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.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | After hard work, you can hold your head high 一場功苦 揚眉吐氣 |
| Business | Merchants flock in; all goods sell 萬商雲集 百貨宜亨 |
| Pregnancy | Admired by all; joy at a fine son 高門仰止 喜生佳兒 |
| Marriage | A lovely, quiet partner; a good match 佳人靜員 可合良緣 |
| Travel | No need to go far; close to home is best 不必遠遊 近處方佳 |
| Household | Peace at home; good omens arrive 喬門清吉 瑞氣常臻 |
| Seeking wealth | Wealth luck arrives on time 財運及時 運已到矣 |
| Luck of the times | Seek and gain; your time has come 求之必益 時亦到矣 |
| Lost items | Search patiently and it will come back 耐心尋之 必可回籠 |
| Farming & livestock | Crops and poultry all thriving 桑麻雞禽 均是興旺 |
| Lawsuits | Everything as you wish 隨心所欲 無不如意 |
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
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, 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. 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.