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Bushi Zhengzong · The Orthodox Tradition of Divination
Golden Counsels · Brothel and Boat Households
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The Brothel Household
Those who make their living in houses of flowers and willows are called prostitutes or courtesans. To discern blessing and misfortune at their subtle beginnings, one uses yarrow stalks and tortoise shells.
They establish themselves in flower streets and dwell in willow lanes.
The crowds outside the door are pleasure-seeking young men. Those gathered before the windows are beauties skilled in singing and dancing.
To obtain peace, Self must be free of Clash and Control. To obtain satisfaction, Response must generate and support.
A Six Clashes hexagram means vainly welcoming people who come and go. Lines in Six Combinations mean guests happily linger morning and evening.
Wealth in Void threatens the fall of the money tree. Officer at Tomb or Extinction leaves the pleasure-seeking patron unable to linger.
Wife and Wealth and Officer and Ghost cannot do without one another. Wealth, Ghost, Parents, Brothers and Descendants should all remain still.
Ghost Sha injuring Body brings fears of fire, robbery or official disaster. The day Clashing with Parents means the dwelling will be changed.
Brothers at a crossing or heavy line means spending the purse empty. Descendants hidden means accompanying guests with a furrowed brow.
Wealth changing into Blessing means a prostitute leaves the household to enter respectable life. Officer at a place of Penalty means a person with a serious disease comes to the door.
The Avoided Spirit moving while weak and in Void means idle disputes and troublesome talk. Wealth active and controlling Self means money and profit, but also alarm and worry.
To infer in detail through these subtle principles is indeed worth gold that cannot replace it.
Boat Households
Having understood the principles of a dwelling on land, examine the subtleties of living aboard a boat. Green Dragon with Parents means the family has lived on boats for generations. White Tiger with Wife and Wealth means a household newly taking to boat life. To know whether ordinary life will be secure, examine Blessing and Virtue and Green Dragon.
The first line is the bow, where Descendants must flourish. The sixth is the stern rudder, where Blessing and Virtue should be crossing or heavy. Parents meeting Penalty or Clash means violent wind and urgent waves. Wife and Wealth controlled and sunk means provoking disputes and blame. Brothers at a crossing or heavy line means the boat’s timbers must be replaced. If Ghost occupies the Useful Spirit and brings oppressive affliction, the text calls for promptly praying for good fortune.
The second is the wooden member called lie-mu, which must be firm and square. Meeting Soaring Snake brings strange occurrences; Vermilion Bird, disputes and calamity. Green Dragon adds profit; White Tiger injures people and brings misfortune. Dark Warrior brings anxiety over thieves; Gouchen dissipates money.
The third is the hold opening, which fears Penalty, Control, Clash and Harm. The fourth is the mast, which welcomes support, Combination and Generation. The fifth is the cable; the sixth is the scull and awning. Mutual Generation makes boat work bring wealth. Clash and Control bring calamity to life aboard.
Reading note: The supplied timber terms 怪木 and 獵木 are not assigned more specific modern shipbuilding identities. In the garbled 六合櫓逄, the sixth-line clause follows the parallel classical reading 六爲櫓篷. The Chinese source is retained.
Self moving favors giving up the old for the new. Response flourishing favors continuing the family’s boat dwelling and proceeding toward good fortune. Self with Dark Warrior means intrusion by thieves. Gouchen holding Self means capsizing and damage to the rudder. White Tiger warns of unexpectedly falling into the water. Green Dragon means rescue in danger. A Soaring Snake line moving threatens sudden illness. A Vermilion Bird line active threatens a broken mast.
The first position in Void means damage to the bow. Ghost at the second line means damage to ropes and cables. The third especially fears Penalty and Clash: the base within the hold causes trouble. The fourth fears ominous Sha: guard against a torn awning and leaks. The fifth is the cable; Void brings anxiety. The sixth is the rudder opening; Sha means repair or replacement is needed. By inferring in this way, boat life can remain free of further trouble.
Reading note: The supplied 平基 is retained broadly as the hold’s base; the text does not establish a more precise component.
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