Mazu Fortune Stick No. 28 · Da You Hexagram
養癰成疽切自防，莫教蔓衍恐難當，幾多白眼人相顧，暗地穿窬作計長。 A boil left to fester turns to an abscess; guard against it, and do not let it spread beyond control. How many cold eyes are watching you, while someone quietly plots a break-in.
The poem
養癰成疽切自防
A boil left to fester turns to an abscess; guard against it,
莫教蔓衍恐難當
and do not let it spread beyond control.
幾多白眼人相顧
How many cold eyes are watching you,
暗地穿窬作計長
while someone quietly plots a break-in.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 28 第二十八首 | Da You 大有 (Great Possession) |
Text notes: line 1: the temple website reads 養脊成疽切自防.
No. 28 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:
天生驥足豈尋常
Born with a racer's legs, no ordinary horse,
自幼生來骨格強
strong of frame from the day it was foaled;
馳騁康莊無絆礙
it gallops the open road without a snag,
一逢伯樂便稱良
and once Bole sees it, it is called the best.
If you drew your lot at one of those temples, go by that temple's poem.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Plant good deeds; fame and fortune together 培植善果 名利雙收 |
| Business | An empty dream; nothing real 夢幻空空 一無實際 |
| Pregnancy | Beware of harmful things; a risky birth 貽防異物 臨盆凶危 |
| Marriage | Paradise is near; the bridge to love is close 欲入天臺 藍橋已近 |
| Travel | Things already went wrong; do not go 前已失計 不宜再往 |
| Household | Dreams of home fade; crows cry as the moon sets 歸夢依稀 烏啼月落 |
| Seeking wealth | Little wealth; not much to seek 淡泊財氣 求亦無多 |
| Luck of the times | Greed helps nothing; expect little 貪之無益 求之淡泊 |
| Lost items | What comes wrongly goes wrongly; retribution is exact 悖出悖入 報應無差 |
| Farming & livestock | Abandoned fields; a bleak view 抛荒田畝 滿目淒涼 |
| Lawsuits | Luck is low; peace is the best outcome 時衰運蹇 以和為吉 |
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 small problem left alone becomes a big one, so deal with it early. Many people are watching coldly, and someone may be plotting against you in secret.
Background: In the Baishatun poem, Bole was a legendary judge of horses; "meeting Bole" means being discovered by someone who recognizes talent.
Reminder: Fix problems while they are small, and watch out for people who wish you harm.
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. 27; next: No. 29.
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. 28: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 28 say?
「養癰成疽切自防，莫教蔓衍恐難當，幾多白眼人相顧，暗地穿窬作計長」 In English: A boil left to fester turns to an abscess; guard against it, and do not let it spread beyond control. How many cold eyes are watching you, while someone quietly plots a break-in. It is paired with the Da You hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 28 mean?
A small problem left alone becomes a big one, so deal with it early. Many people are watching coldly, and someone may be plotting against you in secret. Reminder: Fix problems while they are small, and watch out for people who wish you harm.