divination slips

26 divination slips, qian, woodblock printed in ink on red paper. These slips were used at the Yang Guang Temple in Guangdong province. In front of the altar, a devotee would first shake one bamboo fortune telling stick out of a bundle from a cylindrical bamboo pot. Then he or she would bring it to a temple priest for interpretation. Each stick matches the number of a divination slip. Each slip is printed with poetic inscriptions that could represent a good or bad omen. The temple priest would then use it to predict someone's future regarding marriage, career or health. The text at the top of each slip reads 仰光廣東廟 ‘yang guang guang dong miao’, which refers to the Yang Guang Temple in Guangdong province. The text in the right column bears the number of the slip and also the title of the slip indicating whether it reflects a good or bad omen. The text in the central column is a poem with four sentences using metaphors to depict one’s future. The left column explains the meaning of the poem with another four short sentences to make it easier to understand.