Mazu Fortune Stick No. 25 · Lü Hexagram
太阿在手凜然寒，碧眼胡兒仰面看，從此進身高處立，一呼百諾指揮間。 The Tai'e sword in hand, cold and awe-inspiring; even green-eyed foreigners look up in awe. From here you rise to stand on high: one call, a hundred answers, at a wave of your hand.
The poem
太阿在手凜然寒
The Tai'e sword in hand, cold and awe-inspiring;
碧眼胡兒仰面看
even green-eyed foreigners look up in awe.
從此進身高處立
From here you rise to stand on high:
一呼百諾指揮間
one call, a hundred answers, at a wave of your hand.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 25 第二十五首 | Lü 旅 (The Wanderer) |
No. 25 in the Baishatun system
The hundred-poem set used at Baishatun Gongtian Temple, Ganghu Tianyuan Temple and some others has twelve different poems at numbers 25 to 36. In that system this number reads:
臘雪消時春水生
When winter snow melts, spring waters rise;
沙灘不礙客船行
the sandbars no longer block the traveling boat.
載來貨物誇多利
The goods it carries promise rich returns,
須慮旁人覬覦生
but watch for others who covet them.
If you drew your lot at one of those temples, go by that temple's poem.
Beyond the poem: your own chart Cast a free BaZi chart →
Reminders by topic (written by us)
| Topic | Reminder |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Years of hard work pay off, and you can finally stand tall 多年辛苦有了回報，終能抬頭挺胸 |
| Business | Customers are many and goods move smoothly 客源廣，貨品流通順暢 |
| 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 | Your partner is dignified and steady, someone you can trust 對方端莊穩重，值得託付 |
| Travel | Stay close to home for now, and hold off on long trips 在近處走動較好，遠行再緩緩 |
| Household | All is well at home, and good spirits stay 家中安好，好氣象常在 |
| Seeking wealth | Money luck has arrived, so seize the moment 財運到了，把握時機 |
| Luck of the times | As you rise, use your authority rightly 位子升高，權力更要用得正 |
| Lost items | Search patiently and it may come back to you 耐心找，有機會回到手中 |
| Farming & livestock | Crops and poultry are thriving, so keep up the care 桑麻家禽都興旺，勤加照顧 |
| Lawsuits | You are in a strong position, but still treat others fairly 處於有利位置，仍以公正待人 |
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
With a legendary sword in hand you command respect, even from outsiders. From here you rise step by step, and people answer your call.
Background: Tai'e is a legendary sword of the Spring and Autumn period and a symbol of authority.
Reminder: Once you have power, use it rightly.
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. 24; next: No. 26.
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. 25: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 25 say?
「太阿在手凜然寒，碧眼胡兒仰面看，從此進身高處立，一呼百諾指揮間」 In English: The Tai'e sword in hand, cold and awe-inspiring; even green-eyed foreigners look up in awe. From here you rise to stand on high: one call, a hundred answers, at a wave of your hand. It is paired with the Lü hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 25 mean?
With a legendary sword in hand you command respect, even from outsiders. From here you rise step by step, and people answer your call. Reminder: Once you have power, use it rightly.