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Sanming Tonghui · A Comprehensive Account of the Three Destinies
Volume Twelve
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Rhapsody on Original Principles
The note attributes the work to Xu Dasheng and the explanation to Wan Yuwu.
The original single influence generates Five Phases, governs Three Powers, and encompasses all things. It reveals Qian and Kun's subtle function and opens Yin and Yang's pivot. Infer four directions, distinguish high and low standing, obtain the middle Way, and eight characters determine glory and withering. Thus clarify generation, restraint, control, transformation, purity, turbidity, distinction, lowliness, longevity, early death, worth, and folly.
The note says: This traces creation's beginning.
Metal relies on Earth to be born, but much Earth buries Metal. Earth relies on Fire, but much Fire scorches Earth. Fire relies on Wood, but much Wood makes Fire blaze. Wood relies on Water, but much Water sends Wood adrift. Water relies on Metal, but much Metal muddies Water. Metal can generate Water, but much Water sinks Metal. Water can generate Wood, but abundant Wood shrinks Water. Wood can generate Fire, but much Fire burns Wood. Fire can generate Earth, but much Earth dims Fire. Earth can generate Metal, but much Metal changes Earth. Metal can restrain Wood, but firm Wood notches Metal. Wood can restrain Earth, but heavy Earth breaks Wood. Earth can restrain Water, but much Water carries Earth away. Water can restrain Fire, but blazing Fire heats Water. Fire can restrain Metal, but much Metal extinguishes Fire. Declining Metal meeting Fire must melt; weak Fire meeting Water must extinguish; weak Water meeting Earth must clog; declining Earth meeting Wood must collapse; weak Wood meeting Metal must be cut and broken.
The note says: Excess and deficiency each have these harms, showing Five Phases and four pillars must have balance.
Strong Metal obtaining Water finally blunts its edge; strong Water obtaining Wood drains its force; strong Wood obtaining Fire transforms its stubbornness; strong Fire obtaining Earth checks its flame; strong Earth obtaining Metal controls its harm. The note says: Five-Phase control needs balance; excess and deficiency both miss it, illuminating the preceding passage.
Principle penetrating and human understanding blending make the hidden subtle and manifest discernible. As substance, penetrate change deeply and investigate the original subtlety. As function, discuss weight, original presence or absence. Heaven's principle endows good and ill, movement and stillness; human life has allotted obstruction, passage, fullness, and deficiency.
The note says: Stems, branches, Yin-Yang, generation, restraint, control, and transformation have hidden substance and manifest function, weight, presence, and absence. Good, ill, movement, stillness, obstruction, passage, fullness, and deficiency all arise here. Subtlety is recognizing flexible change, investigating the original subtle, and proceeding from manifest to hidden to obtain principle. Details follow.
Killing Without Blade Has No Authority; Blade Without Killing No Distinction
The note says: Killing restrains me, Blade robs me: destiny's most harmful influences. Discussing them recognizes the weightiest points. A rhapsody calls Blade a weapon hard to maintain without Killing, Killing military command not honored without Blade. Both manifest spread authority through Heaven and Earth. Xu Dasheng wrote this rhapsody because Likes and Aversions and Continuing Goodness did not exhaust destiny, supplying their omissions.
Authority and Blade both manifest and balanced reach prince or marquis; unequal Blade and Killing without control make a petty clerk. The note says: Balanced Killing and Blade give highest distinction, unbalanced lowest status: such is their distance.
Lifelong wealth and distinction have heavy Killing and yielding Body; sudden midlife death or danger comes when progression strengthens the stem. The note says: Without balance, Following Killing is better, possible only with heavy Killing and yielding Body. Once followed, judge Killing alone; a flourishing Body must not oppose it again, or opposition breeds calamity.
Heading Buddhist or Daoist religious life uses Killing that is instead light; appointment to censorial office has Indirect Office obtaining ground. The note says: Seven Killing is Authority Star and Solitary Star. Strong Body and Killing with control, or weak Body following Killing, all give distinction, often censorial office. Strong Body, light Killing, and a clear, remarkable configuration instead make a religious leader.
Know that great distinction uses Wealth rather than Office, and authority Killing rather than Seal. Seal relies on Killing's generation; Office on Wealth's flourishing.
The note says: Wealth generates Office, Killing Seal, hence the last two lines. It is not that Office and Seal are unused, but exclusive use of Wealth and Killing contains them. The last lines clarify the preceding ones.
Five-Phase increase and decline reveal original principles; four pillars explained reveal Useful Spirit. Food before Killing gives both achievement and fame; You breaking Mao and Mao breaking Wu gives both beautiful Wealth and Office.
The note says: All eight characters are examined through Useful Spirit: Killing, Blade, Wealth rather than Office or Seal. Its profound principle requires assessment. Killing needs Blade, or control if none; strong controlled Killing gives distinction. Killing governs fame, Food gain, hence both achievement and fame. You breaking Mao and Mao Wu has the same Food-before-Killing meaning. You takes Mao as Wealth, Wu Killing, both present, hence Wealth and Office beautiful. Breaking here is through restraint and must occur among Four Cardinal Positions.
Blessings Come from Five Phases Returning to Emolument; Long Life from Balanced Eight Characters
The note says: These are destiny's essentials: Returning Emolument and balance, not Death, Extinction, or partial parties. Blessings belong to the first, longevity the second, each with its own meaning.
Obscured Fire lacks brightness amid Sowing and Reaping; drained Wood often suffers beneath Bing and Ding.
The note says: This explains failure to return to Emolument or balance, hence no blessings or long life. Earth conceals Fire's light and needs Wood to open it; Wood generates Fire, but excessive Fire instead steals influence. These show imbalance.
Empty Fire Has Flame
The note says: Fire fears obscurity; emptiness lets it flame without being obscured.
Solid Metal Has No Sound
The note says: Metal needs Fire; unrefined by Fire, it forms no instrument. How can solid Metal sound?
Water flooding and Wood floating concerns living Wood; heavy Earth burying Metal Yang Metal. Abundant Water endangers; bright Fire extinguishes.
The note says: Five-Phase imbalance distinguishes Yin and Yang, showing excess is unsuitable. Flooding Water floats Yi Wood, not Jia; heavy Earth buries Geng Metal, not Xin. Yi dies at Hai, Jia is born there. Geng emerges from Earth, hence born at Si; Xin carries Water, hence born at Zi. Abundant Water floods and endangers; bright Fire burns to embers and extinguishes.
Yang Metal over-refined changes and runs restlessly; Yin Wood returning to its domain out of command remains weak. The note says: Solid Metal has no sound, excessive refinement changes it; Returning Emolument brings blessings, lost command weakens Body: balance is needed. Heavy Earth buries Yang Metal; fear of over-refinement applies when Earth is absent. Out-of-command Yin Wood weakens and loses years even in its domain. These elaborate living Wood and Yang Metal above; Water and Earth nourishment must not be absent.
Thick Earth obscures Fire's light; abundant Water floats Wood without stability. Five Phases must not overflourish; eight characters need balance.
The note says: Thick Earth repeats obscured Fire, abundant Water flooding Wood. The final lines sum up balance.
Earth stopping Water's flow completes blessings and longevity; Water without Earth to stop it must bring injury.
The note says: Imbalance with Five-Phase rescue is favorable; absence of rescue alone is harmful. Water contained by Earth gives both Emolument and longevity. Infer the rest similarly.
Abundant Wood has much benevolence, thin Earth little trust. Flourishing Water in its domain needs wisdom; firm Metal governs righteousness and action. Metal and Water are intelligent but sensual; mixed Water and Earth often foolish.
The note says: Excessive Five-Phase natures each have abundance, yet partiality harms. Five Phases distribute four seasons and pair Five Constants naturally. Abundance, thinness, flourishing, multiplicity, or mixture make benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, trust, intelligence, or dullness follow their categories.
Long Years Come from Balance; Short Life Is Lost through One-Sided Withering
The note says: Destiny needs balanced endowment, the earlier balanced-eight-characters longevity principle. Excess or deficiency and partial withering cannot enjoy long years.
Chen-Xu restraint and joined clash must offend penal law; Zi-Mao punishment leaves the household without propriety or virtue. The note says: Branch clash and punishment begin here. Chen-Xu Chief Strength clashing is harmful; Zi-Mao mother-child punishment disorderly. These are heaviest; others lighter. Yin-Shen-Si-Hai Four Births, even with restraint, punishment, or clash, bring no great harm.
Abandoning Seal for Wealth Requires Distinguishing Proper and Indirect
The note says: Earlier great distinction used Wealth rather than Seal. Both have Proper and Indirect forms. Proper Seal seeing Wealth has calamity; Indirect Wealth seeing Seal does no harm. Proper Wealth dislikes Seal, Indirect Wealth does not: the same principle.
Abandoning the Stem to Follow Killing Requires Discussing Firm and Yielding
The note says: Earlier authority used Killing rather than Seal. Killing has firmness and yielding; abandoning Heavenly Stem to follow Earthly Branch concerns Yang firmness and Yin yielding. Metal, Water, and Earth can follow; Wood and Fire cannot. Understand when following is possible before deciding whether Seal can be used.
Hurting Office without Wealth to rely on remains poor despite skill; Food controlling Killing and meeting Owl gives poverty or early death. The note says: Injury and Food share a category. Injury strips Office and is greatly avoided, but Wealth is favorable because Injury generates Wealth and Wealth Office. Without Wealth, judge poverty. Food controlling Killing most fears Owl seizing Food, releasing Killing to restrain Body and cause early death.
Men with many Yang Blades must remarry; women offending through Hurting Office must marry again.
The note says: Balanced Blade and Killing can give distinction, but many Blades harm wife. Wealth is men's wife, restrained by Blade, hence remarriage. Injury with Wealth to rely on can give distinction, but much Injury harms husband. Office is women's husband, restrained by Injury, hence remarriage.
Poverty and low standing come from injury at Office's place; solitude and widowhood from Wealth Spirit robbed.
The note says: Office is Emolument. Flourishing Body with slight Office progressing to Injury turns from Emolument and leaves no office, hence poverty. Wealth is wife. Little Wealth, flourishing Body, and Robbing Wealth progression disperse Horse and leave no wife, hence solitude. How crucial Wealth and Office are to destiny!
Wealth at flourishing ground gives many blessings; Office meeting Long Life must bring glory.
The note says: Earlier Injury and Food generated flourishing Wealth; here Wealth directly reaches flourishing ground, as Jia using Wu and the printed Si-shaped partner at Si-Wu. Earlier flourishing Wealth generated Office; here Office directly meets Long Life, as Jia using Geng-Xin at Si-Zi. Both require a flourishing Body for blessings, glory, and distinction.
Remove Killing and retain Office for blessings; remove Office and retain Killing without low standing.
The note says: Mixed Office and Killing is most feared. Use one exclusively, retaining and removing before discussing distinction. Hurting Office and Yang Blade are often unfavorable, but used to remove one and keep the other can bring blessings.
How is it that Proper Office only completes salary and Emolument, while Seven Killing brings reputation?
The note says: Proper Office and Seven Killing distinguish gentleman and petty person. Is the former inferior? Proper Office may be pure, while controlled Seven Killing immediately develops conspicuous fame. Yet pure Office's long-lasting blessings cannot be compared with Killing's. This states a particular emphasis.
Hurting Office can instead bring a husband if Wealth and Destiny have influence; Owl can lose children, leaving blessings unsupported. The note says: Women's Injury usually harms husband, but influential Wealth and Destiny let Injury generate Wealth and Wealth generate Office as husband. Women take Food Spirit as child; Owl seizes Food, so a born child does not survive. Relying on children for blessings, without child what blessing remains? Husband and child stars are emphasized, hence Injury and Food.
Uncontrolled Killing visible in heavenly stems gives low standing; hidden branch Wealth secretly generated is remarkable.
The note says: Killing needs Blade combination, Food restraint, or Following Killing. Without these, visible Killing is unfeeling and gives poverty. Wealth brings blessings, needing Injury's generation, You's breaking, or flourishing Food. It dislikes exposure; hidden in branches with concealed generation gives substantial abundance and rarity.
Three Xu Clashing Chen Bring Substantial Calamity
The note says: Chief Strength most fears mutual clash. Balanced Wealth-and-Office Storehouses are not avoided, but three Xu against one Chen, with Jiachen day master, brings calamity through greed for Wealth. Earth Net clashing Heaven's Snare is therefore avoided.
Two Stems Unmixed Give Both Fame and Gain
The note says: Two unmixed stems are rare and thus bring fame and gain. Yet distinction is not automatic: Wealth-Killing, Office-Seal, Killing-Blade, or a Five-Phase image must further enter a configuration for distinction.
Bingzi and Xinmao Punishing One Another Give Sensual Disorder like Rolling Waves
The note says: Bing-Xin combine, Zi-Mao punish: stems combining, branches punishing. Bing-Xin image Water, Zi-Mao lack propriety, hence excessive sensual disorder, especially avoided for women's destinies.
Zi, Wu, Mao, and You Complete Give Delusion through Wine and Sensuality
The note says: Earlier Zi-Mao was emphasized; adding Wu-You makes Four Failures, Peach Blossom Covering the Fields. Completeness often gives distinction, but wine-and-sensuality delusion, especially avoided for women.
Wealth causes calamity, greedy eating illness; a nephew becomes heir, another household's foster daughter wife.
The note says: Hidden Wealth is remarkable, but contested. Yang Blade robbing it makes Wealth a cause of calamity, so do not monopolize it. Food controlling Killing is fine, but Owl seizing it makes eating a cause of illness, so do not be greedy. Men take Office and Killing as sons. Yang Blade or Robbing Wealth makes those serve siblings, whose sons replace one's absence: a nephew inherits. Proper and Indirect Wealth are wife; absent from their proper position and lodging in another palace, they indicate marrying a girl fostered by another family.
Day and hour clashing at Mao or You give inevitable relocation; creation meeting Xu and Hai lifelong reverence for spirits.
The note says: Mao and You are sun-and-moon household gates, unstable when in day and hour. Xu and Hai are Heaven's Gate; day or month meeting them often reveres deities or gives Buddhist or Daoist life.
Yin restraining Yin and Yang Yang makes Wealth Spirit useful; Office without Office or Ghost without Ghost means excessive flourishing and danger. The note says: People know Proper Wealth's use but not that Yin restraining Yin or Yang Yang as Indirect Wealth can exceed it. Office cannot be absent, yet too much means no office and harm. Killing should not be present, yet many Killings permit Following Ghost without harm. All involve excess and declining Body unable to oppose it, a path of danger.
Configuration obtained but domain lost leaves lifelong frustration; returning to domain with configuration gives early eminence.
The note says: Configuration is Threefold Combination; returning to domain stems returning to Emolument. Birth, Flourishing, and completed force bring blessings. A stem image and Threefold branches at the day stem's Rest, Confinement, Death, or Extinction give frustration despite configuration. Configuration plus domain is like Five Planets entering their halls, obtaining ground and time and early blessings. Straight-and-Crooked and Flowing Down exemplify this.
Owl in destiny operates for a rich household; Dragon hidden at Hai and Mao trades for silk and coin. Wealth and Office both failed die; Food meeting Owl suffers harm.
The note says: Owl is detestable yet useful to a lesser person operating for a rich house. Jia uses Bing Food to generate Wu Earth Wealth; Ren Water is Jia's Owl, driven by Wu while Bing entrusts itself to Jia, reciprocally generating in host-guest relation. Another trades independently: Dragon hidden at Hai-Mao. Yin is Azure Dragon, Si Taichang, Hai-Mao-Wei Wood configuration. Using hidden Hai-Mao-Wei influence or Wealth gives silk-and-coin profit. Wealth and Office as Emolument and Horse are crucial: both at Failure and Extinction, or progression reaching them and damaging Useful Spirit's influence, give death. Food is rank's star, generating Wealth and controlling Killing. Owl seizes it, leaving neither control nor Wealth generation: how avoid harm?
Dingsi Solitary Phoenix makes an intelligent, poetic woman; Naked Form Bathing offended by the day gives turbid sensual disorder. The note says: Women are discussed, but men also apply. Solitary Phoenix includes Jiayin, Dingsi, Wushen, Xinhai, seated at Four Births and often intelligent. Naked Form Bathing is Four Failures Zi-Wu-Mao-You. Month and hour offend without injury; the day seated there is feared, as Jiazi, Gengwu, Dingmao, Guiyou. Further combination gives sensual disorder.
Ding at Mao meeting Si-designated Earth is greedy for food; Hai as Beverage Spirit meeting You Metal a drink-loving guest.
The note says: Ding seated at Mao has Wood Owl; the printed Si-shaped partner as Food makes greed or calamity from eating. Hai is Dengming; You added to Water makes wine. A You-day person meeting Hai must love drink; punishment and clash further give destitution or death through wine.
Returning Emolument obtaining Wealth gains blessings; without Wealth it must be poor.
The note says: Returning Emolument strengthens Body and therefore uses Wealth. Without Wealth, its exclusive use is fruitless. Injury or Food generating Wealth and an auspicious month help, but Office and Killing stealing Wealth influence are feared.
Mixed Wealth and Seal ultimately distress; confused Proper and Indirect must injure Body.
The note says: Greed for Wealth Ruining Seal makes mixture avoided. Wealth first and Seal later can instead complete blessings and is excluded. Mixed Office and Killing with removal and retention is also favorable; confusion harms Body, especially in women's destinies. Another interprets Proper and Indirect as Wealth or Seal's two forms, but finds this hard to reconcile with bodily injury.
Translator's note: The source's social, marriage, illness, and sensuality judgments are historical claims. Its Si-shaped Earth partner, different Returning Emolument restrictions, and alternate interpretation of Proper and Indirect are preserved in their separate contexts.
Grand Duke Avoids Warfare; Yang Blade Dislikes Punishment and Clash
The note says: This concerns day stem offending annual ruler. Taking the year as Useful Spirit causes no fault: six Ren days use Bing-Ding Wealth, originally rooted, so offending Grand Duke instead favors them. A flourishing Body is harmful, weak Body faultless. Day and progression both offending brings great harm; Five-Phase rescue reduces it. Heavenly Clash and Earth Strike are most feared. Examine Yin-Yang, nature, and original principles. Six Yi people meeting the printed Si-shaped Earth in year or progression have living Wood restraining living Earth, with vitality and increased Wealth sources. Six Jia meeting Wu have dead Wood restraining dead Earth, unfavorable and possibly fatal. Blade configuration dislikes annual punishment and clash. Much natal Blade controlled by Killing remains harmful in Blade years or progression, heavier with original Wealth. Injury, clash, punishment, and warfare bring unexpected calamity. A classic says Yang Blade clashing or combining annual ruler causes sudden harm. Warfare names Grand Duke and punishment-clash Blade as their weightiest concerns.
Geng disturbed by Bing often lacks benevolence; Gui combining with Wu has young and old without affection.
The note says: Metal-Fire punishment gives this temperament and inner disposition, with fierceness. Gui is Lesser Yin, Wu Old Yang. Their combination and transformation lack affection, hence young and old. A Wu-day male seeing Gui marries a young wife; a Gui-day female seeing Wu an older husband.
Neither Following nor Transformation delays official life; successful Following and Transformation gives achievement and fame. The note says: No monthly access, no hour destination, and Solitary Spirit prevent Following or Transformation. Monthly access and hour destination permit it: flourishing husband leads wife, flourishing wife husband. Human advance and withdrawal do not remain fixed in one activity all life; completed Following Transformation supplies wealth and distinction. Discuss it before Wealth and Office. Following means stem following branch, as Yi born in eighth month with heavy branch Metal is judged as Metal.
Translator's note: The source's strong-versus-weak Body conditions and the printed Si-shaped Earth year are retained without merging them with neighboring rules.
Transformation at Flourishing Emolument Lives; Returning to Extinguished Emolument Dies
The note says: Successful transformation and following need flourishing Emolument, not Death or Extinction. Ding-Ren transforming Wood lives with spring monthly command or southeastern progression; Metal regions or Shen-You in the hour bring death.
Meeting Birth ground leaves youth without Emolument; hour returning to Failure leaves old age without completion.
The note says: Originally having Long Life or Assuming Office then meeting it again in progression, as Geng-Xin at Shen-You, may be harmful. Their Bing-Ding Office becomes ill or dead there, Jia-Yi Wealth dead or extinguished: damaged Useful Spirit and failed Wealth-Office end Emolument even in youth. Hour is the result and must avoid Five-Phase Failure: Metal at Wu, Wood Zi, Water and Earth You, Fire Mao. Hour governs the end, so Failure gives late obscurity and ruin.
Ding seated on You Metal, met by Bing or Xin, ends descendants; Wealth at Killing's position means father dies away from home. The note says: Bing takes Ren as child, Ren fails at You; Xin takes Bing, Bing dies at You. Hour is Child Palace, so Failure and Death leave no heir. If an heir exists, father must lose Emolument. Wealth is father; Wealth and Killing together are difficult for him. Geng-Xin taking Jia as father, with Jiashen in year, month, or hour seated on Killing or Office, meets flourishing Killing progression or years and indicates father's death abroad. Another calls Killing Robbing Killing and further examines father's position; also possible.
Eight Dedicated Stems and Branches of One Kind Face Harm in Killing Years and Progression
The note says: Same-kind stems and branches include Jiayin, Yimao, Bingwu, Dingwei, Gengshen, Xinyou, Renzi, Guichou, Wuwu, Jiwei, Wuxu, and Jichou. Progression gathering Killing must end Emolument: relying on strength, they contend with Killing, which ultimately restrains Body.
Translator's note: The heading says Eight Dedicated, but the supplied note lists twelve pillars. All twelve remain.
Careful Repeated Study Leaves Not One Error in Ten Thousand Judgments of Rank
The note says: I find old annotations fragmented and losing the rhapsody's intent, so have added brief notes below to clarify its author's meaning.
Rhapsody on True Treasure
The note attributes this work to Ming Minister of War Wan Qi and the explanation to Wan Yuwu.
Office Star carrying Blade without restraint or breaking commands armies and punishment; Wealth and Seal supplying each other without punishment or clash reach chief-ministerial distinction.
The note says: Proper Office favors Blade and Wealth-Seal assistance. Injury restrains it, punishment and clash break it. Without Seal or Blade, Wealth assistance alone is also favorable, likewise in years.
Wealth and Office generating and flourishing with Seal receive high censorial honors; complete Threefold Seal or Wealth configurations attain regional lordship.
The note says: Flourishing Wealth-Office with Proper or Indirect Seal and further Threefold Seal or Wealth configuration is favorable.
Hurting Office meeting Killing and Blade combines general and minister in enlightened times; Seal's support brings early ascent of Dragon Gate.
The note says: Weak Body in Injury configuration favors Blade and Seal's joint assistance.
Hurting Office with repeated Food assistance earns a Wei minister's achievement portrait; annual control, punishment, clash, or renewed Injury brings harm.
The note says: Repeated Food assisting Injury is favorable. Avoid punishment, clash, overcontrol, and another Injury progression's unforeseen disaster. No Office in the pillars favors Wealth-Office progression; no Seal Seal progression, bringing promotion, also in years.
Wealth supplying Seven Killing gives authority over all; Seal assisting fixes the highest office. The note says: Killing favors Wealth assistance and especially Seal transformation. Killing gives authority, Seal highest rank.
Killing and Blade together in monthly command match Huo Guang's heroic name; Seal and Wealth in year and hour Deng Yu's lofty position.
The note says: Killing and Robbing Blade in the same monthly command, with Wealth and Seal in year and hour, give the highest distinction. This adds Blade to the preceding meaning.
Killing out of season and Seal without influence, though master flourishing, leaves ordinary standing.
The note says: Killing and Seal not commanding while day stem flourishes give a slight Useful Spirit and merely pure, empty, quiet office. Wealth-Killing progression is favorable.
Seal commanding and Killing assisting, further Wealth, brings Hanlin office.
The note says: Timely monthly Seal with repeated generating, flourishing influence at the day branch, unpunished, unclashed, unbroken, and unharmed, favors a little Killing and Wealth, not excess. Balanced Wealth and Seal alone are ordinary. Another rhapsody gives repeated Seal a Hanlin appointment.
Indirect Wealth in the hour seeing Office writes its name early on the gold list; Food Spirit's further help brings youthful nearness to the emperor.
The note says: Hour Indirect Wealth, Office in year and month, and Food assistance fit it. Avoid Companions and Robbery: not one wish in a hundred succeeds with them.
Blessed Virtue seeing Wealth and hidden Office holds highest responsibility; Seal in pillars and progression without Earth gives lowest solitary punishment.
The note says: Ren-Gui days in winter favor Wealth-Office assistance, combination, or a Fire configuration and any one Chen-Xu-Chou-Wei. No Wealth-Office but Seal, with Seal or northern rather than Wealth-Office progression, harms wife and children and gives solitude, poverty, and low standing.
Six Ren Hastening to Gen with Wealth and Seal emerging are remarkable; Office and Killing invading instead give poverty and low standing. The note says: Ren days at Renyin hour with further Yin in year or month and Ding and Xin emerging give both wealth and distinction. Office and Killing, natal or in progression, are most avoided, scattering kin and making a poor servant.
Six Jia Hastening to Qian favor Wealth and Seal for rank and fame; annual punishment, clash, Office, and Killing bring calamity.
The note says: Jia day at Yihai hour with further Hai, repeated Wealth, and Seal generating Body naturally reveals Proper Office. Flourishing Wealth progression is favorable. Avoid Si punishment or clash, Office-Killing restraint and breaking, Jia-Yi robbery, likewise in annual influence and progression.
Repeated Wealth Lodges Obtaining Seal's Generation Receive Blessings in Youth
The note says: Wealth first, Seal later, instead completes blessings. Do not object as Wealth Ruining Seal.
Reverse Clash with Seal, Meeting Wealth and Food, Brings Early Fame
The note says: Reverse Clashing Emolument and Horse includes Bingwu, Dingsi, Xinhai, and Guihai days. Indirect Seal in the pillars and Wealth-Food progression give distinction. Avoid filling the vacant position: Office and Killing invalidate the configuration. Another rhapsody says that Reverse Clash carrying Seal brings early fame; Wealth and Food jointly assisting bring one near the palace's red steps.
Annual Virtue supporting the stem favors Wealth Star and dislikes control; Seal Star in progression meeting Yang Blade commands armies and punishment.
The note says: Seven Killing on the year stem is Annual Virtue. It should not appear repeatedly. Wealth Star, Seal, and Yang Blade are most welcome, while control is not; the same applies to annual influence and progression. For example, Jiashen, Jisi, Wuzi, Guihai has uncontrolled Annual Virtue: Wealth generates Killing for use, Seal transforms Killing to assist Body, and Blade combines with Killing to support Body. Thus it gives great distinction.
The Two Virtues Joined with Office Made Wang Ling a Han Chief Minister
The note says: For a Xin day born in the ninth month, Bing is both Heavenly and Monthly Virtue and Proper Office. Wealth's assistance is welcome; Hurting Office's restraint is avoided. Another rhapsody says that pacifying the realm and commanding the six armies depend on Office becoming the Two Virtues. Yihai, Bingxu, Xinchou, Wuzi fits the configuration. Office becoming Virtue means officeholding without calamity; Wealth becoming Virtue means obtaining wealth from honorable sources; Seal becoming Virtue means receiving ancestral blessings without harm. Day stem becoming Virtue concerns the person himself.
Wealth Star with Virtue and Excellence Made Xie An a Jin Duke
The note says: For Wu and the printed Si-shaped stem, Jia-Yi are Office and Ren-Gui Wealth. The Two Virtues emerging on the stems make Virtue and Excellence. No Geng-Xin control and no Companions or Robbery contending for them give great distinction. Other examples are Yi using Geng as Office in a Si-You-Chou month, and Bing-Ding using Geng-Xin as Wealth in those months. Another rhapsody says that Wang Shang supported Han through Wealth and Office's glory as Virtue and Excellence. Some interpret these as Blessed Virtue and Excellent Influence; their also being Wealth and Office is especially fine.
Much Hurting Office meeting Office is jade born from rough stone; Office already present meeting it again brings unending calamity. The note says: Injury configuration wants repeated Injury in the pillars and one Proper Office for distinction. Without Office it favors Office progression. Injury is stone, Proper Office jade. If Office is already present, further Office progression brings harm.
Hurting Office carrying Killing and Blade goes out as general, returns as minister, and reaches ducal or marquis rank.
The note says: Injury is the principal configuration. Killing and Blade in the pillars, together with timely, commanding Seal that provides mutual assistance, without punishment or clash, give the highest distinction. Another rhapsody says that Injury with Blade and complete Seal undertakes high military command.
Virtue and Excellence assisting Hurting Office give command of troops and authority over the executioner's axes.
The note says: This adds Virtue and Excellence; Injury configuration remains the basis throughout.
Complete Zi-Wu-Mao-You on the branches, forming a great configuration, governs the realm through civil and military achievement.
The note says: With all Four Cardinal branches, examine the heavenly stems. A great configuration must be formed for excellence.
Si-Hai-Yin-Shen arrayed in the pillars, with extraordinary arrangements, give authority that shakes the ruler.
The note says: With all Four Beginning branches, examine the heavenly stems; extraordinary arrangements make it excellent.
Wood born in Mao month with Wu in the hour joins Zhen's movement to Li's brightness; southwestern progression gives the highest office. The note says: This is Wood and Fire Shining Through.
Food Meeting Much Seal, with Further Robbery, Clashes against Heaven and Shortens Life
The note says: These are what Food configuration avoids.
Abundant Food Spirit in the Pillars, with Wealth Progression, Assures Achievement and Fame
The note says: One version reads powerful minister or palace emissary. This is what Food configuration favors.
Facing the Sun carrying Seal and assisted by the Horse lodge reaches palace office; no Wealth or Seal in the pillars gives local administration. Annual influence and progression most avoid filling the vacant position.
The note says: Six Yin Facing the Sun favors Seal and Wealth Star in year and month. A valid configuration without Wealth and Seal has a reduced grade. Wealth-Seal progression gives transport-administration office. Avoid clash, punishment, and filling the vacant position. Another rhapsody says that Facing the Sun with Seal makes an eminent man of an enlightened court; Wealth's assistance gives either palace distinction or censorial responsibility. Without Seal and Wealth, most become local administrators responsible for one city.
Rat Distinction carrying Food and assisted by Seal Star reaches censorial or provincial office; Office and Killing in the pillars bring poverty and low standing. Progression dislikes punishment and clash.
The note says: Six Yi Rat Distinction favors repeated Food Spirit and Seal. Avoid Office, Killing, clash, punishment, and harm.
Zi and Chou Distantly Combining with Si Palace, with Seal and Wealth in the pillars, are supreme treasure; without assistance in annual influence and progression one attains only low rank and a cold teaching seat.
The note says: The two configurations Zi and Chou Distantly Reaching Si require Wealth and Seal in the pillars for distinction; without them, no. Meeting Wealth and Seal in progression also brings advancement. Another rhapsody likewise calls Zi and Chou Distantly Combining with Si Palace, obtaining Wealth and Seal, supreme treasure.
Discussing the Way and Governing the Realm Favor Wealth and Office at Their Own Emolument and Flourishing
The note says: A Jia day, for example, uses Xin as Office, obtaining You as Established Emolument; the printed Yi-shaped Earth is Wealth, with Long Life at You. This image gives great distinction. Avoid punishment, clash, and Hurting Office, likewise in annual influence and progression. Minister Wu Yue's Jiazi, Guiyou, Jiachen, Jiazi fits it. He died in a Gengwu year and was throughout life an upright gentleman.
Translator's note: The Earth stem is printed with an Yi-shaped graph in the supplied text; its shape is not silently standardized.
Harmonizing the Primal and Assisting Transformation Depend on Three Wonders at Their Own Flourishing and Birth
The note says: Proper Office, Proper Seal, and Proper Wealth are Three Wonders. The text says that the day uses Geng as Proper Office with Long Life at the printed Yi-shaped branch, Ren as Proper Seal born at Shen, and Wu Earth as Proper Wealth born at Shen. This image gives great distinction. Minister Tan Lun's Gengchen, Jiashen, Dingwei, Bingwu has flourishing Wealth, Office, and Seal. Minister Hu Zongxian's Renshen, Xinhai, Dingyou, Renyin has Wealth and Office at Established Emolument, Seal at Long Life, and Fire itself born at You, the place of the noble spirit. Wood transformation also completes an image. Thus his authority governed four provinces and he reached first rank.
Further help from Seal and Emolument gives chief-ministerial office; Fire and Robbery, with discordant annual influence and progression, instead give poverty and low standing.
The note says: This configuration has Emolument Spirit and Proper or Indirect Seal in the pillars; Wealth and Seal on the stems are excellent. Overheavy Fire, Robbery, and Blade, with discordant annual influence and progression, give poverty and low standing.
Emolument meeting Wealth and Seal passes examinations in youth; annual punishment and clash, Office, or Killing are unfavorable. The note says: Returning Emolument with Seal and Wealth in year, month, or hour and a Threefold branch combination is excellent. Wealth-Seal progression is favorable. Avoid punishment, clash, breaking, harm, and Office or Killing breaking the configuration.
Clear Metal and Water, when injured, give literary distinction but a life difficult to extend.
The note says: Complete Si-You-Chou Metal and Shen-Zi-Chen Water configurations are White Metal and Clear Water. Bing-Ding-Wu-Ji on the stems mixing with and restraining them give literature without longevity. A rhapsody says that injured Clear Metal and Water make a Yan Hui, excellent yet failing to mature.
Unequal decline and abundance of Wood and Fire bring frustrated achievement and certain early death.
The note says: Jia-Yi days with abundant Bing-Ding-Wu-Si Fire are also described as Yi Wood repeatedly meeting Fire positions, called writing whose influence scatters. Without Wealth or Seal the pillars become flying ashes and vanishing smoke, harming children and wife or giving disability. Any achievement is small. Robbery and Blade helping, Ren-Gui generating and supporting, and Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth assisting instead give distinction.
Cloud with Dragon and Wind with Tiger following each other promise a great servant of an enlightened dynasty.
The note says: Jia-Yi born in spring's three months or a Hai-Mao-Wei month are Azure Dragon's lodge. Ren-Gui Water on the stems is Cloud and Dragon following each other. A single Gengshen or Xinyou supplies the western White Tiger spirit, favoring Hai-Mao-Wei's distant combination with Si as Xun Wind for distinction. Filling that position, without clouds or rain, is Drought Dragon: Yang without Yin, ruler without minister, hard and soft failing to assist. It instead gives an ordinary, unsuccessful scholar. Another takes Chen as Dragon, Yin Tiger, Ren Cloud, and the printed Si-shaped graph Wind; complete Yin-Chen-Si-Ren gives great distinction.
Flying Emolument and Reverse Clash assisted by Seal must make a renowned duke of an enlightened age.
The note says: Flying Heaven Emolument and Horse and Reverse Clash favor Seal and Wealth. Avoid Proper Office, Seven Killing, clash, punishment, and filling the vacant position. Seal, Wealth, and Threefold-combination progression are also favorable.
Though Body flourishes, slight Office and Emolument make a Ma cultivating students behind red curtains.
The note says: A Jiayin day using Xin as Office and Emolument, born in winter's three months or the fourth or fifth month, has a slight Useful Spirit. Without Wealth Star's assistance, it gives only a teacher or scholar. Summer birth with Wealth's assistance can rival Tao Zhu's riches. Restraint, breaking, control, or excessive Fire invalidate this.
An impure configuration and resting, useless Useful Spirit make a Xiao or Cao beginning as a clerk in western Qin.
The note says: Its meaning is the same as above.
Translator's note: The opening day stem is not specified in the supplied sentence. Yi-shaped and Si-shaped graphs occur in branch or Earth positions; their printed irregularities and the source's different explanations remain visible.
Jia and Yi Meeting Qian Palace, Joined by Chen Dragon, Must Bring Distinction
The note says: Repeated Jia and Yi on the stems, one Hai on the branches, and further Chen are called A Group of Dragons without a Head, favorable. This is hardness able to become softness. The image gives great distinction.
Wood Spirit Meeting Ren and Gui Favors Si and Wu
The note says: Jia-Yi day people supported by Ren-Gui Seal, with Si-Wu on the branches, have Fire influence and Water-Fire Already Across. This is Dragon obtaining flight, clouds moving and rain falling. The image places one near the emperor's clear radiance.
Geng Meeting Ren and Gui, Seated on Killing and Seal, Holds Zhou Yu's High Position
The note says: Six Geng days, with much Ren-Gui in the pillars and seated on Seven Killing and Seal, give great distinction. Minister He's Renzi, Guichou, Gengwu, Bingzi and my own Renwu, Guichou, Gengyin, Bingxu both fit this image.
Tortoise and Snake Holding a Sword, with Metal Blade, give Jia Fu's great fame.
The note says: Ren-Gui days with much Bing Fire, or the two configurations Yin-Wu-Xu and Shen-Zi-Chen, make this image. Water is Tortoise and Fire Snake. Without Metal in the pillars their sword does not come out.
Repeated Geng-Xin with Si or Hai in the hour are Tiger Roaring and Wind Arising; Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth assisting give the highest office.
The note says: Geng-Xin day masters seeing Geng-Xin again on the stems need one Si in year, month, or hour as Xun Wind; Hai can also serve. They favor Jia-Yi and Hai-Mao-Wei. Southeastern progression gives great authority and Emolument, northern progression wealth, western progression unpredictable harm.
One influence generating in sequence is called the Five Phases' Following Food, placing one near the Three Terraces.
The note says: One influence generating in sequence means Jia generating Bing, Bing Wu, Wu Geng: Five-Phase Following Food. Mutual benefit among branches gives further great distinction. Interpreting it as One Influence of the Heavenly Origin is wrong.
Metal Spirit carrying Blade, meeting brilliant Fire ground, holds cabinet office.
The note says: Metal Blade configuration with Yang Blade in the pillars and Fire progression gives great distinction.
Indirect Office in the hour favors Robbery, Blade, Seal, and Wealth in year and month.
The note says: Hour Indirect Office with Wealth supplying, Seal transforming, Blade supporting, and strong Body in year, month, and hour gives censorial authority.
Father Transmitting the Way to Son combines civil and military, general and minister, and becomes illustrious at court.
The note says: This is Yi day at Renwu hour. Yi belongs to the eastern Azure Emperor, Wu to the southern Fire Emperor. Yi is father and hour son. Ren Water on the stem in turn generates Yi Wood: Father Transmitting the Way to Son, the subtle joining of azure and red. Its achievement surpasses the age, its favor the thousand officials. Excessive Water is unsuitable, making Yi Wood float. It is the earlier image of Wood born in Mao month with Wu in the hour, joining Zhen's movement to Li's brightness, with southwestern progression giving the highest office.
Hurting Office emerging and Proper Office hidden, with Killing-Seal progression, give high position and authority.
The note says: Injury emerging on the year, month, or hour stems, Proper Office hidden on the branches, and complete Wealth, Seal, and Seven Killing in the pillars give great distinction.
Earth and Heaven meeting, Yin and Yang responding, with Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth, give the Three Terraces and Eight Seats.
The note says: Day and hour obtaining Hai as Qian Heaven, year and month Shen as Kun Earth, and Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth emerging on the stems place Earth above Heaven, signifying Yin-Yang interaction. Yang within and Yin without, strength and compliance, give great distinction.
Translator's note: The supplied text repeatedly prints a Si-shaped graph in the position of an Earth stem; the translation marks this rather than silently replacing it.
Abundant Wood and Crowded Metal, Obtaining Li's Brightness, Give Public Loyalty and Uprightness
The note says: Wood relies on Metal's trimming. Crowding means too much Metal, requiring Fire to control it. Public loyalty and uprightness are spoken of in relation to Metal and Wood.
White Metal and Clear Water Meeting Long Life Give Outstanding Intelligence
The note says: Geng-Xin days born in Shen-Zi-Chen months, seated on Si on the branches, with Ren-Gui in the pillars and no intermingled Fire or Earth, give intelligence and literary learning.
Bright Fire and Excellent Wood, with Earth Appearing, Early Take First Place in the Examinations
The note says: Jia-Yi days with Si, or Bing, Ding, Yin, or Xu in the pillars, are extraordinary when born in spring. Each of Wu, Xu, Hai, Mao, and Wei appearing on the branches can also form this; it is not restricted to Jia-Yi days.
Water and Wood born in spring, meeting Earth and Metal, give ducal or marquis distinction.
The note says: Water sees Earth as Office and Metal as Seal; Wood sees Metal as Office and Earth as Wealth. In spring Wood flourishes and Water rests; their mutual assistance therefore gives distinction.
Metal Meeting Fire's Refinement Enters Office Early
Wood obtaining Metal's shaping becomes famous in childhood.
The note says: This speaks of mutual assistance among the Five Phases.
Much Metal lacking Fire, alas, gives a fierce and obstinate disposition.
Abundant Wood without Metal, Alas, Leaves Achievement and Fame Unfulfilled
Heavy Earth without Wood to open it gives a life of hardship and wandering.
Abundant Water without Earth to control it gives a ruinous and dissolute person.
Abundant Fire without Water to balance it gives a violent man unrepentant even in death.
Declining Wood and abundant Fire turn to flying ashes; achievement comes late and early death is hard to escape.
White Metal and Clear Water harmed by Owl give literary excellence but cannot preserve the full span of life.
The note says: This collectively describes one-sided Five-Phase excess without control or transformation; all is unfavorable.
White Metal and Clear Water Freed from Owl Spirit Give Still Greater Literary Distinction
The note says: Read this together with the earlier White Metal and Clear Water Meeting Long Life Give Outstanding Intelligence.
Killing and Office Both Emerging, Meeting the Two Virtues, Give Lofty Rank
The note says: The Two Virtues are Heavenly and Monthly Virtue. Killing and Office both emerging are suspect for mixture; these resolve it, hence distinction.
Wealth Supplying Seven Killing Gives Ziyi the High Authority of General and Minister
The note says: Flourishing Wealth in the pillars generates Killing, Killing generates Seal, and Long Life ground is also obtained. Flourishing day stem and a pure configuration give great distinction.
Metal Spirit Carrying Killing Gives Kou Zhun Great Ministerial Stature
The note says: Repeated Metal Spirit in year and hour, with Seven Killing in monthly command, gives great distinction. Avoid punishment and clash.
Annual Virtue meeting Wealth and rooted Killing enters eminent office early; further Seal and Blade, without jealous combination, bring early success at high examinations.
The note says: This has the same meaning as the earlier Annual Virtue Supporting the Stem Favors Wealth Star and Dislikes Control; Seal Star in Progression Meeting Yang Blade Commands Armies and Punishment.
Annual Virtue meeting Wealth wins examination recommendation in youth; Annual Virtue carrying Blade becomes famous early.
The note says: Annual Virtue is weighty Killing, hence its repeated mention. Youthful recommendation, early fame, high examination success, and eminent office follow because the year governs early life and Killing governs imposing authority. For example, Jia day seeing Geng year is Annual Virtue. The pillars need Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth to supply Killing, and Si-You-Chou to root it. Carrying Blade favors Seal progression; Proper Office and jealous combination are avoided.
Seven Killing in the month, Food in hour and year, gives the censorial office stern, commanding authority.
The note says: Food Spirit controlling Killing is indeed the principle.
Monthly Killing and Seal, with Hurting Office in the hour, receive the deep favor of phoenix halls and dragon towers.
The note says: Killing and Seal in monthly command, obtained on the year's stem and branch, are excellent. Injury must emerge in the hour as Seal's wife and the year's Killing's control; hence great distinction.
Bing Fire day with the hour entering Hai Palace shines in Heaven, illuminating the four seas.
The note says: Six Bing days obtaining the printed Si-shaped graph and Hai in the hour have Hai belonging to Qian as Heaven. Fire in Heaven illuminates everything. This image gives lofty distinction from youth to age and responsibility for armies and punishment: assisting the emperor above, following the four seasons below, and pacifying the surrounding peoples. Avoid punishment, clash, breaking, and harm; rescue makes them favorable. A rhapsody says that Yang Fire meeting Hai in the hour spreads civilization's light across the four seas.
Yang brilliance on the stem, meeting Jichou in the hour, emerges above Earth and illuminates mountains and rivers.
The note says: Bing day meeting the printed Si-Chou hour is Sun Emerging above Earth, complying and shining in Heaven, the virtue of great brightness. Like the marquis of Kang bringing peace to the state, it receives abundant gifts. The chart gives the responsibility of a chief minister and trusted supporter. Examination champion Yao Lai's Wushen, Wuwu, Bingchen, printed Si-Chou fits it. Another rhapsody says that six Bing days at the printed Si-Chou hour are Sun above Earth, giving supreme distinction.
Xinhai hour with Ding day is Hour Three Wonders, bringing early examination success.
The note says: Six Ding days at Xinhai hour have Xin as Indirect Wealth, Jia Wood within Hai as Proper Seal, and Ren Water as Proper Office. Called Three Wonders in the Hour, it must give youthful examination success and enduring wealth and distinction. Another rhapsody says that Yin Fire with Hai in the hour has long-lasting wealth and distinction.
Shen established in the month, with Zi in year or hour, makes Kun and Kan complying and promises general or minister.
The note says: To know wealth and distinction, first examine monthly command, the guiding framework. Shen month belongs to Kun as Earth, Zi year branch to Kan as Water: the Earth-over-Water Army hexagram. Water is not outside Earth, armies not outside the people. The image gives great distinction. Zi hour is likewise; Zi day branch is not.
Li in the hour, Xun in the year, Yin Metal as day, and Jia-Yi emerging give Three Terraces distinction.
The note says: Wu-hour people with Si as year branch and Xin Metal as day master use Xun Wood as Wealth and Li Fire as Office. This is obtaining Xun's compliance within and Li's brightness without: softness advancing upward, attaining the center and responding to hardness. Xun in monthly command does not qualify. A valid configuration gives great distinction.
Excellent Wood and Bright Fire with spring in command take high examination honors.
The note says: The emphasis is spring birth. This is the earlier meaning of Bright Fire and Excellent Wood, with Earth Appearing, Early Take First Place in the Examinations.
Translator's note: The heading's personal name is printed irregularly and is rendered as Kou Zhun. The supplied text alternates Ji- and Si-shaped graphs in Earth-stem/hour positions; the English retains those distinctions instead of silently repairing the chart examples.
Food Spirit Carrying Blade and Forming Its Configuration Reaches the Three Dukes
The note says: A Jia person taking Bing as Food needs a Fire configuration; the printed Si-shaped person taking Xin as Food needs Metal. Even one relevant branch, with further Blade assistance, gives great distinction.
Food Spirit Carrying Blade, Seated on Office, Gives First-Rank Merit
The note says: Day master seated on Office Star, with further Blade and Food in year, month, or hour, gives great distinction. Indirect Seal, clash, and punishment are objectionable. Wealth or Office progression brings sudden, vigorous advancement.
Office Star carrying Blade gives Ban Chao a marquisate ten thousand miles away; timely year and month bring Zhou Bo unexpectedly to the chief ministry. The note says: Proper Office's Useful Spirit must be timely. Robbery and Blade in the pillars serve as Proper Office's wife and Wealth, so hard and soft assist each other. Obtaining Wealth Star gives distinction. Office and Robbing Blade both emerging on the stems are especially distinguished. Another rhapsody says that Office carrying Blade has inexpressible distinction, and emergence in year and month brings Zhou Bo unexpectedly to the chief ministry. Timely means Office riding flourishing influence; carrying Blade includes stems or branches; emerging directly specifies the important factor. Though Blade is a harmful influence, Office and Food carrying it are both judged as authority and distinction. Chief Censor Li Bangzhen's Guiyou, printed Si-Wei, Renzi, Gengzi fits it.
Wealth and Office Both Beautiful, with Wealth and Seal emerging, hold exalted central office; Companions progression with punishment and clash leaves the folly of guarding a tree stump.
The note says: Guisi day directed toward the fourth month, or Renwu day toward Wu month, with Wealth and Seal emerging on the stems, gives distinction. Northern progression is unsuitable; punishment and clash are also feared. Weigh the matter carefully.
Wealth and Office generating and flourishing, emerging on the stems, are extraordinary and wear purple and vermilion robes.
The note says: Flourishing Wealth in the four pillars need not have Proper Office emerging: Wealth itself generating Office is extraordinary. Alternatively, Wealth and Office both emerging at generating and flourishing ground also give great distinction.
Flourishing Wealth generating Office, with Seal and Blade assisting, is excellent and gives the Three Terraces and Eight Seats.
The note says: Flourishing, commanding Wealth in the pillars, with Seal and Robbery supporting, gives great distinction. Do not then enter Wealth progression.
Food Spirit on the stem, with the hour riding Emolument and Horse, writes an honored name on the examination list early.
The note says: Geng day at Renwu hour or Xin day at Guisi hour is this.
Seal emerging in a Wealth-Office configuration gives important frontier command in youth.
The note says: Wealth-Office configuration wants Seal emerging on the year or hour stem for excellence.
Vigorous day stem supported by Seal and Blade gives Gong Sheng's fidelity unto death for Han.
The note says: Another rhapsody reads flourishing Killing supported by Seal and Blade, Gong Sheng dying loyally for Western Han. Pure Killing in all four pillars, or Office following Killing, with Seal and Blade emerging on the stems, makes a loyal minister. The earlier wording, vigorous day stem further supported by Seal and Blade, would be excessive: how could it be beneficial? Take the latter as correct. Considering Gong Sheng was a Han recluse yet could die for principle, was this not injury from excessive Five Phases?
Office Star carrying Blade and Seal carrying Killing bring Yuanling to Tang's Yingzhou.
Responsibility of the Three Dukes lies in Killing and Blade commanding; each at Long Life, further supplied by Wealth, gives supreme distinction. The note says: Jia using Geng as Killing and Yi using Xin as Killing have Killing's Long Life with Si and Zi in the pillars. Jia seeing Yi and Yi seeing Jia count as Blade; Hai and Wu in the pillars give Blade's Long Life. Further Wealth supplying Killing and Seal transforming Blade give supreme distinction.
Holding the vital pivot and directing military affairs come from Robbery carrying Seal to assist Office.
The note says: Proper Office in monthly command or hour needs Yang Blade's assistance. For example, Jia using Xin as Office has Yi to assist Office.
Redressing oppression and injustice comes from Wealth generating Killing and assisting Seal.
The note says: Repeated Seven Killing in the pillars, further assisted by Wealth and Office, gains strength and in turn generates Seal.
Offering frank remonstrance before the palace comes from Killing and Blade both emerging on the stems.
The note says: Killing configuration with Killing and Blade together in year, month, and hour governs remonstrance office.
Residing in the Hanlin and drafting imperial commands comes from Proper Office Returning to Emolument in the pillars.
The note says: Returning Emolument here concerns Proper Office: Bing using Gui as Office, with Zi present, has Gui's Emolument at Zi; birth in winter's three months is excellent. Another rhapsody says that drafting imperial commands and holding Jade Hall office arise from noble Emolument's pure, extraordinary quality.
Proper Seal in the year and Proper Office in the month hold National Academy or Hanlin appointments.
The note says: Proper Office favors appearing in monthly command, Proper Seal emerging above on the year stem. Without clashing or restraining influences, judge as above.
A pure, extraordinary configuration, with the hour in command, has its name proclaimed in the jade palace.
The note says: Pure, harmonious, unmixed configuration and timely, vital Useful Spirit, without punishment, clash, breaking, or harm, make a greatly distinguished chart. Another rhapsody says that pure configuration and correct structure have the examination result proclaimed in the jade palace.
Pacifying the realm and commanding the six armies depend on Office becoming Heavenly Virtue.
The note says: See the earlier explanation.
Harmonizing Yin and Yang and ascending to chief ministry arise from Emolument and Horse also carrying Long Life.
The note says: Proper Wealth and Proper Office both have Long Life. Blade generates Food, Food Wealth, Wealth Office, Office Seal, and Seal Body: a subtle, ceaseless circuit, necessarily giving great distinction. Another rhapsody says that rooted Wealth and Office hold the authority of harmonization. Rooted means Long Life. Wealth and Office at Long Life alone suffice for distinction. Long Life refers to their ground; an explanation requiring Blade and Food's successive generation is unnecessary.
Pure, harmonious configuration with day stem itself weak admires springs and rocks and favors secluded living.
The note says: Though Useful Spirit is timely, declining day master cannot bear it, making a person hidden among forests and springs. Body-supporting progression also brings advancement.
A thin, weak configuration and slight Useful Spirit, despite assistance and generation, yield only a minor post.
The note says: If the spirit used lacks seasonal command, even assisting factors give only a minor official. This differs from the preceding pure, harmonious configuration.
Heavy Earth and thickly supporting branch spirits fear Dark Warrior and favor Azure Dragon; this configuration must receive great distinction.
The note says: Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth days with repeated Wu and Si-shaped Earth in the pillars, or one Shen on the branches, embody pure softness and compliance, form given in a fixed direction, virtue united with the boundless: the greatness of Kun. This image gives great distinction. Avoid Ren-Gui; favor Jia-Yi, likewise in progression.
Abundant Wood and thick Earth meeting brilliance, following the east and traveling Kun ground, with harmonious pillars and progression, must manifest achievement and fame.
The note says: Jia-Yi as one influence on the stems and repeated Wu and Si-shaped Earth on the branches obtain any Yin-Wu-Xu branch. Following the east gives Wood its ground; traveling Kun gives Earth its position. Thus Wood becomes still more abundant and Earth thicker. Four and nine respond above and below.
Much Earth residing over Kun and Gen means Heaven's way descends to assist and shine.
The note says: Wu and Si-shaped Earth on year, month, and hour stems, rooted on the branches, obtain Yin as monthly framework. Earth is Kun and ground; Yin is Gen and mountain. Still within and compliant without signify Modesty. Mountain is highest, Earth lowest, yet the mountain is bent beneath Earth. The image gives distinction and free advancement.
Blade meeting Emolument and Horse, Three Wonders in command, and Wealth emerging gives first-rank ducal or marquis distinction.
Water and Fire's two configurations in the pillars, with Metal emerging and Earth hidden, form Tortoise and Snake Holding a Sword.
The note says: This is the earlier meaning of Tortoise and Snake Holding a Sword, with Metal Blade, Give Jia Fu's Great Fame.
Wealth Star becoming Virtue, seated on Killing, gives Li Jing complete civil and military talent.
The note says: Bing Shen day using Xin Metal as Proper Wealth needs fourth-month birth; Ren Water within its Shen seat is Killing. The printed Si-Mao using Ren Water as Proper Wealth needs a Shen-Zi-Chen month to make Heavenly or Monthly Virtue. Both become Virtue and Excellence, and Wealth Star also becomes Virtue. At generating and flourishing ground without Robbery, martial achievement overthrows oppression and violence, while civil achievement receives a landed fief. Another rhapsody says that Wealth becoming Virtue reaches the vital offices and trusted ministerial responsibility.
Killing and Blade supplied by Seal make Ji An the court's eyes and ears.
The note says: Killing generating Seal and Blade combining with Killing, all complete, give great distinction.
Translator's note: The source explicitly disputes its own wording on Gong Sheng and offers two explanations of Long Life; both arguments remain. Si-shaped graphs occur in Earth-stem and example-pillar positions, including the printed Si-Wei and Si-Mao, and are identified rather than silently corrected.
Hurting Office with Wealth and Seal, Generating and Flourishing, Maintains Order and Discipline
The note says: This means Hurting Office using Wealth or Seal. Wealth and Seal must generate and flourish for excellence.
Balanced Fire and Earth in the Pillars, Meeting Wood Influence, Serve State and People
The note says: Fire generating Earth makes Food or Injury; Wood is Fire's Seal and Earth's Office, hence this judgment.
Wang Zeng led the scholars because Office and Seal carried Food for mutual assistance.
Ye Zheng took examination first place through Seal Star itself having Office and Emolument.
Flourishing Body without Wealth-Office assistance gives either a craftsman or a monk.
A woman with the pure Two Virtues receives imperial favor and a phoenix decree.
The note says: I observe that this rhapsody stays within Ziping's method but especially emphasizes Seven Killing, Yang Blade, Hurting Office, and Food Spirit, taking Wealth, Office, and Seal jointly as assistance. Forming configurations, completing structures, gathering allies, control, transformation, and becoming Virtue are all treated as great authority and distinction. Master Wan heard and witnessed such cases and therefore expanded Ziping's method. Was he not a man who perceived subtle things?
Rhapsody on Metal's Sound and Jade's Resonance
Differences in receiving destiny resemble differences in receiving bodily form. Determining principle precisely is harder than measuring the sea. Yin's severity and Yang's ease show that fullness and emptiness have their appointed measure. High Heaven and distant Earth carry covering and supporting to their boundless extent. Raising someone to the Milky Way is not favoritism; casting someone into deep springs is not hatred. Influence and allotment are fixed at the primal beginning; nurture and overthrow may be compared with plants and trees. Subtle essentials do not lie in many words: why should the accomplished person clamor? For example, Resemblance, Belonging, Following, and Transformation distinguish flourishing and decline; Illumination, Concealment, Arching, and Distant Reaching distinguish visible and hidden configurations.
The note says: Resemblance and Belonging need flourishing; Following and Transformation need decline. Illumination and Concealment take configurations from what appears; Distant Reaching and Arching take them from forms not seen, hence hidden. Detailed notes have already been given under the Eight Methods of Reading a Chart.
Discussing Useful Spirit or day master, each has its proper use; taking earthly connections or Heavenly Origin may be different paths. The note says: This broadly lists the many approaches to discussing generation and transformation. Another says these six phrases clarify the eight preceding configurations; that reading also makes sense.
Let the mind dwell on removing, retaining, deploying, and matching; resolve judgment through favorable and unfavorable, loved and disliked.
The note says: This briefly says that the art of generation and transformation does not require many techniques, yet its subtle principles cannot be exhausted in one statement. Useful Spirit, day stem, earthly connections, Heavenly Origin, likes and dislikes differ in myriad ways. Without removing, retaining, deploying, and matching, how could generation and transformation be completed, noble and lowly distinguished, nature and destiny discussed, or life and death decided? Thus one must dwell on it carefully and examine it with determined attention.
A turbid source can yield a clear stream; can a sweet root not yield bitter descendants?
The note says: Water born under Earth's command has an originally turbid source. Northwestern progression transforms Earth into Metal and Metal into Water: is its stream not clear? Such a case begins unfavorable and ends favorable. The Great Plan says that sowing and reaping make sweetness, Flaming Up bitterness. Wood born under Earth's command traveling south is sweet root and bitter descendants. Though Hurting Office can generate Wealth, how can Water bear it without rushing south? Another interprets the two phrases as a general analogy for Five-Phase destiny and progression, not specifically Water and Fire; this also makes sense. Luoluzi speaks of initial misfortune followed by good fortune, or an auspicious beginning with an adverse end, as analogy; this passage states the principle directly.
Mandarin Ducks Flying Wing to Wing, Seeing Rivers and Lakes, Fulfill Their Lifelong Wishes
The note says: Bingxu, Xinchou, Dingsi, Renyin has Bing-Xin combining, Ding-Ren combining, Yin-Xu combining, and Chou-Si combining, like mandarin ducks joined wing to wing in flight. Ren Water in the pillars, with Bing-Xin also transforming into Water, gives the image of rivers and lakes and fulfills their desire to dwell at ease. Another says Mandarin Ducks Flying Wing to Wing means only paired combinations, namely Virtuous Combination Double Ducks; rivers and lakes need not be taken literally.
Butterflies Flying in Pairs Find Their Proper Place Only upon Meeting Gardens
The note says: Xinwei, Wuxu, Xinwei, Wuxu has Wei as Wood's storehouse and Wuxu's Nayin as Level Ground Wood, hence a garden. It therefore fits the configuration and gives distinction. Without any Wood influence, would one not have only empty reputation and profit?
Gather refined Metal from blue sand and yellow gravel; distinguish a sharp instrument among tangled roots and knotted joints.
The note says: Jiawu day at the printed Yi-Si hour and Yiwei day at Wuyin hour apply. Jiawu and Yiwei are Sand Metal, while Wuyin is blue sand and the printed Si-Si yellow gravel. Jia-Yi born in Mao month, when Wood flourishes, with Renshen or Guiyou Sword Edge Metal in the pillars, fit this configuration exactly. Other Metal does not.
What I generate is less secure than what generates me; what restrains me is less illustrious than what I restrain. The note says: Hurting Office is inferior to Seal; using Killing is inferior to using Wealth. Injury and Seven Killing can give great distinction, but many obtain their calamities. Pure Wealth and Seal instead give natural blessings. Some say Wealth seems to stop at riches, but does flourishing Wealth not generate Office? Using Wealth controls others; using Office and Killing is being controlled by others.
On meeting Already Across or Not Yet Across, do not suspect clash and collision or lack of support.
The note says: Renzi, Bingwu, Renzi, Bingwu is Already Across; Dingmao, Bingwu, Bingxu, Jiawu is Not Yet Across. Both give very great distinction. Ordinary eyes would object to clash and collision in the former, lack of support in the latter. Another explains Not Yet Across as Fire above and Water below with excessive strength in the pillars: the configuration of Gathering Essence and Assembling Spirit.
With Three Proper or Three Indirect within, support and generation are unnecessary; emergence is unnecessary.
The note says: Six Ren days born in the fourth month have Wu within Si as Indirect Office, Bing Indirect Wealth, and Metal at Long Life as Indirect Seal: Three Indirect. Gui born in Si month has Proper Office, Proper Wealth, and Proper Seal: Three Proper. Though Water is extinguished at Si, Metal has Long Life, so Water's extinction does not persist; support and generation are therefore unnecessary. Gathering makes influence concentrated, dispersal releases it; thus emergence is unnecessary. Another takes support and generation as referring to Wealth, Office, and Seal. If the day stem is weak, it must still receive support.
Death while hurrying along roads arises from confused, excessive excellent influence; death in prison comes only from Companions contending.
The note says: One Jia with three Yin, one Bing with three Xu, or one Xin with three Bing has too much Emolument, Storehouse, or Office Star and lacks excellent influence. Three Ren with one Hai, three Geng with one Chou, or three Ji with one Jia have excellent influence unable to bear its division and seizure. Infer the rest similarly.
Heavy Blade and slight Office slaughter and sell wine in the market; weary Horse and broken Seal handle documents in a public office. The note says: Office carrying Blade is originally favorable. Office and Killing out of season while Blade commands make it lowly. Such a configuration certainly indicates butcher or wine seller. For Yin-Wu-Xu, Horse at Shen with punishment, clash, breaking, or harm is weary Horse. Jia Wood taking Ren-Gui as Seal, without Geng-Xin Metal to generate it but with Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth to ruin it, makes a clerk. Another calls Horse Wealth, weariness Illness: Wealth at Illness is weary Horse. Consulting Wang Tingguang's note to Luoluzi supports the former explanation.
Three Wonders again encountering Xu-Chen make a woodworker or tailor.
The note says: Earthly Three Wonders are Jia-Wu-Geng, Heavenly Yi-Bing-Ding, Human Xin-Ren-Gui. Three Wonders on the stems with Chen-Xu clashing on the branches turn noble into lowly: one may judge woodworker or tailor. Meeting Yin-Chen is different. Xu and Chen each combining and forming two separate configurations, yielding Water-Fire Already Across, is also different.
All four pillars returning to Emolument make a person enjoying longevity and great blessings.
The note says: Bingyin, Jiawu, Yisi, printed Si-Mao has Bing's Emolument at Si, Jia's at Yin, Yi's at Mao, and the printed Si-shaped stem's at Wu. Each heavenly stem has its destination. The person is wealthy and long-lived throughout life. This is the Message Rhapsody's meaning: enjoying blessings through Five Phases Returning to Emolument, longevity through balanced eight characters.
Translator's note: The supplied examples alternate Yi- and Si-shaped graphs at stem positions, including the Si-Si and Si-Mao examples. These shapes are identified without manufacturing corrected pillars. Both competing explanations of several configurations remain.
Declining Wood and Flourishing Fire, Traveling West Again, Shorten the Natural Lifespan
The note says: Jiawu day born in the fourth or fifth month has Wood not rushing south; further Metal cuts it down, so early death is to be expected. Northeastern progression does not have this result.
Cold Water and Chilled Metal, Further Arching North, Give a Life of Ups and Downs
The note says: Metal-Water Hurting Office favors only southeastern progression for good fortune.
Jia in Spring and Yi in Autumn Especially Favor Repeated Office and Killing
The note says: Jia born in spring has flourishing Wood, relying on Metal's cutting to become useful. Yi born in autumn favors either Transformation or Killing; hence much Killing is appropriate. Jia born in autumn under repeated restraint must instead suffer great harm. Yi born in spring with much Killing is also unsuitable.
Bing Fire in Mao Month Can Hardly Use Seal's Generation and Support
The note says: Damp Wood does not generate flameless Fire; this is indeed reasonable. Yimao and Guimao are especially so; the irregularly printed stem before Mao fares somewhat better.
Much Water without control produces illness of the bladder; much Metal without transformation locates disease in throat and tongue. The note says: Water belongs to essence, Metal to sound. Water without embankment and Earth's control makes the person licentious: too much Water overflows. Overhard Metal without Fire's transformation makes the person mute: solid Metal gives no sound.
Translator's note: The final Mao pillar in the first note has an irregular stem graph in the supplied text and is not silently reconstructed. The bodily and temperamental judgments are the historical author's claims.
Wealth and Office Both Beautiful, Emerging, Give Supreme Glory
The note says: One version reads meeting Seal gives supreme glory. Fire and Wood Shining Through, seeing Earth, give distinction.
The note says: Wealth and Office Both Beautiful occurs in Chen-Xu-Chou-Wei months or on Renwu, Guisi, and similar days. Wealth and Office emerging above are naturally excellent. Wood and Fire Shining Through is most favorable with spring birth. Earth houses Fire and nurtures Wood; thus it must appear for distinction.
Ren Hastening to Gen and Jia Hastening to Qian need Wealth and Seal to assist blessings; Zi Distantly Reaching Si and Chou Distantly Reaching Si also succeed through Wealth and Seal.
The note says: All four configurations require Wealth and Seal's assistance for great distinction. Office and Killing are unsuitable.
Three Wonders concealed beneath the year branch enter the Hanlin young; Three Wonders in the hour return to high central office late.
The note says: Six Jia day masters seeing Jichou year have Xin Metal, Gui Water, and Ji Earth within Jichou as Wealth-Office-Seal's Three Wonders. Six Ding days seeing Xinhai hour have Ren within Hai as Office, Jia Wood as Seal, and Xin Metal as Wealth. How could this not attain the highest rank? Three Wonders are the same, but early and late distinction differ because year precedes hour, year is near and hour far.
Office Star in command controls harmful influences; Noble Spirit supporting Body releases one from a hundred troubles.
The note says: Office Star and Noble Spirit in the chart mean harmful spirits and evil Killing need not be feared: evil cannot overcome the upright. They must command and support Body for the verse to apply. Office out of command and injured, or Noble Spirit scattered and giving rise to anger, do not qualify.
Killing and Blade both emerging on the stems must receive remonstrance responsibility; one punishment or clash in annual influence or progression threatens unforeseen peril.
The note says: Killing and Blade are authority stars; punishment and clash are most avoided.
Bing at Zi-Shen with Wu above rivals Wang and Xie in distinction; Xin riding Goat and Rabbit with Yi emerging rivals Tao Zhu in wealth.
The note says: Distinction concerns Food Spirit generating and flourishing; wealth concerns Wealth Star's Emolument and Storehouse.
Eighth-Month Office Seeing Zi and Chen Combines to Bring Hidden Killing
The note says: Jia born in You month, for example, has Proper Office. Zi and Chen beneath year and hour gather Shen Metal, making Office and Killing mixed.
Bing Fire in Spring's Three Months, Meeting Monkey and Rat, Changes into Proper Office
The note says: For Bing Fire, Chen Earth is originally Food Spirit. Zi and Shen gathering a Water configuration make it Office, do they not? These two verses concern forms not visibly present.
Metal and Water Give Intelligence, Yet Earth Instead Makes One Dull and Timid
The note says: Earth can muddy Water and bury Metal.
Owl and Food Though Giving Poverty and Early Death, Obtaining Wealth Suddenly Become Prosperous
The note says: Food Spirit is Wealth's source and also Longevity Star. Owl Seal ruining it must give poverty and early death. Upon entering Wealth ground, Owl Spirit is driven away and misfortune becomes favorable. Such charts often obtain wealth through others.
Six Yi Rat Distinction loves Food Spirit; Six Yin Facing the Sun need not object to Companions and Robbery. Metal Spirit carrying Killing enters the Censorate; Indirect Office carrying Blade occupies censorial office.
The note says: Metal Spirit and Yang Blade are both harmful stars that favor Office and Killing's control. A chart obtaining them signifies removing traitors and abuses, hence these appointments.
Wu Earth Repeatedly at Yin Palace Favors Wealth Rather Than Seal
The note says: Though Wuyin sits on Killing, it is actually Long Life ground. On seeing Fire, do not cling to Killing-Seal interpretation: Fire steams and scorches Earth. Wealth is favored because it generates Indirect Office, giving Office vitality.
Ren Water Seated on Yang Earth, with Killing Emerging, Must Not Have Office Emerge
The note says: Water indeed relies on Earth to stop it, but also dislikes mixture.
Indirect Wealth seeing Office together with Food Spirit assures glory; Body master or Useful Spirit entering Tomb leaves advancement without opportunity.
Wood and Fire illuminating each other fill the breast with ten thousand measures of pearls; Metal and Water containing each other produce a thousand brocade-like compositions. The note says: The configurations appeared earlier. Their repetition makes clear the exceptional talent.
Three Punishments without combination disfigure face and injure body; repeated Six Harms repay kindness with ingratitude.
The note says: Combination prevents Three Punishments from forming, like someone reconciling people in a fight. Otherwise, how could these troubles be avoided? Much Six Harm makes a person invariably behave coldly toward others.
Void diminishes wife and children; Separated Corners make relations with brothers difficult.
The note says: Void, for example, means Xu and Hai missing from the Jiazi ten-day cycle. Separated Corners are positions such as Chou and Yin across a corner. Appearance in day and hour is weightier.
Ren Riding Dragon's Back with Blade resembles Wu Huo and Meng Ben; Geng seated on Xu with much Fire makes a Marquis of Xing or Yongzi.
The note says: Chen contains Dragon, a thing of Yang strength. Further Yang Blade gives surpassing physical power. A classic says much Chen loves fighting. Xu is Fire's Storehouse: Geng seated there, subjected to further Fire, is overrefined and becomes very unfeeling. Moreover, it contains Lou's Metal Dog, a cunning creature. A classic says much Xu loves litigation. Marquis of Xing and Yongzi disputed the Chutian fields in the Spring and Autumn period.
Rare Fragrance along Every Road Gives Wealth with Love of Propriety
The note says: The year, month, day, and hour stems see their Noble Spirits in all four branch positions. Renshen, Xinhai, Jisi, Bingyin, for example, has Ren taking the printed Ji-shaped graph as noble, Xin Yin, the printed Si-shaped stem Shen, and Bing Hai.
Translator's note: The example prints a Ji-shaped graph in a noble branch position and a Si-shaped graph as a stem. Their source shapes are retained rather than silently regularized.
One Ten-Day Cycle's Harmonious Influence Gives Joy That Forgets Sorrow
The note says: Year, month, day, and hour all come from one ten-day cycle. Jiazi, Renshen, printed Si-Si, Guiyou, for example, all come from the Jiazi cycle.
Returning Emolument Loves Wealth Star; Seeing Office Diminishes Lifespan
The note says: Wealth is the source nourishing life. Returning Emolument has flourishing Body and loves Wealth, directly avoiding Office Star because it steals Wealth's influence.
Proper Office Obtaining Seasonal Command Benefits More from Wealth Than Seal
The note says: Office and Seal together are indeed excellent. Without Wealth Star, however, Office loses its generating vitality; what use then is Seal?
Following Change further producing Three Wonders receives sacrificial offerings for a thousand years without end.
The note says: Geng-Xin day stems with complete Si-You-Chou or Shen-You-Xu on the branches form Following Change. Geng day with further Jia-Wu on the stems, or Xin day with further Ren-Gui, means the person after death will receive temple offerings for a hundred generations. Why? Metal is hard in its action and enduring in its substance. Hardness manifests righteous spirit, endurance is the way of lasting. A righteous person lives as a loyal minister and must die as a luminous spirit. This principle can be discussed with those who understand.
Straight and Crooked, further supplied by Seal, spreads its reputation for benevolence through the nine regions without end.
The note says: Straight and Crooked is Wood's image. Jia-Yi day masters with complete Yin-Mao-Chen or Hai-Mao-Wei on the branches, further generated by Seal, must have benevolent hearts and reputations. Reasoning from principle, benevolence is Heaven and Earth's heart that brings things to life, spring among seasons and Wood among Five Phases. Wood has living vitality; benevolence is the virtue of cherishing life. Further Seal makes generation ceaseless. Those obtaining it spread benefit to living things and grace to the people, hence an endless reputation for benevolence throughout the nine regions.
Earth-Heaven Peace thus brings such people forth; Cloud-Thunder Difficulty at the Beginning makes their ordering of affairs manifest.
The note says: These refer to people of the two preceding configurations. Their birth has a reason and is not in vain; their emergence must accomplish something and is not empty. Another says Earth-Heaven Peace is Wushen seeing Xinhai, Cloud-Thunder Difficulty at the Beginning Renzi seeing Yimao: the two configurations in the Subtle Selections, Earth and Heaven Interacting in Peace and Thunder and Rain Welcoming Spring.
Thus the arts of numbers are inexhaustible, yet omit not one principle. Words cannot cover everything; I have raised only one corner. Revealing the subtle and clarifying the hidden, following earlier sages, extending implications and applying analogies: these depend on the person.
Rhapsody on the Golden Cauldron's Mysteries
The note says: Written by Yuwu.
Human life has destiny, and gain and loss differ abruptly. How could wealth, rank, poverty, and low standing all be alike? Red light fills the chamber when Five Phases gather in noble ground; auspicious influence fills the dwelling when four pillars meet in blessed places. Poverty followed by wealth comes from birth hour with Emolument and Horse sharing a home. An auspicious beginning and adverse end come from day and hour offending Void and Breaking. Lifelong difficulty comes from a thin foundation mixed with harmful progression; lifelong glory from lofty destiny and repeated good progression. Hard Metal meets Fire to become an instrument, certainly surpassing the crowd. Flourishing Fire obtains Water as Already Across, necessarily outstanding. Wood needs Metal to avoid overgrowth; Water relies on Earth to avoid dispersal. Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth seeing Yin-Mao obtain their position in Hooked Array; Ren-Gui seated on Si-Wu command as Dark Warrior. Noble Spirit entering the chart with extraordinary arrangements must make a high minister. Canopy in the hour with Solitude and Widowhood determines monk or Daoist. Brilliant, excellent Fire in Li Palace bows as chief minister in Jade Hall; abundant Water's virtue dwelling in Kan attends court at the golden palace. Repeated Water positions determine a wandering immortal; repeated Pure Yang a Buddhist disciple. Long Life gives intelligence and wisdom; Death and Failure give ignorance and obstinacy. Parents are unreliable when year and month both fall into Void; wife and children are easily harmed when day and hour both meet Solitude and Widowhood. Mao-You born amid restraining warfare ruin the household and bring many calamities; Zi-Wu both at Death and Tomb make a traveler abroad. Zi-Wu most dislike Si-Hai; Mao-You especially avoid Yin-Shen. Dwelling and Tomb subjected to Killing damage the household. Hour falling in Heavenly Void gives few children; combinations meeting on the stems give many wives. A powerless year scatters the family foundation in childhood; Void in the month leaves the household depleted and unestablished. Day at Extinction brings many separations even if the wife is unharmed; hour in Tomb gives descendants who may still be unfilial. Meeting earthly excellence gives distinction, obtaining Heaven's timing glory. Powerless Five Phases give poverty, damaged four pillars low standing, pure unmixed Yin or Yang solitude, punished or harmed stems and branches illness. Useful Spirit resting and imprisoned makes wealth and distinction hard to seek; shallow excellent influence mostly gives technical arts. Punishment and restraint mutually appearing with flourishing Body must make a penal soldier. Chen-Xu added together with damage determines prison clerk. Idle Metal and Water give a poor, unsuccessful person; Post Horse clashed and struck a traveler in the dusty world. Repeated Kui Gang means birth in a butcher's household; repeated You-Xu means service as a servant. Zi-Wu together in the pillars give exalted provincial office; one influence of stems and branches reaches princely rank. Pure Yang throughout with solitary restraint causes death or injury. Seal everywhere generating Body gives rank or wealth. Year and month both damaged make parents, wife, and concubines difficult to preserve; year and hour both damaged endanger parents and succession. Year clashing day with flourishing parents makes wife and concubines hard to keep; hour clashing year with flourishing children readily harms parents. Breaking destiny loses both parents young; breaking month harms siblings later; breaking day leaves one alone; breaking hour leaves old age without outcome; breaking Conception falls upon mother alone. These are only broad outlines, not yet finer detail.
First raise Office and Nobility, far different from ordinary people. Jia-Wu-Geng led to Chou-Wei have vital Noble Spirit; Yi-Bing-Ding emerging at You-Hai receive Heavenly Yi. The printed Si-shaped stem meets Kan, Yi Kun; six Xin favor Yin-Wu, Ren-Gui favor Si-Mao. This is obtaining nobility invisibly; further examine Office and Seal's strength. Jia meeting You, Yi reaching Kun, Bing obtaining Zi, and Ding at Hai give manifest glory. Wu seeing Mao displays excellence, the printed Si-shaped Earth at Gen fame. Geng reaching Li obtains influence; Xin at Xun rests secure. Ren entering Wu makes Already Across; Gui directed to Si has Wealth and Office. These are Proper Office and Proper Seal; further examine Emolument and Horse attending the origin. Without punishment, clash, restraint, or breaking, one must become a chief-ministerial immortal.
Next discuss wealth, the source nourishing life. First see whether Wealth and destiny have vitality; next observe whether Emolument and Horse avoid poverty. Wood reaching the Four Seasonal Earth positions and facing Emolument naturally abounds; Water reaching Wu with flourishing Wealth must prosper. Earth meets Flowing Down, Metal Straight and Crooked, Fire a Metal configuration. Threefold combinations meet Emolument and Storehouse; Food Spirit's Five Phases meet Heavenly Kitchen. Wealth influence without injury in all four pillars, with day and hour obtaining ground, gives flourishing, vital Body. Meeting Wealth then transforms it into Office. Declining, untimely Body with much Wealth instead makes a poor man; residing at Killing ground mostly makes a dangerous person.
People differ as clerks, soldiers, merchants, and practitioners of arts. Each of these four has its place.
Clerks' charts often carry restraint and punishment: east and west warring, south and north clashing, Long Life broken and Death-Extinction stirred to life, mixed Five Phases with impure images. Overturning Food meets Wealth; Noble Spirits flanking are broken; Wealth and Seal punish each other; what is drawn into use lacks vitality. Excellence contains Ghost, noble influence is damaged, stems and branches repeatedly meet Net and Suspended Needle. Such charts remain in public offices. Yet carrying Office and Emolument can obtain blessings, meeting Noble Spirit advancement: some therefore do attain distinguished office.
Soldiers' charts broadly resemble clerks'. Killing is heavy within the configuration, stems and branches unequal; noble influence is slight within the image, master and foundation broken and injured. Jia sees Mao branch, Bing reaches three Ding, Xin goes to Hai, Ren to two Gui; Yi-Ding meet Snake, Wu Earth rushes to Horse. These are Suspended Needle and Yang Blade, further offending restraint, breaking, punishment, and clash. Yet blessed influence also brings good amid harm. Suspended Needle meeting favorable Killing's support and Yang Blade helped by Noble Spirit thus gain authority and Emolument from the ranks, rising from common soldier to commander. Still, Killing's importance cannot be denied.
Next examine merchants: what supports their charts? Day and hour both at Zi-Wu, the Three Origins all at Yin-Shen, Horse without bridle ahead, Wealth encountered above Robbery. Or Indirect Wealth with flourishing Body again enters Wealth progression; or Sixfold Combination gathers Wealth, further seated in Horse country. Ren people traveling south and Bing north are businesspeople; Jia west and Geng east trade goods between places. Jia-Yi residing in Kan and offending Ren-Gui cannot avoid drifting abroad. Dark Warrior meeting Hai without Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth must pursue trading advantage away from home. Profit or loss is decided specifically by whether Wealth flourishes.
Next examine arts, different again from trade. Virtue and Excellence offended by punishment and clash give a minor art worth viewing. Academy in the hour meeting Void gives many skills held in low esteem. Yi-Geng transforms Metal at Kan-Gen, Ding-Ren Wood at Dui-Qian, Xin-Bing reaches the Four Seasonal Earth positions, Wu-Gui occupies one palace: excellence without excellence, transformation incomplete, broken configurations and incomplete Emolument and Horse. Original intelligence usually comes from birth meeting Academy; thin achievement comes from a rootless chart. The note says: Rootless includes Water people without Metal, Fire people without Wood. If the pillars do not interact, Five Phases further lack influence and image, Heavenly Yi is idle and Canopy repeated, one becomes either a drifting seeker of secluded places or a practitioner of one of the nine kinds of arts. The note says: For idle Heavenly Yi, Jia-Wu-Geng take Wei as active Noble Spirit in the first half-year and Chou as active in the second half; read opposite to Six Ren.
Next examine monks and Daoists, again different from practitioners of arts. Five Phases occupy powerless country; ten stems face Death and Tomb. Year and month meet Solitude and Widowhood throughout; day and hour wholly see Original Influence. Void repeats, Canopy recurs, wife and children decline and extinguish, flourishing Body lacks support. Abundant Fire gives meditative concentration of body and mind; much Water gives free wandering at ease. A chart fitting noble configuration but at Death and Extinction delights in purity and emptiness; one without noble influence but generating and flourishing favors Buddhism. Peaceful Five Phases in the month give lofty, pure practice, adding honor to the religious community. Quiet Five Phases in the hour make conduct and attainment assist each other and bring many disciples. Blessed Spirit in the month receiving assistance gives harmony with religious kin and praise from fellow robes. Punishment and clash with Killing on the day give no affinity in seeking alms and a wandering life. Killing-Seal gives authority and obedience; Mourning and Condolence give austerities injuring the body. Canopy flanking Nobility and Three Wonders are called favorable influences, but self-Death, self-Extinction, self-Birth, or self-Flourishing then bring no auspicious help. Excessive birth and flourishing with stem Ghost leaves ambition for fame and profit; excessive restraint and harm with further harmful Killing makes return to secular life unavoidable. Salty Pool is wine and sexual attraction: offending it brings indulgence without restraint. Yang Blade is harmful and fierce: meeting it makes profit the aim. Mourning, Condolence, Repetition, and Reversal in annual influence and progression harm laypeople but favor monks and Daoists. Solitude, Widowhood, Death Spirit, and Robbing Killing in natal destiny obstruct ordinary people but do not harm monks and Daoists. The note introduces an old song: Two kinds of parents see a solitary star; the Four Seasons above Heaven also lack Emolument. Chen-Xu-Chou-Wei added upon them mostly make Daoists and monks. The note quotes another: People of Threefold Combination born at Chen-Xu hours are certainly monks or Daoists. If Canopy also meets Tomb, full purses assure purple robes. Discussions of monks and Daoists should be tested against these.
Some begin poor and end rich; others begin rich and end poor. Distinguish them entirely through month and day. Day and hour generating and flourishing gather blessings and give glorious later years; vital monthly command storing Wealth gives youthful riches and rank. An auspicious month with slight later deployment begins rich and ends poor; strong day with an unfavorable foundation begins poor and ends rich. Inherited protection comes from year and month in Wealth-Office country; a lonely, poor end from day and hour offending Void and Breaking. Powerless Wealth in year and month gives childhood hardship; vital Food in day and hour gives a joyful old age. Four declining pillars leave lifelong frustration; Turning from Emolument to Pursue Horse gives lifelong distress. Wealth emerging on stems but not stored in branches, Injury and Robbery substantial while Emolument and Horse float empty, with flourishing Body and Seal assistance, gives lifelong ruin and no accumulated Wealth. Weak Body with much Wealth looks sufficient outside but lacks within. Or pillars originally lack Wealth and Office, yet annual influence and progression bring sudden advancement: such charts have reputation without substance.
Others abandon home and native wells, lose land and leave family. Year restrains month in mutual control; day clashes hour at Zi-Wu. Four Killings clashing Body and destiny must send one traveling abroad. Three life periods again meeting Death and Extinction make drifting elsewhere unavoidable. Repeated Ghost harm, punishment, and Void, awkward progression and untimely fortune leave the village for difficult roads. Adverse destiny and declining day part from relatives for crossroads. Next discuss brothers, wife, and children. Wood people born in spring at Yin-Hai-Mao must have many siblings; southwestern birth gives few. Metal born in autumn at Si-Shen-You fills the house with brothers; eastern ground makes them unreliable. Water in Flowing Down, meeting Qian-Kan, gives many flourishing kin; traveling Chen-Xu scatters them. Fire in Flaming Up at Li-Xun gives flourishing branches together; You-Hai makes them wither. Earth at the Four Seasonal positions has uncles in rows. Whether kin are helpful depends on Three Origins avoiding Void and four pillars avoiding Solitude and Widowhood. With Azure Dragon as son, do not marry a White Tiger wife. Fire Virtue as male must not marry Hai-Zi as woman. Water producing offspring means mother should avoid the center. Year combining day and hour in Wu-Gui must give three wives. Jia meeting two printed Si-shaped stems at Si-Wu has more than two women. Bing with repeated Xin at You-Zi attracts favored concubines. Geng combining Yi, born at Mao-Wu, surely has a secondary wife. Ren with repeated Ding at Si-You remarries or keeps another household. Yang combining with abundant Yin establishes two wives; Yang combining with declining Yin marries again.
Some have many illustrious children; others few and foolish. Why? Examine fully. Metal in Li with blazing Fire has descendants filling the front. Fire at Kan's door meeting Flowing Down gives flourishing posterity. Wood meets Geng-Xin at Si-Shen; Earth generates Jia-Yi and sees Yin-Mao; Water at the Four Seasonal positions likes Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth. Birth day and hour without restraint give many flourishing descendants. Repeated Office and Killing generated by Wealth must make noble heirs. But day at Decline, Tomb, Death, or Failure harms sons and daughters; hour offending Void with restraint must give few grandchildren. Wood as posterity avoids Shen-Wu, Fire as son avoids You-Hai, Metal as child position fears Kan-Yin, Water as sons' palace avoids Mao-Si, Earth as heirs fears Zhen's east. Men take what restrains the stem as heirs; women take what the stem generates as children. Four pillars returning to Failure-Extinction and Five Phases all at Hurting Office require adopted heirs despite hidden stem-branch combinations. Even offspring outside marriage have an uncertain surname. The old practice of borrowing a wife to settle a child has a subtle rationale. A Wood child meeting Ghost obtains the northern Kan woman and often survives; a Water son meeting Killing relies on a western Dui wife for nurture. Water restraining a Fire boy calls for Azure Dragon as nurse; Wood harming an Earth child seeks Vermilion Bird as foster mother. Damaged Five Phases must borrow generation. Though four pillars restrain, this often leaves no harm. Without borrowing a mother to settle the child, how could descendants remain unbroken?
For women's charts, punishment of husband is most feared. Day born as Wood Snake finds marriage difficult; the printed Yi-shaped stem using Metal Rooster determines a woman losing her husband. Earth as husband with Yin-Mao often gives widowhood; Wood as marriage with Li Palace must bring harm. Further Solitary Phoenix is worse, and what can be said of Eight Dedicated? A chaste wife is born without offending noble combinations; firm integrity grows without meeting Killing and Injury. Powerless Ding-Ren must offend prostitution and licentiousness; resting, imprisoned Wu-Gui often gives impurity. Emolument combinations in four pillars and Three Origins all of one kind, or combinations in day and hour, leave private attachments despite a husband. Peach Blossom and Robbing Killing, Five Phases in Tomb, and Wealth-Emolument at Bathing turn from the husband to secret unions. Yin meeting Yang stems in many combinations makes courtesan or prostitute. Companions and Robbery contending with weak Body make concubine or servant. Five Phases losing position, four resting or imprisoned pillars, ten stems warring above and below, progression through powerless Void, Three Origins at Bathing, and Five Phases at Death-Tomb make a servant girl: whom could she blame?
Some charts offend Overturning Food without Food and can create blessings for others; Indirect Wealth meeting Companions with flourishing Body willingly makes a rich household's steward. Men abandon their homes and marry into another surname: Metal at Metal's position meets Mao-Yin, Wood in Wood country meets Chou-Wei; day and hour offend Monthly Ghost breaking the household, and Bingyin leaves ancestors and enters Tomb. Kui Gang in the chart with Canopy gives lifelong dependence on a wife; repeated Chou-Wei meeting Widow's Lodge spends half a lifetime entering a woman's home. Affectionate interaction among four pillars makes marriage hand in hand; repeated Yin combinations in Three Origins establish a household without matchmaker. Declining Yang and flourishing Yin bring a different-surnamed son into the woman's home as male heir. A chart matched for marriage but resting, failing, restrained, and obstructed, with later generation, attracts outside sons-in-law. Many restraining, obstructed branches show waves rising and falling without generation: how could one household remain secure? Body like manifest transformation itself without vitality wholly loses its original surname. False combination making another image gives an orphan of another surname, lifelong hardship, unable to obtain ancestral Wealth. Any prosperity comes through another household's parents. This states only broad outlines, not the finest subtleties. Destiny's principle is subtle: understanding lies in the heart. Illness, death, extinction, poverty, low standing, harm, and favorable or obscure annual influence and progression each have principles already set out earlier and are not versified again here.
Translator's note: The supplied text repeatedly alternates Ji-, Si-, and Yi-shaped graphs in stem and branch positions. Those irregularities and its conflicting combinations remain identifiable. Statements about illness, sex, marriage, class, religious life, adoption, and mortality are translated as the historical author's assertions, without converting them into present-day advice.
Rhapsody on the Primal Mechanism
The Supreme Ultimate divides into Heaven and Earth; one influence separates into Yin and Yang. Take day stem as master and discuss Wealth and Office; take configuration from monthly branch to distinguish noble and lowly. An incorrect configuration fails; no configuration but something usable succeeds. With Office, do not seek another configuration; a special configuration dislikes Office Star. Unbroken Office, Seal, Wealth, and Food give purity and loftiness; Killing, Injury, Owl, and Blade, properly used, are most favorable. When good and evil interact, favor removing evil and honoring good. When auspicious and harmful mix, avoid damaging the auspicious and turning toward harm. Office with Killing wants flourishing Body; controlling Killing is extraordinary. Killing with Seal fears rising Wealth, which assists Killing to bring calamity. Strong Body with slight Killing need not fear Killing progression; heavy Killing and light Body find blessings in controlling ground. Flourishing Body with much Seal favors Wealth ground; much Wealth and weak Body fear Wealth country. Men meeting Companions, Robbery, and Injury restrain wife and harm children; women offending Injury and Indirect Seal lose sons and punish husbands. Losing both parents young comes from overheavy Wealth Star. Solitary, injurious disposition comes from flourishing Body without support. Year clashing monthly command leaves ancestors to establish a home; day clashed by the monthly framework breaks and renews marriage. Hour and day clashing harm wife and children; day sharing month's influence obtains ancestral security. Thus Wood growing in spring meets Geng-Xin to turn the adverse into authority; Fire born in summer sees Ren-Gui for deep blessings. Thick Earth at Chen-Xu-Chou-Wei gains fame through heavy Wood. Metal born at Shen-You-Si-Chou obtains blessings in Fire country. Water at Hai-Zi is hard for Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth to invade. Body seated at Rest and Imprisonment leaves lifelong incompletion. Flourishing Body favors Emolument-Horse progression; weak Body avoids Wealth and Office. All timely factors are judged flourishing; out-of-command ones declining. Four rootless pillars are flourishing if timely; powerless day stem becomes strong upon meeting Robbery. Weak Body favors Seal; flourishing master wants Office. Jia-Yi born in autumn with Metal emerging prosper in Water-Wood-Fire progression. Bing-Ding born in winter with vast Water attain distinction in Fire-Earth-Wood directions. Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth born in spring find rescue southwest. Geng-Xin growing in summer need not fear Water-Earth progression. Ren-Gui meeting flourishing Earth favor Metal and Wood for glory. Weak Body with Seal need not fear flourishing Killing; strong Body with slight Killing may use Wealth. Strong Body using Wealth should have Killing; weak Body using Seal should remove Wealth. Weak Body with Injury and no Seal has nothing to rely on; flourishing Body without Wealth has no means to obtain blessings. Flourishing Body uses Wealth, weak Body Seal. Using Wealth removes Seal, using Seal removes Wealth: then abundant blessings arise. This is preserving what is loved and removing what is hated. Much Wealth with weak Body gains glory in flourishing-Body progression; flourishing Body and declining Wealth obtain blessings in flourishing-Wealth country. Repeated Office Star wants only control; repeated Food Spirit must avoid Office country. Stubborn Metal without Fire cannot become greatly useful; strong Wood without Metal hardly earns pure fame. Much Wood obtaining Earth gives thick Wealth; blazing Fire meeting Water gives honored office. Office and Seal without breaking give glory; no Seal or Office, but a configuration, gives distinction. Yang Blade does not fear Indirect Office; Metal Spirit especially wants control. Mixed-Influence Wealth and Office develop through punishment and clash. Excessive Office and Wealth must overturn at flourishing ground. Overflourishing Body likes Wealth and Office; overgentle master is unsuited to Emolument and Horse. Flourishing Office, Seal, and Wealth entering Tomb bring calamity; Hurting Office and Food Spirit with flourishing Body meeting Storehouse stir disaster. Progression's distinction is taken from branches; annual importance sought on stems. Much Seal develops through Wealth; flourishing Wealth need not fear Companions. Pure configuration and correct structure give wealth, rank, and glory; flourishing Seal and manifest Office give exceptional reputation. Combining Office need not be taken as noble, combining Killing must not be judged harmful. Peach Blossom carrying Killing delights in illicit flight; repeated Canopy gives much injury and deprivation. Lifelong failure comes from resting, imprisoned eight characters; lifelong lack of authority from declining Body meeting Ghost. Flourishing Body wants draining and Injury; declining Body wants support and assistance. Seek balanced influence, allowing neither excess nor insufficiency. Following this method closely verifies fortune and misfortune as surely as shadow and echo.
Translator's note: The Si-shaped Earth graphs in the supplied text remain identified rather than silently standardized. The social and family judgments are the source's historical claims.
Rhapsody on Unbroken Sequence
Investigate generation and transformation's primal mechanism, measure the Five Phases' subtle principles, judge gain and loss in destiny, and decide one life's glory and decline. The method takes day stem, discussing rise and fall through monthly branch. Jia-Yi belong to Wood and most favor spring birth; Ren-Gui to Water and especially winter flourishing; Bing-Ding Fire shines in summer, Geng-Xin Metal is sharp in autumn. Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth's two stems need the Four Seasonal Earth periods to flourish. Day is oneself: examine strength and weakness. Year is foundation and master: infer carefully. Year stem is father, branch mother; day stem self, branch wife; month stem elder brother, branch younger; hour branch daughter, stem son. Later Killing restraining year loses parents early; earlier Killing restraining later must diminish children. Horse entering Wife Palace must give an able homemaker; Killing at Child Position attracts a rebellious son. Emolument entering Wife Palace lives on wife's Emolument; Seal at Child Position receives son's glory. Owl at Ancestral Position ruins ancestral foundation; Wealth and Office flourishing in month obtain paternal resources. Damaged Wealth and thin Emolument are avoided; flourishing Ghost and declining Body especially disliked. Food Spirit appearing invisibly gives a full, plump person; repeated Owl Seal scatters ancestral Wealth. Salty Pool with Wealth emerging gives lust and extravagance; harmful Killing combining year requires guarding against self-wounding. Repeated Peach Blossom with combining spirit goes to pleasure districts; Post Horse encountering clash travels restlessly from Chu to Qin. Metal and Fire warring lack ritual and righteousness. Seal and Wealth both lost harm parents early. Peach Blossom meeting Emolument loses life through wine and sex; flourishing Wealth and declining Owl lose life through Wealth. Body in Bathing year threatens water disaster; master entering warfare ground must suffer Fire injury. Wealth generating Office seeks appointment through bribery; Wealth ruining Seal loses office through greed. Flourishing Wealth generating Office brings distinction from common status; Wealth generating Killing's faction cuts life short in childhood. Solitary Killing broken by clash makes an idle, displaced person; many Killings meeting punishment make a fierce one. Many Killings on stems meeting a stem year must cut life short; many Ghosts on branches meeting a branch year must reveal harm. Wealth generates Office, Office Seal, Seal Body: both riches and rank. Injury allies with Wealth, Wealth with Killing, Killing restrains Body: harm and poverty together. You-Yin punishment and harm repeatedly injure marriage; Jimao's Wind and Thunder often give impatience. Mixed Killing and Office make a practitioner of arts; Wealth and Emolument seated on Horse make a trader. Horse falling in Void moves home and drifts; clashed, broken Emolument leaves home like floating weeds. Much Yin benefits women, abundant Yang men. Yin exceeding Yang makes a woman build the household; Yang exceeding Yin makes a man establish a residence. Pure Yang men must be solitary; Pure Yin women must be poor and distressed. Noble Office in birth year transforms harmful Killing and leaves a name for ages. Womb and Conception at the day, meeting Seal, enjoy abundant Emolument. One Influence as root shows excellence above the crowd; Two Unmixed Stems win fame ahead of other talents. Excellent Wood and Bright Fire promise the chief minister who seasons the cauldron; deep Water and thick Earth make the boat-and-oar talent for a great river. Natal origin generating Killing, entering flourishing Body, must gain authority. Assuming Office years meeting Noble Spirit especially favor promotion. Hurting Office most needs Office entirely removed; controlling Killing is inferior to transforming it. Weak transforming spirit and strong controlling spirit do favors yet leave resentment at insufficiency; flourishing transforming spirit and declining controlling spirit lack decisiveness in affairs. Killing without Seal lacks literary grace; Seal without Killing lacks imposing authority. Complete Killing and Seal combine civil and military qualities. What develops in declining progression stops in flourishing progression; what develops in flourishing progression ends in declining progression. This is spring and autumn's succession, Heaven's cyclical movement, the principle unaltered through ten thousand ages.
Translator's note: The Earth stem is repeatedly printed with a Si-shaped graph. The translation identifies this while preserving the source's sequence and claims.
Rhapsody on Gold and Jade
Search the eight characters, discussing Wealth and Office in particular; next investigate Five Phases, seeking seasonal influence. Judge whether Wealth and Office face toward or away, their weight and lightness; examine influence's depth, shallowness, birth, and death. What comes to restrain me is Office or Ghost: flourishing Body must hold authority. What I go to restrain is Wife and Wealth: strong stem becomes rich. Year injuring day master makes father and son unaffectionate; hour restraining day means son disobeys father's command. Year restraining day lets superior oppress inferior; day restraining year makes inferior offend superior. Something controlling day stem can turn evil auspicious; foundation and master further meeting a favorable spirit turn harm to good. Favorable spirits gathering in celebration show abundant property; unfeeling four pillars bring simultaneous calamities. Foundation and master clashing, Three Punishments repeated, and bullying annual influence and progression must bring unforeseen troubles. Pure Five Phases forming a configuration give refreshing high office; strong Body and subdued Seven Killing give provincial command. No Wealth or Office but a configuration obtains the path to advancement; no special configuration but Wealth and Office wins examination fame. Wealth, Office, and configuration all damaged mean poverty or frustrated achievement. Strong day stem and monthly command together mean either poverty or a scholar secluded in the countryside. Bing-Ding seated in southern Li without control make a violent person disregarding ritual and law. Ren-Gui responding to Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth make a wise person of virtue and talent. Xin meeting Yi Wood at southern Tomb is rich yet unbenevolent; Bing meeting Xin Metal at northern station is poor yet virtuous. Indirect Seal in year, month, or hour has fortune and misfortune not yet sprouted; great progression or annual ruler meeting Longevity Star brings calamity at once. Losing milk in infancy comes from Food Spirit in punishment and restraint; distinction in maturity from Wealth and Office at pure positions. Yang-day Food Spirit obtaining ground without clash or damage invisibly combines with Office Star; Yin-day Food Spirit without breaking or injury must form an accord to bring Body close to Seal. Indirect Wealth can increase lifespan; Yang Blade readily seizes Wealth and turns it into Ghost. Broken Wealth abandons ancestral customs and establishes elsewhere; injured Seal loses ancestral estate and leaves home. A chart takes Noble Spirit as blessing: restraint and entrapment bring harmful calamities. Five Phases meeting harmful stars make disaster; encountering combined Killing together with Food Spirit gives distinction. Damaged destiny and flourishing Killing need Heavenly Remission and the Two Virtues for auspiciousness. Weak Body and abundant Wealth favor Yang Blade and brothers' assistance. Vigorous Food Spirit in monthly command gives appetite and a full physique. Favorable stars mutually assisting the pillars pile up gold and jade; no harmful influences invading Five Phases make fame manifest. Repeated Yin-Shen and the printed Ji-shaped branch-Hai give an intelligent, enterprising mind; repeated Zi-Wu-Mao-You give indulgence in wine and sex. Peach Blossom carrying Killing makes the mind unruly; Two Virtues meeting Seal give a kind disposition. Much Food Spirit makes one fond of eating and drinking; flourishing Proper Office gives a modest enjoyment of flavor. Rising Owl Spirit gives early death; flourishing Rank Star greater longevity. A woman's difficult marriage must occupy a position turning from husband; a man's early marriage must have progression combining with Wealth country. Repeated harm to children comes from submerged Killing, declining Office, and heavily injured Food and Injury. Repeated harm to wives comes from slight Wealth, flourishing Body, and many brothers. Otherwise punishment and clash must affect Wife-Concubine Position. Hidden combination with Wealth Star gives many wives and concubines; distant attendance upon Wealth Position also gives many wives. Wealth entering Tomb must punish wife; Wealth concealed beneath branches gives a favored secondary wife or concubine; manifest Wife Star lets tall trees seek each other in marriage. Great progression and flowing year making a Threefold Wealth configuration must bring an auspicious Red Phoenix marriage sign. Entering Wealth's Failure palace instead diminishes family property, injures wife and concubines, and obstructs marriage. Determine exactly which palace contains Wife Star and Husband Position. Examine the root of Office, Emolument, and Heavenly Kitchen's positions. A pure configuration suddenly clashed by an evil factor can also bring death; shallow Wealth and Emolument suddenly strengthened by annual influence and progression can bring abrupt advancement. The day seeks rising combination; at flourishing Food Spirit, much Robbing Wealth means poverty and early death from birth. Wealth and Food obtaining ground, but heavy Owl Seal, also give this. Weak Office, strong Killing, and no control cut life short; declining day and heavy Wealth allying with Killing bring poverty. Further examine which annual influences and progressions are harmful or favorable. Yin-Shen-Si-Hai relying on each other must move residence or leave home. Qian-Kun-Gen-Xun exchanging with one another favor roaming and an unsettled mind. Canopy in the pillars with Two Virtues makes a pure, distinguished person; Office and Seven Killing falling into Void give a nominal, idle post among the nine kinds of occupations. Five Phases restraining and warring cause no calamity unless day master is injured. Annual influence and progression arriving together must bring trouble if Useful Spirit is damaged. Wealth Star entering Tomb needs a little punishment or clash to develop. Hurting Office completely injuring Office then seeing Office Star brings harm. The Eighteen Configurations must be inferred through good and evil, all tied to Five Phases and their changing flourishing and decline. Flourishing Body has no need of Seal; declining stem dislikes Wealth and Office. Balance gives blessings, partial excess calamity. Noble Spirit attending and arching, Emolument and Horse Flying Heaven, and Distant Combination's vacant configurations must avoid punishment and clash. Combinations are all avoided, as are Seven Killing and Office Star; each dislikes binding, and filling the vacant position brings harm. Sudden Office progression calls for retirement and withdrawal from office. Weary Horse and broken Office leave hardship on a poor road; flourishing Emolument and abundant Wealth give distinction in an official career. Harm arising at a favored place comes from Threefold Combination concealing a harmful star; auspiciousness returning from a harmful place comes from a favorable star emerging among the Nine Palaces. To know official grade, seek progression spirit's direction. Purity and excellence give early fame; blemishes give a position late. A clear route gives high authority and rank; an obstructed road gives thin Emolument and low office. To investigate children, first examine Wife Palace. Death and Extinction make legitimate or secondary offspring difficult to preserve; excessive flourishing seeks them in another household. Manifest Child Star must give many offspring; punishment and harm at Heir Palace yield few sons or daughters. To ask how many siblings, carefully inspect four pillars' stems and branches. Even with strong monthly command, examine progression spirit's direction. Death, Extinction, punishment, and injury disrupt the row of wild geese; generation and auspicious gathering join the blossoms of brotherhood in glory. Flourishing brothers and Body leave parents deficient; many Wealth palaces bring mother's early death. Office or Ghost appearing instead prolongs mother's life; a linked array draining influence instead gives father longevity. Ren at Wu and Gui seated in Si, receiving balanced influence, have Emolument and Horse sharing a home; resting and imprisoned, however, have Conception Origin at Extinction. Bing at Shen, Geng seated at the printed Yan-Yin, the printed Si-shaped stem entering Xun-Qian, Yi at Twin Maidens, Metal riding Fire's position, and Jia seated in Kun are called Rest and Imprisonment and most dislike restraint. Meeting Seven Killing is called Losing the Soul; happily meeting Longevity Star Returning the Soul. Though Heaven's destiny acts and intelligence cannot escape its framework, hidden virtuous deeds can alter transformation. Poverty nearing its end can bring high ministers from humble houses; excessive extravagance makes noble houses produce the starving. Family property nearing exhaustion must give an unworthy son; marriage punishing itself must bring a short-lived wife or concubine. Four Offices turning from Emolument must not be pursued rashly: office will fail and Wealth be spent. Eight characters without Wealth require keeping one's proper station; greedy overreach must invite harm. Alas, accepting poverty and preserving simplicity did not mean Yuan Xian lacked talent; beating the belly and playing the flute did not mean Wu Yuan had abandoned ambition. It is all destiny; one should follow it.
Translator's note: The supplied text has several irregular graphs and terse phrases, including the Ji-shaped branch in the Four Beginning group, Yan-Yin, Twin Maidens, and the sentence on rising combination. These are retained without inventing missing rules or replacing chart positions. Bodily, moral, marital, and social judgments remain the historical author's assertions.
Heart Mirror Rhapsody in Five and Seven Characters
Life's wealth and distinction are all predetermined; practitioners must discuss them in detail.
Heavenly Stars Can Be Added; This Explanation Is Not Mistaken
Hour added to monthly establishment, meeting destiny's position, is precisely blessing's source ground.
Where Longevity Origin Combines Is the Truth; This Statement Is Not Empty
Office, Emolument, Noble Spirit, and Horse showing the terrace form win fame in a single attempt.
The note says: Three stems linked together.
Day Meeting Noble Ground with Emolument and Horse Passes Examinations in Maturity
Hour and day meeting positions Flanking Emolument must give pure and distinguished office.
Unmixed Five Phases in Hour and Day Often Give Distinguished Office
Repeated Yang Blade with Killing brings great distinction and examination success.
Three Wonders joining Emolument and Horse spread reputation throughout the world.
Day Seated on Food Branch, Also Combining the Stem, Is Judged as Nine Ministers or Three Dukes
Jiazi and the printed Si-Si give another explanation: the formula of Heaven and Earth's Virtuous Combination.
Bingzi and Guisi Are Like the Preceding, Giving Appointment among the Three Dukes
Wood meeting Metal without injury to master sits in the central hall of the two administrations.
Fire Meeting Water Governs Military Authority, Commanding a Frontier Garrison
Metal meeting Fire governs great authority as a regional inspector.
Water Meeting Earth Enters Office Configuration and Favors Attendant Service
Earth obtaining Wood as Proper Emolument has the blessings of Eight Seats and Three Terraces.
Year Obtaining Monthly Emolument Is Not the Principal Joy; Take Day's Nobility as Master
Birth meeting Noble Spirit together with Solitude and Widowhood certainly makes a monk.
Void Office and Emolument Meeting Noble Spirit Make a Senior Monk in Black Robes
Powerless Five Phases keeping Solitude and Widowhood must make a religious practitioner.
Void, Punishment, and Harm Further Meeting Imprisonment Make Monk or Turban-Wearer
To know whether a chart governs authority, flourishing Food Spirit must be complete.
Mutual Punishment, Yang Blade, Killing, and Injury Must Lead to the Execution Ground
Target Killing met while seated cross-legged means an evil spirit and death in penal prison.
The note says: Day branch seated on itself is called cross-legged.
Flanking Corners Meeting the Annual Star Clearly Determine Penal Servitude or Exile
Six Harms commanding, meeting Blade and Killing, often cut life short in youth.
Day Meeting Office or Ghost with Repeated Punishment Gives a Horrifying Violent Death
Blade Spirit and Robbing Killing occupying the two ends give an early dream of Heaven's highway.
Emolument and Horse Both Meeting Extinction Ground Make Exhaustion Hard to Escape
Month encountering hour with punishment and clash must empty the foundation entirely.
Hour Meeting Office Star at Generating and Flourishing Ground Gives Descendants in Ranks
Facing Emolument and approaching Wealth, with Office further favorable, give distinction and family resources.
Day and Month Purely Office without Wealth Instead Deny Official Distinction
Mao punishes Zi and Zi punishes Mao; Gui-Yi's successive generation is disturbed.
Wei Punishes Chou, Chou Punishes Xu, and Xu Punishes Wei by the Same Rule
Emolument and Horse restrained into emergence govern acquiring Wealth; Human Origin is restrained into coming forth.
The note says: Jia-Yi seeing Yin-Mao have Emolument and Horse both extinguished. Jiashen and Yiyou are outside this discussion.
Translator's note: The verse and note are terse and their stated relationships are retained without adding a reconstructed method.
Why Speak of Obtaining One Divided into Three? It Is Flying Heaven Emolument and Horse
Year combining hour and day, divided at two ends, must be investigated carefully.
A Gentleman Meeting It Benefits in Audience; an Ordinary Person Suffers Harm and Obscurity
Why does the heart regret and withdraw? Repeated offense at the position stripping Office.
Emolument in the Pillars Meeting Wealth Progression Brings Gold and Jade from Heaven
The preceding words can discuss noble and lowly, but progression and life periods must also be examined.
Generally, Progression Meeting Emolument and Horse Brings Advancement to Office
Heavenly and Monthly Virtue are rescuing spirits: a hundred calamities cease to be harmful.
Facing Emolument and Approaching Wealth Are Rare and Extraordinary, Giving Distinction and Official Resources
Emolument and Horse together with Noble Spirit in the chart bring blessings, Emolument, pearls, and jewels.
Noble Spirit and Gentleman Seated on Punishment and Killing Win Fame and Advance in Youth
Yin-Yang, noble and lowly, must be weighed in their changes and understood thoroughly within the heart.
Many Forms of Day, Hour, Body, and Destiny: One Formula Viewed through a Thousand Changes
On Subtle Crafting
When the Two Powers first opened, the Six Jia arose. Three Origins became Three Powers; four seasons established four pillars. Stems are Emolument's root, determining lifelong official height; branches are destiny's foundation, distributing longevity's beginning and end over three life periods. Birth year is root, monthly establishment shoot. Day governs activity and judges middle years' fortune; hour is fruit and determines later glory or decline. First infer Conception and Breath, next enter adaptability's way. Official distinction comes from harmony above and below; repeated obstruction and danger from roots restraining each other. Thus pure configuration and correct structure make a high minister; flourishing Seal and generated Office must hold governing authority. Horse's Head Carrying a Sword commands the frontier; Seal meeting Canopy receives exalted Hanlin office. Much Emolument with harm gives no auspicious blessing; heavy Killing without injury causes no calamity. Without Three Wonders, great talent hardly wins fame; meeting Sixfold Combination, a rich family further increases its estate. Void close to Widow's Lodge brings solitude and stumbling; Long Life trapped in Void poverty and adversity. Peach Blossom meeting Imperial Seat loses life through beauty; Salty Pool meeting Day Palace acquires wealth through wife. Shallow roots do not prosper even upon birth and flourishing; strong foundation and master instead find good in Rest and Imprisonment. Yang Blade at Five Ghosts must repeatedly bring penal servitude and exile; Hook and Strangle repeated with Three Punishments bring frequent banishment. Thus entering official life must avoid Swallowing and Devouring, which deplete and halt rank and Emolument; military command must avoid Heavenly Void, which removes personal authority. Clear-hearted openness comes from Water joining rivers and lakes; profound learning from Water residing with Ren-Gui. Kindness and graciousness come from Wood riding Jia-Yi country; irritability and violence from abundant Fire in Bing-Ding ground. High fame and heavy Emolument come from Qian Metal early meeting Geng-Xin; rotted coin strings and old grain from settled Earth repeatedly close to Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth. Much Wood without Metal's trimming, though prosperous, ends in solitude and poverty; blazing Fire without Water's tempering, though developing, dies young. Learning floating and overflowing like Water relies only on Earth for embankment. Heavy Earth without Wood to open it becomes stupid and turbid; hard Metal without Fire's forging remains fierce and obstinate. Brittle Metal with blazing Fire is harmed by excess; gentle Wood with heavy Metal injures Body through sharpness. Clear Water needs no great quantity of Earth; weak Earth cannot bear abundant Wood. Strong Fire dries and diminishes; Water's Already Across gives breadth and harmony. Even matching is best, balanced adjustment highest. Great manifestation values deep concealment; great bending values lowly extension. Long life comes from Emolument at Imperial Flourishing; high office from Horse meeting Office Star. Canopy meeting Void particularly suits monks and Daoists; Academy meeting Nobility benefits only teachers and scholars. Desolate Five Phases make Three Destinies low and weak. Day meeting Void and Widowhood often separates from wife while living; hour meeting emptiness gives unworthy sons even if present. Extinction Palace is the Killing of beating the basin in mourning; Womb Palace White Tiger's spirit. Heavenly Void at Heir Palace perpetually harms sons who would establish a family. Favorable progression without foundation and master gives insufficient cause for joy; a period guarding a harmful spirit with root and shoot gives no need for fear. Annual ruler reaching harmful weakness gives a year's adversity; birth hour meeting Rest and Imprisonment a lifetime of sorrow. Clear source must flow far; turbid foundation achieves nothing. Eight characters surpassing the crowd give distinction or great wealth; mixed Five Phases require concern for danger in peace. Rest and Imprisonment give humble character; Flourishing and Assistance substantial fame and profit. Strong first and weak later must begin well and end badly; weak first and strong last begin badly and end well. Initial nobility and good cannot immediately be judged noble; strong harm encountered midway cannot immediately be judged an adverse omen. Generally civil distinction wants Long Life ground, punishment and Killing Death-Extinction palaces. Thus one need not worry where worry is expected or rejoice upon hearing good. Examine root and outcome, fullness and emptiness: glory, shame, obstruction, and success become self-evident; fortune, calamity, regret, and humiliation can be investigated and known. Called Subtle Crafting, how could it be only a small help?
Translator's note: The Earth stem repeatedly appears with a Si-shaped graph. The supplied wording about learning floating like Water is kept without replacing it with a different subject.
On a Mirror for Human Life
When primal chaos first divided, Jiazi arose. Twenty-two characters have inexhaustible uses; the destinies of millions can be investigated. Birth day is master, elder year ruler. First discuss the foundation's emptiness or substance, then annual influence and progression's strength. Three Powers stand arrayed, their subtlety in weighing light and heavy; Eight Trigrams encompass all, with rules of square and circle. Even Heaven's way waxes and wanes: how could human affairs lack reversals? Some begin poor and end rich, others fail first and flourish later. Abandon the short view for the long; do not seize that and discard this. All four pillars can dislike a single character; even great purity requires searching for a small flaw. Examine the source closely and do not judge lightly. Office at Emolument country makes Yi Yin bear the chief ministry; hour at noble ground raises Fu Yue as minister. Birth meeting noble configuration enters exalted central office; repeated Ghost configurations give delight in the Way and mountains and forests. Thus holding office and rank comes from pure, unblemished Five Phases; much obstruction and worry from mixed, warring eight characters. Sweet root and bitter descendants bowed Jia Yi at Changsha; turbid source and clear stream raised the Grand Duke by the Wei. Emolument and Horse sharing a home gather one into chief ministry; repeatedly flourishing Killing and Seal bring early examination fame. Repeated Companions call forth a sigh for Master Fan's poverty; repeated Seal rivals Old Peng's longevity. Flanking Office and Nobility in day and hour give high roofs and carved beams; Robbing Wealth and Seizing Horse in year and hour give a brushwood gate and broken-jar window. Restraint at Heir Position lets dove inhabit magpie's nest; Killing and Injury at Wife Position leave solitary phoenix and widowed swan. Progression turning from Emolument makes yesterday's rich poor today; destiny meeting flourishing Wealth turns yesterday's sorrow into today's laughter. Four pillars seated at Academy make a Hui who is no fool; Three Origins assisted within Tomb and Storehouse make the Master's love of learning. Year injuring noble Office gives high talent that hardly wins fame; hour meeting Indirect Office gives a rich home and further good sons. Geng traveling Bing's ground calls for prayer to spirits; Ren entering Wu country asks why death does not hasten. Boniu's illness comes from interwoven warfare and restraint; why should Sima worry? Like-kind harmony has no position. Declining, weak Body finds harm in favorable progression; firmly grounded destiny instead finds blessings in a calamitous year. Heavy Killing with many combinations does not injure the brightness of sun and moon; manifest Emolument with loss hardly meets the gathering of wind and clouds. Encountering without true encounter is Geng-Xin in Ren-Gui country; worrying without need to worry is Jia-Yi traveling Bing-Ding ground. Birth at Extinction and Failure makes Zheng Gu return to farming; sick, declining Emolument and Horse leave Feng Tang white-haired. Flourishing Nine Offices hardly escape the tryst in the mulberry grove; harmonious four pillars still write poems on leaves. Xi Shi's beauty comes from much Long Life; Lüzhu's fatal fall from harmful influences meeting Seven Killing. Solitary Phoenix in destiny makes husband mourn wife and wife husband; pleasure-district ties make women seek men and men women. Trapped head and eyes damage limbs; depleted Wealth harms fields and homes. Birth hour meeting punishment and clash gives lifelong repeated emptiness; year and month meeting Robbery give a lifetime of solitary poverty. Wealth entering Wealth's nest makes rank or great riches; Killing at Grand Duke requires fear of danger even in peace. Office Star emerging cannot immediately be judged noble; Killing attacking below cannot immediately be judged harmful. Noble Emolument generally likes Seal; punishment and Killing want control and combination. Thus expected worry need not worry, reported good need not please. Examine roots to clarify substance, discuss beginning to investigate end. Restraint in Wife Palace gives no early marriage in youth; injury at Child Position loses a grown son in later years. A lifetime without good fortune can have pine-like longevity; much Wealth and Emolument can accompany willow-like fragility. Clear source must flow far; strong roots must give flourishing leaves. Three Destinies surpassing all give rank or great wealth; sunken Nine Palaces fear both adverse progression and adverse year. A thousand threads require seeking forms not seen; a hundred streams share one source, valuing ground that sustains Body. Set out root and outcome fully, examine fullness and loss completely. May later gentlemen not disregard these.
Translator's note: Nine Offices in one sentence and Nine Palaces later reproduce the supplied text's different graphs. The historical examples and moral, bodily, and family judgments remain the author's claims.
On Primal Subtlety
The note says: Also called Rhapsody on the Jade Abyss or Thousand-Li Horse.
I have heard that two influences divide to establish Three Powers and four seasons spread to form all things. Life's glory, decline, gain, and loss lie entirely in Five-Phase generation and restraint; wealth, rank, and splendor never exceed balance among the eight characters. First observe seasonal influence's depth, then Wealth and Office's direction. Actual Wealth and Office are hard to obtain within charts; I find that configurations need only invite Emolument and Horse from the vacant. Earlier sages supplied established patterns; later students must adapt. Excess without control gives poverty and low standing; insufficiency without generation and support gives punishment and early death. What should be approached but is opposed by progression certainly gives poverty; what should be opposed but is approached by progression surely gives distress. Wanting generation and receiving it gives attainable distinction; loving restraint and receiving it gives praiseworthy fortune. Abundant Wood meeting Metal is judged fit for a beam; much Water meeting Earth excels as an embankment. Fire refining autumn Metal casts a sharp sword; Wood opening seasonal Earth nurtures grain. Blazing Fire with Water is the excellence of Already Across; shallow Water with much Metal the image of complete substance. Jia-Yi meeting Hai-Mao-Wei have certain wealth and distinction; Bing-Ding meeting Yin-Wu-Xu assured glory. Geng-Xin with complete Si-You-Chou hold high position and authority; Ren-Gui obtaining Shen-Zi-Chen have abundant Emolument and Wealth. Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth with all Four Seasonal positions surpass other offices in glory; further Virtue, Excellence, and Three Wonders spread fame through the four quarters. Wood with complete Yin-Mao-Chen naturally has achievement; Metal with complete Shen-You-Xu loses neither riches nor rank. Water returning to Hai-Zi-Chou is a seeker of profit and fame; Fire at Si-Wu-Wei makes an eminent person. Flourishing Wood wants Fire's mingled brilliance for examination success; hard Metal loves Water's mutual containment for praised literature. Using Fire fears Water, using Wood fears Metal. Repeated spring Wood should not be called excessive flourishing without support; blazing summer Fire should not be called excessive dryness with pressure. Sharp autumn Metal is especially extraordinary, vast winter Water particularly admirable. Generating and supporting me may be avoided; restraining and controlling me may accomplish much. Matched Five Phases are transformation, governance, and harmony; unfeeling pillars disorder, injury, and calamity. Warfare amid combination resembles disorder invading good government; generation at Death ground a flourishing age following deepest adversity. Alternating order and disorder are Rolling Waves, punishment, and clash in the pillars; sudden flourishing and decline are crisscrossed Breaking and Harm in the chart. Liu Fen failed examinations only because literature's year influence declined; Li Guang lacked a marquisate because the person was strong but Horse poor. To know lifelong rank, infer examination stars; to ask official height, inspect Wealth-Office positions. Seeking office without success, a clash injuring natal nobility can immediately bring examination success. Once achievement is established, do not meet Injury again. Breaking Excellence prevailing over Office leaves lifelong examination failure; Office prevailing over Seal wins fame effortlessly. Active Wood and Bright Fire should pass high examinations; cold Metal and chilled Water leave a person poor. Conception Origin, day master, and monthly framework with flourishing Seal win first place; primal origin gathering Nobility and lofty yearly shoot sit in Jade Hall and glory in Hanlin. Illness can be Excellence Star: only removing illness permits attainment. Literary influence is examination head: Office arriving begins promotion. Dark Warrior configuration with many Companions and Robbery truly wins highest honors through Grand Yi and Jade Hall. Vermilion Bird's rhapsody with flourishing Food Spirit anticipates examination success in Office's year and the four years. Much Companions sees Office, Killing, and Seal as Excellence Star; year combination and Office clash bring success. Repeated Office and Killing see Seal and Injury as examination lodge; Food year and Seal year write one's name. Wood Excellence flourishing in year and month gives first-place laureates; blazing Fire Lodge on annual stem gives examination champions. Repeated failures come only from Wealth breaking literary documents; immediate fame comes from Excellence Star carrying first rank. Five-Phase growth and decline all depend on Ghost for accomplishment; flourishing pillars without illness do not give distinction. Though Ghost and illness are used as extraordinary, removing them ultimately brings blessings. Further seek Threefold Emolument-Horse years and Jade Hall-Heavenly Yi years. Bing-Ding born in winter value Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth above; Geng-Xin born in summer excel when Ren-Gui form a configuration. Autumn Jia-Yi need Dark Warrior for distinction; summer Geng-Xin subtly use Hooked Array. Bing-Ding with much Water dislike northern ground, yet Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth turn the judgment noble. Geng-Xin with abundant Fire fear south, yet those Earth stems likewise turn it noble. Autumn Jia-Yi with Bing-Ding emerging must not be judged Injury; summer Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth with Geng-Xin emerging should be judged noble. Fire carrying much Water gains distinction in Wood progression; Earth meeting flourishing Wood enters Fire country for glory. Geng with heavy Water, cold Water and chilled Metal, most favors heat. Wu with much You, declining Body and drained influence, especially loves brilliance. Insufficiency needs generation and support, excess stripping and reducing. Azure Dragon with complete Following Change Metal is poor and lowly; White Tiger with complete Flowing Down Water rich and glorious. Much spring Wood with shallow Water makes a patched-robed monk; blazing summer Fire and declining Metal a capped Daoist. Hooked Array with complete Flowing Down makes a wandering person; Vermilion Bird in Threefold Dark Warrior a weak, distressed one. Hard Metal and weak Fire make a traveling trader; failed Earth and congealed Water one who loses ancestors and lingers abroad. Metal born in autumn with repeated Earth is poor without an inch of iron; Fire growing in summer with repeated Metal is rich in grain. Spring Wood meeting only much Water gives poverty and low standing; winter Water meeting only abundant Metal gives cold weakness. Chen-Xu-Chou-Wei meeting punishment and clash develop without exception; Zi-Wu-Mao-You carrying punishment and combination often give sexual indulgence. Summer Metal with repeated Fire, autumn Water with heavy Metal: excessive partiality gives poverty or low standing. Spring Metal with much Fire, winter Water with abundant Metal, without control, gives early death or poverty. Rootless autumn Wood follows wife into lofty blessings and rank; summer Metal losing ground matches husband into glorious achievement. Fire entering spring forest with flourishing Wood favors seeking fame; Earth in seasonal ground seeing much Metal favors office. Summer Jia-Yi with thick Earth Star have half-pleasing achievement and ample estates; winter Bing-Ding with clear Water source wholly rejoice in rank and splendor. Dedicated Emolument with Food and Injury holds external military authority; Yang Blade entering Office-Killing commands the frontier. Arching Emolument and Nobility with Flanking Mound give abundant rank; Reverse Clash, Distant Combination, and Well Railing Fork give distinguished achievement. Ren Hastening to Gen and Jia Hastening to Qian make men of pure fame; Xin Facing the Sun and Yi Rat Distinction literary officials. Complete Wind-Tiger configuration gives a fine general's talent; Cloud-Dragon pillars a great person's virtue. All Four Storehouses let Dragon transform: meeting the great sea gives sovereign dignity. Excellent Three Wonders let Phoenix soar: meeting Heavenly Gate gives chief-ministerial rank. Flourishing Wealth and Office give rank and riches; hidden Emolument and Horse glory. Judge a valid configuration noble, a broken one not noble. Investigate one principle to examine a hundred aspects, understand one phrase to comprehend myriad kinds. Later students and gentlemen must not disregard this.
Translator's note: Si-shaped Earth graphs and the terse wording about spring Wood, summer Fire, and examination years follow the supplied text. No missing example or rule is reconstructed.
On Fine Subtlety
Reading charts particularly concerns Six Configurations. Meeting Office, examine Wealth: Wealth gives riches and rank. Meeting Killing, examine Seal: Seal gives glory. Meeting Seal, examine Office: seven in ten with Office are noble. Meeting Wealth, avoid Killing: nine in ten with Killing are poor. Office likes emergence, which gives purity and loftiness; Wealth wants concealment, which gives abundance. Mixed Office and Killing with weak Body give poverty; balanced Office and Killing combining Killing give distinction. Office Star in year and month enters service early; Proper Nobility in day and hour wins fame late. Womb and Conception meeting Seal enjoy abundant Emolument; Wealth influence meeting Long Life gives myriad fertile acres. Autumn-winter Office must guard against Blade's injury; preserving Dark Warrior whole gives certain distinction. Twelfth-month Hurting Office favors Office; broken Seal and heavy Injury bring fatal calamity. Flourishing Wealth generating Office gives less rank but more riches; Hurting Office seeing Wealth gives high office and ample resources. Without Injury there is no rank; illness makes the extraordinary. Though initially used as extraordinary, removing it must ultimately bring blessing. Such is the subtle principle; why seek outside it? Blazing Fire and little Water meeting Geng-Xin must not be treated simply as flourishing Body and slight Office; heavy Earth and extinguished Wood meeting Ren-Gui can hardly be decided as flourishing Office and light Body. Slight Wealth must not meet Robbery ground; much Seal finds Wealth country best. Wealth generating Office buys nobility through gifts; Killing Star controlling Blade seizes treasure to seek fame. Flourishing Body can take Indirect Wealth and must obtain unexpected riches; vigorous master with robbed Proper Wealth repeatedly sees wife's calamities. Robbing Wealth and Yang Blade entering Office-Killing make a high minister; Returning Emolument and Clashing Food meeting Blade-Injury give chief-ministerial distinction. Flourishing Body with Killing meeting Seal gives an official with decision-making authority; weak master with Seal seeing Wealth Star makes an ordinary person. Controlled Yang Blade and Indirect Office receive responsibility for armies and punishment; uninjured Proper Office and Proper Seal govern people as local administrators. Flourishing Wealth in Sowing and Reaping gives a provisioning official; Flying Emolument and Facing the Sun attendant service. Qian-Kun's fundamentally clear influence gives honor in governing the state; Zi-Wu as supreme poles noble palace office. Gui day and Gui hour with Chou-Hai win examination fame and enter Hanlin; Ren day and Ren hour with repeated Yin-Chen receive lofty rank and imperial questioning. Day Virtue seeing Kui Gang, though favorable, meets a poor scholar; Kui Gang encountering Wealth and Office, despite obtaining ground, gives a person merely clothed and fed. Hurting Office seeing Office excels in Wealth-Seal ground; Wealth Star ruining Seal gains distinction in Companions-Robbery country. Heavy natal Wealth with Killing progression is favorable; heavy natal Killing with Wealth progression is harmful. Jia-Yi entering western progression with flourishing Body may attain fame; Ren-Gui traveling south with vigorous master can seek Wealth and Emolument. Robbing Killing should not travel flourishing ground; Food Spirit excels in Indirect Wealth country. A woman's Hurting Office and Returning Emolument are highly favorable; a man's Yang Blade with weak Body is extraordinary. Metal Spirit, Established Emolument, and Well Railing Fork are most avoided in women's charts; Yang Blade, Hurting Office, and Seven Killing give men authority. Metal Spirit entering Fire with Killing and Blade is certainly noble; heavy Killing with Seal meeting Food and Injury assures glory. Proper Office and Proper Seal hold unremarkable office; Yang Blade and Seven Killing enter service with fame. Flourishing Body without support makes monk or Daoist; Peach Blossom and Rolling Waves make courtesan or maid. Weak Metal and strong Fire give craftsmen melting Earth and Wood; much Earth and shallow Water give needleworkers in their leisure. Cloud disturbance on the Five Lakes begins glorious and ends in disgrace and poverty; Peach Blossoms everywhere give lifelong romance, wine, and sex. Death Spirit arching Killing makes thieves; untimely excellent influence poor scholars. Flourishing Seal and strong Body often love wine; Ding-Ren's jealous transformation offends sexual misconduct. Body and Seal both flourishing give little illness; Heavenly and Monthly Virtue assisting give a life without calamity. Generating and flourishing Food Spirit surpasses Wealth and Office in distinction, with Wealth and Killing complete. Abandoning destiny to follow Wealth, Killing, or Office can give abundant riches and rank. Unsupported Dedicated Flourishing cutting off Food, Wealth, and Office gives limitless poverty. Weak Body abandoning destiny must be rootless to hold chief ministry; declining stem with Body transforming must be timely to stand near the imperial court. Men's Resemblance, Belonging, Following, Transformation, Illumination, Reversal, and Concealed Ghost must be examined closely; women's purity, harmony, clear distinction, turbidity, and sexual misconduct investigated deeply.
On Awakening the Spirit
Generating and flourishing Five Phases make a person glorious at court; resting and imprisoned pillars a quiet practitioner in the woods. Flourishing Ghost and declining Body hardly attain glory in youth; broken Emolument and punished Body lose parents early. Few males and many females come from overheavy Yin spirit; many males and few females from supported Pure Yang. Reverse restraint and Suspended Needle make tattooed people or ironworkers; Kui Gang, Killing, and Blade military servants. Office encountering Death Spirit, Robbing Killing, and Seven Killing makes a general; Nobility filled by Wealth and Seal with Two Virtues makes a loyal minister. Clashed Wealth and broken Emolument give a market butcher; flourishing Emolument and strong Body a noble household's honored guest. Solitary Star with Canopy gives Daoists, monks, and nuns; Robbing Killing with Kui Gang shamans, physicians, and diviners. Flourishing Salty Pool with Blade loses life through beauty; Post Horse under punishment carrying Emolument grows rich as a broker. Long life with wealth and rank comes from Heavenly Virtue meeting Long Life; ample food and clothing from Wealth Star unrestrained and unbroken. Day at Dedicated Emolument with branch spirits completely combining is certainly noble; Blade on branches and Office on stems, repeated in hour and month, must give manifest office. Wuwu and Wuwu are noble because transformation turns Blade into Body's generation; Arching Emolument and Nobility suffer when the year fills their vacant positions. Much emerging Wealth has both failure and success; little hidden Wealth has money strings rotting with age. Childlessness in early years comes from hour and day punishing Body; later birth from hour obtaining day's Nobility. Bingshen, Gengyin, and the printed Jia-Si are truly Noble Spirits; Jiazi, printed Si-Si, and Renchen specialize in medicine and divination. Day meeting Blade-Killing must lose wife in childbirth; hour at Solitary Void must have an unworthy son. One Gui among Zi-Mao gives wealth without poverty; stems and branches with punishment and combination carrying Salty Pool serve pleasure houses. Controlled hour Indirect Office gives an outstanding late son; flourishing Wealth generating Office in the pillars gives early prestigious appointment. Salty Pool and Canopy offending one another in month and hour give solitude. Condolence Guest and Mourning Gate arriving together in year and progression bring mourning clothes. Much Water makes an overflowing person who accomplishes nothing; much Earth a dull, turbid one whose transformation and generation require blessing. Much Horse runs all year; much Emolument leaves livelihood unable to rest. Much punishment ends in disability; much breaking gives lifelong bitterness. Much Horse and little Emolument make a roaming, deceitful person; flourishing Wealth and strong Body an eminent, loyal, upright one. Salty Pool with combination encountering Ghost and Thief ruins household and separates people; Robbery, Death Spirit, Killing, and Blade meeting Injury give obstinacy that invites harm. Indirect Wealth with flourishing Body makes an enterprising merchant; Sixfold Combination gathering Wealth a trader. Arching Seal and Nobility give a golden-palace guest at the jade steps of Three Isles; Arching Emolument and Wealth a red-shoed guest with myriad acres. Seal without Office enjoys ready-made purity and loftiness; Metal Spirit meeting Water makes a poor, sick person. Foolish ignorance comes from drained influence injuring Body; martial and literary ability from Heavenly Virtue and Noble Spirit generating Seal. Romantic dissipation comes from much Seal and weak stem seated on Salty Pool; round head and square robe from Solitude and Widowhood at Canopy. Yang Blade everywhere determines dismemberment; both hour and day Void make wife and children unhelpful. Repeated stems and branches bringing surplus Office give chronic illness. One Heavenly Yi character meeting Long Life gives profit and fame together. Lameness and hunchback come from Killing Spirit meeting Bent Feet; dwarfism and disability from flourishing Ghost and declining, gentle day. Flourishing branches and declining stems give a secure household; declining branches and flourishing stems outward emptiness and display. Four pillars linked like pearls with Office-Seal assistance give first rank; Five Phases linked together with Wealth-Emolument enjoyment give great riches. Strong, vigorous Body does not fear Ghost's restraint; gentle, weak day stem likes Companions and Robbery's support. Weak Body with much Food dies young; Metal Spirit carrying Fire is noble. Generous people have Indirect Wealth, Robbery, and Blade; miserly ones Proper Office and Proper Wealth. Uncontrolled Seven Killing make a fierce, harmful person; Injury and Salty Pool a traveler of the crossroads. Very weak day stem can have renewed generation within weakness; flourishing mutual generation can likewise contain restraint and breaking.
Translator's note: The examples print a Si-shaped graph in Jia-Si and Si-Si. They are identified without constructing replacement pillars. Bodily, social, and moral judgments are the historical source's assertions.
Master Mingjin's Song of Bone and Marrow
To know the Five Phases' formulas of life and death is not easy: how could they be casually told? Five Stars rely on life periods, while Ziping decides specifically through progression. In life, knowing wealth and rank asks the future; death's timing remains uncertain: how is it delimited? Infer configuration only through Useful Spirit. If it is unharmed, the person does not perish. First arrange progression's twelve palaces and see which segment is received in each. Wealth, Office, Seal, and Food Spirit must be distinguished clearly by weight. Office Star fears Seven Killing progression; Indirect Office especially fears Proper Office. Examine mixed Office-Killing progression, carefully judging Removing Killing and Retaining Office. Retaining Office and removing Killing must not meet Killing; retaining Killing and removing Office must not meet Office. Office or Killing injured, the person ends. Further examine Wealth configuration to determine prospects. Ask which Wealth, Indirect or Proper, appears in day and hour; Killing arriving on stems is feared. Repeated Killing progression also cuts life short: who would know Indirect and Proper became the calamity? Each held exclusively is blessing; brothers dividing them mediate harm. Proper Wealth progression must bring contention. Infer Indirect and Proper separately as appropriate. Wealth with Office progression must gain glory; Office progression and Wealth country are blessing's womb. Only fear originally weak day stem: much Wealth generates Ghost pursuing declining Body. Much Wealth and weak Body entering Wealth progression reveal the place of descent to the grave. Office unharmed and Wealth unrobbed let longevity's mountain tower without collapse. Seal country is the first difficult thing to infer. Flourishing-Body progression must bring glory; meeting Office country in combination gives office, Death ground calamity. Wealth coming to injure Seal brings hanging, drowning, or violent death. An officeholder dies at his post abroad, a trader on the road. Seal not meeting Wealth does not bring death: infer each in the preceding detailed manner. Wealth, Office, and Seal are explained; Food Spirit is no easy formula either. Vital Food Spirit surpasses Wealth and Office, fearing only mutilating injury that cuts it off before and after. Overturning Food progression encountering an injuring year means early descent to the grave. Earlier configurations teach judgment of long and short life; later configurations also cut the road ahead. Distinguish weight and infer carefully, greatly fearing Wealth and Office at Death-Extinction. Hurting Office's destiny and progression meeting Office again surely give exile and countless calamities. Day Nobility and Day Virtue meeting clashing warfare show peril and death immediately. Flying Heaven and Arching Emolument dislike filling vacant positions; further examine binding spirits offending the stems. Judging by the chapter on Likes and Dislikes, an injured configuration indicates early death. Later configurations show no different signs of life and death; Wealth and Office are foremost. If progression does not meet Wealth and Office, or once it does, do not judge by old or young alone. Asking longevity requires asking Useful Spirit: restraint of it must restrain Body. Do not immediately call every injury calamity; recognize the true weight. Healthy, flourishing Useful Spirit assures no concern; progression injuring it brings genuine adversity. Judge resignation and removal from office by rule, household and estate ruin, harm to children and descendants. Relatives also suffer involvement; mourning and funerals bring a hundred affairs. How can one know whether lifespan holds? Infer closely through progression. Day stem together with progression meeting Killing, Killing and punishment, admits calamity. An outside enemy meeting an inside enemy is sought in the other palaces and external directions. An outside enemy met within gives heavy calamity; an inside enemy met outside slight intrusion. Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth require distinguishing Four Seasons; Mixed Influence is both difficult and easy. Divide the allotment year by year: restraint and injury follow annual influence. Specify fortune and harm in this progression, and which year and month bring disaster. Zi progression corresponds to annual Chen, Zi, or Gui and the Grand Duke's monthly position. Yin progression with a Bingshen year is alike; Si and Bing similarly share types of fortune and harm. Mao progression fears encountering Yi Wood; within Si, Wu, Geng, and Bing gather mixed. Wu progression has harm in Wu or Wu-stem years and must fear Chou-Wei years. Shen Palace must not meet Geng-Hai; You avoids Xin-Chou; Hai progression's Ren-Jia fears Shen Palace. Eight palaces encompass Four Seasons; Four Seasons mix into eight palaces from the beginning. Broadly the cycle follows these indications; not knowing the destination leaves endless uncertainty. Match stem and branch in one position, then distinguish weight to determine calamity. Heavy progression and light year should be discussed together: annual fortune follows progression. This secret, worth a thousand gold pieces, is not transmitted. To help the world I write and leave its traces; practitioners must not rashly disparage it.
Translator's note: The concise progression-year correspondences are preserved as printed. Their missing links are not filled with invented calculations; the Earth stem's Si-shaped graph remains identified.
Song of Searching the Marrow
In generation and transformation first examine day master, then distinguish the monthly framework in sequence. Four pillars specifically discuss Wealth and Office: flourishing Body with them often gives wealth and rank. Flourishing Body with Wealth and Office damaged makes only someone begging morning and evening. Wealth and Office flourishing with flourishing day master leave no doubt of purple robes and gold belt. Wealth and Office flourishing but weak day master especially favor flourishing-Body progression; flourishing day master but weak Wealth-Office gain fame and profit through Wealth-Office progression. Wealth and Office beneath day master meeting monthly command make nobility easy. Always put Wealth and Office foremost for early riches, rank, and high Emolument. Slight Wealth-Office and overflourishing Body, excessive without support, suffer solitary poverty. Further Seal and Companions-Robbery assistance make harm to wife and children immediately apparent. Heavy Office-Killing with still stronger Body, once controlled, makes a worthy person. Killing and Office arching Seal give no small distinction: imposing fame must resound. Birth in summer with much Fire-Earth favors Water's balancing assistance. Water and Fire originally need Already Across, assuring fame and profit that hold mountains and rivers. Blazing Fire without Water also benefits from Water progression. Vast Water without Earth truly welcomes Earth progression. Much eastern Wood wants western progression; flourishing western Metal loves eastern travel. Mutual assistance among Five Phases completes transformation and gives no slight blessings. Repeated Three Mounds and Five Tombs are feared, setting kin apart and injuring relatives. Punished or clashed framework restrains parents; clashing day and hour distress wife and children. Companions, Robbery, and Injury further flourishing injure not only wife but children. Even a son is unfilial, or adoption remains unsuitable. Flourishing Body with Companions seated on Post Horse gives drifting, free-roaming brothers. Post Horses running through the eight characters give outward glory but labor east and west. Even with leisure, the mind is unsettled: moving is romantic, stillness sorrowful. Wealth Star seated on Post Horse gives a worthy wife, yet wandering everywhere. Wealth entering Storehouse governs accumulation, tightly guarding possessions without generosity. Wife and children are miserly, good at keeping and assisting, fearing only hidden Yang Blade's anger. Repeated Office-Killing without Wealth gives wife's household assistance without harmony; disrespectful and discourteous to parents-in-law, she seizes husband's authority as the chart ordains. Generating and flourishing Office Star, further Long Life and flourishing in the hour, give intelligent, outstanding children and descendants all wearing red official robes. Day master's Seven Killing with Owl-Food gives wife many false pregnancies and miscarriages; irregular cycles become blood illness. Further examine progression. Men repeatedly seeing Owl-Food with weak Body often have wasting illness; women's Owl-Food is unfavorable, bringing frightening difficult childbirth and dangerous illness. A woman's flourishing Office and Wealth attract a worthy husband and good son; both damaged certainly harm husband and child. Seal generating Body that further flourishes makes an injurious person, poor and alone. Manifest Office and Wealth can instead bring exceptional Noble Spirit's support. A woman's flourishing Injury, seated on Injury, scolds husband morning and evening without ceasing, ending in punishment and withering. Yisi, Gengwu, and Xinwei are finest for day stem to carry; further inspect the pillars to determine worthy husband and noble self. Bing-Ding at Zi-Chou, Wu and the printed Si-shaped stem in spring: people born on these days differ. Jiawu, Jiashen, and Yiyou sit on Wealth and Office for riches, rank, and glory. Dinghai, Wuzi, and Gengyin give no slight blessings when day master meets them. Xinmao, Bingshen, and Dingyou conceal Wealth and Office within and display fame. Jihai, Jiashen, and Gengxu hide Seal, Wealth, and Office; further Bingchen and Renxu, with four pillars supporting Seal, are extraordinary. Jiazi, Bingyin, Dingmao, Jisi, Renchen, and Guisi, if Body matches strong monthly command, have empty fame and profit and drift freely. Xinhai, Gengshen, and the printed Si-Chou sit on no Wealth or Office; Wife Palace and children have empty display, and all directions are home. Jiayin, Wuxu, and Gengzi make women restrain husband and men children. Jisi, Bingwu, and Dingwei are alike; repeated Renzi governs solitary poverty. Xinyou, Yimao, and Wuwu have stems and branches of one kind and deficient wives. The printed Si-Wei, Gengshen, and Guihai, with still stronger monthly command, turn into calamity. Day master with complete Wealth, Office, and Seal, matching month and hour, gives continuing blessings. Same-kind stems and branches with flourishing Body restrain children, punish wife, and ruin ancestral fields. Distinguish the four pillars' strength and weakness well; do not reduce Yin and Yang to one statement. These are the Five Phases' true subtle formulas: do not transmit them emptily without meeting someone who understands.
Translator's note: Several supplied examples have Si-shaped stems, and the phrase on Bing-Ding at Zi-Chou and Wu/Si in spring is compressed. These remain identifiable rather than being expanded into invented full charts. Family and bodily judgments are the historical author's assertions.
Four-Character Unique Steps
Where is the prenatal, where the postnatal? Know where one comes from and one knows where one goes. Arrange four pillars, then divide Three Powers; day stem is master, matched with Original Influence. Spirits and Killings bind each other: weigh light and heavy. First observe monthly command, discussing configuration in detail. Day as master specifically discusses Wealth and Office, distinguishing noble and lowly through many subtle methods. A single factor is easy to take; disorder is hard to clarify. Removing, retaining, deploying, and matching require precision. Strong day master with monthly framework commanding uses Wealth as object, taking manifest substance as correct. Year root is foundation, monthly command center; one day's hundred divisions give hours flourishing or empty. Same stem and branch diminish Wealth and injure wife; like-kind annual influence and progression abandon ancestral foundation. Established Emolument in monthly command leaves ancestral home; one Wealth or Office naturally brings blessings. Using Fire fears Water, Wood fears Metal; distinguish weight for true fortune and calamity. Generating and flourishing Five Phases do not fear punishment or imprisonment; east, west, south, and north, the count must finish before ending. Yin-Shen and the printed Ji-shaped branch-Hai form Four Births: strong Body with a usable factor gains blessings. Chen-Xu-Chou-Wei are Four Storehouses; Human Origin's three uses are genuine when emerging and flourishing. Zi-Wu-Mao-You form Four Failures: men encounter rise and fall, women solitude. Advancing and retreating influence contend with the chart's factors: advancing influence does not die, retreating does not live. Wealth and Office at Storehouse do not develop without clash; four pillars' stems and branches like combining progression. A useful monthly framework most fears punishment and clash: clashing progression is slower, clashing the used factor harmful. Three Wonders emerging, exclusively strong day master, and powerful lodged roots give glorious blessings and Emolument. Ten stems' transforming spirits have shadow without form, bringing being from nothing: blessings and Emolument are hard to rely on. Ten Evils and Great Defeat are greatly avoided in configurations; meeting Wealth and Office instead gives riches and rank. Examine every configuration, giving Killing importance. Transform Killing into authority: why fear damage to use? Killing does not leave Seal, Seal does not leave Killing; their successive generation gives distinguished achievement. Repeated Office and Killing with effective control cause no harm in Imperial Flourishing progression. Rootless hour Killing takes distinction from flourishing Killing; many-rooted hour Killing finds flourishing Killing unfavorable. Eighth-month Office greatly avoids Mao and Ding; their restraining and breaking may be affectionate or unfeeling. Light-rooted Seal becomes distinguished amid flourishing; many-rooted Seal does not develop there. Seal with Companions likes Wealth country; Seal without Companions avoids Wealth's injury. Wealth first and Seal later instead bring blessing; Seal first and Wealth later instead humiliation. Wealth, Office, and Seal greatly avoid Companions; Hurting Office and Seven Killing instead receive their help as authority. Injury using Wealth, without Office, has children; Injury without Wealth has death in Child Palace. Hour Indirect Wealth fears brothers; monthly Seal meeting Wealth does not avoid Companions. Injury seeing Office is greatly avoided in configuration, but if Useful Spirit is unharmed, why fear Office's arrival? Arching Emolument and Nobility become harmful when filled; a useful monthly framework is discussed differently. Monthly Wealth and Office bring blessings, lofty fame and Emolument, while Companions seize blessing. Day's Emolument in hour finds the path upward: Geng day at Shen hour with Wealth emerging is Returning Emolument. Ren Riding Dragon's Back finds Xu unfeeling; much Yin gives wealth, much Chen glory. Heavenly Origin as One Influence, earthly factors alike, gives a chart ranked among Three Dukes. Eight Characters Linked Like Pearls, with useful branch spirits, must give weighty fame and profit. Day Virtue and Metal Spirit meeting flourishing Earth in the month have a little fame but scattered ancestral estate. Metal Spirit carrying Killing with flourishing Body is extraordinary; further Fire progression gives timely fame and profit. Jia day's Metal Spirit particularly favors Fire control; the printed Si-shaped day's Metal Spirit needs no Fire control. Six Jia born in spring with Metal Spirit in hour do not develop in Water country; flourishing Earth makes fame real. Jia-Yi in Chou month carrying hour Metal Spirit, with Killing on month stem, have unclear sight in both eyes. Jiayin with repeated Yin, the printed wording two and punishment-Killing, must suffer lifelong injury and hardly develop upon Fire. Six Jia in Yin month with Wealth emerging travel northwest for the nine kinds of arts. Yi day in Mao month has fierce Metal Spirit: wealth, rank, and Companions at flourishing bring violent death and extinction. Two Bing on stems with all Yin branches, further generating-Seal progression, reveal fatal calamity. Flourishing Fire and two Yin, Ren emerging seated on Shen, have thick Gen Emolument; Water injures Body. Six Xu with repeated Yin and monthly Water-Metal have rescue in Fire country; Earth punishes Body. The printed Si-shaped day in Xu month has powerless Fire Spirit; much Water and Metal dim and close the eyes. Annual stems gathering Fire, day and hour gathering Metal, with the printed Si-shaped stem using Seal, give far-reaching office and pure fame. Autumn Metal born at Wu with Bing Fire emerging enters southern progression for bloody injury and the grave. Flourishing Metal in autumn's three months, two Geng and Bing Fire, are injured at Chou but find favorable conditions at Li. Geng Metal born at Wu, Xin at Wei, with Killing emerging and both balanced, value winter birth most. Xin Metal in Chen month and Geng in Chou Storehouse have pure solitude in reverse progression, great wealth in forward progression. Xin meeting Mao day with You in year and month and Facing the Sun in hour gives the lowly condition of monk or Daoist. Xin Metal on Hai day with Xu month must guard against eye illness when first entering Water progression. Xin seated You using Wealth, Office, and Seal must manifest fame and profit traveling south. Xin seated Si uses month's Office and Seal; forward southern progression gives noble glory. You Metal meeting Li with Earth emerging has no concern; without Earth, Body is injured and lifespan cannot hold. Birth in Four Seasonal months with Geng-Xin day master need not fear weakness: flourishing ground gives fame. Xin meeting Fire sees Earth as punishment; Yang Metal meeting Fire with Earth emerging earns fame. Ren born at Wu has Emolument and Horse sharing a home; repeated Fire gives a lofty configuration. Ren-Gui with much Metal born at You-Shen gain distinction through flourishing Earth, poverty through flourishing Water. Gui facing Si Palace has Wealth and Office binding Seal; southern progression must invigorate fame and profit. Gui day with Jihai, Killing and Wealth emerging and branches combining Injury, has labor without riches. Gui day in Shen framework with Mao-Hai in year and hour, annual Killing and monthly Robbery, gives lonely woodland life. Gui day with the printed Si-shaped stem and repeated Yin Killing, without Office mixture, must attain fame and profit. Women most avoid Injury configuration; carrying Seal and Wealth instead gives riches and rank. Much controlled Killing must make a woman noble; repeated Office Star gives promiscuity. Office Star with Peach Blossom has praiseworthy blessings; Killing Star with Peach Blossom robs by morning and scrambles by evening. Geng day at Shen hour with Metal configuration in the pillars and no branch gathering or combination has Injury and Robbery of wife. Gui day in Yin framework and Ren day on Hai day must not offend the framework: fortune is difficult to infer. Jia day in Qian framework seeing Killing likes Companions; Metal-Water rooted avoid Yin-Mao-Wei. Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth in Chou month with Companions emerging and repeated progression entering configuration avoid Wu-Wei. Ren-Gui in Kan Palace with Wu-Xu on branches and Companions on stems find eastern travel favorable. Jia-Yi in Zhen Palace with much Mao must die young; forward or reverse progression at Zi-Shen brings blessings. Geng-Xin in Si month have Metal born and Fire flourishing; rooted Companions and Robbery form two active Phases. Bing-Ding in You month do not avoid Companions; Fire entering Li Palace treats Companions alike. Straight and Crooked in Chou month carries Seal and much Metal; Ren-Gui in Chou month have thick Earth and clear Metal. Generating and flourishing Metal Spirit surpasses Wealth and Office: turbid it is lowly, clear it reaches the enclosure.
The note marks Weak Body: Rootless Yang Wood born in Chou month turns noble through much Water but breaks through much Metal. Rootless Yi Wood born in Chou month turns noble through much Metal but breaks through Fire-Earth. Rootless Bing Fire seeing Zi-Shen complete, without control or generation, is poor and lowly. Six Jia seated Shen with Zi appearing three times must guard against violent death in northern progression. Bing at Shen greatly avoids Yang Water; controlled, with strong Body, flourishing gives fame and profit. The printed Si-shaped stem entering Hai Palace fears Yin Wood; monthly Seal generating naturally gives blessings. The printed Si-shaped day meeting Killing, flourishing Seal, and concealed Wealth turns southeast for high rank and ample Wealth. Renyin and Renxu with Yang Earth emerging, unmixed with Office Star, have exalted blessings and manifest Emolument. Rootless Yin Water has nobility in Fire country; rootless Yang Water instead fears it. Gentle Yin Dingyou does not worry about much Water; Companions emerging are most avoided. Wuyin day master need not worry about flourishing Killing: Fire emerging wins fame, Water brings drifting. Gengwu day master with blazing branch Fire takes nobility from Earth and dislikes Water. Weak Xinwei takes configuration from Mao framework; weak Guiyou sees Wealth injure configuration. Rootless Guisi with repeated Fire-Earth gains fame and profit through Wealth emerging, but roots emerging give low standing. Xinyou in eighth month born at Wei hour brings many lifelong calamities.
The note marks Abandoning Destiny: Rootless Jia-Yi fear Shen-You; Killing combination encountered must blind both eyes. Yi Wood in You month finds Water extraordinary; rooted, it extinguishes at Chou; rootlessness is appropriate. Yi seated You with Geng-Ding emerging meets Storehouse to return to roots: Solitary Spirit's gain and loss. Bing Fire in Shen framework follows Killing if rootless; rooted, it flourishes south; losing roots shortens life. Rootless Yang Fire must avoid Water country; rootless Yin Fire must be rescued there. Yin Fire in You month abandons destiny for Wealth: northern progression fits configuration, southern brings calamity. Wu and the printed Si-shaped Earth in Hai month, weak, are abandoned; Mao month is inferred alike, disliking roots, Robbery, and Companions. Rootless Geng Metal in Yin Palace's Fire configuration has nobility south, but must guard against shortened life. Gentle Yin Xinsi has Water imprisoning Office and Killing; progression and periods adding Metal give intelligence and advancement. Ren day in Xu framework and Gui stem in Wei month like eastern progression; clash extinguishes them. Abandoning Destiny for Wealth must gather Wealth; abandoning it to Follow Killing must gather Killing. Following Wealth avoids Killing, Following Killing likes Wealth. Meeting rooted influence must damage them, without doubt. These methods are profoundly subtle: understanding them makes an immortal. Students receiving true instruction must not transmit it even for a thousand gold pieces. Five-Character Unique Steps:
Illness alone makes distinction; without Injury there is no wonder. If illness is removed from configuration, Wealth and Emolument gladly follow.
Yin-Mao with much Metal-Chou travel through poverty, wealth, height, and depth. Southern ground fears Shen; north should not see You.
Established Emolument born in framework month likes Wealth and Office emerging. Further flourishing Body is unsuitable; only an abundant Wealth source is favored.
Thick Earth repeatedly meeting Fire returns to Metal flourishing in autumn. Winter's overflowing Water-Wood leave fame and profit empty.
Jia-Yi born at Mao instead find much Metal auspicious. Repeated Killing is unsuitable; Fire ground gives food and clothing.
Fire avoids western You, sunken Metal fears Water country. Wood Spirit should not see Wu; Water reaching Mao Palace is injured.
Earth Lodge should not travel Hai; approaching palace is at Si. South has flourishing roots; northwest must not be encountered.
Yin-day Facing the Sun is rootless with Chen monthly establishment. West still gives nobility; stems fear Fire's invasion.
Yi Wood born at You must not meet complete printed Ji-Chou. Wealth and rank are in Kan-Li; poverty stays in Kun-Gen.
With Killing, discuss Killing alone; only without Killing discuss use. Merely remove Killing Star and fear not the framework's weight.
Jia-Yi meeting Shen have Killing and Seal invisibly generating each other. Flourishing Wood meeting flourishing Metal must wear official cap and robe.
Bing Fire fears repetition; north instead accomplishes much. Though seeing Water is suitable, a clash against framework remains feared.
Office Star flourishes in eighth month; Jia meets deep autumn influence. Wealth and Office receiving assistance naturally let fame and profit prosper.
Straight and Crooked born in spring meets Geng-Xin on stems. Southern Li is judged rich and noble; Kan remains harmful.
Jia-Yi born in third month have Geng-Xin and Xu-Wei present. Chou Palace with Ren-Gui's positions need not fear seeing rootlessness.
Abundant Wood favors Metal-Fire; declining Body has Ghost as barrier. Distinguish west and north by hour, east and south by weight.
Womb-and-Conception Configuration in hour connects with monthly Seal. Killing-Office progression assisting brings office up to Three Dukes.
Two Zi do not clash Wu; two Yin do not clash Shen. Two Wu do not clash Zi; two Shen do not clash Yin.
Obtaining One Divided into Three has complete Wealth, Office, and Seal. Progression meeting restraint and breaking loses life to the Yellow Springs.
Advancing influence at Death does not die; retreating influence at Birth does not live. It never develops throughout life and further avoids youthful punishment.
Hour Indirect Wealth configuration avoids Companions on stems. Monthly birth making Body master flourish gives noble influence and deep blessings.
One Noble in the Hour is concealed within the branch. Day master must be vigorous for fame and profit to have vitality.
Progression numbers ten years, upper and lower divided into five. First examine the flowing year and understand deeply the coming and going ten-day cycles.
Sanming Tonghui, Volume Twelve.
Translator's note: The supplied text contains irregular Ji-, Si-, and Yi-shaped stem/branch graphs, Six Xu where the wording is unusual, the phrase two and punishment-Killing, and the terse clear/enclosure contrast. These remain visible rather than being silently standardized. Opposing rules in the Four-Character and Five-Character sections are both retained. Historical bodily and social judgments are not rewritten as current advice.
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