Mazu Fortune Stick No. 33 · Ming Yi Hexagram
甜言巧語似開懷，纔入牢籠撥不開，酒色錢財宜早戒，貪求不免有非災。 Sweet talk and clever words seem open-hearted, but step into the cage and you cannot get out. Give up drink, lust and greed early, for grasping brings trouble you did not ask for.
The poem
甜言巧語似開懷
Sweet talk and clever words seem open-hearted,
纔入牢籠撥不開
but step into the cage and you cannot get out.
酒色錢財宜早戒
Give up drink, lust and greed early,
貪求不免有非災
for grasping brings trouble you did not ask for.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 33 第三十三首 | Ming Yi 明夷 (Darkening of the Light) |
No. 33 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:
寶物原來密密藏
Your treasure was hidden away with care,
被人暗損費周章
yet someone harmed it in secret, and it cost you dearly.
果然失脫增煩惱
Losing it has truly added to your worries;
若待尋時在近方
if you look, it is somewhere near.
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 | Do not trust talk of shortcuts; real ability is the safer path 別信走捷徑的說法，靠真本事比較穩 |
| Business | Check out any deal whose terms seem too good to be true 條件好得不像話的合作，先查清楚 |
| 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 | Take sweet talk lightly and watch what the other person actually does 甜言蜜語聽聽就好，多看對方的行動 |
| Travel | Politely decline eager invitations from strangers on the road 路上陌生人的熱情邀約，婉拒為宜 |
| Household | If someone at home is caught up in drinking or gambling, coax them back early 家中有人沉迷菸酒或賭，及早勸回 |
| Seeking wealth | Set aside the lure of high returns; without greed you will not be trapped 高報酬的誘惑先放下，不貪就不會被套 |
| Luck of the times | You are easily persuaded right now; hold off on big decisions 此時容易被說動，重大決定緩一緩 |
| Lost items | It will be hard to find; keep valuables on your person from now on 多半難尋，往後貴重物品貼身收好 |
| Farming & livestock | Skip the quick-result methods and stick with proven, steady practice 別追逐速成的作法，照老方法踏實做 |
| Lawsuits | The other side is strong; avoid a head-on clash and consult a professional 對方勢強，先別硬碰，請教專業人士 |
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
Sweet words look sincere, but once you are caught in the trap you cannot get out. Give up drink, lust and greed early; greed invites disaster.
Reminder: Beware of words that sound too good, and do not let greed walk you into a trap.
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. 32; next: No. 34.
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. 33: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 33 say?
「甜言巧語似開懷，纔入牢籠撥不開，酒色錢財宜早戒，貪求不免有非災」 In English: Sweet talk and clever words seem open-hearted, but step into the cage and you cannot get out. Give up drink, lust and greed early, for grasping brings trouble you did not ask for. It is paired with the Ming Yi hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 33 mean?
Sweet words look sincere, but once you are caught in the trap you cannot get out. Give up drink, lust and greed early; greed invites disaster. Reminder: Beware of words that sound too good, and do not let greed walk you into a trap.