Mazu Fortune Stick No. 23 · Li Hexagram
行船共識賴神明，舵椗常教要小心，莫道急流方着力，閒中打點免災侵。 Everyone knows a ship relies on the gods, but rudder and anchor still need constant care. Do not wait for the rapids to pull hard; set things in order while it is calm and keep trouble away.
The poem
行船共識賴神明
Everyone knows a ship relies on the gods,
舵椗常教要小心
but rudder and anchor still need constant care.
莫道急流方着力
Do not wait for the rapids to pull hard;
閒中打點免災侵
set things in order while it is calm and keep trouble away.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 23 第二十三首 | Li 離 (The Clinging Fire) |
Text notes: line 2: the temple website reads 舵錠常教要小心.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Live simply into old age; do not daydream 布衣安老 何必妄想 |
| Business | Modest comfort is enough; no extravagance 只須小康 不必奢望 |
| Pregnancy | Look after your health and both will be well 保養身體 兩全其美 |
| Marriage | A match is hard; not settled yet 卻難配偶 尚不定當 |
| Travel | Know your place; where would you rush off to 安份守己 皇皇何之 |
| Household | Ordinary luck at home; better to wait 家運平常 不如且候 |
| Seeking wealth | Luck is drifting; seeking is useless 嘆如浮運 求之無益 |
| Luck of the times | Pray for help; then things may turn 望神乞賜 方有轉機 |
| Lost items | Hard to say if it will be found; do not overdo it 得之難測 切莫過求 |
| Farming & livestock | Be content; do not ask for much 凡事知足 不宜多求 |
| Lawsuits | Win over those above you and both sides gain 乙得上司 和者兩美 |
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
A ship needs the gods, but also a careful hand on the rudder. Do not wait for the rapids to start trying; get things in order while it is calm.
Reminder: Prepare in ordinary times; do not scramble at the last minute.
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. 22; next: No. 24.
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. 23: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 23 say?
「行船共識賴神明，舵椗常教要小心，莫道急流方着力，閒中打點免災侵」 In English: Everyone knows a ship relies on the gods, but rudder and anchor still need constant care. Do not wait for the rapids to pull hard; set things in order while it is calm and keep trouble away. It is paired with the Li hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 23 mean?
A ship needs the gods, but also a careful hand on the rudder. Do not wait for the rapids to start trying; get things in order while it is calm. Reminder: Prepare in ordinary times; do not scramble at the last minute.