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Bushi Zhengzong · The Orthodox Tradition of Divination
Eighteen Questions · The Conditions of Verification
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
Question Eighteen: The questioner is sincere and the interpreter discerning, yet some predictions are not verified. Why?
The text continues: The cause lies with the questioner, not the interpreter. Although the questioner’s intention is sincere, a secret matter may be difficult to disclose, or the stated question may differ from what is actually intended. This is why verification can fail.
Divination: On what day will an elder paternal uncle return? Divination: The year’s fortune.
Hexagram: Fire over Mountain, Lu, changing to Gen as Mountain. Hexagram: Gen as Mountain.
Palace: Li Fire. Cycle Void: Yin, Mao. Missing lines: Officer, Parents. Palace: Gen Earth. 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 Brothers; Wu; You. White Tiger; Self; Yin Officer; Gui; Wei.
Green Dragon; Wei Descendants; Shen. Soaring Snake; Zi Wealth; Hai.
Dark Warrior; Response; Ｏ; You Wealth; Xu Descendants. Gouchen; Xu Brothers.
White Tiger; Shen Wealth; Hai Officer. Vermilion Bird; Response; Shen Descendants.
Soaring Snake; Wu Brothers. Green Dragon; Wu Parents.
Gouchen; Self; Chen Descendants; Mao Parents. Dark Warrior; Chen Brothers.
If this hexagram asked whether the uncle were safe, Mao Wood Parents is hidden and absent, controlled and Clashed with by the day, month and moving lines: he would surely be unsafe. But the question asks whether he returns, so it must not be judged that way. One can only say that the hidden and controlled Useful Spirit will not come. He did not return and remained safe away from home.
The second man was going to the military front to seek an official career, but said he was asking about his year’s fortune. He did not know that in a career question, Officer represents office, and Officer holding Self is most welcome. In an annual-fortune question, Ghost is treated as Ghost, and Officer and Ghost holding Self is unfavorable. I explained this distinction. He said, “I have asked someone to proceed under an existing provision; will it succeed?” I answered, “Officer holds Self and the day generates and combines with it: it is already accomplished.” The document was received on Ren Shen day. Shen day corresponded because Yin Wood Officer combined with the day: a bound Combination meets Clash. Judging this as annual fortune would have been mistaken.
Reading note: The supplied annual-fortune phrase says 貴, noble; 鬼, Ghost, is read here following the parallel and the stated distinction.
Divination: A dwelling and household. Divination: Good or ill in one’s current appointment.
Hexagram: Water over Wind, Jing, changing to Water over Lake, Jie. Hexagram: Water over Heaven, Xu.
Palace: Zhen Wood. Cycle Void: Shen, You. Missing lines: Descendants, Brothers. Palace: Kun Earth. Cycle Void: Wu, Wei. Missing line: Parents.
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; Zi Parents; Yi; Shen. Dark Warrior; Zi Wealth; Yi; Zi.
White Tiger; Self; Xu Wealth; Hai. White Tiger; Xu Brothers; You.
Soaring Snake; Shen Officer; Wu Descendants. Soaring Snake; Self; Shen Descendants.
Gouchen; Ｏ; You Officer; Chou Wealth. Gouchen; Chen Brothers.
Vermilion Bird; Response; Hai Parents; Yin Brothers. Vermilion Bird; Yin Officer; Si Parents.
Green Dragon; Ｘ; Chou Wealth; Si Descendants. Green Dragon; Response; Zi Wealth.
Judgment: Response at the second line is called Response flying into the dwelling. With Parents, an elder of another surname must share the residence. He said, “No outsider lives with us.” The inner hexagram forms Officer and Ghost, showing unrest in the dwelling. He said, “There is no such disturbance.” Wood Brothers is hidden and at Month Break, controlled by the Officer formation: perhaps a brother’s household is unfavorable.
He then said, “I called it a household question, but I am about to take the provincial examination with our family tutor. It is really about rank.” I answered, “Rank and a household are as far apart as heaven and earth. In rank, Officer and Ghost is the Officer star; in a dwelling, Ghost is calamity. Since the question is rank, your success cannot be promised, but your tutor must place high.” Asked why, I answered, “The Officer formation generates Response and does not generate Self: it appears without favorable relation to me and has nothing to do with my success.” In the eighth month, when You Metal filled Void, he himself was rejected after the first session; his tutor passed in fourth place.
The second official’s province had a vacancy, but he found it inconvenient to ask plainly and instead asked about his current post. He did not know that for obtaining a vacancy, Descendants holding Self means failure, while for the good or ill of a current post, Descendants holding Self means retirement from office. I asked him to clarify. “Promotion,” he replied. I answered, “You will not obtain this vacancy.” He did not obtain it but remained entirely safe in his post. Had the question concerned the present post, retirement would have been predicted. Is that not an abyss of difference?
Divination: Because of a mother’s illness, asking about the year’s fortune. Divination: Official rank.
Hexagram: Wind over Thunder, Yi, changing to Heaven over Thunder, Wu Wang. Hexagram: Lake over Earth, Cui, changing to Heaven over Mountain, Dun.
Palace: Xun Wood. Cycle Void: Chen, Si. Missing line: Officer. Palace: Dui Metal. 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.
Soaring Snake; Response; Mao Brothers; Xin; Wu. Soaring Snake; Ｘ; Wei Parents; Xu Parents; Xin; Wu.
Gouchen; Si Descendants; Wei. Gouchen; Response; You Brothers; You.
Vermilion Bird; Ｘ; Wei Wealth; Wu Descendants. Vermilion Bird; Hai Descendants.
Green Dragon; Self; Chen Wealth; You Officer. Green Dragon; Ｘ; Mao Wealth; Shen Brothers.
Dark Warrior; Yin Brothers. Dark Warrior; Self; Si Officer.
White Tiger; Zi Parents. White Tiger; Wei Parents.
If a trader asks about annual fortune, Wealth naturally takes priority. In this hexagram, strong Wealth holds Self, and Wei Earth Wealth changes into Wu Fire’s Generation and Combination: I promised financial gain. He said, “I came because my elderly mother is ill. I want to know when she will be safe.” I answered, “Annual fortune for money and a mother’s illness are an abyss apart. Your mother faces danger on Jia Chen day.” This was verified. It corresponded to the day Chen Earth at Self left the cycle.
The second questioner was twelve years old. His father told him to divine about rank. If Officer holding Self, summer Fire commanding the season, and Wei Earth Parents as literary composition changing into an Advancing Spirit were the basis, rank would seem promising. But the father had made the son divine: the sincere intention came from the father, so this was a father asking about a son. Mao Wood could not control Parents, while moving Parents controlled Descendants. The boy died in Wei month on Xu day.
Reading note: The supplied final 未戌日 is read as 未月戌日, Wei month and Xu day, following the parallel classical closing.
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