Mazu Fortune Stick No. 73 · Tong Ren Hexagram
故人寄我一封書，約去他鄉共販絲，若遇龍潭須謹慎，平安全仗佛扶持。 An old friend sends me a letter, asking me to go far away and trade silk together. If you come to the dragon's pool, take great care: your safety rests on the Buddha's help.
The poem
故人寄我一封書
An old friend sends me a letter,
約去他鄉共販絲
asking me to go far away and trade silk together.
若遇龍潭須謹慎
If you come to the dragon's pool, take great care:
平安全仗佛扶持
your safety rests on the Buddha's help.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 73 第七十三首 | Tong Ren 同人 (Fellowship) |
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | A friend protects you; success in one go 知己護庇 一舉成名 |
| Business | All goes as you wish; plenty of wealth 一路稱心 十分財氣 |
| Pregnancy | Pray to the gods and Buddha; safe 祈神奉佛 可保平安 |
| Marriage | A fated match; plenty of joy 配偶天定 吉慶有餘 |
| Travel | Good to go; you meet someone who understands you 利有攸往 喜逢相知 |
| Household | Spring fills the house; harmony at home 春色滿門 人春和睦 |
| Seeking wealth | Good news has come; all is auspicious 好音已通 萬事呈祥 |
| Luck of the times | You meet a patron; seek through good, not cunning 相遇貴人 善求勿狡 |
| Lost items | Search on a Dog or Rooster day and it may come back 戌酉兩日 查之可回 |
| Farming & livestock | Spring and summer steady, autumn and winter very good 春夏平穩 秋冬大利 |
| Lawsuits | Do not worry; take it calmly 不必多疑 泰然處之 |
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
An old friend invites you to start a business together far from home. If you run into danger, be careful; your safety depends on divine protection.
Reminder: Think the risks through before you go into partnership.
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. 72; next: No. 74.
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. 73: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 73 say?
「故人寄我一封書，約去他鄉共販絲，若遇龍潭須謹慎，平安全仗佛扶持」 In English: An old friend sends me a letter, asking me to go far away and trade silk together. If you come to the dragon's pool, take great care: your safety rests on the Buddha's help. It is paired with the Tong Ren hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 73 mean?
An old friend invites you to start a business together far from home. If you run into danger, be careful; your safety depends on divine protection. Reminder: Think the risks through before you go into partnership.