Good vs Fair: Fortune Stick Grades Fully Explained

The five grades

From best to most cautious: Best (上上, 3 sticks) → Great (上吉, 10) → Good (中吉, 29) → Fair (中平, 40) → Poor (下下, 18). Good and Fair together make up 69% — most people draw one of these two.

Good vs Fair — the key difference

Good leans positive. The poem usually mixes encouragement with caution. Overall direction: promising, but mind the details.

Fair leans neutral. Not bad, but not the right time for big moves. The poem emphasises steadiness, patience, preparation.

An analogy: Good is a green light with pedestrians — go ahead, but watch carefully. Fair is a yellow light — pause, assess, then decide.

Do grades affect readings?

Yes. For the same question (e.g. "Should I change jobs?"), a Good stick might say "worth exploring, prepare well," while a Fair stick might say "not ideal timing, build your position first."

Don't over-focus on grades

The grade is a broad signal. The real value is in the poem's specific lines. A Fair stick with one line that perfectly matches your situation is more useful than a Best stick you barely read.