《护国嘉济江东王灵签》

The First Lot

You will rise above the crowd and stand out with unusual distinction, as if walking alone among the clouds; among the hundred officials of the jade halls, you will also rank near the front. Wealth, rank, and splendor are bestowed on you by Heaven. Your blessings are as deep as the sea, and your lifespan as enduring as the mountains.

Explanation of the lot: Your talent is outstanding and your reputation illustrious. In the civil examinations you may hope to place among the foremost, and you can also establish meritorious achievements with ease, as if in the midst of conversation and laughter. A life of prominence is the result of Heaven’s aid and protection. Your official stipend will be ample, you will enjoy long life and sound health, and the matters you plan will turn out as you wish.

Meaning of the lot: Rank and fame can be attained, and blessings and emoluments will be complete. A lawsuit can receive a just outcome, and illness will be cured. The crops will yield a good harvest, marriage will be fulfilled, a pregnancy may bring a boy, and one who has traveled far will return.

The Second Lot

The waxing and waning, the growth and decline of all things, are arranged by Heaven’s timing. From now on, it is comparatively suitable for you to undertake affairs of every kind. If you wish to know how the road ahead will unfold, the essential point still lies in cultivating the mind well and attending properly to your own self-cultivation.

Explanation of the lot: All affairs have their rises and falls, and one should act in accord with the trend of the times. Hardship will pass, favorable circumstances will arrive, and matters will gradually proceed smoothly. If you wish in the end to remain auspicious, you must continue to cultivate body and mind and must not act rashly or recklessly; only then will blessings come.

Meaning of the lot: In a lawsuit it is advisable to seek reconciliation; in illness it is advisable to pray. Rank and fame are within hope, but they will come rather late—do not be impatient. Seeking wealth will be ordinary, while marriage is relatively favorable. If you act recklessly, the outcome cannot be assured.

The Third Lot

Food and clothing will find their own provision; there is no need to exhaust the mind and rush about to excess. So long as you can be filial toward your elders, affectionate toward your brothers, and loyal and trustworthy toward others, blessings and emoluments will come of themselves, and misfortune will find it hard to intrude.

Explanation of the lot: Wealth and rank have their fixed allotment; there is no need to pursue them by force. To expend mind and effort single-mindedly, on the contrary, easily brings sorrow. In serving your kin and dealing with others, so long as you accord with what is reasonable and right, you will receive Heaven’s protection, and your situation will be secure.

Meaning of the lot: Rank, fame, profit, and stipend each have their proper time. In a lawsuit, harmony is auspicious. Recovery from illness will be rather slow. Seeking wealth will be ordinary. Marriage is not suitable for the time being. One should carefully preserve what has already been achieved, so as to avoid worry and doubt.

The Fourth Lot

Last year, matters went comparatively smoothly in every respect. Compared with last year, this year’s fortune is gradually declining.

Offer incense and pray to the gods and Buddhas with a sincere heart. Do not wait until your share of blessings has faded, only to regret that it is already too late.

Explanation: At present there is first danger and misfortune; afterward it will turn auspicious, and one’s fortune will gradually improve. Yet plans made now are hard to bring to success, and the situation is very different from before. One ought to pray to the deities with a sincere heart and seek blessings. If one does not, then by the time one notices, it may already be too late for regret.

Sacred intent: Rank and fame are hard to gain, and wealth and emolument are scant. It is inadvisable to go to law. A marriage has not yet been concluded. Illness is hard to cure, and travel is blocked. If one wishes to obtain good fortune, one ought to pray to the deities.

Fifth

In the zi year (Year of the Rat), three matters lie beyond one’s own control. The household is cold, quiet, and desolate, as bleak as autumn.

If one waits until Ox and Rat give way to each other, fortune will grow warm again, all affairs will turn for the better, and there is no need to worry.

Explanation: Rise and decline each have their season; they are not wholly decided by human strength. Good fortune is about to arrive, and the present difficulty will in the end pass. In the years of zi and chou (the Year of the Rat and the Year of the Ox), many matters will go smoothly, just as trees, meeting spring, gradually recover their vitality and become flourishing and beneficial.

Sacred intent: Property will suffer some loss, and rank and fame will come late. A lawsuit may in the end turn out favorably, and illness can be treated. Marriage should be weighed with care, and those who have gone away will return. Wait until the proper time arrives; most affairs will then be suitable to undertake.

Sixth

Why take the trouble to play the qin and blow the sheng? At present every step is as hard as a journey of ten thousand li.

When each side harbors doubt and neither trusts the other, do not place private hopes in deep affection.

Explanation: Affairs demand a great deal of effort, yet progress is slight and one may even slip backward. Plans are hard to fulfill; both sides are full of suspicion and lack trust. A wish for reconciliation has not yet borne fruit, and what seems nearly complete is still unfinished. For now one should only keep to one’s proper place and should not lightly make changes.

Sacred intent: Rank and fame are hard to gain; wealth is easily scattered; illness is hard to cure; and affairs make no headway. Plans are hard to fulfill, and mutual doubt leaves trust lacking. A wish to be reconciled has not yet come about, and what seems about to succeed is still not complete. One should rest content with things as they are and should not make changes. Another reading: guard against an unfavorable birth; marriage is hard to conclude; a lawsuit is not yet settled; and those who have traveled return slowly. There is no need to sigh over this.

Seventh

The immortal’s bearing and the bones of the Dao (the Way) seem innate, and a lineage master of the gate of the immortals serves as teacher and guide.

Before long the elixir can be refined, and one takes leave of cliffs and secluded valleys. Once the work is accomplished, the practitioner is led to ascend to heaven.

Here “the elixir completed” means that Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy), or the cultivation of refining the elixir, has reached attainment. “Leading them heavenward” describes the scene of cultivation brought to completion, of rising as an immortal and soaring aloft.

Explanation: One is innately blessed with wealth and honor, and further aided by others. Ordinary people, too, have the chance to cast off the mundane, attain the Dao (the Way), and become immortals, ascending along the path of clouds. When common folk meet a person of high standing, wealth and goods accumulate. In every respect all is greatly auspicious; there is no need for doubt.

Meaning of the lot: Seeking rank and fame can be fulfilled as one wishes; seeking wealth brings abundance; in a lawsuit one can hold the right; illness is not dangerous; those who have traveled far will return; to dream of a bear is an auspicious omen; the fengshui of the ancestral grave is favorable; and marriage can be accomplished.

The Eighth Lot

In years past one toiled at plowing and sowing, yet there was no harvest; this year the fields will surely yield a good crop.

What is more, one now meets with days of peace and nothing amiss, so that scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants may all be free of care.

Explanation: In the past, whatever one sought went awry; now fortune has turned for the better and is just about to flourish. There is joy and no calamity. Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants can all meet with a favorable time; income in wealth and goods increases, and both within the household and beyond, all stand to benefit.

Meaning of the lot: A scholar will receive a recommendation; people will be able to gain wealth; a lawsuit will be settled by reconciliation; illness will not bring disaster; if one inquires after those who have traveled far, they will return; plans are auspicious; and joyful occasions are about to arrive.

The Ninth Lot

One asks when news of him will come. He is on his way toward Chang'an. Often he takes up a mirror patterned with water-caltrop blossoms and looks into it with care.

It is said that the documents are about to be delivered within the borders; this morning a look of joy has already shown between the brows.

Explanation: What has been planned and long awaited suddenly brings good news. The documents are about to come to hand, and the joyful matter lies just before one's eyes. Setting out is advantageous; one can obtain abundant wealth and goods; whatever is undertaken can be fulfilled as wished; and in every respect one is content.

Meaning of the lot: Rank, fame, and profit will soon arrive; a lawsuit can be won; illness will be cured; a pregnancy will bring a boy; a marriage can be successfully sought; those who have traveled far will return; and in all matters there is no worry.

The Tenth Lot

Illness continues without cease, and fortune is hard-pressed and in decline—why then divine yet again by striking tiles and boring tortoise shells? “Striking tiles” and “boring tortoise shells” are ancient methods of divination.

Only when Yang Qi (vital energy) is restored and the life-force grows vigorous again may the illness hope to heal; to pray for peace and safety, one may rely on the protective power of the Buddha.

The interpretation of the slip says that at present fate is full of setbacks, and illness is liable to linger and return again and again. One should examine oneself, cultivate with caution, and place one’s hope in Heaven. Only around the winter solstice, through prayer to the deities, may recovery gradually come. Many plans and wishes will be hard to realize smoothly, and whatever one undertakes is apt to change.

The import of the slip says that seeking merit and fame will not be easy, and property and salary will suffer loss. Illness drags on without healing, a lawsuit is not yet settled, and one who has traveled far returns rather late. Prayer to the deities can bring help. Do not force the matter one-sidedly; one should keep contentedly to one’s proper station.

The Eleventh Slip

This year will bring a new turn of affairs. Good things seem to come one after another, and wealth, rank, glory, and splendor appear to gather upon you.

Who could have foreseen that the changes within are hard to predict? In the end one may still have to face matters alone, and this instead brings sorrow.

The interpretation of the slip says that the present course of fortune is unfavorable, and affairs are hard to bring into accord with one’s wishes. There seems to be an auspicious side, yet danger is in fact still hidden, and even if one acts, results may not follow. Do not pursue wealth and rank single-mindedly; going out is also unfavorable. If one acts rashly, good fortune will recede, and misfortune may follow.

The import of the slip says that one should not force the matter, for merit and fame have not yet been achieved. Financial luck is merely ordinary, and a lawsuit is unfavorable. The illness is grave, and affairs are hard to accomplish. If one inquires about a person who has traveled far, there will be many obstructions along the way.

The Twelfth Slip

One had originally hoped that the matter could be settled before spring; who would have known that by autumn the situation would still fall short of what was expected?

Only upon meeting the noble young gentleman of the Clear River—that is, a person of standing who can offer help—does the livelihood of a lifetime have a prospect of becoming secure.

The interpretation of the slip says that one hesitates and cannot decide, and what is sought has not yet been realized. If one can meet the noble person of the Clear River, the wish may be fulfilled as hoped; if one seeks help from someone else instead, it will for the most part be effort spent in vain. One should cultivate with caution, keep to one’s station, and wait until the right time arrives.

The import of the slip says that seeking merit and fame requires waiting, and financial luck has not yet come. In illness one should consider changing physicians, and a lawsuit is best handled with caution. The traveler will return, and one who is pregnant may bear a distinguished son. Only when a suitable opportunity is met will affairs go smoothly.

The Thirteenth Slip

You do not yet have the fortune of the moment. For now, go to the river’s edge and wait for opportunity as one waits while fishing.

When the Jade Rabbit appears again—referring to the timing marked by a mao year or a mao day—strength will be stored up, one will gradually prosper, and talent will at last be shown among others.

The interpretation of the slip says that at present the course of fortune is unfavorable, and all matters advance slowly. It is fitting to hold to things as they are, for a time to draw in one’s edge, to accumulate ability, and to wait for the right moment. In a mao year, a mao month, or on a mao day, affairs are more readily brought to a smooth conclusion. It may also be that only around the day of the full moon, about the fifteenth of the lunar month, will what one plans turn out as one wishes.

The import of the slip says that the fortune of the time has not yet opened, and it is fitting to keep to the former state and wait. On a mao day, fame and profit may be hoped for. Illness will heal relatively late, and a lawsuit will in the end be favorable. The traveler will return, and the matter will at last be accomplished.

Fourteen

At the first sight of a fair person, the heart fills with joy—who would have thought that so many twists would follow? The warmth and coldness of human feeling need not astonish; once one has lived through enough of it, one comes to know how hard the road is.

This slip says that what was hoped would end in completeness may instead give rise to conflict. Human hearts are not necessarily reliable, and are to be feared as hard to entrust. One should first examine oneself, not be led astray by others, and must be cautious and full of doubt.

At the start, matters seem easy, yet later they grow difficult. Fame and profit are hard to obtain; illness has not yet settled; lawsuits will go back and forth; a pregnancy may bring a daughter; the traveler has not yet returned; and affairs meet with many obstacles.

Fifteen

The two families are matched in standing and circumstances. If there is no affinity, do not force the pursuit. Only when the spring wind brings good news may one hope for the harmony of qin and se in a quiet, refined dwelling. “Qin and se in harmony” is often used as a figure for concord between husband and wife.

The intentions of the two sides have not yet come together, so many matters will be hard to carry through smoothly. Reservations about family standing and circumstances remain, and in the end they may not suit each other. For now, wait until the spring of the coming year, when things will turn for the better; to act rashly will only add needless trouble.

The marriage has not yet been arranged; the lawsuit does not go well; fame and profit come late; news does not get through; pregnancy and childbirth are difficult; one must guard against gossip and contention. If the other person is not a true intimate, do not confide lightly.

Sixteen

The lawsuit drags on without a decision, and even right and reason are hard to discern. Better to settle the dispute and, for the time being, return to a stable life. Do not believe talk stirred up by others; they may raise trouble for no cause. Act with caution, and do not lightly trust others and fall into difficulty. One may consult close brothers.

The lawsuit is hard to clarify, and reconciliation is what is to be valued. Fame and profit are without hope; the traveler is about to arrive; the marriage is not yet settled; illness may be connected with baleful influences; wealth should not be greedily sought, and in the end gain will be hard to obtain.

Seventeen

The prices for buying and selling fields, garden property, and goods can all be negotiated. Once a dispute is taken before the official court, both sides will suffer loss.

Even if one exhausts every scheme in the hope of winning, one may still leave calamity for one’s descendants.

Explanation: Affairs ought to be handled according to one’s proper station; in the end there will be no benefit.

The Seventeenth Lot

The prices for buying and selling fields, garden property, and goods can all be negotiated. Once a dispute is taken before the official court, both sides will suffer loss.

Even if one exhausts every scheme in the hope of winning, one may still leave calamity for one’s descendants.

Explanation: So long as affairs are conducted according to one’s proper station, a way forward still remains; if one resorts to scheming, one will instead harm oneself. In trade, one ought to act in keeping with ordinary human feeling; if one’s conduct is improper, harmony will be hard to maintain.

Meaning of the Lot: When a matter goes against reason and feeling, a lawsuit is sure to injure both sides. Fame and profit will for the time being be hard to advance, and the present remains much as usual. Those who travel far will meet with obstruction; those who are ill should perform prayers to avert calamity (seeking the deities to dispel disaster). For the moment one must act with caution if peace and health are to be preserved.

The Eighteenth Lot

I know that you have plans in mind, yet these plans are as illusory as the shadows of flowers in empty air. Affairs stretch on vast and without a thread to follow, and the road ahead seems without end.

You must plant your feet firmly and keep them on solid ground. Doing good will also meet with a good response, and from first to last there will be no error.

Explanation: The matter has not yet been accomplished, and present plans are only empty thoughts. One should slow one’s pace and take the longer view; excessive haste will instead harm oneself. One should also do more good deeds and pray that the deities protect one’s peace. In this way misfortune can be turned to good fortune, and much trouble avoided.

Meaning of the Lot: Fame and profit are hard to obtain for the present, and only in the end may there be some gain. The sick, after prayer, may hope for stability. Do not go to law. Those who travel far will arrive late. Affairs will be hard to bring to completion. For the moment one should turn toward goodness and pray for the deities’ protection.

The Nineteenth Lot

Alas, you have long failed to meet with a favorable time, yet this year’s fortune is quite smooth.

Whether in planning or in action, you can obtain what you wish. Marriage will be harmonious, and an honored son will be born.

Explanation: In the past you were long constrained and remained obscure; now the course of fortune has turned for the better. Affairs are easily brought to success, and fame and profit will soon be gained as well. At present there are not many obstacles, and it is also suitable for trade. Whether a scholar or an ordinary person draws this lot, it is an auspicious sign.

Meaning of the Lot: Affairs proceed smoothly; fame and profit can be obtained; marriage can be achieved; in a lawsuit one has reason to rely on; pregnancy and childbirth may bring an honored son; those who travel far will arrive; illness readily settles. On the whole, all matters are auspicious.

A lifetime of cares held in the heart, with no one to whom they might be confided—today, at the head of the Eighteen Rapids, I tell them to you.

The affairs of the world pass away in the end like flowing water, and fame, rank, and wealth are no more than drifting clouds, scattering in the turn of an eye.

This lot says: the worries in the heart have not yet cleared; for the present one should hold back from action and plan slowly and with care. Even if the ways of the world seem pressing, spirits will of themselves extend their protection. In all matters it is well to step back and reflect, and in the end one may remain safe and free of trouble; if one can go further in cultivating oneself and examining oneself, the path ahead will open and run smooth. Here “xiusheng” means cultivating one’s person and reflecting on one’s own words and conduct.

The meaning of the lot is this: to press on with a lawsuit will in the end prove unfavorable, while stopping in good time is instead auspicious; fame, rank, and profit need not be taken too seriously; illness will gradually disperse; those who have gone away will return; a marriage may hesitate and be delayed; and in whatever one does, one should accord with the moment.

You and the other party formed a grievance in former days; meeting now, there is not necessarily any destined affinity between you.

One ought to recite the classics (Jing) often, praying that all in the household be safe and the family well. “Fengsong” means to recite and chant the scriptural texts.

This lot says: there was an old grievance in the past, and in handling affairs one should follow its causes and conditions. At present one should turn toward the good as soon as possible, if peace and safety are to be preserved; strive to practice goodness, so that the intentions of the heart accord with the Dao (the Way) of Heaven. Accumulated good deeds can turn misfortune into good fortune.

The meaning of the lot is this: the matter will be hard to accomplish; one who is ill may hope to recover after prayer; it is not advisable to travel; the lawsuit has reason on its side; the illness may be bound up with some further grievance, and it is fitting to seek the spirits to resolve it; if one sets one’s heart wholly on attaining high rank and distinction, one will in the end fail instead.

In a pool of green jade a white lotus opens, its bearing and countenance naturally solemn and fair.

A character endowed by Heaven surpasses the ordinary, as though one were the foremost immortal in the human world.

This lot says: the matter has already become clear and plain, and there is no need to arrange it by deliberate human effort. In going out to conduct affairs one should act with vigor and not hesitate. A scholar seeking fame and official rank may well place high and pass the examinations; plans of every kind are likewise best carried out promptly while the situation is clear.

The meaning of the lot is this: the lawsuit has hope of success; fame and rank are readily achieved; illness is soon cured; wealth and goods increase; the marriage is well matched; a noble son will be born; the family’s fortunes flourish, and all matters proceed smoothly.

Flowers bloom and then wither, left to the spring wind; a person’s high or low station, obscurity or success, is nothing more than the changes within a hundred years of life. For someone such as you, present glory has already passed, and in the end the myriad affairs of the world return after all to emptiness.

Explanation: Of all manner of plans, some succeed of themselves and some fail of themselves. At the outset they may be just as one wishes, yet in the end they may bring misfortune. Even within favorable circumstances danger lies hidden, and obstruction (pise—things not going smoothly) may arise out of peace and security. If one does not know how to draw back and conceal one’s edge, the worries of later days will be all the greater.

Sacred Intent (shengyi—guidance on the matters asked by the one who draws the slip): Fame and profit are like illusory flowers; a lawsuit will disperse; illness will grow more severe; a marriage has not yet been joined; the return of one who has traveled far is still distant; affairs are hard to accomplish, and one can only sigh in vain.

Oracle Slip Twenty-Four

In spring, all things bring sorrow and torment; only when summer comes do plans and pursuits begin to go smoothly. After the autumn harvest and the winter solstice, one’s circumstances are like riding an immortal crane with wealth wrapped about the waist—prosperous and well pleased.

Explanation: Plans made in spring for the most part find it hard to succeed; only in the three seasons of summer, autumn, and winter do they begin to proceed smoothly and with success. At that time it is all the more fitting to go out and attend to affairs, and blessings and emoluments will also increase. What one seeks can be fulfilled as one wishes; when the moment arrives, act.

Sacred Intent: There is hope of fame and profit, but do not act in impatient haste; a lawsuit can be reconciled; marriage is suitable; the one who has traveled far is still in a distant place; recovery from illness comes rather late; wealth, rank, blessings, and emoluments are abundant. What one seeks can be fulfilled as one wishes; when the moment arrives, act.

Sacred Intent: There is hope of fame and profit, but do not be impatient; a lawsuit can be reconciled; marriage is suitable; the one who has traveled far has not yet returned; recovery from illness is rather delayed; wealth and rank have their own time of coming.

Oracle Slip Twenty-Five

The years Yin, Wu, and Xu (reckoned by the stem-and-branch cycle) bring much obstruction; when the years Hai and Zi arrive, and in the fifth month, fortune gradually turns for the better. When one further meets the season in which Mao and You come together, it is like a withered tree encountering spring: it will of itself blossom once more.

Explanation: In the three seasons of spring, summer, and autumn, one easily hesitates in what one undertakes; only when winter comes do many matters proceed smoothly. In the months or on the days of Mao and You, what is planned is comparatively auspicious. When this moment is reached, things turn for the better just as a withered tree comes into flower.

Sacred Intent: A lawsuit brings much anxiety, yet in the end it will turn auspicious; fame and profit come rather late; marriage is auspicious; in pregnancy and childbirth one ought to take good care; doing good and praying for blessings is of help; if one inquires about a person who has traveled far, there will in the end be a time of return.

Oracle Slip Twenty-Six

Whether a year brings abundance or shortfall is arranged by Heaven’s destined number; this year’s drought is indeed comparatively severe. It is pledged to you that within three days the fields will receive ample heavy rain to moisten them.

Explanation: Good and ill fortune have their fixed allotment; at present there is much hardship. One must wait until the moment arrives before things can turn for the better, like a tree meeting spring. Prayers and supplications will all meet with a response; the time of fulfillment indicated is the “three chen” (times and days related to a chen day, or to a span of three days). Whether the fields’ harvest is abundant or meager is in every case fixed by destiny; this year’s drought is especially severe.

You and the other party have agreed that rain will fall within three days, and the fields will receive ample water as well.

Interpretation: Good and ill fortune at present seem long since fixed, and for now there are many obstacles. Only when the right moment arrives will circumstances turn for the better, as trees do when they meet the spring. Prayers and petitions will be answered, most likely fulfilled over the three days of Chen, Si, and Wu. What you are planning will in the end go smoothly, and good things will come to your door.

Sacred Intent: Fame and profit may suffer loss for the moment, yet they can be restored once the time comes. A lawsuit can be settled, illness can be stabilized, the one who has traveled far will arrive, and word from distant places will also come through.

Oracle Slip Twenty-Seven

All things in the world have their rightful owners; do not take so much as a single grain or a single hair on your own. Even heroes and outstanding figures, though gifted by nature, must observe the rules step by step.

Interpretation: Poverty and wealth each have their fixed measure; do not strain to contend for them. If you take what ought not to be taken, trouble will surely follow later. For now it is fitting to hold to things as they are while working hard to improve yourself. Deal with people and affairs justly and impartially, and you will naturally receive the protection of Heaven.

Sacred Intent: Do not start a lawsuit. If you are ill, seek a physician for careful diagnosis and treatment. Leave fame and profit to fate. The return of one who has traveled far will be rather late, and marriage has not yet been settled. Whatever you seek, for the time being keep to your place and wait.

Oracle Slip Twenty-Eight

Dukes, marquises, generals, and ministers are not destined from birth to be passed down within certain families alone. Only through diligent effort can one accord with the principle of Heaven. When human endeavor is carried to its limit, Heaven’s principle naturally becomes manifest. How could a person of ability remain forever stranded in the mountain forests and country wilds?

Interpretation: Glory and wealth must be gained through hard work. Though you are in difficulty at present, you should still keep to your proper station; in time you will meet a suitable opportunity. Be generous toward yourself, and continue to cultivate yourself and press forward. Do your utmost in what you ought to do, and the outcome will become clear of itself.

Sacred Intent: Lawsuits and illness will ease only after some time. Fame and profit must wait for now. If something has been lost, when you search, pay attention to the place indicated by “the bell is there.” Though you are temporarily in straits, things will in the end turn favorable.

Oracle Slip Twenty-Nine

The ancestors accumulated virtuous conduct over many years. The roots of blessing are deep, and later generations will naturally receive good fortune. If you can also continue to cultivate yourself and do good without slackening, Heaven will in the end restore you to your former glory.

Interpretation: In a family that accumulates goodness, later generations enjoy a surplus of blessing; descendants flourish and the family estate prospers. If good deeds continue to be cultivated, the share of blessing will grow still deeper, and the family fortune may return to prosperity. Each matter has its own causes and conditions and its fixed allotment.

Good deeds bring blessings bestowed by Heaven and may also lead to the birth of a noble son. The sick recover their health, lawsuits receive a just judgment, rank and fame may be attained, and profit may likewise be gained. Those who have traveled far return, and all affairs proceed as one wishes.

In matters of romance, everything has already been arranged by fate.

Good deeds bring blessings bestowed by Heaven and may also lead to the birth of a noble son. The sick recover their health, lawsuits receive a just judgment, rank and fame may be attained, and profit may likewise be gained. Those who have traveled far return, and all affairs proceed as one wishes.

The Thirtieth Lot

In serving the public and conducting affairs, be cautious and hold to what is upright; do not deceive your own conscience, and ease and good fortune will naturally arrive. For the matter you are now seeking, do not hurry to act for the time being; when autumn comes, there will be good news.

Interpretation of the lot: In dealing with others and handling affairs, be fair, and on no account deceive yourself. Although blessings and official emolument are present, one must still wait for the proper time. If you wish to seek further advancement, it is not yet fitting to act. For every plan and wish, autumn is the suitable moment.

Meaning of the lot: Even where there is profit, do not act rashly. A lawsuit is best settled by reconciliation. When ill, do not use medicine at random. Rank and fame must await their time. A marriage has already been agreed upon. So long as the heart remains upright, one may live in peace and joy.

The Thirty-First Lot

In autumn and winter, affairs proceed only ordinarily; when spring arrives, the household gradually flourishes and turns auspicious. News comes from afar, just as hoped. The elders of the family are also glad, and happiness continues without end. “Xuantang” refers to one’s mother or to the elders of the household.

Interpretation of the lot: Every plan and wish advances only moderately in autumn and winter; after spring arrives, matters gradually become smooth and prosperous. Those who have traveled far send word, and what one undertakes also succeeds. The household is peaceful and auspicious, and one may pass the days in security.

Meaning of the lot: A lawsuit gradually turns favorable, illness slowly improves, financial fortune begins to flow freely, and reputation gradually becomes known. Those who have traveled far are about to return. Marriage proceeds smoothly, the household is auspicious, and blessings and emolument flourish.

The Thirty-Second Lot

A whole lifetime spent in busy toil—and in the end, where can one turn? Illness clings to the body, and affairs are often fraught with disputes over right and wrong. When matters come to an end and one looks back, all of it seems like a dream. Why exhaust the mind any further in scheming?

Interpretation of the lot: Plans for affairs are full of error; they only weary the mind to no purpose and also invite quarrels and misfortune. Better to yield a step and, for a time, withdraw from the world in seclusion. Hold to the life one truly possesses, and perhaps one may yet meet a kindred spirit.

The Thirty-Third Slip

Meaning of the slip: A lawsuit will in the end turn perilous. Fame and official standing have not yet come to prominence; the illness is critical; and wealth and property will likewise be hard to preserve. A marriage has not yet been successfully arranged; disputes over right and wrong are many; those who travel far are held back; and the course of affairs does not run smoothly.

Whether one turns north, south, east, or west, all that lies before the eyes is dim and unclear, and it is as though the ears can make out nothing at all.

Read one full scroll of the Huangting Jing (one of the Daoist classics) carefully through to the end. There is no need to mind whether one’s station is noble or humble, nor to reckon whether one’s destiny runs favorable or adverse.

Explanation: Pay no heed to quarrels over right and wrong, and let them clamor as they will. What is seen is as if unseen, and what is heard is as if unheard. Do not distinguish the noble from the humble; one should nourish the mind and spirit. Only when the heart within is settled can one respond fittingly, and affairs will then proceed without obstruction.

Meaning of the slip: Do not enter into litigation; illness will be hard to cure. Fame and profit should not be sought by force. If one inquires after those who have traveled far, news of them is still blocked. Should one cultivate good conduct, the deities will lend their aid.

The Thirty-Fourth Slip

Spring and summer have only just passed, and autumn is followed in turn by winter. Schemes and anxieties of every kind leave the mind unsettled.

A benefactor reaches out a hand to help. Do not let private interest and personal feeling grow too strong.

Explanation: One spends the whole year absorbed in planning, yet affairs still make no progress. At this point one receives a benefactor’s support; thereafter matters will gradually turn smooth, and hardship may be avoided. Do not readily trust those close at hand, lest flattering words and the schemes of strife and calculation lead you astray.

Meaning of the slip: The lawsuit gives cause for worry, and the illness has not yet been cured. Property will suffer loss, and it is not fitting to lay plans for the long term. Those who have traveled far will show some sign of movement; for the time being, a marriage should not be pressed toward completion. Only by carefully guarding against gossip and disputes can vexation and sorrow be avoided.

The Thirty-Fifth Slip

A mountain, like a painting, is reflected in the clear river. Within the household there is reunion and harmony, and affairs seem to come in pairs.

Who would have known that, halfway along the road, they would part and scatter, leaving only an empty curtain and a silent person, alone before the silver lamp.

Explanation: Although the fengshui of the tomb and the dwelling is not unfavorable, destiny has not yet opened a clear path. The spirits of the household may draw misfortune upon it, and matters that had been going smoothly will come to nothing. Husband and wife may be separated, and kin will each dwell in a different place. Affairs are often adverse: there is frequently a beginning, yet it is hard to bring them to a good end.

Good and ill fortune, success and failure, are all shaped by Heaven’s timing and by one’s own conduct, so one must act with caution. Litigation will in the end prove unfavorable, and one should take care to guard against it. The illness is dangerous, and one should pray for blessings and avert calamity. Those who travel far will be hindered, and wealth may suffer loss. The marriage is unsuitable, and in every affair one should be cautious whether advancing or withdrawing.

Thirty-Six

Rank, fame, wealth, and honor can be won through one’s own effort. Even if one chances to meet an immortal who offers guidance, there is no need to press for an answer on every matter. You have a far-reaching future before you; for the present, however, you must wait patiently for the right moment.

Wealth and honor have their allotted measure, and whether they come early or late each has its time. First store up ability and await the opportunity; do not resent that it arrives late. A great undertaking will in the end have its time to be put into practice, and once the moment comes, the matter can be accomplished. If one has already traveled far, one may then consider the next step.

Reputation and profit will become apparent only later. Litigation can be settled in one’s favor, and the illness will gradually improve. In seeking news from afar, the road still holds obstacles. Marriage can be concluded, and one who is with child is about to give birth.

Thirty-Seven

You burn incense and offer prayers—what, then, is there left to conceal? Good and evil each receive their recompense, and this you know in your own heart. Do not, for the sake of private gain, obscure an impartial mind. So long as going forth and acting meets no obstruction, the time is open and favorable.

Doing good brings blessings and auspiciousness; doing evil invites calamity. Rather than merely beseeching the gods, it is better to examine oneself often. Do not cloud an impartial heart; strive to be a kind and upright person. The way ahead will gradually open, and peace and health may also be hoped for.

In litigation, reconciliation is auspicious, and prayers offered in illness may bring calm and stability. Wealth sought yields little, and the pursuit of rank and fame is rather difficult. Marriage can succeed, and those who travel far will return in safety. One should turn toward the good and preserve the wholeness of reunion.

Thirty-Eight

Crickets chirp and chirp as one keeps a lonely watch beside a solitary curtain. Separated by a thousand li, the heart longs for news of a return. By the time the noble young gentleman arrives, it is already the season of autumn and winter, and the rain falls without cease.

Whatever one undertakes feels utterly listless and only adds to melancholy. Even when good news is received, the heart remains desolate. Far-reaching plans are hard to realize and only exhaust the spirit in vain. The household is not yet secure, and one should pray that the gods secretly extend their protection.

Do not inquire after wealth, and for the time being do not enter into litigation. Those who have traveled far have not yet returned, and the illness is serious. Marriage is hard to conclude, and strange dreams often come. One may pray for the gods’ protection, but should not act rashly.

Thirty-Nine

Beneath the gate of the Northern Mountain is a place suited to settled dwelling. If one asks about the final outcome, caution is needed from the very beginning.

This slip says that you keep many matters hidden in your heart, yet find it hard to convey the news properly at once. You should remain quiet and keep to your proper place, and not do anything unreasonable. If you wish in the end for safety and smooth success, plan before you act. Do not readily believe what others say, and beware of harming yourself as a result. When passing on news or letters, do not act rashly, for someone may be working against you in secret.

If the question concerns illness, a physician should be chosen with care. If there is a lawsuit, it is best to seek a settlement as far as possible. In the pursuit of wealth there may be no gain, and forcing the matter may instead lead to failure. Marriage should be considered with caution. For travel, it is best to wait for the right moment. In ordinary days, cultivate yourself prudently, and if you have faults, correct them promptly.

Fortieth Slip

You have only just entered a new situation; why follow others and act blindly? Listen quietly to the news that comes from those around you. Though you must pass through twists and hardships, in the end you will find a smooth path.

This slip says that both planning and change may proceed step by step, and that cultivating yourself and conducting your affairs are also beneficial. There is no need to depend on others in everything. You may consider a long journey or seeking your livelihood in a distant place, but you must first undergo some hardship. Afterward a good result will come. Your undertakings may advance smoothly and become distinguished, and you may receive promotion and commendation.

The pursuit of a name may in the end succeed. A lawsuit has hope of being won. A pregnant woman may bear a son. Health may be kept safe and sound. Those who have gone away will return. A marriage is suitable to be settled. Only the progress of affairs should be a little slower; in the end there will still be blessing and joy.

Forty-first Slip

You hurry about in every direction, north, south, east, and west, wishing to go to a distant place, yet you do not know who can guide you. When the Year of the Rat or the Year of the Ox arrives, or when a moment such as a zi day or a chou day appears, it will be as if you hear a flute showing the way. Then you may hope to rank among the foremost.

This slip says that your rushing about has been full of hardship, and your present plans have not yet succeeded. Wealth, honor, and distinction will appear only later. If you ask about official success and profit, you must wait for the timing represented by zi and chou. Your reputation will in the end be made known, and you may hope to stand at the head of the list.

A lawsuit will for the moment be hard to decide, but a turning point will come afterward. The illness gives cause for worry, and a physician should be chosen with care for treatment. The news you await will arrive soon, and a marriage may in the end be accomplished. In planning any matter, do not be hasty.

Forty-second Slip

I had thought that what had already been promised to you would proceed smoothly and in harmony, yet I did not expect that you would go astray in cultivating yourself and conducting your affairs.

If you simply adopt a new way of doing things and stop relying on the old methods, the matters you are planning may well turn out as you wish.

The spirits permit the affair to come into harmony, yet your own way of proceeding has gone astray. You should change at once, so that the matter can be handled properly. In conducting yourself and your affairs, be upright and do not deceive yourself; if only you can repent and awaken, you will of yourself receive the help of Heaven.

Illness calls for seeking another physician; a lawsuit calls for a change in how it is handled; in matters of reputation and profit, you should shift your thinking; a marriage should be discussed anew; one who travels far will meet with obstruction. Be careful to cultivate yourself and do good, and the power of blessing will of itself come to your aid.

Forty-Three

A single official document presses urgently for action; boarding a small boat, one hastens downstream, while the waves surge and roar like thunder.

Though the present moment is frightening, it will keep you safe on the way there and back.

That the official document urges so insistently foretells that the matter arrives suddenly and the pressure is acute. Although there is some peril before your eyes, in the end it will not give rise to any great disorder. The spirits protect you unseen; once the matter is accomplished, it can be brought to a close with ease. Coming and going alike will be safe, and an auspicious star shines upon you.

Fame and official merit come rather late, yet seeking office still holds some promise; lawsuits and illness are perilous for the moment, but will end in peace. The one who has traveled far will return, and what was lost can be recovered; for marriage it is fitting to seek another match, and in the end there will be no great difficulty.

Forty-Four

You are the most fortunate person among all, yet through wrong actions and wrong thoughts you have worn down your spirit.

If only you steady your resolve and sincerely fulfill the incense vows you have made, wealth, rank, and glory will come to you.

Your share of fortune was not poor to begin with, yet because your judgment and conduct were amiss, you have gotten the matter wrong. You should hasten to correct your faults, and must on no account deceive yourself. If you sincerely do good and accumulate De (Virtue/Power), the spirits will bestow blessing and protection; glory, wealth, and rank will arrive before long.

Many affairs will suffer loss because they were done wrongly; do not bring a lawsuit. When ill, you may pray to the spirits and, for the time being, need not rush to take medicine. Marriage should not be sought in haste, and the one who traveled far has not yet returned. If only you can repent of your own accord, profit and reputation may still be preserved.

Forty-Five

You ought to till well the field of your own heart. The hilltops where you and I stand are, in the end, nothing more than graves.

A yin residence chosen by fengshui matters less than cultivation of the inner heart; if you can persist in cultivating yourself and doing good, in the end you will instead surpass others.

Cultivate your mind and innate nature with care, and do not seek anything further outside yourself. Simply abide in your proper station, and you will receive the protection of Heaven. Do not contend with others, and good fortune will naturally endure. The blessings of one’s descendants all come from good deeds. Whether descendants are blessed is, in the end, no substitute for the goodness of one’s own heart; when cultivation is carried to its conclusion, you turn out, on the contrary, to fall short of the sovereign.

Cultivate your mind and innate nature with care, and do not seek anything further outside yourself. Simply abide in your proper station, and you will receive the protection of Heaven. Do not contend with others, and good fortune will naturally endure. The blessings of one’s descendants all arise from the practice of goodness.

Sacred Intent (the oracle verse’s guidance on the matter inquired about): When the heart is good, one’s circumstances will also be good; illness will settle, and a lawsuit can be handled justly. Do not deliberately seek wealth; for the time being, abide in your proper station. The one who has traveled far will return, and in the end there will be joyful news.

Forty-Six

You are now like a marquis of ten thousand households in the mountains (an ancient noble title, describing wealth and eminence). Know that although riding a horse is fine, it is not as carefree as riding an ox.

Viewing the mountain scenery from horseback today—how can that compare with the freedom of riding an ox?

Explanation: You are already wealthy and eminent, already above ordinary people. The more you grasp after still more, the more you invite responsibility, even bringing harm upon yourself. It is fitting to abide in your proper station and enjoy a peaceful, stable life. You are urged to handle affairs quietly, so that calamity may be avoided.

Sacred Intent: Do not force fame or profit. Do not start a lawsuit; affairs will meet many obstacles. The one who has traveled far will return rather late. A marriage should not be settled for the time being. Cultivate yourself and practice goodness with care; it is fitting to live quietly in the world.

Forty-Seven

I have spoken a thousand words to you, hoping only that matters may be peaceful and that I may clear you of unjust grievance.

Remember that a lawsuit, pursued to the end, often comes to no good result. In the still of the night, try examining your own heart.

Explanation: That a lawsuit pursued to the end often comes to no good result hardly needs to be said again. If right and wrong can be distinguished, the grievances of former days have a chance of being cleared. Whatever one plans or hopes for should be treated with caution and restraint. Turn back and examine yourself, and misfortune will dissolve of its own accord.

Sacred Intent: Do not start a lawsuit, lest you suffer punishment. Do not prize wealth too highly. Illness has not yet settled. Travel will be obstructed. A marriage will be hard to accomplish. For the time being, follow what is right and preserve peace.

Forty-Eight

Climbing mountains and crossing waters just as the cold sets in—how can brothers and relatives remain at ease?

If that “tiger-headed person” (a particular figure in physiognomy or by designation; here, someone able to come forward and help) does not call out and remind you, who in the whole family can be kept safe, so that you are spared layer upon layer of worry and fear?

The interpretation of the lot says: Life passes through hardship, and the times are often unfavorable; the household is not in harmony, and affairs are full of twists and setbacks. Only by meeting a person of wealth and rank who offers support is there hope that matters can be accomplished. If no such help is obtained, later troubles can scarcely be avoided.

The meaning of the lot says: Only upon meeting a noble benefactor can a lawsuit be readily settled; illness carries alarm and danger, and the pursuit of rank and fame is unfavorable; wealth will suffer loss, and marriage should be deferred. Upon encountering a person or a moment marked by the character Yin, affairs will gradually turn smooth.

Lot Forty-Nine

Their dwellings are separated by only a single mountain—why, then, is meeting as hard as if the Ghost Gate stood between them? Sun and moon race swiftly by, and people readily grow old; so much rushing and toil is not as good as passing one’s days in quiet leisure.

The interpretation of the lot says: Rest content in quiet leisure; upon encountering a person or a moment marked by the character Yin, affairs will gradually turn smooth.

Another interpretation of the lot says: With calm and leisure, affairs are comparatively easy to manage, yet going out one will meet with obstruction. The present hardship will soon pass; do not bring needless toil upon yourself. For the time being it is best to hold to the existing situation and act within one’s capacity. Later the tide of fortune will improve; only then should one consider pressing forward in earnest.

The meaning of the lot says: Rank, fame, and profit are blocked—remain at leisure for now; a lawsuit is suited to settlement; illness has its underlying cause; marriage is slow to come; the one who has traveled far is still at a distance. If one wishes for good fortune, one should for the present keep to one’s proper station.

Lot Fifty

People say this year is better than last, yet in whatever one does one must still proceed step by step, carefully and thoroughly. When a household is harmonious, blessings are the greater; do not give one-sided ear to those who sow discord and speak ill of others.

The interpretation of the lot says: Plans and wishes have advanced beyond what they were before, yet one should still continue forward. Comings and goings among people are many; misfortune will recede and blessings will gather. Do not lightly believe slander, nor grow suspicious and uneasy because of it. Remain cautious throughout, as earnest as at the beginning, and on no account hesitate or waver.

The meaning of the lot says: Travel and going out on business are auspicious; wealth is abundant; a pregnancy may be kept safe; illness will heal; marriage can be brought to completion; a lawsuit is suited to settlement. If one inquires after news of a person traveling far, one may look for glad tidings of a triumphant return.

Lot Fifty-One

In the various matters you now undertake, for the time being accord with the occasion; just as water, flowing into ditches and channels, naturally comes to its result. Do not lament that these years everything has fallen short of your hopes; when a new turn of fortune arrives, all will be as you wish.

What is being planned at present should follow the course of its destined affinity; one must first wait with patience. When the moment arrives, prominence will be attained and the heart’s wish can be fulfilled. For the time being, do not sigh or complain; wait for circumstances to change. Thereafter matters will gradually turn smooth, and good things will come one after another.

The meaning of the slip: reputation will gradually become known, a lawsuit will slowly ease, and wealth will naturally grow ample, though illness is not yet settled for the moment. Those who are traveling will send word, and a marriage may be decided. Fortune is about to turn for the better, and one’s wishes will at last be fulfilled to one’s satisfaction.

The Fifty-second Slip

Sitting alone in a secluded dwelling, one sighs over loneliness and desolation; a single lamp casts a faint light as the long night is endured.

Suddenly someone brings good news, saying that the autumn scene is at its finest. At this time, the way to make a living is to steer a small boat across the northern tide.

The meaning of the slip: put one’s talent away as one would a treasure, and wait to be engaged; do not lament that ability goes unrecognized. Should one suddenly meet a clear and favorable turn of fortune, one may rise at a stride into high position. Once the good news arrives, one may freely press upward. Many affairs will find their opening; the key lies in the fitness of the moment.

The meaning of the slip: reputation will be achieved only somewhat later, and profit will also come to hand a little late. Illness may for now be stabilized, a lawsuit will in the end be settled, one who has traveled far will return, and marriage is auspicious. What is sought today will go more smoothly than before.

The Fifty-third Slip

The whole way is hard and perilous, the road winding and difficult to travel. A crow flying south wings on alone, yet takes shelter in a nest in the north.

The person of high standing met today turns out to be someone one has seen before. When they meet again, it is just like the turn from summer to autumn.

The meaning of the slip: after every hardship has been endured, affairs mostly go against one. That a south-flying crow roosts in a northern nest means that, for the time being, support has been lost and one’s situation is unfitting. When summer gives way to autumn, a person of high standing will step forward to assist; only then will what is planned have hope, and prominence may be looked for.

The meaning of the slip: both illness and lawsuits are unfavorable, and reputation and wealth will also be obstructed. Pregnancy may bring alarm; one who travels far has not yet arrived. Only if a person of high standing lends aid is there hope that the matter can be accomplished.

The Fifty-fourth Slip

Among the crowd one displays one’s ability, originally wishing to rise at once to a high and distant place.

Yet the times flow like water, and the wind at present is not yet fit for action. Better, for the moment, to keep company with the blue-green lamp and study, applying oneself with diligence.

Before a matter has been accomplished, one is already eager to pursue lofty and distant aims. Hoping to see them realized soon, one finds the times unfavorable, and the result is only greater restlessness. For the present it is best to keep to one’s proper station and strive to do good. When the moment becomes favorable, affairs will naturally improve.

Guidance for consultation: Wealth sought has not yet come as wished, and fame is still hard to attain. It is inadvisable to bring a lawsuit. Illness has not yet subsided. A marriage is difficult to settle, and a journey would be long. Only when the right time arrives will many matters proceed smoothly.

Oracle Slip Fifty-Five

Till diligently and do not let the days slip by. When clothing and food are sufficient, live securely according to one’s proper station.

Even if trade could yield a double profit, it is not as good as gathering a steady harvest of grain each year and living in peace.

Interpretation: It is enough that clothing and food are sufficient; forcing a pursuit of more may instead bring loss. Better to return to farming and take cultivation as the foundation. Even skill in business does not guarantee lasting gain. Keep to one’s proper station and maintain the life one already has; later there may still be a chance to rise to distinction.

Guidance for consultation: There is no need to press anxiously about rank and fame, nor to pursue wealth too eagerly. A lawsuit is best settled by reconciliation. Illness is not serious for the moment. A marriage can be brought to completion, and those who have traveled far will return. Come and go with care, and good fortune will come of itself.

Oracle Slip Fifty-Six

In one’s heart one knows that one is in the wrong, yet one covers it with strained arguments. Bent on deceiving the authorities, one has taken a crooked path.

Once the truth is laid bare as moonlight falls upon a mirror, and one falls under the punishment of the law, there is no further cause for complaint.

Interpretation: The mind is not upright and the case is weak, yet words are still used to deceive the public authority. In the end the matter will be clearly seen through, bringing an unhappy outcome. Why not stop in time and turn onto an upright path? In this way one may perhaps avoid disaster and preserve oneself.

Guidance for consultation: Do not stir up litigation, and do not force the pursuit of wealth. Illness may be connected with baleful spirits. The traveler has not yet returned. A marriage must be chosen with care; news brought by a matchmaker is not necessarily to be trusted. Only by acting uprightly can disaster be avoided.

Oracle Slip Fifty-Seven

Affairs come one after another; however much one worries, it may be of little use. Do not lightly believe what others say; make up your own mind.

Remember that it matters greatly to seize the crucial point early and to move first. The more tangled matters become, the more carefully they must be thought through.

Interpretation: Affairs are many and constantly changing. Think them over several times before acting, and only then can they be set in order. Do not listen only to what others say; judge according to your own circumstances. If one can see the crucial point early and take action, the matter will be easier to accomplish.

The Sacred Intent says: If a lawsuit is urgent, it should be settled as soon as possible; if one is ill, one should offer prayers and rites early to avert disaster; news from afar will arrive very soon; financial fortune will return to normal; a pregnancy will bring a boy; praying to the deities can ensure safety and peace. In all matters one must decide for oneself and make proper arrangements.

The Fifty-Eighth Slip

Su Qin, relying on his gift for eloquent argument, accomplished the work of a lifetime; wealth, rank, and fame lie within this very journey. One should also do more good deeds unknown to others, and the road ahead will of itself become broad and open.

The explanation says: In planning all kinds of affairs, traveling far from home is comparatively auspicious; seeking wealth will bring gains, and seeking rank and fame can also be fulfilled as wished. One must continue to do good and accumulate hidden virtue (good deeds done without seeking to be known by others) in order to help oneself. Wealth, honor, and splendor begin from this day.

The Sacred Intent says: Illness will improve, and a lawsuit may afterward be won; the one who has gone away will return; a marriage is suitable to be settled; a pregnancy will bring a boy; the family estate will prosper. Accumulate more hidden virtue, and blessed recompense will arrive.

The Fifty-Ninth Slip

The family has declined and the household stands desolate; life is lonely and bitter. One can only sigh and pray, yet feels that the prayers bring no response. Fortunately the ancestors left hidden virtue, which can still protect later generations, keep the ancestral incense unbroken, and even continue the family line by adopting an heir.

The explanation says: When the family fortunes have waned, prayer alone can hardly change things. Fortunately the ancestors accumulated hidden virtue, which can bless and protect the family. If one asks about descendants, adopting a child of another surname is more suitable. One should also continue to do good, and good recompense will come of itself.

The Sacred Intent says: Rank and fame are hard to obtain, and wealth is not easily gained; a lawsuit is unfavorable, while an illness is not serious; a marriage can be agreed upon, but for the time being there is no news. One ought to do more to help others and make things easier for them, and cultivate and uphold oneself with care.

The Sixtieth Slip

You brothers are to be praised for your good reputations; you need only remain humble and not boast of yourselves. The court’s imperial mandate (an imperial appointment, or news of success in the examinations) and the season of the civil examinations are about to draw near, and in the end a good result will be obtained. You brothers will together rise to high office and both succeed in the examinations.

The explanation says: Both brothers can achieve renown. Only by remaining humble in all things can a fine reputation be preserved. The prospects ahead are far-reaching and good things are near at hand; both brothers can obtain excellent rankings in the examinations and together pass as jinshi.

The oracle verse says that fierce and wicked men have gathered in the mountains and forests, and the good-hearted are therefore anxious and ill at ease. Yet the person concerned can still set out calmly; without resorting to weapons, the bandits will withdraw and disperse. The interpretation says that villains wish to harm the virtuous, but although both sides have their respective abilities, the other party is in the end merely making a show of strength. The gentleman prevails by virtue (De) and can bring the matter to completion without joining battle. Divine protection is also present, and calamity will be dispelled.

The overall meaning of this lot is that financial fortune is ordinary, illness will gradually improve, and lawsuits will subside of themselves; one should not contend with others. Those who have traveled far will return, and marriage is likewise fitting. Although there are some dangers and obstacles along the way or in the course of events, the end will still be secure and favorable.

The sixty-second lot says that the other party has a heart as savage as tigers and wolves, and you must respond with earnest, concerted effort. By the time you return in victory, autumn will already be far advanced; then you will meet with a joyful event at “Hutou City” (Tiger-Head City, a place name). The interpretation says that although someone schemes to harm you, you are able to respond properly and drive the opponent back. Even if worry and alarm arise for a time, they will in the end disperse. The return in victory is expected in autumn, and it is comparatively auspicious to pursue affairs toward the west.

The overall meaning of this lot is that a lawsuit will be won, financial fortune will be hard to improve, illness will ultimately be stable, news will come from afar, and a marriage can be brought about. Seeking reputation or official distinction should wait until autumn, when all matters will proceed smoothly.

The sixty-third lot says that there was a setback in the past, and now one may as well turn southward to seek further prospects. Although physical strength has already declined, one still has the capacity to accomplish something more. If one wishes to reckon the destined allotment of a previous life, it may be expressed as “three threes before and three threes after.”

The interpretation says that plans both past and future can meet with some success; even in later years, a little business may still be done. A person’s share of blessing has its fixed measure, and what is received is neither too much nor too little. If one greedily seeks more, one will only expend mind and effort in vain.

The oracle slip indicates that illness can be treated, the outcome of a lawsuit will be broadly stable, financial fortune is ordinary, and news may be counted on with certainty. Rank and fame have not yet become prominent for the time being, while a marriage may be discussed and settled. Do not force your pursuits; it is enough to follow what accords with your proper station.

Slip Sixty-Four

To meet a person of kindred inclination is in itself a harmonious matter; how much more so when one is aided by someone skilled in planning, such as the Old Man of Tianshui.

Little effort is needed for everyone to reach agreement in counsel, and affairs will advance with unusual smoothness, with hope of being accomplished amid talk and laughter.

Explanation: When consulting and planning with others, if one also meets a person of standing who lends help, one receives aid and patronage, and most matters turn out as one wishes. There is no need to spend further unnecessary effort; success is not difficult. Going out to attend to affairs or remaining at home are both fitting, and all things proceed smoothly.

What the oracle slip indicates: One will meet a noble person who offers help; the lawsuit will soon be concluded; rank and fame have hope of being achieved; illness can be cured; wealth will show a surplus; and marriage will go smoothly. If one inquires after news, word will arrive before long.

Slip Sixty-Five

The north wind is biting, and it is the depth of severe winter, yet many people envy the rich air of joy about your household.

Only after the new spring arrives and human affairs gradually take a turn for the better will the long-awaited news and recommendation be received.

Explanation: In winter one should take extra precautions; after prolonged hardship, things will at last turn for the better. By the end of winter, joyful events will appear one after another; once the new spring comes, the movement of Qi (vital energy) will be all the more harmonious and abundant. Meeting a distinguished guest who offers help, many matters can proceed smoothly and without obstruction.

What the oracle slip indicates: Wealth will increase, and there is hope of high success in rank and fame. One may inquire about marriage; a lawsuit is best settled by reconciliation; illness will soon be eased; and those who are away will show some sign of movement. Calamity recedes, and good fortune runs deep.

Slip Sixty-Six

Farming and the management of one’s livelihood are fitting only in one’s own locality; why go far away to make other plans?

It is said that this year’s fortune is turning for the better, and within the household joyful events come in pairs, arriving one after another.

Explanation: It is not advisable to travel far; developing one’s affairs in one’s hometown more readily goes smoothly. The times are about to turn prosperous; both wealth and official stipend have a chance to increase; good things happen in succession, and new changes will also appear at home. If one sets one’s heart entirely on planning distant affairs, one may instead be too clever and spoil the matter.

What the oracle slip indicates: Illness will soon settle; a lawsuit is about to be concluded; financial fortune will gradually become ample; rank and fame will be made manifest; those who have gone away will return; and marriage can be brought to completion. Do not seek far afield; good fortune will of itself be complete.

Slip Sixty-Seven

Your intention has only just begun to arise, and Heaven already knows of it; why ask me again to dispel your doubts?

It is hoped that you will change your thinking and act according to the principles of filial reverence toward parents and affectionate regard among brothers. If only you do so, there is no need to worry that family life will lack harmony.

Commentary: The matter you are planning is not yet sound enough—why be in such a hurry to pray to the gods? You should first examine your own heart, correct your faults, and begin life anew. So long as you can be filial to your parents and affectionate toward your brothers, respect your sovereign and serve both parents, and keep the household harmonious, blessings will come of themselves. Cultivating the methods of the Dao (the Way) can also turn your fortune around once more.

Meaning of the slip: In a lawsuit, settlement is what should be valued. If you fall ill, seek a physician for diagnosis and treatment. If you seek wealth, you should look for another path. A marriage should not be settled in haste for the time being. If you ask about someone who has traveled far, that person has not yet returned. So long as you can mend your faults and start anew, most affairs will go smoothly.

The Sixty-Eighth Slip

Selling pearls in the south and salt in the north, for many years the price of goods has risen, and profit has multiplied as well.

You are advised to stop at this point, content yourself with acquiring fields and a house, and live a steady life. If human desire keeps increasing without end, when will it ever be satisfied?

Commentary: What you have planned has already succeeded, and the returns have multiplied. Yet if you cling only to greed and do not examine yourself, worry and misfortune will surely follow in time. Only by knowing contentment can you avoid disgrace and peacefully enjoy a life of ease. At present all matters are going smoothly; it is best to stop when you have enough.

Meaning of the slip: The lawsuit has already been won—do not contend any further. Your reputation has already been established—there is no need to keep striving to outdo others. The marriage may be settled. The illness will gradually improve. The person who has traveled far will return. In all things, it is enough to keep to your proper place.

The Sixty-Ninth Slip

Leaving the boat and going forward by land is, on the whole, more suitable. You must by no means covet amusement or idle about with the sons of eminent and noble families.

At the banquet, only last night you still addressed one another as brothers; by the next day you may have become enemies.

Commentary: After leaving the boat and coming ashore, you should keep your feet firmly on the ground, and not be drawn in by the feasting and pleasures of eminent friends. Even a relationship that was originally good may turn sour because of words and conduct over wine, immediately bringing quarrels and trouble. Take this as a warning, act with caution, and make careful plans of your own.

Meaning of the slip: Fame and profit should not be pursued by force. In treating illness, diagnosis must be careful and thorough. The marriage may be discussed. The person who has traveled far will arrive. Those engaged in a lawsuit should desist. When going out or associating with others, choose both traveling companions and associates with care.

The Seventieth Slip

Thunder, rain, wind, and cloud each have their own office. So long as you pray with a sincere heart, there is no need for doubt.

The day I have agreed with you for the timely rain to fall falls precisely in the three fu, when the summer heat is at its height.

Commentary: This slip is auspicious. It says that wind and rain between heaven and earth each have their season of movement. Pray with a sincere heart and wait for the appointed time to come; after a long drought, sweet rain will arrive.

Good and ill fortune, remorse, and hardship are each governed by their own deities. If one wishes to know when a matter can be accomplished, one must wait for the critical moment in its progress. It is like longing for rain through a long drought: at last the clouds and the rain arrive, and the burning thirst is quenched just in time. All plans and wishes must for the present await the right moment.

Lawsuits and illness will gradually ease; reputation and profit must still wait a little longer; marriage should be delayed; and for the time being there is no definite news of travel. If one prays to the deities, there will be a response within three days.

Seventy-One

A magpie brings good news before the eaves, knowing that in your heart you long for the return of one who has traveled far.

Before the embroidered curtain the mandarin-duck sash is tied once more. When autumn gives way to winter, the leaves drift down and cold frost flies, and the chill grows ever deeper.

Good tidings bring joyful news: the traveler is about to return. Around the turn of winter, relations within the household may grow harmonious again. In the end the matter will come to a good result, yet one must still wait for the right time. The affair will accomplish itself; there is no need for doubt or suspicion.

A lawsuit has hope of being settled; reputation will gradually rise to distinction; a marriage may be restored to harmony. Illness, however, portends misfortune. The time to seek wealth has not yet come, and most plans and wishes must wait until autumn or winter.

Seventy-Two

The road beside the river channel rises and falls unevenly, and one can only sigh: on the long journey, the sun has already sunk toward the west.

Even if a season of glory and smooth success lies before one’s eyes, one must still wait until after the Monkey, and only then pass into the time of the Rooster.

The road is winding and hard to travel, and moreover one has already reached a time of decline and late dusk. In seeking what one wants there are many obstacles, and one can only sigh in vain. Only when one reaches the years, months, or days corresponding to Shen, You, and Xu—if one happens upon those dates—does the matter have some slight hope of turning out as wished.

Seeking wealth will be slow, and an illness divined bodes danger. Reputation is hard to achieve, and news remains distant. A lawsuit will in the end be unfavorable, and a marriage will certainly be delayed. Pregnancy will bring alarm and worry, and the place inquired about is not yet secure.

Seventy-Three

One recalls the parting long ago in the orchid hall, when each was given half of a hairpin. Now, suddenly, faith is broken, and the promised day of return has come to nothing.

A foolish heart still hopes the two may be joined as intertwined branches, yet in the end one cannot tell who might have imagined that the matter would after all fail to go as wished.

Affairs are marked by separation, and it is hard to hope they will be accomplished anew. Although one’s feelings have not changed and one still clings to the other, even a forced union will in the end break its promise and fall apart. As for what was planned before, one should hold to the original intention.

Sacred Intent: Seeking fame and profit, lawsuits, and marriage are all unfavorable, and it is best not to speak too much. Illness is dangerous, and one’s lot in life is full of hardship; it is advisable to do good and pray for blessings, so as to seek peace and safety.

Sign Seventy-Four

Ghosts and specters appear one after another. One walks through dangerous ground yet as if on level earth, going away and then returning.

Body and mind are pure like the bodhi tree and the bright mirror. On the great road of Chang’an (here meaning a place of peace), the feeling of spring returns.

Interpretation: The road ahead is perilous, yet the heart can remain at ease. The present danger will turn to good fortune, and worry and doubt will in the end be removed. One must still hold to the right path and not change one’s mind. So long as one walks a level and upright road, blessings will naturally follow.

Sacred Intent: Lawsuits and illness, though dangerous, can in the end turn toward safety. Seeking fame and profit meets obstruction at first and later goes smoothly. Marriage is difficult at the outset and can finally be accomplished. Those who have traveled far will return, and blessings will come with them.

Sign Seventy-Five

A good bond was formed in a former life. Now, at a single meeting, they encounter one another with smiles, and affection naturally draws them close.

Their stations match, with no high or low between them. In times of success there is no need to measure by wealth and rank or by poverty and low station.

Interpretation: The two already share an affinity and, on meeting, seem like old acquaintances. What they undertake fits together, and many matters can gradually be set in order. There is no need to fuss over titles of honor and humility in their dealings. If they go on calmly, affairs will meet with neither clash nor obstruction.

Sacred Intent: Wealth can be gathered, and illness will also improve. If one asks about a lawsuit, one will meet a person able to uphold what is fair. One should also do more good deeds and pray for the protection of the gods. Those who have traveled far will return, and affairs will meet with no obstruction.

Sign Seventy-Six

In the world there are three thousand laws and eight thousand statutes. How is this matter to be made clear to you?

Good and evil are two different roads, and the choice is your own. The fortune and misfortune of a lifetime each have their causes.

Interpretation: The turns of good and ill fortune are many, and not of only one kind. Words can hardly say all that is meant; one should grasp it with the heart. Blessings come from continually doing good, while calamity arises from the accumulation of evil deeds. One must know how to choose what tends toward the auspicious and away from the inauspicious, and come to understanding early.

Sacred Intent: If one asks about a lawsuit, it should be handled with care. In seeking wealth or office, one must weigh one’s own circumstances. Illness should be met early with qirang (seeking, through sacrifice and prayer, to avert disaster). In seeking offspring, it is fitting to pray. Marriage still requires careful examination; only afterward is it comparatively auspicious.

Trees have roots and water has a source; all things have a cause, and you should trace them back to the root. Do not heed the idle gossip of passersby. When a lawsuit is drawn out to the end, only what the fourth line says is a sure guide. Seeking a child is fitting, but a marriage must be considered even more carefully if it is to be auspicious.

Trees have roots and water has a source; all things have a cause, and you should trace them back to the root. Do not heed the idle gossip of passersby. Only when a lawsuit is drawn out to the end will the principle within it become clear.

Explanation: Calamity often arises from accumulated wrongdoing, and its root cause should be sought out. If one turns toward the good, peace may yet be possible. In all matters be cautious, and do not lightly trust what others say. Even after hardship has passed, one must still act according to the right path; otherwise misfortune may reach the whole household.

Meaning of the lot: Lawsuits should be avoided; in illness it is fitting to pray; rank and fame are unfavorable; marriage is hard to sustain; guard against gossip and dispute; the traveler has not yet arrived; in all things be cautious, and do not act rashly or in haste.

Even when the household is prosperous and food and clothing are secure, one must still hold to one’s own judgment and integrity. Too much wealth may instead do harm, and you should examine yourself. Good fortune is just beginning to sprout, yet misfortune may also arise from it.

Explanation: When the family fortunes flourish, one should still guard what has been achieved with care, make up one’s own mind, and pray for the protection of the gods. Only by valuing wealth lightly and righteousness highly can prosperity last. Good and evil each bring their own recompense, and both are of one’s own making.

Meaning of the lot: Do not greedily pursue wealth, lest you suffer harm instead; do not contend in lawsuits, but know when to desist; in illness it is fitting to pray to the gods; a pregnant woman will bear a boy; for marriage one should choose a good match; the traveler will arrive.

Carefully examine the veins of the land coming from the Qian–Hai direction. If a dwelling or a grave sits on Kan and faces Wu, it will be relatively secure. If the orientation is changed toward the Chou–Gen direction, the positions of Yin and Yang (Yin-Yang) will be reversed, which may bring decline to the household and hardship to the family fortunes.

Explanation: When building a house or conducting a burial, one should determine whether the sitting and facing directions are correct. Even if the geomantic configuration is good, a deviation in orientation may still bring disadvantage. In planning affairs, facing south is auspicious; if one turns toward another direction, things may be hard to bring to satisfaction.

Meaning of the lot: Rank and profit should be sought according to right principle; marriage and lawsuits must not be schemed for recklessly; in illness one should choose a suitable physician, and only then can one be free of worry; the traveler will arrive, yet the matter must still be considered thoroughly.

What was originally peaceful and untroubled may suddenly become entangled in a lawsuit; this may also be caused by the decline of the family’s fortune and the unrest of the ancestral grave.

The shifts of Yin and Yang (Yin-Yang) change misfortune and good fortune. You are urged not to treat this matter as an ordinary trifle.

When the fengshui is unfavorable, the fortunes of the household decline, and calamity and sudden change are thereby drawn in. One should move or make adjustments as soon as possible, avoid harsh and inauspicious places, turn toward favorable ground, and give up improper thoughts and conduct. If this can be done, the family may be kept safe. You are urged not to take the matter lightly.

In fame and profit, one’s plans should be changed. Lawsuits are best settled by reconciliation, which can avert anxiety. In illness, another physician should be sought. Those who have set out will gradually return. Marriage should be considered afresh and not decided rashly.

Eighty-One

What has been borrowed from another ought to be returned. If one harbors deceit and means to deny the debt so as to harm another, in the end one is merely practicing fraud upon oneself.

Fortunately a bright mirror hangs on high, like the luminous moon, and it reveals the truth. Step before the mirror and look: the hidden plot will come to light.

To owe another’s money or goods and yet deny the debt and refuse repayment—ghosts and spirits perceive it in secret, and impartial officials preside over it in the open. Once the matter is exposed, disaster is hard to escape. If in all affairs one acts according to one’s proper station, there is nothing that cannot be handled well.

In litigation one must not practice deceit, but should keep to one’s station. In illness one will meet a physician. Fame and profit need not be inquired after. Matters of marriage must be carefully distinguished. Pregnancy will be safe and peaceful. Those away from home will be slow to return.

Eighty-Two

The other party is likewise a worthy person among your peers. You are urged to treat him with open sincerity and to help him as fully and carefully as you can.

At this time host and guest meet and rejoice in one another; in time to come you may even stand side by side with princes and nobles.

Since the two sides already share a bond, they ought to aid one another and do their utmost to see matters through. If you assist with thorough care, the other will later repay your kindness. Plans succeed only when one meets a person of influence. Spirits will shelter you in secret, and the recompense of good fortune will arrive in its day.

Wealth and goods will in the end be gained. Reputation may be hoped for in spring. Litigation can receive a just settlement. Illness may be expected to improve. Marriage will certainly be accomplished. Those who have traveled will return. Do good deeds often and accumulate blessed merit, and you can flourish and receive good fortune.

Eighty-Three

According to your own portion, eat your porridge and rice in peace before the hall. Do not vainly long for what does not belong to you, lest you only add to your sorrow.

Maintaining the family estate and guarding the household is no easy matter. In the course of a lifetime, even a few years of ease and leisure are already rare.

Follow the natural course of things, and do not rush to contend for fame and profit. For the present it is fitting to hold on to what has already been achieved and to keep matters as stable as possible. If one still vainly seeks more, it will only add to one’s worries. One should step back and reflect; only then can one live with ease and composure.

The pursuit of wealth and rank calls for caution; fame and profit should not be forced. Lawsuits are best settled by reconciliation. A journey has not yet been undertaken. Recovery from illness is slow. Marriage is not yet suitable for discussion. Holding to the present situation and waiting patiently will benefit the household.

The Eighty-Fourth Lot

The threads of the matter are tangled and complex. Those caught up in it must first discern the one crucial step.

Do not lightly believe the words of women who stir up gossip. One should practice propriety and righteousness with firm resolve.

Every affair has a principle that can be followed, and each has its own foresight. Do not readily trust what others say, lest their provocations give rise to still further changes. Acting in accordance with principle can avert misfortune. One’s mind must remain firm; do not draw back halfway.

A lawsuit should be settled by reconciliation; do not believe slander. Wealth is to be sought gradually; fame should not be forced. Pregnancy and childbirth may come late, and those who have traveled far are still in distant places. Marriage should be considered once more with care; do not form a connection rashly.

The Eighty-Fifth Lot

In the spring days the wind and rain are bleak, and the road of one who travels a thousand li stretches far.

Turning what is little into what is much may perhaps bring advantage; yet why, on the journey home, does one instead feel disappointed?

The turn of fortune has not yet come, and all that one meets is hardship and peril. Even with many plans, in the end they can scarcely help. For now it is best to keep what one already has and not to covet too much. Only in this way can one preserve what has been achieved, waiting until blessing arrives and misfortune departs.

Wealth and salary are ample, and a lawsuit can be won on its merits. Marriage is for the time being hard to conclude, while illness will gradually improve. If one inquires after those who have traveled far, the day of their return is not yet fixed. Do not harm others, or in the end one will also harm oneself.

The Eighty-Sixth Lot

Trading in goods ordinarily draws customers. Accumulating little by little, one can naturally become prosperous.

If one often compares others with oneself, the days to come will surely be better than today. Do not, merely because business goes smoothly for a moment, boast and show off one’s strength. So long as one continues to accumulate, wealth will of itself gradually increase.

You all hope to establish a household and a career by building up your undertakings, and you all wish for things to go smoothly. When you measure others against yourselves, do not boast. Let matters follow their natural course, and you will of yourselves receive Heaven’s protection, with blessings and prosperity proceeding in good order. You should also do more to accommodate others and lend them help; good things will increase on that account as well.

General purport of the lingqian (oracle slip): Wealth and emolument are abundant, and in a lawsuit one can obtain a just hearing; marriage will be harmonious, and illness will gradually improve. If one inquires about a person who has traveled far, the day of that person’s return is not yet fixed. Do not harm others, for others and oneself are fundamentally without distinction.

Slip Eighty-Seven

In secret they suspect one another, and so take their companions for strange and uncanny people. Though they sit in the same boat, they treat one another like enemies, smiling on the surface while hiding a blade in the heart.

If the barriers between them are opened and laid bare, the matter was never anything so serious after all. By nature, everyone cherishes their own reputation and conduct.

Interpretation of the slip: Relations among kin have fallen into discord, even to the point of contending with one another within the household. The face is mild and pleasant, yet the heart within has long since been wounded. Why not reflect that others and oneself are in fact without distinction? If they can live together in harmony, what is inauspicious can turn auspicious.

General purport of the oracle slip: Fame and profit are hard to seek, and illness may be connected with malevolent spirits. Do not start a lawsuit; reconciliation is what matters most. Do not press for the recovery of money, for marriage is unfavorable. Pregnancy brings no worry, and the person who has traveled far has not yet returned.

Slip Eighty-Eight

In the past, whatever one undertook was always in vain; only when the season of the new spring arrives does one gradually begin to see improvement.

In most of what one seeks, matters can proceed smoothly; yet one must still keep to one’s proper station and not think too highly of oneself.

Interpretation of the slip: A lifetime of toil, and yet in the past there was almost no achievement. Now one’s fortune is gradually turning for the better, and the matters one plans can also come to fulfillment. One must still be cautious and keep to one’s place, and not stir up trouble out of selfish motives. If one can rest content with circumstances as they come, one can enjoy life in peace.

General purport of the oracle slip: As for fame and profit, for the time being let them follow their natural course. A lawsuit has hope of settlement, illness will be cured, marriage can also be harmonious, and the person who has traveled far will return. If there is some plan afoot, progress will come only when the new year arrives.

Slip Eighty-Nine

Before the wine feast, for the moment there is nothing amiss, and one may as well sing out with an open heart. The time has not yet come—what else can one do?

Though the day is already late when the white horse crosses the river, once one reaches Tiger-Head City, one can still see how tall and majestic it stands.

Interpretation of the slip: One’s fortune has not yet arrived; for the present, set the mind at ease and pass the days. Only when the wu year or the wu month—the Year or Month of the Horse—comes will good things appear. Even when one is about to meet with favorable prospects, there will still be a spell of upheaval to go through. By that time everyone will marvel, and savings and wealth will also increase.

Auspicious and inauspicious outcomes, and the smooth course of affairs, must wait until the time is ripe. Rank and fame have not yet been attained, and wealth comes rather late. Illness will gradually improve, and those who have traveled away will also slowly return. A lawsuit has hope of being settled, pregnancy will be safe, and marriage will be harmonious, yet one should not act in haste. Only when a Wu year or a Wu month arrives will good things come. Although at that time there will be a great and conspicuous upheaval that draws attention, one may in the end hope to accumulate grain and property.

The Ninetieth Slip

Within the city of Kongtong, affairs are tangled and chaotic. How many households enjoy such unoccupied leisure as yours? You are advised not to pray so often, lest you weary your spirit to no purpose and stir up further trouble.

The interpretation says: The affairs of those around you are in turmoil, yet you yourself may remain quiet and at ease. There is no need to petition the deities again and again in the vain hope of gaining many benefits. Doing so is instead likely to invite gossip and disputes and to provoke misfortune. For the present one should stay calm and preserve what has already been achieved, so as to safeguard peace.

The meaning of the slip is that an amicable settlement of a lawsuit is auspicious; seeking wealth offers no hope; the marriage has not yet been concluded; the illness is of no great concern; and news has not yet arrived. Make no further plans, and there is no need to pray; it is enough to dwell with a settled mind.

The Ninety-First Slip

The ancients said that only by washing sand can one see gold, and that a person of virtue should not fret with anxiety in undertaking affairs. Glory, wealth, and rank are in the end achieved through study and learning, and the subtlety within them must still be carefully sought out.

The interpretation says: That gold appears only when sand is sifted means that wealth and glory can be gained only through diligent, arduous effort. Studying hard has its own benefits, and earnest application will naturally bring results. If one is too lazy to work and strive, one will in the end obtain nothing.

The meaning of the slip is that seeking rank and profit requires diligent effort. If there is a lawsuit, it too must be handled with care, yet in the end there will be no calamity or blame. In marriage one should choose a partner with caution. In looking for someone who is traveling, watch for the third, sixth, and ninth days or periods.

The Ninety-Second Slip

This year’s harvest is not as good as in former years. Prices clamor upward and are startlingly high. Calamity and pestilence are widespread, and contagious illnesses are many. Only after the winter solstice, when Yang Qi (vital energy) begins to return, will the situation gradually settle.

The interpretation says: Seeking to accomplish matters at present is not as smooth as before. Gossip and disputes arise one after another, and illness often causes distress. The times remain unfavorable, and for now it is hard for any affair to turn out well. Only after the winter solstice will things begin to subside.

At present, lawsuits and the planning of affairs do not go as smoothly as before. Quarrels and disputes of words arise one after another, and illness often returns. The fortune of the time remains unfavorable, and things are not yet auspicious. Only after the winter solstice will they gradually settle into calm.

If a dispute drags on, it will resolve of itself. Though illness may relapse many times, in the end it is mostly nothing serious. Financial fortune is for the moment unfavorable, and one must wait with patience. The matter of pregnancy belongs to Yang (of Yin-Yang), and in the end there will be blessing.

The Ninety-Third Slip

In spring the rains fall without cease. When summer comes, the weather turns clear and dry, and rain does not arrive in season. Only when the seasonal division enters the sanfu days—the hottest stretch of summer—does abundant rain finally come to moisten the fields.

Fullness and loss, waning and growth, are the ordinary course of the Dao (the Way) of Heaven. Spring is for the most part agreeable, while summer readily brings setbacks. Only when the sanfu period arrives does fortune turn for the better. Wealth can be accumulated, and affairs will gradually become peaceful and smooth.

Goods gather and scatter, and illness tends to return. If one seeks stability, one must wait until the sanfu days. Affairs will advance and retreat, and it is fitting to do good and pray for blessing. A marriage can be concluded, but it should be examined carefully and discussed again and again.

The Ninety-Fourth Slip

Ordinary implements can be used by anyone, yet carriages and wooden wares made by skilled craftsmen still differ in quality, higher and lower. All things have their affinity, and one must also act within one’s capacity. Setting out in autumn, one will meet a master in winter.

In the ingenuity of planning and seeking, people may resemble one another, yet one should follow affinity, rest content in one’s proper place, and make one’s intention accord with the principle of Heaven. When autumn and winter come, whatever arises one must still follow circumstance and measure one’s strength. Traveling in autumn, one may hope to meet a master in winter. With his support, many affairs can be carried through.

Upon meeting a noble patron, a lawsuit can be handled justly. Financial fortune comes rather late; illness is not yet cured; marriage is not yet settled; and news remains blocked. Only in autumn and winter will there be a chance of meeting.

The Ninety-Fifth Slip

I know that you hold in your bosom the precious pearl of the black dragon—a figure for rare talent or ability—yet you were not born in a favorable time, and you still strive in seeking. Alas, your years are no longer few, and only now do you receive the aid of a noble patron.

One who has ability ought to wait for the moment. If one merely shows off skill, cleverness may instead spoil the result. Though one has now reached later years, fortunately a noble patron has been met who will lend support. In planning every kind of affair, each has its fitting time. Blessing and stipend hereafter will surpass those of the past, and one will naturally be able to advance.

Financial fortune comes late, and a lawsuit may in the end meet a setback. Reputation can be achieved only somewhat later, and marriage is not yet settled. If one inquires after news from afar, there may be word this month. After meeting a noble patron, calamity will recede.

There is no need to resent the lateness of marriage and children, so long as one devotes oneself wholeheartedly to upholding the Buddha-dharma. After the age of forty, the blessed rewards accumulated through good deeds will find their response; when merit is complete, one will be able to bear a child of fine character.

Explanation: Although plans and wishes are realized late, one will in the end meet with a suitable opportunity. A deity of good fortune protects in secret and helps to sustain the family estate. In later years the course of fortune runs smoothly; it is fitting to press forward with initiative, and most things can turn out as one wishes. There is no need for worry.

Sacred Intent: In matters of reputation, profit, and lawsuits, the turn toward good fortune comes only later; illness will gradually improve; marriage can be accomplished; after middle age there is hope of having children. If one inquires after news of a person who has traveled far, there is as yet no definite date.

Ninety-seven

By the age of fifty, the wish to seek official rank and fame has already faded, yet unexpectedly every matter proceeds smoothly, and from then on there is no need to worry.

Sacred Intent: In matters of reputation, profit, and lawsuits, the turn toward good fortune comes only later; illness will gradually improve; marriage can be accomplished; after middle age there is hope of having children. If one inquires after news of a person who has traveled far, there is as yet no definite date.

Ninety-seven

By the age of fifty, the wish to seek official rank and fame has already faded, yet unexpectedly wealth and honor arrive of their own accord. Continue to do good deeds and keep benevolent intentions in the heart, and one may enjoy longevity like the mountains and occupy a high position.

Explanation: The resolve to seek official rank and fame has already subsided, yet when the time arrives one suddenly obtains wealth and honor. These blessings all rest upon good deeds. Continue to do good and support one another, and one can be long-lived and eminent, far surpassing what came before.

Sacred Intent: Lawsuits will be settled; official rank and fame have hope of success; wealth will gradually accumulate; illness will be stabilized; a pregnancy may yield a boy; marriage is suitable; the one who has traveled far will arrive; affairs will proceed as one wishes.

Ninety-eight

In trade one exhausts heart and strength at every turn, hurrying north and south, yet fortune has still not improved. Only when a Mao year, a Mao month, or a Mao day arrives will matters go smoothly, just as withered wood meets spring once more.

Explanation: The planning of one’s enterprise is exceedingly difficult, and one has also met with poor timing. Coming and going from south to north, many affairs are hard to accomplish. Only in a Mao year, Mao month, or Mao day does it become suitable to plan and conduct business. At that time one can turn from hardship to prosperity, and trade will gradually improve.

Sacred Intent: Reputation and profit will in the end be gained, but success comes only at a relatively late time; lawsuits and illness will subside and improve only after some time has passed; a pregnancy may produce a child; distant travel will be hindered; when a Mao year, Mao month, or Mao day is encountered, all matters will flourish.

Ninety-nine

In the land of clouds and waters one meets a person of eminence. Their mutual regard seems plain, yet they can remain together for a long time, and the longer it lasts the deeper it feels. When the gates of the court’s places of high rank open, old friends will be invited to meet again; news that comes along the post road should likewise bring good things.

Ninety-nine

In the land of clouds and waters one meets a person of eminence. Their mutual regard seems plain, yet they can remain together for a long time, and the longer it lasts the deeper it feels.

When the residence of a senior minister of the court—the “Yellow Pavilion” (Huangge)—is opened, guests who were acquaintances of old are invited. By taking nourishment and rest along the journey, the body may be expected to regain its strength before long.

One met a person of high standing in the past, and did not imagine encountering them again at this very time. From then on, receiving their patronage, one’s fortunes begin to run smoothly and flourish. Whether in going abroad, conducting affairs, or making plans, matters proceed favorably on every side. Whether scholars or common people come to inquire, the prospects are auspicious and far-reaching.

Sacred Intent: Official rank and fame, wealth and profit, and litigation are all auspicious, and the family’s fortunes are peaceful and secure. Illness will improve; a pregnant woman will bear a noble son; a marriage will be concluded early; and those who have gone away will return.

The Hundredth Lot

I am by origin a celestial immortal, the Master of Thunder and Rain; good and ill fortune, blessing and calamity, I can know beforehand.

So long as one prays and makes invocation with a sincere heart, a spiritually efficacious response will be granted. Drawing this final lot, all hundred matters are fitting.

Explanation: Good and ill fortune, and one’s share of blessing, the spirits have long known. In many plans and wishes, even where there is loss, there is also something gained within it. Though the number of lots has reached its end, the cycle still turns and begins anew. One must further accumulate much hidden virtue (yinde) in order to receive the protection of the gods of blessing.

Sacred Intent: The hundred lots have already been drawn to their end, and the signs I foresee hold no malign danger. Pray for the aid of the spirits, and accumulate virtue and practice good deeds: even if one meets peril, it can turn to safety; even if there is loss, one can still gain from it.