Mazu Fortune Stick No. 24 · Jin Hexagram
共道今年勝舊年，家門氣象覺熙恬，勸君得隴毋望蜀，省却中懷似火煎。 All agree this year beats the last; the home feels bright and at ease. Having won Long, do not covet Shu, and spare your heart from burning like fire.
The poem
共道今年勝舊年
All agree this year beats the last;
家門氣象覺熙恬
the home feels bright and at ease.
勸君得隴毋望蜀
Having won Long, do not covet Shu,
省却中懷似火煎
and spare your heart from burning like fire.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 24 第二十四首 | Jin 晉 (Progress) |
Text notes: line 2: the temple website reads 家門氣象覺熙悟.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Success; step back at the height 功名成就 急流捲退 |
| Business | Wealth the honest way; do not be greedy 大道生財 切莫貪婪 |
| Pregnancy | A fine child comes; joy at the gate 嘉種延降 喜耀門閭 |
| Marriage | No need for doubt; the marriage can be settled 不須多疑 婚姻可定 |
| Travel | Not a time to travel far; stay home 不宜遠行 守家方好 |
| Household | Trust brings gains and joy 信之相得 進益喜昌 |
| Seeking wealth | Luck is strong now, ordinary later 現運興隆 後來平平 |
| Luck of the times | Wealth pours in; the road is open 財源廣進 利路亨通 |
| Lost items | Unlucky; no need to chase it 運逢不遇 不必再追 |
| Farming & livestock | Drought on the crops; livestock weak 田禾逢魃 六畜不旺 |
| Lawsuits | Trouble of your own making; prayer will not help 自作之孽 祈神無益 |
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
This year is better than last, and home feels happy and calm. Having gained something, do not immediately want more, or you will burn with impatience.
Background: "Getting Long and wanting Shu" is a Han-dynasty proverb about taking one territory and at once coveting the next.
Reminder: Contentment brings happiness; do not keep reaching for the next thing.
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. 23; next: No. 25.
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. 24: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 24 say?
「共道今年勝舊年，家門氣象覺熙恬，勸君得隴毋望蜀，省却中懷似火煎」 In English: All agree this year beats the last; the home feels bright and at ease. Having won Long, do not covet Shu, and spare your heart from burning like fire. It is paired with the Jin hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 24 mean?
This year is better than last, and home feels happy and calm. Having gained something, do not immediately want more, or you will burn with impatience. Reminder: Contentment brings happiness; do not keep reaching for the next thing.