Moon Blocks

Ask one yes or no question and throw the two crescent blocks, as people do at temple altars.

What it answers
A yes or a no.
What you need
A question that can be answered yes or no.
What you get
The fall of the blocks and what it traditionally means.

It stays on this page.

Hold your question in mind, then throw.

Understanding moon blocks

Moon blocks, called 筊 or 杯珓, are a pair of crescent pieces thrown before a temple altar to ask a yes or no question. Each has a flat side and a round side. The practice is old: Han Yu wrote of throwing them at Mount Heng in the Tang dynasty, and Song writers describe them made from shells, bamboo and wood.

How it works

  1. Ask one clear questionWord it so that yes or no makes sense.
  2. Throw the pairEach block lands flat or round side up.
  3. Read the pairOne of each is a yes. Both flat is a smile. Both round is a no.
  4. Look for threeMany temples ask for three yes results in a row before treating the answer as settled.

How to read it

  1. YesOne flat and one round. Keep throwing if you want it confirmed.
  2. SmileBoth flat. Rephrase the question and ask again.
  3. NoBoth round. Stop, or ask something else.
  4. Three in a rowThe tally on the page counts your yes results and resets on anything else.

Our method

Good result
Yan Fan Lu quotes a note on Jing Chu Sui Shi Ji: one face down and one face up is the good result.
Names
聖筊, 笑筊 and 陰筊 are the names used in Taiwan and Fujian today. Other places say 聖杯, 笑杯 and 陰杯, and meanings of the last two vary.
Three in a row
This is common temple practice. It is not in the old sources we read.
Randomness
Each block is an even chance from your browser’s secure random numbers. Real blocks are not perfectly even, so a real temple’s odds may differ.

Common questions

Why is it called a moon block?

The pieces are shaped like a crescent moon. The English name comes from that shape.

Is a screen the same as a temple?

No. The practice belongs to a place and a deity. This page is a way to learn how the reading works.

Can I ask about health or money?

You can, but please treat it as reflection. See a professional for real decisions.

Is my question saved?

No. It stays on this page and is gone when you leave.

Sources

  • Cheng Dachang, Yan Fan Lu, vol. 3, the entry “Bu Jiao”, Siku Quanshu text on Chinese Wikisource.
  • Yuan Wen, Weng You Xian Ping, vol. 7, quoting Han Yu on moon blocks.
  • Practice of three 聖筊 and modern names: common temple usage, awaiting a written source.