Qian Yuan Mi Zhi (乾元秘旨)

《楚詞》言：闤則九重，孰營度之？則天有九重，古昔已言之矣。西人之言九重天也，曰：最上為宗動天，無星辰，每日帶各重天自東而西左旋一周。次曰列宿天，次曰鎮星天，次日歲星天，次曰熒惑天，次曰太陽天，次曰金星天，次曰水星天，最下曰太陰天。自恆星以下，八重天皆隨宗動天左旋，然各天皆有右旋之度，自西而東，與蟻行磨上之喻相符，由是往復循環，運行不息，以氤以氳，眾物憑生，而人於其間得氣之吉者則吉，得氣之凶者則凶，細細按之，不爽毫末。有志者所當詳察焉。

In the "Heavenly Questions" from the "Chu Ci," it is asked: "If the heavens are round and have nine layers, who measured and arranged them?" This shows that the ancients already spoke of the heavens being divided into nine layers. Western astronomers also spoke of nine heavens, with the highest one called the "Prime Mover Heaven," which has no stars and rotates westward every day, carrying the other eight heavens along with it. The second layer is the "Fixed Star Heaven," where all the stars are located. The third is the "Saturn Heaven," the fourth the "Jupiter Heaven," the fifth the "Mars Heaven," the sixth the "Sun Heaven," the seventh the "Venus Heaven," the eighth the "Mercury Heaven," and the lowest is the "Moon Heaven," where the moon travels. From the layer of fixed stars downward, the eight heavens all rotate westward with the Prime Mover Heaven, but each heaven also has its own eastward rotation. This is exactly like the ancient analogy of "an ant crawling on a grinding wheel": the wheel turns westward, but the ant moves eastward on the surface, and both movements overlap. Thus, the heavenly bodies move in cycles, never ceasing. The interaction of yin and yang energies leads to the generation of all things. Human beings are born into this environment, receiving good energy leads to good fortune, and receiving bad energy leads to misfortune. These distinctions are precise and clear. Those who are interested in the study of stars and fate should thoroughly examine this fundamental principle.

水生木，又生氣；火生土，又生計；木生火，又生羅；金生水，又生孛；羅生計，又生土；氣生羅，又生火；孛生氣，又生木。土計生金，金扶月，金水孛扶日。水克火，又克羅；木克土，又克計；金克木，又克氣；土克水，又克孛；計克孛，又克水；氣克計，又克土；孛克羅，又克火；火羅克金，木氣蔽日，土計掩月。

This is the sequence of generation and control among the eleven celestial bodies in the system of "Qi Zheng Si Yu," based on the Five Phases. The seven celestial bodies, or "Qi Zheng," refer to the sun, moon, and the five planets: water, fire, wood, metal, and earth. The four additional celestial bodies, or "Si Yu," are "Zi Qi" (the remainder of wood), "Luo Hou" (the remainder of fire), "Ji Du" (the remainder of earth), and "Yue Bo" (the remainder of water). In the sequence of mutual generation: water generates wood and also "Zi Qi"; fire generates earth and also "Ji Du"; wood generates fire and also "Luo Hou"; metal generates water and also "Yue Bo"; "Luo Hou" generates "Ji Du" and also earth; "Zi Qi" generates "Luo Hou" and also fire; "Yue Bo" generates "Zi Qi" and also wood. The planet of earth and "Ji Du" both generate metal, which supports the moon. Metal, water, and "Yue Bo" all support the sun. In the sequence of mutual control: water controls fire and also "Luo Hou"; wood controls earth and also "Ji Du"; metal controls wood and also "Zi Qi"; earth controls water and also "Yue Bo"; "Ji Du" controls "Yue Bo" and also water; "Zi Qi" controls "Ji Du" and also earth; "Yue Bo" controls "Luo Hou" and also fire; fire and "Luo Hou" control metal. In addition, there are two special sequences concerning the two major celestial bodies: wood and "Zi Qi" can obscure the sun; earth and "Ji Du" can eclipse the moon.

水生計，又生羅；火生木，又生金；木生土，又生月；金生月，又生土；土生水，又生氣；計生火，又生孛；羅生孛，又生火；氣生羅，又生計；孛生金，又生木；月生氣，又生水。水克火，又克孛；火克土，又克月；木克水，又克氣；金克氣，又克水；土克計，又克羅；計克木，又克金；羅克金，又克木；氣克孛，又克火；孛克月，又克土；月克羅，又克計；太陽至尊獨不與。

This is the mutual generation and control of the Eleven Planets based on the "transformed Five Phases," which is entirely different from the above-mentioned standard Five Phases and represents a separate system used in this school. In the mutual generation aspect: water generates "Ji Du," and also generates "Luo Hou"; fire generates wood, and also generates metal; wood generates earth, and also generates Tai Yin; metal generates Tai Yin, and also generates earth; earth generates water, and also generates "Zi Qi"; "Ji Du" generates fire, and also generates "Yue Bo"; "Luo Hou" generates "Yue Bo," and also generates fire; "Zi Qi" generates "Luo Hou," and also generates "Ji Du"; "Yue Bo" generates metal, and also generates wood; Tai Yin generates "Zi Qi," and also generates water. In the mutual control aspect: water controls fire, and also controls "Yue Bo"; fire controls earth, and also controls Tai Yin; wood controls water, and also controls "Zi Qi"; metal controls "Zi Qi," and also controls water; earth controls "Ji Du," and also controls "Luo Hou"; "Ji Du" controls wood, and also controls metal; "Luo Hou" controls metal, and also controls wood; "Zi Qi" controls "Yue Bo," and also controls fire; "Yue Bo" controls Tai Yin, and also controls earth; Tai Yin controls "Luo Hou," and also controls "Ji Du." The Sun is the supreme symbol and does not participate in this system of transformed Five Phases generation and control.

木正旺則畏金，太旺又借金以成其器。火正旺則怯於水孛，太旺又借水孛以殺其威。土正旺則懮乎木氣，太旺又借木氣以疏其硬。金正旺則嫌於火羅，太旺又借火羅以化其頑鈍。水正旺則妨於土計，太旺又借土計以防其浸淫。且寒日偏替於金水，而素月獨隆於火羅。

The same Five Phases are considered, but the degree of their strength varies. When they are strong, the way to use them should be reversed. When wood is in its season and at its peak, it fears metal to cut it. However, once it is extremely strong, it actually needs metal's斧凿 to shape it into an object. When fire is at its peak, it fears water and the 'Moon孛' to extinguish it. But when it is too strong, it actually needs water and the 'Moon孛' to temper its intensity. When earth is at its peak, it fears wood and the 'Purple Qi' to weaken it. However, when it is too strong, it actually needs wood and the 'Purple Qi' to loosen its hardness. When metal is at its peak, it fears fire and the 'Ruo Hou' to melt it. But when it is too strong, it actually needs fire and the 'Ruo Hou' to soften its dullness. When water is at its peak, it fears earth and the 'Ji Du' to block it. However, when it is too strong, it actually needs earth and the 'Ji Du' to prevent its overflow. Additionally, there is another contrast: the yang of winter most fears metal and water. If metal and water are abundant, the sunlight becomes weaker. However, the pure yin alone prefers fire and the 'Ruo Hou' to illuminate it. When it receives them, its brilliance becomes even greater.

《摘奧經》云：「冬水輔陽，水借光溫暖，而太陽則凝寒矣，主克父。夏水輔陽，陽借水滋潤，而水則枯涸矣，主短壽。」

The *Zhai Ao Jing* says: A person born in winter who has the water star assisting the sun star, although the water gains warmth from the sunlight, the sun is frozen and becomes stagnant and unclear by the cold water, and such a person will harm their father. A person born in summer who has the water star assisting the sun star, although the sun gains moisture from the water, the water is dried up by the intense sunlight, and such a person will have a short lifespan. Clearly, the same "water assisting the sun" leads to completely opposite results in winter and summer, so when making a fortune prediction, one cannot treat them all the same.

耶律楚材云：「如木為財而在春，春木本旺，旺而逢生，不幾生之太過乎？以富斷之則誤矣。蓋春木宜逢金，夏宜逢水，秋宜躔木，冬宜躔火，反是非天地之中和，恐不免於貧，命主等星亦如之。再以月論，春月，火羅照之不明不燥，金水扶之，有光。夏月，逢金無益，值木亦損，不惟土計是凶，即火羅亦難，惟水孛扶之，斯元精不散。秋月，獨畏土計，不妨獨行，亦喜金水以助華。至冬，失之太寒，金水孛皆忌，火羅相照為美。」合此二書觀之，一一皆可類推。

Yelü Chucai said: Suppose the planet Jupiter is the wealth star, and a person is born in spring. Spring is already a season when wood is strong, and if it is further supported and nurtured, would it not be excessive? In this case, if we still judge it as "wealth is strong" and predict wealth, it would be wrong. Generally speaking, wood in spring is suitable to meet metal for cutting, wood in summer is suitable to meet water for nourishment, wood in autumn is suitable to reach the degree of the wood host, and wood in winter is suitable to reach the degree of the fire host. If this order is violated, it will not conform to the harmonious energy of heaven and earth, and it is likely to suffer from poverty and hardship. The use of the main star and other stars also follows this principle. Take the Moon again as an example: in spring, if it meets fire and "Luohou" (a celestial body), it will neither be dark nor too hot, and if it is further supported by metal and water, it will be especially bright; in summer, meeting metal is not beneficial, meeting wood will cause damage, not only earth and "Jidu" (another celestial body) are harmful, even fire and "Luohou" are difficult to bear, only water and "Yuebo" (another celestial body) can support it, so that the original essence will not be exhausted; in autumn, the Moon is only afraid of earth and "Jidu", being alone without companions is not harmful, and it also likes metal and water to help it shine; in winter, the Moon is too cold, and metal, water, and "Yuebo" are all to be avoided, and meeting fire and "Luohou" is considered good. Combining the "Zhaiaojing" (a divination text) and Yelü Chucai's words, the use of other celestial bodies according to the principles of the four seasons can be similarly inferred.

變於十干，化祿也。甲火，乙孛，丙木，丁金，戊土，己月，庚水，辛氣，壬計，癸羅，其中自有正理存焉。竊嘗從元星天道立極之圖及元星仰觀天文之圖而窮極之。

The phrase "the transformation of the Five Phases and the change of the Five Phases" refers to applying changes to the ten Heavenly Stems. This is known as the method of "transformed fortune" or "化禄." The Jia stem transforms into fire, the Yi stem transforms into the Moon孛, the Bing stem transforms into wood, the Ding stem transforms into metal, the Wu stem transforms into earth, the Ji stem transforms into the Taiyin, the Geng stem transforms into water, the Xin stem transforms into the Purple Qi, the Ren stem transforms into the Jiudu, and the Gui stem transforms into the Luo Hou. This system of pairing is not arbitrarily arranged; there is a definite rational basis behind it. I once studied the "Yuanxing" book, which contains the "Yuanxing Heaven's Principle Diagram" and the "Yuanxing Observing the Celestial Phenomena Diagram," and thoroughly explored the underlying reasons.

日月麗乎天，日午月未，地勢起於北，子丑皆土；天道左旋，寅配春屬木，卯配夏屬火，辰配秋屬金，巳配冬屬水；地道右轉，亥配春屬木，戌配夏屬火，酉配秋屬金，申配冬屬水。

The sun and moon are attached to the heavens; the sun's position is at Wu, and the moon's position is at Wei. The earth's terrain begins at Due North, so the branches Zi and Chou both belong to earth. The heavenly way rotates to the left, starting from Yin: Yin corresponds to spring and belongs to wood, Mao corresponds to summer and belongs to fire, Chen corresponds to autumn and belongs to metal, and Si corresponds to winter and belongs to water. The earthly way turns to the right, starting from Hai: Hai corresponds to spring and belongs to wood, Xu corresponds to summer and belongs to fire, You corresponds to autumn and belongs to metal, and Shen corresponds to winter and belongs to water. The heavenly way and earthly way move in opposite directions, meeting precisely at Zi and Chou and at Wu and Wei. The five phases of the twelve branches are thus determined.

惟子丑合而屬土，故戊歸丑，己歸子；寅亥合而屬木，故甲歸寅，乙歸亥；卯戌合而屬火，故丙歸卯，丁歸戌；辰酉合而屬金，故庚歸辰，辛歸酉；巳申合而屬水，故壬歸巳，癸歸申。寅卯辰巳皆陽位也，陽居陽位，故甲丙庚壬居之；申酉戌亥皆陰位也，陰居陰位，故癸辛丁乙居之。子之視亥戌酉申，乃自西而北，陰之極也，故己居之；丑之視寅卯辰巳，乃由北而東南，陽之始也，故戊居之。

Only the Earthly Branches Zi and Chou are compatible and both belong to Earth, so the Yang Earth Wu resides in Chou, and the Yin Earth Ji resides in Zi. The Earthly Branches Yin and Hai are compatible and both belong to Wood, so the Yang Wood Jia resides in Yin, and the Yin Wood Yi resides in Hai. The Earthly Branches Mao and Xu are compatible and both belong to Fire, so the Yang Fire Bing resides in Mao, and the Yin Fire Ding resides in Xu. The Earthly Branches Chen and You are compatible and both belong to Metal, so the Yang Metal Geng resides in Chen, and the Yin Metal Xin resides in You. The Earthly Branches Si and Shen are compatible and both belong to Water, so the Yang Water Ren resides in Si, and the Yin Water Gui resides in Shen. Now looking at the distribution of Yin and Yang: Yin, Mao, Chen, and Si are all Yang positions, so the Yang Heavenly Stems Jia, Bing, Geng, and Ren reside on these four branches. Shen, You, Xu, and Hai are all Yin positions, so the Yin Heavenly Stems Gui, Xin, Ding, and Yi reside on these four branches. As for the two Earth positions Zi and Chou: looking from Zi toward Hai, Xu, You, and Shen, it is a path from west to north, which is where Yin energy reaches its end, so the Yin Earth Ji resides in Zi. Looking from Chou toward Yin, Mao, Chen, and Si, it is a path from north to southeast, which is where Yang energy begins to emerge, so the Yang Earth Wu resides in Chou.

丑為土之初基，巳為土之中位，故土歸丑，計歸巳；寅乃火甫見之方，申乃火將滅之地，故火歸寅，羅歸申；卯為木之盛，酉為木之衰，故木歸卯，氣歸酉；辰為納水之府，亥為出水之區，故水歸辰，孛歸亥；獨金好殺，而天地好生，故藏金於戌並使無餘氣也。午為日位，日居之；未為月位，月居之。月固借日之光以為光，必對始望，日既居午，故月亦居子。

Now continue with the explanation of where each of the five planets and four additional celestial bodies (四余) belong. The earthy branch 'Chou' (丑) is the initial foundation of earth, and 'Si' (巳) is the central position of earth, so the planet of earth (土星) belongs to 'Chou', and the additional celestial body of earth, 'Ji Du' (计都), belongs to 'Si'. 'Yin' (寅) is the direction where fire first appears, and 'Shen' (申) is the place where fire is about to extinguish, so the planet of fire (火星) belongs to 'Yin', and the additional celestial body of fire, 'Luo Hou' (罗睺), belongs to 'Shen'. 'Mao' (卯) is the place where wood is most vigorous, and 'You' (酉) is the place where wood is most declining, so the planet of wood (木星) belongs to 'Mao', and the additional celestial body of wood, 'Zi Qi' (紫气), belongs to 'You'. 'Chen' (辰) is the storehouse that collects all water, and 'Hai' (亥) is the area where the source of water flows out, so the planet of water (水星) belongs to 'Chen', and the additional celestial body of water, 'Yue Bo' (月孛), belongs to 'Hai'. Only the planet of metal (金星) is inclined towards destruction, while the heart of heaven and earth is inclined towards life, so the planet of metal is hidden in 'Xu' (戌), the storehouse, and it is not given an additional celestial body. This is why there is no additional celestial body for metal, 'Jin Wu Yu' (金无余). 'Wu' (午) is the original position of the sun, so the sun resides there; 'Wei' (未) is the original position of the moon, so the moon resides there. The moon originally shines by borrowing the light of the sun, and it can only form a full moon when it is directly opposite the sun. Since the sun is already in 'Wu', the moon takes its position in 'Zi' (子). (The original text here contradicts the previous statement 'Wei is the position of the moon, the moon resides there', suggesting a possible error or omission. I have recorded it as it is in the original text and do not dare to make assumptions or changes.)

此甲火，乙孛，丙木，丁金，戊土，己月，庚水，辛氣，壬計，癸羅之所由化也；金無餘，特端列一宮，水木火土孛氣羅計，皆以遞生。

The above explains the origins of the ten transformations of fortune: Jia transforms into fire, Yi transforms into the Moon孛, Bing transforms into wood, Ding transforms into metal, Wu transforms into earth, Ji transforms into the Taiyin, Geng transforms into water, Xin transforms into the Purple Qi, Ren transforms into the Ji Du, and Gui transforms into the Luo Hui. Metal, having no accompanying stars, resides alone in one palace. The four stars of water, wood, fire, and earth, together with the four residual stars of Moon孛, Purple Qi, Ji Du, and Luo Hui, pair up in twos, successively generating and developing, forming a continuous, interconnected sequence.

至於甲與己合，月借火暖；乙與庚合，孛資水勢；丙與辛合，氣叨木蔭；丁與壬合，金賴計生；戊與癸合，土用羅恩；午與未合，月藉日光；蓋化祿之合，適以相成如此。子午而犯君，丑未沖而掩光，寅申而炎燥，巳亥而克害，卯酉而侵凌，辰戌而洩漏，蓋化祿之，實以相虧如此。

After considering the effects of mutual harmony following the transformation of the禄 (favor), we see that Jia and Ji harmonize, with Jia transforming into fire and Ji transforming into Taiyin. Taiyin then gains warmth from the fire. Yi and Geng harmonize, with Yi transforming into Yuesbo and Geng transforming into water. Yuesbo then gains strength from the water. Bing and Xin harmonize, with Bing transforming into wood and Xin transforming into Ziqi. Ziqi then benefits from the shade of wood. Ding and Ren harmonize, with Ding transforming into metal and Ren transforming into Jidu. Metal then benefits from the remaining earth of Jidu. Wu and Gui harmonize, with Wu transforming into earth and Gui transforming into Luohou. Earth then benefits from the fire of Luohou as an auspicious star. Wu and Wei harmonize, with Wu being the sun and Wei being the moon. The moon then benefits from the sunlight. Thus, the harmony of the禄 is a mutual enhancement. Conversely, looking at mutual conflicts: Zi and Wu conflict, which is a conflict with the sovereign's image of the sun. Chou and Wei conflict, which obscures the moonlight. Yin and Shen conflict, causing excessive fire and dryness. Si and Hai conflict, leading to mutual harm between water and fire. Mao and You conflict, resulting in the invasion of wood and metal. Chen and Xu conflict, causing the leakage of stored energy. Thus, the conflict of the禄 is indeed mutual loss. (The original text has a missing 'conflict' character in the phrase 'Zi and Wu while committing the offense' and at the end 'the transformation of the禄', but these are retained as is.)

或又曰：己加子，子為寄宮，月方明，子宜從月；月在晦，子宜從計，二者必並推而得之，姑存其說，以俟好學者。若夫戊甲丙庚壬為五陽，五陽各與正財合，癸辛丁乙己為五陰，五陰各與正官合，是尤見合之為義大，而化祿之體精用博也。

There is another view: the dry branch Ji is transformed into Taiyin and added upon the Zi branch, which is its lodging palace. When the moon is bright, the Zi position should follow Taiyin; when the moon is dark, the Zi position should follow 'Jidu'. These two situations must be considered together to determine the correct usage. This view is temporarily preserved for later scholars to verify. As for Wu, Jia, Bing, Geng, and Ren, which are the five Yang dry branches, after they are transformed into wealth, each combines with their own 'Zengcai' (positive wealth). The five Yin dry branches, namely Gui, Xin, Ding, Yi, and Ji, after being transformed into wealth, each combines with their own 'Zhengguan' (positive official). From this, we can further see the importance of 'he' (combination) in this discipline, and also recognize the strictness and wide applicability of the method of transformation into wealth.

計——日——月——羅水——元星天道——氣木——立極之圖——金火——土——計——孛。計壬——太陽——太陰——羅癸水庚——元星仰觀——氣辛木丙——天文之圖——金丁火甲——土戊——月己——孛乙。

These two lines are the textual arrangement of two figures from the book "Yuan Xing." Because the transmission only preserves the order of characters and not the original diagrams, they are recorded as they appear. The first line represents the circular sequence of "Yuan Xing Tian Dao Li Ji Tu" (Diagram of the Ultimate Principle of the Celestial Sphere), in order: "Jidu," Sun, Moon, "Luohou" and Mercury, "Zi Qi" and Jupiter, Venus and Mars, Saturn, "Jidu," and "Yuebo." The eight-character title is written between the circular sequence. The second line represents the positional arrangement of "Yuan Xing Yang Guan Tian Wen Tu" (Diagram of Observing the Celestial Phenomena), with "Jidu" paired with Ren, Sun and Moon in the center, "Luohou" paired with Gui while Mercury is paired with Geng, "Zi Qi" paired with Xin while Jupiter is paired with Bing, Venus paired with Ding while Mars is paired with Jia, Saturn paired with Wu, Moon paired with Ji, and "Yuebo" paired with Yi. The eight-character title is also written between them. The content of this line corresponds exactly to the ten heavenly stems' transformation of wealth as discussed above.

右將元星天道立極之圖、元星仰觀天文之圖，依元星一書開載。

The two diagrams mentioned above, "The Diagram of the Original Star Heavenly Dao Establishment" and "The Diagram of Observing Celestial Phenomena from the Original Star," have both been copied according to the original style as presented in the book "Yuan Xing." They are not original creations of this book. Readers may compare them with the original text for verification.

太陽者君象也，用天下之星，而不為諸星之用，無遠弗□，無幽弗燭，不分日晝夜，不分南北，其光炯然，其氣勃然。

The sun is the symbol of the sovereign. It commands all the myriad stars in the heavens, not being commanded by them; no matter how far away, it shines upon without fail; no matter how dark, it illuminates without fail; it shines without distinction of day or night, without distinction of south or north; its light is clearly visible, its radiance suddenly arises. (The phrase "无远弗□" originally lacks one character, which should be something like "照" or "届," and the current text contains a gap, so we dare not make an arbitrary addition; the character "日" in "不分日昼夜" is suspected to be a miswriting of "是.")

凡星居日之前後，謂之內夾；居日列之最前最後，謂之外輔，必值四餘乃止。近日之度至十五度內，謂之密；自十五度至二十度外，謂之疏；眾星密，獨一星在遠，謂之特；羅計間隔一星朝日，謂之間；二星共一度輔日，謂之疊；一二星近密，謂之聚。

All stars that are closely arranged before and after the Sun are called "inner companions." Stars that are at the very front and the very end of this group are called "outer assistants," and the outer assistants should be listed all the way to the "four additional" stars before the list is complete. Stars within fifteen degrees of the Sun are called "dense"; those from fifteen degrees outward up to twenty degrees are called "sparse." If all the stars are densely gathered near the Sun, but one star is far away, it is called "unique." If "Rohini" and "Ketu" are separated by one star while approaching the Sun, it is called "intermediate." If two stars together occupy one degree to assist the Sun, it is called "double." If one or two stars are closely attached to the side of the Sun, it is called "gathered." These seven terms are the fundamental concepts for discussing academic achievements and official ranks in the following discussion, so they must be clearly understood one by one first.

昔人有歌云：「疏中外輔密中密，不中密兮即中日，眾密出特特上取，特不如間升階明，疏密只就日邊說，數者又不如一疊，疊日疊輔皆登第，經緯連處可登雲，聚處逢之魁南北，遇日須遇日度數，日度亦是度末年。」此雖端為科第而言，然由其意推而廣之，則固一一應之如響矣。

There is a rhyme from earlier times that says: among scattered stars there is an "outer assistant," and among closely gathered stars there is even a more closely gathered one; when selecting, one does not take the most densely gathered star, but rather the one that is exactly in line with the sun. If among a gathering of many stars there is a single special star, then one should take that special star; however, the "interval" pattern is even better than the special star, and those with the interval pattern are destined for promotion and success. Scattered and closely gathered stars are only referring to the distance from the sun; none of these are as good as the "stacked" pattern: if the stacked stars are on the sun or on the assistant star, they indicate success in the imperial examinations; if the stars are connected in terms of longitude and latitude, one can rise quickly to prominence; if one encounters auspicious stars at the gathering point, one can win the top position in the northern and southern examination lists. To respond to the auspiciousness of the sun, one must reach the degree where the sun is located; and the year when one reaches the solar degree is also the last year of that period of movement. This rhyme was originally made specifically for success in the imperial examinations and official rank, but if its meaning is extended to other matters, it also proves true in the same way.

嘗見命主及吉星夾輔太陽者，不為公卿，亦作侍從臣，且行至日度，或由督撫內升正卿，或由正卿晉爵宰輔，比比皆是。若與日氣不通，縱使吉曜有情，亦不過外任而已。

I have seen cases where the life star and auspicious stars support the sun together, and such people either become high officials or serve as close attendants to the emperor. Moreover, when their life span reaches the degree where the sun is located, some are promoted from provincial governor positions to high-ranking officials, while others advance from high-ranking officials to the prime minister's position. Such examples are numerous. Conversely, if the life star does not connect with the sun, even if there are auspicious stars that are favorable, they can only hold positions in the outer provinces and will never reach the emperor's inner circle.

更有近君之員，一交木度，其像蔽陽，非主眷稍衰，即退居林下，或由京官外放，或降罰重重。更有候選及候升出差等，即使限度果利，必是年得太陽照臨，或流太陽釣大限之月，始能有獲。

There are also officials who have already served close to the sovereign. If their destiny line intersects with the Wood constellation, Wood can obscure the sun, and this is exactly the sign of blocking the sun. Therefore, it is either a slight decline in royal favor, or being dismissed from office to retire in the countryside, or being transferred from central to local posts, or suffering severe punishment. There are also those waiting for selection, promotion, or appointment. Even if their destined limits are indeed favorable, they must receive the sun's illumination in the same year, or encounter the month when the flowing year's sun shines upon their destiny palace, before they can truly achieve success.

若傷煞在日前後，及與日有關會，即難宦遊，宦遊亦不能見君，見君亦不能優旨，且恐終於賈禍。若命主是金，火羅拱夾日，或火羅同緯日，繫春夏生人遇日度必死。命主是火，水孛輔日，雖係春生人，遇日度亦死。餘仿此。

If evil stars such as "Wanguan" and "Qisha" appear before or after the Sun, or are related to the Sun in some way, the person will find it difficult to hold official positions or travel far. Even if they do hold an official position, they will not see the ruler. Even if they do see the ruler, they will not receive favorable imperial orders or rewards, and may even bring about misfortune. For example, if the person's destiny is metal, and the fire star and "Luohou" form a conjunction with the Sun, or if the fire star and "Luohou" are on the same degree as the Sun, then if the person is born in spring or summer, they will die when their destiny reaches the Sun's degree—fire and Luohou are in command and will stronglyrestrain metal. If the person's destiny is fire, and the water star and "Yuebo" support the Sun, even if born in spring, they will die when their destiny reaches the Sun's degree—water and Yuebo will stronglyrestrain fire, and the sunlight will be taken away. Other situations should be analyzed in the same way as these two examples.

月到中秋則分外明。凡在上弦，以迄於望，謂之得令，有權；在下弦，則光短而力薄；在廿七至初二，畢竟無光。若與陽合，朔之前後七八度內生人，以月為命主，大率不永。倘月躔土而遇土計掩蝕，或土計躔四月度，則自其母以及其目皆主不利。

The moon becomes exceptionally bright by the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is a sign of its being in season. From the waxing half-moon up to the full moon, this period is called "getting the command," during which the moon holds power. After the waning half-moon, the moon's light becomes dim and its strength weakens. From the 27th day of the month to the second day of the following month, the moon is almost completely dark. If the moon is conjuncted with the sun, meaning a person is born within about eight degrees before or after the new moon, and if the moon is the ruling star in their chart, they tend to have a shorter lifespan. If the moon is in the degree of Saturn and is eclipsed by Saturn or "Ji Du," or if Saturn and "Ji Du" are in the same degree as the moon, then from the mother's generation down to the person themselves, there will be misfortune. (The last sentence has some errors in the original text, but the meaning is clear enough, so it is transcribed as is.)

五星臣象也，一遇日即遲留伏逆，遠於日則見。譬之王者出，諸臣或趨避或俯伏；王者遠去，諸臣即呈顏色，怡怡如也。吉以此分忌喜，凶以此分喜忌。但吉星與命主在陽前，又喜其逆，逆則其氣轉親；在陽後，又忌其逆，逆則其氣轉疏，凶星反是。

The five stars represent ministers and officials. When they approach the sun, they display states such as slow movement, staying in place, being hidden, or moving backward; only when they are far from the sun do they reappear. This is like a king going out, where ministers either approach or bow down; only when the king is far away do the ministers dare to show their expressions and appear harmonious. Good stars thus distinguish what is favorable and what is unfavorable, while evil stars also distinguish what is favorable and what is unfavorable, but the directions are exactly opposite. However, there is a further distinction: if a good star is before the sun, it is favorable for it to move backward, because moving backward means turning back toward the sun, and its energy becomes more intimate; if it is after the sun, it is unfavorable for it to move backward, because moving backward means moving away from the sun, and its energy becomes more distant. The favorable and unfavorable aspects of evil stars are entirely the opposite of this.

耶律楚材云：「難逆用伏，凶災不能解救。文伏魁逆，吉祥又難並臻。主伏不顯，倘逢難亦可斷吉。恩逆不祥，倘生主未可談凶。」誠哉是言，推此可廣驗。至與春木得時，一望亦當情適；冬火失令，已過始能神怡；亦自然之理。木吏、土戶、火禮、金兵刑、水司空，皆歷歷不爽。

Yelü Chucai said: "The difficult star moves retrograde while the useful star is hidden, and thus calamity cannot be averted; the literary star is hidden while the leading star moves retrograde, and thus good fortune is difficult to come by; if the star governing the person's destiny is hidden, the person will not be prominent, but if it is directly opposite the difficult star, it can still be considered auspicious; the star of favor moving retrograde is not a good thing, but if it still generates and supports the person's destiny, it is not yet certain to be ominous." These words are indeed accurate, and following this approach, everything can be verified. As for the wood star in spring being in its proper season, as long as it is distant yet harmonious, it feels compatible; the fire star in winter has already lost its season, and it must wait until it has passed before feeling at ease: this is also a natural principle. In addition, the five stars each govern a specific department: the wood star governs the Personnel Department, the earth star governs the Household Department, the fire star governs the Rites Department, the metal star governs the Military and Justice Departments, and the water star governs the Works Department and the Minister of Works. Each is clearly assigned, with no mistakes.

四餘奴象也，主旺則竊，主衰則救。奴統於主，行主度即作奴度行，必謂氣羅之貴、金孛之淫、土月之迍、火羅之燥，單孛為拗、單計多謀，何其妄甚！若夫木司令朝日，已為青龍扶硯，何嘗蔽陽？孛乘旺凌金，方將妾奪妻權，奚啻犯主？

The four additional celestial bodies represent servants. When the main star is strong, the additional celestial bodies come to share its power; when the main star is weak, the additional celestial bodies can actually help it. Since servants are subordinate to the master, when the limit of the main star's degree is reached, it is as if the degree of the servant star is also included. Some people insist on setting up a lot of rigid rules, saying that "Purple Qi" paired with "Rohini" indicates nobility, Venus paired with "Moon孛" indicates licentiousness, Saturn paired with "Too Yin" indicates hardship, Mars paired with "Rohini" indicates fierce temper, and the appearance of "Moon孛" alone indicates stubbornness, and the appearance of "Ji Du" alone indicates many schemes. How absurd these statements are! One must know that when Jupiter is in command and bows to the Sun, it is a favorable sign of the Azure Dragon supporting the literary pursuits, not obstructing the Sun. When "Moon孛" is strong and oppresses Venus, it is a sign of a concubine seizing the authority of the main wife, not merely offending the main star. Clearly, everything must be judged based on the specific configuration, and one must not rigidly adhere to fixed examples.

從年干取用，甲乙木、丙丁火、庚辛金、戊己土、壬癸水，敬天迎神，乘時布用。

The star of "Keming" is taken from the heavenly stem of the birth year, specifically the star that shares the same element as the heavenly stem of that year: for Jia and Yi years, it is the star of wood; for Bing and Ding years, it is the star of fire; for Geng and Xin years, it is the star of metal; for Wu and Ji years, it is the star of earth; and for Ren and Gui years, it is the star of water. After determining this star, one must also respect the heavenly timing and align with the divine mechanism, using it when this star is in a favorable position and environment, in order to achieve results related to academic success. If one ignores the timing and forcefully uses it, there will be no effect.

五行相濟而成。甲見羅，其色青赤；乙見計，其色碧黃；己見氣，其色絳青；丙見金，其色赤白；丁見火，其色紫赤；戊見金，其色黃白；庚見木，其色白青；辛見土，其色粟黃；壬見日，其色黑赤；癸見月，其色綠白；發焰呈祥。含輝吐秀，獨不以水孛為文者，其無質也。

The "Wen Star" is formed by the mutual regulation of two of the Five Phases, so each group is paired with two colors. In the year of Jia, the "Luohou" is the Wen Star, with Wood and Fire in harmony, its color is a blend of blue and red; in the year of Yi, the "Jidu" is the Wen Star, with Wood and Earth in harmony, its color is a blend of green and yellow; in the year of Ji, the "Zi Qi" is the Wen Star, with Earth and Wood in harmony, its color is a blend of dark red and blue; in the year of Bing, the Star of Metal is the Wen Star, with Fire and Metal in harmony, its color is a blend of red and white; in the year of Ding, the Star of Fire is the Wen Star, with Fire and Fire supporting each other, its color is a blend of purple and red; in the year of Wu, the Star of Metal is the Wen Star, with Earth and Metal in harmony, its color is a blend of yellow and white; in the year of Geng, the Star of Wood is the Wen Star, with Metal and Wood in harmony, its color is a blend of white and blue; in the year of Xin, the Star of Earth is the Wen Star, with Metal and Earth in harmony, its color is like the yellow of millet; in the year of Ren, the Sun Star is the Wen Star, with Water and Fire in harmony, its color is a blend of black and red; in the year of Gui, the Moon Star is the Wen Star, with Water and Metal in harmony, its color is a blend of green and white. Only when two colors are combined can light be emitted and auspicious signs appear, with contained brilliance and refined elegance. The Star of Water and the "Yuebo" are not used as Wen Stars, because Water is ethereal and lacks substance, and cannot be condensed into literary brilliance. (The original text placed the entry for the year of Ji between the years of Yi and Bing, with a disordered sequence, but it is kept as it was.)

陰陽和合，相生而成。甲月木受水生，乙日木生火，丙羅火生火，丁計火生土，戊火土受火生，己金土生金，庚水辛孛金生水，壬氣癸木水生木。借勢向榮，權抒採。獨遺土者，以土性混濁之故。

The "Kui Star" is formed through the harmonious union of yin and yang and mutual generation between elements. The method of pairing is that the Five Phases of the heavenly stem of the year and the star chosen must form a relationship of generation and support. In the year of Jia (wood), the Taiyin Star is used as the Kui Star; Jia is wood and the month is water, so wood is generated by water. In the year of Yi (wood), the Taiyang Star is used as the Kui Star; Yi is wood and the day is fire, so wood generates fire. In the year of Bing (fire), the Luo Hou Star is used as the Kui Star; Bing is fire and Luo is also fire, so fire supports fire. In the year of Ding (fire), the Ji Du Star is used as the Kui Star; Ding is fire and Ji is earth, so fire generates earth. In the year of Wu (earth), the Fire Star is used as the Kui Star; Wu is earth and fire generates earth. In the year of Ji (earth), the Metal Star is used as the Kui Star; Ji is earth and earth generates metal. In the year of Geng (metal), the Water Star is used as the Kui Star; in the year of Xin (metal), the Yuebo Star is used as the Kui Star; both are cases of metal generating water. In the year of Ren (water), the Zi Qi Star is used as the Kui Star; in the year of Gui (water), the Wood Star is used as the Kui Star; both are cases of water generating wood. With this layer of life qi, one can take advantage of the situation to flourish, with authority and literary talent fully unfolding. The reason for omitting the Earth Star is that earth is turbid and does not conform to the refined and noble nature of the Kui Star. (In the phrase "quan shu cai," there is a suspected missing character; it is recorded as is without supplementation.)

子年辰，丑年巳，寅年午，卯年未，辰年申，巳年酉，午年戌，未年亥，申年子，酉年丑，戌年寅，亥年卯；分年挨定，尚需參詳。但大拜諸公，非三臺貫命、三臺貫度，即行三臺度高遷，姑存之以待用。

The "San Tai" (Three Thrones) are arranged in order according to the earthly branch of the birth year, each one counted four positions backward from the current branch: for the Zi year, it is in Chen; for the Chou year, in Si; for the Yin year, in Wu; for the Mao year, in Wei; for the Chen year, in Shen; for the Si year, in You; for the Wu year, in Xu; for the Wei year, in Hai; for the Shen year, in Zi; for the You year, in Chou; for the Xu year, in Yin; and for the Hai year, in Mao. Although this method of arranging them year by year is orderly, whether it is reliable still requires further consideration. However, from practical examples, those who have reached high official positions or received great honors are either having the "San Tai" star in their命宫 (destiny palace), or the "San Tai" star in the degree they established, or their life span reaches the degree of "San Tai" and thus achieves high promotion. Therefore, this star is temporarily retained for future use.

轝者車也，金者貴重之義。譬諸君子居官得祿，須坐車以載之，故常居祿前二辰，如甲年祿在寅，辰為金轝之類。此煞乃祿命之旌旗、三才之節鉞。如生旺得地，婦人不富即貴，男子多得賢妻妾，子孫茂盛，或主作贅，且皇族每與此煞關通。

"The term 'jinyu' refers to a carriage, with 'jin' meaning precious and 'yu' meaning vehicle. Together, they signify a luxurious carriage that carries official salary. For example, when a gentleman holds an official position and receives a salary, he needs a carriage and horses to transport him, so this star is usually placed two positions ahead of the禄 position. For the year of Jia, the禄 is in寅, moving forward two positions to 辰, which is the 'jinyu' for the year of Jia. The same pattern applies to other years. This star serves as the banner of official rank and is also the scepter of the heavens, earth, and humanity, symbolizing dignity and authority. If this star is strong and well-placed, a woman's fate may not be wealthy but noble, while a man is likely to marry a virtuous wife and have numerous descendants. Sometimes it also indicates a situation where a man marries into a woman's family. Moreover, this star has often been associated with the fate of royal families throughout history."

子申年土，未亥年火，丑午年水，寅巳年木，酉戌年金，卯年氣，辰年孛。按之頗有驗，亦姑存之。

The "Jue Star" is determined by the earthly branch of the birth year: those born in the Year of the Rat or the Monkey take the Earth Star, those born in the Year of the Goat or the Pig take the Fire Star, those born in the Year of the Ox or the Horse take the Water Star, those born in the Year of the Tiger or the Snake take the Wood Star, those born in the Year of the Rooster or the Dog take the Metal Star, those born in the Year of the Rabbit take "Zi Qi," and those born in the Year of the Dragon take "Yue Bo." When actual birth charts are checked, this star shows considerable accuracy, so it is retained, like the "San Tai," for reference and use.

子辰申年在子，丑巳酉年在酉，寅午戌年在午，卯未亥年在卯。水金火木之年，各就帝旺之地。經云：「將星文武兩相宜，祿重權高自可知，不作宰臣清要職，便居帥府擁旌旗。」

The "General Star" (将星) is determined according to the Triple Harmony (三合) principle: the years of Zi, Chen, and Shen are in Zi; the years of Chou, Si, and You are in You; the years of Yin, Wu, and Xu are in Wu; and the years of Mao, Wei, and Hai are in Mao. These four positions are precisely where the Prosperity (帝旺) of the Water, Metal, Fire, and Wood structures respectively lie. Therefore, the General Star is placed at the Prosperity position of its own structure. The classic texts have a poem that says: "The General Star is suitable for both civil and military roles, its wealth and authority are evident. If it does not serve as a high-ranking official in the court, it must hold command in the military headquarters, wielding banners and flags." This means that those who possess the General Star are suitable for both civil and military paths, with great wealth and authority. They will not serve as high-ranking officials in the court, but will instead hold command in the military, leading with banners and flags.

刃取宰割之義。祿過則刃生，故刃居祿前一位。亦劫財為刃，以旺處即劫財。卯午酉子為甲丙戊庚壬之祿前一位，並皆劫財旺地，故謂之刃。

"The term 'blade' (刃) signifies the meaning of cutting and slaughtering, and it is a star associated with killing. Once the禄 (favorable position) has passed its peak, the blade emerges, so the blade is located one position ahead of the禄. In other words, '劫财' (robbery wealth) is also referred to as the blade, because the place where the Five Phases (五行) reach their peak is precisely where劫财 is strong. For example, the禄 of Jia (甲) is in寅 (卯), the禄 of Bing (丙) and Wu (戊) is in巳 (午), the禄 of Geng (庚) is in申 (酉), and the禄 of Ren (壬) is in亥 (子). Each of these positions moves forward one step, resulting in卯, 午, 酉, and 子. These four positions are also the strong points of their respective劫财, hence they are called 'blade' (刃)."

乙祿卯，寅為祿之前位；丁己祿午，巳為祿之前位；辛祿酉，申為祿之前位；癸祿子，亥為祿之前位；亦即劫財旺地，其為刃何疑？乃乙丁己辛癸反刃於戌丑辰未，傳襲之謬，亟宜改正。得用則掌重權，失用則構奇禍。

The five yin stems are calculated in the same way, but they move in reverse order: the strength of 乙 is at Mao, so Yin is the previous position before its strength; the strength of 丁 and 己 is at Wu, so Si is the previous position before their strength; the strength of 辛 is at You, so Shen is the previous position before its strength; the strength of 癸 is at Zi, so Hai is the previous position before its strength. These positions are also the strong places of their respective劫财, so calling them 刃 is not questionable. However, the old method wrongly places the 刃 of 乙, 丁, 己, 辛, and 癸 at Xu, Chou, Chen, and Wei, which are the four storage places. This is a mistaken tradition passed down through generations and should be corrected immediately. The star 刃, when needed, holds great power, but when not needed, it can bring strange misfortunes.

神煞甚夥，大抵皆穿鑿支離，絕無理解，故多不錄。即卦氣、斗柄、貴人、文昌、馬元、祿元、壽元、的殺、陰殺、大殺、天雄、地雌、大耗、小耗等項，似皆可解，然按之於命十不一驗，故並削之。

The names of spiritual omens are extremely numerous, but most of them are fabricated and fragmented, with no logical basis. Therefore, this book omits most of them. Even those that appear to have some rationale, such as "卦气" (divination energy), "斗柄" (handle of the dipper), "贵人" (nobleman), "文昌" (culture and literature), "马元" (horse origin), "禄元" (rank origin), "寿元" (longevity origin), "的杀" (killer of the place), "阴杀" (shadow killer), "大杀" (great killer), "天雄" (heavenly strength), "地雌" (earthly femininity), "大耗" (great loss), and "小耗" (minor loss), when checked against actual birth charts, rarely match up. Hence, they are also excluded.

至於催官、科甲二名尤為誕妄，既曰催官，何以甲年人官在氣，而催官乃在金？直傷官矣，漫云催乎？果老云：「與元祿相催克。」夫與元祿相催，謂之催官可也，與元祿相剋亦謂之催官，何歟？用之則顧此失彼，殊為紊亂。科甲既不問其於年干何如，又不問其於官魁科文何如，而直以對宮主星當之，更屬矯誣，均不可從。

As for the terms 「Cui Guan」 and 「Ke Jia」, they are especially absurd. If it is called 「Cui Guan」, why does the 「Tian Guan」 of the Jia year person become 「Zi Qi」, while the so-called 「Cui Guan」 falls on Metal? Metal is actually 「Shang Guan」 for the Jia year person. If Shang Guan is completely harmful, how can there be any 「Cui」? The old master's statement is 「with Yuan Lu being mutually controlled」—to call it 「Cui Guan」 because it is mutually controlled with Yuan Lu still makes some sense; but to call it 「Cui Guan」 because it is mutually controlling with Yuan Lu, what logic is that? In practice, it is contradictory and chaotic. Moreover, 「Ke Jia」 does not consider its relationship with the stem of the birth year, nor does it consider its relationship with 「Tian Guan」, 「Kui Xing」, 「Ke Ming」, and 「Wen Xing」, and directly uses the main star of the palace opposite the命宫 as a substitute, which is even more baseless. These two terms should not be followed.

萬年書歷之由來久矣，自漢至明修輯者七十餘家，創制者十有三家，其中如《太初》、《大衍》，皆稱精當，至元郭守敬《授時曆》出，而前人莫有及焉。迨西法行，而後更由疏入密，由同得異，識者遂以為觀止也。

The origin of the wànnián lìshū (perpetual calendar) dates back a long time. From the Han Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, seventy or so families participated in revising and compiling the calendar, while thirteen families established their own new methods. Among them, the Han Dynasty's Taichu Calendar and the Daxian Calendar created by Yixing of the Tang Dynasty were both considered precise and appropriate. By the Yuan Dynasty, Guo Shoujing's Shoushi Calendar surpassed all previous ones. When Western calendar methods became widespread, the art of astronomical calculation became more precise, moving from rough to refined. From similarities with old methods, new differences emerged. Therefore, those who understood the matter believed that the precision of calendar calculations had reached its peak and could not be surpassed.

試撮其大概言之，凡造歷必造觀天之器，自古觀天者三家：周髀、宣夜、渾天。周髀、宣夜多所違失，惟渾天為得其情，郭守敬循之，更為簡儀、仰儀、懸坐、正坐諸器，乃用二線推測餘分，測景之所凡二十有七，東極高麗、西至滇池、南逾珠崖、北盡鐵勒，中法以天儀而盡地矣。

Now let me roughly explain. To create a calendar, one must first make instruments for observing the heavens. Since ancient times, there have been three schools of thought regarding the heavens: the Zhou Bi school, the Xuan Ye school, and the Hun Tian school. The theories of the Zhou Bi and Xuan Ye schools often contain errors, but the Hun Tian school best reflects the actual conditions of the celestial sphere. Guo Shoujing followed the Hun Tian theory and developed instruments such as the Jian Yi, Yang Yi, Xuan Zu Yi, and Zheng Zu Yi, using two reference lines to measure the remaining degrees. He established a total of twenty-seven shadow-measuring sites, extending eastward to Gao Li, westward to Dian Chi, southward beyond Zhu Ya, and northward to Tie Le. This is how the Chinese method, using a single astronomical instrument, measured the entire earth.

西法則增置測儀六式，曰象限懸儀、平面懸儀、象限立運儀、象限坐正儀、象限大儀、三直遊儀，又有子午儀、黃赤全儀、弩儀、天環、天球等器，而最巧者無如遠鏡，用之能詳日蝕分秒，能見太白上下弦，能見鎮星為撱形，能見歲星旁四小星，能見鬼宿中之積尸氣，能見天漢中之無算微星；西法更以地儀而盡天，器之疏密不同矣。

The Western method also employs additional six instruments called the quadrant suspended instrument, plane suspended instrument, quadrant vertical movement instrument, quadrant horizontal alignment instrument, quadrant great instrument, and three perpendiculars meridian instrument. In addition, there are instruments such as the meridian instrument, the yellow and red full sphere, the bow instrument, the celestial ring, and the celestial sphere. Among these, the most exquisite is the telescope, which allows one to precisely observe the minutes and seconds of solar eclipses, to see that Venus also has waxing and waning phases, to see that Saturn appears elliptical, to see four small stars beside Jupiter, to see the accumulation of stars in the Ghost mansion, and to see countless tiny stars in the Milky Way. With just one instrument on the ground, the Western method can survey the entire sky. Thus, the difference in coarseness and precision between the Chinese and Western instruments becomes evident.

中法以天為三百六十五度二十五分，度析百分，分析百秒；西法則以三百六十平剖之，度析六十分，分析六十秒。中法以一日為百刻，時各八刻，子午卯酉為九刻；西法則以齊之以九十六刻，減天之度，正日之刻，此又於疏之中寓密也。

The Chinese system defines the celestial circle as 365 degrees and 25 minutes, with each degree divided into 100 parts and each part into 100 seconds. The Western system divides the celestial circle evenly into 360 degrees, with each degree divided into 60 minutes and each minute into 60 seconds. The Chinese system sets one day and night at 100 beats, with each of the twelve hours divided into eight beats, except for the four cardinal hours—子, 午, 卯, and 酉—which each have nine beats. The Western system uniformly divides a day into 96 beats. Although the Western system reduces the number of degrees in the celestial circle, it evenly divides the number of beats in a day, which demonstrates precision hidden within its apparent simplicity.

置閏之法，氣盈朔虛，此其大綱，中法二十四氣平分，每一節氣十五日二十一刻有奇，積算每年所餘十一日，三年所餘三十三日，因而置潤；西法則云：冬夏不齊，冬一節氣，十四日八十四刻有奇，夏一節氣十五日七十二刻有奇。因日行距地遠近不等，冬日距地遠而行疾，夏日距地近而行遲，以此詳算置閏，氣朔分齊，無盈縮之差，其置閏視中法疏密為何如耶？

The method of intercalation is summarized in the four characters "气盈朔虚" (excess of solar terms and deficiency of new moons). This means that the number of days exceeding in the solar terms of a year compared to the deficiency in the twelve lunar months is balanced. The traditional method distributes the twenty-four solar terms evenly, assigning each solar term fifteen days and twenty-one moments, which accumulates to eleven days over a year, and thirty-three days over three years, thus inserting a leap month. The Western method, however, states that the lengths of the solar terms in winter and summer are not equal; a solar term in winter is only fourteen days and eighty-four moments, while one in summer is fifteen days and seventy-two moments. This is because the sun is farther from the earth in winter and moves faster, and closer in summer and moves slower. According to this, the Western method calculates intercalation in detail, making the distribution of solar terms and new moons regular, without error of excess or deficiency. Thus, it is clear which method, the Western or the traditional, is more accurate in intercalation. (The last sentence "因而置润" has "润" as a mistake for "闰", and is recorded as it originally appeared.)

歲差之法，則以日躔之所遷，驗列宿之退數。古無差法，虞喜始立其法，以五十年差一度；何承天則以百年差一度；劉焯則以七十五年差一度；一行以八十三年差一度。中法始減週歲為三百六十五度二十四分五秒，加周天為三百六十五度二十五分七十五秒，以六十七年而差一度，視前為不同矣。

The method of precession is based on the movement of the sun's position to verify the degree by which the twenty-eight constellations gradually retreat each year. In ancient times, there was no concept of precession. It was first proposed by Yu Xi of the Jin dynasty, who set it at one degree every fifty years. Later, He Chengtian of the Southern dynasty changed it to one degree every hundred years. Liu Zhuo of the Sui dynasty adjusted it to one degree every seventy-five years. Xing Yixing, a Buddhist monk of the Tang dynasty, revised it to one degree every eighty-three years. Later, the method was adjusted so that the annual cycle was reduced to 365 degrees, 24 minutes, and 5 seconds, and the full circle was increased to 365 degrees, 25 minutes, and 75 seconds, setting the precession at one degree every sixty-seven years, which differs from the previous methods.

西法詳算列星，每年東行五十一秒，積七十年有奇而差一度，二千一百十七年有奇而差一宮，二萬五千四百一十年有奇而東旋一周，西法歲差更不同焉。

The Western method carefully calculates the movement of all the fixed stars, stating that the stars move eastward by fifty-one seconds each year. After seventy years, they accumulate a difference of one degree; after two thousand one hundred seventeen years, they accumulate a difference of one sign; and after twenty-five thousand four hundred ten years, they complete a full circle around the sky. This shows that the Western method discusses precession, but it presents a completely different approach from the various schools of Chinese methods.

裡差之法，為分省節氣之刻；中法立表測景以求時刻，難為依據，即所測冬夏二至，猶未盡善；西法用八線表法，已為精細，且又有別法以相濟，人莫窺其底蘊。西法裡差密乎不密，異乎不異。

The method of calculating the difference in distance (li cha) is used to distinguish the time of the solar terms in different provinces. The traditional method of setting up a gnomon and measuring shadows to determine time is difficult to rely on, and even the determination of the winter solstice and summer solstice is not yet perfect. The Western method, using the "eight-line table" technique, is already very precise, and there are also other calculation methods to complement each other, so outsiders cannot understand its essence. Therefore, whether the Western method of calculating li cha is secret or not, and whether it is different or not, the answer lies within.

以交蝕言之，日月之行由南北而縱分之謂之度，由東西而橫截之謂之道，日行高而月行卑，若合朔之時，日與月同度同道，則日為月掩而日蝕；月本無光，借日之光；若對望之時，月與日對度對道，則月為日所，陽極反亢，故蝕；凡交蝕分數總由同道對道之多寡，此中法西法之同也。

Taking the occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses as an example, the paths of the sun and moon are divided vertically from north to south as "degrees" (度) and horizontally from east to west as "paths" (道). When the sun is high and the moon is low, at the time of new moon, the sun and moon are in the same degree and the same path, and the sun is covered by the moon, resulting in a solar eclipse. The moon itself has no light; it shines by borrowing the light of the sun. At the time of full moon, the moon and sun are opposite in degrees and opposite in paths, and the moon is covered by the sun. When yang energy reaches its peak, it becomes excessive, hence a lunar eclipse. The extent of eclipses depends on the degree to which the same path and opposite path align. This is a point where the Chinese and Western methods are completely consistent. (The original text has a missing character after the phrase "则月为日所", which should be "所掩", and it is recorded as is without supplementation.)

至西法更謂月蝕則在日月正望，而地球介乎其間，月入地影中失其所借之光而為蝕；地在天中，其體微渺，尋常不能障隔日月，惟日月同在一線，乃為地所隔而成蝕；故中法謂太陽之體本有暗虛，月值之則遙奪其光，西法則謂月蝕仍名暗虛，為地所隔則暗而虛也，是月蝕又更異矣。

As for the Western method, it explains further that a lunar eclipse occurs on the full moon day when the sun and moon are exactly opposite each other, with the earth precisely in between. The moon enters the earth's shadow, losing the sunlight it borrowed, thus forming an eclipse. The earth, being among the celestial bodies, is extremely small in size and usually cannot block the sun or moon. Only when the sun, earth, and moon are aligned in a straight line can the earth block the light, causing an eclipse. Therefore, the Chinese method explains that the sun itself originally has a region called 'dark void' on its surface; when the moon passes over it, it is far away from the light. The Western method, however, also refers to the eclipse as a 'dark void,' but it is the earth that blocks the light, making it dark and empty. In this aspect, the explanations of lunar eclipses by the Chinese and Western methods are quite different.

刻漏之制，周禮挈壺氏掌之，孔壺謂之漏，浮箭謂之刻。浮箭壺、漏水壺名異而實同，中法因之。西法又有地平晷、百遊晷、通光晷、十字晷，遇陰雨則有自嗚鍾，沙漏、水漏之制。中法以水入壺而時箭浮，西法以水出壺而時牌出，壺體並不開孔，以節時分、定晨昏、考中星、撥晷景，無有差忒，刻漏視中法亦較密焉。

The system of clepsydra was managed by the Qi Hu Shi according to the Zhou Li. A hollowed-out vessel is called "le," and the floating arrow is called "ke." Although the names of the floating arrow vessel and the water-leaking vessel are different, their actual function is the same, and this method has been continuously used. In the Western method, there are other types of sundials such as the horizontal sundial, the hundred movements sundial, the through-light sundial, and the cross sundial. When there is rain and the shadow cannot be seen, they use the self-sounding clock, as well as the sand clepsydra and water clepsydra. In the Chinese method, water is poured into the vessel, and the time arrow rises with it. In the Western method, water flows out of the vessel, and the time marker appears accordingly, without needing to open additional holes on the vessel. These methods are used to divide time, determine morning and evening, test the position of the stars, and adjust the sundial's shadow, all without error. It is evident that, regarding the clepsydra alone, the Western method is more precise than the Chinese method. ("Zi Weng Zhong" is a variant of "Zi Ming Zhong," and the original form is preserved here.)

惟曆元之準於北極，推而上之，而章、而蔀、而紀、而元，東西兩漢異而實同，中法、西法皆循之，無疏密也。

Only the term "liyuan" is based on the North Pole. From this, layers are successively calculated: nineteen years accumulate to form one "zhang," four zhangs form one "bu," twenty bu form one "ji," and three ji form one "yuan." This system of calculation appeared to differ between the Western and Eastern Han dynasties but was essentially the same. Both the Chinese and Western methods continued to use it, so it is not a matter of one being more accurate or less accurate than the other.

至西法謂地如圓球，正居天中，日大於地，月小於地，五星大如月，尤振古所未聞。若其論恆星之南北差、赤黃道之疏密差、日與地之不同心差、七政之視差、日蝕之內三差外三差、月蝕時刻之裡差以及悉月星之本次，輪調參觜之先後度，正羅計之誤，元思至理，深切著明，中法不能讚詞矣。

As for the Western method, which says the earth is round and sits exactly at the center of the celestial sphere, that the sun is larger than the earth, the moon smaller than the earth, and the five planets are about the same size as the moon, these are things that have never been heard of since ancient times. Looking further at their discussion of the differences in the positions of stars north and south, the differences in density between the celestial equator and the Yellow Path, the difference in centers between the sun and the earth, the parallax of the seven heavenly bodies, the three internal and three external differences in solar eclipses, the differences in distance for lunar eclipses, and the careful examination of the current positions of the moon and stars, adjusting the order of the Three Stars mansion and the Turtle Beak mansion, and correcting the mistake of the reversal of the beginning and end of Rahu and Ketu—these considerations are profound and the reasoning is thorough and clear. There is not even space for a word in the Chinese method on these points.

更用以三角八線之算，揆以均數自變量根數之法，天地之寒暑、日月之晦明、渾淪磅礴於太虛之表而不能出其範圍，直可上接容成之統，遠紹羲和之傳，行之萬世而可無敝，密莫密於此，異莫異於此。

In addition, by using the method of triangles and eight lines for calculation, and employing algorithms such as mean numbers, variable numbers, and root numbers for verification, the changes of cold and heat, day and night, and the waxing and waning of the moon can all be calculated. Although these phenomena are vast and pervasive throughout the boundless void, they cannot escape the scope of such calculations. Such a calendar system can continue the tradition of the Yellow Emperor's era when Rongcheng created the calendar, and can also inherit the transmission from the time of the Yao dynasty when Xihe was in charge of the heavens. It will remain valid for ten thousand generations without failure. As for its secrecy, there is nothing more secret than this; as for its uniqueness, there is nothing more unique than this. (The term 「自变量」 in the original text is likely a miswriting for 「自变数」, and is recorded as such.)

有志者誠取預定之萬年書，及當年之七政經緯躔度書，一一遵而行之，求其故而晰其微，庶幾精算無餘蘊矣。

A person genuinely devoted to this discipline can truly obtain the precompiled almanac for all years, as well as the official astronomical records of the seven planets' celestial coordinates and movements for the current year. By following each item step by step to deduce and explore the reasons behind them, and analyzing their subtle and obscure aspects, the art of calculation will be nearly exhausted.

隔六宮，一百八十度相。隔四宮，一百二十度三合。隔三宮，九十度二絃。隔二宮，六十度六合。

The twelve palaces correspond with each other. They are divided into four categories based on the number of palaces between them: those separated by six palaces are 180 degrees apart, which is a direct opposition; those separated by four palaces are 120 degrees apart, which is called "Triple Harmony"; those separated by three palaces are 90 degrees apart, which is called "Two Strings"; and those separated by two palaces are 60 degrees apart, which is called "Six Harmony." These four methods of correspondence are the basis for the terms "络" (network), "钓" (fishing), "拱" (bowing), and "冲" (collision) discussed in the entire text. (The original text has a missing character after "180 degrees," which should be "relative" or "collision," but it is recorded as is without correction.)

生時加太陽上順數至卯是。

The method of determining the命宫 is to add the birth hour to the palace where the sun is located, then count sequentially through the twelve palaces until reaching the卯 position. The palace where you land is the命宫.

從太陽所躔之度，用量天尺直數至命宮某度是，即所謂絡也，亦即對三合六合二絃之謂，特兼及三十度，一百五十度而其數益全。

The method of establishing a degree: starting from the degree where the Sun is located, use the "measure of heaven" to count directly to the degree of the命宫. The degree counted to is the established degree. This is also what was previously mentioned as "络," which refers to relations such as opposition, triple harmony, six harmony, and the two extremes; however, the method of establishing degrees also includes counting degrees that are thirty degrees apart and one hundred fifty degrees apart, making it more comprehensive than simply discussing degrees in opposition and triple harmony.

人以命為主，故命宮第一；財為養命之源，故次二；分我之財曰兄弟，故次三；田宅所以安命藏財而居兄弟，故次四；既有財帛兄弟田宅，而男女所以承田與財者也，故次五；奴婢所以輔男女，故次六；妻妾敵體，與命宮對，故次七；疾厄人所難免，故次八；遷移人所常有，故次九；官祿夭之所予於人，故次十；福德人之所享於天，故次十一；相貌所以成身，故次十二。

The order of the twelve palaces has its own reasoning. Since life and destiny are the fundamental aspects of a person, the Palace of Destiny comes first. Wealth is the source that sustains life, so it comes second. Brothers are those who share one's property, so the Palace of Brothers comes third. The Palace of Property is used to secure one's life, store wealth, and accommodate brothers, so it comes fourth. Having wealth, brothers, and property, children are the ones who inherit the family's estate, so the Palace of Children comes fifth. Servants assist the children, so the Palace of Servants comes sixth. Concubines are of equal status to oneself and correspond with the Palace of Destiny, so the Palace of Concubines comes seventh. Illness and misfortune are inevitable for people, so the Palace of Illness comes eighth. Migration and movement are common experiences, so the Palace of Migration comes ninth. Officialdom is granted by Heaven, so the Palace of Officialdom comes tenth. Fortune and virtue are received and enjoyed by people from Heaven, so the Palace of Fortune and Virtue comes eleventh. Appearance is the form that completes one's body, so the Palace of Appearance comes twelfth. (The character 「夭」 in 「官禄夭之所予于人」 is a mistake for 「天」, and it is recorded as it originally appeared.)

自命宮而至妻宮，其敘不亂；自疾厄而至相貌，卻乃倒置，何歟？命與妻相對，相貌福德官祿出天上，故列在命前；財帛兄弟田宅隱地下，故列在命後。

Someone may ask: When arranging from the Life Palace to the Spouse Palace, the order is clear and orderly; but when arranging from the Health Palace to the Appearance Palace, it seems reversed. Why is this so? The key lies in the fact that the Life Palace and Spouse Palace are opposite ends. The three sectors of Appearance,Fortune Virtue, and Career belong to the heavenly revealed path, so they are listed before the Life Palace on the chart; the three sectors of Wealth, Siblings, and Property belong to the earthly hidden path, so they are listed after the Life Palace on the chart. The order of the Palace names and the position of the sectors on the chart are fundamentally different.

有相貌才見福德，有福德才居官祿，有官祿才多遷移，才遷移才招疾厄，自相貌至疾厄，皆日月之喜升而惡沉；有財帛應分兄弟，有兄弟應剖田宅，有田宅應歸男女，有男女應用奴僕，自財帛至奴僕，皆日月之右轉而分佈。此十二宮之立，而人之所以為生，盡在是矣。

First, consider the continuity of these two paths: one begins with appearance, then moves on to fortune and virtue, then to holding office and receivingofficial stipend, then to frequent transfers and postings, and finally to illness and misfortune. From appearance to illness and misfortune, this path belongs to the aspect where the sun and moon rise and are favorable, but decline and are unfavorable. Another path begins with wealth, which should be shared with brothers; having brothers leads to dividing land and property; having land and property leads to passing them on to children; having children leads to employing servants. From wealth to servants, this path belongs to the aspect where the sun and moon turn rightward and distribute in order. Thus, the twelve palaces are established in this way, and all the various circumstances of life are included within them.

命與祿十有五，福與妻十有一，田宅子孫各四年半，而奴僕隨之，財帛兄弟各五，而相貌獨十年，疾厄遷移退以七八。

Each palace governs a different number of years: the Life Palace and Career Palace each govern fifteen years, the Fortune Virtue Palace and Spouse Palace each govern eleven years, the Property Palace and Children Palace each govern four and a half years, the Servants Palace follows the same number, the Wealth Palace and Brothers Palace each govern five years, while the Appearance Palace extends to ten years, and the Health Palace and Travel Palace govern only seven and eight years respectively.

其所以若此者，子午卯酉居陰陽之中位，命祿妻田為四正宮，管四十五年有奇，乃含洛書四十有五之妙也；寅申巳亥辰戌丑未八宮，當陰陽終始之地，管五十五年無奇，乃具河圖五十有五之妙也。

Why is it arranged this way? Because the four earthly branches, Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, are located at the central positions of yin and yang, and the four palaces of the命宫 (destiny palace), 官禄 (officials' fortune), 妻妾 (spouse and concubine), and 田宅 (land and house) fall on the four cardinal directions. Together, they cover forty-five years plus a little, which implicitly contains the number forty-five from the Luo Shu (River Chart). Meanwhile, the eight palaces of Yin, Shen, Si, Hai, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are situated at the points where yin and yang complete their cycle and begin anew, covering fifty-five years exactly, which corresponds to the number fifty-five from the He Tu (Heavenly Scroll). When the four cardinal palaces and the eight cyclical palaces are combined, they total exactly one hundred years, encompassing the entire lifespan of a person.

童限管十五年，此其常也。不及則十歲後即出，太過則二十歲才出，總查太陽過宮之淺深，以定行限之遲早。太陽過宮三日管一年，三十日管十年，須扣算實數起；

The child limit usually covers fifteen years, which is the standard practice. If it is insufficient, the child limit ends after ten years. If it is excessive, the child limit ends at twenty years. In any case, one must check the depth of the Sun's passage through the zodiac signs to determine the timing of the start of the large limit. The calculation method is: each three days of the Sun's passage through a zodiac sign equals one year, and thirty days equal ten years. One must deduct the actual days according to the calculation before starting the limit.

倘未滿三日，只二日零六個時，即十歲十個月行限。如七月初一生，必至十一歲六月三十滿十歲，再加十個月，行限則十二歲五月初一才起。

For example: if the period is less than three days, such as two days and six hours, it is converted to ten years and ten months for the start of the great limit. Take someone born on the seventh day of the seventh month; they would reach ten years old on June 30th of the eleventh year. Adding ten months, the great limit would begin on May 1st of the twelfth year.

倘將滿三十日，只缺少九個時，即十九歲零九個月行限。如六月初十生，必至二十歲六月初九滿十九歲，再加九個月，行限則二十一歲三月初十才起。

For example, if someone is only nine hours short of thirty days, it is considered as nineteen years and nine months for the great limit to begin. Suppose someone is born on the tenth day of June, they would not reach nineteen years old until the ninth day of June in the year they turn twenty. Then adding nine months, the great limit would start on the tenth day of March in the year they turn twenty-one.

定命專論宮，果老論度固不可以，即另立度主亦在所不必，但看度之經緯、貫串以卜休咎而已，至於身主尤屬泛泛，皆所宜削。

Determining the destiny palace only considers the palace, not the degree. The Guolao school, when determining destiny, also considers the degree, which is indeed incorrect; even if another 'degree master' is established, it is still unnecessary. The degree only needs to be examined in terms of its meridian and degree relationships and its connecting relationships, which are sufficient for determining fortune or misfortune. As for the so-called 'body master,' it is vague and without basis, and all these should be entirely removed.

行限專論度，如寅宮有房心尾箕四度，行房以日論，行心以月論，行尾以火論，行箕以水論。若又論宮之為木，則金躔尾，顧不受火克而反雲克木可乎？卯宮有亢氐二度，行亢以金論，行氐以土論，若又論宮之為火，則金躔氐，顧不受土生，而反雲火克可乎？

The concept of limits (行限) focuses solely on degrees (度) and not on the palace (宫). For example, in the palace of寅 (Chou), there are four degrees: 房 (Fang), 心 (Xin), 尾 (Wei), and 箕 (Ji). When moving to the degree of 房, it is considered according to the Sun; when moving to 心, it is considered according to the Moon; when moving to 尾, it is considered according to fire; and when moving to 箕, it is considered according to water. If, in addition to considering degrees, one also considers the Five Phases of the palace, then since the palace of寅 belongs to wood, when the planet is in the degree of 尾, would it not be considered as being overcome by the fire of 尾, rather than saying it overcomes the wood of the palace? Similarly, in the palace of卯 (Mao), there are two degrees: 亢 (Kang) and 氏 (Di). When moving to 亢, it is considered according to metal; when moving to 氏, it is considered according to earth. If one also considers the Five Phases of the palace, which is fire, then when the planet is in the degree of 氏, would it not be considered as being generated by the earth of 氏, rather than being overcome by the fire of the palace? Therefore, limits can only be considered according to degrees, and should not involve the Five Phases of the palace.

命主總在得時得地但左右無相剋者，有相生者更優遊自如，尤須朝陽近吉，或作陽引，或作陽從，或有吉神引，或有吉神從，皆主貴顯；若凶神引從，便以禍論。如吉凶神均不引從，則專看經絡貫串等矣。倘有盤合全格而不貴者，皆由主星失之也。

The main star in a person's destiny must be timely and in the right place. As long as there are no stars that harm it on either side, it will be secure. If there are stars that nourish it on either side, it will be even more comfortable and free. Especially important is having support from the Sun and being close to auspicious stars: either being in front of the Sun as a guide or behind the Sun as a follower, or having auspicious deities guiding in front and following behind. These situations all indicate high status and prestige. Conversely, if malevolent spirits are leading and following, it should be interpreted as misfortune. If neither auspicious nor malevolent spirits come to guide or follow, then we should look at its relationship with other stars in terms of meridians, channels, connections, and sequences. Some birth charts have well-matched structures but still do not lead to high status, and the problem is always due to the main star being out of its proper time and place.

經者四經，如箕參軫壁、井角斗奎、尾窒觜翼、亢牛婁鬼、氐女胃柳、房虛昴星、心危畢張，在天同為一氣，故宮神皆暗相管攝。命主在箕，吉星在箕，固是同經；命主在箕，吉星在參軫壁，亦係同經，應無不利。反是而為凶曜，害亦如之。

The term "jing" refers to the division of the sky into sections where four constellations opposite each other belong to the same jing. Each jing consists of four constellations. For example, Ji, Shen, Zhen, and Bi form one jing; Jing, Jiao, Dou, and Kui form another; Wei, Shi (which is the Encampment mansion), Zi, and Yi form another; Kang, Niu, Lou, and Gui form another; Di, Nu, Wei, and Liu form another; Fang, Xu, Mao, and Xing form another; Xin, Wei, Bi, and Zhang form another. The constellations within the same jing are naturally connected in the sky, so the spirits governing each palace subtly oversee one another. If the person's position is in the Ji constellation and a good star is also in Ji, they are in the same jing, which is favorable. Even if the person's position is in Ji but the good star is in any of the other three constellations of the same jing, it is still considered the same jing and should not be unfavorable. Conversely, if the same jing contains harmful stars, the harm will also follow the same path.

絡者宮度對也，即對沖三合二絃六合之謂，而兼及三十度、一百五十度，所以立度者即此道也。一氣相通最為親切，即以日月論，日晝夜行一度，月晝夜行十二三四度不等，月與日同宮同度則合朔，離日九十度則上弦，離日一百八十度則望，近日九十度又下弦，非即絡之謂歟？諸星之互相感通，何獨不然？故命主與吉凶星絡對而榮枯立判。

The concept of "luo" refers to the mutual relationship between the palace and the degree, which includes opposition, triple harmony, two strings, and six harmony, as well as the separation of thirty degrees and one hundred fifty degrees. The method of establishing degrees mentioned earlier is based on these principles. Those within the same qi are interconnected and have the closestsympathetic response. Take the sun and moon as an example: the sun moves one degree per day and night, while the moon moves twelve to fourteen degrees per day and night. When the moon and sun are in the same palace and degree, it is called the new moon. When the moon is ninety degrees away from the sun, it is the first quarter. When it is one hundred eighty degrees away, it is the full moon. When it approaches the sun again by ninety degrees, it is the last quarter. This is precisely what "luo" means. How could other stars be any different? Therefore, when the person's destiny connects with auspicious or inauspicious stars through luo, their prosperity and decline are immediately determined.

貫者，他星與命度共為一經也。如命與度是火，他星即火之類。分衰旺不分同異，吉星自亨，凶星自蹇。

The term "guan" refers to when another star shares the same element as the degree established by the命宫. For example, if both the命宫 and the established degree belong to the fire element, and the arriving star also belongs to fire, this is called "guan." When assessing "guan," only the strength and decline of the star are considered, not whether it is the same or different. If the star that comes to form "guan" is a beneficial one, it naturally brings smoothness and success; if it is a harmful star, it naturally leads to obstacles and difficulties.

串者，在立命立度之度也。如命是木，他星即躔角斗奎井；度是角，他星即躔角斗奎井。有相迎無相拒，吉星自亨，凶星自蹇。

The term "serial" refers to other stars being in the same degree as the established destiny and destiny degree. For example, if one's destiny belongs to the Wood element, other stars would be in the degrees of Jiao, Dou, Kui, and Jing; if the established degree is Jiao, other stars would also be in the degrees of Jiao, Dou, Kui, and Jing. In this way, they only meet and do not clash. If the stars coming to join are auspicious, things will be smooth; if they are inauspicious, things will be obstructed.

填者四柱填實也。如四柱有子丑，吉凶星在子丑；四柱有戌亥，吉凶星在戌亥之類。

The term "filling" refers to the situation where the auspicious or inauspicious stars on the divination chart exactly correspond to the earthly branches in the person's birth time. For example, if the year, month, day, and hour pillars include the branches Zi and Chou, and the auspicious or inauspicious stars are precisely located in the Zi or Chou positions; or if the pillars include Xu and Hai, and the stars are precisely located in the Xu or Hai positions, such cases are called filling. Once filled, the effects of the star's auspiciousness or inauspiciousness become much more likely to manifest.

沖者對宮沖照也。即隔六宮一百八十度之謂，而正不必拘拘於一百八十度也。如立命在子，吉凶星在午之類，更須看命主與大限。

The term "chong" refers to a situation where two positions are opposite each other, separated by six palaces and 180 degrees. However, in practical application, one does not strictly adhere to an exact 180-degree separation. For example, if the native's命宫 is at Zi and a beneficial or malevolent star is located at Wu, this is considered a chong. To determine the fortune or misfortune associated with chong, one must also consider the condition of the native's main star and the current large limit period. (The original note at the bottom of the heading, "ji hou bu," indicates that the author added this entry later.)

守者守命宮也，吉凶星在命宮之謂，大限亦然。

the so-called "guarding" refers to a star residing in the命宫, meaning a fortunate or adverse star is directly located within the命宫. If a star is present in the palace reached by the great period, it is also called guarding.

釣者三方四正釣照也。三方即隔四宮之三合，而不必拘拘於一百二十度也。如命宮在卯，吉凶星在亥未之類。四正即隔三宮之二絃，而不必拘拘於九十度也。如命宮在申，吉凶星在亥寅巳之類，更須看命主及大限。

The concept of "hooking" (钓) refers to the influence from three directions and four cardinal points, which are distant but still effective. The three directions mean the three harmonious positions that are four palaces apart, without strictly adhering to exactly 120 degrees. For example, if the命宫 (life palace) is in卯 (Mao), and auspicious or inauspicious stars are in亥 (Zi) and未 (Wei), which form a triple harmony with卯, this is considered three-direction hooking. The four cardinal points refer to the two-string positions that are three palaces apart, without strictly adhering to exactly 90 degrees. For example, if the命宫 is in申 (Shen), and auspicious or inauspicious stars are in亥 (Zi),寅 (Yin), and巳 (Si), this is considered four-cardinal-point hooking. When judging the fortune or misfortune of hooking, it is also necessary to consider the main star of the person and the great limit (大限).

兩星拱命主，或在三方，或在對宮，總以無混雜為貴，日月官魁之拱尤重，命主大限皆然，然亦須辨拱星之吉凶。

the so-called "arch" refers to two stars jointly embracing the destiny master, or approaching from three directions, or from the opposite palace. An arch is most valuable when there are no other stars interfering in between; among these, the Sun, the Moon, "Tian Guan," and "Kui Star" are most important. Whether the destiny master is embraced or the major period is embraced, it is necessary to distinguish whether the stars forming the arch are auspicious or malevolent. One should not assume that an arch is always favorable just because there is an arch.

兩星夾命主，或在一宮，或在數宮，總以不混雜為貴，日月官魁之夾尤重，命主大限皆然，然亦須辨夾星之吉凶，至於日月所夾，更當推求。

The concept of "jia" refers to two stars positioned one in front and one behind, enclosing the subject in the middle, or enclosing the subject within the same palace, or enclosing the subject across several palaces. The quality of "jia" is considered superior when the intervening stars are not mixed with others. Among these, the combination of the Sun, the Moon, "Tian Guan," and "Kui Star" is most significant. Whether the subject or the major period is enclosed, it is important to distinguish whether the enclosing stars are auspicious or inauspicious. In particular, the situation where the Sun and Moon enclose the subject requires careful analysis.

命主是官魁文科，日月夾最宜，以其氣聚神旺也，若係劫煞傷刃，日月夾之反為不美。倘非命主，僅屬他星，則以夾官魁文科為祥，夾劫煞傷刃為災，但必察其與命度有關會與否，如並未與命度經絡貫串，則亦不見災祥也。

If the person's destiny is dominated by auspicious stars such as 'Heavenly Official', 'Kui Star', 'Wen Star', and 'Ke Ming', then being squeezed by the sun and moon is most suitable, because the energy gathers and the spirit becomes strong. However, if the person's destiny is dominated by inauspicious stars such as 'Jie Cai', 'Qi Sha', 'Shang Guan', and 'Yang Ren', then being squeezed by the sun and moon is not favorable, as it would cultivate and strengthen the malevolent energy. If the star being squeezed is not the person's main star but another star, then squeezing the official, Kui, Wen, and Ke Ming stars is considered auspicious, while squeezing the Jie Cai, Qi Sha, Shang Guan, and Yang Ren stars is considered calamitous. However, one must examine whether this star being squeezed has any connection with the person's birth chart degree. If it neither connects with the birth chart degree nor forms a continuous relationship, then whether it brings good or bad fortune will not manifest.

日月之夾雖取其不混雜，若冬生人，以水孛為官魁科名，日月夾水夾孛，或並夾火夾羅在內，則水孛方藉火羅以暖，始不寒凍，非惟不作混雜論，其精神正全在火羅；如夾水孛並無火羅，似乎不混雜，而其實反難生動矣。推之於拱亦然，夾與拱略同，而其力較大。

When the sun and moon come together to form a conjunction, it is generally considered favorable if they do not mix with other stars, but there are exceptions. For example, people born in winter take the water star and 'Yuebo' as 'Tian Guan', 'Kui Star', and 'Ke Ming'. If the sun and moon enclose the water star and 'Yuebo', and also include the fire star and 'Luohou' in the middle, then the water and 'Yuebo' need the fire and 'Luohou' to warm them up, so they do not become cold and stagnant. In this case, it is not considered mixed, but rather all the focus is on the fire and 'Luohou'. Conversely, if only the water and 'Yuebo' are enclosed without the fire and 'Luohou', it may seem clean and uncluttered on the surface, but in reality, it leads to cold stagnation and lacks vitality. This principle also applies to 'gong' (arching). 'Jia' (enclosure) and 'gong' are generally similar, but 'jia' has a stronger effect.

或羅計攔出一星，日月攔出一星是也。所當辨攔截之星之吉凶，並當辨吉凶星之與命度有關會與否，更取其無他星混雜。然使攔出吉凶星，兼攔出命主，則此吉凶星雖與命度絕不經絡貫串，卻以命主同攔出而有關會矣。

The concept of "interception" refers to a situation where two stars, "Rohini" and "Jeddu," block a star in between, or where the Sun and Moon intercept a star. When interpreting this pattern, first determine whether the two intercepting stars are auspicious or inauspicious. Next, check whether the intercepted star, whether auspicious or inauspicious, has any connection with the degree of the native's birth chart. Also, ensure that there are no other stars interfering. However, there is a special case to note: if both an auspicious and an inauspicious star are intercepted, and the native is also included within this interception, then even if the intercepted star has no meridian connection with the native's birth chart, it will still form a connection because it is intercepted together with the native.

又冬生人，攔出水孛，兼攔出火羅，似乎混雜，但水孛是官魁科名，得火羅暖之，其氣正揚；水孛是劫煞傷官，有火羅助之，其焰彌熾，未可執一而斷。

For example, if someone is born in winter, the elements revealed are water and 'Yuebo', along with fire and 'Luohou', which may appear mixed. In reality, one should consider both sides: if water and 'Yuebo' represent his 'Tian Guan', 'Kui Star', and 'Ke Ming' (academic success), then the presence of fire and 'Luohou' to warm them up will allow his energy to flourish properly; but if water and 'Yuebo' indicate his 'Jie Cai', 'Qi Sha', and 'Shang Gan' (destructive influences), then the presence of fire and 'Luohou' will instead intensify the harmful effects. Therefore, one should not make a judgment based solely on one side.

等天官者何？天干之官也，餘俱從天干取用。如甲年生人，甲以辛為官，辛之化祿為氣，氣即天官；以庚為七煞，庚之化祿為水，水即七煞；以丁為傷官，丁之化祿為金，金即傷官；以丙為食神，丙之化祿為木，木即食神；

What is called "heavenly official" (天官) refers to the official star (正官) derived from the heavenly stems. All other ten heavenly spirits (十神) are also determined based on the heavenly stems. For example, a person born in the year of Jia (甲): Jia takes Xin (辛) as its official star, and the禄 of Xin is "Purple Qi" (紫气), so "Purple Qi" is his heavenly official; Jia takes Geng (庚) as its seven calamities (七煞), and the禄 of Geng is water, so the water star is his seven calamities; Jia takes Ding (丁) as its injurious star (伤官), and the禄 of Ding is metal, so the metal star is his injurious star; Jia takes Bing (丙) as its nourishing star (食神), and the禄 of Bing is wood, so the wood star is his nourishing star. (The word "etc." at the beginning is a remnant of a previous title, and is retained as is.)

以己為正財，己之化祿為月，月即正財；以戊為偏財，戊之化祿為土，土即偏財；以壬為偏印，壬之化祿為計，計即偏印；以癸為正印，癸之化祿為羅，羅即正印；以乙為劫財，乙之化祿為孛，孛即劫財；甲之化祿為火，火即元祿。餘仿此。

Jia's official wealth is Ji, and Ji's transformed fortune is Taiyin, so Taiyin is his official wealth; Jia's biased wealth is Wu, and Wu's transformed fortune is earth, so the earth star is his biased wealth; Jia's biased wisdom is Ren, and Ren's transformed fortune is 'Ji Du', so 'Ji Du' is his biased wisdom; Jia's official wisdom is Gui, and Gui's transformed fortune is 'Luo Hou', so 'Luo Hou' is his official wisdom; Jia's劫财 is Yi, and Yi's transformed fortune is 'Yue Bo', so 'Yue Bo' is his劫财; Jia's own transformed fortune is fire, so the fire star is his 'Yuan Lu'. The other nine heavenly stems each follow this method to determine their respective ten stars.

天官固取其與命度經絡貫串矣，亦有通根而不通根者。如官躔傷官度，命亦躔傷是也；或官躔他度，正財躔命度，則又不通根而通根焉。

The star Tian Guan, although it is necessary to consider its relationship with the birth chart's palace through meridian connections, also distinguishes between 'tong gen' and 'bu tong gen'. For example, if Tian Guan is in the degree of Shang Gan, and the birth palace is also in the degree of Shang Gan, the surface seems to have connected energy, but in reality, the root energy has been completely damaged by Shang Gan, which is called 'tong gen' but not 'tong gen'. Conversely, if Tian Guan is in another degree, but Zheng Cai is in the birth palace's degree, Zheng Cai can generate Gua, and although they are not directly connected on the surface, the energy flows secretly, which is called 'bu tong gen' but 'tong gen'.

《天官經》云：「日月扶官，才昭廊廟。官入命垣，格低還貴。天官秉令，身居九鼎。天官貫日，食祿豐隆。官命互躔，魁元早奪。官躔傷度，逢生猶榮。正財隨駕而對照兮，喬遷不次。正財當限而拱官兮，恩寵駢集。惟忌傷官作妒，更嫌七煞當前。傷官伴官兮崎嶇有阻，七煞混官兮荊棘自生。」

The Tian Guan Jing says: When the sun and moon support the Tian Guan, talent becomes evident in the court; when the Tian Guan enters the destiny palace, although the pattern may be low, it will eventually lead to high status; when the Tian Guan is in command and holds power, one can attain supreme authority; when the Tian Guan is connected with the sun, the official salary is abundant; when the Tian Guan and the destiny palace mutually approach each other, one can early achieve the top rank; even if the Tian Guan is in the degree of Wounded Official, as long as there is another generation and support, it will still bring honor and prominence. When the main wealth is accompanied and contrasts with the Tian Guan, promotion beyond one's rank is possible; when the main wealth is in the proper limit and guards the Tian Guan, favor and grace come continuously. The only thing to be cautious of is the Wounded Official causing envy from the side, and more so the Seven Evil Stars blocking the way ahead: when the Wounded Official accompanies the Tian Guan, the official career is full of obstacles; when the Seven Evil Stars mix with the Tian Guan, there are difficulties everywhere.

此亦得其大概也。更不宜合化，如丙用羅官愁見月，土陰湊合不為官。餘仿此。

These sentences generally explain the key points of using heavenly stems in the context of the Heavenly Official. There is another point to consider: the Heavenly Official should not be combined or transformed by a harmonious relationship. For example, a person born in the year of Bing (丙) uses "Roluohou" as their Heavenly Official. They worry about encountering Taiyin, because "Roluohou" is the official of the stem Gui (癸), and Taiyin is the official of the stem Ji (己). When the earth element and the yin month combine, the energy of the Heavenly Official is absorbed, and it no longer functions as an official. Similar reasoning applies to other heavenly stems encountering harmonious combinations.

子平可去官留煞，五星則煞總不可混官，須以食神制之，遂使官清，否則陽年之煞與劫合化，陰年之煞與傷合化，亦可。《天官經》云：「劫傷見煞也相制，天官有勢。」又云：「貪合見煞也忘煞，天官亦尊。」

In the system of Zi Ping, there is a method called "going away from official and leaving the evil," but in the system of the Five Stars, this is not the case: seven evils (seven煞) must never be mixed with heavenly officials. It is necessary to use the food god (食神) to control them, so that the official star (官星) can be pure. If there is no food god, then for those born in a yang year, the seven evils can be harmonized with劫财, and for those born in a yin year, the seven evils can be harmonized with the injurer (伤官), which can resolve the issue. The "Heavenly Officials Classic" says: "When劫财 and伤官 meet the seven evils, they restrain each other, and the heavenly official has power." It also says: "When the seven evils are greedy for combination, they forget about the mixed officials, and the heavenly official is still respected." This means that when劫财 and伤官 meet the seven evils, they can restrain each other, giving the heavenly official power; when the seven evils are greedy for combination, they forget about the mixed officials, and the heavenly official is still esteemed.

若七煞無食神制，又無劫傷合，獨與天官經串釣，難望清貴。縱得進士亦不能館選，即使館選亦必至散去。內至京堂四品，終不能大轎；外至藩臬兩司，亦不能八座。

If the seven evils are neither restrained by the food god nor harmonized by the劫财 or official scholar, but instead form a relationship of classic, chain, and fishing with the heavenly official alone, it is difficult to expect a clear and noble destiny. Such a fate may result in passing the imperial examination as a jinshi, yet failing to enter the Hanlin Academy; even ifby chance selected for the academy, in the end he will certainly be dismissed and sent to serve outside the capital. Serving in the capital, he may rise no higher than a fourth rank official in the capital, but will never attain the position of prime minister; serving outside, he may reach the positions of governor and inspector-general, but will never ascend to the rank of the eight ministers of the state.

更有公卿貴命，原盤並未官受煞混，特無食神制煞，劫傷化煞，往往從不清貴之衙門，一轉則煞之為崇大也。惟武職官員，由行五起者，煞而兼刃，或掌威權有之。至於煞兼魁兼科，又當分觀魁科之盛衰，或作清宦亦有之。

There is another type of official with a noble destiny, whose original chart does not have the seven evils mixed with the heavenly officials. However, they lack the food god to control the evils and also lack the劫财 and 伤官 to transform the evils. Such people often have to start from less prestigious government offices, and only after a change of position can they rise up. This shows how great the influence of the seven evils can be. Only for military officials who rise from the lower ranks of the army, if the evils are accompanied by the Yangren, they may still hold power. As for cases where the seven evils are also combined with the 'Kui Star' and the 'Ke Ming', they should be examined separately according to the strength of the Kui and Ke Ming themselves, and among them, some may achieve noble official positions.

正財乃生天官星也，亦看與命主經絡貫串何如，司令升殿或拱夾攔截合宜，不但增秩，兼能至富。總須與天官有情，或經或絡，或串或拱，或或同，攔截皆妙。但陽年不可遇元祿，陰年不可遇偏印，遇之則貪合而忘生也。

The official wealth is a star that generates the heavenly official, so it is also necessary to examine its connection with the person's destiny through meridian work. If the official wealth is in its ruling position, in a favorable palace, or if it is supported, flanked, or intercepting in an appropriate way, then it not only brings promotion and higher rank but also brings wealth. In summary, it must have a harmonious relationship with the heavenly official: either forming a meridian, a network, a connection, a support, being in the same palace and degree, or forming an intercepting situation, all of which are excellent patterns. However, for those born in a yang year, the official wealth should not meet with the original official; for those born in a yin year, the official wealth should not meet with the biased official. Once they meet, the official wealth will be too eager to harmonize and forget to generate the official. (In the sentence "or or same," the original text is missing one character, which is recorded here without supplementation.)

偏財雖能生煞，亦能生官，特陽生陰，陰生陽，其力自薄耳。倘與煞同宮同度，或獨釣，或獨，則生煞而煞彌橫；如與官同宮同度，或獨釣，或獨，則於官亦不無小補。但陽年與正印合化，懮其無以制傷官；陰年與劫財合化，喜其有以扶正財。

Partial wealth can generate both seven evils and heavenly officials, but one is yang generating yin, and the other is yin generating yang. Since they are not of the same nature, their mutual generation is naturally weak. If partial wealth and seven evils are in the same palace and degree, or if they are separately shining or separately supporting each other, then they will specifically generate the evils, making the evils' power even more fierce. If partial wealth is in the same palace and degree as heavenly officials, or if they are separately shining or separately supporting each other, it can offer some minor assistance to the heavenly officials. In addition, for those born in a yang year, partial wealth combining with official star can be worrying, as it means there will be nothing to restrain the injurious star from causing harm. For those born in a yin year, partial wealth combining with劫财 (robbery star) can be favorable, as it means there will be something to support the official star. (In the two instances where 'or alone' appears, the original text is missing one character, likely 'or alone supporting' or 'or alone bowing', but it is recorded as is without supplementation.)

凡天官遇傷者，須見正財。若見正財，轉能生官，蓋傷生財，財生官也，故有行傷官度發者，非傷官在正財度，即正財在傷官度。傷財互躔，行傷度勝於財度。

Whenever the heavenly official meets the injurious official, it is necessary to see the proper wealth. With the proper wealth, the injurious official's energy can instead turn to generate the official, because the injurious official generates wealth, and wealth generates the official, thus there is a turning point in between. Therefore, some people suddenly become successful while going through the injurious official phase. Upon investigation, it is clear: either the injurious official is properly positioned in the proper wealth degree, or the proper wealth is properly positioned in the injurious official degree. When the injurious official and proper wealth are mutually positioned, going through the injurious official phase is actually more favorable than going through the proper wealth phase.

昔人有專看天官正財傷官三星者，詳其聚散，審其衰旺，知其生中有傷、傷中有生，從而斷之，無不立驗。是天官遇傷官，必須正財，若無正財，即須正印以制之，尤須陽年以偏印，陰年以七煞合化之。

Former people have specialized in using the three stars of Tian Gan (Heavenly Stem), Zheng Cai (Direct Wealth), and Shang Gan (Wounding Official) to determine fate: they carefully examine their convergence and separation, investigate their decline, strength, and weakness, and observe whether there is a wounding within a birth or a birth within a wounding. Based on this, they make judgments, which are never without immediate verification. It is evident that when Tian Gan meets Shang Gan, the first requirement is to have Zheng Cai; if there is no Zheng Cai, then Zheng Yin (Direct Mother) should be used to control Shang Gan; if not, then for those born in yang years, use biased Yin (Bi Yin), and for those born in yin years, use Qi Sha (Seven Killers), to transform and harmonize Shang Gan.

食神取其制煞，因之煞去官清，但陽年頗忌其合官，陰年亦忌其剝官。如煞在對宮，官在同宮，則只能合近地之官，剝近地之官，而不能及煞，煞仍自如，何也？對宮疏而同宮親也。

The food god (Shi Shen) can control the seven evils (Qi Sha). When the seven evils are controlled, the heavenly official (Tian Guan) becomes pure. However, people born in yang years are particularly wary of the food god combining with the heavenly official, while those born in yin years also dislike the food god eroding the heavenly official. For example, if the seven evils are far away in the opposite palace, but the heavenly official is in the same palace as the food god, then the food god can only combine with or erode the nearby heavenly official, and cannot reach the distant seven evils, which remain free and unrestrained. Why is this so? Because the opposite palace is still distant, while the same palace is close. The power of the stars always affects the nearby ones first before reaching the distant ones.

正印乃所以制傷官也，但陽年與偏財合化，既無以制傷官，又慮天官有藉於偏財，為之阻隔；陰年與食神合化，既無以制傷官，又慮七煞待制於食神，為之消滅。

The function of the official star (正印) is to control the official star's child (伤官). However, for those born in a yang year, when the official star combines with the biased wealth (偏财) to form a harmonious relationship, first it loses the ability to control the official star's child, and second, the heavenly official (天官) originally relied on the biased wealth to be generated, but now the biased wealth is taken away by the combination, blocking the path of the heavenly official's generation. For those born in a yin year, when the official star combines with the food star (食神), first it also loses the ability to control the official star's child, and second, the seven evils (七煞) originally waited for the food star to control, but now the food star is taken away by the combination, eliminating the force to control the evils.

偏印能制食神，使食神不能制七煞，其害最大。惟食神與天官有礙，則又賴偏印之制。陽年與傷官合化，可以助官；陰年與正財合化，適以損官。

The biased official can control the food spirit, and once the food spirit is controlled, it can no longer control the seven evils, which is the most harmful aspect. However, there are exceptions: if the food spirit itself hinders the heavenly official, then it is precisely the biased official that is needed to control it. Additionally, for those born in a yang year, the biased official combines with the injurious official to form a harmonious relationship; once the injurious official is removed, it actually helps the heavenly official. For those born in a yin year, the biased official combines with the proper wealth to form a harmonious relationship; once the proper wealth is removed, it exactly harms the heavenly official.

此為十曜中最惡之星。陽年雖有合七煞之休，陰年實有合偏財之咎，經但端主傷妻，自歷年試之，正不止此。與日有關，即行劫度，克父；與月有關，即行劫度，克母；與弟兄有關，即行劫度，克弟兄；與子孫有關，即行劫度，克子孫。

The劫财 is the mostvicious of the ten stars. Those born in a yang year may benefit from the harmony that removes the seven evils, but those born in a yin year actually suffer from the harm of harmonizing with the偏财. Old texts only mention that it mainly harms the wife, but through my years of practice, I have found its harm to be far greater: if劫财 is connected with the sun, then when it reaches the degree of劫财, it harms the father; if connected with the moon, it harms the mother; if connected with the brother's palace, it harms the brothers; and if connected with the son's palace, it harms the children.

雖不行劫度，但逢劫頂度，亦諸惡畢集，而且耗散有之、疾病有之，居官者降罰亦有之；若與妻主有關，妻主又不得氣，常常斷絃；與子星有關，子星又不得氣，每每絕嗣；與財曜有關，財曜又不得氣，屢屢空乏。僅置諸閒散之地，尚恐招殃，倘入乎攔夾之鄉，愈將肆虐，必得天官乃能制之，而天官又以制劫，力薄矣。

Even if one has not reached the degree of劫财 itself, encountering the degree that is topped by劫财 will still bring about all sorts of misfortunes: some will suffer financial loss, some will be plagued by illness, and officials will face demotion. If劫财 is connected with the wife's star and the wife's star is not in a favorable position, one will often lose one's spouse and have to remarry; if it is connected with the son's star and the son's star is not in a favorable position, one will frequently lose one's descendants; if it is connected with wealth stars and the wealth stars are not in a favorable position, one will often be in poverty. Even if this star is placed in an idle and useless position, one still fears it will bring calamity. If it falls into a critical position where it is intercepted and confined, its harmful effects will be even more severe. Only the heavenly official can subdue it, but the heavenly official itself must also take care of other matters, and when it divides its strength to subdue劫财, its power becomes weak. (The last sentence of the original text is suspected to be missing a character, and it is recorded as is without supplementation.)

元祿即天祿也。果得時得地，與命主有情，多食天祿。惟不取其有合，陽年與正財合，無以生官，陰年與天官合，有以奪官。

"Yuanlu" refers to Tianlu, which is the star generated by the heavenly stem of the current year. If this star is truly in season and in a favorable position, and has a harmonious relationship with the person's destiny, then the person is likely to enjoy the salary from the government. However, it is not advisable for Yuanlu to combine with other stars: for those born in a yang year, Yuanlu combines with Zhengcai (the main wealth star), which takes away Zhengcai, leaving nothing to generate Tianguan (the official star); for those born in a yin year, Yuanlu combines with Tianguan, which instead takes away Tianguan itself.

恩難仇用，皆五行之理，但恩難較切，尚可兼觀；仇用更寬，不妨偏廢。況煞忌黨，其剛凶多驗，於刃兼之，氣盡則身盡，官竭則命竭，危亦恆不在難也；引從者吉，則外貴乎空，挈提者凶，則內喜乎善，吉凶扶陽勢，餘奴亦足敵殺，安亦恆不在恩也。

The terms "En Star," "Nan Star," "Chou Star," and "Yong Star" all originate from the principles of the Five Phases and their interactions. However, the relationships between "En" and "Nan" are more closely connected to destiny and can be considered together; the boundaries of "Chou" and "Yong" are too broad, so they can be temporarily set aside. Moreover, the seven evils and the stars to be avoided form alliances, and their harsh and violent nature often manifest clearly. If these are combined with Yangren, it means that when one's fate is exhausted, the body is also exhausted, and when the official star is depleted, life is also depleted. Thus, misfortune does not necessarily come from the "Nan Star." Conversely, if all the stars following and preceding are auspicious, then the outer environment should be pure and free of interference; if the preceding stars are malevolent, then the inner part should have benevolent stars to counteract them. As long as the balance of good and evil can support the positive energy, even residual stars and minor influences can resist malevolent forces. Therefore, peace and safety do not necessarily depend on the "En Star." (The original text is concise and somewhat obscure with possible omissions; this translation includes only the parts that are understandable, and uncertain parts are not forcefully interpreted.)

官福皆分宮挨定，原非無理，但按之似近於泛，不如從年干上徑用天官等星，神明變化而不離乎其宗。升沉之緒已完，否泰之端自備。

"The 'Official' and 'Prosperity' sections are both arranged in order according to the twelve palaces, and they are not without reason. However, when used to verify the natal chart, they seem too general and not precise enough. It is better to directly use the 'Heavenly Official' and other ten celestial influences based on the heavenly stem of the birth year. This method, although producing marvelous variations, remains rooted in its origin. At this point, the ups and downs of a person's life have been fully explained, and the signs of prosperity and adversity are also complete."

是皆在得時得地，或日月，或吉曜拱夾為妙。妻以主之強弱分其人之存亡。財帛田宅尤在與命主有情。若以日月為財者，其財非從父母來即為天下所共見之財，但必合偏正財參觀方能有準。

The Wealth, Land and Property, Brothers, and Spouse sections should all be examined to see if they are timely and properly positioned, and whether they are supported by auspicious stars such as the Sun or Moon or other favorable influences. The Spouse section should focus on the strength of the spouse's ruling star to determine the presence or absence of a spouse. The Wealth and Land and Property sections, in particular, should be closely examined in relation to the main destiny. If the Sun or Moon is used as the Wealth star, then this wealth is either inherited from parents or public, prominent wealth. However, it is also necessary to consider the combination with偏财 (secondary wealth) and正财 (primary wealth) for an accurate judgment.

兄弟子息故以水一、火二、木三、金四、土五為權衡矣，倘逢生則倍而增，逢克則倍而減。如弱土寄水，未必五不變一；干木寄火，未必三不變二；旺水寄木，未必一不變三；燥火寄土，未必二不變五。蓋亦在其位謀其政之義也。

The number of brothers and children is usually measured by the Five Phases' numbers: water represents one, fire represents two, wood represents three, metal represents four, and earth represents five. If there is generation and support, the number doubles; if there is restriction and control, the number halves. Moreover, one must also consider where it resides: weak earth residing on water, its original number five may not remain five but become one; dry wood residing on fire, its original number three may not remain three but become two; strong water residing on wood, its original number one may not remain one but become three; fierce fire residing on earth, its original number two may not remain two but become five. This is precisely what is meant by the saying that one should take on the role according to its position—when a star arrives at a particular house, it should be calculated according to the number of that house.

耶律楚材云：「一生得失，總在行度。」其詔我哉？命宮猶家，限度猶寓。試以家北而寓南者譬之。其家遭水火，其寓遭水火，一及身，一不及身，其緩急迥不侔矣。

Yelü Chucai said, "The gains and losses of a lifetime all depend on the degree of one's actions." These words are indeed a true teaching for us. The destiny palace is like one's own home, while the degrees of the life span are like temporary lodgings. Let us take an example of someone whose home is in the north but who is staying in the south: if the home suffers fire or water, but the person is not there, it does not affect them directly; if the temporary lodging suffers fire or water, and the person is staying there, they are immediately affected. The urgency and importance of the two situations are completely different. So, when comparing the destiny palace and the life span degrees, we should distinguish them in this way.

現行之度有星無星，總須察其與當生何吉星有關會，何凶星有關會。當生吉星滿用，主行此星之度之年定見榮華。當生凶神有力，主行此星之度之年立看凋落。原吉凶星頂度，又當以情之輕重分禍福之大小，其理至微，所當經究。

Now, in the course of the current degree, whether there are stars above or not, one must examine which auspicious star in the native's original chart is connected with this degree, and which inauspicious star is connected. If the auspicious stars in the native's chart are fully utilized, then in the year when this auspicious star's degree is reached, one will certainly see prosperity. If the inauspicious stars in the native's chart are strong, then in the year when this inauspicious star's degree is reached, one will immediately see decline. As for the auspicious and inauspicious stars in the original chart that are located at a certain degree, one must assess the relationship between them and the native's destiny, and determine the extent of fortune or misfortune accordingly. The principles involved are extremely subtle and should be carefully studied.

一甲年四月生人，一壬年二月生人，同行戌宮奎木度，奎木上同坐金星。甲生人以金為傷官，遂致仕途屢跌；壬年人以金為正財，遂致官級聯升。

Take two examples. A person born in the year of Jia in the fourth lunar month and another born in the year of Ren in the second lunar month both reach the Xu palace's Kuai Wood degree, and there is also a planet of metal sitting on this degree. For the person born in the year of Jia, metal is considered 'Wang Gan' (a type of official), and the presence of Wang Gan in the degree weakens the official star, leading to repeated setbacks in his official career. For the person born in the year of Ren, metal is considered 'Zheng Cai' (a type of wealth), and the presence of Zheng Cai in the degree helps generate official status, leading to continuous promotion in his official rank. It is the same star and the same degree, yet due to the difference in the heavenly stem of the birth year, the interpretation and outcome are as different as heaven and earth.

一辛年十一月生人，一辛年十月生人，同行丑宮斗木度，度為天官，十一月生人正財火星在斗，太陽在尾火度，與太陽通，即入翰林；十月生人正財火星在箕，太陽雖在尾，火度與太陽不通，僅中進士。甚矣，度之所繫為切且要也。度固因太歲填釣而彌動，其初入度將出度之時，尤與尋常不同。

Take two more examples. A person born in the year of Xin in the 11th lunar month and another born in the year of Xin in the 10th lunar month both reach the degree of Dou Wood in the Chou mansion. For people born in the year of Xin, this degree is called 'Heavenly Official'. The one born in the 11th lunar month has the official star Mars exactly within the Dou mansion, and the sun is in the fire degree of the Tail mansion. The fire degree and the sun are connected, so he entered the Hanlin Academy. The one born in the 10th lunar month has the official star Mars in the Ji mansion instead, and although the sun is also in the Tail mansion, his fire degree does not connect with the sun, so he only passed the imperial examination as a jinshi. This shows how crucial the movement of degrees is. The movement of degrees becomes even more active due to the filling and illumination by the flow of years and the heavenly stem. The two periods when one just enters this degree and is about to leave it are especially different from ordinary times in terms of response.

度之說，所謂緯克經也。如金躔木度，木躔土度是也。倘有水火沖釣，可以救解，然亦難免刑耗病疾、火盜官非等事。若帶刃煞來，流年又逢度之星、殺刃之類，死更速矣耳。

The concept of "degree" here refers to the situation where a latitude star is able to overcome the longitude. For example, if Venus is in the degree of the Wood host, or Jupiter is in the degree of the Earth host, these are cases where a planet is overcoming its own host, which is called "latitude overcoming longitude." If there are other stars such as Mercury or Mars that come to oppose or illuminate, they may provide some relief; however, even if they do, it is still likely to result in punishments, losses, illness, or incidents such as fire, theft, or legal troubles. If there are also Yangren and Seven Killers present, and the current year also coincides with the star or killer in this degree, then death may come more quickly. (The original text seems to be missing a character in the sentence "the current year also coincides with the star or killer in this degree," but it is recorded as is.)

木躔金度，火躔水度，便是經克緯，似乎稍輕，然有刃煞加臨者亦死。若度上刃煞俱占，不拘相生之度皆死。刃度逢煞，煞度逢刃，緯克經固重，經克緯亦不輕，行度至此，其害立□。

In reverse, when Jupiter is in the degree of the metal host and Mars is in the degree of the water host, this is when the host is being overcome by the planet, called "vertical overcoming horizontal." It seems less severe at first glance; however, if both Yangren and seven evils are added, death still occurs. If both Yangren and seven evils are fully present in the same degree, then regardless of whether it is a degree of mutual generation, death is certain. When Yangren is in the degree of seven evils, and seven evils is in the degree of Yangren, the horizontal overcoming the vertical is equally severe as the vertical overcoming the horizontal. When the degree reaches this point, calamity immediately appears. (The last character is missing in the original text, likely being "see" or "arrive," but due to the missing text, I dare not make an assumption.)

如限入刃鄉，度又為煞，謂之凶會臨，出限之年亦死。至於水孛同經，行水度即危；又如限行木度，木登木殿，遇流氣來，太歲刃煞又至其宮亦危；若木翼火胃，不過洩氣而已，其災自減。

For example, if the great limit enters the Yangren region, and the path taken is exactly the seven evils, this is called 'evil meeting', and even if one survives until the year of the limit, death is inevitable. As for when the water star and the 'moon孛' are in the same zodiac, danger arises when reaching the water degree; similarly, if the great limit is in the wood degree, and the wood star is exactly in the wood mansion, and if the flowing year 'purple qi' arrives, along with the old age's Yangren and seven evils also arriving in this palace, it is also dangerous. However, if only the wood star is in the Wing mansion and the fire star is in the Stomach mansion, with wood generating wing and fire generating stomach, only a little energy is released, and the calamity naturally decreases.

要而論之，不問坐命何宮何度，但一歲之中只看限行至何度為率。雖係天官，既是度，亦任中聞擢而亡，或得之亦不可久。命主所泊之度尤怕破，在後破猶輕，在前破更重。行至破之度，未及所之度數猶輕，已過所之度數更重。

In summary, one need not consider which palace the命宫 is located in or which degree it is on. Instead, during a given year, one should look at the degree that the current limit has reached, and use that degree as the standard. Even if this degree is considered the 'Heavenly Official' (天官), if it is also a degree that is being overcome (受克), the person may suddenly die while in the midst of success. Even if they manage to gain official rank or fame, it will not last long. The degree where the命主 is currently located is especially vulnerable to being 'broken' (破). If the breaking occurs behind this degree, the effect is less severe; if it occurs ahead, the effect is more serious. When the current limit reaches the degree that is being broken, if it has not yet reached that degree, the harm is less; if it has already passed that degree, the harm is greater. (The original text has some missing characters in places such as '既是度', '亦任中闻擢而亡', and '未及所之度数', but the meaning can be inferred, and these are all recorded as they are without correction.)

然亦須因時度令，木宿遇金，春林愈茂；火宿逢水，夏生不畏；金值火來，秋生無礙；水宿見土，冬月反美；土歸四季，會木何懼？

However, one must also consider the season; one should not simply conclude that something is凶 (unfavorable) just because of mutual control. If a person is born in the spring and the wood element meets the metal element, the strong wood will be cut by metal, but the spring forest will actually become even more flourishing; if a person is born in the summer and the fire element meets the water element, the strong fire will be assisted by water, and this is not something to fear; if a person is born in the autumn and the metal element meets the fire element, the strong metal will be tempered by fire, and there is no harm; if a person is born in the winter and the water element meets the earth element, the strong water will be contained by earth, which is actually a good thing; if the earth element is in the months of辰, 戌, 丑, or 未, which are its proper seasons, even if the wood element comes to control it, what is there to fear?

小限之謬乃俗夫所為，流年吉凶全看內會外會。流星與原守相會，謂之內會；流星自來會合，謂之外會。

The so-called "small limit" method is a mistaken approach used by common people and is not worth adopting. The fortune of the current year depends entirely on two situations: when the current year's planet meets the star that is sitting in that position in the original chart, it is called "internal conjunction"; when the current year's planet comes to meet by itself, it is called "external conjunction."

如火為命主，則火星流行，便是命主流行。火星流躔水度、犯原水星，即為內會；遇流水星即為外會。水又是刃煞，三方無救，多凶。若原火本被水克，限度又是火，縱不犯原水，但遇流水，不必是刃煞亦災。如火為傷劫煞，正喜其犯原水、遇流水，喜其能制之也，故須活看。

For example, if the fire star is the main destiny star, then the movement of the fire star in the current year is equivalent to the movement of the main destiny star. If the fire star moves to the degree of the water host and conflicts with the original chart's water star, this is called an internal conjunction. If it encounters the current year's water star, this is called an external conjunction. Suppose this water star is also his Yangren (a harmful star), and there are no stars from the three directions to rescue him, it often indicates danger. If the original chart's fire is already weakened by water, and the current year's degree is also fire, then even without conflicting with the original water star, as long as the current year's water star appears, even if this water is not a harmful star, disaster is still likely. Conversely, if this fire is his "wounding star," "robbery star," or "seven evil star," it is actually favorable for it to conflict with the original water star and meet the current year's water star, because water can control this harmful fire. Therefore, judging the current year must be done flexibly, not rigidly following one rule.

假如甲年生人，天官辛氣，躔卯宮亢度，限行至戌，壁水七煞度足以暗混天官，幸有流木到度，則丙木能制庚水，若流土到度，則戊土能生庚水。

For example, a person born in the year of Jia has a heavenly official (tian guan) that is transformed into "Purple Qi" by Xin. This Purple Qi is located at the Kangle degree in the卯 (Mao) palace. When the person's life limit reaches the戌 (Xu) palace, the Wall Mansion (Bìxiù) belongs to water, which is exactly the degree of his seven calamities (qixia). This can secretly mix with the heavenly official. Fortunately, if the current year's Jupiter arrives at this degree, wood is transformed into the fortune of Bing, and according to the changing Five Phases, wood can overcome water, thus effectively controlling the harmful water transformed from Geng. Conversely, if the current year's Saturn arrives at this degree, earth is transformed into the fortune of Wu, and according to the changing Five Phases, earth can generate water, thereby supporting the seven calamities, making the harm even greater.

又如天官流氣入午傷官，丁金在戌之奎，現行奎度，奎木屬官，本是官度坐傷，又三方見流官，不吉孰甚？卻有流羅到奎，則丁金方受癸羅之制，豈能戕官？迨自奎行壁，壁乃煞度，正喜丁金之制庚水，而偏以癸羅到奎之故，使丁金無暇及煞，而煞勢猖獗，遂至奪官。此亦見移步換形，必不可膠柱而鼓瑟也。

For example, in the year of Jia, the heavenly official "Purple Qi" flows into theWu Palace, which is the position of the official's injury for Jia people. The gold star transformed by Ding is in the戌宫's Legs mansion, which is now exactly in the奎 degree. The Legs mansion belongs to wood, which for Jia people is the official degree, thus forming an official degree occupied by the injury star. Moreover, the three directions also see the official star of the current year, making it extremely unfavorable. Fortunately, the current year's "Ruo Hou" reaches the奎 degree. "Ruo Hou" is the transformed fortune of癸, belonging to fire. Fire can overcome metal, so the gold star is restrained and cannot harm the official. However, when it moves from the奎 degree to the壁 degree, the壁宿 belongs to water, which is the degree of seven evils. At this time, one would expect the gold star to overcome the evil water transformed by Geng. But because "Ruo Hou" is still pressing on the奎 degree, it restrains the gold star, preventing it from dealing with the seven evils. Thus, the evil force becomes rampant and eventually takes away the official star. This shows that moving through the degrees changes continuously, and fortune telling must not be rigid and inflexible.

太陽君象，須用太陽，照命宮無益，照大限有濟，到大限不如在四正照，在四正不如在三方照，在三方又不如在對宮照。太歲於填釣之外，尚有逐攔二法。如限在寅，丑年可逐寅也，丑宮無星，即子年亦可逐；卯年亦可攔寅也，卯宮無星，即辰年亦可攔。

The Sun represents the ruler, and it is essential in all matters. However, the Sun shining on the命宫 (destiny palace) does not bring much benefit, but when it shines on the 大限 (great limit) palace, it has real effect. If the Sun itself is in the palace where the great limit is, it is not as effective as when it shines from the four cardinal directions. Among the four cardinal directions, shining from the three directions is less effective than shining from the opposite palace. The farther the Sun is, the more its illuminating power is evident. In addition to the methods of 'filling' and 'fishing' for the 太岁 (supreme year), there are also the methods of 'chasing' and 'blocking'. For example, if the great limit is in the寅 (Tiger) palace, then the 丑 (Ox) palace is behind the寅, so in the year of 丑, the Sun can chase the寅 from behind. If there are no stars in the 丑 palace, then the year of 子 (Rat) can also chase the寅. The卯 (Rabbit) palace is in front of the寅, so in the year of 卯, the Sun can block the寅 from the front. If there are no stars in the卯 palace, then the year of 辰 (Dragon) can also block the寅.

七政者天之有形也，形者人之所由成也；而氣即寓乎其內，形可見而氣不可見也。然可見者必有不可見者以為之宰，以故形氣交孚，天星與人命妙合，形氣自相流通，吉凶瞭如指掌。有形吉而氣凶者，有形凶而氣吉者，均不可泥形而遺氣焉。

The Seven Stars are tangible and visible celestial bodies; the human body is also formed by these forms and energies. The "energy" resides within the form. The form can be seen, but the energy cannot be seen. However, behind what can be seen, there must be something invisible that governs it. Therefore, the form and energy interact and correspond with each other. The stars in the heavens correspond with human destiny, and the circulation between form and energy is natural. Thus, fortune and misfortune become clear. In a person's destiny chart, there are cases where the form is auspicious but the energy is inauspicious, and cases where the form is inauspicious but the energy is auspicious. When judging destiny, one should not be rigidly attached to the form and ignore the energy.

試思最近大圜者莫如恆星，次之土、次之木、次之火、次之太陽、次之金、次之水，最卑為月。以形而論，則高下之距實大懸殊，向非有氣以主之，何以各繫於天而不墜？又何以天道左旋而諸曜皆能右轉也？以是知氣雖渺冥恍惚，實則周浹旁皇。人受陰陽五行以生，亦何時何刻不與十一曜默默相融貫乎？

Imagine the stars closest to the great celestial sphere, then Saturn, then Jupiter, then Mars, then the Sun, then Venus, then Mercury, and finally the Moon. In terms of their physical size, they differ greatly from each other. If it were not for the "qi" that governs them, how could they remain suspended in the sky without falling? And how could each celestial body rotate to the right while the entire celestial system rotates to the left? This shows that although "qi" is subtle and intangible, it circulates everywhere, reaching every corner. Humans are born from the reception of yin and yang and the Five Phases, so at every moment, they are silently connected and interpenetrated with these eleven celestial bodies.

耶律楚材云：「各星俱合格，限度無貴氣所屬，終難大伸；各星俱陷落，限度非戾氣所歸，何至大屈？即有此限度，太歲尚不釣，亦將從緩。」是誠識氣之奧窔也。

Yelü Chucai said: Even if all the stars are in auspicious positions, if the degree of the planetary limit does not belong to the realm of auspicious energy, it will still be difficult to achieve great success; even if all the stars are in adverse positions, as long as the degree of the planetary limit is not in the gathering place of perverse energy, how could one suffer great defeat? Even if there are such limitations, if the current year's sovereign star does not come to illuminate and verify, the outcome will be postponed. These words truly reveal a deep understanding of the essence of "energy" or "qi."

善觀命者不視形而審氣，氣有清濁，則命分貴賤；氣有明暗，則命分窮達；氣有厚薄，則命分大小；氣有順逆，則命分夷險；氣有善惡，則命分賢奸；氣有促舒，則命分壽夭。若徒以形而已，則四餘攔月、五曜環陽，為格中之最巨者，豈皆人人富貴乎？試舉一二以例其餘：

A skilled person in divination looks not only at the form but focuses on the qi. Qi can be clear or turbid, thus determining the fortune's quality of being noble or humble; qi can be bright or dim, thus determining the fortune's condition of prosperity or adversity; qi can be thick or thin, thus determining the fortune's size; qi can be smooth or reversed, thus determining the fortune's safety or danger; qi can be good or evil, thus determining the fortune's virtue or wickedness; qi can be short or long, thus determining the fortune's longevity or premature death. If one only looks at the form, then "Four Excesses Blocking the Moon" and "Five Stars Encircling the Sun" are considered the greatest patterns. But does everyone with such a pattern become wealthy and noble? Let me give a couple of examples to illustrate the rest.

一康熙庚申甲申癸卯癸亥生人，月在子之虛，孛在卯之氐，氣在酉之胃，計在戌之室，羅在辰之翼，是四餘攔月矣，木在申之畢，火在未之井五，土在未之井十六，金在午之柳四，日在午之柳十一，水在巳之張，是五曜順生而環陽矣。

The first example: someone born in the year Gengshen, month Jiashen, day Guimao, and hour Guihai during the reign of Emperor Kangxi. In his chart, the Moon is in the mansion of Emptiness in the sign of the Rat, the 'Moon孛' is in the mansion of the Root in the sign of the Rabbit, the 'Purple Qi' is in the mansion of the Stomach in the sign of the Rooster, the 'Counting Duke' is in the mansion of Encampment in the sign of the Dog, and the 'Luohou' is in the mansion of Wings in the sign of the Dragon. The four additional celestial bodies, 'Bó', 'Qi', 'Jì', and 'Luó', are each in separate mansions, surrounding the Moon in the center, forming the pattern known as 'Four Additional Bodies Surrounding the Moon'. Looking at the five planets: the Wood Star is in the mansion of the Net in the sign of the Monkey, the Fire Star is in the mansion of the Well in the sign of the Goat at the fifth degree, the Earth Star is in the mansion of the Well in the sign of the Goat at the sixteenth degree, the Metal Star is in the mansion of the Willow in the sign of the Horse at the fourth degree, the Sun is in the mansion of the Willow in the sign of the Horse at the eleventh degree, and the Water Star is in the mansion of the Extended Net in the sign of the Snake. Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, and Metal generates Water, forming a continuous cycle, with the Sun precisely surrounding the center, forming the pattern known as 'Five Planets in a Continuous Cycle with the Sun in the Center'. Both major patterns are fully present.

木為文為煞，火為偏財，土為偏印，金為天官科名，水為魁為元祿，金水貴氣所歸，作陽引從，又遞生至金水而住，若金水作命主，豈不大顯？彼立命於戌，以火為命主，甚遠於陽，僅受文木之生又帶煞氣，故於斗木文度內鄉薦，厥後屢膺保題而不用，用亦僅以教職，譬之地脈乃過龍，非結穴也。

This person was born in the year of Geng. According to the Geng stem, the ten celestial influences are taken as follows: Geng takes Bing as the seven calamity, but Bing transforms into wood; since the year of Geng takes wood as the literary star, wood is both the "literary star" and the "seven calamity." Jia transforms into fire, and Jia is Geng's biased wealth, so fire is the "biased wealth." Wu transforms into earth, and Wu is Geng's biased scholar, so earth is the "biased scholar." Ding transforms into metal, and Ding is Geng's official, and since the year of Geng also takes metal for fame, metal is both the "heavenly official" and the "fame." Geng itself transforms into禄 (favor) as water, and the year of Geng also takes water for the qiu star, so water is both the "qiu star" and the "original favor." Clearly, all the noble influences are concentrated in the metal and water celestial influences, and these two celestial influences happen to be in front and behind the sun, acting as a guide and following, with the five stars successively generating up to metal and water. If he took either metal or water as his main influence, would he not achieve great success? Yet his命宫 (destiny palace) is located in the Xu mansion, taking fire as his main influence: fire is the biased wealth, it is far from the sun, and it only receives the support of the "literary star" wood, but this wood also carries the energy of the seven calamity. Therefore, he only succeeded in the degree of the Dipper mansion wood, which is the literary star's degree, passing the local examination and becoming a juren (scholar-official). Afterwards, he was repeatedly recommended but never appointed to an official position, and when he was appointed, it was only for a position as a teacher in a local academy. This is like looking at the earth's energy lines; this place is only a place where the dragon passes through, not a place where the energy converges.

一康熙辛卯庚子壬辰壬寅生人，月在亥之危，孛在申之昴，氣在申之觜，羅在丑之斗十八，計在未之井，是四餘攔月矣。土在午之柳，金在卯之氐，水在寅之尾十五，木在丑之斗三，火在丑之斗四，日在寅之尾十一，是五曜順生而環陽矣。

The second example: someone born in the Xinmao year, Gengzi month, Renchen day, and Renyin hour during the reign of Emperor Kangxi. In his chart, the Moon is in the Hai palace, in the mansion of Wēi, the "Moon孛" is in the Shen palace, in the mansion of Maōng, the "Purple Qi" is in the Shen palace, in the mansion of Zī, and the "Luohou" is in the Chou palace, in the eighteenth degree of the Dǒu mansion. The "Jidu" is in the Wei palace, in the Well mansion. Again, the four additional celestial bodies block the Moon in the center, forming the pattern of "Four Additional Bodies Blocking the Moon." Now looking at the five planets: the Earth Star is in the Wu palace, in the Willow mansion, the Metal Star is in the Mao palace, in the Root mansion, the Water Star is in the Yin palace, in the Tail mansion, at the fifteenth degree, the Wood Star is in the Chou palace, in the Dǒu mansion, at the third degree, the Fire Star is in the Chou palace, in the Dǒu mansion, at the fourth degree, and the Sun is in the Yin palace, in the Tail mansion, at the eleventh degree. Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, and the Sun is also included, forming the pattern of "Five Planets in a Smooth Generating Sequence with the Sun Encircling." When examining the form and structure of the chart, this fate is exactly the same as the previous one.

土為正印，金為科名七煞，水為劫財，木為天官，火為正財，遞生至火而住，立命於卯，以火為命主，火獨受天官之生，而陽又在火躔，正如地脈結穴之所也。木屬銓部，行至翼火，不滿三十歲，遂作少宰。合此二命觀之，全氣之作用，而非局局於形者所能窺其萬一也。

This person was born in the Xin year, so the ten celestial stems are calculated based on Xin. Wu transforms into earth and Wu is the true official for Xin, so earth is called "true official"; Ding transforms into metal and Ding is the seventh killer for Xin, and since Xin year also takes metal for academic success, metal is both "academic success" and "seventh killer"; Geng transforms into water and Geng is the劫财 for Xin, so water is called "劫财"; Bing transforms into wood and Bing is the true official for Xin, so wood is called "heavenly official"; Jia transforms into fire and Jia is the true wealth for Xin, so fire is called "true wealth." The five elements generate one after another, and the generation stops at fire. His destiny is located in the Mao Palace, which takes fire as the main element. This fire is solely supported by the "heavenly official" wood, and the sun is exactly in the fire degree of the Tail mansion, sharing the same energy with the main element. This is like the earth's energy converging here to form a proper site. Wood is naturally associated with the civil service examination, so when his life cycle reaches the Wings mansion and the fire degree, he is not yet thirty and becomes the deputy minister of the civil service. Combining these two examples makes it clear: the key factor is the "energy." Those who only focus on the form and structure can never understand even a fraction of this.

是書成而星命之理昭然可□矣，然亦有書不盡言，言不盡意之憾，所望好學深思者闢彼邪說，循此正規，引而伸之，觸類而長之。蓋入微之旨，可以意會不可以言傳。若必欲一一遍及焉，雖累牘盈編，豈有竟乎？

After this text was written, the principles of star and fate divination became clearly visible. However, the written words can never fully express all that needs to be said, and spoken words can never fully convey the meaning in one's heart. This is always a regret. What is hoped for is that those who are eager to learn and deeply think will reject false doctrines and follow the proper path outlined here, extending it further and applying it broadly, drawing connections and expanding its scope. Because the profound and subtle meanings can only be understood through the mind, not transmitted one by one through words. If one insists on explaining everything in detail, then the text would become endless and tedious, with no end in sight. (In the sentence "昭然可□矣," the original text is missing one character, which should be something like "见" or "睹," but the missing text is marked and not guessed.)

黃赤俱差，甚至前後易次；觜宿距星，漢測距參二度，唐測一度，宋祟寧測半度，元郭守敬測五分，明測之不啻無分，且侵入參宿二十四分。故舊法先觜後參，今不得不先參後觜也。

The Yellow Path and the Ecliptic both experience precession over time, and eventually the positions of the star groups may even be reversed. Take the example of the star cluster near the Zi mansion: in the Han dynasty, it was measured to be two degrees away from the Sanxian mansion; in the Tang dynasty, one degree; in the Song dynasty's Chongning period, half a degree; and in the Yuan dynasty, Guo Shoujing measured it as five parts. By the Ming dynasty, the measurement had not only returned to zero but had reversed, with the Zi mansion encroaching on the Sanxian mansion by twenty-four parts. Therefore, the old method of arranging the mansions was to place Zi before Sanxian, but now it is necessary to change the order to place Sanxian before Zi. (Note: "Cui Ning" is a miswriting of "Chong Ning," and is recorded as it originally appeared.)

羅喉計都生於日月交行，謂之天首天尾，中法以天首屬羅，天尾屬計；西法改而易之，遂以羅為尾，計為首，爰自利瑪竇等入中土，與明宰輔徐光啟等所裁定，後有作者皆莫之及，應不可輕議紛更。

The two stars called "Rohini" and "Jeddu" are born at the two intersection points where the sun and moon meet, known as "Tian Shou" and "Tian Wei." The Chinese method assigns "Rohini" to Tian Shou and "Jeddu" to Tian Wei, while the Western method reverses this, assigning "Rohini" to Tian Wei and "Jeddu" to Tian Shou. This distinction was established by Li Maotou and other scholars together with Xu Guangqi, a high-ranking official of the Ming dynasty, after they came to China. Later writers have not surpassed their decision, so it is not advisable to lightly question or change it.

恆星之行即古歲差之度，古謂恆星千古不移，而黃度之節氣每歲西退。西法則謂黃道終古不動，而恆星每歲東行。由今考之，恆星實有動移，其說不謬，故各宮皆有歧度，如角十歧辰卯，房初歧卯寅之類，數十年後歧者便當盡移，須逐年挨查，一以欽天監七政經緯躔度書為準，不可草率遷就。

The movement of fixed stars is what the ancients referred to as the precession of the equinoxes. The ancients believed that fixed stars remained unchanged for thousands of years, while the solar terms on the Yellow Path moved westward each year. The Western method, however, holds that the Yellow Path remains fixed forever, and the fixed stars move eastward each year. Based on current observations, it is indeed true that fixed stars do move, and the Western view is correct. Therefore, at the boundaries of each palace, there is a so-called 'difference in degree' (歧度). For example, the tenth degree of the Horn mansion (角宿) is exactly at the boundary between the Dragon palace (辰宫) and the Rabbit palace (卯宫), and the first degree of the Room mansion (房宿) is exactly at the boundary between the Rabbit palace (卯宫) and the Tiger palace (寅宫), both being territories belonging to two palaces. After several decades, these difference points will all shift, so it is necessary to check them annually and use the seven planetary positions and their latitudes and longitudes published by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau as the standard. Do not be careless or approximate.

太陽每日皆從子正起，如初一注女二，初二注虛四，初一子時在女二，丑時即在女三，寅時即在女四，挨查至亥時當在虛三，則初二子時便在虛四矣，一日之行常不止十二度，再分派於各時可也。

The sun's degree is calculated from the middle of the Zi hour each day. For example, the almanac notes that on the first day of the month, the sun is at the second degree of the Girl Mansion, and on the second day, it is at the fourth degree of the Emptiness Mansion. Therefore, on the first day, at the Zi hour, the sun is at the second degree of the Girl Mansion, at the Chou hour it reaches the third degree, and at the Yin hour, the fourth degree of the Girl Mansion. Continuing this way for each hour, by the Hai hour, it should be at the third degree of the Emptiness Mansion, so at the Zi hour on the second day, it is exactly at the fourth degree of the Emptiness Mansion. The sun often moves more than twelve degrees in a single day. To calculate its position, simply divide the actual degrees it has moved that day among the twelve hours.

每度六十分，日與木如同在卯宮氐十，孰先孰後，必須辨明。日每日行六十分，木或六日行六十分。生人在午時，日已及三十五分，木自前二日至後三日才行盡氐十，則本日午時只及二十五分有奇，是日前而木後也。

The division is made into sixty parts. Suppose the sun and Jupiter are both in the second mansion at the tenth degree of the Mao Palace (Mao Palace). It is essential to determine which one is ahead and which is behind. The sun moves through sixty parts in one day, while Jupiter takes six days to cover the same distance. Suppose someone is born at noon: the sun has already moved thirty-five parts; while Jupiter entered the tenth degree of the Root mansion (Root Mansion) two days ago and will take three more days to complete that degree. Therefore, by noon on that day, Jupiter has only moved twenty-five parts. This shows that the sun is ahead and Jupiter is behind.

有另立異說者，如一命三月初一卯時生，命在戌躔奎，其奎環轉流行於卯，是奎在戌乃其空名，奎在卯正其實跡，安用此宮度為？不知奎既流卯，而亥子丑等十一宮，未嘗不從流卯之戌上循次排列也，其理仍不外此，又何必立異而鳴高乎？

Some people have proposed different views. For example, if someone is born on the first day of the third lunar month at the hour of卯 (Mao), their命宫 (destiny palace) is in the戌 (Xu) palace and the star Legs mansion (Kui Xu) is located there. They argue that since Legs mansion moves around, it has already spread to the卯 (Mao) palace, so saying「奎在戌」(Kui in Xu) is just a name, while「奎在卯」(Kui in Mao) is its real position. If that is the case, why do we still need the palace? They do not realize that if Legs mansion has moved to the卯 (Mao) palace, then the other eleven palaces, such as亥 (Hai), 子 (Zi), and 丑 (Chou), would also follow this movement, continuing in sequence from the戌 (Xu) palace to the卯 (Mao) position. The entire chart remains a complete chart, and the principle does not change. So why deliberately create different views to show off one's intelligence?

釣之間正須詳看。如甲生人，天官辛氣在卯亢，正財己月在酉婁五，天官雖躔傷，卻與正財同經，傷方生財，生官；七煞庚水在酉婁三，雖旁正財卻躔傷而稍受制，限行至婁十二、十一、十、九、八、七、六、五等度，正財對生官，官場極順，及行過婁五，遂在正財之後，與七煞密邇，而正財且生煞，宜乎順中稍逆。

The distance between stars needs careful examination. For example, someone born in the year of Jia: the heavenly official is the "Purple Qi" transformed by Xin, located in the Mao Palace (Mao Palace) in the mansion of Kangle; the proper wealth is the Taiyin transformed by Ji, located in the You Palace (You Palace) in the mansion of Lou at the fifth degree. Although the heavenly official is in the degree of the injurious official, it shares the same meridian with the proper wealth. The injurious official first generates wealth, and wealth then turns back to generate the official, so the energy flow is connected. The seven evils are the water star transformed by Geng, located in the You Palace in the mansion of Lou at the third degree. Although it is close to the proper wealth, it is also in the degree of the injurious official and thus slightly restricted. When the limit of life reaches the degrees twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, and five of the mansion of Lou, the proper wealth is able to generate the official from the opposite side, making the official career very smooth. But once it passes the fifth degree of the mansion of Lou, the person falls behind the proper wealth and gets very close to the seven evils, and at this time the proper wealth turns back to generate the seven evils, so there is a slight setback in the smooth situation. (At the beginning of the sentence "钓之间" and in the middle of the sentence "伤方生财，生官", the original text is missing one character, which is recorded here without supplementation.)

一星常有數用。即以日論，日君象亦父象，立命於午即命主，立命於子即妻主，立命於戌即男女主，立命於申即兄弟主。或化文、或化魁化刃，每有行一度而吉凶參半者，亦宜此不宜彼，宜彼不宜此之故，且吉中或微帶危機，凶中或偶挾貴氣，即一用之中亦有不同，所當細為查參。

The same star often serves multiple functions. Take the Sun, for example: it represents both the ruler and the father. If the Life Palace (destiny palace) is located in Wu (Wu), the Sun becomes the life ruler (destiny ruler); if it is in Zi (Zi), the Sun becomes the spouse ruler (spouse ruler); if it is in Xu (Xu), the Sun becomes the ruler of children (child ruler); and if it is in Shen (Shen), the Sun becomes the ruler of brothers (brother ruler). At other times, it may transform into the literary star (literary star), the chief star (chief star), or the Yangren (Yangren). Therefore, there are often cases where the same degree brings both good and bad fortune, because the star is suitable in one place and unsuitable in another, suitable in another and unsuitable in this one. Moreover, even among the good, there may be hidden dangers, and even among the bad, there may be occasional signs of nobility. Even for the same function, there may be differences before and after, and all of these should be carefully examined and considered.

分金度，先天五行，皆節外生枝，在所宜闢。

As for terms like "dividing gold" and "primordial Five Phases," these are all extraneous and should be entirely rejected and not used.

天盤地盤、竹籮三限等，固屬謬說，即華羅五星，出自周述學，亦牽合無理，均宜廓清。

"The Heaven Plate and Earth Plate" and "Bamboo Basket Three Limits" are certainly baseless notions; even the "Hu Luo Five Stars" from the Ming dynasty scholar Zhou Shuxue is forced and illogical, and all of them should be clarified together.

西法推算自謂獨開生面，但其所言，如某星在某方喜殺人生人，某星在某方好戲好色，何粗鄙乃爾！嘗取《天步真原》一書試之，從不一驗，亦宜屏棄。

Western astrology claims to be unique, but what it says, such as a certain star being in a certain direction causing it to like killing or saving people, or liking plays and women, is extremely crude. I once tested the book "Tianbu Zhenyuan," and never found any of its predictions to be accurate. These should be discarded altogether.

《果老星宗》《琴堂指金》《神道大編》《望斗仙經》《星學綱目》《星學源流》《歷府大成》《星學大成》等書所載正五行甚詳，但僅合此理十之一。

This group of books, including The Fruit Elder's Star Ancestry, The Piano Hall Guide to Gold, The Divine Path Great Compilation, The Star Watching Immortal Classic, The Star Studies Outline, The Origin of Star Studies, The Imperial Calendar Great Achievement, and The Great Compendium of Star Studies, contains detailed discussions on the correct Five Phases. However, only about one-tenth of what they present actually aligns with the principles of this book's system.

《耶律神數》《元星樞要》《原星出入》《天官經》等書皆命理正宗，集中已將精華採取，不復全錄。

The books "Ye Li Shen Shu," "Yuan Xing Shu Yao," "Yuan Xing Chu Ru," and "Tian Gao Jing" are all authentic classics of destiny calculation. The essential parts of these books have already been included in this work, so the entire texts are not copied verbatim.

歲在鶉火而武王克商，歲在實沉而晉文得位，淫於伭枵而裨□知楚子之將死，星見大火而梓慎知宋之將災；他若五星聚東井而漢王入關，慧掃之而符秦滅，四星聚牛女而晉元王吳，景星見箕尾而慕容垂復燕。

There have been many examples throughout history where celestial phenomena corresponded with human affairs: when the star of years was in the constellation Chunhuo, King Wu of Zhou conquered King Zhou of Shang; when the star of years was in the constellation Shichen, Duke Wen of Jin became king; when the star of years strayed from its proper place and wandered into Xuanxiao, Bi Zao of the State of Zheng foretold the death of the King of Chu; when the star of Great Fire appeared, Zi Chen of Lu foretold disaster for the State of Song. Additionally, when the five stars gathered in Dongjing, Emperor Gaozu of Han entered the pass of Guanzhong; when a comet swept across the sky, the Former Qin ruler Fu Shi perished; when four stars gathered in Niu and Nu, Emperor Yuan of Jin established his rule in Wu; when the bright star Jing appeared in Jiwei, Murong Chui revived the State of Yan. (The character below 'Bi' is missing in the original text and should be 'Zao', referring to Bi Zao, a minister of Zheng; the character 'Fu' in 'Fu Qin' is a mistake for 'Fu', and both are recorded as they are.)

分野之說原非無稽，但事關軍國之大如可取證，若止一人一身，在心尾則以為宜遷宋燕，在虛危則以為宜遷齊衛，又何以為終身不去其鄉，及數十年仕在一方者解也？

The concept of division of regions is not entirely baseless, but it can only be used as a reference when dealing with matters of state and military affairs. If we consider an individual's life alone, saying that someone whose destiny is linked to the Heart mansion and Tail mansion should move to the regions of Song and Yan, or that someone linked to the Emptiness mansion and Rooftop mansion should move to the regions of Qi and Wei, then how can we explain those who have never left their hometowns or those who have served in the same place for decades?

子平原有至理，但前六十年某月某日某時出一大貴人，後六十年仍有此八字，其人卻與前迥異，及查閱五星，果宜高下懸絕，則子平似稍遜五星一籌。子平為體，五星為用，體同而用異，此前後六十年，八字相同而五星各異也。然體用一理，終不可詳用而略體。

The principles of Zi Ping are originally very profound, but often there are cases where in the previous Jiazi cycle, a certain month, day, and hour produced a great nobleman, and in the following Jiazi cycle, the same month, day, and hour still have the same eight characters, yet the person's circumstances are entirely different from the previous one. When checking the five stars chart, it is indeed clear that their fates differ greatly. Thus, it seems that Zi Ping is slightly inferior to the five stars. Zi Ping is the body, and the five stars are the application; since the body is the same but the application differs, this is the reason why the same eight characters in two different Jiazi cycles have different five stars. However, body and application are fundamentally the same principle, so it is ultimately not acceptable to focus only on the application and neglect the body.

格局皆形也，宜參形中之氣。如四餘在西北，五星同日在東南，太陰入西北，即四餘欄月，五曜環陽；太陰入東南，即四餘包七政，文東武西每每至兩三月皆如此，其賤作奴隸者亦多矣！乃一見便以為大格局，即許以宜尊顯，何愚昧至此？

The configuration is merely the form, and one must also consider the qi within the form. For example, if the four remaining stars are distributed in the northwest, and the five planets along with the sun are in the southeast: if the moon enters the northwest, it becomes "four remaining stars blocking the moon" combined with "five luminaries surrounding the sun"; if the moon enters the southeast, it becomes "four remaining stars enclosing the seven ministers." The literary star is in the east, and the martial star is in the west. Such celestial phenomena often remain the same for consecutive months or even a couple of months. During this time, countless people are born, among whom many become slaves and lowly individuals! Some people see this at once and regard it as a great configuration, immediately predicting honor and success for the person, how ignorant can they be? ("Lan Yue" is a variant of "Lan Yue," meaning "blocking the moon," and is recorded as it originally appeared.)

何為七曜？相照之光，多少不同，日前後光十五度，月一十二度，土木火各九度，金水各七度。假令火追逐土相離七度，則二星沾光，呼為相會。

What is called "seven luminaries shining together"? Each luminary has a different range of light coverage: the sun's light extends fifteen degrees before and after, the moon's light extends twelve degrees, and the light of Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars extends nine degrees. The light of Venus and Mercury extends seven degrees. If Mars catches up to Saturn and the distance between them is seven degrees, the light of Mars, which extends nine degrees, will already reach Saturn, and the two stars will illuminate each other. This is called "meeting."

若星光度數均者相會，則各星度數減半同沾光。若星光度數多少不同者，初會時度數多者先沾光，少者光未沾及；少者度數相及，則二星同沾光，為正會。

If the two stars have equal brightness, each one is considered to have half of its own brightness, and both sides are illuminated at the same time. If the brightness of the two stars is unequal, then at the beginning of their meeting, the brighter one will be illuminated first by the other, while the dimmer one cannot reach it yet. When the dimmer one is also able to reach the brighter one, both stars are illuminated at the same time, and this is called 'zheng hui'.

凡二星同度為相會，但遇一分為相離，雖相離力尚在，為二星後光未盡也。若二星相會後相離一分或二分，卻再有一星在後追及，星雖未到，光已相沾，即與後星又為初會。

Whenever two stars are within the same degree, they are considered to have met. If they differ by one part, they are said to be 'apart'. Although they are apart, their combined influence remains, because the lingering light from behind the stars has not yet faded. If after two stars have met and moved apart by one or two parts, another star catches up from behind, even though it has not yet reached them, its light has already touched them. This creates another instance of 'first meeting' with the following star.

此論經度則然，若在緯度、或黃道南、或黃道北，更重。如二星緯度同，經度亦同，則下星能掩卻上星，故相會為尤緊。

The above refers to longitude. If we consider latitude as well, the stars may be either north or south of the Yellow Path, and their weight becomes greater. If two stars have the same latitude and the same longitude, the star that is lower will cover the star that is higher, so this kind of conjunction is especially significant.

且此二星相會後，一星前去追及一星，即將先會星光移向後相會之星，假令二星東出度數與對黃道的赤道度數相同，如亥宮二十五度與戌宮五度同，或二星在兩處，日長短同，如一星在申宮二十五度，一星在未宮五度，亦呼為相遇。

There is another layer: after these two stars meet, if one star catches up to the other ahead, it will transfer the light of the previously meeting star to the later meeting one. Also, if the degrees at which the two stars rise in the east are the same as their corresponding degrees on the equator facing the Yellow Path, for example, the 25th degree of the Hai Palace and the 5th degree of theXu Palace are exactly the same; or if the two stars are in different places but have the same length of day and night, for example, one star is at the 25th degree of the Shen Palace and the other is at the 5th degree of the Wei Palace: these two situations are also called 'meeting'.

又如火星在戌宮，木星在巳宮，金星在申宮，金離火追及木，卻將火之光移向木星，似火與木亦為相遇，謂金先與火六合照後與木相弦照也。又火星在戌宮，木星在巳宮，土星在申宮，土與火六合照，與木相弦照，土將木火二星光聚於一處，亦為相遇。若一星在本宮，又在分定數上與一星或三合、或六合、或對、二絃相照，主星即受相照之星之榮落。

For example, if Mars is in the Xu palace, Jupiter in the Si palace, and Venus in the Shen palace, Venus leaves Mars to chase Jupiter, carrying Mars' light over to Jupiter, making it appear as though fire and wood have met. This is because Venus first forms a Six Harmony aspect with Mars and then forms a crescent aspect with Jupiter. Another example: if Mars is in the Xu palace, Jupiter in the Si palace, and Saturn in the Shen palace, Saturn forms a Six Harmony aspect with Mars and a crescent aspect with Jupiter, thus gathering the light of both Mars and Jupiter together, which is also considered a meeting. In summary, whenever a star is in its native palace and forms a Triple Harmony, Six Harmony, opposition, or crescent aspect with another star at the specified degree, the person's destiny will be affected by the fortune or misfortune brought by the star that is shining upon it.

何謂政餘類聚？乃水與孛、木與氣、火與羅、土與計，一類分聚也。若金星居中，貴氣所屬，以之作命主，金無餘氣，理應位冠群僚。如水土木火作命主，非貴氣所屬，又不近陽，亦尋常人耳。貴氣所屬，又能近陽，終嫌其為餘星分竊，僅列卿貳而已。

What is meant by "Zheng Yu Leiju"? It refers to the situation where the planet Mercury is grouped with "Yuebo," Jupiter with "Zi qi," Mars with "Luohou," and Saturn with "Jidu," each paired with their respective counterparts. If Venus is located in the center and the noble aura belongs to Venus, then Venus can be considered the main star in the chart. Since Venus does not have any other stars of the same type to share its aura, no one can take away its influence, and by principle, it should be the most prominent among all. Conversely, if water, earth, wood, or fire are taken as the main star, they do not belong to the noble aura, and they cannot be close to the sun. In such cases, they can only be ordinary people. Even if they possess the noble aura and can be close to the sun, they still suffer from the fact that their aura is divided by other stars of the same type, and at best, they can only attain the position of a deputy official.

五列形也，而氣存焉。三四五星同坐一宮，疏密勻停，謂之坐列。三四宮上，疏密勻停，謂之排列，宜命主居中及高地，猶四五人同坐，居中者尊也。

The concept of "five columns" refers to the arrangement of stars, which although discussing form, also contains the essence of qi. When three, four, or five stars share the same palace, and they are evenly spaced, it is called "sitting in a column." When they are spread across three or four palaces with even spacing, it is called "arranged in columns." Both of these are favorable when the person's destiny is located in the center or in a high position, similar to four or five people sitting on one seat, with the person in the middle being the most esteemed.

疏密不勻，謂之行列，行列宜命主居前，猶四五同行，居前者尊，居後者卑也，居最後而有計羅攔轉則非後也，乃前也，又上尊也，儼然旌旗導引，士卒擁衛之象。

If the arrangement is uneven, it is called "row and column." In row and column arrangements, it is preferable for the person's destiny to be in the front. It is like four or five people walking together, with those in front being respected and those behind being of lower status. However, if the person's destiny is at the very end, but there are "Jidi" and "Luohou" behind blocking the way and turning the formation around, then it is not considered being at the back, but rather at the front, and even a more respected position—the atmosphere is as if banners are leading the way and soldiers are following to guard.

命主獨居一宮，兩傍有官魁夾，官魁有日月夾，日月又有四餘包裹，謂之主列，自是左右並輔，文武環護之象，或待漏於端門，或拜拱天門皆妙。太陽同三政一餘在一連四宮，太陰同三餘一政在一連四宮，獨空中四宮，惟命主居之，謂之中列，自是超群出眾，獨立寡儔之象。

The person's destiny occupies a single palace, with the 'Heavenly Official' and 'Kui Star' on both sides to flank it. Outside the Heavenly Official and Kui Star, the sun and moon also flank, and beyond the sun and moon, the four additional stars surround. This is called 'Zhu Lie,' naturally displaying an atmosphere of both left and right support, with literary and military figures surrounding and protecting. It is like officials waiting outside the gate before the palace, or ministers bowing and paying homage beneath the heavenly gate, all excellent patterns. Another example is when the sun, together with three policies and one additional star, occupies four connected palaces, and the moon, together with three additional stars and one policy, also occupies four connected palaces, leaving the central four palaces empty, with only the person's destiny residing in the middle. This is called 'Zhong Lie,' naturally displaying an atmosphere of surpassing the crowd and standing alone without equal.

命主朝君，命餘覲後，此為陰陽和會，大都貴顯。

The star that governs the命 (destiny) faces towards the Sun, like ministers paying homage to the emperor; the other stars accompanying the命 bow before the Moon, like officials attending upon the empress. This configuration brings together both yin and yang, and those with this pattern are generally prosperous and esteemed.

或十一曜拱命垣、或計羅攔截、或空四正、或空三方、或空對兩宮、或空子午丑未、或空卯酉辰戌、或居三隔三、或守一空一，皆貴氣所屬，亦宜留意。

In addition, there are various configurations: either all eleven luminaries converge to support the命宫, or「Ji Du」and「Luo Hou」form an intercepting pattern, or all four cardinal positions are empty, or all three positions are empty, or both opposite宫 are empty, or the four宫 of Zi, Wu, Chou, and Wei are all empty, or the four宫 of Mao, You, Chen, and Xu are all empty, or three宫 are occupied while three宫 are separated, or one宫 is occupied while another宫 is empty—these are all configurations that indicate the presence of noble destiny, and they should all be taken into consideration.

或七政歸垣，或七政升殿，或五星齊與日有關照，或五星齊與月有關照，亦屬罕覯，均宜細審。

For example, if the seven celestial bodies return to their original mansions, or if they ascend to their respective palaces, or if the five planets all correspond with the sun, or if they all correspond with the moon, these are all rare configurations and should be carefully examined.

有謂木氣之入子丑，金之入寅亥，水孛之入卯戌，火羅之入辰酉，土計之入巳申，木氣之入午，土計之入未，所主者之宮究竟受傷，此亦宜泛泛參觀，兼當揆時度勢，不可執泥。立命於子，木獨守命；立命於寅，金獨守命，現在皆作卿貳矣，必欲一一執泥焉，庸有當乎？

Some people say: When wood and the Purple Qi enter the Zi or Chou sign, metal enters the Yin or You sign, water and the Moon孛 enter the Mao or Xu sign, fire and the Luo Hou enter the Chen or You sign, and earth and the Ji Du enter the Si or Shen sign, the corresponding palace will inevitably suffer damage. However, this statement should only be considered generally, and one must also consider the seasonal circumstances, and not be rigid. I have seen cases where the native's命宫 is in Zi and the planet Wood is alone in the命宫, and also cases where the命宫 is in Yin and the planet Metal is alone in the命宫, and both have reached the position of a high official. If one insists on following these rules strictly, how could the predictions be accurate?

童限或十歲出，或二十歲出。其在童限中，即將所立之度逐年挨查。如度是木，木原與日通，童限中即克父。度是土，土原與月通，童限中即克母。度是吉氣所鍾，童限中即發；度是凶氣所會，童限中即亡。

Children with a certain destiny known as "Tong Xian" may manifest at ten years old or as late as twenty. While still in the "Tong Xian" period, the established destiny is examined year by year. For example, if the established destiny belongs to wood, wood naturally connects with the sun's energy, and wood can also block the sun, so during the "Tong Xian" period, it would harm the father. If the established destiny belongs to earth, earth naturally connects with the moon's energy, and earth can also cover the moon, so during the "Tong Xian" period, it would harm the mother. If the established destiny is blessed by auspicious energies, it will flourish during the "Tong Xian" period. If the established destiny is gathered by malevolent energies, it will result in early death during the "Tong Xian" period.

女命與男命略同，所異者命主之外，尤以夫星子星為重。從夫子星之生剋制化及經絡貫串攔拱夾上，細細推求其貧富貴賤，亦相應如響。

The interpretation of a woman's destiny is generally similar to that of a man's, with the main difference being that in addition to the main subject, special emphasis is placed on the husband star and the son star. By examining the generation, control, overcoming, and transformation relationships between the husband star, the son star, and the destiny degree, as well as their various connections such as meridians, channels, linking, blocking, supporting, and flanking, one can carefully deduce her wealth, poverty, nobility, and status. This interpretation is just as accurate as an echo.

雙生之別，命主太旺幼者勝，命主太弱長者勝；命主不旺不弱，長幼略同。又長主正，幼主餘，政餘恆不類，則長幼亦多異。

Twins are divided as follows: if the elder twin is very strong, the younger twin will surpass the elder; if the elder twin is very weak, the elder will surpass the younger; if the elder twin is neither strong nor weak, the two brothers will have roughly similar experiences. In addition, the elder twin is mainly governed by the Seven Stars, while the younger twin is mainly governed by the Four Miscellaneous. Since the Seven Stars and the Four Miscellaneous are fundamentally of different natures, the experiences of the two brothers are often quite different.

大吉大凶之命一望而知，易於推算；若中立之輩，只可斷其大概。必謂當為某等人，不作某等業，豈未知士農之子長為士農，工商之子長為工商乎？一日不過十二時，所產何止數萬人？雖五方風土不齊，要亦大率相類也。

Greatly fortunate or greatly unfortunate destinies are easy to discern at a glance, and calculations are straightforward. But for those in the middle, neither greatly fortunate nor greatly unfortunate, one can only make a general judgment. If one insists on specifying exactly what kind of person they should become or what kind of profession they should pursue, then one has forgotten that the sons of scholars and farmers are mostly scholars and farmers, and the sons of artisans and merchants are mostly artisans and merchants. Moreover, a day only has twelve hours, and the number of people born at the same time is in the tens of thousands. Although the customs and conditions of the five directions vary, in general they are still similar.

大富大貴之命往往不重生，而貧賤者恆層見疊出，何歟？蓋天地之精華獨蘊釀於此日之一時，譬之祥麟綵鳳原不多見，若泛泛化生於陰陽五行，不啻吠犬嗚雞，何地無之？

Great wealth and high status are not often repeated, while poor and lowly fates are common. Why is this so? Because the essence of heaven and earth is concentrated in a single day and hour, just as auspicious qilin and colorful phoenixes are not often seen. As for those born from the ordinary interaction of yin and yang and the Five Phases, they are like barking dogs and roosters that crow at dawn; where can they not be found? ("Wuji" is a miswriting for "mengji," and is recorded as it originally appeared.)

限度雖極危，其氣未盡，即不死；限度雖尚穩，其氣已盡，即必死。大貴之人常在極吉之度死者，何也？其氣盡也，且當受身後之榮也。若至凶度而死，必罹禍患矣，非其命所應有也。

The extent of one's life span, even if extremely dangerous, will not result in death as long as his vital energy has not yet exhausted; if the extent of his life span is relatively safe, but his vital energy has already exhausted, then he will certainly die. The highly esteemed and virtuous people often pass away when they reach the most auspicious extent, which is because their vital energy has ended. Moreover, dying at an auspicious extent means that they will receive posthumous honors and commendations. However, if one dies at a凶 (dangerous) extent, it must be due to calamity, and such a manner of death is not something that is within his destined fate.

命只合得一科第，弱冠得之，其氣已盡，即死。命必至一二品，雖六七十歲外，其氣未盡，必候到此地位才死。

If a person's destiny is only to achieve a single rank in the imperial examination, and he obtains it around the age of twenty, his energy will be completely exhausted and he will die soon after. However, if a person's destiny is to attain a high official position such as first or second rank, then even if he lives beyond sixty or seventy years old, as long as his energy has not been fully used up, he will certainly die only after achieving that status.

有兩人之命，皆宜位至二品。一人於三二十歲時，猝於數年間超擢至二品，其氣已盡，即死。一人歷久不升，即升亦循序漸進，遷延至六七十歲得之，其氣不盡，總不死。

There are two people whose destinies are both supposed to reach the second rank. One of them, in his twenties or thirties, was suddenly promoted to the second rank within a few years, and his energy was immediately exhausted, so he died soon after. The other person, however, remained un-promoted for a long time; even when he was promoted, it was gradually, step by step, and he did not reach the second rank until he was in his sixties or seventies. His energy was never fully used up, so he did not die. This shows that although both reached the same rank, the speed at which they attained it differed, resulting in completely different lifespans.

有中年忽然折挫者，如氣正未盡，可決其復起；如其氣或已盡，即判以終身。

When a person reaches middle age and suddenly encounters setbacks and falls, it all depends on his energy. If his energy has not yet been exhausted, it can be determined that he will rise again; if his energy has already been used up, then it can be judged that his life will end there.

死生本有定數，而非所論於自取。嘗讀孔子之言而爽然矣，曰：「寢處不時，飲食不節，勞佚過度者，疾共殺之；居下位而好干上，嗜慾無厭，求索不止者，刑共殺之；少以犯眾，弱以侮強，忿不量力，兵共殺之。」此三死者非其命也，人自取之。

Life and death originally have a fixed destiny, but this refers to the natural order, not including death caused by one's own actions. I once read a passage by Confucius, and after reading it, I suddenly understood. Confucius said: those who have no regular schedule for their daily activities, no restraint in their diet, and who overindulge in both toil and ease are killed by disease; those who occupy a low position yet enjoy defying superiors, whose desires never cease and who refuse to stop their demands are killed by punishment; those who use a minority to challenge the majority, the weak to oppress the strong, and who act recklessly in anger are killed by weapons. These three kinds of death are not due to their fate, but are instead self-inflicted.

《乾元秘書》內載七曜性情吉凶及所屬陰陽、所屬晝夜，皆於命理無關，故不錄。

The book "Gan Yuan Mi Shu" contains information about the nature, auspiciousness, and inauspiciousness of the Seven Planets, as well as their respective yin and yang attributes and their association with day and night. However, these are unrelated to divination, so they are not included in this book.

《元星變化》云命之主星最嫌洩氣。洩氣之輕，多招災禍；洩氣之重，不免死亡。此說似乎太拘，終於不採。

The "Yuan Star Changes" states that the main star of a person's destiny is most disliked when it loses its energy. If the loss is slight, it often brings misfortunes; if severe, it inevitably leads to death. This statement is too rigid and therefore ultimately not adopted.

《元星變化》云如甲與己合，看合何星，若官祿則得祿，疾厄則多疾。合著恩星，自為有用；合著難星，不無受制。此說亦微有驗，姑以存參。

The Yuan Star Changes also say: For example, if Jia combines with Ji, one should look at which star it combines with and which palace it falls into—combining with the official position palace brings good fortune, combining with the illness palace leads to more illness; combining with the "favor star" is naturally beneficial, while combining with the "difficulty star" inevitably leads to being restricted. This statement has some validity, so it is temporarily recorded for reference.

魁、科、文三星其用不同。《天官經》云：「魁官穿度，早步青雲；魁度逢官，陛廷司諫；官魁拱命，驄馬乘風」是魁主風審無疑，推而廣之，內至兵刑都察院等官，外至督撫按察司等官，皆作魁論。

The stars "Kui Xing," "Ke Ming," and "Wen Xing" each have different uses. The "Tian Guan Jing" says: "When Kui Xing passes through and intersects with Tian Guan, one will rise quickly to the clouds; when Kui Xing meets Tian Guan in its course, one may serve as a court censor; when Tian Guan and Kui Xing surround the destiny, one will rise like a骢 horse riding the wind." This shows that Kui Xing governs discipline and judicial judgment, and there is no doubt about this. Extending this concept, officials within the government such as those in the Ministry of War, Ministry of Justice, and the Office of Inspection are considered according to Kui Xing, while officials outside such as governors and provincial censors are also judged by Kui Xing.

文不獨科第然也，總裁、主試、房考、學差，內而司成等，外而教職等，皆以文論。倘不得氣，又微與命主有關，雖老於諸生，亦應有文名科名。升殿朝陽，兼日月拱夾，可以問鼎。天一生水，水作科名更妙。

The "Wen Xing" (literary star) governs not only academic success but also positions such as examiners for the metropolitan examination, provincial examiners, room examiners, and supervisors of educational affairs. Within the imperial academy, officials like the head of the National Academy are considered under Wen Xing, while outside, positions such as county school instructors are also evaluated by this star. If Wen Xing is not well supported, yet there is some connection with the person's destiny, then even if someone dies as a jinshi (scholar), they may still gain literary fame or academic recognition. If Wen Xing is strong, occupying a high position and supported by the sun, and also receives the support of the moon and sun, then one can aspire to the top rank. Since heaven produces water, using the water star for "academic success" is even more effective.

有謂科名與陽隔一度，中第一；隔二度，中第二；隔三度，中第三；隔三度外，尚與日同度，亦可館選。又有謂魁守命坐度，與所立之度數相隔一二三，即以此定廷試之名次。二說皆驗，當參觀而得之。

Some people say that if the "ke ming" (examination rank) is one degree apart from the sun, it will be first place; two degrees apart, second place; three degrees apart, third place; and if it is more than three degrees apart but still within one degree of the sun, it can still be selected as a Hanlin scholar. Others say that the "kui star" (the star of literary excellence) sitting in the degree of the命宫 (destiny palace) and being one, two, or three degrees apart from the degree of the establishment determines the ranking in the palace examination. Both these statements have been verified, and one should consider them together to understand the true meaning.

有壬年人行柳土煞度館選者，查文、日、科、水皆在女躔，則柳度正收科文陽君貴氣，不要概論煞也。又有壬年人行女土煞度館選者，查科水在女躔，日月夾之，則女度正收科名貴氣，又科名頂度，不可概論煞也。

A person born in the year of Ren encountered the seven calamity degree of Liu Xu Tu, yet was selected as a Hanlin scholar. Checking his chart, the literary star, the sun, the examination name, and the water star were all located in the female mansion. Therefore, the Liu degree actually absorbed the auspicious energy of the examination, literature, and the noble image of the sun, and thus could not be universally regarded as a seven calamity. Another person born in the year of Ren encountered the seven calamity degree of the female mansion, yet was also selected as a Hanlin scholar. Checking his chart, the examination name water star was precisely located in the female mansion, and was also between the sun and moon. Therefore, the female mansion actually absorbed the auspicious energy of the examination name, and the examination name was right in this degree, and thus could not be universally regarded as a seven calamity.

有庚年人行奎木煞度居大位掌重權者，查原木與氣照已經合化，天官金與太陽俱在斗躔，則奎木乃天官與太陽貴氣所通故也。有辛年人行婁金煞度館選者，查金即科名，木在陽躔，則即以科名近陽也。總之七煞止忌其混官，既不混官，則另視其氣之所並而已。蓋即一星常在數用，一用亦有不同之理，特因煞而詳載之。

There are also people born in the year of Geng who encounter the seven calamitous degree of Kuí mansion under the wood degree. Yet these individuals hold high positions and wield great power. Checking their charts, the original position shows that the wood star and the Purple Qi are mutually shining, having already transformed the calamitous energy. Moreover, the heavenly official metal star and the sun are together in the Dou mansion, so the wood in Kuí mansion is precisely where the heavenly official and the sun's auspicious energy connect. Therefore, it cannot be considered a calamity. There are also people born in the year of Xin who encounter the seven calamitous degree of Lóu mansion under the metal degree yet are selected into the Hanlin Academy. Checking their charts, metal is for Xin people the sign of academic success, and the wood star is in the same degree as the sun, which is why academic success is close to the sun. In summary, the seven calamitous degree is only to be avoided when mixed with the heavenly official. Since there is no mixing with the heavenly official, one only needs to look at what kind of energy it is combined with. This is exactly the reason mentioned earlier that one star often serves multiple purposes, and even the same use can vary. This is especially emphasized here because it is about the seven calamitous degree.

七年每月行二十一分零，兩個月零二十四日行一度。一年，該四度十七分有奇。二年，該八度三十四分有奇。三年，該十二度五十一分有奇。四年，該十七度八分有奇。五年，該二十一度二十五分有奇。六年，該二十五度四十二分有奇。七年，合計三十度。

Any system that governs seven years has a movement of twenty-one parts per month, with a little more, and after two months and twenty-four days, it completes one degree. Accumulating year by year: the first year totals four degrees and seventeen parts, the second year eight degrees and thirty-four parts, the third year twelve degrees and fifty-one parts, the fourth year seventeen degrees and eight parts, the fifth year twenty-one degrees and twenty-five parts, the sixth year twenty-five degrees and forty-two parts, and by the seventh year, the total is exactly thirty degrees, completing one full cycle.

八年每月行十九分，缺三個月零六日行一度。一年，該三度四十五分。二年，該七度三十分。三年，該十一度十五分。四年，該十五度。五年，該十八度四十五分。六年，該二十二度三十分。七年，該二十六度十五分。八年，合計三十度。

All matters governed by one palace span eight years. Each month advances by nineteen parts. If less than three months and six days pass, one degree is completed. Accumulating year by year: the first year advances three degrees and forty-five parts, the second year seven degrees and thirty parts, the third year eleven degrees and fifteen parts, the fourth year fifteen degrees, the fifth year eighteen degrees and forty-five parts, the sixth year twenty-two degrees and thirty parts, the seventh year twenty-six degrees and fifteen parts, and by the eighth year, the total is exactly thirty degrees, completing one palace.

十一年每月行十三分零，四個月零十二日行一度。一年，該二度四十三分有奇。二年，該五度二十七分有奇。三年，該八度十分有奇。四年，該十度五十四分有奇。五年，該十三度三十八分有奇。六年，該十六度二十一分有奇。七年，該十九度五分有奇。八年，該二十一度四十九分有奇。九年，該二十四度三十二分有奇。十年，該二十七度一十六分有奇。十一年，合計三十度。

Each palace governs a period of eleven years. In each month, it progresses by thirteen parts and a little more. After four months and twelve days, it completes one degree. Accumulating year by year: the first year totals two degrees and forty-three parts, the second year totals five degrees and twenty-seven parts, the third year totals eight degrees and ten parts, the fourth year totals ten degrees and fifty-four parts, the fifth year totals thirteen degrees and thirty-eight parts, the sixth year totals sixteen degrees and twenty-one parts, the seventh year totals nineteen degrees and five parts, the eighth year totals twenty-one degrees and forty-nine parts, the ninth year totals twenty-four degrees and thirty-two parts, the tenth year totals twenty-seven degrees and sixteen parts, and by the eleventh year, the total is exactly thirty degrees, completing one palace.

某宮行幾年，惟七年、八年、十一年尤須逐年扣清，特另開於右。

Each palace's duration is already specified in the section on "Limit Years." Among these, those governing seven years, eight years, and eleven years require particular attention to be calculated year by year, so three separate tables are specially listed above for reference.