Mazu Fortune Stick No. 96 · Bo Hexagram
到處生財人莫知，何須奢望遠求之，一兩黃金四兩福，無如命運本參差。 Everywhere there is money to be made, though no one sees it; why dream of chasing it far away? An ounce of gold takes four ounces of luck: fortunes simply are not equal.
The poem
到處生財人莫知
Everywhere there is money to be made, though no one sees it;
何須奢望遠求之
why dream of chasing it far away?
一兩黃金四兩福
An ounce of gold takes four ounces of luck:
無如命運本參差
fortunes simply are not equal.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 96 第九十六首 | Bo 剝 (Splitting Apart) |
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Success is hard; daydreams are useless 功名難就 徒勞妄想 |
| Business | Some gains, some losses; that is fate 有得有失 命也何如 |
| Pregnancy | Blessings bring peace of mind; good at home 福至心安 居喜有益 |
| Marriage | No bond; forcing it brings trouble 兩造無緣 強合禍患 |
| Travel | Things go well at home; no need to travel 在家必達 不必遠遊 |
| Household | Act on your chances and avoid worry 見機面作 可樂免憂 |
| Seeking wealth | Money in one hand, gone from the other 前手接錢 後求空空 |
| Luck of the times | Your time has not come; seeking is useless 時運未到 求而無益 |
| Lost items | It was meant to be lost; do not search 物該失之 不必再覓 |
| Farming & livestock | Chickens, dogs, crops: no harvest 雞犬桑麻 皆無收成 |
| Lawsuits | A clash with the year; legal trouble and gossip 年沖見剋 官非口舌 |
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
There is money to be made everywhere if you look; why chase it far away? It takes luck to hold on to gold, and people's luck differs.
Reminder: Guard what you have and do not chase grand schemes.
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. 95; next: No. 97.
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. 96: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 96 say?
「到處生財人莫知，何須奢望遠求之，一兩黃金四兩福，無如命運本參差」 In English: Everywhere there is money to be made, though no one sees it; why dream of chasing it far away? An ounce of gold takes four ounces of luck: fortunes simply are not equal. It is paired with the Bo hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 96 mean?
There is money to be made everywhere if you look; why chase it far away? It takes luck to hold on to gold, and people's luck differs. Reminder: Guard what you have and do not chase grand schemes.