Mazu Fortune Stick No. 40 · Qian Hexagram
汝今心地不分明，枉向神前禱告頻，富貴榮華無爾分，官非口舌與逡巡。 Your heart right now is not clear, so all your prayers to the gods are in vain. Wealth and glory are not yours to have, only lawsuits, gossip and hesitation.
The poem
汝今心地不分明
Your heart right now is not clear,
枉向神前禱告頻
so all your prayers to the gods are in vain.
富貴榮華無爾分
Wealth and glory are not yours to have,
官非口舌與逡巡
only lawsuits, gossip and hesitation.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 40 第四十首 | Qian 謙 (Modesty) |
Text notes: line 2: the temple website reads 狂向神前禱告頻.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Bad luck, bad timing; wasted effort 運蹇時乖 枉費心力 |
| Business | A dead end at dusk; business in vain 途窮日暮 徒勞經營 |
| Pregnancy | Ask yourself what wrong you have done 爾自問心 有何冤愆 |
| Marriage | Like horses and oxen; nothing in common 如同馬牛 兩不相及 |
| Travel | Danger ahead; the move is wrong 危險當前 所行不合 |
| Household | A deserted home; hard seasons for the family 門庭冷落 丁春秋慘 |
| Seeking wealth | Fishing for the moon in water, a needle on the seabed 水中提月 海底摸針 |
| Luck of the times | Plainly, plainly: useless, useless 了然了然 無用無用 |
| Lost items | Fate is against it; searching is useless 命多駁叶 追覓無益 |
| Farming & livestock | No profit this year; see next spring 今歲無利 待看明春 |
| Lawsuits | Stop when you should, or you will lose 可止不止 須防失利 |
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
If your mind is muddled, praying more often will not help. Wealth is not on the cards, and there may be legal trouble and quarrels.
Reminder: Straighten out your intentions first, then ask.
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. 39; next: No. 41.
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. 40: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 40 say?
「汝今心地不分明，枉向神前禱告頻，富貴榮華無爾分，官非口舌與逡巡」 In English: Your heart right now is not clear, so all your prayers to the gods are in vain. Wealth and glory are not yours to have, only lawsuits, gossip and hesitation. It is paired with the Qian hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 40 mean?
If your mind is muddled, praying more often will not help. Wealth is not on the cards, and there may be legal trouble and quarrels. Reminder: Straighten out your intentions first, then ask.