Lot 38 (Middle) from the Guanyin Oracle (观音灵签) draws on the allusion "The Spirit of the Old Ox" — The old ox plows quietly and never tires — the best symbol of diligent and grounded spirit.
Lot 38
MiddlePoem
At the Ox hour, the plow works through the unending night
Diligent cultivation holds promise
One measure of effort brings one measure of harvest
Work steadily with your feet on the ground — there is always a way
Lǎo Huángniú Jīngshén
Historical Allusion
The Spirit of the Old Ox
The old ox plows quietly and never tires — the best symbol of diligent and grounded spirit.
General Guidance
A middle lot. Plow steadily — one effort, one reward. Work diligently and you will gain.
General Guidance
Career
Grounded work produces results.
Love
Grounded effort; stable relationship.
Health
Regular exercise builds a strong physique.
Wealth
Diligence and frugality accumulate wealth.
Travel
Travel carefully; attend to details.
Litigation
Prepare thoroughly; be ready for anything.
- Tradition
- Guanyin 100 Oracle (观音灵签 / 观音一百签) — a traditional divination practice at Guanyin temples across East Asia, drawing on classical Chinese allusions (典故) as reflective mirrors.
- Source
- Follows the widely circulated 100-lot text commonly printed at Chinese and Taiwanese Guanyin temples. No single canonical edition exists; minor wording variations occur across temple printings.
- Translation
- Chinese preserves traditional phrasing. English renderings are Cihang's adaptations for bilingual devotional reading, not scholarly translations.
- Note
- Reflection, not prediction. The oracle invites contemplation of the lot's historical allusion as a mirror for your present circumstances; it does not claim divinatory certainty.
- Last reviewed