Mazu Fortune Stick No. 86 · Bi Hexagram
生長江河慣御船，誰知翻覆有多端，青龍若遇當無恙，白虎相沖心膽寒。 Raised on the rivers, you are used to steering boats, yet who knows how many ways a boat can capsize? Meet the Azure Dragon and you will come to no harm; clash with the White Tiger and your heart will freeze.
The poem
生長江河慣御船
Raised on the rivers, you are used to steering boats,
誰知翻覆有多端
yet who knows how many ways a boat can capsize?
青龍若遇當無恙
Meet the Azure Dragon and you will come to no harm;
白虎相沖心膽寒
clash with the White Tiger and your heart will freeze.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 86 第八十六首 | Bi 比 (Holding Together) |
Text notes: line 3: the temple website reads 看龍若遇當無恙.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Luck like drifting duckweed; why daydream 運若浮萍 何必妄想 |
| Business | Two tigers fight; one is sure to be hurt 兩虎相鬥 必有損傷 |
| Pregnancy | Take great care near the birth; rest well 臨產危險 小心保養 |
| Marriage | The two clash; not a match 兩造相剋 不合緣分 |
| Travel | Safe at home; going out brings harm 在家安全 出必犯傷 |
| Household | Changes at home; hold firm and wait 門庭變卦 守志待時 |
| Seeking wealth | Little wealth; seek it well 財氣淡淡 善求為妙 |
| Luck of the times | Wait for a lucky Dragon day; forcing it helps nothing 候用辰吉 強求亦然 |
| Lost items | Gone, gone; why chase it 去矣去矣 何必再追 |
| Farming & livestock | Bad weather; weak plans 風雨不調 人謀不盛 |
| Lawsuits | Heaven sees clearly; why bring this on yourself 天理昭昭 何苦而來 |
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
Even a seasoned boatman cannot predict every way a boat can overturn. With a lucky sign you are fine; with an unlucky one you tremble.
Background: In Chinese astrology the Azure Dragon is an auspicious sign and the White Tiger an ominous one.
Reminder: However skilled you are, do not get careless; watch the risks.
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. 85; next: No. 87.
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. 86: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 86 say?
「生長江河慣御船，誰知翻覆有多端，青龍若遇當無恙，白虎相沖心膽寒」 In English: Raised on the rivers, you are used to steering boats, yet who knows how many ways a boat can capsize? Meet the Azure Dragon and you will come to no harm; clash with the White Tiger and your heart will freeze. It is paired with the Bi hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 86 mean?
Even a seasoned boatman cannot predict every way a boat can overturn. With a lucky sign you are fine; with an unlucky one you tremble. Reminder: However skilled you are, do not get careless; watch the risks.