Mazu Fortune Stick No. 44 · Bo Hexagram
看來黑白要分明，棋子縱橫布滿枰，汝却不知先一著，枉勞心力總難贏。 Black and white must be clearly told apart; the stones lie scattered across the board. But you do not see the move ahead, so all your effort still cannot win.
The poem
看來黑白要分明
Black and white must be clearly told apart;
棋子縱橫布滿枰
the stones lie scattered across the board.
汝却不知先一著
But you do not see the move ahead,
枉勞心力總難贏
so all your effort still cannot win.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 44 第四十四首 | Bo 剝 (Splitting Apart) |
Text notes: line 4: the temple website reads 枉勞心力總難嬴.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Luck is thin; do not daydream 命薄之人 不可妄想 |
| Business | Scheming hard, yet plans fall through 苦用心機 打算不就 |
| Pregnancy | Wishful thinking; much risk around the birth 徒勞妄想 產危多端 |
| Marriage | Nothing in common; like ice and coals 馬牛其風 冰炭其性 |
| Travel | Barren ground; beware of danger 則地不毛 須防危險 |
| Household | Squabbles at home; a deserted door 丁春啾唧 門庭冷落 |
| Seeking wealth | Flowers in a mirror, the moon in water; useless 鏡花水月 求之無用 |
| Luck of the times | No luck, no luck; plainly so 無運無運 了然了然 |
| Lost items | Facing losses; accept it 面對破財 認命是已 |
| Farming & livestock | Fields bleak; little from crops or livestock 田園凋冷 產畜俱微 |
| Lawsuits | Legal trouble in the chart; a scare is likely 命犯官符 必有虛驚 |
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
Like a game of Go, you have to know black from white. If you do not see the key move ahead, no amount of effort will win.
Background: The image is from weiqi (Go), played with black and white stones.
Reminder: Think through the key move before you act.
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. 43; next: No. 45.
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. 44: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 44 say?
「看來黑白要分明，棋子縱橫布滿枰，汝却不知先一著，枉勞心力總難贏」 In English: Black and white must be clearly told apart; the stones lie scattered across the board. But you do not see the move ahead, so all your effort still cannot win. It is paired with the Bo hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 44 mean?
Like a game of Go, you have to know black from white. If you do not see the key move ahead, no amount of effort will win. Reminder: Think through the key move before you act.