Mazu Fortune Stick No. 11 · Yi Hexagram
驚風駭浪失西東，一盞神燈照碧空，急向前途求解脫，上天憫惻是愚蒙。 In howling wind and towering waves you lose east from west; a single holy lamp lights up the sky. Hurry on and seek a way out: heaven takes pity on the lost.
The poem
驚風駭浪失西東
In howling wind and towering waves you lose east from west;
一盞神燈照碧空
a single holy lamp lights up the sky.
急向前途求解脫
Hurry on and seek a way out:
上天憫惻是愚蒙
heaven takes pity on the lost.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 11 第十一首 | Yi 益 (Increase) |
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Time has slipped by with nothing achieved 日月已逝 一事無成 |
| Business | Flowers fallen, trees bare; no life in it 花落木枯 毫無生色 |
| Pregnancy | Pray for heaven's care around the birth 臨盆危險 祈天憐佑 |
| Marriage | Scattered by the storm; a broken mirror is hard to mend 飄搖已散 破鏡難圓 |
| Travel | Cold and bleak all around; nowhere to stand 舉目淒冷 足無所措 |
| Household | Family members drift apart; the house grows quiet 丁男散逸 門戶凋殘 |
| Seeking wealth | A rough road; stay put 運途多舛 守坐方可 |
| Luck of the times | Sought but not found; asked for but not coming 求之不得 拜而不來 |
| Lost items | Searching widely will not help; wait for good news 廣尋無益 且待佳音 |
| Farming & livestock | Grain is scarce; livestock bring little 五穀弗多 六畜利小 |
| Lawsuits | The officials are not on your side; expect friction 官情未通 只恐不和 |
Readings follow the Grand Matsu Temple website; the English is our translation. The temple's list also has an "illness" reading; we leave it out. If you feel unwell, please see a doctor.
What it means
Lost in a storm, you see a holy lamp light the sky. Look for a way out quickly; heaven has pity on the bewildered.
Reminder: In a crisis, steady yourself first and find someone reliable to show you the way.
This is a plain reading of the words. How it applies to your own question is best settled with the interpreter at the temple where you drew it.
How to draw a lot
- Light incense and tell Mazu your name, birth date and address, then state clearly the one matter you are asking about.
- Cast the moon blocks (jiaobei, two crescent-shaped wooden blocks) to ask whether you may draw. One face up and one face down means yes; then pull one stick from the cylinder.
- Cast the blocks again to confirm that this is your stick. Many temples ask for three yeses in a row; if not, put it back and draw again.
- Collect the poem with the matching number. Read the whole poem, then find the topic below that fits your question. If it is unclear, ask the temple's interpreter.
Ask about one thing at a time; the more specific the question, the easier the poem is to apply.
Common misunderstandings
A gloomy poem means the matter is doomed.
Most poems are reminders and directions. The same poem means different things for different questions, so look at the topic that matches yours.
You can keep drawing on the same question until you get a good poem.
By custom you ask once per matter. If you are still unsure, ask the temple's interpreter, or wait a while and ask again.
Previous: No. 10; next: No. 12.
A straight word: fortune poems are a matter of faith, and the meanings here are ours
The Chinese text, hexagram names and topic readings follow the Grand Matsu Temple of Tainan, checked line by line against three other sources; we only corrected obvious copying errors, and every page shows the temple's original wording wherever we changed it. The English translations and the plain-English meanings are our own reading of the words, not the temple's official interpretation. For a real reading, ask at the temple where you drew the lot. For legal, medical or financial questions, see a professional, and if you feel unwell, see a doctor. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment.
Beyond the poem: your own chart
Enter your birth date to cast a free BaZi Four Pillars chart and see your Five Elements and Ten Gods.
Mazu fortune stick No. 11: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 11 say?
「驚風駭浪失西東，一盞神燈照碧空，急向前途求解脫，上天憫惻是愚蒙」 In English: In howling wind and towering waves you lose east from west; a single holy lamp lights up the sky. Hurry on and seek a way out: heaven takes pity on the lost. It is paired with the Yi hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 11 mean?
Lost in a storm, you see a holy lamp light the sky. Look for a way out quickly; heaven has pity on the bewildered. Reminder: In a crisis, steady yourself first and find someone reliable to show you the way.