Stick #98: All Hope Abandoned (Very Unfavorable)
万念俱灰心欲冷，且寻亲友暖寒衾。一念放下千般事，重整旗鼓再启程。
Plain reading
When every thought turns to ash, seek kin and friends to warm the cold blanket. Release one fixation and a thousand burdens fall; regroup and set out again.
Interpretation
This is a very unfavorable lot titled "All Hope Abandoned." Heart grows cold — seek kin to warm the blanket. "Release one thought, a thousand matters fall; regroup and depart" shows warmth revives; letting go begins anew.
Situation notes
- Career: Pause for now — seek warmth; plan another path.
- Relationships: Separate briefly if needed — seek kin to warm the blanket.
- Wealth: Do not manage money now — warm body first; seek kin.
Common misread
Auspicious tiers (such as Very Unfavorable) are tone, not a verdict. Name one action you control before redrawing.
Advice
Contact one person who can warm you — they need not solve all, only be present. Write a list of "what can be released" — release and depart.
From Dream of the Red Chamber, the "Song of Completion" — when all hope is ash, release — one release lifts a thousand burdens.
Related sticks
- Stick #97: Powerless to Turn the Tide — neighboring lot for tone contrast
- Stick #99: Utter Despair — neighboring lot for tone contrast
Editorial note: entertainment and cultural reference. Source last revised: 2026-09-14. See Methodology and fortune stick guide.