Mazu Fortune Stick No. 51 · Fu Hexagram
天河清淺不成波，歲歲雙星安穩過，今屆秋期風浪發，恐驚織女起婆娑。 The River of Heaven runs clear and shallow, without a wave; year after year the two stars cross in peace. But this autumn the wind raises waves, and the Weaver Girl may be startled from her dance.
The poem
天河清淺不成波
The River of Heaven runs clear and shallow, without a wave;
歲歲雙星安穩過
year after year the two stars cross in peace.
今屆秋期風浪發
But this autumn the wind raises waves,
恐驚織女起婆娑
and the Weaver Girl may be startled from her dance.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 51 第五十一首 | Fu 復 (Return) |
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Wealth and rank; be careful to cultivate virtue 榮華富貴 謹慎修德 |
| Business | Stay in your lane; overreaching costs you 守分營生 心高本虧 |
| Pregnancy | After some turbulence, happy news 風波起過 喜得佳期 |
| Marriage | The marriage is not timely; trouble may arise 婚不及時 恐生風波 |
| Travel | Fine at home; hard out in the world 在家可好 出外艱難 |
| Household | Keep the house quiet and avoid scares 家門肅靜 免受驚惶 |
| Seeking wealth | Act quickly and you will get it; do not delay 速取皆得 幸勿過緩 |
| Luck of the times | Delay and you miss it; act early 緩期莫及 切宜早取 |
| Lost items | Lost things: no need to rush the search 遺失之物 不必尋急 |
| Farming & livestock | Fields and livestock; strength in unity 田園牧產 同心得力 |
| Lawsuits | Like-minded people gather; it is close at hand 同心相聚 即在目前 |
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
The Milky Way has always been calm and the lovers met every year, but this autumn a storm may disturb the Weaver Girl.
Background: The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, two stars on either side of the Milky Way, may meet only once a year, on the seventh night of the seventh lunar month.
Reminder: Relationships or partnerships may hit turbulence; talk things through early.
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. 50; next: No. 52.
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. 51: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 51 say?
「天河清淺不成波，歲歲雙星安穩過，今屆秋期風浪發，恐驚織女起婆娑」 In English: The River of Heaven runs clear and shallow, without a wave; year after year the two stars cross in peace. But this autumn the wind raises waves, and the Weaver Girl may be startled from her dance. It is paired with the Fu hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 51 mean?
The Milky Way has always been calm and the lovers met every year, but this autumn a storm may disturb the Weaver Girl. Reminder: Relationships or partnerships may hit turbulence; talk things through early.