Water Spilled Before the Horse
Inauspicious
The poem
Original: 游鱼却在碧波池 / 撞遭罗网四边围 / 思量无计翻身出 / 事到头来惹事非
The story
Zhu Maichen of Kuaiji was so poor he sold firewood, and his wife left him in disgust. At fifty he was made governor of the same commandery; his wife, full of regret, asked to return. He poured a pail of water on the ground and said that if the water could be gathered up again, so could they. Spilt water cannot be recovered.
What it means
This is the sign of a fish caught in a net, and it calls for caution. The trouble is that the situation looks calm, and you are sheltered under your own roof when the disaster arrives from above. Notice early and guard early and the harm can be avoided. Water already poured out is not worth trying to gather; rather than struggling with an old entanglement, admit what the situation actually is and find another way out of it altogether.
By area of life
Wealth
The profit you can see is not real. Money put in here is quickly trapped, and protecting the capital is the sensible aim.
Love
The relationship is tangled beyond escape. If it has already ended, count that as a release and do not go back.
Work
Be very careful in your dealings and do not step into a trap that somebody else has already prepared for you.
Health
The more treatment, the worse it goes. Stop and investigate the underlying cause again, since a wrong diagnosis is possible.
Travel
Nets on every side. This journey would be full of difficulty, and is better postponed until the situation has clearly changed.
Advice
Spilt water cannot be gathered; swim out of the net instead.