Detailed Introduction
By the end of a session with the divination blocks, the deity can only manage "yes" or "no" -- but when did your worries ever come that simple? This is where fortune sticks take over. Drawing fortune sticks (qiuqian, also called "drawing lots" or "seeking a fortune poem") stands with jiaobei as one of the two great channels of communication between people and the gods -- except that here, the deity's guidance comes wrapped in a poem, deeper and finer than a flat yes or no.
Types and Structure of Fortune Poems
Taiwanese temples mainly use a few systems of fortune poems:
- Sixty Jiazi sticks: 60 poems arranged by the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (Jiazi, Yichou, Bingyin, and so on), the most common set in Taiwan. Each is a four-line, seven-character verse, graded as "Great Fortune," "Upper Fortune," "Middle Fortune," "Fair," "Lowest," and the like.
- Guanyin's Hundred Poems (Guanyin Lingqian): 100 poems, more often used in Buddhist temples dedicated to Guanyin.
- Guan Di's Hundred Poems: 100 poems, common at temples of Lord Guan (Guan Yu), their verses often drawing on tales from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
- Mazu poems: sets of 60 or 100, exclusive to Mazu temples, some verses touching on safety at sea.
Beyond the main verse, each poem usually comes with a plain-language interpretation, a related story or allusion (such as Lu Mengzheng in poverty or Han Xin fishing), and readings for every area of life -- career, marriage, wealth, health, and more.
The Right Way to Draw
1. Offer incense and state your case: first offer incense to the deity, clearly giving your name, lunar birthday, address, and the matter you wish to ask about. Keep the question specific (for example, "This humble devotee asks: is this job right for me?"), not vague.
2. Draw a stick: pull one stick from the bamboo cylinder, or let one leap out on its own. The cylinder holds several dozen numbered bamboo sticks.
3. Confirm with the blocks: don't read the poem right away. First cast divination blocks before the deity and ask, "Is this the stick you mean to give me?" Only three holy blocks in a row confirm it; anything else, and you draw again.
4. Retrieve the poem: once confirmed, note the stick number (say, "Number 23") and take the matching poem slip from the poem cabinet.
5. Interpretation: read it yourself, or take it to the temple's "interpretation desk" for a master or volunteer to explain. Many temples keep dedicated interpreters who read the poem against your specific question.
Famous Temples for Fortune Sticks
- Longshan Temple, Wanhua: home to the 100 Guanyin poems; one of the busiest temples for drawing sticks.
- Xingtian Temple: known for its Guan Di sticks and famous shoujing (fright-calming) service, and hugely popular for fortune sticks too.
- Xiahai City God Temple, Taipei: reputed as one of the most effective temples for romance-related sticks, and a magnet for singles.
- Lukang Tianhou Temple: known for its Mazu poems, especially accurate for travel and sea fortune.
- Nankunshen Daitian Temple: its "National Fortune Stick," drawn on the first day of Lunar New Year to foretell Taiwan's fortunes for the whole year, makes national headlines.
The Art of Interpretation
Reading a fortune poem is an art, not a science. The same verse can point in completely different directions depending on whether you asked about work or about love. A good interpreter first grasps your situation, then weaves together the poem's allusion, its imagery, and its various fortune readings into a whole. An "upper fortune" poem isn't necessarily all good -- it may hide a caution against getting carried away; a "lowest fortune" poem isn't necessarily all bad -- it may be the very turning point where things start to improve. A fortune poem is the deity's reminder and advice, not an unchangeable verdict, so take it with a calm and even heart.