Mazu Fortune Stick No. 50 · Gen Hexagram
神仙事業由前定，行向東來更向南，取坎填離成大業，長生不老是奇男。 The work of immortals is fixed from the start; go east, and then go south. Take from Kan to fill Li and the great work is done: deathless and ageless, a remarkable man.
The poem
神仙事業由前定
The work of immortals is fixed from the start;
行向東來更向南
go east, and then go south.
取坎填離成大業
Take from Kan to fill Li and the great work is done:
長生不老是奇男
deathless and ageless, a remarkable man.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 50 第五十首 | Gen 艮 (Keeping Still) |
Text notes: line 3: the temple website reads 取坎真離成大業.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Very great honors; a vessel of state 富貴極大 曰瑚璉也 |
| Business | Fair trade brings its own profit 交易公平 自得利益 |
| Pregnancy | Joy at a son; blessings, wealth and long life 弄璋喜慶 福祿壽全 |
| Marriage | A natural match; do not force it 配合自然 不可嬌強 |
| Travel | Kind and approachable; spring everywhere 和氣近人 四處皆春 |
| Household | A harmonious home; everyone well 家和宜平 人春咸寧 |
| Seeking wealth | Joy in the southeast; ask and it comes 東南喜氣 求人必有 |
| Luck of the times | It keeps coming; integrity is key 源源而來 通德為要 |
| Lost items | As easy as picking it up; search and you find it 如取如攜 尋之可得 |
| Farming & livestock | Big harvest; livestock thriving 嘉禾大收 六畜皆盛 |
| Lawsuits | Never deceive and you will be at peace 念念無欺 即可自安 |
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
Great things are fated. Head east and then south; through self-cultivation you will achieve something major.
Background: Kan (water) and Li (fire) are trigrams; "taking from Kan to fill Li" is a Daoist inner-alchemy phrase for bringing the body's energies into balance.
Reminder: Cultivating yourself is the root of everything.
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. 49; next: No. 51.
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. 50: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 50 say?
「神仙事業由前定，行向東來更向南，取坎填離成大業，長生不老是奇男」 In English: The work of immortals is fixed from the start; go east, and then go south. Take from Kan to fill Li and the great work is done: deathless and ageless, a remarkable man. It is paired with the Gen hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 50 mean?
Great things are fated. Head east and then south; through self-cultivation you will achieve something major. Reminder: Cultivating yourself is the root of everything.