Mazu Fortune Stick No. 85 · Jian Hexagram
命犯孤辰只合休，鴛鴦兩下逐溪流，枯楊豈肯重生葉，風雨飄零空自愁。 Your fate crosses the lonely star; best to let it rest. The mandarin ducks drift apart on the stream. Will a withered willow put out leaves again? Scattered in wind and rain, you grieve alone.
The poem
命犯孤辰只合休
Your fate crosses the lonely star; best to let it rest.
鴛鴦兩下逐溪流
The mandarin ducks drift apart on the stream.
枯楊豈肯重生葉
Will a withered willow put out leaves again?
風雨飄零空自愁
Scattered in wind and rain, you grieve alone.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 85 第八十五首 | Jian 蹇 (Obstruction) |
Text notes: line 4: the temple website reads 風雨飄零空自然.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Idle in youth, laboring in vain in old age 少時不力 老年徒勞 |
| Business | Business poor and dull 生意不濟 生意無聊 |
| Pregnancy | Flowers in a mirror, the moon in water; sadness 鏡花水月 徒自傷悲 |
| Marriage | Bad timing; good things hard to arrange 時運不遇 好事難成 |
| Travel | The road runs out at dusk; only more worry 日暮途窮 徒尋煩惱 |
| Household | A plain family; a quiet door 家風淡泊 門風冷落 |
| Seeking wealth | Climbing a tree to catch fish; effort without result 緣木求魚 勞而不來 |
| Luck of the times | Trouble later; hard to resolve 後必有災 解之無益 |
| Lost items | Hard to find; no one knows where it went 苦尋失物 不知去向 |
| Farming & livestock | Crops wither; nothing to say 禾稼全枯 啞口無言 |
| Lawsuits | Legal trouble; watch out for the unexpected 逢遇官符 恐有意外 |
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 lonely fate: the pair of ducks drift apart, the dead willow will not bloom again, and you grieve alone in the storm.
Reminder: If a relationship cannot be mended right now, look after yourself first.
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. 84; next: No. 86.
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. 85: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 85 say?
「命犯孤辰只合休，鴛鴦兩下逐溪流，枯楊豈肯重生葉，風雨飄零空自愁」 In English: Your fate crosses the lonely star; best to let it rest. The mandarin ducks drift apart on the stream. Will a withered willow put out leaves again? Scattered in wind and rain, you grieve alone. It is paired with the Jian hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 85 mean?
A lonely fate: the pair of ducks drift apart, the dead willow will not bloom again, and you grieve alone in the storm. Reminder: If a relationship cannot be mended right now, look after yourself first.