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Bushi Zhengzong · The Orthodox Tradition of Divination
Eighteen Questions · Reversing Chant
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Question Five: Does the ill fortune of Reversing Chant differ in severity?
Answer: In a Reversing Chant hexagram, if the Useful Spirit does not change into Clash or Control, the affair undergoes reversals but can still be accomplished. The difficulty is a Useful Spirit changing into Clash or Control: all undertakings then become greatly ominous.
Divination: What follows accompanying an official to his post? Divination: Promotion and selection for office.
Hexagram: Water over Earth, Bi, changing to Water over Wind, Jing. Hexagram: Earth over Lake, Lin, changing to Wind over Lake, Zhong Fu.
Palace: Kun Earth. Cycle Void: Xu, Hai. Missing line: [no entry supplied]. Palace: Kun Earth. Cycle Void: Shen, You. Missing line: [no entry supplied].
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.
White Tiger; Response; Zi Wealth; Ren; Mao. Dark Warrior; Ｘ; You Descendants; Mao Officer; Yi; Mao.
Soaring Snake; Xu Brothers; Shen. White Tiger; Response; Ｘ; Hai Wealth; Si Parents; Hai.
Gouchen; Shen Descendants. Soaring Snake; Chou Brothers.
Vermilion Bird; Self; Ｘ; Mao Officer; You Descendants. Gouchen; Chou Brothers.
Green Dragon; Ｘ; Si Parents; Hai Wealth. Vermilion Bird; Self; Mao Officer.
Dark Warrior; Wei Brothers. Green Dragon; Si Parents.
Judgment: Self on Mao Wood changes into You Metal’s Control and Clash in the inner hexagram: Reversing Chant of the lines. This journey is unfavorable; it is best not to go. The official later drew a lot for a vacancy near the rebels’ camp, and the questioner declined to accompany him. After the official left, the questioner went because of another matter. In the seventh month, the city fell and both were killed. They suffered together because Officer on Self also received You Metal’s Clash and Control. Refusing to go and then going was the inner hexagram’s Reversing Chant.
Judgment: Self on Mao Wood is the Month Commander, and the Officer star obtains Birth from the day. Self and Officer both occupy strong positions: I promised promotion. That month came news of transfer from Jiangxi to Shandong. Before a year had passed, he returned to office in Jiangxi. This was Reversing Chant of the outer hexagram: leaving and then returning.
Divination: Will an elder brother’s wife recover from a relapsed illness? Divination: Will returning to the former place to sell goods be profitable?
Hexagram: Mountain over Earth, Bo, changing to Kun as Earth. Hexagram: Wind over Heaven, Xiao Xu, changing to Qian as Heaven.
Palace: Qian Metal. Cycle Void: Zi, Chou. Missing line: Brothers. Palace: Xun Wood. Cycle Void: Yin, Mao. 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.
Green Dragon; Ｏ; Yin Wealth; You Brothers; Ding; Wei. Vermilion Bird; Mao Brothers; Wu; Si.
Dark Warrior; Self; Zi Descendants; Shen Brothers; Si. Green Dragon; Si Descendants; Shen.
White Tiger; Xu Parents. Dark Warrior; Response; Ｘ; Wei Wealth; Wu Descendants.
Soaring Snake; Mao Wealth. White Tiger; Chen Wealth; You Officer.
Gouchen; Response; Si Officer. Soaring Snake; Yin Brothers.
Vermilion Bird; Wei Parents. Gouchen; Self; Zi Parents.
Judgment: Gen changing into Kun in the outer hexagram is Reversing Chant at the hexagram level: plainly an illness that improves and then relapses. But Yin Wood, the Useful Spirit, changes into You Metal’s returning Control, enters Tomb in Wei month and is penalized by the day. The illness becomes critical on Shen day. This was verified.
Judgment: Xiao Xu changing into Qian is Reversing Chant at the hexagram level. Fortunately Self and Wealth obtain Birth from the day. In this divination, Response represents the destination. It meets Wu Fire’s returning Generation and Combination, so profit will be twice what it was before. This person later made three round trips and obtained double profit each time.
Divination: A burial site. Divination: [no second question supplied].
Hexagram: Xun as Wind, changing to Earth over Wind, Sheng. Hexagram: [no second name supplied].
Palace: Xun Wood. Cycle Void: Wu, Wei. Missing line: [no entry supplied]. Palace: [no entry supplied]. Cycle Void: [no entry supplied]. Missing line: [no entry supplied].
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; Self; Ｏ; Mao Brothers; You Officer; Wu; Mao.
Green Dragon; Ｏ; Si Descendants; Hai Parents; Zi.
Dark Warrior; Wei Wealth.
White Tiger; Response; You Officer.
Soaring Snake; Hai Parents.
Gouchen; Chou Wealth.
Judgment: Self is the burial point, occupies the Month Commander and is generated by Zi day: it would be an auspicious site. But the lines change into Reversing Chant, and Descendants and Self both change into Control and Clash. Burial is unsuitable. He said, “The expensive purchase was concluded long ago, and the geomancers all call it beautiful land.” He buried there anyway. Within four years, two sons, a daughter and he himself died in succession.
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