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Bushi Zhengzong · The Orthodox Tradition of Divination
Eighteen Questions · Advancing and Retreating Spirits
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Question Ten: Advancing and Retreating Spirits arise from changes of moving lines. How do we judge the favorable and unfavorable distinctions of good, ill, misfortune and blessing?
Answer: An auspicious spirit should change into Advance, and an Avoided Spirit should change into Retreat. There are three ways of advancing:
First: flourishing strength advances with its momentum.
Second: Rest and Imprisonment waits for its time to advance.
Third: if either the moving or changed line meets Void, Break, Clash or Combination, wait until its appointed filling, repair, Combination or Clash before it advances.
There are also three ways of retreating:
First: flourishing strength, or Generation and support from the day, month or moving lines, temporarily prevents Retreat in questions about immediate affairs.
Second: Rest and Imprisonment retreats at once.
Third: if either the moving or changed line meets Void, Break, Clash or Combination, wait until its appointed filling, repair, Combination or Clash before it retreats.
Divination: The provincial examination. Divination: In what year will a son be born?
Hexagram: Thunder over Wind, Heng, changing to Lake over Wind, Da Guo. Hexagram: Water over Thunder, Zhun, changing to Water over Lake, Jie.
Palace: Zhen Wood. Cycle Void: Chen, Si. Missing line: [no entry supplied]. Palace: Kan Water. Cycle Void: Yin, Mao. 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; Xu Wealth; Gui; Shen. Soaring Snake; Zi Brothers; Geng; You.
Soaring Snake; Ｘ; Shen Officer; You Officer; Mao. Gouchen; Response; Xu Officer; Xu.
Gouchen; Wu Descendants. Vermilion Bird; Shen Parents.
Vermilion Bird; Self; You Officer. Green Dragon; Chen Officer; Wu Wealth.
Green Dragon; Hai Parents; Yin Brothers. Dark Warrior; Self; Ｘ; Yin Descendants; Mao Descendants.
Dark Warrior; Chou Wealth. White Tiger; Zi Brothers.
Judgment: You Metal Officer holds Self. The day Clashes it into secret movement, and Officer at the fifth, the nine-five position, changes into an Advancing Spirit to support it. Not only will you pluck the cassia this autumn; next spring you will take a leading place. He passed the provincial examination and succeeded again in the following Chen year. Changing into an Advancing Spirit corresponded to this autumn and successive success. Chen year corresponded to Clash meeting Combination.
Judgment: Yin Wood Descendants holds Self and changes into an Advancing Spirit. Yin Wood is in Cycle Void; Mao Wood is both empty and broken. In Yin year, Mao month, his wife and maidservant bore two sons. Although Mao Wood was at Month Break, the day combined to repair it: Rest and Imprisonment waiting for its time to be used.
Divination: A person asks about seeking marriage. Divination: After being censured, an official asks about presenting a statement on his own conduct.
Hexagram: Fire over Thunder, Shi He, changing to Water over Earth, Bi. Hexagram: Earth over Water, Shi, changing to Earth over Fire, Ming Yi.
Palace: Xun Wood. Cycle Void: Xu, Hai. Missing line: [no entry supplied]. Palace: Kan Water. Cycle Void: Yin, Mao. 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.
Dark Warrior; Ｏ; Si Descendants; Zi Parents; Yi; Mao. Dark Warrior; Response; You Parents; Jia; You.
White Tiger; Self; Ｘ; Wei Wealth; Xu Wealth; Chou. White Tiger; Hai Brothers; Chen.
Soaring Snake; Ｏ; You Officer; Shen Officer. Soaring Snake; Chou Officer.
Gouchen; Chen Wealth. Gouchen; Self; Ｘ; Wu Wealth; Hai Brothers.
Vermilion Bird; Response; Yin Brothers. Vermilion Bird; Ｏ; Chen Officer; Chou Officer.
Green Dragon; Ｏ; Zi Parents; Wei Wealth. Green Dragon; Ｘ; Yin Descendants; Mao Descendants.
Judgment: Wealth holds Self and changes into an Advancing Spirit. Si Fire Descendants moves to generate Self, but Si changes into Zi Water’s returning Control. Wait for Wu day to Clash away Zi Water: this is removing fuel from beneath the pot. Wu day also generates and combines with Self, so the marriage must be concluded. Consent was given on Wu day. Someone asked, “You Metal Ghost moves at an intervening line. Is there no obstruction?” I answered, “At Month Break and changing into a Retreating Spirit, it may obstruct but has no strength.”
Judgment: Self changes into returning Control, Officer changes into Retreat, and Descendants changes into Advance. All three inner lines are unfavorable. In the second month of the following year he was arrested for questioning. Mao corresponded because that month Descendants left Void and filled Break.
Divination: Will an official career eventually lead to an appointment?
Hexagram: Heaven over Fire, Tong Ren, changing to Lake over Fire, Ge.
Palace: Li Fire. Cycle Void: Xu, Hai. 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.
Green Dragon; Response; Ｏ; Xu Descendants; Wei Descendants; Ding; Wei.
Dark Warrior; Shen Wealth; Mao.
White Tiger; Wu Brothers.
Soaring Snake; Self; Hai Officer.
Gouchen; Chou Descendants.
Vermilion Bird; Mao Parents.
Judgment: If moving Descendants controlling Officer were read rigidly, it would mean no appointment throughout life. I promised appointment in Chen year, and selection did occur then. Why? Xu Earth, the Avoided Spirit, changes into a Retreating Spirit and cannot control. Mao day combines with it: Combination waits to meet Clash, which is Chen. This is the method of an obstruction finding its remedy.
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