Mazu Fortune Stick No. 57 · Lin Hexagram
生平冷淡知音少，靜養壽真葆善根，共羨一枝黃菊好，秋深籬落自芬芳。 Your life has been quiet, with few who understand you; rest in stillness and guard the roots of goodness. Everyone admires the lovely yellow chrysanthemum: deep in autumn, by the fence, it is fragrant on its own.
The poem
生平冷淡知音少
Your life has been quiet, with few who understand you;
靜養壽真葆善根
rest in stillness and guard the roots of goodness.
共羨一枝黃菊好
Everyone admires the lovely yellow chrysanthemum:
秋深籬落自芬芳
deep in autumn, by the fence, it is fragrant on its own.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 57 第五十七首 | Lin 臨 (Approach) |
Text notes: line 4: the temple website reads 秋深離落自芬芳.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Hard at first; success in the autumn exams 初時辛苦 秋圍必捷 |
| Business | All hopes are best in autumn 凡百謀望 秋期之佳 |
| Pregnancy | Do not fret; flowers open in their season 切勿焦燥 時至花開 |
| Marriage | A match, but it comes together slowly 姻緣雖匹 緩可能成 |
| Travel | Wait for good news; autumn is the time 守侯佳音 秋之為期 |
| Household | A peaceful home; reunion in autumn 家道清吉 秋景團圓 |
| Seeking wealth | Ordinary times; it will come 家道平常 求之自有 |
| Luck of the times | Hard first, then easy; work for it 先難後易 勤之必有 |
| Lost items | Lost things: no need to look 已日失物 弗必尋求 |
| Farming & livestock | Spring and summer average; autumn and winter good 春夏平平 秋冬可觀 |
| Lawsuits | Settle it; stop quickly 和之為吉 宜速止之 |
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
A quiet life with few kindred spirits. Keep calm and look after your goodness; like a chrysanthemum by the fence in late autumn, you have your own fragrance.
Background: The chrysanthemum by the fence recalls the poet Tao Yuanming, who gave up office for a simple country life.
Reminder: You do not need the spotlight; do your own thing well and you will be noticed.
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. 56; next: No. 58.
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. 57: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 57 say?
「生平冷淡知音少，靜養壽真葆善根，共羨一枝黃菊好，秋深籬落自芬芳」 In English: Your life has been quiet, with few who understand you; rest in stillness and guard the roots of goodness. Everyone admires the lovely yellow chrysanthemum: deep in autumn, by the fence, it is fragrant on its own. It is paired with the Lin hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 57 mean?
A quiet life with few kindred spirits. Keep calm and look after your goodness; like a chrysanthemum by the fence in late autumn, you have your own fragrance. Reminder: You do not need the spotlight; do your own thing well and you will be noticed.