Stick #58: A Path of Thorns (Slightly Unfavorable)
荆棘满途鞋脚破，行来辛苦不堪言。披荆斩棘虽费力，走过便是艳阳天。
Plain reading
Thorns fill the road and wear through your shoes — the journey is bitter beyond words. Clearing the way is exhausting, yet beyond this stretch lies bright sky.
Interpretation
This is a slightly unfavorable lot titled "A Path of Thorns." Shoes torn, the walk bitter — the road ahead must be cut through brambles. Yet "beyond lies bright sky" shows sweetness after bitterness; present pain is the passage to light.
Advice
Prepare gear for the thorn road — enough rest, trustworthy companions, emergency stores. Reward yourself after each hurdle to keep strength for the whole journey.
From the Book of Later Han: Ma Yuan said a true man should die on the frontier wrapped in horsehide — old yet vigorous through thorns, a sign that will must not fail on a bitter road.