Mazu Fortune Stick No. 90 · Jian Hexagram
梓匠輪輿一事耑，養家餬口足盤餐，莫生奢望思遷業，惹得風波反不安。 Carpenter, joiner, wheelwright: each sticks to one trade, enough to feed the family and fill the table. Do not dream big and think of switching jobs, or you will stir up storms and lose your peace.
The poem
梓匠輪輿一事耑
Carpenter, joiner, wheelwright: each sticks to one trade,
養家餬口足盤餐
enough to feed the family and fill the table.
莫生奢望思遷業
Do not dream big and think of switching jobs,
惹得風波反不安
or you will stir up storms and lose your peace.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 90 第九十首 | Jian 蹇 (Obstruction) |
Text notes: line 3: the temple website reads 莫生奢望恩遷業.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Diligence makes up for clumsiness; thrift keeps you honest 勤能補拙 儉可養廉 |
| Business | If you change plans, cleverness backfires 惹欲改圖 弄巧成拙 |
| Pregnancy | Stay focused; children are likely 專心致志 子嗣有望 |
| Marriage | Divided hearts; it will not come together 三心兩意 不能合成 |
| Travel | Running east and west; nothing done 東奔西走 一事無成 |
| Household | Changes at home; hard to say if good or bad 門庭變換 福禍難猜 |
| Seeking wealth | Keep to your role; seek well 宜要本分 須要善求 |
| Luck of the times | Rich profit; your luck is here 財利豐厚 時運已到 |
| Lost items | Search hard and you will find it 辛苦尋之 可得之矣 |
| Farming & livestock | Spring and summer average, autumn and winter very good 春夏平平 秋冬大利 |
| Lawsuits | Follow heaven's way and it will become clear 順乎天理 自有分明 |
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 carpenter who sticks to his craft earns enough to support his family. Do not get ambitious and switch careers; it will only bring trouble.
Reminder: Stick with your expertise; this is not the time for a sudden career change.
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. 89; next: No. 91.
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. 90: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 90 say?
「梓匠輪輿一事耑，養家餬口足盤餐，莫生奢望思遷業，惹得風波反不安」 In English: Carpenter, joiner, wheelwright: each sticks to one trade, enough to feed the family and fill the table. Do not dream big and think of switching jobs, or you will stir up storms and lose your peace. It is paired with the Jian hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 90 mean?
A carpenter who sticks to his craft earns enough to support his family. Do not get ambitious and switch careers; it will only bring trouble. Reminder: Stick with your expertise; this is not the time for a sudden career change.