How to Pray to Yue Wumu Wang
Whether you are visiting a temple for the first time or are a lifelong devotee, this guide will lead you through the most respectful way to bring your prayers to Yue Wumu Wang.
Incense (3 sticks)
Prepare three sticks of incense before your visit. The number three represents Heaven, Earth, and Humanity — the most fundamental offering of respect.
Fresh Flowers or Fruit
Fresh flowers or seasonal fruit make ideal offerings, representing your sincerity and gratitude. Odd numbers are auspicious — three or five items is traditional.
A Sincere Heart
Material offerings are form; the most important offering you can bring is always a genuine, open heart.
Cleanse Your Hands
Before entering, wash your hands at the purification basin outside the temple. This act symbolizes cleansing body and mind before approaching the sacred.
Offer Incense at the Heaven Altar
The large incense cauldron in front of the temple honors the Jade Emperor. Offer one stick here first, announcing your arrival to Heaven.
Enter the Main Hall
Enter through the side of the main gate — the central door is traditionally reserved for the deity's procession. Bow as you approach the central shrine.
Hold Incense and Bow
Hold the incense in both hands at forehead height and bow three times toward the shrine. In your heart, state your full name, date of birth, and address — so the deity knows who you are.
Insert the Incense
Place the incense sticks in the censer, right to left, as a mark of respect. The rising smoke carries your prayers upward to the deity.
State Your Prayer
Before the deity, speak your prayer softly or silently — your purpose, your wish, your gratitude. Be clear and specific. The deity welcomes honest, direct communication.
Cast the Divination Blocks (Poe-Pue)
To seek divine confirmation, use the Poe-Pue — a pair of crescent-shaped wooden blocks. One face up and one face down is a "Sacred Poe," indicating yes. Two up or two down means try again.
Give Thanks and Depart
After your prayers, bow three times in gratitude and step back to leave — never turn your back to the deity. Thank you for your visit. May Yue Wumu Wang protect you on your way.
Understanding Poe-Pue Divination
Poe-Pue is the most common form of divine communication in Taiwanese temples. Each block has a flat side (Yin) and a convex side (Yang). The combination determines the deity's response.
Sacred Poe
The deity approves. Your prayer is accepted.
Laughing Poe
The deity smiles. The answer is positive but may differ from your expectation.
Negative Poe
The deity declines. Reconsider your question or your sincerity, then try again.