Wong Tai Sin Sign 38陶淵明辭官歸隱Tao Yuanming Resigns from Office to Live in Seclusion
The figure behind this stick is Tao Yuanming setting down the official seal and sailing home to a small cottage.
Quitting his busy office, leisurely sailed the poet home, Through not spacious, his little cottage pleased him well.
Often he relished poetry and wine by the south window; For the beauty of the mountains he'd go for a lazy stroll.
Seven Short Readings
- CareerTao Yuanming walked away from his magistrate's seal after eighty days because the cost of staying had become clearer than the cost of leaving.READ
- WealthIncome grows steadily through real work, but quiet lifestyle leaks drain it.READ
- LoveTao Yuanming walked away from office not because he failed there, but because the version of himself required to succeed had become unbearable to wear.READ
- HealthYour health journey mirrors Tao Yuanming's wisdom about finding peace through stepping back from life's pressures.READ
- StudyYour educational journey is calling for a major reset.READ
- FamilyTao Yuanming's image sits behind this stick like a quiet rebuke to ambition: a man who folded up his official robes, sailed home, and found that a small cottage with a south-facing window held more of his life than the c...READ
- The whole situationThe figure behind this stick is Tao Yuanming setting down the official seal and sailing home to a small cottage, a south window, and a stroll through the hills.READ
Tao Yuanming Resigns from Office to Live in Seclusion
Tao Yuanming was a 4th-century Chinese poet who walked away from a promising government career to live as a simple farmer. Picture this: a man in his thirties, frustrated with the corruption and politics of court life, literally throws down his official seal and goes home to plant beans.
He became dirt poor but wrote some of China's most beloved poetry about finding joy in simple things — drinking wine, watching clouds, talking to his chickens. His essay "Going Home" is still taught in schools today.
For centuries, Chinese people have seen him as the ultimate example of choosing authenticity over status. When you're burned out from chasing success, Tao Yuanming reminds you there's another way to live.
Traditional Notes
These topic-by-topic notes preserve an older reading format. Use them as cultural context while you consider the situation in front of you.
Read the traditional notes
- Geomancy
- plain sailing and free of obstacles.
- Lost property
- lost items may be recovered with searching.
- Personal well-being
- good deeds will lead to safety.
- Future prospect
- conditions normal with nothing joyful.
- Traveling
- must learn to keep out of adversities.
Traditional categories translated into English for cultural reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Wong Tai Sin Sign 38 mean?
This sign is graded Moderately Good. The figure behind this stick is Tao Yuanming setting down the official seal and sailing home to a small cottage.
What does Sign 38 say about love?
Tao Yuanming walked away from office not because he failed there, but because the version of himself required to succeed had become unbearable to wear. Read the full answer
Is Wong Tai Sin Sign 38 good or bad?
Sign 38 is graded Moderately Good. This is the middle-positive grade. Progress is possible when you keep a steady pace.
What does Sign 38 say about career?
Tao Yuanming walked away from his magistrate's seal after eighty days because the cost of staying had become clearer than the cost of leaving. Read the full answer
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