Poe divination (, from the

Hokkien Hokkien ( , ) is a Varieties of Chinese, variety of the Southern Min group of Chinese language, Chinese languages. Native to and originating from the Minnan region in the southeastern part of Fujian in southeastern China, it is also referred ...

, Min Dong BUC: ''buăk-buŏi'', 'cast moon blocks', also written ''bwa bwei'',

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

) is a traditional Chinese

divination Divination () is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a should proceed by reading signs, ...

method, in which the diviner throws or drops two small wooden pieces (or occasionally, coins of similar face value and design) on the floor, and interprets the divine answer using the positions of the pieces. This method can be used to tell whether the future course of action the diviner is considering is recommended or not. The pieces, called (''bwei'') in Taiwanese or jiaobei in Mandarin, look somewhat like two shells of a

clam Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve mollusc. The word is often applied only to those that are deemed edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the sea floor or riverbeds. Clams h ...

or bivalve mollusk.Poe (Kotobank)
(in Japanese) Upon throwing the wooden pieces, divination often results in three answering positions. The first is , when one of the blocks has its flat side facing up and the other has its flat side facing down; this shows the Deity's agreement with the devotee's question or plea. The second is , is when both blocks have their curved sides facing up; this shows the Deity's disagreement with the devotee's question or plea. This position may also indicate anger in some cases. The last would be , when both blocks have their flat sides facing up; this shows the Deity's amusement at the devotee's question or plea. A unique, rare result would be the , which occurs when one of the blocks stands with both its flat and curved sides facing in a horizontal position. This uncommon position often means the deity is sending a strong message; in this case, devotees sometimes invite temple staff or mediums to determine the meaning of the message. Poe divination can be observed at

Taoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...

and Chinese temples, such as Guangdi temples and Mazu temples; while it is most common in China and Taiwan, it is also practiced in the rest of the world.

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Taiwanese Poe Divination
Divination Practices in Chinese folk religion Taoist divination {{tao-stub

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