and the good.

The Holy Mother—that is, the Holy Mother Yuanjun venerated by the Lingying Precious Lots—descends in person, and the gods extend their protection. Offer incense, bow in worship, and express thanks; the atmosphere of joy is especially rich.

Eleventh

A moment’s joy turns in the blink of an eye to sorrow. Matters have come to this pass and are no longer within one’s own control. Even if there are plans, one cannot tell what use they might serve; in this life one has again met an enmity formed in a former life.

The interpretation says: What belonged to the past has all come to nothing, and now one meets injustice and calamity once more. One should quickly find a way to relieve the crisis and avert the disaster; only then can sorrow be avoided.

Twelfth

Those who think themselves clever often laugh at others as foolish; yet one who seems muddled may not, in fact, fall short of them. Even if you keep in mind a scheme for subduing a fierce tiger, what clever means is there to turn the matter now before you around?

The interpretation says: The foolish may yet become wise, and the wise ought to move a step ahead.

Thirteenth

Old and young throughout the family rejoice without end, having by chance obtained a rare talent of incomparable worth. A household that has accumulated goodness thereby welcomes celebration, and should go on practicing good deeds widely and gathering the fruits of virtue, so as to repay the celestial perfected—the divine perfected of the heavenly realm.

The interpretation says: A noble son will be born into the household. One should perform abundant good deeds and bow in thanks to the celestial perfected. Blessings will spread a thousand li.

Fourteenth

Years of sorrow and vexation at last turn to joy, and from here on there will be unending laughter and cheerful talk. One child has already brought celebration, and two more will follow, as bright and pleasing as new clothes.

The interpretation says: Formerly there was sorrow and vexation; now it turns to joy. There is already one noble son, and worthy sons will yet arrive.

Fifteenth

Rosy clouds are, after all, easily scattered, and good things are hard to keep firm for long. For the most part the bond of affinity is shallow—why then blame the Celestial Offices, the bureaus of the heavenly realm?

The interpretation says: Yin and Yang (yinyang) do not match; in old age one can only sigh that nothing has been accomplished.

Sixteenth

Peach and plum blossom season after season, and fair times continually give way to one another. Because one has failed to honor one’s parents-in-law, this outcome has been brought about. The myriad sages and the thousand perfected all commend filial piety; if one reflects and mends one’s faults in time, one may still preserve oneself.

The interpretation says: After several gains and losses, toil brings no result. If one shows filial respect to the elders of the household, one may perhaps preserve oneself.

Seventeenth

Killing living beings to satisfy the appetite, one eats with pleasure for a time; even clad in brocade, one may still…

The interpretation says: After several gains and losses, toil brings no result. If one shows filial respect to the elders of the household, one may perhaps preserve oneself.

The verse of the original seventeenth lot appears incomplete or disordered. The line “clad in brocade, one may still preserve life” repeats the interpretation of the previous lot, and after “killing the living to fill the mouth, for a time it is pleasant” the sense is unfinished; its meaning therefore cannot be fully determined.

To kill living beings merely to fill the belly may bring a moment of fine flavor; brocade and splendid dress may cover the body, yet lasting peace and security are hard to keep. On an autumn night, listening to the rain, one can only sigh in vain; a pity that the yellow flowers strewn across the ground are broken and fallen as well.

Explanation: To harm living beings and damage the myriad things is to draw fault and calamity upon oneself.

The Eighteenth Lot

So long as one loves one’s parents with kindness and honors one’s elders with filial respect, the celestial deities will protect and bless; if one repents with a sincere heart, karmic offenses may also be cleared away. From now on the brow will ease of itself, and one may joyfully hold a dear little child.

Explanation: When the deities protect and bless, calamity and danger can be avoided. One should also make one’s wish known to the deities, and happy occasions will then come to the door.

The Nineteenth Lot

Pine and bamboo stay green year after year; an immortal realm lies hidden deep among them, and the sound of bells reaches the ear. Fortunately, the karmic debts of the past have not yet accumulated beyond recovery; do not incur new karmic debts. One should, without delay, prize good deeds and recite the true Jing (scriptures/classics).

Explanation: The Qi (vital energy) of the Dao (the Way)—the Dao’s transformative power—is flourishing, and it is fitting to revere the true sages. Spring flowers and the autumn moon are beautiful, yet they may, one fears, cause a person to neglect the work of cultivation.

The Twentieth Lot

Because you show filial respect to the elders of your household, the deities of the dwelling are moved to the thought of protecting you. And because you seek the Dao with a sincere heart, the deities grant you a son of worthy De (Virtue/Power), so that in time he may become an official of the court.

Explanation: Your De is esteemed by the deities. For the wish you have sought, you should fulfill your vow without delay. You should also give thanks to the Ao Palace (here referring to the relevant divine residence) and repay the deities who guard the house.

The Twenty-First Lot

You are already intelligent and clear-minded, nearly gifted with innate understanding; what need is there to come here, burn incense, and bow? The recompense of good and evil ought to be borne by you yourself; I will not intervene on your behalf. Only now, seeing you fearful and anxious, do you bring out money to seek protection—truly laughable.

Explanation: On ordinary days the heart’s Qi is unyielding and the mouth will not submit, yet on arriving here one grows flustered and frantic. Good and evil each have their retribution; how could the deities shelter anyone out of partiality?

The Twenty-Second Lot

The kindness and De of one’s parents-in-law weigh as heavily as the blue heavens; how can every matter be decided by oneself alone? If you are now willing to repent and reform, I too am glad to see it succeed. When you are worn out from preparing for pregnancy or from giving birth, a worthy and good child may be granted to you.

Explanation: The station of parents-in-law is to be honored and must not be slighted. One must carefully, diligently, and reverently provide for them. If a sincere heart moves and communicates with Heaven above, there is hope of obtaining a worthy and good child.

The Twenty-Third Lot

Gongs and drums from the upper floor announce the third watch; across the night sky the myriad things stand in solemn array, and the moonlight is bright. Remember this: it foretells two daughters and one son. At delivery there will be joyful occasions, and safety too can be preserved.

Explanation: Childbirth will be attended by happy events; neither the approach of labor nor the delivery itself brings any worry.

The Twenty-Fourth Lot

This lot says that the connection before you is no accident, but a bond already formed long ago. On days such as Yin, Shen, and Jiawu, joyful matters may be brought to a happy completion.

Twenty-Five

Joy is at its height in your household. Days of Geng and Xin, and days of Hai and Shen, may be the times when good fortune is fulfilled. When a Mao day meets a Chou day, your fortune grows still stronger. At this moment you should reverently thank the celestial deities.

Explanation: Joy shines bright, and pregnancy and childbirth bring cause for celebration.

Twenty-Six

The red sun stands high in the sky, and for ten thousand li all is clear and bright; a blessed affinity is about to arrive. You need not worry at the time of childbirth, for I will protect you. You should also burn incense often and honor the deities, so as to express your thanks.

Explanation: Childbirth will be safe and free of anxiety, and it is fitting to thank the celestial deities.

Twenty-Seven

You may have offended the earth deity near your residence, and so harmful spirits have found an opening to trouble you. You should promptly make a prayerful appeal to the Earth God, and also beseech the Controller of Fate (Siming, the deity who governs a person’s lifespan and destiny) for protection. I will likewise command the City God (Chenghuang, the deity who guards the city and its territory) to keep you safe.

Explanation: Childbirth may meet with calamity, because the earth deity has been offended. Pray with a sincere heart, and ask the Controller of Fate for protection.

Twenty-Eight

In the second month the weather is mild and warm; the flowers open in red and purple, and the willow branches are veiled in light mist. The beauty of spring will accord with your wish: a rare blossom blooms beside the winding fence.

Explanation: The breeze is gentle and the sun warm, and flowers and willows give off their fragrance; a worthy and virtuous daughter will be born. If you have made a wish, it is fitting to fulfill the vow.

Twenty-Nine

Sometimes only by climbing high and looking far can one see what lies before one’s eyes; a happy meeting may not take place until the Nine Frontiers (Jiubian, the distant borderlands). You are led to think you have seen the true face of an immortal—who could have expected that, at the Double Ninth Festival, heavy snow would fill the sky?

Explanation: The arrangements of the deities are sometimes revealed and sometimes hidden, and the transformations of creation are without end. Childbirth must await its proper time, and joy will come at last.

Thirty

A few clear cries of wild geese are heard as the geese fly south, and a flute melody sounds bleak and sorrowful.

The explanation that follows in the original repeats that of Lot Twenty-Nine, and the final line, “Haowei de shenxian mian…” (“one is said to have obtained the immortal’s face…”), also appears again. The wording seems incomplete or disordered; read as the text now stands, the full meaning of this lot cannot be determined.

The white-haired old man is still exhausting himself over having no children. He can only sigh in vain as he watches the children of other families.

Commentary: It is like peach blossoms that open only in the tenth month and in the end can hardly bear fruit.

Thirty-One

The old man sighs long and asks his wife: Our hair is already white and streaming—what are we to do? We are alone and without a son; who will care for us when we are old? The neighbors’ children are indeed many, yet we find them too numerous.

Commentary: To grow old without children moves one to sighs and sorrow.

Thirty-Two

Flowers bloom and fall, and in the ordinary course they would at last bear fruit; yet the blossoms are soaked by rain and shaken by the wind, and in the end they cannot hold firm. What is more, they were never rooted in good soil, so one watches the flowers drop from the branch.

Commentary: The fetus is unstable, and offspring are hard to keep. According to the oracle verse, this comes of a lack of good causes in this life and in former lives.

Thirty-Three

With a sincere heart one moves the gods and spirits to grant protection; you are kindly asked to offer Baoshen. Calamity and ill fortune will disperse from this time on, and both child and mother may be safe.

Commentary: Pray with utmost sincerity, and the protection of the gods and spirits may be gained; it is fitting to offer Baoshen. Calamity has dispersed, and mother and child are well.

Thirteen

With a sincere heart one moves the gods and spirits to grant protection; you are kindly asked to offer Baoshen. Calamity and ill fortune will disperse from this time on, and both child and mother may be safe.

Commentary: Pray with utmost sincerity, and the protection of the gods and spirits may be gained; it is fitting to offer Baoshen. Calamity has dispersed, and mother and child are well.

Thirty-Four

A few idle remarks from others are enough to leave one vexed, unsettled, and full of doubt. Clutching the end of the rope and refusing to let go, one knits the brows and cannot ease them. The good matter has already been accomplished, and both reputation and benefit may be gained. Though auspicious joy will come in the end, do not complain that it comes late.

Commentary: Do not believe idle talk, and do not take medicines at random. After the vow has been fulfilled, set the mind at ease and wait for the proper time. Neither the fetus nor the birth gives cause for worry, and all matters are at peace.

Thirty-Five

Hazy moonlight falls upon the gauze window, and the person has not yet gone to sleep. Painted candles burn brightly, and the evening bell carries from afar. The yamen runner has just announced the hour: it is already the hour of xu or of hai. Those in the room delight in playing with the child.

Commentary: Both the fetus and the birth must await their proper time; the old and the young alike are joyful and at ease.

Thirty-Six

One knows only how to rely on wealth and rank, yet does not stand in awe of the gods and spirits. The principles of the Heavenly Dao (the Way) are perfectly clear; how could they show partiality on account of a person’s station? Ten thousand hu of gold and pearls are no more than a butterfly dream. Fame and profit are like ice in a furnace, gone in the turn of an eye.

Commentary: To oppress the poor by relying on wealth, and to deceive the gods and spirits, is to have calamity about to descend.

Relying on the wealth of one’s household to bully the poor, and deceiving the gods besides, disaster will soon descend, and the celestial deities will grow angry on this account.

Thirty-Seven

After the Double Ninth Festival there will be good news, heard before the noon hour. This oracle verse foretells a joyful event; young and old in the household should all give thanks to Heaven.

Explanation: Pregnancy and childbirth will be safe; when the time is ripe, the child will be born of its own accord.

Thirty-Eight

A bright full moon shines on the window gauze, and two gorgeous flowers vie to bloom. Wei Purple and Yao Yellow (celebrated varieties of peony), though beautiful, cannot compare with that unassuming little flower in the garden.

Explanation: A whole cluster of flowers may look lovely, yet the one that truly bears fruit is that small tree.

Thirty-Nine

In spring the mountain scenery is graceful, and fine views lie everywhere; at night the moonlight is clear, brightening heaven and earth. The drums upstairs sound twice more, and the woman in labor gives birth precisely during the second watch of the night (roughly between nine and eleven in the evening).

Explanation: There is no need to panic at the delivery; the child will be born at the second watch.

Forty

The morning zhai meal (the vegetarian meal of the morning fast) has already been taken, and there has not yet been time for tea; the woman in the chamber is toying with a “xiaoya.” The mother-in-law in the hall says happily that this time the drums at the top of the building have sounded again, and the woman in labor gives birth precisely at the second watch.

Explanation: There is no need to panic at the delivery; the child will be born at the second watch.

Forty (the original text marks this once more as “Forty”)

The morning zhai meal has already been taken, and there has not yet been time for tea; the woman in the chamber is toying with a “xiaoya.” The mother-in-law in the hall says with joy that this time the signs of happiness have appeared in our own house.

Explanation: The birth will be safe; only when the appointed months are complete will the child be born.

Forty-One

In the past one was forever fond of deploying every kind of scheme; only today does one understand that all things are in the end empty. The plum blossoms seem about to bring news from south of the River, yet on the cold wind there comes only a letter from north of the frontier.

Explanation: The condition of the fetus is unstable; one should perform many good deeds in order to preserve it. One ought to repent and pray as early as possible, so as not to meet with danger and sorrow.

Forty-Two

Spring flowers are vivid in color, yet they often set no fruit; plum blossoms, though they send their fragrance abroad, can bring forth blooms of refined beauty. Can gain and loss really be foreseen by human beings? Just when the way seems to have come to an end, one suddenly meets a renewal of life.

Explanation: Flowers planted with careful intent, though they bloom handsomely, bear no fruit; a chance, unintentional act instead brings growth about.

Forty-Three

The City God (Chenghuang, guardian deity of the land and the city walls) reports the matter to the Sheling (the deity in charge of local communal sacrifice and affairs of the soil); after the earth deity has verified it, it is further submitted to the Thunder Bureau (Leiting). However many deeds against conscience one has done in the past, the Primal Lady of the Nine Heavens (Jiutian Yuanjun, a revered deity of the Nine Heavens) knows them all, and will not simply comply with human wishes.

Explanation: The gods bring charges for one’s faults, and the affair is conveyed upward to the celestial realm.

Forty-Four

The Five Thunders will cut down and sweep away demons and evil. Taiyi (a revered deity in Daoism) has already issued the documents—how can calamity still be concealed? At this moment you have many clever schemes of your own; why hurry to plead at my house with artful words?

Explanation: What one has done, one must bear the consequences of; one’s own heart knows this best.

Forty-Five

Calamity is about to pass away, and the gloom is gradually dispersing. Once the clouds part, the moonlight shines bright upon a beautiful night. From now on, wait until after the ren and gui days (two of the heavenly stems); between three and seven there will be peace and harmony, and good fortune will appear of itself.

Explanation: When hardship reaches its end, good luck arrives; when the dark clouds scatter, the moonlight is clear. Calamity has already passed, and good things are about to come.

Forty-Six

At the third watch the moonlight is bright and clear, and points of starlight flicker. A child startles you from your dream, and an old woman and a woman laugh with clear, crisp voices.

Explanation: There will be a joyful celebration; the household will be full of happiness and brimming with life.

Forty-Seven

Since you have prayed with such devotion, I will reveal Heaven’s secrets to you. Offer one more censer of precious incense, so that the child of your house may be kept safe.

Explanation: By doing good, praying for blessings, and seeking protection for the unborn, one may welcome an infant.

Forty-Eight

Even if calamity comes, there is no need to panic. An auspicious star is about to descend, and good fortune will flourish of itself. The deities under my command will watch over you in particular; when you encounter the numbers three and nine, you may be safe and well.

Explanation: There is no need to panic at calamity; an auspicious star is about to arrive. With the protection of the spirits, peace and health come naturally.

Forty-Nine

Vows made in the household should be fulfilled as early as possible; only then can the old and the young of the whole family be safe. Childbirth will bring joy, and I will grant grace and protection. The time when this comes true is connected with “five and three.”

Explanation: Fulfilling vows early can ensure safety. With the Holy Mother’s protection, childbirth brings good fortune.

Fifty

In your conduct, advance and retreat have been out of measure, and so you have offended the heavenly deities. You should at once pray with devotion to Douzhen (the stellar deity revered in Daoism).

Even when fate has already fallen into decline and danger, there is still a chance of rescue; only by accumulating good deeds can one preserve oneself.

Commentary: When fate is in a time of decline and peril, one should hasten to pray to the Dipper, and also do more good deeds and cultivate stores of merit and blessing, so as to seek peace and safety.

Fifty-One

Wherever the numinous talisman arrives, the host of gods is stirred by it; the precious carriage descends at the household gate, bringing festive joy and a life of worthy excellence.

The Qi (vital energy) of the Dao fills the numinous hall and brings true blessings; in time one’s name will be illustrious, and one’s renown will carry far like thunder.

Commentary: One prays for the birth of a worthy and excellent son, so that the methods of the Dao may flourish; ancestors and descendants alike receive festive joy, and kin and village neighbors are also touched by this grace.

Fifty-Two

What is carried in the womb is no ordinary child, but a fetus pure, upright, and gentle, outstanding in grace and refinement. One day it will achieve distinction and fame, and, relying on blessing and emolument, ascend the lotus dais.

Commentary: A rare talent is about to be born; the Qi of festive joy and harmony has already appeared.

Fifty-Three

An immortal has come into the world and, borrowing a womb, dwells there for a time; please regard this with care.

A family that accumulates goodness will welcome such festive joy; people will honor his talent and virtue, and there will also be gladness and peace.

Commentary: One should go on doing more good deeds, and thereby one may preserve the family’s reunion and harmony.

Fifty-Four

Parents and elders prostrate themselves and pray upward to Heaven; husband and wife, with sincere devotion, burn incense and present offerings.

May your sons and daughters become noble and illustrious, each wish fulfilled; it is because of loving-kindness and filial piety that there is the festive joy of reunion.

Commentary: Vows once made should be fulfilled as early as possible, and thereby one may preserve the family’s reunion and harmony, festive joy and peace.

Commentary: One should go on doing more good deeds, and thereby preserve the family’s reunion.

Fifty-Four

Parents and elders prostrate themselves and pray upward to Heaven; husband and wife, with sincere devotion, burn incense and present offerings.

May your sons and daughters become noble and illustrious, each wish fulfilled; it is because of loving-kindness and filial piety that there is the festive joy of reunion.

Commentary: Vows once made should be fulfilled as early as possible, and thereby one may preserve the family’s reunion and harmony, festive joy and peace.

Fifty-Five

The number of four sevens is not the number of three sixes; the hour and day of birth should fall in Shen or Chen, or on Jiayin. The sound of the bell awakens the dreamer, and in the end one will obtain an intelligent baby boy.

Commentary: There is no need to worry further about pregnancy and childbirth; the vows that were made should be repaid in full, and there will still be blessings left over.

Fifty-Six

Ten thousand taels of gold are precious indeed, yet one censer of precious seal-script incense better expresses sincerity. Your body is under my protection; the distant mountains to the north and south remain green as ever.

Commentary: One should do good deeds, and settle and repay the vows that were made.

Fifty-Seven

With offerings of every kind for the purification rite one expresses reverence; with one censer of true incense one shows utmost sincerity.

Deeds of good and evil requite a person as a shadow follows the body; cinnabar refined through nine cycles of transmutation is from this point achieved.

Commentary: Not found in the original text provided.

The interpretation says: So long as the heart is sincere and one does good and accumulates blessings, the reward of those blessings can be obtained. When a joyful occasion comes, if a vow was once made, it ought to be fulfilled.

When incense is offered, the first stick expresses utmost sincerity.

Good and evil are determined by a person’s conduct, and retribution follows as closely as a shadow. Through repeated refining, cinnabar can from this point be successfully prepared.

Fifty-Eight

Wealth and rank will not last for a thousand generations, and poverty too is only temporary. After the flowers bloom, they will in the end bear fruit; once the leaves have grown, new branches will put forth again.

The interpretation says: Though one is worried and distressed at present, wealth, rank, and prosperity will come in time. Do not bully the good; live day by day with a calm and even mind.

Fifty-Nine

Your ancestors and parents are all kind by nature, and you and your spouse also live in harmony.

From the high terrace, Heaven’s mandate, written on an edict in gold paste, often descends. One ought to recite a volume of scripture (Jing) to repay Heaven’s kindness.

The interpretation says: Heaven has already bestowed its favor. One ought to do good, accumulate blessings, and offer worship in thanks.

Sixty

The spring flowers filling the garden look gorgeous, yet in the end they are only empty beauty. A single autumn flower, however, bears fruit and at last achieves something.

Flowers planted with careful intent may not yield what one hopes for; a willow sprig set in the ground without intention, by contrast, grows of itself.

The interpretation says: Simply do good, and good news will come of itself.

Sixty-One

Yao Huang and Wei Zi (celebrated and costly varieties of peony), though renowned and of great value, and the tender green and delicate red of the blossoms, need not be hastily praised.

One must wait until snow and frost have withered them away before the plum blossoms beside the river display an uncommon grace.

The interpretation says: When hardship reaches its end, favorable fortune will arrive. Even if things are briefly adverse at the last, descendants will in the end do good and bring good news.

Sixty-One

Though Yao Huang and Wei Zi are precious, the tender green and delicate red blossoms are not worth praising.

Only after snow and frost have withered away does the river plum reveal a rare and beautiful grace.

The interpretation says: When hardship reaches its end, smooth fortune will come, and there will in the end be descendants.

Sixty-Two

Upon the water there is only an empty stretch of green; the chrysanthemums by the fence are heaped up like gold in vain.

Ease the mind and take in the snowy scene, and one will suddenly meet a branch touched with spring.

The interpretation says: What one pursues with fixed attention may not succeed, while what comes without intention may instead be gained. Set the heart at ease, wait patiently, and joyful matters will arrive as the moment comes.

Sixty-Three

Spring passes, summer ends, and autumn comes again; the leaves of the Chinese parasol tree fall, and the crows fly south.

One had thought this year would bring nothing good, yet the plum blossom displays its beautiful form in the snow.

The interpretation says: Good things come rather late; one must wait patiently for the right moment.

Sixty-Four

In the precious duck-shaped incense burner (a censer in the form of a duck) and the golden censer, incense smoke still curls. The moonlight shifts, flower shadows fall upon the ground, and it is already the second watch of the night.

Suddenly someone brings glad news: a child of outstanding intelligence has already been born in the house.

Interpretation: It is advisable to do many good deeds and accumulate merit and blessings, so that joyful occasions may come.

The Sixty-Fifth Slip

You burn incense and pray with sincere devotion, and an immortal boy, sent expressly by command, bestows this slip upon you.

I urge you to show filial respect to the elders of the household. If you follow this counsel, you will be blessed with a child who is intelligent and worthy.

Interpretation: The divine intent is to urge people to honor their elders, and this ought to be observed. If the wish is to seek a child, it is best to fulfill the vow promptly; then a good child may be born.

The Sixty-Sixth Slip

A solitary fate and few descendants are the result of karmic conditions from a previous life; how can one, failing to understand the matter, blame Heaven?

The prosperity before one’s eyes is like the dream of the Kingdom of Huai’an (that is, wealth and rank that are brief and illusory). One should do good as early as possible, so as not to invite disaster.

Interpretation: Your lot in life is rather lonely; you must not blame Heaven on that account. You should hasten to do good, and perhaps disaster can be avoided.

The Sixty-Seventh Slip

Fortunately, the ancestors accumulated no small store of blessing, and this moved the deities, so that the unborn child could be preserved.

If you conduct yourself with reverence and caution, you will give birth smoothly when the time of delivery comes.

Interpretation: One should do good and offer sacrifices and memorial rites for the ancestors. Once the wishes previously vowed are properly fulfilled, misfortune can naturally be avoided.

The Sixty-Eighth Slip

Lovely flowers vie in bloom through the spring days, and tender blossoms seem to show their vitality in the spring light of the second month.

One had thought there would be a great and joyful event, yet on closer inspection it is only a false alarm.

Interpretation: Pregnancy and childbirth will proceed calmly and smoothly.

The Sixty-Ninth Slip

There is no need for excessive worry, nor for groundless suspicion. The time when a precious son is born may by nature come rather late.

Wait at ease for the reckoning of the “three sevens” (a period or measure of time in traditional oracle language); the good thing will in fact arrive at the fourth watch.

Interpretation: The birth will be safe, and a good child will also be born. It is still advisable to do good and to wait calmly for the right moment.

The Seventieth Slip

Again and again one labors, and again and again one comes up empty, like flowers that, once withered, drift away with the water.

Since you have devoutly prayed to me for protection, I grant you a worthy and good son, to be born around the end of the year.

Explanation: Worry comes first, and joy follows afterward; doing good can bring auspicious fortune.

The Seventy-First Slip

One knows only how to recite Jing (scripture/classic) and incantations aloud, yet in one’s actions one cheats one’s own conscience and fails to honor one’s parents.

One’s conduct is foul, while one’s words are made to sound pure; such a person is hard to trust. When a matter comes upon oneself, one ought to examine one’s own heart.

Explanation: Improper conduct invites calamity, and the deities will rebuke one. For faults such as cursing, one should repent at once.

The Seventy-Second Slip

Drink a few cups of wine to ease one’s gloom, and burn a stick of incense before the stove to pray for peace. When the moon rises to the tips of the plum branches, someone comes with glad news that a boy has been added to the household. “Nongzhang” is an old term for the birth of a boy.

Explanation: Pray to the deities and fulfill one’s vow, and auspiciousness will come of itself.

The Seventy-Third Slip

How truly delightful—this coincidence, it turns out, has to do with the “seven births.” The wutong has only just set seed; one should hasten to recite the Shengshen Jing, a Daoist scripture.

Explanation: Reciting scripture and doing good can protect one’s peace and safety.

The Seventy-Fourth Slip

The plums have yellowed, the wheat has ripened, and the pomegranates are red as fire; the willows are green, the lotuses send forth their fragrance, and joy fills the face with smiles. (The original phrase “笑已竿” is suspected to be textually corrupt.)

Now there is cause for joy: the time of delivery brings a happy event; the deities protect, and mother and child are safe.

Explanation: The deities protect, and the birth is safe.

The Seventy-Fifth Slip

Since you are exceptionally intelligent, why have you fallen into so perilous a situation as this? For what one has done with one’s own hands over a lifetime, the retribution of good and evil will not err.

Explanation: Retribution for good and evil follows as closely as a shadow follows the form.

The Seventy-Sixth Slip

The crabapple’s bearing is delicate and lovely, well worth viewing; after the rain, it appears all the more charming.

Yet, set beside the crabapple, it is not as fine as the plum, which bears abundant fruit; a branch of spring color comes into your home.

Explanation: The birth is safe.

The Seventy-Seventh Slip

The fragrance of a single censer of incense rises straight through the nine heavens, showing the flourishing of the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao (the Way)—the primordial energy of which Daoism speaks—and also expressing devout intent.

What is most joyous is that the ancestors and the divine perfected of the Mysterious Gate all receive this happy celebration; in the dusty world, a true immortal is suddenly born.

Explanation: With a heart of utmost sincerity and reverence, one worships and gives thanks to the divine perfected of heaven. The birth is a happy event, and the joy is more than a single measure.

What is most joyful is that both the ancestors and the household will have cause for celebration; suddenly, in the mundane world, a true immortal spirit is born.

Worship with sincere reverence, and give thanks to the divine True Ones (the immortals) in Heaven. Pregnancy and childbirth will bring joy, and the auspicious, harmonious Qi (vital energy) will be especially vigorous.

Seventy-Eight

Swallows murmur among the carved roof beams, and butterflies dance upon the branches; in the garden a hundred flowers bloom in full, and willow branches trail along the embankment.

Good news will arrive in the third month of spring, and joyful events will come to your side with the crowing of the rooster at dawn.

Interpretation: Pray that all matters remain peaceful and steady.

Seventy-Nine

A golden edict and purple words from Heaven descend upon the danchi (the steps before the palace); precious seal-script incense sends up its smoke, and phoenix banners flutter in the wind.

After so much concern and longing, the wish is at last fulfilled; one may smile to see glory and high station, and also rejoice at bearing a child in later years.

Interpretation: By the protection of Heaven above, the wish is realized and one's name and honor shine forth. One should further cultivate goodness and accumulate De (Virtue/Power), and not complain that good things come late.

Eighty

The rooster crows three times, and the morning star is bright; in the east the red sun gradually rises.

At the juncture of the chen and xu hours (ancient double-hours), one may know that the matter has been answered; when the wu and mao hours arrive, the heart's wish will also be fulfilled.

Interpretation: Pregnancy and childbirth will be safe.

Eighty-One

When gold and jade fill the hall, they should be carefully guarded; for long life and wealth, do not complain that they come late.

When gold and jade fill the hall, they should be carefully guarded; long life and wealth, and a joyful, auspicious marriage.

Now that the wish of a lifetime has been fulfilled, one must be all the more careful in word and deed, and thereby give thanks to Heaven.

Interpretation: Pregnancy and childbirth will be safe.

Eighty-Two

Whether your own conduct is good or evil, you yourself know clearly in your heart. Who taught you to deceive others and act without sincerity?

The Investigator of the Nine Heavens (the divine office charged by Heaven to patrol the human world and inspect good and evil) will report the matter upward. You do not respect the elders of the household, yet you cherish only your children.

Interpretation: Treating one's elders lightly will bring punishment from the celestial deities. One should quickly reform, so as not to incur fault.

Eighty-Three

If you wish to command generals, you must look to your own words and deeds. The Sheling and the Chenghuang (local guardian deities) will present a report to Heaven.

What the husband and wife have done is in neither case proper; only now, because of matters concerning their children, do they begin to feel anxious and worried.

Interpretation: Because conduct has not been good, one's name has already been reported to the Thunder Office (the divine bureau that governs thunder rites and inspects good and evil). One should quickly reform and fulfill the vows made in the past.

Eighty-Four

Because you do not revere the spirits of the ancestors and kin, matters concerning the children then...

(The original line of this oracle slip, "the children are hidden; the Sheling and Chenghuang submit a memorial," is suspected to contain missing or corrupted characters, and its meaning cannot be determined.)

What the husband and wife have done is in neither case proper. Only now, because they seek children, have they begun to worry and fret.

Explanation: Their conduct has not been good, and the charge has already been recorded with the Leisi, the divine office in Daoism that administers thunder rites and inspects good and evil. They should hasten to reform and to fulfill the vows they made in the past.

Eighty-four

If you do not honor your ancestors and your kin, how can the matter of children turn out as you wish?

To go on like this is only to have kept a vegetarian fast for a thousand days in vain. Once retribution arrives, misfortune will fall upon you.

Explanation: To be unfilial is a crime, and punishment from the underworld is about to descend.

Eighty-five

If you wish to seek children, you must follow the proper method. If you reverently honor with a sincere heart according to what I say, you will obtain a worthy and good son.

You should be filial to your parents and to your parents-in-law, and you should also recite the Yushu Zhang, a Daoist Jing (scripture/classic) commonly used for prayer, the aversion of calamity, and devotional recitation.

Explanation: One who seeks a son should fulfill filial duty, and should also recite this precious Jing.

Eighty-six

In seeking a son one ought to honor one’s kin; only then can one receive the protection of the gods.

Be filial, charitable, upright in conduct, and pure. When that time comes, the child who is born will answer to your hopes.

Explanation: One who seeks a son should fulfill filial piety and cultivate virtue, drawing auspiciousness by good deeds.

Eighty-seven

Only because you trusted in your own cleverness and showed off your cunning did you make sport of Xuanyuan, a Daoist honorific for the Dao (the Way) or for Laozi, and treat the precious Jing with contempt.

Now you shall be made to know that the precepts are strict, and that the methods of the Dao brook no slight.

Explanation: To slight the methods of the Dao and to mock the gods is a calamity hard to escape. One should quickly make it known to the gods and reform.

Eighty-eight

Keep a vegetarian diet and observe the precepts; recite the true Jing. Honor the elders of the household, and live in harmony with your brothers.

Whatever you may seek, I will grant it, bestowing on you a worthy, good, and noble son in answer to your devotion.

Explanation: Once words, deeds, and bearing are upright, what is sought can be fulfilled as wished.

Eighty-eight (repeated in the original)

Keep a vegetarian diet and observe the precepts; recite the true Jing. Honor the elders of the household, and live in harmony with your brothers.

Whatever you may seek, I will grant it, bestowing on you a worthy, good, and noble son in answer to your devotion.

Explanation: Once words, deeds, and bearing are upright, what is sought can be as the heart desires.

Eighty-nine

When one’s conduct is open and upright, even ghosts and spirits hold one in respect. To possess De (Virtue/Power) and to be without selfishness can move the perfected gods of the upper realm.

Only by benefiting the many does one come to know that, in the end, one also benefits oneself. When the heart is level and upright, a good result comes of itself.

Explanation: When the heart is calm and upright, the gods of Heaven give their protection.

Ninety

Pestilence and poisonous harm are carried out by Heaven above, and this is because mortals have themselves offended against the penal statutes.

Some are negligent toward the gods and fail to honor their kin, and besides this they act with harshness and exploitation, harming living beings.

The interpretation of the slip says: Calamity does not descend without cause. Only when ordinary people themselves commit some fault do they bring disaster upon themselves.

Ninety-First Slip

On a moonlit night, several pieces are played on the yaoqin (a magnificent zither of jade or other precious material), and two or three strains of music are heard from the plum-blossom horn. From beneath the steps, the commanding general sends word. At this time it is all the more fitting to recite widely the Jade Pivot Scripture (Yushu Jing), a Daoist classic often used to pray for blessings and avert calamity.

The interpretation of the slip says: Childbirth is safe to begin with; it is enough to recite the scripture and pray for blessings.

Ninety-Second Slip

The cold wind is biting, and grass and trees wither. Ice and snow seal the little bridge, and even wine is hard to buy. Before the pavilion a plum tree is in bloom. It is fitting to go to the immortal altar, make one’s report, and pray for a precious talisman—in Daoism, a Fulu (talismans and registers) used to pray for blessings and protection.

The interpretation of the slip says: The fine springtime has already been spent in vain; only in later years will there be accomplishment.

Ninety-Third Slip

The autumn harvest is finished, and life is peaceful and content, as in the flourishing age of Yao and Shun. The fruits of cultivating the Dao (the Way) are gradually coming to completion, and one ought to give thanks to Heaven. A chance met once in a thousand years has now arrived. Joy shows on people’s faces, and every household can celebrate.

The interpretation of the slip says: Pregnancy and childbirth will bring joyful celebration.

Ninety-Fourth Slip

By the water one meets good news, and the path beside the stream begins to open. At the mouth of the Peach-Blossom Immortal Cavern, people laugh east of the little bridge.

The interpretation of the slip says: Meeting water and also encountering mountains, there will be good news and occasions for celebration.

Ninety-Fifth Slip

A human body is hard to obtain, and birth in the Central Land (here meaning China) is likewise not easy. Even if one is fortunate enough to be born into the world, to encounter the orthodox teaching—the legitimate method of cultivation—is rarer still.

The interpretation of the slip says: Calamity is about to arrive. One should pray early to the Stellar Lords of the Northern Dipper, do many good deeds, accumulate merit and blessings, and report one’s prayers to the Celestial Worthies.

Ninety-Sixth Slip

In the matter of marriage between husband and wife, and in the bonds of flesh and blood with sons and daughters, all hope that things may accord with their own wishes. If one wishes for a smooth outcome, one may recite and reverently honor the Jade Pivot Scripture.

The interpretation of the slip says: One should fulfill the vows one has made as early as possible, recite and uphold the precious scripture, worship and report to the Tianzhen (perfected immortals who have attained the Dao), and pray for blessings and protection.

Ninety-Seventh Slip

Five sons and two daughters in the household are a joy for the family, yet the temple halls are cold and quiet, and I still cannot set my mind at ease. It is not that I cling to the sights of the human world; I only wish to urge people to come, pay homage, and recite the Jade Pivot Scripture.

The interpretation of the slip says: One should fulfill the vows one has made as early as possible, recite and uphold the precious scripture, worship and report to the Tianzhen, and pray for blessings and protection.

At this point the original text again repeats the slip verses and interpretations of the Ninety-Third and Ninety-Fourth Slips, and once more repeats part of the verse of the Ninety-Seventh Slip: “Five sons and two daughters in the household are a joy for the family, yet the temple halls are cold and quiet, and I still cannot set my mind at ease.”

This deity said, “I do not crave the scenery of the human world. I only wish to make use of this expedient means, so that ordinary people may come to offer prayers and pay homage.”

The interpretation of the slip says that the deity established this expedient means in order to move and summon the people. It makes it convenient for them to come and pray, and those who come to pay homage will obtain good fortune.

Oracle Slip Ninety-Eight

Everyone in the human world wishes to obtain sons and daughters. Do not damage the small sacred images in the precious hall before me. If you can carefully depict the forms of children, they will naturally vie to be reborn as your own.

The interpretation of the slip says not to damage or obstruct the small sacred images in the precious hall. One should add statues, making them refined and dignified, so as to welcome and protect young children; joy and celebration will then follow of themselves.

Oracle Slip Ninety-Nine

Heaven does not fail those who are wholly sincere. When good things come together, there is a reason of their own. Beautiful women and lovely children may all be sought, and affairs will naturally accord with one’s wishes and suit the heart.

The interpretation of the slip says that sincerity can move and communicate with the deities, and matters will turn out as one desires.