Liu Bei Seeks the Worthy
Neutral
The poem
Original: 归程杳杳定无疑 / 石中藏玉有谁知 / 一朝良匠分明剖 / 始觉安然碧玉期
The story
Zhuge Liang lived in a thatched hut at Longzhong. Liu Bei, desperate for a strategist, went in person and had to call three times before he was received. He sent his companions away and asked for counsel, and Zhuge Liang laid out the plan to divide the empire in three. The uncut jade lay there until someone was willing to come three times for it.
What it means
The image is cutting the stone and finding jade: effort brings success. The road ahead looks dim, but do not doubt it, for there is jade in the stone and nobody knows it yet. When a good craftsman finally cuts it open, the green jade appears and you realise everything was sound all along. Two things follow. What you are holding, or what you yourself are, genuinely has potential that has not been seen. And it must be quarried, which requires someone with an eye and your own willingness to put in the work.
By area of life
Wealth
Gain requires effort and patience. The jade is hidden in there and will show one day, so do not sell out carelessly now.
Love
A match still needs an introduction; once someone speaks for you it shines. Those already paired suit each other and can be happy for life.
Work
You need someone with judgement to recognise you, so make your strengths visible and the offer follows. Untapped potential rewards development.
Health
The condition is puzzling but not strange. The key to recovery lies in your own state of mind; settle that and treatment works.
Travel
You feel uneasy about a distant venture until someone explains it to you clearly, and then you see the road is good.
Advice
There is jade in the stone you are holding, so find the person willing to cut it open before you throw it away.