Mazu Fortune Stick No. 53 · Ming Yi Hexagram
急水灘前快着篙，艄公把舵更應牢，須教出得風波險，方見舟師手段高。 At the rapids, quick, drive in the pole; helmsman, grip the rudder tighter still. Only once you are clear of the storm will the boatman's skill be seen.
The poem
急水灘前快着篙
At the rapids, quick, drive in the pole;
艄公把舵更應牢
helmsman, grip the rudder tighter still.
須教出得風波險
Only once you are clear of the storm
方見舟師手段高
will the boatman's skill be seen.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 53 第五十三首 | Ming Yi 明夷 (Darkening of the Light) |
Text notes: line 1: the temple website reads 急水灘前快若篙; line 2: the temple website reads 艄公把錠更應牢.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Stay in your lane and avoid a scare 謹守本分 免受驚惶 |
| Business | Capital drains; work hard to recover it 財本耗散 力求挽求 |
| Pregnancy | Take great care near the birth; rest well 臨盆危險 小心安養 |
| Marriage | Not meant to be; not a match 非是緣份 不宜配合 |
| Travel | Travel is worrying; better to wait 出外惶恐 不如待時 |
| Household | Put your whole heart into your plans and you will manage 一心營謀 盡力有餘 |
| Seeking wealth | A rough road; seeking is useless 運途多舛 求之無益 |
| Luck of the times | Support with funds, but do not force it 財力扶持 不可強求 |
| Lost items | An unlucky spell; no need to chase it 運當霉頭 不必追尋 |
| Farming & livestock | Fields and livestock declining; no profit 田畜將蕪 無利可圖 |
| Lawsuits | Legal trouble in the chart; hard to shake 身犯官符 事端難擺 |
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
Racing through the rapids, the boatman must hold the rudder firmly. Getting through the storm is what proves his skill.
Reminder: A hard stretch is exactly when you get to show what you can do.
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. 52; next: No. 54.
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. 53: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 53 say?
「急水灘前快着篙，艄公把舵更應牢，須教出得風波險，方見舟師手段高」 In English: At the rapids, quick, drive in the pole; helmsman, grip the rudder tighter still. Only once you are clear of the storm will the boatman's skill be seen. It is paired with the Ming Yi hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 53 mean?
Racing through the rapids, the boatman must hold the rudder firmly. Getting through the storm is what proves his skill. Reminder: A hard stretch is exactly when you get to show what you can do.