JIAOBEI
What is Jiaobei (Poe)?
Jiaobei (poe) is a traditional form of divination practiced at temples in Taiwan and China. Two crescent-shaped wooden blocks are thrown, and the combination of their flat and rounded faces reveals whether a deity is answering yes or no. It is also used as a step to confirm the answer given by other forms of divination, such as kau chim.
Overview
- System
- Omen Reading (reads the combination of heads/tails from the thrown wooden blocks)
- Origin
- Taiwan, China
- What You Need
- Two crescent-shaped wooden blocks (jiao bei)
- Best For
- Either-or decisions, life
- Time Frame
- Today
Origins & History
Jiaobei (poe) is a method of determining divine will that is widely practiced at Taoist and folk-religion temples in Taiwan and China. A pair of crescent-shaped blocks known as "jiao bei," carved from wood or bamboo, is used, and the answer is read from how the rounded and flat sides land.
While reciting a name or a question, the blocks are dropped, and the meaning depends on how they land: if one lands rounded-side up and the other flat-side up—called "sheng jiao"—the answer is affirmative; if both land flat-side up—"yin jiao"—the answer is negative; and if both land rounded-side up—"xiao jiao"—the answer is held in reserve. It is also used in combination with kau chim, to confirm the meaning of a drawn fortune slip.
How It Works
- 01Decide on a question that can be answered with yes or no.
- 02While reciting a name or the question, drop the two crescent-shaped wooden blocks.
- 03Check the combination in which the blocks land (sheng jiao, yin jiao, or xiao jiao).
- 04Read the combination as affirmative, negative, or held in reserve, according to how the blocks landed.
What It Reveals
Jiaobei is well suited to quickly confirming divine will on questions that can be answered with a clear yes or no. Because the mechanism limits answers to two outcomes, however, it is not a form of divination that explains background or circumstances in detail, and it is often used to confirm the results of other forms of divination.
Related Methods
References
- Wikipedia: Jiaobei (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaobei)