Mazu Fortune Stick No. 71 · Wu Wang Hexagram
今朝坐賈勝行商，莫向江頭趁野航，待得陽生冬至後，出門事事見榮昌。 For now, keeping shop beats trading on the road; do not go down to the river to catch a stray boat. Wait until yang returns after the winter solstice, then everything you set out to do will flourish.
The poem
今朝坐賈勝行商
For now, keeping shop beats trading on the road;
莫向江頭趁野航
do not go down to the river to catch a stray boat.
待得陽生冬至後
Wait until yang returns after the winter solstice,
出門事事見榮昌
then everything you set out to do will flourish.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 71 第七十一首 | Wu Wang 无妄 (Innocence) |
Text notes: line 2: the base text reads 莫向江頭爾野航.
Beyond the poem: your own chart Cast a free BaZi chart →
Reminders by topic (written by us)
| Topic | Reminder |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Hold steady and quiet, get through this stretch and sweetness follows 堅持靜守，熬過這段就會嚐到甘甜 |
| Business | Staying with your shop and working hard beats running around 守著店面勤快經營，比四處奔走好 |
| Pregnancy | For pregnancy and childbirth, please follow your doctor's advice and prenatal checkups 懷孕生產請遵從醫師與產檢 |
| Marriage | Relax, a good match will come on its own 放寬心，好緣分自己會來 |
| Travel | Hold off on long trips until after the winter solstice 先別遠行，等冬至過後再出門 |
| Household | Good news is on its way to your home 家中將有好消息傳來 |
| Seeking wealth | The low point is nearly over, earn honestly and it will pay 低潮快過了，正當去求會有收穫 |
| Luck of the times | Winter gives way to spring and luck turns with it 冬去春來，運勢跟著好轉 |
| Lost items | Look carefully all around, you can still get it back 前後仔細看看，東西還找得回 |
| Farming & livestock | The year is good, but still save and store some away 年成不錯，仍要節省儲備 |
| Lawsuits | Even with the upper hand, leave the other side some room 佔上風時，也要給對方留點餘地 |
These short reminders are written by us from the poem and its hexagram; they are not the readings printed on the temple's slip, so for a real reading go by the temple where you drew the lot. The temple's list also has an "illness" topic, which we leave out, and the pregnancy topic is always a reminder to follow your doctor. If you feel unwell, please see a doctor.
What it means
For now it is better to run your business from home than to trade on the road; do not rush off on an uncertain boat. After the winter solstice, when yang energy returns, everything goes well.
Reminder: Stick to your main business for now; make your move at year-end.
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. 70; next: No. 72.
A straight word: fortune poems are a matter of faith, and the meanings here are ours
The Chinese text and hexagram names follow a widely circulated edition, checked line by line against three other versions; we only corrected obvious copying errors, and every page shows the base text's original wording wherever we changed it. The topic reminders, English translations and plain-English meanings are our own reading of the words and the hexagram, not the temple's readings or 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. 71: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 71 say?
「今朝坐賈勝行商，莫向江頭趁野航，待得陽生冬至後，出門事事見榮昌」 In English: For now, keeping shop beats trading on the road; do not go down to the river to catch a stray boat. Wait until yang returns after the winter solstice, then everything you set out to do will flourish. It is paired with the Wu Wang hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 71 mean?
For now it is better to run your business from home than to trade on the road; do not rush off on an uncertain boat. After the winter solstice, when yang energy returns, everything goes well. Reminder: Stick to your main business for now; make your move at year-end.