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Bushi Zhengzong · The Orthodox Tradition of Divination
Eighteen Questions · The Source Spirit
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
Question Three: What generates the Useful Spirit is the Source Spirit, originally indicating good fortune. Can there also be ill within this good?
Answer: When the Source Spirit moves to generate the Useful Spirit, and the Useful Spirit appears in flourishing strength, good fortune is doubled. If the Useful Spirit is in Cycle Void, weak, or hidden and absent, wait until it leaves the cycle, gains seasonal command or occupies its day: what is sought will be attained.
Even if the Useful Spirit is strong, the Source Spirit cannot generate it when in Rest and Imprisonment without movement; when moving and changing into Control, Extinction or Tomb; when at Month Break or Clashed by the day; when a moving Hostile Spirit controls it; when Clashed by the day or month; or when changing into a Retreating Spirit. The Useful Spirit’s root is then injured. Not only is there no benefit; there is harm instead.
Divination: A wife asks about her husband’s recent illness. Divination: Fengshui.
Hexagram: Heaven over Fire, Tong Ren, changing to Li as Fire. Hexagram: Lake over Water, Kun, changing to Water over Lake, Jie.
Palace: Li Fire. Cycle Void: Xu, Hai. Missing line: [no entry supplied]. Palace: Dui Metal. Cycle Void: Zi, Chou. Missing line: Officer.
Six Beasts; Self/Response; hexagram.
Line; Qian.
Branch; Six Spirits; stems and branches; Six Spirits; Hidden.
Spirit; Hexagram Body; Day.
Chen; Month Commander; Tai Sui; Six Beasts; Self/Response; hexagram.
Line; stems and branches; Six Spirits; stems and branches; Six Spirits; Hidden.
Spirit; Hexagram Body; day designation; Month Commander; Tai Sui.
Vermilion Bird; Response; Xu Descendants; Wu; Shen. Dark Warrior; Wei Parents; Jia; Mao.
Green Dragon; O; Shen Wealth; Wei Descendants; Chen. White Tiger; You Brothers; Yin.
Dark Warrior; Wu Brothers. Soaring Snake; Response; Ｏ; Hai Descendants; Shen Brothers.
White Tiger; Self; Hai Officer. Gouchen; Wu Officer.
Soaring Snake; Chou Descendants. Vermilion Bird; Chen Parents.
Gouchen; Mao Parents. Green Dragon; Self; Ｘ; Yin Wealth; Si Officer; Si Officer.
Judgment: Hai Water at Self is the husband star and enters Tomb on Chen day. If his illness were judged as following Ghost into Tomb, would that not be ominous? Fortunately Shen Metal, the Source Spirit, moves to generate the Useful Spirit and changes into Wei Earth, which generates and assists the Source Spirit. Xu Earth also secretly moves to generate and assist it. The husband star’s roots are thus firm and deep. The difficulty is that Hai Water in Cycle Void cannot receive its Generation. Wait for Si day to Clash Hai Water up, and he will recover. He recovered completely on Ji Si day.
I said, “In asking about an ancestral grave, there must be another cause. What has gone poorly since burial, and what brings the question today? Tell me plainly before I decide.” He replied, “Since the burial, I was censured and returned home. I am nearly fifty and still childless. I therefore ask whether this grave has an obstruction.” I said, “Six Combinations changing into Combination shelters the wind and gathers qi. But Hai Water changes into Shen Metal, which the day Clashes with. Shen is Water’s Source Spirit: the originating watercourse must fail to return to its channel. If the water is returned to the channel instead of flowing off to the side, in Si year you will again bow before the vermilion palace steps, and in Shen year a son will be born.”
Reading note: The supplied disrupted 亥水申金粄日辰 phrase is read through the corresponding classical wording: Hai Water changes into Shen Metal, which the day Clashes with.
Both predictions were verified. Si year brought renewed appointment because Yin Wood at Self changed into the Officer star of that year. Shen year brought a son because Hai Water Descendants changed into Shen Metal’s returning Generation.
Divination: A person asks about their own recent illness. Divination: A son asks about his father’s illness.
Hexagram: Heaven over Fire, Tong Ren, changing to Fire over Mountain, Lu. Hexagram: Earth over Wind, Sheng, changing to Earth over Water, Shi.
Reading note: The supplied name 天火同火 is read as 天火同人, Tong Ren, as in the corresponding classical case.
Palace: Li Fire. Cycle Void: Wu, Wei. Missing line: [no entry supplied]. Palace: Zhen Wood. Cycle Void: Xu, Hai. Missing lines: Descendants, Brothers.
Six Beasts; Self/Response; hexagram.
Line; Qian.
Branch; Six Spirits; stems and branches; Six Spirits; Hidden.
Spirit; Hexagram Body; Day.
Chen; Month Commander; Tai Sui; Six Beasts; Self/Response; hexagram.
Line; stems and branches; Six Spirits; stems and branches; Six Spirits; Hidden.
Spirit; Hexagram Body; day designation; Month Commander; Tai Sui.
Vermilion Bird; Response; Xu Descendants; Wu. Dark Warrior; You Officer; Yi; Yin.
Green Dragon; Ｏ; Shen Wealth; Wei Descendants; Zi; Chou. White Tiger; Hai Parents; Chou.
Dark Warrior; Wu Brothers. Soaring Snake; Self; Chou Wealth; Wu Descendants.
White Tiger; Self; Hai Officer. Gouchen; Ｏ; You Officer; Wu Descendants.
Soaring Snake; Chou Descendants. Vermilion Bird; Hai Parents; Yin Brothers.
Gouchen; Ｏ; Mao Parents; Chen Descendants. Green Dragon; Response; Chou Wealth.
Judgment: For one’s own illness, Self is the Useful Spirit—here Hai Water at Self. Zi day supports it, and Shen Metal, the Source Spirit, moves to generate Self: it seems an illness that will not be fatal. But Shen Metal changes into Wei Earth at Month Break and Cycle Void, leaving the Source Spirit without roots. There is no immediate harm, but danger threatens in spring. He died on the day Spring Begins. Death corresponded to the first month because Shen Metal, the Source Spirit, also met the month’s Clash, and spring’s strong Wood controlled Wei Earth as well.
Judgment: Hai Water Parents is the Useful Spirit. Although it is in Cycle Void, You Metal, the Source Spirit, moves to generate it, so one might promise safety. But You Metal changes into Wu Fire’s returning Control: the Source Spirit is injured and the Useful Spirit has no roots. This person died in Mao year? Mao month? On Mao day at Mao hour. Mao day and hour corresponded because they generated and assisted Wu Fire to control and Clash with the Source Spirit.
Reading note: The supplied 子曰 is read as 子日, Zi day, following the classical parallel. The supplied question marks after year and month remain; the parallel states only Mao day and Mao hour.
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