Stick #85: Adding Frost to Snow (Very Unfavorable)
雪上再加霜一层,当前最忌乱方寸。守静守拙待时变,否极泰来有定分。
Plain reading
Fortune was already poor, and now frost falls on snow — hardship piled on hardship. The worst mistake is losing your composure. Stay quiet, stay plain, wait for change; when ill reaches its limit, good returns by fate.
Interpretation
This is a very unfavorable lot titled "Adding Frost to Snow." Frost upon snow — the greatest danger is losing composure. "Stay quiet, stay plain, await change; ill turns to good by fate" shows chaos worsens harm; still guarding brings the turn.
Advice
When new harm arrives, sit quietly ten breaths and react to nothing. Each day do only "quiet and plain" — add no affair, make no decision, expand nothing.
From Laozi: "Stillness masters unrest" — in frost upon frost, those who guard stillness survive; ill turns to good by fate.