The art of fate calculation : practicing divination in Taipei, Beijing, and Kaifeng

"From housewives to students and high-ranking officials, people from all social backgrounds in China and Taiwan visit fate calculation masters to learn about their destiny. How do clients assess the diviner's skills? How does one become a fortune-teller? How is a person's fate calculated? The Art of Fate Calculation explores how conceptions of fate circulate in Chinese and Taiwanese societies while resisting uniformization and institutionalization. This is not only due to the stigma of "superstition" but also to the internal dynamic of fate calculation practice and learning"-- Provided by publisher The Art of Fate Calculation Contents Illustrations Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1 — Clients of Divinatory Services: Societal Issues and Consultation Experiences in Taipei Chapter 2 — Divinatory Arts Specialists: Historical Development, Claims, and Reforms in Taipei’s “World of Divination” Chapter 3 — Fate Calculation Techniques: Contemporary Reformulations of a Traditional Knowledge on the Individual and Their Environment Chapter 4 — Professional Practitioners: Institutional and Cultural Legitimacy of Professional Diviners in Beijing Chapter 5 — Amateur Practitioners and Shared Knowledge: Everyday Knowledge and Modes of Transmission in Kaifeng Conclusion — Trust and Standardization Appendix 1 — A Brief History of the Ziwei Doushu Method Appendix 2 — Ziwei Doushu Schools in Taiwan Appendix 3 — Correspondence Tables in the Ziwei Doushu Method Glossary of Chinese Terms References Index

From housewives to students and high-ranking officials, peoplefrom all social backgrounds in China and Taiwan visit fatecalculation masters to learn about their destiny. How do clientsassess the diviner's skills? How does one become a fortune-teller?How is a person's fate calculated? The Art of FateCalculation explores how conceptions of fate circulate inChinese and Taiwanese societies while resisting uniformization andinstitutionalization. This is not only due to the stigma of"superstition" but also to the internal dynamic of fate calculationpractice and learning.