Mazu Fortune Stick No. 12 · Xun Hexagram
汝曹逐末泛重洋，順意遊行自主張，得利須知尋退步，免教失足悔難當。 You chase trade across the wide ocean, roaming where you please, your own master. Once you profit, know when to withdraw, lest one slip leaves regret too deep to bear.
The poem
汝曹逐末泛重洋
You chase trade across the wide ocean,
順意遊行自主張
roaming where you please, your own master.
得利須知尋退步
Once you profit, know when to withdraw,
免教失足悔難當
lest one slip leaves regret too deep to bear.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 12 第十二首 | Xun 巽 (The Gentle Wind) |
Text notes: line 1: the base text reads 汝曹逐流泛重洋; another version has 逐未; the sense calls for 逐末 ("pursuing trade").
Beyond the poem: your own chart Cast a free BaZi chart →
Reminders by topic (written by us)
| Topic | Reminder |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Reflect more when things go well, and secure what you have achieved 得意時更要自省，穩住已有的成績 |
| Business | Know when to stop after a profit, and do not overreach 獲利後懂得收手，別貪多 |
| Pregnancy | For pregnancy and childbirth, please follow your doctor's advice and prenatal checkups 懷孕生產請遵從醫師與產檢 |
| Marriage | Cherish the one beside you instead of looking elsewhere 珍惜眼前人，別這山望那山高 |
| Travel | Come back once your business is done, and do not linger 辦完事就回程，別貪戀行程 |
| Household | Live within your role, and the household stays at peace 守本分過日子，家中自然平安 |
| Seeking wealth | Take your gains and do not chase the last stretch 賺到就落袋，不必追最後一段 |
| Luck of the times | Wait for the right moment instead of rushing 等時機再動，別貪快 |
| Lost items | Let the past go, and be more careful from now on 過去的就讓它過去，往後多留意 |
| Farming & livestock | The weather is off this year, so do not invest too much 今年天候不順，別投入太多本錢 |
| Lawsuits | You lack backing, so settling early is wise 少了助力，宜早早和解收場 |
These short reminders are written by us from the poem and its hexagram; they are not the readings printed on the temple's slip, so for a real reading go by the temple where you drew the lot. The temple's list also has an "illness" topic, which we leave out, and the pregnancy topic is always a reminder to follow your doctor. If you feel unwell, please see a doctor.
What it means
You sail off to trade and go as you please. When you have made money, know when to pull back, or one misstep will leave you with bitter regret.
Background: In old Chinese thought farming was the "root" and trade the "branches"; chasing the branches means going into business. "Getting Long and wanting Shu" is the proverb about taking one territory and at once coveting the next.
Reminder: Quit while you are ahead; do not chase the last bite.
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. 11; next: No. 13.
A straight word: fortune poems are a matter of faith, and the meanings here are ours
The Chinese text and hexagram names follow a widely circulated edition, checked line by line against three other versions; we only corrected obvious copying errors, and every page shows the base text's original wording wherever we changed it. The topic reminders, English translations and plain-English meanings are our own reading of the words and the hexagram, not the temple's readings or 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. 12: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 12 say?
「汝曹逐末泛重洋，順意遊行自主張，得利須知尋退步，免教失足悔難當」 In English: You chase trade across the wide ocean, roaming where you please, your own master. Once you profit, know when to withdraw, lest one slip leaves regret too deep to bear. It is paired with the Xun hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 12 mean?
You sail off to trade and go as you please. When you have made money, know when to pull back, or one misstep will leave you with bitter regret. Reminder: Quit while you are ahead; do not chase the last bite.