Opening the chapter
Loading the text. Please wait.
Bushi Zhengzong · The Orthodox Tradition of Divination
Eighteen Questions · Clash and Combination
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
Question Eleven: How do we judge good and ill when Combination meets Clash, or Clash meets Combination?
Answer: Combination gathers; Clash scatters. Combination amid Clash means first scattering, then gathering; first loss, then gain; first coolness, then closeness.
Clash amid Combination is the reverse.
Divination: What follows trading away from home? Divination: Can silver be borrowed?
Hexagram: Thunder over Wind, Heng, changing to Thunder over Earth, Yu. Hexagram: Kun as Earth.
Palace: Zhen Wood. Cycle Void: Zi, Chou. Missing line: [no entry supplied]. Palace: Kun Earth. 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.
Green Dragon; Response; Xu Wealth; Bing; Wu. Dark Warrior; Self; You Descendants; Jia; Xu.
Dark Warrior; Shen Officer; Chen. White Tiger; Hai Wealth; Chen.
White Tiger; Wu Descendants. Soaring Snake; Chou Brothers.
Soaring Snake; Self; Ｏ; You Officer; Mao Brothers. Gouchen; Response; Mao Officer.
Gouchen; Ｏ; Hai Parents; Si Descendants. Vermilion Bird; Si Parents.
Vermilion Bird; Chou Wealth. Green Dragon; Wei Brothers.
Judgment: You Metal at Self changes into Mao Wood’s Clash: this is a Reversing Chant hexagram. But Mao Wood has the ability to Clash, not the strength to control. Chen Earth, the day, generates and combines with Self: Combination amid Clash. Moreover, the changed hexagram has Six Combinations, and Xu Earth Wealth secretly moves to generate Self. Reversing Chant here means repeated journeys in pursuit of profit.
Judgment: Response falls into Void. The Golden Counsels says, “One seeking a loan is disappointed.” Response in Cycle Void and a Six Clashes hexagram would ordinarily mean refusal. But Xu, the Month Commander, combines with Response and generates Self, while Chen day combines with Self. This is Combination amid Clash: difficult first, easy later. A loan will be obtained.
He said, “I asked last month and was refused. If I ask again now, will he consent?” I answered, “Last month’s refusal plainly showed Six Clashes. This time consent plainly shows Six Combinations.” Asked the day, I answered, “Wood is in Cycle Void. At Jia Yin, Response has left Void, and Yin day also combines with Hai Water Wealth: consent will be given.” This was verified.
Divination: Can lost silver and property be recovered? Divination: Will one’s own marriage arrangement succeed?
Hexagram: Xun as Wind, changing to Heaven over Water, Song. Hexagram: Heaven over Earth, Pi.
Palace: Xun Wood. Cycle Void: Chen, Si. Missing line: [no entry supplied]. Palace: Qian Metal. Cycle Void: Chen, Si. 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; Mao Brothers; Wu; Yin. Green Dragon; Response; Xu Parents; Ding; Chen.
Green Dragon; Si Descendants; Xu. Dark Warrior; Shen Brothers; You.
Dark Warrior; Ｘ; Wei Wealth; Wu Descendants. White Tiger; Wu Officer.
White Tiger; Response; Ｏ; You Officer; Wu Descendants. Soaring Snake; Self; Mao Wealth.
Soaring Snake; Hai Parents. Gouchen; Si Officer.
Gouchen; Chou Wealth. Vermilion Bird; Wei Parents; Zi Descendants.
Judgment: The hexagram has Six Clashes. Wei Earth Wealth changes into Wu Fire’s returning Generation and Combination, showing loss followed by recovery. A bystander said, “Response holds a White Tiger Metal Ghost and Dark Warrior occupies Wealth. Recovery is hard to promise.” I replied, “Response is another person and receives Wu Fire’s returning Control. Wealth is the Useful Spirit and meets Combination amid Clash. The day combines with Self: I guarantee recovery.” Asked when, I answered, “Si Fire Green Dragon, the Source Spirit, is in Cycle Void. The obstruction lies at Si. On Yi Si day the Source Spirit leaves Void and occupies the day: recovery can be promised.” This was verified.
Judgment: Six Combinations is most suitable for marriage, but Self is Clashed by the day and Response is at Month Break: Clash amid Combination. Even if concluded, it is unfavorable. He said, “Her birth particulars have arrived and the fortune-telling is excellent.” I answered, “I have repeatedly verified this method and therefore dare judge so.” Illness arose that very month. In Wei month, Wealth at Self also entered Tomb, and the woman died.
Reading note: The supplied initial illness clause does not clearly identify its subject; the death is explicitly the woman’s.
Divination: Seeking the fulfillment of plans and money. Divination: A teacher’s recent illness.
Hexagram: Fire over Mountain, Lu. Hexagram: Water over Lake, Jie.
Palace: Li Fire. Cycle Void: Zi, Chou. Missing lines: Officer, Parents. 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; Si Brothers; Yi; Mao. Soaring Snake; Zi Brothers; Xin; Wu.
White Tiger; Wei Descendants; Mao. Gouchen; Xu Officer; Hai.
Soaring Snake; Response; You Wealth. Vermilion Bird; Response; Shen Parents.
Gouchen; Shen Wealth; Hai Officer. Green Dragon; Chou Officer.
Vermilion Bird; Wu Brothers. Dark Warrior; Mao Descendants.
Green Dragon; Self; Chen Descendants; Mao Parents. White Tiger; Self; Si Wealth.
Judgment: Self and Response generate one another and the hexagram has Six Combinations, so the plan could ordinarily be accomplished. But Mao month and day Clash with You Metal Wealth at Response. I fear no affinity with another’s money and consequent disappointment. He said, “A letter invites me tomorrow; how could it fail?” He went the next day and reached agreement, but on Ren Xu day the other party withdrew and it failed again. Agreement the next day corresponded to the day combining with Response. Failure on Xu day corresponded to Self also meeting Clash: Clash amid Combination.
Judgment: In recent illness, Six Combinations has repeatedly proved fatal. Here Si Fire Wealth at Self is Clashed by the day: Clash amid Combination, bringing rescue in danger. He asked, “When is the danger, and when the rescue?” I answered, “Metal’s Storehouse is Chou: beware Chou day. Jia Yin day Clashes up the Useful line at Response and brings rescue.” The patient became unconscious on Chou day and recovered on Yin day.
Divination: Will an elder brother’s recent illness be favorable? Divination: Can a marriage engagement already repudiated be concluded again?
Hexagram: Fire over Earth, Jin. Hexagram: Li as Fire, changing to Fire over Mountain, Lu.
Palace: Qian Metal. Cycle Void: Xu, Hai. Missing line: Descendants. Palace: Li Fire. Cycle Void: Zi, Chou. 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; Si Officer; Wu; Yin. Green Dragon; Self; Si Brothers; Ding; Wei; Chou.
Green Dragon; Wei Parents; Chen. Dark Warrior; Wei Descendants; Si.
Dark Warrior; Self; You Brothers. White Tiger; You Wealth.
White Tiger; Mao Wealth. Soaring Snake; Response; Hai Officer.
Soaring Snake; Si Officer. Gouchen; Chou Descendants.
Gouchen; Response; Wei Parents; Zi Descendants. Vermilion Bird; Ｏ; Mao Parents; Chen Descendants.
Judgment: You Metal Brothers is the Useful Spirit and combines with the day. A recent illness should not meet Combination. Fortunately tomorrow enters Mao month, so recovery can occur immediately. This was verified: Clash meets Combination.
Judgment: This hexagram changes from Six Clashes to Six Combinations, repeatedly verified as separation followed by reunion. Mao Wood also moves to generate Self: the marriage must be concluded. They married again in the third month of the following Yin year. Chen month corresponded because marriage uses Wealth as the Useful Spirit. Six Clashes changed into Six Combinations, and Wealth itself also met Combination. Chen Earth produced by Mao Wood’s change was the mechanism shown at divination. Yin year corresponded to the year when Response’s secret movement met Combination and Clash.
Use ← / → or swipe left or right to change chapters