Huo Zhu Lin (火珠林)

四營成易，八卦為體；三才變化，六爻為義。

"The four operations" refer to the four procedures described in the Great Treatise of the Zhou Changes: dividing into two, hanging one, drawing four, and returning the odd. Each operation represents a change, and after four operations, one line of the hexagram is formed. The method of forming the hexagram is established this way, hence it is said "the four operations form the Book of Changes." The eight trigrams are the framework of all hexagrams, and the sixty-four hexagrams are all formed by combining pairs of the eight trigrams, hence it is said "the eight trigrams form the body." The vital energies of heaven, earth, and humanity, the three elements, flow and change within the hexagram. In specific divination, everything depends on the six lines of the hexagram and their corresponding images, hence it is said "the six lines express the meaning." These four sentences are the general summary of the entire text: the foundation of forming the hexagram lies in the four operations and the eight trigrams, while the focus of divination lies in the six lines.

注云：書有三而異用，卦皆八以為經。一曰《連山》，二曰《歸藏》，三曰《周易》。自秦焚書坑儒，《連山》、《歸藏》不傳於世矣。又云：一曰治天下，二曰論長生，三曰卜吉凶。夫三才者，天干為上，能占九天之外，日月星辰，風雷雲雨明晴之事；地支為中，能占九地之上，山川草木，人倫吉凶，否泰存亡之事；納四象，四象生八卦，所謂四營成易也。

The original commentary says: In ancient times, there were three books of the I Ching, each with different uses, but all taking the eight trigrams as their framework. The first was called The Continuous Mountains (Lianshan), the second The Returning Concealment (Guicang), and the third The Zhou Changes (Zhouyi). Since the Qin dynasty destroyed the books and persecuted the scholars, the Lianshan and Guicang were lost to the world, leaving only the Zhouyi. The original commentary also says: The functions of the three books are: first, to govern the world; second, to discuss long life and cultivation; third, to divinate good and bad fortune. The concept of "three elements" (sancai) has different roles in the Najia method: the heavenly stems are in the upper position and can predict events beyond the nine heavens, such as the movement of the sun and moon, stars, and changes in wind, thunder, clouds, rain, and weather; the earthly branches are in the middle position and can predict matters above the nine lands, such as mountains and rivers, grass and trees, the fortune and misfortune of human relationships, the smoothness or blockage of fate, and the survival or destruction of families and states. When the heavenly stems and earthly branches are combined into the hexagram lines, they produce the four images of old yang, old yin, young yang, and young yin. These four images generate the eight trigrams, which is what was mentioned earlier as "four operations form the I Ching."

又問：納音為下，能占九泉、六道、四生、虛無等事？答曰：六十甲子生成，變化而行鬼神，是故天干管天文，地支管人事，納音管地理。如乾卦初爻甲子動，占天文主風；占人事主子孫，六畜、花木、酒饌、憂喜等事；占地理，六穴中有石之類。

Someone asked: "Nayin" is located in the lowest position, so can it predict matters beneath the nine springs, the six realms of rebirth, the four kinds of life - egg, flesh, moisture, and transformation - and things that are vague and intangible? The answer is: The sixty jiazi are formed by the combination of heavenly stems and earthly branches. Nayin emerges from this formation and can communicate with the spirits and gods. Therefore, there are three divisions of functions: heavenly stems govern astronomy, earthly branches govern human affairs, and nayin governs geography. For example, in the first line of the Qian trigram, the nayia is Jiazi. When this line is activated: for predicting weather, Jiazi belongs to water, indicating wind; for human affairs, Jiazi in the Qian trigram is the "children" line, indicating matters related to children, domestic animals, flowers and trees, wine and food, and joy and sorrow; for geography, the nayin of Jiazi is sea metal, which lies under the earth, indicating the presence of stones in the grave.

如占葬地，得姤之鼎卦，掘地五尺土中有石，其色大赤，離穴四十步，西南近柳樹，當有伏尸，葬出刀傷之人，並主火災。問曰：如何斷之？答曰：世持辛丑，土伏甲子金，世下伏金，是土中有石也。巽下伏乾，是乾為大赤也，第五爻壬申化己未火，火克本宮為鬼，是伏尸鬼，申化未是西南方也。

For example, when divining a burial site and the hexagram cast is Gou (Heaven Wind) changing to Ding (Fire Wind), the interpretation is: dig five feet down, and there will be stones in the soil, with a deep red color; forty paces from the tomb, in the southwest near a willow tree, there will be a hidden corpse; after burial, there will be someone in the family injured by a sharp weapon, and there will be a fire. Someone asks: how is this interpreted? The answer is: the second line of Gou hexagram is Xinchou earth holding the world line, and beneath the world line is hidden Jiazi, the original native hexagram of the palace, which is metal. Therefore, it is concluded that there are stones in the soil. The lower trigram of Gou is Xun, and beneath Xun is hidden the original native hexagram of the palace, which is Qian. In the "Sayings on the Hexagrams," Qian is described as the color of great red, so it is concluded that the stones are of a deep red color. The fifth line Renshen metal moves, changing to Jiwei fire, and fire comes to overcome the original native hexagram of the palace, which is metal, and this is the 'Official Ghost,' which is hidden and not revealed, so it is concluded that there is a hidden corpse. Shen changes to Wei, and Wei is in the southwest, so the location is concluded to be in the southwest.

掘下五尺見石者，土類五也。離穴四十步有伏尸者，壬申金，重數四，加丑未土類五，二五成十，並申金四是四十步也。出刀傷人者，壬申乃劍鋒金也；主火災者，已未化火，未克辛丑世也。樹旁者，己未火鬼，與壬午木合住，壬午乃楊柳木也。

It is said that digging five feet down to see stone is based on the number five of the element 'earth' in the Five Phases. It is said that forty steps away from the grave site there is a hidden corpse, which is calculated as follows: Renshen belongs to metal, and the number of metal is four; Xinchou and Jiwei both belong to earth, and the number of earth is five. Two fives make ten; then multiplied by the four of the metal of Shen, it becomes forty steps. It is said that there will be someone who suffers a knife wound because the nayin sound element of Renshen is Jianfeng metal, which is associated with blade injuries. It is said that there will be a fire because the nayin sound element of Jiwei turns into fire, and Wei again restrains Xinchou, the holder of the situation, so the fire energy is forced upon oneself. It is said that the person is near a tree because Jiwei, the fire ghost, combines with Renwu, and Renwu's nayin sound element is Yangliu wood, which refers to the willow tree.

又請占祟例為式，籤曰：如遁之姤卦，此卦是子孫鬼，一男一女為釵釧等事物來沉滯，男兒赤，性燥，女兒潔白，性剛；其墳墓現在西北，恐有動犯，告之則吉。

Another example of divination for identifying a spirit or ghost involves determining the type of ghost causing trouble. The interpretation states: The hexagram obtained is Dun (Heaven over Mountain), which changes to Gou (Wind over Heaven). This hexagram indicates the involvement of the 'children ghost.' It is the spirits of a man and a woman who are纠缠 over matters related to jewelry or ornaments, causing delays and obstacles. The man has a red face and is impetuous in nature, while the woman has fair skin and is stubborn. Their graves are located in the northwest, and it is likely that the disturbance occurred during the act of breaking ground. By informing them of the cause and performing a proper offering and prayer, the situation can be turned for the better.

問曰：何以知之？曰：二爻丙午火是鬼，化辛亥水是子孫，丙午納音屬水，化辛亥又屬水，如二乾宮子孫，故曰子孫鬼也；一男丙午，一女辛亥也；火主赤，金主白，火燥金剛，皆以五行之性言之也；為釵釧者，辛亥乃釵釧金也；言墳墓在西北者，水墓在戌，又火絕在亥，亥，西北也；墓有犯者，艮屬土，化巽為木，木去克土山。

Someone asked: Where do you get all this information from? The answer is: The second line of the Duan卦 is Bingwu fire, which in the Qian palace is considered 'Official Ghost'. This line transforms into the second line of the Gou卦, which is Xinhai water, and in the Qian palace is considered 'Children'. Bingwu's Nayin sound element belongs to water, and Xinhai here is also considered water. Both lines return to the Children line in the Qian palace, so it is called 'Children Ghost'. Bingwu is yang, representing the male; Xinhai is yin, representing the female. Fire is red, and metal is white, so it is said that the male is red and the female is white. Fire is dry and urgent, and metal is hard and strong, which are based on the nature of the Five Phases to infer human nature. It is called a matter of hairpins and bracelets because the Nayin sound element of Xinhai is precisely the hairpin and bracelet metal. It is said that the grave is in the northwest because the burial place of water is in Xu, and the death place of fire is in Hai, and the Hai position is exactly in the northwest. It is said that the grave is attacked because the lower part of the Duan卦 is originally Gen, which is earth and mountain, and it transforms into the Xun of the Gou卦, which is wood. Wood overcomes earth, which is moving the mountain earth and attacking the grave.

卦定根源，六親為主；又究旁通，五行而取。

After casting the hexagram, first determine the "origin," which means identifying which of the eight palaces the hexagram belongs to and what is the five elements of that palace. Once the palace is determined, each of the six lines is assigned to the six relations: parents, siblings, children, wealth, and official ghost. The interpretation is mainly based on these six relations. Next, one must also examine the "mutual influence," that is, how the "flying god" appearing on the hexagram corresponds with the "hidden god" concealed beneath the palace. Ultimately, the determination of the six relations and the interpretation of the flying and hidden gods all depend on the generation and overcoming relationships among the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

注云：根源者，八卦之宮主也。而原有六親旁通者，六爻之飛象也，而上下相乘。五行者，金水木火土也。而定四時六親者，主宮也。六爻，父、子、兄弟、妻財、官鬼，定一宮管八卦，七卦皆從一宮出。旁通者，上下宮飛象六五也。蓋本宮在下為伏之六親，旁宮在上為飛之六親，如六壬課有天盤、地盤。先看六親之下，後看六親之上，所乘得何爻，而辨吉凶存亡也。

The original commentary says: The term "root" refers to the ruler of each of the eight palaces, which is the hexagram to which the primary hexagram belongs. Each palace is originally paired with the six relations. "Interchange" refers to the "flying images" appearing on the six lines of the hexagram, which interact with the hidden gods below them. The five phases are metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. The six relations are determined based on the strength of each element according to the four seasons. The basis for this is still the original palace. The six relations associated with the six lines are parents, children, siblings, wealth, and official ghost. One palace governs the eight trigrams; the seven trigrams other than the first one of the palace are derived from this palace, so the six relations are all determined according to the five phases of the original palace. "Interchange" refers to the cross interaction between the flying images of the upper and lower palaces. The six relations of the original palace are hidden below and are called "hidden gods"; the six relations of the other palaces are visible above and are called "flying gods," similar to the heaven and earth plates in the Six壬 system. When making a judgment, first look at what is hidden beneath the six relations, then look at what is flying above them, and determine their interaction with each line to discern fortune, misfortune, existence, and loss.

或問：六親為主，父母、兄弟、妻財、子孫、官鬼，只有五件，而曰六親何也？答曰：卦身當一親。問曰：如何為卦身？曰：陽世則從子月起，陰世還當午月生，此即卦身也。而《元龜》以月卦言之，所以吉凶不應。問：卦身亦主甚吉凶？曰：如本卦世空，卻去看身，豈為無用？

Someone asked: It is said that the Six Relations are the main focus, but there are only five categories: Parents, Siblings, Wealth, Children, and Official Ghost. Why is it called the Six Relations? The answer is: The Hexagram Body is counted as the sixth relation, making it a total of six. Another question: How is the Hexagram Body determined? The answer is: There is a mnemonic rule: "If the World Line is a Yang line, start from the Zi month; if the World Line is a Yin line, start from the Wu month." If the World Line is a Yang line, count from the Zi month; if it is a Yin line, count from the Wu month. Count upward according to the position of the World Line, and the month reached is the Hexagram Body. The book "卜筮元龟" (Boshi Yuangu) only discusses the Hexagram Body in terms of the month, so its predictions often fail to be accurate. Another question: What does the Hexagram Body indicate in terms of fortune or misfortune? The answer is: For example, if the World Line in the Primary Hexagram is in an empty state, the matter has no foundation. In such cases, looking at the Hexagram Body instead would not be useless.

又問：何謂旁通？曰：本宮之六親在飛象之下，為之親王，為之伏神。旁宮之飛象加伏神之上，為飛象，親爻世下之爻為伏。知飛伏二爻之來歷，然後可與言八卦、六親矣。

What is meant by "parallel transmission"? The six relations of the original trigram are hidden under the flying god, which is called "relation爻" or "hidden god"; the flying god of another trigram is placed over the hidden god, which is called "flying god". Among the relation爻 of the original trigram, the one hidden under the world line is most important, and this is the true hidden god of the hexagram. Only after clearly understanding the origins of both the flying and hidden gods can one discuss the eight trigrams and the six relations.

財官異路，可辨五鄉；用有輔助，類可忖量。

The "wife and wealth" and "official ghost" are two distinct categories: for private matters, the wealth爻 is used, while for public matters, the official爻 is used, each with different applications. By relying on these two, one can distinguish the "five categories" of parents, siblings, wife and wealth, children, and official ghost, clarifying their main and secondary roles and their relative importance. In addition to the useful god, there must also be an auxiliary god—when using the official ghost, the parents serve as the auxiliary; when using the wife and wealth, the children serve as the auxiliary. By grouping the useful god and the auxiliary god together and evaluating them as a whole, one can assess the success or failure and the depth of the matter.

注云：財者，妻財；官者，官鬼。是故至柔者財，至剛者鬼。而有輔體，輔體者，用官鬼以父母輔之，用妻財以子孫輔之；值旺相為有氣，休囚為無氣，得生扶為吉，克破為凶。

The original commentary says: "Cai" refers to the wife and wealth爻, and "Guan" refers to the official and ghost爻. Cai is yin and soft, being the most compliant of all; Guan is yang and strong, being the most rigid of all. In addition to the useful god, there is also a "supporting element": if the official and ghost爻 is taken as the useful god, then the parents爻 is used to support it; if the wife and wealth爻 is taken as the useful god, then the children爻 is used to support it. Both the useful god and the supporting god must be measured by the monthly stem and seasonal changes: if they are in their旺盛 or 相位, they are considered "having energy"; if they are in their 休 or 囚, they are considered "lacking energy"; if they receive support from other yao, it is auspicious; if they are harmed, attacked, or broken by other yao, it is inauspicious.

春，寅卯木旺，巳午火相，亥子水休，申酉金囚，辰戌丑未土死。 夏，巳午火旺，辰戌丑未土相，寅卯木休，亥子水囚，申酉金死。 秋，申酉金旺，亥子水相，辰戌丑未土休，巳午火囚，寅卯木死。 冬，亥子水旺，寅卯木相，申酉金休，辰戌丑未土囚，巳午火死。

The order of strength and decline of the Five Phases throughout the four seasons is as follows. In spring, wood is in command:寅 and 卯 wood are "旺" (strong),巳 and 午 fire, which are generated by wood, are "相" (auxiliary),亥 and 子 water, which nourish wood but lose their own strength, are "休" (resting),申 and 酉 metal, which are overcome by strong wood, are "囚" (captured), and 辰, 戌, 丑, 未 earth, which are overcome by wood, are "死" (dead). In summer, fire is in command:巳 and 午 fire are "旺", 辰, 戌, 丑, 未 earth, which are generated by fire, are "相", 寅 and 卯 wood, which are overcome by fire, are "休", 亥 and 子 water, which are overcome by fire, are "囚", and 申 and 酉 metal, which are overcome by fire, are "死". In autumn, metal is in command:申 and 酉 metal are "旺", 亥 and 子 water, which nourish metal, are "相", 辰, 戌, 丑, 未 earth, which are overcome by metal, are "休", 巳 and 午 fire, which are overcome by metal, are "囚", and 寅 and 卯 wood, which are overcome by metal, are "死". In winter, water is in command:亥 and 子 water are "旺", 寅 and 卯 wood, which are nourished by water, are "相", 申 and 酉 metal, which are nourished by water, are "休", 辰, 戌, 丑, 未 earth, which are overcome by water, are "囚", and 巳 and 午 fire, which are overcome by water, are "死". The general rule is: the current phase is strong, what I generate is auxiliary, what generates me is resting, what overcomes me is captured, and what I overcome is dead. To determine whether the useful god and auxiliary god have strength or not, refer entirely to this table.

獨發易取，亂動難尋；先看世應，後審淺深。

In a single hexagram, if only one line moves, it is called "single movement," meaning the matter is focused and the useful god can be clearly identified, making it easiest to interpret. However, if all six lines move, it is called "chaotic movement," with many threads and confusion, making the useful god difficult to find. When encountering a hexagram with chaotic movement, first examine the world line and the response line—the world line represents our side, and the response line represents the other side. First determine the strength and alignment of both sides. Then examine each moving line in turn, assessing the lightness or depth of their generation, overcoming, conflict, and combination, proceeding step by step, without directly focusing on a single moving line for interpretation.

注云：亂動之法，思之最難。一看世上旁爻生財旺相，忌應爻克世；二看世下親爻財官喜靜；三看何爻最旺為用神，如發動，動要生世；四看獨發之爻，旺相最急，休囚事慢。

The original commentary says: Divining when there is chaos and movement is most demanding to think about; it must be approached in four steps. First, look at the subsidiary line riding on the world line to see if it can generate the wealth line, and check whether the wealth line is prosperous and strong. At the same time, it is most undesirable for the response line to reverse and overcome the world line. Second, look at the native line of the same palace that is hidden beneath the world line; the wealth line and official line there should be still and not disturbed. Third, look at which of the six lines is the most prosperous; the most prosperous one is taken as the useful god; if this line is currently moving, it must move to generate the world line in order to be effective. Fourth, look at the unique moving line; if it is prosperous and strong, the matter will come quickly; if it is weak and confined, the matter will come slowly.

官用，官鬼為主。伏旺動生世者出現發動，看變得何爻。父母為輔，喜生現發動者。 私用，妻財為主。伏旺動生世者，忌伏鬼下，並出現發動。子孫為輔，喜旺相發動者。 凡財官乘旺相，俱動，公私兩用皆可成。

Divination for official matters is called "official use," with the official ghost爻 as the main focus: the best situation is when the official ghost is hidden but prosperous and strong, or moves to generate the world爻. If the official ghost appears on the hexagram and moves, one should look at what爻 it transforms into to determine fortune or misfortune. For official use, the parents爻 serves as an auxiliary, and it is favorable when the parents appear and move to generate the official ghost. Divination for personal matters is called "private use," with the wife and wealth爻 as the main focus: the best situation is when the wife and wealth爻 are hidden but prosperous and strong, or move to generate the world爻. The most忌 is when the wealth爻 is hidden under the official ghost爻, and it is also忌 when the wealth爻 appears and then moves randomly. For private use, the children爻 serves as an auxiliary, and it is favorable when the children are prosperous and strong and move to generate the wealth爻. Whenever both the wealth爻 and the official ghost爻 are prosperous and strong and move, both official and private matters can be successfully handled.

或問：世上旁爻生財旺相，下面注云忌應動克世，不知克世上何爻？又問：忽有亂動卦，世上與財官持世，如何斷？答曰：豈不見又言二看世下親爻，財官喜靜，蓋旁爻無財，官便去搜尋伏神之財官。

Someone asked: The original commentary says "the world line's adjacent lines generate wealth and are prosperous and strong," and then it says that the response line's movement should be avoided as it may overcome the world line. So, which specific line of the world line is being overcome? Another question: If a chaotic moving hexagram is cast, and the world line happens to be occupied by a wealth or official line, how should this be interpreted? The answer says: Haven't you seen the second step of the original commentary that says "look at the close lines under the world line, wealth and officials prefer stillness"? If there are no wealth or official lines among the adjacent lines of the world line, one should search beneath the world line for the wealth or official lines hidden within the palace's concealed gods, and use these concealed gods instead.

又問：既言世上財官是伏藏者，本靜，何故言喜靜？曰：汝看誤矣！世下親爻本靜，或有沖剋，即非靜，故曰喜靜，蓋不欲亂動之爻去沖剋之也。

Another question: Since it is said that the wealth and official positions on the world line are hidden, and hidden things do not move, why is it said "prefer stillness"? The answer is: You have looked at it wrong! Although the immediate lines under the world line do not move themselves, once they are clashed with or controlled by other moving lines, they are no longer still. Therefore, "prefer stillness" means not wanting those chaotic moving lines to come and clash or control them.

又問：三看何爻最旺為用神，而注云發動要生世，何為用神？何為發動？曰：亂動之卦只取旺爻，旺爻即用神也。生克吉凶皆在此爻。若伏藏安靜要旺相，若發動，卻要生世之爻為用神，又不專泥旺相爻也。

Another question: The third step says "look at which line is most prosperous to determine the useful god," but the original commentary also says that the moving line should generate the world. So which one counts as the useful god, and which one counts as the moving line? The answer is: In a chaotic moving hexagram, only the most prosperous line is taken as the useful god. The most prosperous line is the useful god, and all the fortune, misfortune, and interactions in the hexagram depend on this line. If it is hidden and not moving, it is sufficient for it to be prosperous and strong; if it is moving, then the line that moves to generate the world should be taken as the useful god, and one should not rigidly adhere to the term "prosperous and strong."

又問：何謂伏旺生世者？曰：用此已發明，人自不察耳。伏爻要旺相、動爻要生世、官用取官、私用取私，如上篇卻要輔助之爻發動，時人並作一句讀之，所以失其義也。

What is meant by "hidden god is prosperous and generates the world"? The meaning has already been explained in the previous text, but people do not examine it carefully. The hidden god must be prosperous and strong, and the moving line must generate the world. For official matters, take the official ghost; for personal matters, take the wealth. Also, according to the previous chapter, the auxiliary line must be activated to support. These are several separate points, but nowadays people read them as a single sentence, thus losing the original meaning.

旁爻持世，旺相得地；應與動爻，不克方是。

"Byao" refers to lines outside the main hexagram but visible on the surface of the hexagram. When a line is in the position of the world (shi), it must be prosperous and strong, occupying a favorable position, in order to support the matter effectively. Merely being strong is not enough; it also requires that the responding line and the moving lines in the hexagram do not come torestrain it. Only then is it truly qualified; if either the responding line or the moving line doesrestrain it, even if the world position is strong, its effectiveness will be reduced.

占財，子孫旺相，妻財持世； 占官，父母旺相，官鬼持世。 以上皆可許，忌應爻、動爻克之。世爻乃我家情由，應爻為彼之事理。

When seeking wealth, the Children Line should be prosperous and strong, as Children is the source of wealth. At the same time, the Wife-Wealth Line should be in the position of the world line, so that wealth can be under my control. When seeking official positions, the Parents Line should be prosperous and strong, as Parents represents documents and official seals. At the same time, the Officials-Ghosts Line should be in the position of the world line, so that an official position can be bestowed upon me. Such a卦局 can be allowed to succeed, but it should be avoided if the Response Line or Moving Line come to克 these key lines. Remember: the World Line represents my side's situation, the应爻 represents the other side's circumstances, and the direction of both sides is determined by the World and Response Lines lines.

或問：應與動爻不克方是，競不知克什爻？答曰：汝道不知克什爻？不克輔爻耳。

Someone asked: "It is said that 'the response line and the moving line should not be able to overcome (the relevant line) in order to be considered proper.' So, which line is not allowed to be overcome? The answer is: Are you not aware of which line is being overcome? It is not allowed to overcome the auxiliary line. When divining wealth, children are considered the auxiliary; when divining official positions, parents are considered the auxiliary. If the auxiliary line is overcome, the useful god loses its support."

又問：忌動爻應艾墓克之如何？曰：占財要財爻持世，占官要官爻持世，若應又是世之墓，動又是世之墓，皆不中矣。墓是自墓，克是自克。

Another question: It is said that one should be cautious if the moving line or the response line becomes the storage of the world line, thus trapping it. What does this mean? The answer is: When divining about wealth, the wealth line should be the world line; when divining about official positions, the official line should be the world line. However, if the response line happens to be the storage of the world line, and the moving line also happens to be the storage of the world line, then neither of them is effective. Here, the term 'mù' refers to the world line itself entering its storage; the term 'kè' refers to the world line being harmed by itself—misfortune falls upon oneself, not upon others.

陰陽男女，次策推排；官用取官，私用取財。

A hexagram has yin and yang, and people are divided into male and female. When divining, one should arrange the yao positions according to their yin and yang order. Determine which yao the questioner's matter falls into, whether it is yin or yang, and then establish the useful god. The main principles for determining the useful god are only two: for matters related to government offices and public affairs, take "Official Ghost" as the useful god; for matters concerning private endeavors and family affairs, take "Wealth" as the useful god.

占病鬼祟，占失看賊，占求官事，占官詞訟，占婚問夫，以上皆看官爻。占買賣財，占家事，占婚婢事，占求財事，占婚姻事，以上皆看財爻。

When divining about illness, one should ask which ghostly influence is causing it; when divining about lost property, one should ask who the thief is; when divining about seeking an official position, official lawsuits, or marriage where the女方 is concerned, one should look at the official ghost爻. When divining about business transactions, family matters, marriage with servants, seeking wealth, or the男方 marrying a wife, one should look at the wife's wealth爻.

或問：言公私用事，只言財官，而不及父子兄弟，何也？答曰：天下之事，散而言之，紛若物色；總而言之，不出財官二字。占官必用父母，占財必用子孫。兄弟是破財之人，不為主、不為輔，何必看也？

Someone asked: When discussing matters of public and private affairs, only wealth and official positions are mentioned, but parents, children, and siblings are not, why is that? The answer is: The affairs of the world, when discussed separately, are as varied as the colors of myriad things; but when summarized, they all fall under the two characters 'wealth' and 'official position'. Moreover, when divining about official positions, one must necessarily involve the parents, and when divining about wealth, one must necessarily involve the children. Parents and children are already included within the auxiliary aspects of wealth and official positions. As for siblings, they are people who seize wealth and break wealth; they cannot serve as the main elements nor as the auxiliary ones, so why bother looking at them?

凡卜筮者，但用心於財官，則括天下之理，此法簡而最捷，若分支劈脈、瑣碎求之，則萬物紛然，無以折衷，用心多，功力少，《元龜》“六神”之類是也。故吾捷法，惟以財官伏五鄉而定吉凶，自然神妙。

Anyone engaged in divination should focus their mind solely on the wealth and official positions in the hexagrams, and thus encompass all the principles of the world. This method is the most concise and efficient. If one were to examine each branch and each lineage separately, dealing with trivial details, myriad things would come rushing in, making it difficult to reach a decisive conclusion. The more effort one puts in, the less effective the result. As mentioned in "The Original Turtle of Divination," the section on the Six Spirits follows this approach. Therefore, my own quick method determines fortune and misfortune solely based on the presence of wealth and official positions within the five regions, naturally being profound and effective.

出現旺相，為久為遠；伏藏有氣，只利暫時。

The useful god appears among the six lines of the hexagram, called "appearance"; if it appears and is prosperous and strong, the matter will be long-lasting and can be planned for the long term. If the useful god is not on the hexagram but hidden beneath the flying line, it is called "concealment"; even if the concealed line has some vitality, it is only beneficial for the immediate moment and cannot form a long-term situation.

現為重迭，為再用，為兩事，財官兩事出現旺相，可宜久遠，若持世忌動。伏藏旺相，更看日辰透出，或伏世下，可取，雖成只利暫時，不能久遠也。

The useful god appears on the hexagram, often indicating repetition, meaning one thing needs to be done again, or that there are two things happening at the same time. If both the wealth line and the official line appear and are prosperous and strong, the matter can be sustained for a long time; but if the useful god also holds the world line, it is undesirable for it to move, as movement may lead to complications. If the useful god is hidden but prosperous and strong, one should check whether the day branch reveals it or if it is directly under the world line; only in these two situations is the useful god suitable, but even if successful, it only benefits for a short period and cannot last long.

或問：出現為重迭，為再用、為兩事，何也？答曰：且如乾卦為主，後七卦皆從乾坤中來，其出現財是伏藏中而又出現也，豈不是重迭乎？故取占事為再用、為兩事。

Someone asked: Why does the term "repetition" indicate "repetition" or "using again" or "two matters"? The answer is: For example, if the Qian hexagram is the main hexagram of the palace, the seven hexagrams following the Qian palace are all derived from the Qian and Kun hexagrams; the wealth爻 is already hidden below in the original palace, but now another wealth爻 appears on the surface of the hexagram, which is not it not a repetition? Therefore, when encountering such a hexagram, the divination should be interpreted as needing to do something again, or having two matters at hand.

又問：伏藏有氣，只利暫時？答曰：本宮財官伏世下，方可取，不伏世下，則不取也。旁爻財官非也，必要細看，不可忽□。

Another question: It is said that hidden elements (伏藏) have influence only for a short time, why is that? The answer is: Only when the native's wealth and official stars (财爻、官爻) are hidden under the world line (世爻) can they be used; if they are not hidden under the world line, they should not be considered. As for wealth and official stars flying on the trigrams of other palaces, these are not part of the native's own palace, and therefore cannot be taken as genuine. This point must be examined carefully, and should not be neglected—here the original text is missing one character, marked as 「□」, and we dare not make up a character on our own.

財伏鬼鄉，買賣遭傷；日辰福德，方始榮昌。

The wife wealth hexagram is hidden beneath the official ghost hexagram, called 'wealth hidden in the ghost territory.' The wealth hexagram generates the official ghost hexagram, causing a loss of energy. When engaging in trade, there will certainly be losses. Only when the day branch reveals 'fortune virtue'—that is, the children hexagram—comes to overcome the official ghost hexagram and generates the wife wealth hexagram will the trade become prosperous.

財爻伏官鬼之下，乃財爻洩鬼無氣，須是子孫旺相，透出日辰，或持世上方有，蓋子孫能克官鬼也。

The wife and wealth hexagram is hidden under the official ghost hexagram. The wealth is supposed to generate the official ghost, but this causes the wealth to lose its strength and become ineffective. In such a case, the children hexagram must be prosperous and strong, or the day branch must reveal the children, or the children must be on the world line, in order for wealth to be obtainable; because the children can control the official ghost, and once the official ghost is restrained, the wealth is no longer drained.

或問：兄弟能克財，官鬼不傷財，官鬼克兄弟，何故買賣遭傷？答曰：不曉其理，則斷卦不靈。財伏鬼鄉，財則去生官，財又洩氣，況用財以子孫為輔，官鬼生你，父去克子，財爻內外受傷，故買賣不能獲利，反能傷財。若日辰是子孫，子能生財，克去官鬼；日辰是財，財能克父，使得出現，亦有財也。

Someone asked: If siblings can overcome wealth, and officials do not harm wealth, but officials can overcome siblings, then why does wealth being under the influence of officials lead to loss in business? The answer is: If one does not understand the underlying principle, the divination will not be accurate. When wealth is under the influence of officials, the wealth needs to go and generate officials, thus losing its strength first; moreover, wealth relies on children for support, so when officials gain strength from wealth, they become even stronger and then go on to generate parents, and parents then overcome children, the supporting element is also harmed. In this way, the wealth is damaged from both inside and outside, so the business not only fails to gain profit but actually suffers a loss. If the day branch is exactly children, children can both generate wealth and overcome officials; if the day branch is exactly wealth, wealth can overcome parents, allowing children to be free from suppression and rise up, in these two situations there is still wealth to be obtained.

用財伏兄，口舌相侵；若在世下，旺相可成。

Take the wife's wealth as the useful god, but if the wealth line is hidden beneath the siblings line, it is called 'useful wealth hidden by siblings'. Siblings are the gods that steal wealth, and when wealth is suppressed by siblings, seeking wealth will first bring disputes and conflicts. However, if this hidden wealth is exactly beneath the world line and is prosperous and strong, the matter can still be accomplished.

財伏兄弟之下，本無氣無財，卻喜財爻旺相，貼世下透出，值日辰方有。

The wealth line is hidden beneath the siblings line, which indicates a situation where there is no vitality or wealth. However, this wealth line itself is strong and prosperous, and it is closely attached beneath the world line. Furthermore, the day branch brings it out clearly and it is the current day, thus truly indicating the presence of wealth.

或問：用財伏兄，口舌相侵矣，緣何在世下又旺相可成？答曰：財伏在兄弟爻下，是財被他人把住，故生口舌。若伏世下，世持兄弟，我去克財，財又旺相，豈得不成乎？

Someone asked: If it is said that "the wealth is hidden under the siblings" leads to disputes and conflicts, why does it become favorable when the hidden wealth is under the world line and the world line is strong? The answer is: When the wealth is hidden under the siblings, it means the wealth is controlled by others, hence causing disputes over it. But if the wealth is hidden under the world line, and the world line itself holds the siblings, then it is myself who controls the wealth. The wealth is under my control and is strong, so how could it not be favorable?

財伏父母，旺相得半；財伏子孫，有氣必滿。

The wife and wealth hexagram is hidden under the parents hexagram; even if it is prosperous and strong, seeking wealth can only obtain half — because the parents specifically control the children, cutting off the source of generating wealth. If the wife and wealth hexagram is hidden under the children hexagram, as long as the wealth hexagram has vitality, the children continuously generate wealth, and seeking wealth will certainly be fulfilled as desired.

財爻旺相，伏父母爻下，求財有一半。財伏子孫之下，世應不克，終是有財。若子孫旺相，父母爻持世應，亦不能克子孫，求財亦有。

The wealth line is itself prosperous and strong but is hidden under the parents line; seeking wealth can only obtain half. If the wealth line is hidden under the children line, as long as the world line and response line do not harm it, there will eventually be wealth. Even if the parents line holds the world or response position when the children line is prosperous, the parents cannot harm this strong children line, and seeking wealth will still have a result.

或問：財伏父母旺相得半，不審何故？答曰：用財須子能輔財，財伏父下，則子不能生財矣。只有本等財，故曰一半。

Someone asked: It is said that even if the wealth is hidden under the parents and they are prosperous and strong, one can only get half of it. Why is that? The answer is: To use wealth, one must have children assisting from the side to generate wealth. Now, the wealth is hidden under the parents, and the parents mainly restrain the children. Therefore, the children cannot generate wealth. Thus, only the wealth itself remains, without any additional gain, so it is said that only half is obtained.

又問：財伏子孫、世應不克，久必有財，是不克何爻？曰：不克子孫爻也。故下云，若子孫旺相，縱父母持世應，亦不能克子孫，求財亦有也。

Another question: It is said that if wealth is hidden by children and the world and response lines do not clash, then there will be a long-term source of wealth. But what exactly does 'not clashing' refer to? The answer is that it refers to not clashing with the children line. Therefore, the text continues: if the children line is prosperous and strong, even if the parents line is in the world or response positions, it will not be able to overcome the children line, and wealth will still be obtained.

用鬼伏兄，同類欺凌；若不虛詐，人不一心。

Taking the official ghost as the useful god, but the official ghost is hidden under the sibling爻, which is called 'useful ghost hidden by sibling'. Siblings represent peers and colleagues, indicating bullying and exclusion by those of the same generation. Such a hexagram, even if not encountering deceit or falsehood, indicates that those involved in the matter have different intentions and are not united.

官鬼伏兄之下，為同類欺凌、不忠。若官鬼旺相，喜持也，透出日辰吉。

The Official Ghost is hidden under the Siblings line, indicating being bullied by peers or people of the same kind, and those around are unfaithful and unreliable. If the Official Ghost itself is prosperous and strong, it is favorable if it is held by the World Line, and further becomes auspicious if the Day Branch reveals it.

或問：用鬼伏兄？答曰：兄為虛詐，為口舌，又與同類為劫財。占官事而鬼伏兄，主同類欺凌，官府多詐、吏貼賺錢，所謀之事，到底脫空。若旁多官鬼旺相，持世、日辰是官鬼，方可用，蓋官鬼能克兄也。

Someone asked: "How should 'ghost hidden over brother' be interpreted?" The answer is: The brother's line represents deceit and disputes, and it also indicates a partnership with similar elements to seize wealth. When divining matters related to the government, if the official ghost is hidden beneath the brother, it signifies being bullied by colleagues and peers, and there are many deceptions within the government offices. Subordinates and officials take advantage of the situation to demand money, and whatever plans are made will ultimately end in vain. Only when there are many official ghosts in other lines that are prosperous and strong, or when the official ghost holds the world line, or when the day branch is exactly the official ghost, can it be considered useful; because the official ghost can control the brother, thus suppressing the spirit of seizing wealth and bullying.

鬼伏財鄉，因財有傷；官吏阻節，獨發乖張。

The official ghost is hidden beneath the wealth爻, called "ghost hidden in the wealth area." Although wealth can generate official status, in this case, the official will first need money, and the matter will be damaged due to money; the officials handling the matter will also create obstacles and blockages. If this爻 also moves on its own, the matter will become even more complicated and deviate from the norm.

鬼伏財下，因財不吉，官吏阻節，須是官鬼旺相，伏世下，或與父爻俱透出，直日辰方許，又忌獨發。

The Official Ghost is hidden under the Wealth Line, indicating that the matter will be unfavorable due to money issues. Officials involved will obstruct and cause difficulties. It is only when the Official Ghost itself is prosperous and strong, and is hidden under the World Line, or when the Official Ghost and the Parent Line both appear on the Day Branch and are the current day's value, that the matter can be successful. At the same time, it is forbidden for this line to act alone.

或問：財能生官，何故因財有傷？答曰：財固生官，但用官為主，必有輔之。父母為文書，官伏財下，財去克了文書，主官人要錢，文書有阻。

Someone asked: Wealth can generate official status, so why is it said that wealth causes harm? The answer is: Although wealth can generate official status, since official status is the main focus, there must be an auxiliary deity. Parents represent official documents and legal proof. Now, the official is hidden beneath wealth, and when wealth moves, it harms the documents, so the official person comes to you for money, while the documents and legal proof are obstructed.

若官爻伏財，是世下，或父母透出，直日辰，如此可用。若父母持世獨發，則重迭艱辛，事不濟矣。

If the official element is hidden under the wealth element, and the place where it is hidden is exactly under the world line, or if the parents element appears on the day branch and is exactly the day element, then it can be used. However, if the parents element holds the world line and is alone in action, this indicates a great deal of paperwork and difficulty in handling matters, and ultimately the matter will not succeed.

鬼伏父母，舉狀經官；若財世上，求之不難。

The official ghost is hidden under the parents line, called "ghost hidden under parents," which signifies an official accompanied by documents. It is favorable for submitting documents or handling affairs through the government. If at this time the wealth line is on the world line, the wealth can smooth the way and resolve the obstruction of the documents, making it easy to handle this matter.

鬼伏父下為官化文書，要貼世，或官鬼旺相，或文書直日，利經官下狀及補名目之事。

The official ghost is hidden beneath the parents, indicating the transformation of the official into a document. It is favorable if the official ghost is closely attached to the world line, or if the official ghost itself is prosperous and strong, or if the document line is on the current day. This is conducive to submitting petitions through official channels, as well as matters concerning filling vacancies and seeking official positions.

或問：鬼伏父母如何處用？答曰：鬼伏父母，若在世下，方利下狀趲補名目事；若在他處，則亦艱辛矣，蓋父母為重迭神也。

Someone asked: Where should the ghost be when it is hidden under the parents? The answer is: When the ghost is hidden under the parents, it is beneficial to use it for submitting petitions and securing additional quotas; if it is hidden under other lines, the process will be equally difficult. This is because the parents are the spirits that govern repetition and redundancy, causing matters to be repeatedly handled and troublesome.

鬼伏子孫，去路無門；官乘旺相，透出可分。

The official ghost is under the children爻, and the children are the divine beings that overcome the official. The official is suppressed below, so seeking official positions and fame has no way forward. Only when the official ghost itself is riding on a prosperous and strong position, and is revealed by the day branch, can there be a narrow path, and the matter still has some possibility.

鬼伏子孫，只宜散憂，若用宮，須是官鬼旺相，透出直日辰方可。若子孫旺相，占看夫病即死。

The official ghost is under the children, and such a hexagram is only suitable for dispersing worries—children are the gods of dispelling worries. If one must take the official ghost as the main element, then the official ghost must be prosperous and strong, and it must be revealed on the day branch and be the current day. Conversely, if the children are prosperous and strong and overpower the official ghost, in a divination about the wife's husband's illness, it indicates the husband's death, because the husband uses the official ghost as his main element, and the official ghost is completely overcome by the children.

或問：官伏子孫去路無門？答曰：羝羊觸藩，不能進退，若官爻旺相在世下，世上旁爻子孫無氣落空，則不如此斷。徜子孫旺相，官爻無氣落空，亦不如此看，可斷有人關節，或官吏阻滯而已。

Someone asked: Saying "official is hidden by children" means there is no way out, how should this be explained? The answer is: Just like the Book of Changes, the Great Strength, where a male sheep uses its horn to push against a fence, the horn gets stuck in the fence, unable to advance or retreat. However, if the official line is prosperous and strong and located beneath the world line, while the children lines of the world's other lines are weak and empty, then it should not be interpreted this way. If the children lines are prosperous and strong while the official line is weak and empty, it should not be interpreted this way either; instead, it should be interpreted as someone having opened a way through, or perhaps the official is just delaying or obstructing matters.

官鬼伏官，小人作難；若親見貴，方許開顏。

The official ghost in the native's own line is hidden under the official ghost in another line, called "official ghost hidden by official." The true nobleman is blocked by a minor official, so this indicates that small people are interfering. Only by personally meeting the nobleman can the matter turn favorable.

若官伏鬼下，乃關隔之象，又主小人作難，若得旺相相扶，親見貴人可就。

If the official ghost is hidden beneath another official ghost, this indicates an obstruction or barrier, and also suggests that there are small people causing trouble. If one can receive the support of prosperous and strong energy, and personally visit the nobleman, the matter can be successfully handled.

或問：鬼伏官下乃關隔之象，主小人作難，何也？答曰：親爻官鬼是貴人也，旁爻官鬼是吏貼也，官人被吏貼遮蔽，不能出現，此所以小人作難也。

Someone asked: "When the ghost official is hidden under the official, it indicates a situation of separation, meaning that small people will cause trouble. What is the reason for this?" The answer was: The official ghost in the native's own palace represents the nobleman, while the official ghost in the adjacent palace represents the officials and subordinates in the government office. Now the nobleman is obscured by these subordinates and cannot be seen, which is what is called small people causing trouble.

又問：若親見貴人，如何又得開顏？曰：凡用官伏官，皆被旁艾所隔，若用官伏官之卦，但世爻動化官鬼父母。故宜動身親去見官，官則用爻之神，父則輔助之物，於官有益，不至相傷，所以開顏也。

Another question: Why does personally visiting the nobleman lead to a favorable outcome? The answer is: Whenever the official ghost is used but the official ghost is hidden beneath another official, it is blocked by an intervening line. The turning point in this hexagram lies in the world line moving and transforming into the official ghost or the parents: the official ghost is the useful deity, and the parents are the auxiliary element. Both are beneficial for seeking an official position without causing harm to each other. The movement of the world line signifies the person's own movement, so one should personally go to see the official, and thus the matter turns into a favorable outcome.

出現重迭，還須旺相；若乘土艾，更看勾現。

The useful god appearing more than once in the hexagram still needs to be checked whether it is prosperous and strong; only when it is prosperous and strong is it truly effective. If it is supported by the four earth trigrams, which are Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, then we also need to see what combination it can form — these four earth trigrams are the storage of the triple harmony. They can bring the other two trigrams of the triple harmony together to form a combination. The five phases generated after forming the combination are what truly take effect.

世爻出現，乘父母官鬼，子孫妻財旺相可取，休囚不可取。若乘辰戌丑未，更看勾合何爻也。假令大有卦，甲辰父母持世，為雜氣，能勾申子辰化水局，子孫不宜官用。

When the world line appears in the hexagram, if it is supported by parents, officials, children, or wealth, and is prosperous and strong, it can be used; if it is weak and confined, it cannot be used. If the world line is supported by Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei, one must also consider which lines it can connect with. For example, in the hexagram Da You (Fire in Heaven), the parents Jiachen hold the world line. Chen is a repository of mixed water and earth, capable of connecting with Shen, Zi, and Chen to form a water trinity. Since the Qian trigram belongs to metal, the formation of a water trinity will produce children, which specialize in overcoming officials. Therefore, this hexagram is not suitable for matters concerning officials or using officials.

問：更看勾象，如何看？答曰：如火天大有，能勾申子辰水局，傷官者，以甲辰土父墓持世也。若不乘土爻，便不看勾象矣。

Someone asked: They say we should also look at the hook image, but how exactly should we do that? The answer is: In the Da You hexagram, the hook image can bring out the water pattern of Shen, Zi, and Chen. The water pattern transforms into children and harms the official line. The root lies in the Jiachen earth line, which is the tomb of the parents and holds the world line. If the world line is not riding on an earth line, then there is no need to look at the hook image at all.

又如隨卦，世持庚辰，能勾申子辰合水局，利幹文書之事。

For example, in the Sui hexagram, if the world line holds Gengchen, it can also connect Shen, Zi, and Chen to form a water pattern. The Sui hexagram belongs to the Zhen palace, which is associated with wood. Water can generate wood, so the water pattern formed in the Zhen palace produces the parents and documents line. Therefore, this hexagram is favorable for seeking matters related to documents.

若中孚卦，世持辛末官墓，不能勾亥卯未官局，以艮宮親爻寅木是官，卯木非官也。

As for the Hexagram Zhong Fu (Wind Lake), the World Line holds Xinwei. Wei is the storage of wood, so theoretically it should form the wood trinity of Hai-Mao-Wei. However, Zhong Fu belongs to the Gen palace, which is of earth. Wood overcoming earth is considered official ghost, but among the native爻 of the Gen palace, only寅 wood is considered official ghost, while卯 wood is an external爻 and does not count as official. Therefore, this hexagram cannot form a genuine official trinity.

子孫獨發，為退為散；若乘旺相，亦可求財。

In a single hexagram, if only the son's line is activated, it is called 'son's line alone moves'. The son's line is the god that overcomes the official, so when official matters meet this line, they retreat, and when there is worry or doubt, it dissipates. Therefore, it is said 'it causes retreat and dispersion'. If this line is riding on a prosperous and strong energy, since the son's line is also the source that generates wealth, it can also be used for seeking wealth.

子孫為傷官之神，發動利脫事，若乘旺相，亦可求財，出現更看變爻。子孫又為九流、中貴、福德、醫藥、蠶禽。乾和尚，震道士，兌尼姑，巽道姑，坎醫藥，離小士，艮法術，坤師巫。

The Son's爻 represents a spiritual entity that can injure or overcome the Official Ghost. When it moves, it is favorable for getting rid of entanglements and concluding matters. If it is in a prosperous and strong condition, it can also be used for seeking wealth. If the Son's爻 already appears in the hexagram, one should also look at what line it transforms into. The Son's爻 also represents various people such as itinerant scholars, palace attendants, the deity of fortune and virtue, physicians, and sericulture, poultry, and livestock. The Son's爻 in different trigrams refers to different people: in the Heaven trigram it refers to monks, in the Thunder trigram it refers to Taoist priests, in the Lake trigram it refers to nuns, in the Wind trigram it refers to Taoist nuns, in the Water trigram it refers to physicians, in the Fire trigram it refers to young scholars, in the Mountain trigram it refers to those who practice magic, and in the Earth trigram it refers to fortune tellers and witches.

或問：乾和尚等如何說？曰：乾為圓、為首、和尚圓頂象天也。

Someone asked: Why is it said that "children" are associated with the Qian trigram? The answer is: The Qian trigram represents roundness and the head. A monk has his head shaved, leaving a round top, which matches the image of Qian as Heaven and as a round head. Therefore, the monk is used as a symbol.

又問：子為和尚？曰：子孫在乾宮，其類神，乃為和尚也，餘以類推之。

Again, the question was asked: Are descendants necessarily monks? The answer was given: This refers to the case where the descendant爻 falls into the Qian hexagram, in which case the deity associated with that hexagram is considered as a monk. For the other hexagrams, the same method is applied according to their respective categories.

兄弟獨發，為詐為虛；若乘旺相，財破嗟吁。

In a single hexagram, if only the brothers' line is activated, it is called 'brothers alone moving'. Brothers represent deceit and falsehood, and they indicate disputes over words. Therefore, it is said 'it represents deceit and emptiness'. If this line is supported by strong and prosperous energy, the power of the劫财 (robber's wealth) becomes greater, leading to the loss of wealth. One can only end up sighing in vain.

兄弟為劫財之神，大忌隱伏。動發主虛詐不實之事，凶不凶、吉不吉，若旺相，主口舌憂疑破財，如出現發動，更看變得何如，大怕化鬼爻，凶。

The Siblings are deities that seize wealth. They are most undesirable when hidden beneath the World Line. When they become active, they bring about false and deceptive matters. Good fortune does not clearly manifest, and misfortune does not fully materialize; both ends remain unresolved. If the Siblings are prosperous and strong, they cause disputes, worries, confusion, and financial loss. If they appear on the卦 surface and become active, one must observe what they transform into; the most dangerous transformation is into the Official Ghost爻, which indicates misfortune.

或問：兄弟為劫財之神，大忌隱伏發動，何也？答曰：隱伏看兄弟伏在世爻下也，不伏世爻下，非為隱伏。動發者，兄弟獨發也。

Someone asked: They say that brothers are the spirits of劫财, and they are most忌讳 being hidden or activated. Why is that? The answer is:the so-called 'hidden' specifically refers to brothers being hidden under the world line; if they are not hidden under the world line, they are not considered hidden.the so-called 'activation' refers specifically to the case where brothers are activated alone.

父母獨發，重迭艱辛；若乘旺相，文書可成。

In a single hexagram, if only the parents' yao is activated, it is called "parents alone moving." The parents are a repeated and overlapping spirit; once they move, it indicates that matters will be repeatedly troublesome and difficult to handle. However, if they are supported by a prosperous and strong condition, since the parents are the spirits related to documents, seeking documents and contracts can actually be accomplished.

父母為重迭之神，大忌出現發動。若趲補名缺，求書札、取契，得旺相動發可成；若坐休囚，不可憑準矣。

The Parents are the spirits representing repetition and duplication, and they are most undesirable when they appear in the hexagram and become active. However, if the matter involves filling up missing positions, seeking letters or messages, or handling contracts and documents, then having the Parents in a prosperous and strong condition and becoming active can lead to success. If they are seated in a weak and confined state, they become unreliable.

或問：父母為重迭之神，何故為重迭？答曰：凡六親只有一重，惟父母有兩重，如祖父母、父母也，故父母發動，重迭艱辛。又問：如坐休囚，不可憑準？曰：父母發動，旺相尚自重迭艱辛，若休囚豈可憑乎？

Someone asked: They say parents are the god of overlapping, why is it specifically them that represent overlapping? The answer is: Among the six relations, all the others have only one layer, but parents have two layers — above are grandparents, below are parents. Therefore, when parents are activated, things become layered and complicated, full of hardship. Another question: They say when parents are in a weak and confined state, their statements are not reliable. How is this explained? The answer is: Even when parents are strong and prosperous, their influence still brings overlapping difficulties, how much more so when they are weak and confined? In such a case, how can their statements be trusted?

凡占官上馬，看文書爻入墓絕日去，墓，藏也；絕，止也。占自身，或占父在外慾回家，看世又絕墓日動身。又看世持什爻，待日辰沖便歸。如卦中化出爻來生合世爻，或去刑剋沖害世爻，便是此事搭住，如財又是婦人類。

When divining about an official starting a new post and departing, look at the day when the official document line enters its墓 or绝. 墓 means storage, and 绝 means cessation. When the official document is stored away, the person should leave. When divining about one's own departure or about the father being away and wanting to return, also look at the day when the world line meets 绝 or 墓. Then check what line the world line is holding. When the day branch comes to冲 it, the person will return. If a changing line in the hexagram generates and harmonises with the world line, or if it causes刑, 克, 冲, or 害 to the world line, then there is something that will hinder the person. For example, if the changing line is the wealth line, the person is likely being held back by a woman.

官鬼獨發，為欺為盜；若臨吉神，功名可望。

In a single hexagram, if only the official ghost line is activated, it is called 'official ghost alone'. When the official ghost is on the negative side, it signifies deception or theft; however, if it is accompanied by a virtuous deity, it becomes a proper official star, indicating hope for official position and prestige.

官鬼為官史，若求名遇吉神，必主立身清高，若臨囚神，必主興訟，賊盜弄魅害人之事。

Official Ghost represents government officials and clerks. If one seeks fame and Official Ghost meets auspicious deities, it certainly indicates a noble character and attainable status. But if it is accompanied by captive or dead deities, it will certainly lead to lawsuits, or encounters with thieves, or collisions with supernatural evils that cause harm.

妻財獨發，生鬼傷父；問病難瘳，占親無路。

In a hexagram, if only the wife's wealth line is activated, it is called "wife's wealth alone moves." Wealth can generate the official ghost and also overcome the parents, so when wealth moves, it is called "nourishing the ghost and harming the parents." When divining about illness, the official ghost represents the root of the disease; when wealth moves to nourish the ghost, the illness becomes difficult to recover from. When divining about the parents, the parents are exactly overcome by the wealth, so it is said that there is no way to reach the parents.

大抵財動克父，亦能生鬼；然財爻宜旺，不宜空；宜靜、不宜動。惟占脫貨，要財爻發動。如占婚姻，財動必克翁姑；占訟，主克文書，若財鬼俱動者，父有元神而翁姑不克，文書有成。

In general, when the wealth爻 moves, it both restrains the parents and nourishes the official ghost. Therefore, the wealth爻 should be strong rather than falling vacant, and should remain still rather than moving randomly. Only in the case of selling goods outright does the wealth爻 need to move, for only then can the transaction be completed. For example, in a divination about marriage, if the wealth爻 moves, it will restrain the in-laws; in a divination about lawsuits, if the wealth爻 moves, it indicates the loss of documents. However, if the wealth and the official ghost both move together, the official ghost, being nourished by the wealth, will turn to restrain the parents. With the parents having their origin god, the in-laws will not be restrained, and the documents can be handled properly.

以上專論五鄉公私兩用，為卜易者提綱捷訣也。

The above chapters specifically discuss the considerations and priorities of the "five categories" - parents, siblings, children, wealth, and official ghost - in matters of public and private use. This is a concise and essential summary provided by diviners of the I Ching.

世爻為命，月卦為身；得則富貴，失則賤貧。

When divining about a person's fortune, life and destiny, the World Line represents 'life', and the Month Hexagram, or Hexagram Body, represents 'body'. If both the body and life are timely, well-placed, and receive strong support and assistance, then it is a prosperous and wealthy destiny. If they are untimely, poorly placed, and suffer from being overcome or restricted, then it is a poor and humble destiny.

人之身命，冬至後占得陽卦陽爻為吉。假如正月占得二月卦為進，更加旺相祿馬，有子有財，居於有德之位，誠為有福貴人，如冬至後占得陰卦陰爻不吉。正月占得十二月卦為退，兼以相刑相剋、休囚又無財無子坐於不吉之爻，則為貧賤下命，俱以得時為吉，失時為凶也。

To determine a person's fate, after the Winter Solstice, the yang energy gradually increases, and if a yang hexagram and yang line are obtained, it is considered auspicious. For example, if a hexagram is cast in the first lunar month and the hexagram body is in the second month, moving forward from the first month by one step, this is called 'advancing'; if the line position is also prosperous and strong, accompanied by the禄神 (favorable deity) and驿马 (post horse), and the hexagram contains both children and wealth, with the world line sitting in a virtuous position, then it is indeed a fortunate and noble fate. Conversely, after the Winter Solstice, if a yin hexagram and yin line are obtained, it is considered inauspicious: if a hexagram is cast in the first lunar month and the hexagram body is in the twelfth month, moving backward from the first month by one step, this is called 'retreating'; if there are also punishments, clashes, and conflicts, the lines are weak and confined, the hexagram contains neither wealth nor children, and the world line is in an inauspicious position, then it is a poor and lowly fate. In summary, those in harmony with the season are auspicious, while those out of harmony are inauspicious.

外卦為形，內卦為性；若占其人，以用而定。

When divining a person's appearance and character, the outer trigram indicates the physical form and appearance, while the inner trigram indicates the inner nature and disposition. The outer trigram is on top and on the surface, so it governs the form; the inner trigram is below and within, so it governs the nature. If divining for a specific person, one should not focus solely on the inner and outer trigrams, but rather look at where the useful god falls in the hexagram, which line it is on, and what five phase it belongs to, and determine based on the useful god.

以外卦為形貌，內卦為性情。

The outer three lines of a hexagram represent a person's appearance and physical features, while the inner three lines represent their temperament and character.

乾在外，頭大面圓，逢克則破相；在內，心寬量大。 兌在外，則和悅多言；在內則心小膽大。 離在外，文彩；在內聰明。 震在外，身長有須；在內心暴不定。 巽在外，身長有須；在內心毒而忍，安身不穩。 坎在外，形黑活動；在內心險多智。 艮在外，其頭上尖下大；在內心志固執。 坤在外，厚重；在內主靜，逢凶則魯鈍。

The Trigram Qian (Heaven) appearing externally indicates a person with a large head and round face; if Qian is overcome, there may be facial scars. Qian internally suggests a broad-minded and magnanimous character. The Trigram Dui (Lake) externally shows a person who is amiable and talkative; internally, it indicates a thoughtful mind with courage. The Trigram Li (Fire) externally suggests a person with refined appearance and graceful manner; internally, it indicates intelligence. The Trigram Zhen (Thunder) externally suggests a tall figure with beard; internally, it indicates a quick-tempered and unstable nature. The Trigram Xun (Wind) externally also suggests a tall figure with beard; internally, it indicates a sharp mind capable of endurance, and restlessness in sitting or sleeping. The Trigram Kan (Water) externally suggests a dark complexion and agile movement; internally, it indicates deep thinking and many strategies. The Trigram Gen (Mountain) externally suggests a head that is narrow at the top and broad at the bottom; internally, it indicates stubbornness and unwillingness to change. The Trigram Kun (Earth) externally suggests a sturdy physique; internally, it indicates a calm nature, and if encountering Inauspicious Spirit (malevolent spirits), it may become dull and foolish.

再以五行隨卦之金木水火土通論： 金為人潔白貞廉、骨細肉膩，聲音響亮。為性不受激觸，處事多能，好學，好酒，好歌唱，如帶煞重乃武夫，或多武藝。 木主人物修長，聲音暢快、鬚髮美、眉目秀，坐立身多攲側，為事窒塞，無通變之謀。如死絕則人物瘦小，發黃眉結，柔語細聲，不能自立人也。

When considering people based on the elements of the trigrams, those belonging to the metal element have fair skin, are upright and honest, have thin bones and smooth flesh, and speak loudly. They are sensitive to strong stimulation, are versatile in their abilities, enjoy reading, drinking, and singing. If they are heavily influenced by malevolent stars, they may become warriors or possess many martial skills. Those belonging to the wood element are tall and slender, have a clear and brisk voice, have beautiful facial hair and clear eyes, but their posture is often slanted. They are inflexible and lack adaptability. If the wood trigram is in a dead or critical state, the person will be small and thin, with yellow hair and tangled eyebrows, speak softly and weakly, and have difficulty standing up.

水為人背小團面，色或焦，行動搖擺。為性大寬小急，處事無定見，喜淫、好酒，少誠實。若帶吉神貴福者，乃志量廣大，包含宇宙之才也。 火人面貌上尖下闊、印堂窄、鼻露竅、精神閃爍、語言急速。性躁、聲焦，其色赤或青不定。坐須搖膝，立不移時，臨事敏速，旺乃聰明文章之士。

Those born under the Water element have thin backs and round faces, their complexion sometimes dark, and they walk in a swaying manner. Their nature is broad-minded in general but impatient in details, they lack firm resolve in doing things, and they enjoy both women and alcohol, being rarely sincere. However, if they are accompanied by auspicious deities, noblemen, and fortune virtue, they will have great ambition and the capacity to encompass the universe. Those born under the Fire element have sharp upper faces and broad lower faces, narrow forehead areas, exposed nostrils, and eyes that flicker unpredictably. They speak quickly, are impetuous in temperament, their voices dry and hoarse, and their complexion alternates between red and blue. When sitting, their knees tremble continuously, and they cannot stand still for long. They respond quickly to matters. If the fire is prosperous and strong, they will be intelligent scholars capable of literary achievement.

土人頭圓、面方、背方、腹闊。為性持重，處事沉詳，語言簡默，動止不輕。如遇墓絕，乃塊然一物，無智無謀無能之愚人也。

Those born under the Earthly Branch of Earth have round heads, square faces, square backs, and broad bellies. Their nature is steady and cautious, their actions careful and thorough, their speech concise and not talkative, and their behavior not frivolous. If the Earth element is in a墓地 (grave) or绝地 (desolate place), they become dull and inflexible, like a lump of earth, lacking wisdom, strategy, and ability, making them dull-witted individuals.

論女人性形： 金財端正德貞潔，美貌團圓似明月，心性聰明針指高，肌膚一片陽春雪。 木財妖態勝仙娃，能梳雲鬃似堆鴉，身體修長眉眼秀，金蓮慢把翠臺遮。 水性為人多變更，未有風來浪自生，若加玄武咸池並，巧似楊紀體態輕。 火財為人心性急，未有事時言便出，鬃髮焦黃骨肉枯，夫婦和諧難兩立。 土財不短亦不長，絕美人才面色黃，若逢吉曜生佳子，性慢言慳福壽昌。

When discussing the appearance and temperament of a woman based on the Five Phases of the Wealth Hexagram, a woman whose Wealth Hexagram belongs to Metal is upright in behavior, virtuous and chaste, with a round face like the full moon, intelligent in mind, skilled in needlework and embroidery, and with white skin like accumulated snow in spring. A woman whose Wealth Hexagram belongs to Wood is graceful and charming, surpassing celestial beings, with a high, dark hairdo like a cloud, a slender figure, clear eyes, and when walking, her skirt slowly covers her three-inch golden lotus. A woman whose Wealth Hexagram belongs to Water is changeable in nature, stirring up waves even before the wind rises; if further accompanied by the stars Xuanwu and Xianchi, the two stars of romantic affairs, she will have a light and graceful figure, and be as charming as the beauty Yang. A woman whose Wealth Hexagram belongs to Fire is impetuous in temperament, speaking before things happen, with yellowed hair and a thin, bony body, and finds it difficult to harmonize with her husband. A woman whose Wealth Hexagram belongs to Earth has a moderate height, beautiful appearance with a slightly yellowish complexion; if auspicious stars are present, she can give birth to good children, is slow in nature and speaks little, indicating a prosperous and long life.

大小二限，從初世起；陽順陰逆，六位周流。

Calculating the great limit and the small limit both start from the position of the World Line. If the World Line is a Yang line, it moves upward in sequence; if it is a Yin line, it moves downward in reverse. It circulates through the six positions and repeats the cycle once it completes a full round.

卦之大限，以陽世為順，陰世為逆。陽順則自世而上，陰逆則自世而下。每一爻管五年，周而復始。逢生令則吉，遇刑傷則凶。

The overall period of a hexagram is determined by the World Line. If the World Line is yang, it progresses upward; if it is yin, it progresses downward. Progressing upward means counting from the World Line position to the higher positions, while progressing downward means counting from the World Line position to the lower positions. Each line governs five years, and all six lines together cover thirty years. After completing the cycle, it starts again from the beginning. When the line being progressed encounters generation and support or receives assistance from the month's ruler, it is auspicious. If it encounters punishment, clash, or control, it is inauspicious.

其小限一年一位周流而已。

As for the small limit, it moves through one line position each year, also circulating continuously through the six lines, but its pace is much faster than the great limit.

假如丁酉年七月甲午已巳時，占得大壯，自一歲在世上，至六歲與十歲在六五，至十一歲在上六，至十六在初九，二十一在九二，二十六在九三，甲辰比肩但二十七歲小限在上六，故曰大小二限並兄弟，必先傷妻而後破財，餘仿此。

For example, on the day of Jiawu in the seventh lunar month of the year Dingyou, at the hour of Yisi, the hexagram Da Zhuang was obtained. Da Zhuang belongs to the Kun palace, with the world position at nine four Gengwu, which is a yang line, so it proceeds in the order of the lines. The first year starts from the world position at nine four, the years six to ten proceed to six five, the years eleven to fifteen proceed to upper six, the year sixteen proceeds to initial nine, the years twenty-one to twenty-six proceed to nine two, and the years twenty-six to thirty proceed to nine three. At the age of twenty-seven, the small limit also reaches upper six. This is called the great limit and the small limit both arriving at the brothers line at the same time. Brothers lines both harm the wife and rob wealth, so it is predicted that he will certainly first harm his wife, then suffer financial loss. All other hexagrams are interpreted in the same way.

又有以本體為初，互體為中，化體為末者。

There is another method: the primary hexagram is considered as the first part of a person's life, the nuclear hexagram as the middle part, and the resulting hexagram as the final part, dividing the life journey into three sections for analysis.

又有以本卦管三十年，每爻五年，以之卦管三十年，每爻五年，學者亦可參之。

There is another method: the primary hexagram governs the first thirty years, with each line representing five years; the hexagram that arises from the change governs the next thirty years, also with each line representing five years. Together, they make up exactly sixty years, a Jiazi cycle. Scholars may refer to both for consideration.

喜合婚姻，世應宜靜；財官旺相，婚姻可成。

Divination for marriage most favors the World and Response Lines being mutually generating and harmonious. The World Line represents the male family, and the Response Line represents the female family. Both sides should be calm and stable; any movement indicates someone may regret and the matter will change. Then examine the Useful God: for the male side, look at the Wealth Line, and for the female side, look at the Official Ghost Line. If the Wealth and Official Ghost Lines are prosperous and strong, the marriage will succeed.

世應有動便不成，男家娶妻看財爻，代占同。女家嫁夫用鬼爻。忌動出現，怕沖，若旺相可成，世應相剋不久。世夫應婦。又看何人占之，占夫忌子孫發動，子孫持世不成，占妻忌兄弟發動，兄弟持世不成。間爻為媒，父母為三堂，子孫為嗣，宜靜。卦無子孫不歡喜。

If either the World Line or the Response Line is activated, the marriage will not succeed. When a man seeks to marry, he looks at the Wealth Line; when someone else is consulted on behalf of another, the same applies. When a woman marries, the Official Ghost Line is used. If the Useful God appears and then becomes activated, it is feared that the Day Branch will scatter it; however, if the Useful God is prosperous and strong, the marriage can proceed. If the World and Response Lines are in mutual control, even if the marriage is formed, it will not last long. Usually, the World Line represents the husband and the Response Line represents the wife. It is also important to determine which side is casting the divination: if the woman's side is casting, she should avoid the activation of the Children Line, as the Children Line controls the Official Ghost; if the Children Line holds the World Line, the marriage will not succeed. If the man's side is casting, he should avoid the activation of the Siblings Line, as the Siblings Line competes for wealth; if the Siblings Line holds the World Line, the marriage will not succeed. The intermediate line between the World and Response Lines represents the媒人 (matchmaker), the Parents Line represents the 'Three Halls', and the Children Line represents future offspring. These lines should all be quiet. If there is not even one Children Line in the hexagram, the two families will not be happy in the future.

或問：世應有動便不成何也？答曰：世動男家進退，應動女家不肯，世應有空亦然。 問：忌二字動，忌何爻動也？曰：財官二字。 何為三堂？父母、兄弟、子孫也。

Someone asked: Why does the matter of marriage fail when the World and Response Lines move? The answer is: When the World Line moves, it indicates the male family is indecisive and hesitates; when the Response Line moves, it means the female family refuses. The situation is the same if either the World or Response Line falls into an empty position. Another question: What does it mean to say that the 'two characters' are忌 (to be avoided)? The answer is: It refers to the Wealth and Official Ghost lines. Another question: What is meant by 'three halls'? The answer is: It refers to the three generations of family, namely the Parents, Siblings, and Children.

凡財爻與兄弟合，此婦不廉；五爻持鬼，此婦貌醜；財伏墓下，主生離死別；財伏鬼下，主婦人帶疾，兄伏鬼亦然。財伏兄下，主婦人淫蕩；鬼伏兄下，主男子賭博；身爻值鬼，主帶暗疾，此又不傳之妙。

Whenever the wealth line combines with the siblings line, the woman is not virtuous. If the fifth line holds the official ghost, the woman has an ugly appearance. If the wealth line is buried beneath the storage, it indicates separation and death between husband and wife. If the wealth line is buried beneath the official ghost, the woman is sick, and if the siblings line is buried beneath the official ghost, it is the same. If the wealth line is buried beneath the siblings line, the woman is promiscuous. If the official ghost is buried beneath the siblings line, the man is fond of gambling. If the hexagram body falls directly on the official ghost, the person has a hidden illness. These are all secrets not easily passed on.

占妻看財爻，宜靜；占夫看官爻，宜靜。陽宮端正、陰宮醜陋，在飛上應頭面四肢，在飛下應拙不穩。男占得震巽主再婚；女占得坎離主再嫁。妻在間爻，女有親為主婚；夫在間爻、男有親為主婚，但得時旺相，皆許成。

When divining about a wife, look at the Wealth line; this line should be still and not moving. When divining about a husband, look at the Official Ghost line; this line should also be still and not moving. If the useful god is in a yang palace, the person has a proper appearance; if it is in a yin palace, the person has an ugly appearance. If the useful god is above the flying god, it refers to the head and limbs, which are exposed parts of the body; if it is below the flying god, it refers to a clumsy body and unstable movements. A man divining about marriage who gets the震 or 巽 trigrams mainly indicates a second marriage; a woman divining about marriage who gets the坎 or 离 trigrams mainly indicates a second marriage. If the Wealth line is on the intermediate line between the world and response lines, it indicates that the woman's relatives are involved in the marriage. If the官鬼 line is on the intermediate line, it indicates that the man's relatives are involved in the marriage. As long as the useful god is in season and prosperous, all these situations can be allowed to succeed.

出現忌日沖，世動，男不肯，應動，女生疑。用神如發動，成也見分離。間動有阻隔，或是媒人作鬼，如占女人妍醜。

The useful god appears in the hexagram, then it is undesirable for the day branch to conflict with it. If the world line moves, it indicates the male party is unwilling. If the response line moves, it suggests the female party has doubts. If the useful god moves on its own, even if the marriage is temporarily agreed upon, it will eventually lead to separation. If the intermediate line moves, it indicates there are obstacles in the middle, or the matchmaker is causing trouble. Now let's explain how to judge the beauty or ugliness of a woman.

第五爻為面部，如財福旺相持之，絕色。父母次之，兄弟持之，貌醜陋不妍。上六爻為頭髮，如火坐之，主鬢髮焦黃色。看大腳小腳，專看初爻，初爻是陽，主大腳，初爻是陰，主小腳，重化拆半紮腳。交化單先纏後放。

The fifth line governs the face: if the wife's wealth or children are prosperous and strong in this line, it indicates a very beautiful woman; if the parents are in this line, it is slightly less favorable; if siblings are in this line, it suggests an unattractive appearance. The sixth line above governs the hair: if a fire line is in this line, it indicates thin, dry, and yellowed hair. To determine whether she has big feet or bound feet, examine the first line: if the first line is a yang line, it indicates big feet; if it is a yin line, it indicates small feet. If the first line is a heavy yang line changing to a light yin line, it suggests partially bound feet; if it is a heavy yin line changing to a light yang line, it indicates feet that were bound and then released.

專以財爻為主象，財爻旺相便吉，若動出官來，主生病招訟，動出兄來，主口舌；若兄爻財爻合住，主有外情不良。如有爻象與財爻三刑六害，必主因此成訟；財化子性善；財化官帶疾；財化兄主淫蕩不良；財化父老成；財化子，性遲緩不管事。

When divining about buying a servant or taking a concubine, the main focus is on the wife and wealth爻. If the wealth爻 is prosperous and strong, it is auspicious. If the wealth爻 moves and transforms into the official ghost爻, it indicates she may get sick or involve in legal disputes; if it moves and transforms into the siblings爻, it suggests there will be verbal conflicts. If the siblings爻 combines with the wealth爻, it suggests she has improper relationships outside. If other yao in the hexagram form the three evils or six harms with the wealth爻, it definitely leads to legal disputes. If the wealth爻 transforms into the children爻, her nature is kind; if it transforms into the official ghost爻, she is sickly; if it transforms into the siblings爻, she is immoral; if it transforms into the parents爻, she is mature and steady. If the wealth爻 transforms into the children爻, it also indicates she is slow and unwilling to manage affairs.

定婦人、女子，看財福二爻，生身世無沖剋是女子，財福生官兄，或官兄旺動是婦人。

To determine whether the subject is an unmarried girl or a married woman, examine the wife-wealth and children lines: if these lines generate and support the hexagram body and the world line without being clashed or controlled by other lines, then the subject is an unmarried girl. If the wealth and fortune lines instead generate the official ghost and siblings, or if the official ghost and siblings are strong and active, then the subject is a married woman.

凡占僱取僕從亦用財爻為主象。財不可太過，又不可無財並空亡，若如此，慵懶不向前。子化財，為人純善；鬼化財、帶疾；兄化財不誠實，多說謊瞞騙人家；父化財，性重作事穩，財化兄，多淫蕩難托財。又看身爻，身是鬼主有疾；身是父，主識字；身是兄，多說謊，身是子，主慈善。身是財最好。如化出鬼，主生病、招口舌；化出兄，主口舌不穩。

When divining about hiring servants or attendants, the wealth爻 is the main symbol. The wealth爻 should not be too strong, nor should there be no wealth or the wealth爻 falling into an empty position; if there is no wealth or the wealth爻 is empty, the servant will certainly be lazy and lazy, unwilling to work. If the Children changes into the wealth爻, the person is pure and kind; if the official ghost changes into the wealth爻, the person is sick; if the siblings change into the wealth爻, the person is dishonest and likes to lie; if the parents change into the wealth爻, the person is steady and reliable. If the wealth爻 changes into the siblings, the person is likely to be lustful and not trustworthy with money. Also, look at where the hexagram body falls: if the hexagram body is the official ghost, it indicates the person is sick; if it is the parents, it indicates the person can read and write; if it is the siblings, it indicates the person likes to talk and is dishonest; if it is the children, it indicates the person is kind-hearted; the hexagram body being the wealth爻 is best. If the hexagram body changes into the official ghost, it indicates illness and disputes; if it changes into the siblings, it indicates constant disputes and an unstable character.

孕看財爻，胎加龍喜；旺相為男，休囚是女。

When predicting pregnancy and childbirth, examine the wife's wealth爻 (妻财爻), as women use wealth as their essential element. Then identify the 'fetus爻' (胎爻). If the fetus爻 is accompanied by the Azure Dragon (青龙) and Heavenly Joy (天喜), these two auspicious spirits, the pregnancy will proceed smoothly. A prosperous and strong Useful God (用神) indicates the birth of a son, while a weak and confined Useful God suggests the birth of a daughter.

產孕須尋龍喜胎神。白虎臨於妻財旺相，為男；休囚女。

When divining about childbirth and pregnancy, one must first locate the positions of the Azure Dragon, Heavenly Joy, and the Fetal Spirit (fetus deity). If the White Tiger is on the Wealth爻 and the Wealth爻 is prosperous and strong, it indicates a male child. If the Wealth爻 is weak and confined, it indicates a female child.

乾兌坎離在下卦，主順生；震巽艮坤在下卦，主逆產。蓋乾首、兌口、坎耳、離目在下為順，以震足、巽股、艮手、坤腹在下為逆也。

When the lower trigram is Qian, Dui, Kan, or Li, it indicates a normal delivery. When the lower trigram is Zhen, Xun, Gen, or Kun, it indicates a breech delivery. This is because according to the imagery in the "Shuo Gua," Qian represents the head, Dui represents the mouth, Kan represents the ear, and Li represents the eye, all of which are parts of the head. The head being at the lower position indicates a normal delivery. Zhen represents the foot, Xun represents the thigh, Gen represents the hand, and Kun represents the abdomen, all of which are parts below the body. These parts being at the lower position result in a breech delivery.

假令乾宮子孫以水長生在申，到午為胎爻，三合寅午戌三日內生也。

For example, if the son's yao in the Qian palace belongs to water, and water's growth is in Shen. Starting from Shen, count the growth in order: You is bathing, Xu is capping, Hai is officialdom, Zi is prosperity, Chou is decline, Yin is illness, Mao is death, Chen is burial, Si is extinction. Counting to Wu is exactly the "womb" stage, so the Wu yao is the womb yao. Then take the triple harmony of Wu, which is Yin, Wu, and Xu. Therefore, the birth will occur within the three days of Yin, Wu, and Xu.

要知男女，胎爻屬陽生男，胎爻屬陰生女，坤卦六爻安靜生男，此乃陰極動而生陽，又不可專泥也。

To determine whether a child will be male or female, if the胎爻 is yang it indicates a male, and if it is yin it indicates a female. If the Pure Earth (坤) hexagram is obtained and all six lines are still, it actually indicates a male, because when yin reaches its extreme it moves to produce yang. However, this principle should not be followed rigidly.

凡占老孃看間爻，持財子老孃手段高，持父兄官手段低。占奶子，看財爻旺相有乳食，財爻地氣或空，乳少。

When divining about a midwife, examine the intermediate line between the World and Response lines: if the intermediate line holds the Wealth line or the Children line, the midwife is skilled; if it holds the Parents, Siblings, or Official Ghost lines, her skills are poor. When divining about a wet nurse, look at the Wealth line: if the Wealth line is prosperous and strong, the milk is abundant and sufficient for the child; if the Wealth line is in a declining condition or falls into an empty position, the milk is scarce.

科舉功名，於求進職；皆取官多，旺相必得。

Divination for academic success and official promotions takes the official ghost爻 as the useful god. If the official ghost爻 is numerous in the hexagram and prosperous and strong, academic success is certain.

凡占赴試、謁貴、面君、參官、到部謀幹事，看世上有無文書。若父母旺相，可許。但官爻旺相，便吉。忌子孫持世，不中。占赴任，子孫持世或獨發，必不滿任也。

When divining about taking an exam, visiting a nobleman, meeting the emperor, seeing a superior, or going to a government office, first check whether there is a document line on the world line. If the parents are prosperous and strong, it indicates success. As long as the official line is also prosperous and strong, it is a good omen. The most unfavorable situation is when the children line holds the world line, as the children specifically overcome the official line, indicating failure in the exam. When divining about taking an official post, if the children line holds the world line or the children line is alone active, it means the person will not complete one term in office and will be dismissed.

或問：看世上有無文書，何也？答曰：此專用官為主，用爻為輔，所以要父母在世上也。以文書為主，要文書持世無刑剋太歲貼身，必作狀元。

Someone asked: Why should we look at whether there is a document on the world line? The answer is: This branch specializes in using the official ghost as the main element, with auxiliary lines to support it, so it is good for the parents' document to fall on the world line. If we instead take the document as the main element, then the document should be held by the world line without being harmed or restrained, and with the sovereign year closely attached to it, it is certain to achieve a high rank, such as becoming a top scholar.

凡占試，以鬼為主，看伏在何爻下，要日辰生扶合出。且如春占剝卦，官在文書爻下，有氣，日辰合出，主試中試。求職請判，宜官鬼出現，忌動發，在任宜鬼靜，鬼發有動，子動有替。

When divining about examinations, the official ghost is the main focus. One should look at where it is hidden beneath which line. It is favorable if the day branch generates and supports it or combines with it to bring it out. For example, if in spring one draws the Bo hexagram, the official ghost is hidden beneath the official line, has vitality, and is combined with the day branch to emerge, which indicates success in the examination. If it is about seeking employment or requesting a judgment, it is favorable for the official ghost to appear on the hexagram surface and unfavorable if it moves. For someone already in a position, it is favorable for the official ghost to be still; if the official ghost moves, there will be a transfer, and if the children move, someone will take over.

若六爻中只有一爻動最吉。兄動，事不實，難成。若現有氣，可速成，怕落空。易云：動爻急如火。次或出現文書與貴人。但卦中原無或不入卦，或落空，其事難。官與文書俱旺相，亦要持世方可成。應又不克，事體分明。乾兌坎宮，謀事不一，見官用動，其人多出，見亦生嗔。

In the six-line divination, the best fortune comes when only one line moves. If the moving line is the siblings line, the matter is not genuine and difficult to accomplish. If the useful god has already appeared and has strength, the matter can be completed quickly, but be careful that it may fall empty. The school of Change says: the moving line is as urgent as a fierce fire. Next, the divination should include the line of documents and the nobleman. If these are not present in the original hexagram, or if they do not appear in the hexagram or fall empty, the matter will be difficult. Although the official line and the line of documents being prosperous and strong is good, they must also hold the world position to succeed. If the responding line does not come to restrain, the matter will be clearly attainable. If the hexagram comes from the Qian trigram, Dui trigram, or Kan trigram, the matter often cannot be settled in one go. When meeting the official, if the useful god is just moving, the official is likely away, and even if met, he will be angry.

官鬼為主，世我應彼；世應相生，得遇和喜。

Divination for visiting a nobleman should focus on the official ghost line, since the nobleman is considered the official star. The world line represents myself, and the response line represents the other party. If the world and response lines mutually generate and harmonize, it indicates that I will meet the nobleman and the relationship will be harmonious and pleasant.

凡占謁貴，以外卦取，外陽爻可見，外陰爻不見。陰鬼陽世再見，陽鬼陰世已外出。

When divining about visiting a nobleman, the judgment should be based on the outer trigram, because the outer trigram represents the other person. If the outer trigram is a yang line, the person can be seen; if it is a yin line, the person cannot be seen. If the official ghost is yin and the world line is yang, it indicates that one needs to go again to meet the nobleman. If the official ghost is yang and the world line is yin, the nobleman has already left.

出現在家，忌外卦獨發。伏藏應動，皆不見。看財爻旺相出現，忌動用官，看官爻，忌世應坐鬼，又須問見何人，看用爻為主。

If the official ghost appears in the hexagram, it indicates that the person is at home; however, if the outer trigram alone becomes active, the person will leave immediately. If the official ghost is hidden and not revealed, or if it is activated by the response line, it will not be seen. When looking for the wealth line, it should be prosperous and active. However, since this matter uses the official as the useful god, it is forbidden for the wealth line to move and harm the documents. When examining the official line, it is also forbidden for the world line or the response line to be seated on the ghost. In addition, one must clarify who is being referred to and select the useful god accordingly, with everything centered on the useful god.

謁見，用支出現旺相不動，在家；若空、沖、散，不在。世應相生合則吉，相剋必凶。

Going to visit, if the useful god is on a line that appears in the hexagram, is prosperous and strong, and not moving, then the person is at home. If the useful god is in an empty position, is being冲 (conflicted), or is being冲散 (scattered by conflict), then the person is not at home. If the world line and response line mutually generate or harmonize, it is auspicious. If they mutually control, it will be inauspicious.

世克應，或克用爻、皆致怨之象。當俯仰小心。應克世、或用爻克世，皆願見，亦憂刑。應用相剋不及相生也。卦有身，相見更看用爻，用爻生身尤好；卦無身又無用爻，或用爻空亡，終不見。

If the World Line is in conflict with the Response Line, or if the World Line is in conflict with the Useful God, it indicates a sign of attracting hatred from others. In such a case, one should be particularly cautious in their actions and movements. If the Response Line is in conflict with the World Line, or if the Useful God is in conflict with the World Line, the Nobleman is willing to see you, but you yourself will have to bear some worries and responsibilities. In general, conflicts between the Response Line, the Useful God, and the World Line are not as favorable as mutual generation. If the hexagram has a Hexagram Body, whether one can meet depends on the Useful God. The best situation is when the Useful God generates and supports the Hexagram Body. If there is no Hexagram Body, no Useful God, or if the Useful God falls into the Empty Wasteland, then ultimately, one will not be able to meet.

財福出現，買賣必利；世應相生，交易可成。

Divination for trade: if both the Wealth line and the Children and Fortune Virtue lines appear in the hexagram, the transaction will certainly be profitable. Wealth represents the principal and profit, while Fortune Virtue is the source of generating wealth. Then examine the relationship between the World line and the Response line: if they mutually generate each other, the transaction will succeed.

卦占買賣，惟要財福出現，如無不利。若是兄宮發動於上爻，必知地頭不吉。凶殺泊四五，途路坎坷多。

When divining for business transactions, it is essential that both the wealth line and the fortune virtue line appear in the hexagram. If these two lines are not present, it will be unfavorable. If the siblings line is active at the top line, it indicates that the destination of the goods is not auspicious. If malevolent influences are stationed at the fourth or fifth lines, there will be many difficulties along the way.

財支持世克身得利，發動克身亦利。外克內，應克世，易得財；內克外，世克應難得利。

The World Line is occupied by the Wealth Line, which comes to克 the Hexagram Body and brings profit. When the Wealth Line is activated and克 the Hexagram Body, it also brings profit. When the Wealth Line克 the Hexagram Body, it signifies that wealth is coming into one's possession. When the Outer Trigram克 the Inner Trigram and the Response Line克 the World Line, it is easy to gain wealth. Conversely, when the Inner Trigram克 the Outer Trigram and the World Line克 the Response Line, it is difficult to gain profit.

內旺相，外無氣，其物先貴後賤。 財旺相，主貴、宜賣；財休囚主賤，宜買。

The inner trigram is prosperous and strong while the outer trigram has no vitality, indicating that this type of goods will first be expensive and then become cheap, so it is advisable to sell them early. If the wealth hexagram is prosperous and strong, it indicates high prices and is suitable for selling; if the wealth hexagram is weak and confined, it indicates low prices and is suitable for buying.

兄財不利，鬼動賤發，月建臨財則吉，官鬼臨庫，公財吉，私財凶。

Siblings and wealth lines appearing together indicate an unfavorable situation because siblings steal wealth. If official ghosts are activated, the price of goods will be low and they are likely to be sold off easily. If the month builder is on the wealth line, it is favorable. If official ghosts are on the warehouse position, it is auspicious for official business but inauspicious for private business.

卦有二身三身者，財當與人分共，本宮鬼化財可求，本宮財化鬼防失。

In a single hexagram, if two or three hexagram bodies appear, this wealth should be shared with others. If the official ghost in the native's palace changes into a wealth line, then wealth can be sought. However, if the native's wealth line changes into the official ghost, one should be cautious of financial loss.

財來扶世，求之不難；財空鬼旺，千水萬山。

The wealth line supports the world line, meaning wealth comes to you on its own, and it is not difficult to obtain. However, if the wealth line is empty and the official ghost is strong, it is like trying to reach across thousands of rivers and mountains, requiring great effort yet still unable to obtain it.

合吉神並世應，而六位有財可得。白虎臨財已先嗔、臨應也先嗔，比和則無關，鬼動則必經營也。應生世，雖無財亦可求，外生內、應生世，或比和不落空者，雖未有，尚有還財。子爻動彼自不還。死氣財必長生日得。外克內卦宜出財、內克外卦宜入財。

In the hexagram, if the auspicious spirits align with the World Line and the Six Lines contain a wealth line, then the wealth can be obtained. If the White Tiger is on the wealth line, the other party will first become angry; if it is on the Response Line, the other party will also first become angry. If the World and Response Lines are harmonious, there will be no problem. If the Official Ghost moves, the wealth must be obtained through effort and arrangement. If the Response Line generates the World Line, even if there is no wealth in the hexagram, it is still possible to seek it. If the Outer Trigram generates the Inner Trigram, the Response Line generates the World Line, or if they are harmonious without falling into emptiness, although it may not be available now, there will be wealth to return later. If the Children Line moves, the other party will not return the wealth. If the wealth line is on the Death Qi, it can only be obtained on its day of Growth. If the Outer Trigram overcomes the Inner Trigram, it is suitable to pay money. If the Inner Trigram overcomes the Outer Trigram, it is suitable to receive money.

將本求利，須要財爻持世，應旺相，有氣，乃大吉。財爻無氣，雖有亦無多。財爻空亡，其財決無，尤防破失。財爻生旺可倍加，休囚減半。逢沖，將入手有阻。

Using capital to seek profit, one must have the wealth line holding the world line, and the response line prosperous and strong, which is truly very auspicious. If the wealth line lacks vitality, even if there is wealth, it will not be much. If the wealth line falls into the void, there will certainly be no profit, and one should also be cautious of losses and expenses. If the wealth line is strong and flourishing, the gain can be doubled; if the wealth line is weak and confined, the gain should be halved. If the wealth line is confronted by a clash, one may seem to have it in hand but will encounter obstacles.

空手求財，雖有財爻，卻要鬼旺方為全吉。如財爻旺相，卦中無鬼，雖財可求，實無可得。若有鬼無財，雖有高術，亦不得財。二者必用二全，方為大吉。父母化財，先難後易，財化父母，先易後難。財化兄弟，先聚後散，兄弟化財，先散後聚。

Going to seek wealth empty-handed, the divination shows wealth but requires the official ghost to be prosperous and strong for a complete good omen — without the official ghost, the wealth has no supervisor and nowhere to be placed. If the wealth is prosperous and strong but the divination lacks the official ghost, the wealth may be sought but not actually obtained; if there is the official ghost but no wealth, even with the most skillful methods, wealth cannot be obtained. Both conditions must be present for great good fortune. When parents transform into wealth, it is difficult at first but easy later; when wealth transforms into parents, it is easy at first but difficult later. When wealth transforms into siblings, it is first gathered then dispersed; when siblings transform into wealth, it is first dispersed then gathered.

前卦有財，後卦無財，速謀有得，遲則無。前卦無財，後卦有財，遲取方有，目下未值。財之多寡，須憑爻之衰旺決之。

The primary hexagram has wealth but the transformed hexagram does not, so one should hurry to seek and still gain something, but if delayed, it will be lost. If the primary hexagram lacks wealth but the transformed hexagram has it, one should wait a while before taking it, as the time is not yet right. As for the amount of wealth, it must be decided by the strength or weakness of the wealth line.

子孫為財之源，若加青龍發動，不問財爻衰旺，決可求謀，乃大吉之兆。父母動則子受傷，不能生財。財源已絕，若遇白虎同登，凶。縱其財旺生合世爻，只許一度，不可再圖。

The Children represent the source of wealth. If the Children are accompanied by the Azure Dragon and become active, there is no need to inquire whether the wealth line is weak or strong; one can certainly achieve success in seeking wealth, which is a great auspicious sign. Conversely, if the Parents become active and the Children are harmed, they can no longer generate wealth, and the source of wealth is cut off. At this time, if the White Tiger also appears, it becomes even more ominous. Even if the wealth line is strong and comes to harmonize with the World Line, it can only be beneficial once; one should not attempt to seek wealth again.

世為我，若財來生我，克我皆吉，乃易得之象；若我克財爻，謂之克退，財靜猶可，若動，如入下逐高，不能及也。若世安靜，財爻發動，生我、克我，此財來逐我之象，決主易求。

The World Line represents myself. If the Wealth Line comes to generate me or to overcome me, both are favorable signs, indicating that wealth is easily obtainable. If I go to overcome the Wealth Line, this is called "overcoming and retreating": if the Wealth Line is quiet, it is not a problem; but if the Wealth Line also becomes active, it is like trying to catch something high from a low position, and it will be impossible to catch. If the World Line is quiet and still, while the Wealth Line becomes active to generate me or overcome me, this is a sign that wealth is chasing me, and it will certainly be easily obtained.

看得財日，須與日辰合方得入手。若旺相之財，墓日可得；無氣之財，生旺日乃得也。

To determine the day to gain wealth, one must wait until the Day Branch combines with the wealth爻. Only then can the wealth be obtained. If the wealth is prosperous and strong, it can be obtained on the day it enters its墓. If the wealth is weak, one must wait until the day of its growth and prosperity to obtain it.

博戲斗禽，福旺物真；財為利息，鬼動不贏。

When divining gambling games and animal fights, if the sons and daughters line is prosperous and strong, the animals being fought will truly be strong. The wife and wealth line represents the winnings and interest. If the official ghost line becomes active, one will not win.

世應見鬼爻皆敗，乃彼我不得地，世旺克應，我勝；應旺克也，彼勝。子孫妻財喜扶世，我勝。子孫旺相喜動。

When the Official Ghost appears on both the World Line and the Response Line, both sides will suffer losses, indicating that neither party is in a strong position. If the World Line is strong and overcomes the Response Line, then I will win. If the Response Line is strong and overcomes the World Line, then the opponent will win. The Children and Wealth are most favorable when they come to support the World Line, as supporting the World Line means I will win. When the Children are prosperous and active, it is also favorable.

或問：妻為我物，鬼為彼蟲，如何取用？答曰：此言斗禽蟲也。若轉變之事，則不一同專，要子孫持世旺相，或獨發便贏，若鬼兄財爻動便輸。要知當日，俱以時辰取福德言之。

Someone asked: "The wife's wealth is on my side, and the official ghost is the other party's insect. How should these two be used?" The answer said: "This refers specifically to the method of competing with birds and insects. If the game involves changing situations, we cannot use this method exclusively. If the children hold the world and are prosperous and strong, or if the children alone emerge, then we win. If the official ghost, siblings, or wealth lines are activated, then we lose. To determine the outcome of the day, we use the fortune virtue gods in the hour."

遠行出入，財旺大吉；鬼旺多凶，持身最吉。

Divination for long journeys, if the Wealth line is prosperous and strong, it is very auspicious—prosperous wealth means all travel expenses are fully prepared and the journey will go smoothly; if the Official Ghost line is prosperous and strong, there will be many dangers. If the Wealth line or the Children line holds the Hexagram Body, it is most吉利.

財為行李，子為喜悅。凡鬼又持世，兄弟獨發，鬼爻旺相，鬼墓貼身。游魂八純，皆不可出行。

When divining for travel, the Wealth represents luggage and expenses, and Children represents joy and safety along the journey. If the official ghost holds the world position, if siblings are the only ones prominent, if the official ghost is prosperous and strong, if the Storage of the ghost is closely attached to the hexagram body, or if a wandering soul hexagram or a pure hexagram is obtained, then travel should not be undertaken.

或問：游魂、八純皆不可出行，如何？答曰：游魂主忘返，八純主賓不和，故不利出入也。

Someone asked: Why are both the Youhun hexagrams and the eight pure hexagrams unsuitable for traveling? The answer is: The Youhun hexagram indicates that the person is lingering outside and unable to return, while the eight pure hexagrams indicate that the host and guest are not in harmony, so both are unfavorable for going out and traveling.

動官行。世應俱動，宜速行，旁爻動，利行遲，八純，不宜遠行。世墓方大忌。 要看第五爻持世為緊，但宜財爻、子孫持世，或旺相動便好。

When the official line moves, one should prepare to travel. If both the world line and the response line move, it is advisable to leave quickly. If other lines move, it is better to travel slowly. The eight pure hexagrams are not suitable for long journeys. One should particularly avoid the direction indicated by the storage of the world line. Additionally, it is important to examine the fifth line, which represents the path. Also look at what the world line is holding: it is most suitable if the world line is held by the wealth line or the children line, or if these two lines are prosperous and active.

只怕鬼兄動。世爻化入墓，化出兄鬼，主有口舌，或主病。世空去不成，或動爻沖剋世爻，便斷此人傷我。如鬼爻，鬼賊官事。兄爻，口舌是非。父爻，船事不便，或文書等事。財爻動，當有財物之喜，子孫動，或化子孫，去有財喜。

When going out, one should be cautious of the Official Ghost and Siblings lines becoming active. If the World Line transforms and enters the墓 (burial), or transforms into the Siblings or Official Ghost lines, it indicates there may be disputes on the way or illness. If the World Line falls into the empty position, the journey will not take place. If a moving line comes to clash and control the World Line, it indicates someone will harm the person. If the coming line is the Official Ghost line, it signifies theft or legal troubles; if it is the Siblings line, it indicates disputes and conflicts; if it is the Parents line, it suggests difficulties with boats or matters related to documents. If the Wealth line becomes active, there will be good fortune with wealth on the journey. If the Children line becomes active or transforms into the Children line, there will be both wealth and good fortune on the journey.

行人用財，鬼動必災；應爻坐鬼，無透不來。

Divining about a person who has left and not returned, use the Wealth line as the useful god. If the Official Ghost line moves, the person will certainly meet with misfortune. If the response line is occupied by Official Ghost, then unless the day branch reveals the useful god, the person will not be able to return.

以財為用，親爻為行人，旁爻為音信，持世立至，遠三日，近、當日。財又出現，旺相來速，休囚來遲。財爻伏藏，旺相，直日便至；旺相不值日未來。財爻出現，旺相宜墓月分方歸。大忌應爻坐鬼，兄弟須是日，日辰透出安靜，以財生旺日到，亂動以父母生旺日到。

Divination for a person's arrival uses the wealth line as the useful god. The native line in the same trigram represents the person themselves, while the other lines represent messages or news. If the useful god is in the world position, the person will arrive immediately, within three days if it's far, or on the same day if it's near. If the wealth line appears in the hexagram and is prosperous and strong, the person will arrive quickly; if it is weak and confined, the arrival will be slower. If the wealth line is hidden but prosperous and strong, the person will arrive on the day it is active. If it is prosperous but not active on that day, the person has not yet arrived. If the wealth line appears and is prosperous, the person will return in the month when the wealth line enters its tomb. The most dangerous situation is when the response line is occupied by the official ghost. If the useful god is the sibling line, one must wait until its active day. If the day branch reveals the useful god and the hexagram is quiet, the arrival is on the day when the wealth line is prosperous and strong. If the hexagram is chaotic, the arrival is on the day when the parent line is prosperous and strong.

初爻為足，二爻為身，身足俱動來速，第三爻動，難得來。父母為信。

The first line represents the feet, the second line represents the body. If both the body and feet lines are activated, the person will arrive quickly. If the third line is activated, the person will be hard to meet again. The parents line represents messages.

或問：親爻為行人，何為親爻？答曰：財爻也，乃本宮之財，非旁爻財也。旁爻之財，但為信，而本宮之財為行人。

Someone asked: It is said that the "qin yao" represents a traveler. What does "qin yao" mean? The answer is: It refers to the wealth yao, and it must be the wealth yao of the native's own palace, not the wealth yao on another palace. The wealth yao on another palace is only considered as a message, while the wealth yao of the native's own palace represents the traveler himself.

又問：三爻動如何難得便來？答曰：第三爻化出財爻，乘旺相動，便到；世空，行人便至；應空未有歸期。

Another question: Why is it difficult for the third line to respond quickly when it moves? The answer is: If the third line changes into a wealth line and is prosperous and strong, then the person will arrive. If the world line is empty, the person will arrive immediately; if the response line is empty, the return date is still uncertain.

占家親，在外以墓為歸，若爻神出現，無日辰刑剋，行人對待，若在遠路，看用爻值月何建，以審行人，應空，過一旬，歸魂卦世動，不來，或去別處。

When divining about a family member who is away, the time when the useful god enters its tomb is considered the time of return. If the divine element appears in the hexagram and is not harmed by the day branch, the traveler will eventually return home. If the person is far away, look at which month builder the useful god is in, and judge the journey accordingly. If the response line is empty, the person will return after ten days. If a returning soul hexagram is drawn and the world line is activated, the person will not return, or may have gone somewhere else.

凡占，必用爻三合日歸，如子爻為用神，取辰日回，如不回，申日回，申子辰三合也。遇空不取。

When divining about a person's return, it is always based on the triple harmony day of the useful god. For example, if the son爻 is the useful god, then the return is on the辰 day; if not on the辰 day, then on the申 day, because申, 子, and 辰 form a triple harmony. If the useful god is in an empty state, this method is not used.

若用入世墓，亦主回。應空有阻未至；世空便到。應持鬼去遠。子孫、財爻持世，遠三日、近二日便回。第五爻動出財爻或子孫爻，行人已在路上。

If the useful god enters the墓 of the world line, it indicates the person will return. If the response line is empty, there will be obstacles on the way but the person has not yet arrived. If the world line is empty, the person will arrive immediately. If the response line holds the official ghost, the person has traveled far. If the children line or the wealth line holds the world line, the person will return in three days if far away, or two days if near. If the fifth line moves and transforms into the wealth line or the children line, the traveler is already on the way.

應動，行人發身了，亦看動出何爻。官鬼主有病；兄弟主口舌，或無盤費；父母動船中有事，主有信；財動便至；鬼爻旺相官事擔任。

The response line moves, indicating that the person has already started moving. We also need to look at what line it changes into: if it changes into the official ghost line, it indicates illness; if it changes into the siblings line, it suggests disputes on the way or insufficient funds; if the parents line moves, it indicates something wrong on the boat and also suggests that there will be a message first; if the wealth line moves, the person will arrive immediately; if the official ghost line is prosperous and strong, it means there is a legal matter or official duty that cannot be摆脱.

逃亡看世，失物看財；財動物出，世動難來。

When divining about a person fleeing, look at the World Line; when divining about lost property, look at the Wealth Line. If the Wealth Line moves, the item has already been lost; if the World Line moves, the person who fled is unlikely to return.

凡占人逃去，歸魂自歸，八純卦在親友家。一二三世易尋，四五世難尋。內動近，外動遠。

When divining about a person who has run away, if the hexagram is a returning soul hexagram, the person will return on their own. If the hexagram is one of the eight pure hexagrams, the person is hiding in the home of a relative or friend. If the hexagram is first, second, or third generation, the person is easy to find. If it is fourth or fifth generation, the person is difficult to find. If a line in the inner trigram is activated, the person is nearby. If a line in the outer trigram is activated, the person is far away.

占六畜、小兒，看子孫；失物，看財。應不動、財不動，兄不動，財不空。鬼不發或伏藏，可見之象。以上雖可尋，若卜得坤艮宮，財在大路，亦不能尋矣。

When divining about lost livestock or children, look at the Children line. When divining about lost property, look at the Wealth line. If the Response line remains still, the Wealth line remains still, the Siblings line remains still, the Wealth line does not fall into emptiness, and the Official Ghost line does not move or is hidden and not revealed, this indicates that the lost item can be found. Although these conditions may be considered, if the divination results in a hexagram from the Earth or Mountain trigrams, the wealth has already been lost on the road and cannot be found.

更問失何物，若失文書牌號，當以父母爻取。

You also need to clarify exactly what was lost. If it is documents or identification, then you should use the parents' hexagram to determine the useful god.

或問：世爻動如何難來？卜八純卦何故在親友家？答曰：外卦是六親出現也。

Someone asked: Why does the person find it difficult to return when the world line moves? The divination result is an eight pure trigram, so why is it said he is at a relative's house? The answer is: The eight pure trigrams have the same inner and outer trigrams. The outer trigram shows the six relations of the native's palace, and since the six relations are revealed externally, it is concluded that he is hiding at a relative's house.

又問：一二三世易尋，何也？曰：—二三世，下爻去沖應，又外卦出現，故曰易尋也。

Another question: Why are the first, second, and third generations of the hexagram easy to find? The answer is: In these three types of hexagrams, the world line is located in the lower trigram. The lower line conflicts with the response line, and the outer trigram also has the six relations appearing, making their traces clearly visible. Therefore, they are said to be easy to find.

又問：世在五六爻難尋者？曰：外卦伏藏也，游魂主去遠，歸魂主自歸。

Another question: Why is it difficult to find the world line when it is in the fifth or sixth line? The answer is: Because the outer trigram is hidden and not revealed. Additionally, one must distinguish between a wandering soul hexagram, which indicates the person has gone far away, and a returning soul hexagram, which indicates the person has returned by themselves.

世宮為方，應宮為所；歸魂八純，互換宮取。

To determine the direction of a person who has run away, the direction is determined by the palace of the World Line. The place where he is hiding is determined by the palace of the Response Line. If a returning soul卦 or a pure eight trigram卦 is obtained, the palace of the卦 should be exchanged with each other to determine the direction.

世爻之宮為方，一爻獨發方可取方。歸魂八純以換卦宮取，乾互坤，坎互離，艮互兌。乾艮宮在山，坎近水，兌奴婢家。大怕鬼爻持世，應變出現鬼爻，乘旺相凶。

The direction where the lost person is heading is indicated by the position of the World Line. Only when one line in the hexagram stands alone can its position be used to determine direction. In returning soul hexagrams and the eight pure hexagrams, the hexagram's palace should be exchanged: Qian and Kun are exchanged, Kan and Li are exchanged, Gen and Dui are exchanged. The Qian palace and Gen palace indicate the person is in the mountains, the Kan palace indicates the person is near water, and the Dui palace indicates the person is in a servant's home. It is most dangerous if the Official Ghost holds the World Line, or if the Response Line transforms into the Official Ghost. If the Official Ghost is further strengthened by prosperity and strength, it becomes even more ominous.

或問：世宮為方，何也？曰：如天風姤卦辛丑持世，巽宮乃東南方也。

Someone asked: How is it said that the World Line's position indicates direction? The answer is: For example, in the Hexagram 44, Gou, the first line Xinchou holds the World Line. Xinchou belongs to the lower trigram Xun, which in the later heaven trigrams is located in the southeast. Therefore, it is concluded that the person has gone to the southeast.

又問：應宮為所，何如？曰：天風姤卦，應在壬午，宮在東南巽方，官人家也。

Another question: If the response line is said to indicate a place, how is this explained? The answer is: Still refer to the hexagram Tian Feng Gou. The response line falls on the fourth line, Renwu; the palace of this hexagram is in the southeast direction of Xun, while the fire of Wu is in the Qian palace, which is the official ghost. Therefore, it is concluded that he is hiding in an official's house.

又問：歸魂八純，互換宮取，如何互換？曰：如占得純乾去，看空，逃亡人在西南坤方也。又如兌卦，往東北艮方尋，艮卦往西方尋，此互換宮方取。

Another question: When using the returning soul hexagram and the eight pure hexagrams, how do we exchange the trigram palaces to determine direction? The answer is: For example, if the pure Qian hexagram is drawn, exchange Qian with Kun, then observe which line is empty, and determine that the missing person is in the Southwest direction of Kun. Similarly, if the Dui hexagram is drawn, exchange Dui with Gen, and search in the Northeast direction of Gen; if the Gen hexagram is drawn, exchange Gen with Dui, and search in the West direction. This is the method of exchanging trigram palaces to determine direction.

又問：震巽離出外必無歸？答曰：震、巽屬木，離屬火，皆非藏之處者。下文乾坤艮兌而不及震、巽、離者，此也震，蘆葦中或舟船中；巽，匠人處竹木中處；離，窯冶處，古廟裡。

Another question was asked: If the trigrams Zhen, Xun, and Li appear, does it mean that a person who goes out will certainly not return? The answer was: Zhen and Xun belong to wood, and Li belongs to fire; none of these are places where one can stay long or feel secure. The previous text only mentioned Qian, Kun, Gen, and Dui, but not Zhen, Xun, and Li, precisely for this reason. If one really wants to find Zhen, it would be in reeds or on a boat; Xun would be in a carpenter's workshop or where bamboo and timber are stored; and Li would be in a kiln or forge, or an old temple.

世與內動在近，應與外動在遠。用神出現，以旺為方；用神夥藏，以生為方。丑東北，辰東南，未西南，戌西北。

When the World Line or the Inner Trigram moves, the person is nearby. When the Response Line or the Outer Trigram moves, the person is far away. If the Useful God appears on the hexagram surface, take the direction where it is prosperous and strong as its location. If the Useful God is hidden and not revealed, take the direction that generates it as its location. As for the four burial directions: Chou is in the Northeast, Chen is in the Southeast, Wei is in the Southwest, and Xu is in the Northwest.

又斷應與用同，應是兄弟，本貫相識之家；應是官鬼。有勾引入出去，或官司去處；應是父母，投親戚家，或入手藝人家；應是妻財，奴婢、妓、弟人家；應是子孫，在寺觀廟宇裡。

There is another method of interpretation which combines the Response Line with the Useful God. If the Response Line is siblings, it indicates someone from a familiar local family. If the Response Line is an Official Ghost, it suggests being lured away or already in a legal authority's place. If the Response Line is Parents, it means going to relatives or joining a skilled trade. If the Response Line is Wealth, it refers to servants, prostitutes, or lower-class people. If the Response Line is Children, it indicates being in temples or monasteries.

陽鬼為男，陰鬼為女；若是伏藏，返對而取。

Divination for lost objects and divination for ghosts and spirits both use the official ghost line as the useful god. If the official ghost is yang, it represents a male; if it is yin, it represents a female. If the official ghost is hidden and not revealed, then it should be reversed—treat yang as yin and yin as yang.

占賊占祟，以鬼陰陽為用，占主女男看得何官。如占賊，陽宮鬼出現，主男鬼；伏藏主女。陰宮鬼出現，主女鬼，伏藏主男。占祟，鬼無正形，但以支干取之。鬼動以單為少陽，拆為少陰，重為太陽，交為太陰。如分老少何人，但看應爻最切。

Divination about thieves or supernatural disturbances uses the yin and yang of the official ghost to determine the nature. To determine if the ghost is male or female, first check which palace the ghost falls into. If divining about a thief: a ghost in a yang palace appearing on the hexagram indicates a male thief; a ghost in a yang palace hidden indicates a female thief. A ghost in a yin palace appearing indicates a female thief; a ghost in a yin palace hidden indicates a male thief. If divining about a supernatural disturbance: the ghost does not have a fixed form and can only be interpreted through its heavenly stem and earthly branch. When the ghost line moves, it is divided according to the line's image: single is less yang, split is less yin, double is sun yang, and crossing is great yin. To distinguish between old and young, and to identify exactly who it is, the response line is most important.

或問：若是伏藏，返對而取，何謂返對？答曰：用返對顛倒也。陽取陰，陰取陽之義。

Someone asked: "If it is about hidden treasures, what does 'returning to the opposite' mean?" The answer was: It means using them in reverse order, taking the yang as yin and the yin as yang. This is exactly what it means.

又問：返卦時，何以知賊之巢？曰：但向鬼生方尋之。問：何以知鬼生方？曰：但看財爻伏何爻之下，如姤卦，財伏子孫下，在西北方，僧道小兒處也。

Another question was asked: When looking at the hexagram in reverse, how do we know where the thief is? The answer was: Just go to the direction where the official ghost is located. Another question was asked: How do we know where the official ghost is located? The answer was: Just look at the position of the wealth爻 beneath which the official ghost is hidden. For example, in the hexagram Tian Feng Gou, the wealth爻 is hidden beneath the sons爻. The sons belong to Qian and Qian is located in the northwest. Therefore, one should look for the thief in the northwest, among monks and Taoists or places where children are often seen.

又問：何以定獲賊之日？曰：看子孫旺日是也。

Another question: How do you determine the day to catch the thief? The answer is: Look for the day when the "children"爻 is prosperous and strong, because the "children" is the deity of capturing.

若有兩爻，可別單拆；忽有獨發，鄰中可測。

In a single hexagram, if there are two lines that are official ghosts, then the two lines are distinguished by the terms 'single' and 'broken': 'single' represents yang and is male, while 'broken' represents yin and is female. If suddenly only one line is active, then the thief is among the neighbors, and this can be used to deduce the situation.

卦有兩爻鬼者，以單拆分取之。六爻中一爻獨發，亦可取父母為老，子孫為幼，兄弟為男，妻財為女，官鬼橫惡，占賊過犯人。

In the hexagram, if there are two lines of official ghost, they should be interpreted separately using single and split methods. In the six lines, if there is only one line that stands alone, it can also be used to take the image. Parents represent elderly people, children represent young people, siblings represent men, wife and wealth represent women, and official ghost represents wicked and violent people; when divining about thieves, it refers to those with a criminal record.

或問：若有兩爻，可別單拆，如何別之？曰：一卦兩爻鬼，以單為陽人，拆為陰人。如俱為拆，只是陰人，鬼化鬼，乃過犯人也。

Someone asked: When there are two ghost lines in a hexagram, how do we distinguish between single and split lines? The answer is: If two lines are ghost lines, a single line represents a male ghost, while a split line represents a female ghost. If both lines are split, it indicates a woman's involvement. If a ghost line transforms into another ghost line, it signifies someone with a prior offense.

以應爻為主，財為財，鬼為鬼，出現最急，旁爻為次。凡財出現於五爻之下，不動可見。 非鬼為賊，獨發爻亦可取，若有鬼為賊，更取日干為主，分辨老少。

Divination for identifying thieves should focus on the response line. The wealth line is considered as the lost item, and the ghost line is regarded as the thief; these two elements appearing on the hexagram are most important, while other lines are secondary. If the wealth line appears below the fifth line and is still, the lost item can be found. If there is no ghost line to represent the thief, then use the unique line to deduce; if there is a ghost line representing the thief, then take the day stem as the main reference to determine whether the thief is old or young.

凡占六畜，只以子孫為用，父母動則休矣。 凡失物專看財爻，本象要旺相不空不動，可見；如財爻空了、動了，是出屋也。更無氣決不可見。

When divining the loss of domestic animals, only the Children Line is considered the useful god; if the Parents Line becomes active and the Children Line is thus attacked, there is no hope of recovery. When divining the loss of items, focus on the财爻: this爻 must be prosperous and strong, not falling into emptiness, and not active, in order for the item to be found. If the财爻 falls into emptiness and becomes active, the item has already left the house; if further it lacks vitality, it can certainly not be recovered.

官鬼為賊，子孫為捕捉，兄弟為眾，父母為衣服、文書，財為失物。 如子孫旺相，其賊必獲：子孫無氣或空，難獲。鬼爻空，決尋不見。 六爻無鬼安靜，非賊偷去，乃自失也。

Each line has a specific function: the official ghost represents thieves, children represent the officers who catch thieves, siblings represent accomplices, parents represent clothes and documents, and wife's wealth represents the lost property. If the children line is prosperous and strong, the thief will certainly be caught; if the children line is weak or empty, it will be difficult to catch the thief. If the official ghost line is empty, the lost item will certainly not be found. If among the six lines there is no official ghost and the whole hexagram is quiet, then the item was not stolen by thieves, but was lost by oneself.

財在內卦安靜，旺相，物不失，必在家中；內外俱有鬼，偷與外人；鬼克世爻，主驀然揞見賊贓；鬼刑世，主賊再來，必有所損，宜防之。財化鬼，婦人為賊；子化鬼，小兒或出家（人）偷盜；鬼化鬼，過犯人拿；父化鬼，掌文書或老人為盜；兄化鬼，相識昆仲為盜，有多伴。

If the wealth line is in the inner trigram, quiet, and prosperous and strong, the belongings have not been lost and are definitely still at home. If both the inner and outer trigrams contain official ghosts, it indicates that family members have conspired with outsiders to steal. If the official ghost line is attacking the world line, it means you will suddenly discover stolen goods. If the official ghost line is in conflict with the world line, the thief will return again, causing more loss, and you should be on your guard. If the wealth line transforms into an official ghost, it indicates a woman is the thief; if the children line transforms into an official ghost, it indicates a child or a monk is the thief; if the official ghost transforms into another official ghost, it indicates someone with a criminal record is involved; if the parents line transforms into an official ghost, it indicates someone in charge of documents or an elderly person is the thief; if the siblings line transforms into an official ghost, it indicates a familiar sibling is involved, and there are more than one accomplices.

休囚為鬼，旺相為神；本象家親，他宮外人。

When divining about ghosts and spirits causing trouble, if a line is in a state of being weak and confined, it should be regarded as 'ghost'; if it is prosperous and strong, it should be regarded as 'spirit'. The ghost or spirit appearing in the native's own palace is the ghost of a deceased relative; the ghost or spirit appearing in another palace's flying line is that of an outsider or foreign relative.

(1)六爻定體： 六爻 公婆 家親 佛道 五爻 父母 口願 土神 四爻 叔伯 土神 半天 三爻 兄弟 門戶 境神 二爻 夫妻 土地 家神 初爻 小口 灶君 司命

First, determine the nature of the person involved based on the six lines. The sixth line governs the master and mistress, deceased family members, and Buddhist and Taoist deities. The fifth line governs parents, unfulfilled vows, and earth deities. The fourth line governs uncles and aunts, earth deities, and heavenly deities. The third line governs siblings, household deities, and local guardians. The second line governs spouse, land deities, and house deities. The first line governs young family members, the kitchen god, and the deity of destiny. When the official ghost is on a particular line, take the corresponding subject from that column.

(2)五行鬼： 金木，橫死；土，時疫；火，勞血；水，落水。

Second, according to the Five Phases of the Official Ghost, if the ghost belongs to the metal or wood phase, it indicates a sudden death; if it belongs to the earth phase, it indicates death from epidemic disease; if it belongs to the fire phase, it indicates death from consumption with blood coughing; if it belongs to the water phase, it indicates death by drowning.

(3)八純卦： 艮，五聖；震，天神；巽，木神；離，火神；乾，功德；坤，家將；坎，落水；兌，口願。

Third, according to the deities worshipped by each of the eight pure trigrams. The Gen trigram is associated with the five sages; the Zhen trigram is associated with heavenly spirits; the Xun trigram is associated with wood spirits; the Li trigram is associated with fire spirits; the Qian trigram is associated with meritorious deeds; the Kun trigram is associated with family guardians; the Kan trigram is associated with water ghosts; and the Dui trigram is associated with vows made verbally.

(4)五鄉獨發，剋日克世取之，各有兩義： 父母家先，子孫小兒，妻財婦婢，兄弟陽人，官鬼橫惡，以上隨爻。

Fourth, examine the five groups—parents, children, wealth, siblings, and official ghost—to see which one is uniquely active. This active line must be able to control the day branch and the world line in order to be used for divination. Each group has two meanings. Parents represent the deceased head of the family, children represent a young child who has died, wealth represents women and servants, siblings represent male relatives of the same generation, and official ghost represents malevolent spirits. All these are determined based on the uniquely active line.

或問：本象家先，他官外人，何也？答曰：本象鬼動是家親，旁爻鬼動是外人。假如乾卦壬午鬼動是家親；大有卦己巳鬼動，是外人也。

Someone asked: It is said that the original image refers to a relative who has died in the family, and the other palace refers to outsiders. How is this explained? The answer is: When the ghost爻 in the native palace moves, it refers to the ghost of a family relative; when the ghost爻 in the adjacent palace moves, it refers to the ghost of an outsider. For example, in the Qian hexagram, when the Renwu official ghost moves, Renwu is originally a close爻 in the Qian palace, so it refers to a family relative; whereas in the Da You hexagram, when the Jisi official ghost moves, Jisi is a side爻 of the Li trigram, so it refers to an outsider.

問：土鬼何也？曰：此乃當處靈驗之鬼，俗謂之神者也，旺相為神，休囚為鬼，動爻克世剋日，亦可取祟。

Someone asked: What is called "earth ghost"? The answer is: This is a local effective ghost, commonly referred to by ordinary people as a god. When it is prosperous and strong, it is considered a god; when it is weak and confined, it is considered a ghost. If the moving line overcomes the world line and the day branch, it can be used to determine the presence of a spirit.

《易林》云：察禍推其鬼處，還將身配六親，相剋招生，便見禍之端的。

The Yi Lin says: To discern misfortune, first determine where the ghost falls, then combine the hexagram body with the six relations; by examining mutual generation and mutual control, the true source of misfortune becomes clear.

青龍：善惡、經文、蘸祀、廟香。無氣帶刑，自縊死。 朱雀：花幡、口願、符命、灶神。無氣帶刑，勞死鬼。 勾陳：天曹、勅士。無氣帶刑，黃病路死鬼。 螣蛇：夜夢、驚恐、上許下保福。無氣帶刑，夜夢見鬼。 白虎：金劉神、作犯白虎、刀傷鬼。無氣帶刑，刀傷鬼。 玄武：上真、北陰神。無氣帶刑，落水陰鬼。

The Azure Dragon oversees matters of good and evil karma, scriptures, offerings and temple incense; when the Azure Dragon lacks energy and is accompanied by punishment, it indicates ghosts who died by hanging. The Vermilion Bird oversees banners, vows made verbally, talismans, imperial decrees, and the Kitchen God; when lacking energy and accompanied by punishment, it indicates ghosts who died from consumption. Gou Chen oversees heavenly officials and officially appointed deities; when lacking energy and accompanied by punishment, it indicates ghosts who died from jaundice or died on the road. The Qie Sha oversees night dreams, fright, and vows made upwards for blessings downwards; when lacking energy and accompanied by punishment, it indicates ghosts seen in dreams at night. The White Tiger oversees the god of gold and Liu, offenses to the White Tiger, and ghosts caused by cuts; when lacking energy and accompanied by punishment, it also indicates ghosts caused by cuts. The Black Tortoise oversees the true deities above and northern阴 spirits; when lacking energy and accompanied by punishment, it indicates ghosts who died by drowning.

凡祭賽有三，如祀上帝，即取藏爻中鬼神祗，當用月建；神堂家廟，當用日辰。皆要生合卦身，不宜刑沖，亦不要動爻克害刑沖。如合生，福利而吉；若帶刑沖，反招禍。卦爻中鬼自化入墓，必有不了再牽之患。

In all cases of worship and thanking deities, there are three levels of distinction. If the worship is for the highest deities such as Heaven, then one should take the spirits within the hidden lines and use the Month Builder to determine. If the worship is for household gods and ancestral temples, then one should use the Day Branch. Regardless of the level, the Month Builder or Day Branch should generate and harmonize with the Hexagram Body, and it should not involve punishment and clash. It is also not allowed for the moving lines to harm, injure, or clash with them. If the lines are in harmony and mutual generation, the worship will bring blessings and good fortune; if they involve punishment and clash, misfortune will be brought about. If the spirits within the hexagram change and enter the storage, it indicates unresolved matters that will cause trouble again in the future.

舉訟興詞，要官有氣；若是被論，休囚卻利。

If someone initiates a lawsuit, the official ghost line should be strong and have vitality, so that the official power is strong enough to suppress the other party. However, if someone is being sued and is in the position of being accused, the official ghost line being weak and confined is actually advantageous, as a weak official power indicates a lighter burden of guilt.

凡下狀論人，官爻旺相出現，必贏；若占被論，官爻休囚，鬼爻持應，世爻克應，子孫持世，反得理，吉。若代占人坐獄，忌世下坐鬼，鬼墓持世，凶。但鬼爻動，便不可與人爭，財動折理，亦不可訟。

If someone sues others themselves, and the official ghost爻 is prosperous and strong and appears in the hexagram, they will definitely win the case. If someone is being sued by others, then the official ghost爻 should be weak and confined, with the official ghost holding the response line, and the world line going to overcome the response line, with children holding the world line—this indicates a favorable outcome, which is auspicious. If one is divining on behalf of someone who is in prison, it is inauspicious if the world line is occupied by the official ghost, or if the official ghost's storage is held by the world line. These two situations are both unfavorable. In summary, if the ghost爻 is activated, one should not engage in litigation. If the wealth爻 is activated, it indicates that one's case is unjust, and litigation should also be avoided.

或問：代人占坐獄，忌世下坐鬼，代占看應，何故反看世也？ 答曰：此理最微，人所不測，宜，於是疑，唯世下坐鬼便去沖應合應，故主離脫，汝若不信，請以六十四卦取之。

Someone asked: When divining for someone else's imprisonment, it says that the taboo World Line (forbidden world line) sitting under a ghost is a bad omen; but when divining for someone else, we should look at the Response Line (response line), so why do we look at the world line instead? The answer is: This principle is very subtle, and most people cannot grasp it, so it's not surprising you have doubts. It's because when the world line is occupied by a ghost, this ghost will conflict with the response line and harmonize with it; between the conflict and harmony, the person is released, so it actually indicates escape from imprisonment. If you don't believe it, please take all sixty-four hexagrams and check them one by one.

又問：如何財動折理？曰：財為理，財動便主理虧，蓋財能傷文書，文書既被傷，安得有理？

Another question: Why does the movement of the wealth hexagram indicate a loss of argument? The answer is: Here, the wealth hexagram represents 'reason' or 'argument'. When the wealth hexagram moves, it indicates a loss of reason. This is because wealth can overcome and harm the parents hexagram, which represents documents or official papers. If the official papers are already damaged, how can the argument stand?

又問：財化財如何？曰：雖有理而不勝。 問：官化官如何？曰：推移主有詐偽事在後。 問：父化父如何？曰：事重迭，遲遲未決。 問：子化子如何？曰：主幹連小口。 問：兄化兄如何？曰：主對頭爭執。

Another question: What if the wealth爻 changes into another wealth爻? The answer is: Although there is some reasoning, it cannot win. Another question: What if the official ghost爻 changes into another official ghost爻? The answer is: The case has gone through many changes, and there will be deceit later on. Another question: What if the parents爻 changes into another parents爻? The answer is: The matter is complicated and will not be decided for a long time. Another question: What if the children爻 changes into another children爻? The answer is: It indicates involvement of the family's children. Another question: What if the siblings爻 changes into another siblings爻? The answer is: It indicates a prolonged argument with the opponent.

凡外有客鬼持世，主必遭虧，更有罪名；父動克世，因勾惹之事，世空自散宜和解，應空詞訟沒期程。

If the guest ghost is on the outer trigram and holds the world line, the person will certainly suffer a loss and end up with a criminal charge. If the parents line becomes active and restrains the world line, it is because the person has been involved in a lawsuit due to being connected with others. If the world line is empty, the matter will naturally resolve itself and reconciliation is suitable. If the response line is empty, this lawsuit will have no definite end.

見世持鬼、鬼動入墓，卦中無財，必在獄中死。 凡卦爻變鬼，刑沖家身世，主徒流之罪。

If the world line is held by the official ghost, and this ghost moves into the storage, and the hexagram lacks the wealth line to respond, this person will certainly die in prison. Whenever a hexagram line transforms into the official ghost, if there is a punishment and clash between the hexagram body and the world line, it mainly indicates imprisonment or exile.

如金又是鬼，刑剋身世，化死墓絕，必主死罪官事。不宜官鬼動，動則看來生合沖剋世應，以定彼此吉凶。

If the transformed official ghost belongs to the metal element and it harms both the hexagram body and the world line, and if it enters the dead, tomb, or critical positions, it certainly indicates a serious capital crime. Official ghosts are most favorable when they remain stationary; once they move, we should determine whether they harmonize with or clash against the world line and the response line, thereby judging the fortune of our side and the opposing side.

脫事散憂，子孫旺相；世動自消，不成凶象。

To escape from entangled matters and dispel worries from the heart, one relies on the prosperity and strength of the Children line, as the Children are the deities that resolve worries. If the World Line itself initiates action, the matter will resolve itself naturally, without forming ainauspicious sign (evil omen).

凡占脫事散憂，要子孫旺相出現，或子孫獨發，世爻動亦自散。忌應爻克世，鬼爻旺相，獨發凶。

When divining about getting rid of troubles or dispelling worries, one should look for the Children line to be prosperous and strong and appear in the hexagram, or for the Children line to be alone and prominent. If the World Line moves, the matter will resolve itself. It is unfavorable if the Response Line overcomes the World Line, or if the Official Ghost line is prosperous and strong. If the Official Ghost line is alone and active, it will be ominous.

或問：世動自消，不成凶象，何也？答曰：只是世動，我可脫，如財動，利乾貨之義。

Someone asked: It is said that when the World Line moves, the matter will resolve itself and not form ainauspicious sign, what is the reason behind this? The answer is: As long as the World Line moves, I myself can escape; just like when the Wealth Line moves, it is beneficial for selling goods, movement allows things to be resolved.

又問：世動出官鬼，如何？曰：世動只是遲滯難脫，主亦無事，若占論何日出禁？須要得日辰沖散六害，方出。如世爻持未，得丑爻動，或日辰是丑，當是丑日出獄也。身爻世爻被太歲沖、生、合，有赦也。

Another question: If the World Line moves and transforms into the Official Ghost, what does that mean? The answer is: That is merely a delay and difficulty in escaping, but in the end there will be no major problems. If one wants to know on which day they will be released from prison, they must wait until the Day Branch dispels the six harms, then they can be released. For example, if the World Line holds the branch Wei and the branch Chou moves, or if the Day Branch is exactly Chou, then because Wei and Chou are opposing, they should be released on the day of Chou. If the Hexagram Body and the World Line are affected by the Tai Su (year branch) through conflict, generation, or conjunction, that is a sign of a great amnesty.

假令有人占推役與人，要世空，子托獨發，旺相，又要官鬼空，或官入墓絕，應持鬼好。若世生官凶，難脫破財，官鬼動化出，同。

For example, if someone divines about passing on a duty to someone else, they want the World Line to be empty, the Children to be active and strong, and the Official Ghost to be empty or to fall into the墓地 or绝地. The Response Line should hold the Official Ghost, meaning the responsibility will be transferred to the other person. If the World Line instead generates the Official Ghost, it will be bad, as the person will not be able to avoid the duty and will also suffer financial loss. If the Official Ghost becomes active and transforms into another line, the outcome will be the same.

且如疑一人阻我事，要占是他否？專看應爻持財，子父並安靜，不是，空亦然；應是官鬼，或化出兄弟，是此人也。

For example, if you suspect someone is obstructing you, to determine whether it is really him, you should look at the response line. If the response line is connected to the wealth line, and the children and parents lines are quiet, then it is not him. If the response line is empty, it is also not him. If the response line is the official ghost line, or transforms into the siblings line, then it is indeed him.

凡占疾病，應藥世身；若坐墓鬼，病主昏沉。

When divining about illness, the Response Line represents the medicine taken, and the World Line represents the patient themselves. If the World Line is located on the Storage and also sits on the Official Ghost, the patient will be confused and unconscious.

封有三墓：宮基、鬼墓，以世為身，忌生鬼爻。本宮墓鬼得之者，主自身合災，暴病未可，久病必死。

In one hexagram there are three types of墓 (burial places). Here we first mention the墓 of the native palace and the墓 of the official ghost (官鬼). The third type, the墓 of wealth (财墓), will be discussed later. When divining about illness, the world line (世爻) represents the patient himself. It is undesirable for it to generate the official ghost (官鬼)爻. If the world line is exactly sitting on the墓 of its own palace and also on the墓 of the official ghost, this indicates that the person himself is destined to suffer misfortune: suddenly acquiring a severe illness that cannot be cured quickly, or a long-standing illness that will certainly result in death.

以應為藥，忌坐鬼爻，旺相凶。本宮墓鬼得之，主無藥，服藥不效，大怕申酉爻持世，占病重大忌，木爻獨發，鬼爻旺相、伏世下，旺又動克世。

The Response Line represents medicine, and it is undesirable for the Response Line to be seated on the Official Ghost. If the Official Ghost is also prosperous and strong, it is ominous. If the World Line is afflicted by the墓鬼 (grave) of its own palace, it indicates there is no appropriate medicine, and taking medicine will not be effective. In divination about illness, it is most feared for the Yin Line (申) or Metal Line (酉) to hold the World Line, which is a major taboo. It is also undesirable for a Wood Line to appear alone; it is also feared if the Official Ghost is prosperous and strong and hidden beneath the World Line, or if the Official Ghost is both prosperous and active, thus attacking the World Line.

或問：卦有三墓，何謂三墓？答曰：如天風姤卦，旁爻丑持世，乾宮屬金墓在丑，此是宮墓。如中孚封，世持辛未，艮官屬土，以寅木為鬼，木墓在未，此是鬼墓。如泰卦，甲辰持世，坤宮屬土，以亥水為財，水墓在辰，此是財墓。

Someone asked: There are three types of墓 in the Book of Changes, which are they? The answer is: For example, in the hexagram Tian Feng Gou, the secondary line holds Xin Chou, and Gou belongs to the Qian palace. The Qian palace belongs to the metal element, and the burial place of metal is Chou, which is called 'palace墓'. Another example is Feng Ze Zhong Fu, where the world line holds Xin Wei, and Zhong Fu belongs to the Gen palace. The Gen palace belongs to the earth element, and the wood element, which overcomes earth, is the official ghost. The burial place of wood is Wei, which is called 'ghost墓'. Another example is Di Tian Tai, where Jiachen holds the world line, and Tai belongs to the Kun palace. The Kun palace belongs to the earth element, and the water element, which is overcome by earth, is the wife's wealth. The burial place of water is Chen, which is called 'wealth墓'.

問：何謂得之？曰：得之者，世爻上逢之也。世為我身也，凡墓爻故主自身合災也。暴病未可者，墓滯也，故未可。久病必死者，病久氣衰，而又入墓，豈得不死？

Another question: What does "得之" mean? The answer is: "得之" refers to the World Line coinciding with this墓. The World Line represents oneself, and if there is a墓 on the World Line, it indicates that the person is destined to have misfortune. It is said that an acute illness cannot be cured quickly because the墓 signifies stagnation, and when the vital energy is blocked, it cannot recover suddenly. It is said that a chronic illness will certainly lead to death because, over time, the original vital energy has already weakened, and now entering the Storage further worsens the condition; how could one not die?

又問：何不言財墓？曰：財墓吉兆，故以財言之，若占婦人，逢此須大忌。

Another question: Why is the wealth墓 (wealth grave) not mentioned? The answer is: The wealth墓 is originally a good omen, so it is only discussed in terms of wealth. However, if the divination is about a woman's illness, and wealth is her useful god, encountering the wealth墓 must be greatly avoided.

又問：鬼爻旺相伏世下何也？曰：世為我身，鬼伏世下，是病隨我，所以忌之。

Another question: Why is it undesirable for the official ghost to be prosperous and strong while hidden beneath the world line? The answer is: The world line represents myself; if the ghost is hidden beneath the world line, it is like illness following me closely, hence it is to be avoided.

看鬼伏何爻下，於金木水火土分辨之，伏父母，憂心得，或動土得，或往修造處得。鬼伏兄弟動，失飢傷飽得，或因口舌氣上得。鬼伏子孫動，因牽惹得，或欲事太過得。鬼伏財，飲食得，或買物件得。官鬼出現，驚恐怪異，或寺觀宙宇中得。

To determine the cause of the illness, look at which line the official ghost is under, and then distinguish according to metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. If the ghost is under the parents line, the illness is due to worry and overwork, or from moving earth and wood, or from going to a construction site. If the ghost is under the siblings line and the siblings are active, the illness is due to irregular eating that harms the spleen and stomach, or from arguments and anger. If the ghost is under the children line and the children are active, the illness is due to being involved in others' affairs, or from excessive sexual activity. If the ghost is under the wealth line, the illness is due to diet, or from buying something and bringing it back. If the official ghost appears directly on the hexagram, the illness is due to fright or encountering strange things, or from being in temples, shrines, or religious sites.

土下伏土，瘡腫；火下火，手足；金見金，悶亂；木下木，寒熱；水下水，冷疾；金下火，喘滿；陽宮財動主吐；陰宮財動主瀉。鬼爻現外，金鬼爻伏裡，主心腹病。鬼在內地，下受病。鬼在外動，上受病。用爻同。

Now looking at the matching of the five phases between the flying and hidden lines: if a soil line is hidden beneath a soil line, it indicates sores and swellings; if a fire line is hidden beneath a fire line, the illness is in the hands and feet; if a metal line is hidden beneath a metal line, it indicates chest discomfort and confusion; if a wood line is hidden beneath a wood line, it indicates sudden chills and fever; if a water line is hidden beneath a water line, it indicates cold diseases; if a metal line is hidden beneath a fire line, it indicates shortness of breath and fullness. If a wealth line in a yang palace moves, it indicates vomiting; if a wealth line in a yin palace moves, it indicates diarrhea. If the official ghost is in the outer trigram and the hidden metal ghost is in the inner trigram, it indicates diseases of the chest and abdomen. If the ghost is in the inner trigram, the illness starts from the lower part; if the ghost is in the outer trigram and moves, the illness starts from the upper part. The position of the useful god is also interpreted in the same way.

土動主瀉，木動發寒，金動四肢或滿悶，火動發熱。木主足，金主頭、土主胸腹，火主手目，水主耳腎。飛伏俱旺相，飛為化因，以伏為受病。又世為動爻，在內下受病，應為動爻，在外上受病，間爻動，主胸膈病症。

Now consider the symptoms based on the Five Phases of the moving lines: a moving earth line indicates diarrhea, a moving wood line indicates chills, a moving metal line indicates discomfort in the limbs or fullness in the chest, and a moving fire line indicates fever. According to the body parts: wood affects the feet, metal affects the head, earth affects the chest and abdomen, fire affects the hands and eyes, and water affects the ears and kidneys. If both flying and hidden lines are prosperous and strong, the flying line represents the external cause of the illness, while the hidden line is the actual affected area. In addition, if the world line is a moving line, the illness is internal and in the lower part; if the response line is a moving line, the illness is external and in the upper part; if the intermediate line moves, it indicates symptoms between the chest and diaphragm.

《易鏡》云：且如長男受病，宜純震之不搖，小女染病，則兌卦之不動。大忌申酉持世，木爻獨發者，申為喪車，酉為喪服，木為棺槨耳。

The "Yijing Jing" says: For example, if a young man falls ill, it is appropriate to have the pure Zhen trigram and for the six lines not to move; if a young woman is ill, it is appropriate to have the Dui trigram and for it to be still and unmoving. Zhen represents the young man, Dui represents the young woman, and when the trigram of the native's destiny is still, the illness will not change. Divination for illness most fears the Shen yao and You yao holding the world position while the Mu yao alone rises, because Shen is a hearse, You is mourning clothes, and Mu is a coffin. When these three are combined, it is the image of death.

以財為祿，以鬼為祟；鬼爻旺相，獨發大忌。

When divining about illness, the wife and wealth line represents food and sustenance, while the official and ghost line represents the malevolent forces causing the illness. If the official and ghost line is already strong and prosperous, it is already unfavorable. If it then moves alone, it becomes an even greater taboo.

凡占婦人病，喜子孫旺相，持世，安靜；忌財伏鬼下，兄弟持世，兄弟獨發。世克應，內克外，主吐；應克世，外克內，主瀉。

When divining about a woman's illness, it is favorable if the Children line is prosperous and strong, holds the World Line, and is quiet, because the Children line can control the Official Ghost line; it is unfavorable if the Wealth line is hidden under the Official Ghost line, if the Siblings line holds the World Line, or if the Siblings line is alone prominent. If the World Line controls the Response Line and the Inner Trigram controls the Outer Trigram, it indicates vomiting; if the Response Line controls the World Line and the Outer Trigram controls the Inner Trigram, it indicates diarrhea.

或問：婦人病占喜子孫旺相、世安何也？答曰：此即用財以子孫輔之義。忌財伏鬼、兄弟持世，即用財伏兄之義。

Someone asked: Why is it favorable for the children's line to be prosperous and strong and for the world line to be quiet when divining the illness of a woman? The answer is: A woman uses wealth as her useful god, which is exactly the principle mentioned earlier, "using wealth and supporting it with children." As for the case where wealth is hidden by ghosts and siblings hold the world line, this is the principle discussed in the chapter "using wealth hidden by siblings."

又問：內克外何故主吐？曰：內為腹、外為口也，外克內主瀉。

Another question: Why does the inner trigram overcoming the outer trigram indicate vomiting? The answer is: The inner trigram represents the abdomen, and the outer trigram represents the mouth. When the qi from the abdomen rises to the mouth, it causes vomiting. Conversely, when the outer trigram overcomes the inner trigram, the qi descends from above to press downward, leading to diarrhea.

主爻伏鬼，或伏兄弟；或伏父母，旺相大忌。

When divining about illness, if the main yao representing the patient is hidden beneath the Official Ghost, or beneath the Siblings, or beneath the Parents, these three situations are all unfavorable. If the yao that is pressing upon it is also prosperous and strong, it becomes an even greater忌.

亂動之卦，只取主爻，大抵休囚、伏兄弟、父母、官鬼之下，克世者死。蓋兄無食，父母無藥，官鬼真病。凡得八純、游魂卦，病者決主沉重，占小兒主死。

When the hexagram shows chaotic movement, only the main yao representing the patient should be considered for interpretation. Generally, if the main yao is weak and confined, and is located beneath the siblings, parents, or official ghost yao, and these yao also attack the world yao, the patient is likely to die. If the main yao is under the siblings yao, the patient cannot eat; if under the parents yao, there is no medicine available; if under the official ghost yao, the illness itself is the real disease. If an eight pure hexagram or a wandering soul hexagram is obtained, the illness is certainly severe. When divining for a child's illness, it indicates death.

或問：主爻伏鬼，伏兄、伏父之下？曰：此即財伏兄，財伏父母，官伏兄之義，舉一隅，則三隅反矣。

Someone asked: If the main爻 is hidden under the ghost, hidden under the brother, or hidden under the parent, how should this be explained? The answer is: This is exactly the principle discussed in the previous chapters of 「wealth hidden by the brother」, 「wealth hidden by the parents」, and 「official hidden by the brother」. By illustrating one case, the other three can be inferred in reverse, without the need to establish new explanations.

又問：八純、游魂、歸魂卦，占病沉重，占小兒主死，何也？曰：此三卦，世持父母，官鬼，兄弟，或子孫伏父母下，占大人病重，占小兒病死。

Another question: Why do the three types of hexagrams—pure hexagrams, wandering souls, and returning souls—indicate serious illness when divining for an adult and death when divining for a child? The answer is: In these three types of hexagrams, the world line is often occupied by the parents, official ghost, or siblings, or the children are directly under the parents; thus, when divining for an adult, it indicates a severe illness, but when divining for a child, it indicates death.

以應為醫，以子為藥；鬼爻旺相，大忌獨發。

Divination for medicine uses the response line to represent the doctor and the children line to represent medicine. The children line is the god that controls the official ghost, which exactly matches the meaning of medicine curing illness. If the official ghost is prosperous and strong, it indicates danger. If it also moves alone, it is a major warning.

夫卦之疾病，以用為主，以鬼為病。

In any divination about illness, the Useful God is the main focus, and the Official Ghost represents the disease.

金鬼，肺腑疾、喘嗽、氣急、虛怯、瘦瘠、或瘡疥、血光，或筋骨病。 木鬼，四肢不遂。肝膽主病、右瘓左癱、口眼歪斜。 水鬼，沉塞、痼冷、腰痛、腎氣淋瀝、遺精、白濁、吐瀉。 火鬼，頭痛發熱、心胸焦渴、加朱雀狂言譫語、陽症、傷寒、嗝逆。 土鬼，脾胃發脹；黃腫虛浮、瘟疫時氣。

Official Ghost (官鬼) belonging to the Metal element indicates lung and internal organ diseases, shortness of breath, coughing, rapid breathing, physical weakness, emaciation, or skin conditions like sores and blood disorders, or problems with bones and muscles. Official Ghost belonging to the Wood element indicates inability to move the limbs, illness in the liver and gallbladder, paralysis on the right side and weakness on the left, and crooked mouth and eyes. Official Ghost belonging to the Water element indicates blocked energy flow, long-term coldness, lower back pain, kidney-related discomfort, seminal discharge, turbid discharge, and vomiting and diarrhea. Official Ghost belonging to the Fire element indicates headaches and fever, chest heat and thirst; if combined with Vermilion Bird (朱雀), it indicates delirium and hallucinations, belonging to Yang symptoms, cold damage, and hiccups. Official Ghost belonging to the Earth element indicates fullness in the spleen and stomach, yellow and swollen face, and epidemic diseases.

凡占病，必察用爻，占父母，必要父母有氣。縱遇凶卦，但主沉重，不致喪亡，若用爻空亡及不上卦，更逢凶殺，決主不起。用爻無氣，若得旁爻動來生扶，此同生旺，決無咎處。若凶殺臨父母，或父母空，便可言雙親有病，諸爻皆然。

When divining about illness, it is essential to examine the useful god. When divining about the illness of parents, the parents' trigram must have vitality; even if a凶卦 (unfavorable hexagram) appears, the illness will be severe but not fatal. If the useful god falls into the empty亡 (empty) position or does not appear in the hexagram, and is accompanied by凶煞 (malevolent stars), then the person will certainly be unable to get up. Even if the useful god lacks vitality, as long as other trigrams activate to generate and support it, it is the same as the trigram being vital and prosperous, and there will be no harm. If凶煞 (malevolent stars) appear on the parents' trigram or the parents' trigram falls into the empty亡 (empty) position, then it can be concluded that the parents are ill; the same method applies to other trigrams representing different people.

鬼爻持世，沉重，絕日輕可。鬼化鬼，其病進退，或有變病，或舊病再發，或症候駁雜，一卦二鬼亦然。鬼爻持世，病難除根，鬼帶殺持世，為瘵病難脫體，乃養老病矣。

Official Ghost holds the world, indicating a serious illness, and it will only ease when the Official Ghost enters its period of decline. If the Official Ghost transforms into another Official Ghost, the illness may fluctuate, or it may turn into a different illness, or an old illness recurs, or multiple symptoms are unclear. If there are two instances of Official Ghost in one hexagram, the situation is similar. When Official Ghost holds the world, the illness is difficult to cure completely. If the Official Ghost is accompanied by malevolent stars, it indicates a chronic illness such as tuberculosis, which can only be treated as a lifelong condition requiring careful care.

青龍臨用爻或福德爻，其病雖重終可療。青龍空亡卦無吉解，病凶。 白虎臨父母當損，若值財上妻遭傷。子孫際遇終成否，兄弟逢之亦不昌。更並官爻臨世上，自身須忌有災殃。

The Azure Dragon appearing on the Useful God or the Fortune Virtue and Children lines indicates that although the illness is severe, it can ultimately be cured. However, if the Azure Dragon falls into the empty亡 position and there are no other auspicious deities in the hexagram to rescue, the illness becomes dangerous. The White Tiger appearing on the Parents line indicates damage to the parents; if it appears on the Wealth line, the wife will suffer harm; if it appears on the Children line, the children will have difficulties; if it appears on the Siblings line, the siblings will not prosper. If the White Tiger also appears together with the Official line on the World Line, one should be cautious of calamity affecting oneself.

金鬼不宜針，木鬼不宜草木，水鬼不宜湯飲湯洗之類，火鬼不宜灸熨，土鬼不宜服丸藥。 金鬼可炙，木鬼藥方，火鬼帶服鬼劑，水鬼宜服熱劑，土鬼宜服木藥。 金鬼利南方，木鬼利西方，水鬼利土值，火鬼利北方，土鬼利東方求請醫者。

According to the Five Phases of the Official Ghost, the treatment methods should be avoided or used accordingly. Metal Ghosts should not be treated with acupuncture, Wood Ghosts should not be treated with herbal remedies, Water Ghosts should not be treated with decoctions or washing with water, Fire Ghosts should not be treated with moxibustion or heat application, and Earth Ghosts should not take pills. Conversely, Metal Ghosts can be treated with moxibustion, Wood Ghosts should be treated with prescriptions and decoctions, Fire Ghosts should take agents that suppress fire, Water Ghosts should take warm and hot remedies, and Earth Ghosts should take medicines of the Wood type. The direction for seeking a doctor also varies: Metal Ghosts benefit from going to the South, Wood Ghosts benefit from going to the West, Water Ghosts benefit from going to the Earth direction, Fire Ghosts benefit from going to the North, and Earth Ghosts benefit from going to the East.

又，丑鬼不可(食)牛肉，未子孫當食羊。 鬼爻在內，病自內生，鬼又在外，災自外至。火鬼必在南方；金鬼必在西方，道路生災，又為主胸，金鬼則病在肺家，逢火作膿，見木生風，遇蛇虛悶。

In addition, the ghostly yao (ghost yao) at the Chou (ox) position should not eat beef, because Chou belongs to the ox; the children yao (子孙爻) at the Wei (sheep) position should eat lamb, because Wei belongs to the sheep, and the children yao are divine beings of fortune, suitable for their corresponding substances. If the ghost yao is in the inner trigram, the illness originates from within the body; if the ghost yao is in the outer trigram, the disaster comes from outside. The fire ghost corresponds to the south; the metal ghost corresponds to the west, indicating disaster on the road and also affecting the chest. The illness of the metal ghost is in the lungs. When fire comes to overcome it, it turns into pus; when wood comes, it causes wind symptoms; when the snake (螣蛇) appears, it causes chest tightness and discomfort.

家宅吉占，專用財福；財旺子空，豈無嗣續。

Divination of the fortune of a family's dwelling focuses on the wife's wealth and the children's virtue and fortune. The wealth爻 represents the family's business, while the children爻 represents the descendants. If the wealth爻 is prosperous and strong but the children爻 is empty, although the family's business is substantial, the descendants become a weakness. This rhetorical question reminds people that a family cannot exist without someone to carry on the family line.

卦之家宅，專用財福，上卦如無財福，便是平常之宅。無刑沖剋制，有青龍龍德臨宅，乃是大吉之家。以內三爻為家，逢乾強盛，遇坎則陷，逢艮則止，遇震則動，逢巽則搖，遇離則麗，逢坤則靜，遇兌則說。若陽長則吉，陰長則消。

When divining the fortune of a house, one should focus solely on the wealth爻 and the fortune virtue爻. If the卦 does not show both wealth and fortune virtue, then it is just an ordinary house. If there is no punishment and clash or clash and control in the house, and if the azure dragon and dragon virtue are present on the house爻, then it is a very auspicious house. The inner third line represents the house itself; observe which hexagram it forms: if it meets Qian, the house's energy is strong; if it meets Kan, there may be a depression; if it meets Gen, it will stop and not advance; if it meets Zhen, there will be instability; if it meets Xun, it will be uncertain; if it meets Li, it will be bright and splendid; if it meets Kun, it will be quiet; if it meets Dui, it will be harmonious and joyful. In general, if yang energy grows, it is auspicious; if yin energy grows, it will decline and deteriorate.

以印綬為堂屋，妻財為廚灶，子孫為廊廟，官鬼為前廳，合亦為門，沖乃為路，五為梁拄，上為棟牆。旺相為新，休因為舊，青龍為左，白虎為右，朱雀論前，玄武為後，螣蛇為論中。

The symbolic representations for different parts of a house are: the official ghost represents the front hall, the parents' line represents the main hall, the wealth line represents the kitchen and stove, the children's line represents the corridors and wings, and the official ghost represents the front hall; the line that harmonizes with the hexagram body is the door, and the line that conflicts with the hexagram body is the road; the fifth line represents the beams, and the top line represents the main beam and walls. A line that is prosperous and strong indicates a newly built structure, while a line that is weak and confined indicates an old building. In terms of directions, the azure dragon is on the left, the white tiger is on the right, the vermilion bird is in front, the black tortoise is behind, and the qing snake is in the center.

水爻有水，木爻有木，遇艮有山，逢震有路，父母為橋道墳墓，子孫為寺觀廟宇。官鬼旺，則訟庭官族；休囚，則軍匠客墓；妻帶財吉，則富室豪門；伏官則贅夫招婿之家。逢吉生合身世則吉，逢凶刑剋身世則凶。

If there is a water line in the hexagram and there is water near the house, if there is a wood line and there are trees near the house, if the hexagram is Gen (Mountain), there is a mountain nearby; if the hexagram is Zhen (Thunder), there is a road nearby. The parents line represents bridges, roads, and tombs. The children line represents temples, monasteries, and shrines. If the official ghost line is prosperous and strong, this family is either one that often goes to court or a family of officials; if the official ghost line is weak and confined, it is a military household, a craftsman household, or a burial ground for people from elsewhere. If the wife line carries wealth and is auspicious, it is a wealthy family; if the official ghost line is hidden and not visible, it is a family that has married in by a son-in-law. All these lines, if auspicious deities come to generate and harmonise with the hexagram body and the world line, will be auspicious; if malevolent deities come to injure and overcome the hexagram body and the world line, they will be inauspicious.

父母持世承祖居；父母化財，必出贅；財爻空或動，難享現成；父母空或身動，難招遺業。

If the parents'爻 holds the world, it indicates inheriting the ancestral home. If the parents'爻 transforms into the wealth爻, the person is destined to marry into another family. If the wealth爻 is empty or active, they will not enjoy the existing family property. If the parents'爻 is empty or the hexagram body is active, they will not be able to inherit the ancestral property.

福應生世，為我後裔；兄動財空。斷不可繼。

The Children's Fortune Virtue line is in the responding position and generates the World Line, indicating my own descendants. If the Siblings line is activated and the Wealth line falls into an empty position, it indicates that the family business will not be inherited by anyone.

卦之人口，陽多則男多、陰多則女多。以父母為家主，以官鬼為丈夫，以妻財為婦人，以子孫為小口，以兄弟為同氣。財動傷尊，父動子憂，子動官傷，官動兄弟愁苦，兄弟獨發又為克妻之兆。

When divining about the members of a family, a greater number of yang lines indicates more male members, while a greater number of yin lines indicates more female members. The symbolic representations are: parents represent the head of the family, official ghost represents the husband, wife and wealth represent the wife, children represent the young, and siblings represent fellow family members of the same generation. If the wealth line becomes active, it harms the elders; if the parents line becomes active, the children suffer; if the children line becomes active, the official ghost is harmed; if the official ghost line becomes active, the siblings suffer. If the siblings line becomes active alone, it is a sign of harm to the wife.

妻在內則住近，卦有二財，必主兄弟。子在外招遲，爻屬水當主數一。

The wife's wealth hexagram is within the inner trigram, indicating marriage to a woman from a nearby family. If there are two wealth hexagrams in one hexagram, there must be brothers in the family. If the children's hexagram is in the outer trigram, having children will be delayed. If the hexagram belongs to water, it indicates one child according to the number of water.

卦無父母，占人壽命弗延，爻無妻財，兄伯貧窮是準，有子孫龍喜而無父母者，具家有遊子，白虎臨，而出僧道巫覡。有財而無官者，錢財必耗散，朱雀臨，而習呼唱賭博。有鬼無子，多怪夢而絕嗣，有鬼無財，主疾病以多端。父祖有官，必逢祿馬貴人；本身有藝，定是親神全木。

If the hexagram lacks the parents' line, it indicates a short lifespan. If the line lacks the wife's wealth, the brothers and uncles will certainly be poor. If there are children's lines along with the Azure Dragon and Heavenly Joy but no parents' lines, there is someone in the family who is wandering outside and has not returned. If the White Tiger is present above, the family will produce monks, Taoists, or male and female witches. If there is wealth but no official ghost line, the money will certainly be wasted. If the Vermilion Bird is present above, the family is accustomed to singing and gambling. If there are official ghosts but no children's lines, there will be many strange dreams and the family will eventually become extinct. If there are official ghosts but no wealth, it indicates many diseases. If ancestors or elders have held official positions, the hexagram must include the禄神 (Lùshén,禄神), Post Horse, and Nobleman. If a person has a skill, the close lines and divine omens will certainly gather on wood, as wood represents craftsmanship.

起造遷移，財靜人安；鬼發招禍，遷動俱難。

When divining about building a house or moving residence, the wealth hexagram should be calm to ensure the family's peace. If the official ghost hexagram becomes active, misfortune will be brought in. At that time, whether it is breaking ground for construction or moving, things will be difficult to accomplish.

起造移屋，要子孫，財爻旺相，出現持世，忌官鬼、父母、妻、子、兄弟獨發，凶。父母為尊長，兄弟為六親，妻財為妻奴，子孫為鬼女，官鬼為凶殃，以上獨發，論之看克何爻取之。如占住屋居第二爻動，住不久遠。若脫屋求財，利二爻動，官在第二五動，必可脫也，不動難得脫也。

When constructing a house or moving residence, the Children's line and the Wealth line should be prosperous and strong, appearing on the hexagram and holding the world line. It is undesirable for any of the Six Relations—Parents, Siblings, Wealth, Children, or Official Ghost—to be activated alone, as solitary activation is ominous. The symbolic meanings are: Parents represent the family's elders, Siblings represent the six relations, Wealth represents the wife and servants, Children represent the offspring, and Official Ghost represents misfortune and calamity. If any of these lines is activated alone, observe which line it is attacking, and based on that make a judgment. For example, if the hexagram's second line is activated, the current residence will not be occupied for long. If one wishes to sell the house for money, it is actually favorable for the second line to be activated. If the Official Ghost is activated on the second or fifth lines, the house will definitely be sold. If these two lines remain inactive, it will be difficult to sell the house.

或問：財靜人安，則動便不安，何也？答曰：蓋父母為宅，財動便克父母，所以不安也。

Someone asked: If the wealth hexagram is still, people are at ease, but when the wealth hexagram moves, people become uneasy. Why is this? The answer is: Because the parents hexagram represents the dwelling, and when the wealth hexagram moves, it overcomes the parents hexagram, and the dwelling is affected, so people naturally become uneasy.

又問：第二爻動，住不久遠，何也？曰：第二爻為宅，宜靜不宜動也。

Again the question was asked: Why does the second line not remain active for long? The answer was given: The second line is the line representing the house. The house line should be still and not moving; once it moves, the house will not stay.

鬼墓方為聖堂，子墓方為牲畜，財墓方為倉庫，絕為廁，兄墓得直方水生旺處為井，應為屋，鬼為廳，福為廊，財為房屋櫥櫃，兄為門。身持兄得，五事俱全，不可空，無刑沖剋，上等屋也。內有一爻被沖剋，主有損壞，得空為妙。

The direction where the Storage of Official Ghost is located is the position of the holy hall and shrine, the direction of the Storage of Children is where the livestock pen is, the direction of the Storage of Wealth is where the warehouse is, and the direction of 绝地 is where the toilet is. If the Storage of Siblings is located in the current direction and also falls in a place where water is in a favorable and thriving position, that is where the well is. In addition, the Response Line represents the whole house, Official Ghost represents the hall, 奉德 represents the corridors and eaves, Wealth represents the cabinets in the house, and Siblings represents the entrance and gate. If the The Hexagram Body is on Siblings and is properly positioned, and all the above five elements are complete, and none of them are empty or subjected to punishment and clash or 克害, then it is an excellent house. If any one line is subjected to clash and control, it indicates that part is damaged; this line is better if it is empty, as emptiness means there is nothing to be damaged.

如父在初爻，一層屋，二三爻闊遠，四五爻樓闊遠，上爻者，深遠，重迭屋也。如他爻變出父，屋分兩處，父空二地；地變鬼或伏鬼下，非公吏舍必是官房，不然有病人，有此象當招口舌，或招官司。父在上，未住，在下，現住。

If the parents' line is in the first line, there is only one room; if it is in the second or third line, the house is spacious and deep; if it is in the fourth or fifth line, there are upper floors and the house is wide and deep; if it is in the top line, the house is extremely deep with multiple sections. If other lines change into the parents' line, the house is divided into two parts; if the parents' line is empty, there are two empty plots. If the official ghost line appears in the house or the house line is under the ghost line, the house is not a residence for government officials or a government building, but rather there is a sick person in the house. Seeing this卦象 indicates potential for disputes or legal troubles. If the parents' line is in the upper trigram, the person has not yet moved in; if it is in the lower trigram, the person is currently living there.

凡卦身或空，未住；身並，現住。身值鬼，屋下有伏尸。將屋脫錢，要財旺身衰，喜父空，要沖克財合身為妙。不喜化出財爻，克害為凶。

If the hexagram body falls into an empty position, the house is not yet occupied. If the hexagram body and the dwelling爻 are in the same position, the house is currently occupied. If the hexagram body is exactly the official ghost, there are hidden corpses beneath the house. To sell the house for money, the wealth爻 should be strong while the hexagram body is weak, and it is favorable if the parents爻 fall into an empty position—since parents represent the house, and an empty house can be sold. It is also good if there is a爻 that clashes and controls the wealth爻 and harmonizes with the hexagram body. This is most favorable. It is not desirable for the hexagram body to transform into a wealth爻; if the transformed wealth爻 instead harms the hexagram body, it will be ominous.

內卦二爻為宅，看動：金動公事至，木動風水惡，土動生瘟氣，水動傍河不吉，火動於鬧路中，口舌，靜吉。

The second line of the inner trigram is the dwelling line. It is specifically used to determine whether it is moving or not: if a metal line moves, there will be official matters coming to the house; if a wood line moves, the feng shui is bad; if a soil line moves, there will be an outbreak of plague; if a water line moves, the house is located by the river, which is not auspicious; if a fire line moves, the house is near a noisy crossroad, leading to disputes. If the dwelling line is still, it is favorable.

外卦六爻看動：兄動夫婦不團圓。父動上人多憂，陰小六畜，子功爻旺喜事重重。官動災禍難言，財動難為大人，女人不正。

The sixth line at the top of the outer trigram is also examined to see if it is active or not: if the siblings line is active, husband and wife cannot be united; if the parents line is active, elders will have many worries, and it also indicates that the young children and domestic animals in the family will be unsettled; if the children line is active and strong, there will be many joyful events; if the official ghost line is active, misfortunes are hard to describe; if the wealth line is active, it is unfavorable for the adults in the family and also indicates improper behavior by women.

父衰財旺，收成有望；又值福鄉，花利千倉。

Divination for farming shows that if the parents' hexagram is weak but the wealth hexagram is strong, there is hope for a good harvest. The parents' hexagram represents labor and expenditure, while the wealth hexagram signifies the harvest and gain. If the wealth hexagram also falls in the path of children and fortune virtue, then fortune can generate wealth, indicating a prosperous harvest with abundant profits.

卦之耕種，專要財福上卦，最忌鬼值五位，收成不利。世克應，倉廩實；外克內，倉廩虛。又，初爻為田，鬼克，田瘦薄，難植作。二又為種，鬼克主再種。三爻為生長，鬼克主不茂。四又為秀實，鬼旺多草費功夫。五爻為收成，鬼克主不利。以上推土鬼克不妨。六爻為農夫，鬼克主有疾病。

When divining a卦 for farming, the most important thing is that both the wealth line and the fortune virtue line are in the upper trigram. The most undesirable situation is when the official ghost falls on the fifth line, which indicates an unfavorable harvest. If the world line overcomes the response line, the granaries will be full. If the outer trigram overcomes the inner trigram, the granaries will be empty. In addition, each of the six lines has its own function: the first line represents the land; if it is overcome by the ghost, the land will be poor and difficult to plant. The second line represents the seeds; if it is overcome by the ghost, it indicates the need to replant once. The third line represents the growth of the crops; if it is overcome by the ghost, the crops will not grow vigorously. The fourth line represents the flowering and fruiting; if the ghost is strong, there will be lots of weeds and the effort will be wasted. The fifth line represents the harvest; if it is overcome by the ghost, the harvest will be unfavorable. If the line that is overcome is the earth ghost, it is not a problem. The sixth line represents the farmer; if it is overcome by the ghost, the farmer will fall ill.

金鬼旱蝗，火鬼大旱，水鬼水災，木鬼耗損。一卦兩鬼，兩家合種。年豐必須官鬼空亡，大抵財爻宜旺，不宜落空則吉。金財旺相，早禾倍收。土財旺相，晚禾豐稔。金土二爻雖不臨財，但遇吉神，亦準可論吉。

Official Ghosts belonging to the Metal element indicate drought and locust plagues; those belonging to the Fire element indicate severe drought; those belonging to the Water element indicate water disasters; and those belonging to the Wood element indicate losses. If a hexagram contains two Official Ghosts, it signifies two households working together in farming. To ensure a bountiful harvest, the Official Ghosts must fall into the empty state. Generally, wealth lines are favorable when they are prosperous and unfavorable when they fall into the empty state. If the wealth line belongs to Metal and is prosperous, early rice will be harvested in double the amount; if the wealth line belongs to Earth and is prosperous, late rice will be abundant. Even if the Metal and Earth lines are not directly associated with wealth, as long as they encounter auspicious deities, they can still be interpreted as favorable.

財旺福興，占蠶大吉；爻鬼交重，不賽終失。

Divination for raising silkworms shows a great auspicious sign if the wealth hexagram is strong and fortune virtue is flourishing. However, if the hexagram has official ghost as intersecting and repeating and becomes active, it indicates that there is no offering to deities, and the silkworm raising will eventually suffer losses.

卦占蠶事，先看定值。鬼爻持世不吉，有財有子為佳。鬼動當遠賽，兄動則有損，子孫木火大吉，亥子溼死，金上白福，土乃半收。安靜則吉，發動不利。

Divination for the silkworm harvest begins by looking at which line is currently active. If the official ghost holds the world line, it is not auspicious, but if there is wealth and children's line present, it is good. If the official ghost is activated, one should go far away to offer prayers and thank the deities. If the siblings line is activated, there will be losses. Children's line belonging to wood or fire is very auspicious. If the children's line is on the water lines亥 or 子, the silkworms will die from dampness. If the children's line is on the metal line, there will be white silk and good fortune. If the children's line belongs to earth, only half the harvest will be obtained. In summary, if the hexagram lines are quiet, it is auspicious, but if they are activated, it is unfavorable.

旺財相福，牲畜有益；虎動鬼興；必防損失。

When divining about raising livestock, if the Wealth trigram is strong and the Fortune Virtue trigram is harmonious, the livestock will thrive and gain benefits. However, if the White Tiger trigram is activated and the Official Ghost trigram is strong, one must be cautious as there may be losses to the livestock.

卦之畜養，須論定體。端要財福上卦，如無不利。鬼持初爻，雞鴨不吉，官坐五爻，牛馬難安，參合六神論斷。

When divining a hexagram about raising livestock, the first thing to determine is the specific type of animal being raised. It is important that both the wealth line and the fortune virtue line are present in the hexagram. If these two lines are not present, it will be unfavorable. If the official ghost is in the first line, chickens and ducks are not auspicious; if the official ghost is in the fifth line, cattle and horses will have difficulties. Further analysis should be made by combining the six spirits such as the azure dragon and the white tiger.

諸爻最忌兄弟、官鬼。如鬼值上爻或曰五爻為主：金鬼牛極瘦，木鬼腳疼或腹風，水鬼散，火鬼觸熱，土鬼發癢瘟黃。

Among the lines, the most undesirable are the siblings and official ghost. For example, if the official ghost is in the top line, or if the fifth line is considered the main one: a metal ghost indicates a very weak and thin cow, a wood ghost suggests livestock with foot pain or abdominal distension, a water ghost indicates scattering or dispersion, a fire ghost indicates heatstroke and fever, and a soil ghost indicates itching or the outbreak of a yellow epidemic disease.

逢所屬本命爻臨財福，無傷則吉。且如兄鬼臨三爻，本為不佳，卻有亥爻本命臨財福，吉，亦不為害，餘仿此推。

If the hexagram line corresponding to the animal's own destiny is exactly the wealth line or the fortune virtue line, and is not harmed or restrained by other lines, then it is auspicious. For example, if siblings or official ghosts are on the third line, which is generally unfavorable, but the animal's destiny is亥, and the亥 line happens to be the wealth and fortune virtue line, then it is auspicious, and the siblings and official ghosts cannot harm it. Other situations can be similarly inferred.

福興財旺，前程可望；財鬼虛臨，山枯海曠。

Divination for fishing and hunting shows that if the children and fortune virtue are flourishing and the wealth is prosperous and strong, then the journey will have a promising future and abundant results. However, if the wealth sign and ghost sign are only superficially present without actual strength, then there will be no animals in the mountains and no fish in the sea, resulting in a fruitless trip.

卦之漁獵，以世為主，以財為物，財子俱見旺相大吉。財值四爻，兔豕堪遇，鬼臨六爻，虎豹須防。震棒、器弓、離網、艮犬，克財者宜用之。若財艾值斷，如巽雞、艮豹、震兔、坎狐、野豕、兌羊、乾虎、離雉、坤羊之類。

When divining a卦 for hunting or fishing, the World Line represents the hunter himself, and the Wealth Line represents the hunted animal. If both the Wealth Line and the Children Line are prosperous and strong, it is a great omen. If the Wealth Line is located in the Fourth Line, it indicates encountering rabbits or wild boars. If the Official Ghost is in the Sixth Line, one should be cautious of tigers and leopards. The symbols for tools are: Zhen represents a stick, but here "器" should be interpreted as Dui, which represents bows and arrows, Li represents nets, and Gen represents hunting dogs. Use the tool that can overcome the Wealth Line to capture the animal. As for what kind of animal the Wealth Line represents, according to the Eight Trigrams: Xun represents chickens, Gen represents leopards, Zhen represents rabbits, Kan represents foxes and wild boars, Dui represents sheep, Qian represents tigers, Li represents wild pheasants, and Kun represents sheep, all belonging to this category.

內克外，內旺相，世克應，得青龍財爻動，不空亡，物可得。惡殺臨財旺相，發動、克世，主有獸傷，凶。

The inner trigram overcomes the outer trigram, the inner trigram is prosperous and strong, the world line overcomes the response line, and the wealth line is supported by the azure dragon and is active without falling into emptiness. The prey can be obtained. If evil spirits are present on the wealth line and the wealth line is prosperous and strong, active and overcoming the world line, then the owner will be injured by wild animals, which is凶.

安墳立陵，福旺家興；鬼旺宜火，葬防後人。

When burying the dead and establishing a tomb, if the descendants' fortune and virtue are prosperous and strong, the family will flourish. If the official ghost is prosperous and strong, it is suitable for cremation rather than earth burial; if one insists on burial, one should be cautious of calamity affecting the descendants.

以鬼為尸，要無氣；父母為墳，皆宜靜。以財為祿，以子為祀，要旺相、出現、持世。世為風水，應為棺槨，皆宜靜。

The Official Ghost represents the corpse and should be without vitality; the Parents represent the tomb and both should be quiet. The Wealth represents the sustenance, and the Children represent the incense and worship, both of which should be prosperous, present in the hexagram, and holding the world line. The World Line represents the风水 and earth energy, and the Response Line represents the coffin, both of which should also be quiet.

或問：旺相宜火之說？曰：鬼旺只是不利，故宜火化，不宜葬也。陰宅先論墓地，次論卦身，要有財福世應，有氣相生為妙。未葬時，外亡內塚，相剋吉。不要官鬼旺。已葬後，內亡外塚，相生，鬼旺亡人安。

Someone asked: It is said that when the official ghost is prosperous and strong, it is suitable for cremation. How is this explained? The answer is: A strong official ghost is only unfavorable for burial, so it is better to cremate rather than bury. When divining a grave site, first consider the condition of the burial ground itself, then the hexagram body. The hexagram should have wealth and blessings, and the world and response lines should have vitality, with mutual generation between them being most auspicious. Before burial, take the outer trigram as the deceased and the inner trigram as the tomb, with mutual control between them being favorable, and at this time, the official ghost should not be strong. After burial, take the inner trigram as the deceased and the outer trigram as the tomb, with mutual generation between them being favorable. At this time, a strong official ghost indicates the deceased is secure.

鬼為亡身、為塚，若定塚穴高低，如卦身在初二爻，葬在低處；在三、四爻；葬在平處，在五六爻，葬在高處。若地位方向，以卦宮長生定之。如坎宮地在北方，坎水長生居申，其穴宜在申上，餘仿此。

The Official Ghost represents both the body of the deceased and the tomb. To determine the height of the burial site, one looks at the Hexagram Body: if the Hexagram Body is in the first or second line, the grave should be placed in a low area; if it is in the third or fourth line, the grave should be placed on flat ground; if it is in the fifth or sixth line, the grave should be placed in a high area. As for the direction of the land, it is determined by the Longevity position of the Five Phases of the Hexagram's palace. For example, in the Kan palace, the land is in the north, and since Kan belongs to water, which is longed in the direction of Shen, the burial site should be chosen in the direction of Shen. The other palaces are determined in a similar manner.

占葬年，如身在卯，酉年占，卯數至酉成七年，不七年，或卯酉二七十四年，或用月數，如變爻沖卯爻，必地既狹窄，無氣同。

To determine the year for burial: For example, if the hexagram body is in the branch Mao and the question is asked in the year You, count from Mao to You in sequence, which is seven positions, so it is judged to be seven years later. If seven years do not respond, then take the combined number of seven from Mao and You, making fourteen years; or use the months instead. If the changing line opposes the Mao line, it indicates a narrow place; if the changing line has no strength, it is also judged as a narrow place.

世應相得，君臣用心；六位無克，萬國咸寧。

When divining about state affairs, the World Line represents the sovereign and the Response Line represents the minister. If the World and Response Lines are harmonious and supportive of each other, it indicates that the sovereign and minister are united in purpose. If all six lines are not mutually controlling or harming each other, it signifies a peaceful and stable state of the country.

世為帝王，應為功臣，本宮為都。內外比和、旺相，天生聖主，剛柔動靜有常，地出奇材，最宜吉神，切忌大殺。

The World Line represents the emperor, and the Response Line represents the loyal ministers. The native hexagram represents the capital. When the inner and outer hexagrams are in harmony and prosperous, it signifies the appearance of a sage ruler as ordained by Heaven. When the hexagram contains both yin and yang, movement and stillness in proper order, it indicates the emergence of extraordinary talents and abilities. This method is most favorable when auspicious spirits are present in the hexagram and most unfavorable when the Great Sha is present.

金為兵戈忌動，土為城壘宜安，水為氾濫，火為炎晴，木爻風惡，吉神為瑞。震離坎兌為四方，艮坤二卦為中土。

The Five Phases each have symbolic representations in state affairs: Metal represents weapons and military conflict, and its movement is to be avoided; Earth symbolizes fortifications and should be stable; Water signifies floods and disasters; Fire represents extreme heat and drought; Wood hexagram signifies great winds causing harm; auspicious spirits represent omens of good fortune. In terms of directions, the four hexagrams Zhen, Li, Kan, and Dui preside over the east, south, north, and west respectively, while the two hexagrams Gen and Kun together represent the central earth.

五爻為至尊，加吉神太歲，仁慈之主也。帶殺白虎，暴虐之君也。與吉神生合，必親賢任能，遠佞去奸。

The fifth line is the supreme position. If this line is accompanied by auspicious deities and the year's sovereign, it signifies a benevolent ruler; if it is accompanied by malevolent forces and the White Tiger, it signifies a tyrannical ruler. When the fifth line harmonizes and generates with auspicious deities, this ruler will certainly be close to virtuous men, employ capable individuals, distance flatterers, and remove wicked ministers.

初爻安靜，吉神持世或生世，萬民悅服。 本象二爻為侍臣，帶吉神左右必得賢人，加凶殺者，多奸邪便佞。 四爻會吉神克世生世，必上忠君，下安黎庶。

The first line represents the position of the common people; if it is quiet and has a virtuous deity supporting or generating the world, the people will be pleased and loyal. The second line of the hexagram represents the position of attendants and close ministers; if this line has a virtuous deity, the king will surely have virtuous ministers by his side; if it has malevolent spirits, there will be many deceitful and fawning individuals around him. The fourth line represents the position of high officials; if it combines with a virtuous deity to either overcome or support the world, these officials will certainly be loyal to the king above and pacify the people below.

子孫為儲君郡主，宜旺相不空，若大殺動刑沖剋，恐有廢立之患。子孫在初爻動克三爻或世者，士庶民有上書直言利害；在二爻動，必有才德舌辨之臣入上封事；在三爻動，有賢能諸侯謂門直諫；在四艾動，左右近臣必盡忠死諍也。

The line representing children signifies the crown prince and the princess. It is favorable if this line is prosperous and strong, but unfavorable if it is vacant. If the Great Sha is activated and clashes or controls this line, there may be a danger of deposing or appointing a new crown prince. If the children line in the first line is activated and controls the third line or the world line, it indicates that common people will submit petitions stating the advantages and disadvantages. If the children line in the second line is activated, there will certainly be a virtuous and eloquent minister who secretly submits a memorial. If the children line in the third line is activated, there will be a capable prince who openly advises the court. If the children line in the fourth line is activated, the close attendants of the king will certainly remain loyal and fight to the death.

出兵交戰，鬼賊財糧；鬼旺彼勝，子旺我強。

Going to war, the official ghost represents the enemy troops and bandits, while the wife's wealth represents the grain and supplies. If the official ghost is prosperous and strong, the enemy will win; if the children are prosperous and strong, our army will be strong—the children represent our soldiers.

以鬼為彼賊，以子為我軍，子孫旺相，必獲全勝，出現宜先，伏藏宜後，內凡鬼父旺相或是獨發，或持世身，大敗之兆。若六爻安靜世旺克應，必勝。

Take the official ghost as the enemy's bandits and the children as our army. If the children are prosperous and strong, we will certainly achieve a complete victory. If the children appear on the hexagram surface, it is advisable to strike first; if they are hidden and not revealed, it is better to wait and strike later. If within the inner trigram, the official ghost and parents are prosperous and strong, or if they act alone, or if they hold the world line or the hexagram body, it is a sign of great defeat. If all six lines are quiet and the world line is prosperous and can respond effectively, victory is certain.

父母、城池、壕寨、雄旗；子孫為兵將軍馬；兄弟為轅門驚恐伏兵；官鬼為敵兵刀劍。

Each line represents a military image: Parents symbolize city walls, ditches, camps, and banners; Children symbolize soldiers and horses; Siblings represent disturbances at the gate and hidden troops; Official Ghost symbolizes enemy soldiers and weapons.

世應空亡，主和；世空我軍弱；應空徵兵退；世爻被鬼沖剋，我軍不利；兄弟獨發凶。 鬼去爻中，兄弟化出官鬼來合世爻身，主有奸人在軍中，世下伏鬼亦然。

If both the World Line and the Response Line fall into the Empty Void, it indicates that both sides will reconcile. If the World Line falls into the Empty Void, it suggests our army is weak. If the Response Line falls into the Empty Void, it means the enemy will retreat. If the World Line is clashed and controlled by the Official Ghost, it is unfavorable for our army. If the Siblings alone appear, it is ominous. If the Official Ghost is hidden within the line and the Siblings transform into the Official Ghost to join and control the World Line or the Hexagram Body, it indicates there are spies within the army. If the Ghost is hidden beneath the World Line, it is the same situation.

凡變爻沖剋子孫，主損名將。沖剋財爻，並財持世落空，主糧受困。刑剋父母，主戰船城寨有失，指揮號令大不宜。沖剋官爻，彼賊必敗。

If the changing line clashes and controls the children's line, it indicates the loss of renowned generals. If the wealth line is clashed and controlled, or if the wealth line holds the main line but falls into an empty position, it suggests that supplies are blocked. If the parents' line is刑克, it indicates the loss of warships and fortresses, and the military commands are greatly disadvantaged. Conversely, if the official line is clashed and controlled, the enemy army will certainly be defeated.

凡卦中動火刑父母、克父母，必然火燒宮室，火沖剋財，主火焚糧草。又，財有倉庫，如近子近我軍，近父近壕塹，近鬼近賊所。又父母塞位方，如坤宮西南方也。

In any hexagram, if a fire line moves and harms or controls the parents line, it indicates that the palace and barracks will certainly be burned by fire. If the fire line clashes and controls the wealth line, it signifies that the grain and supplies will be destroyed by fire. Furthermore, the wealth line represents the granary; observe which line it is close to: if it is close to the children line, the granary is near our army; if it is close to the parents line, it is near the trench; if it is close to the official ghost line, it is on the enemy's side. Additionally, the direction of the pass guarded by the parents line is determined by the direction of the hexagram's own palace. For example, the Kun palace is located in the southwest.

若問天時，須詳內外；互換干合，方明定體。

To determine the weather conditions, one must carefully examine both the inner and outer trigrams. Then, check whether the heavenly stems included in the trigram can combine with the day stem; after they combine, the resulting Five Phases will determine the "fixed nature" of the hexagram, thereby clarifying whether it will be clear or rainy.

仰觀天象者，幹；俯察地理者，支。先看內卦有合無合，次看外卦定體。甲己化土，陰雲；丁壬化木，生風；乙庚化金，作雨；丙辛化水，必雨；戊癸化火，主晴。內外無合，次明定體。定體者，看外卦取，獨發論變。乾日月星，坤沙石霧，震雷霆電，巽風、離晴、坎雨、艮陰、兌甘澤。

Looking up at the sky to observe weather conditions relies on the Heavenly Stems; looking down at the earth to examine terrain relies on the Earthly Branches. When predicting weather, first check if the Inner Trigram and the Day Stem are in harmony, then determine the main element based on the Outer Trigram. The five harmonies of the Heavenly Stems are as follows: Jia harmonizes with Ji to form earth, indicating cloudy weather; Ding harmonizes with Ren to form wood, indicating wind; Yi harmonizes with Geng to form metal, indicating rain; Bing harmonizes with Xin to form water, definitely indicating rain; Wu harmonizes with Gui to form fire, indicating clear weather. If neither the Inner nor the Outer Trigrams harmonize with the Day Stem, then determine the main element by directly referring to the Outer Trigram. The main element is determined by the image of the Outer Trigram. If there is a unique line in the hexagram, it is interpreted based on the line that transforms from it. The weather phenomena associated with the Eight Trigrams are: Qian represents sun, moon, stars and constellations; Kun represents sand, stones, mist and haze; Zhen represents thunder, lightning; Xun represents wind; Li represents clear weather; Kan represents rain; Gen represents darkness; Dui represents gentle rain and dew.

或問：互換干合，如何互換？答曰：甲日占得離卦，甲己合，則主阻雲也；壬日占得兌卦，丁壬作合木，木世主生風，此化氣也。若內外卦不與日干合，看外卦以十干求之，以日干落在何宮，假如己末日占得大有卦，日干落在離宮，主晴，己日占得既晴，則日干無所落，便可斷陰雲矣。

Someone asked: When they say "mutual exchange of heavenly stems and harmony," exactly how does the exchange work? The answer is: If on a Jia day one draws the Li hexagram, Li includes Ji earth, and Jia and Ji harmonize to form earth, this indicates cloudy weather blocking the sun; if on a Ren day one draws the Dui hexagram, Dui includes Ding, and Ren and Ding harmonize to form wood, wood signifies wind, so it is predicted that wind will arise. This is called "transformed qi." If neither the inner nor outer hexagrams harmonize with the day stem, then look at the outer hexagram, and use the ten heavenly stems to determine where the day stem falls. For example, on a Jiwei day, if one draws the Da You hexagram, the day stem Ji falls in the Li trigram, which governs clear weather, so it is predicted to be clear; if the day stem has no place to fall in the hexagram, then it can be predicted as cloudy weather.

每日之事，十干要精；壬癸動雨，丙丁管晴。

The weather each day depends on mastering the ten heavenly stems. Ren and Gui belong to water; when they are active, it rains. Bing and Ding belong to fire; when they are in charge, the sky is clear.

庚辛雨後晴，或次日便晴；壬癸連雨難晴，有風方止；甲乙作雨不妨；丙丁日月晴明；戊己陰雲不定。辰丑動雨、末戌動晴。內動速，主晝，外動遲，主夜。

The ten heavenly stems each have their own governing aspects: Geng and Xin indicate that after rain, the weather will clear up, or it will be clear the next day; Ren and Gui indicate continuous rainy weather that is difficult to clear, and it will stop only when the wind rises; Jia and Yi indicate rain, but it is not harmful; Bing and Ding indicate clear skies with bright sun and moon; Wu and Ji indicate cloudy and unstable weather. In the earthly branches, Chen and Chou indicate rain, while Wei and Xu indicate clear weather. The inner trigram's movement indicates a quick response, corresponding to daytime; the outer trigram's movement indicates a delayed response, corresponding to nighttime.

或問：十干動，陰晴如何看？答曰：如火火既濟，己亥持世，便斷陰晴不定。財為晴，午火財卻伏在己亥水下，水旺則主雨。火旺或支辰透出午，則便斷晴。但要機變，取時言之。配以六親，百發百中，若不精熟，則不能通應矣。

Someone asked: When the ten heavenly stems are active, how should one determine whether it is sunny or cloudy? The answer is: For example, if the卦 is the卦 of Completion and Jihai holds the world, then it is judged as uncertain weather. The wealth爻 indicates sunny weather, but in this卦 the午 fire wealth is hidden beneath the Jihai water: if the water is strong, it indicates rain; if the fire is strong, or if the午 is revealed in the earthly branches, then it is judged as sunny. One must be flexible and determine based on the time of day. If one combines this with the Six Relations, one can be accurate every time; if one does not master the reasoning well, one will not be able to achieve accurate results.

又問：如何取時日？曰：假如乙日占震卦，則遇辰巳時方晴，乙庚化金作雨，卻緣戌土財持世，又庚辛雨後晴，緣辰巳時天干見庚辛，此兩個時，不能雨止，過辰巳時，主午時方晴。如丙日占震卦，雖庚戌持世，不能作雨，緣日干丙字克去庚，不能生水也。

Another question: How do we determine the time and day that will show results? The answer is: For example, if on a Yi day one draws the Zhen trigram, it will only clear up after the Chen hour and Si hour. Yi combines with Geng to form metal, which can generate water, and this usually indicates rain. However, the trigram has the Gengxu earth wealth in the main position, and wealth indicates clear weather. Also, Geng and Xin indicate rain turning into clear weather, and the heavenly stems of the Chen and Si hours are exactly Geng and Xin. Therefore, rain still hasn't stopped during these two hours. After Chen and Si, at Wu hour, the weather finally clears. Another example: if on a Bing day one draws the Zhen trigram, even though Gengxu holds the main position, it does not rain. This is because the day stem Bing fire overcomes Geng metal, and since metal cannot generate water, rain does not occur.

又問：辰丑動雨，未戌動晴？曰：辰是水庫，丑中有癸，故此二字動，值戊己不為陰雲，而必陰雨。未戌動晴者，未中有丁，戌是火庫，故此二字動，值戊已，不為陰雲而化晴矣。又問：內動主晝，外動主夜？曰：內為陽，外為陰，晝夜之道也。

Another question: Why does the movement of the trigrams 辰 and 丑 indicate rain, while the movement of 未 and 戌 indicate clear weather? The answer is: 辰 is the repository of water, and 丑 contains hidden癸 water, so when these two trigrams move, even if they meet with 戊 or 己, they do not merely form dark clouds, but definitely result in light rain. The movement of 未 and 戌 indicates clear weather because 未 contains hidden 丁 fire, and 戌 is the repository of fire, so when these two trigrams move, encountering 戊 or 己 does not produce dark clouds but instead results in clear weather. Another question: Why does the movement of the inner trigram indicate daytime, while the movement of the outer trigram indicates nighttime? The answer is: The inner trigram is yang, and the outer trigram is yin. Yang belongs to day, and yin belongs to night. This is the way of day and night.

又問：未戌動主晴，而癸日占得坎宮地水師，如何入雨？曰：未戌動晴，以其中有丁火也，今戊戌化癸亥，癸字克了丁火，日後又逢是癸，並去傷了，豈得不雨？

Another question: It is said that the earth and dog (戌) indicate clear weather, so why does one who divines on a癸 day and gets the hexagram of the army (地水师) end up with rain? The answer is: The earth and dog (戌) indicate clear weather because they contain the fire of ding; now the earth and dog (戌) in the hexagram of the army has become gui and hai, and the water of gui overcomes the fire of ding. Moreover, the day itself is also gui, so two instances of gui water together completely destroy the fire of ding, so how could it not rain?

又問：癸亥日占得坎之蒙，亦是癸日，如何卻晴？曰：未戌動晴，以其有火也，今戊戌化丙子，是戊之火已透出來，日辰癸亥與上戊寅合住，不能傷丙，所以晴也。

Another question: On a Guihai day, one divined the Kan hexagram changing into Meng hexagram. It is the same Gui day, yet it is clear. The answer says: Wei and Xu indicate clear weather because they contain fire. Now Wuxu changes into Bingzi, the fire in Wutu has already emerged as Bing fire. The day branch Gui combines with the upper Wutu, thus being restrained and unable to harm the Bing fire, so it remains clear.

又問：壬癸動雨要言剋日定時取驗，何如？曰：如六月甲辰日占雨得乾之大壯，當日申時雷雨驟至，此壬癸剋日定時，何以知之？乾為天，震為雷，外卦震，內卦乾，豈得無雨？第五爻申親艾動，日值甲辰，夜半生甲子，脯時壬申透出本宮動爻，故應在申時也。

Another question: It is said that the movement of Ren and Gui indicates rain, but the exact time of the event depends on the overcoming of the day branch. Why is this so? The answer is: For example, on a Jia Chen day in June, if one divines about rain and obtains the Qian hexagram changing into Da Zhuang (Hexagram 34), and rain with thunder suddenly comes at the Shen hour that day, this is called Ren and Gui overcoming the day branch to determine the time. How do we know this? Qian represents Heaven, Zhen represents Thunder. The outer trigram changes to Zhen, while the inner trigram remains Qian. Thunder in the sky, how could there be no rain? The fifth line, which is the Shen metal, is the native trigram line that is just now moving. The day is Jia Chen, and on a Jia day, the time starts from Zi hour at midnight as Jia Zi. Counting in order, the Shen hour of the day is Renshen, which matches the moving native trigram line in the hexagram. Therefore, the event occurs at the Shen hour.

又問：丙申日占得乾卦，壬戌持世，如何壬癸不得雨？曰：戊申有火，透出丙字，如何得雨？ 又問：丁酉日占陰晴，得坤卦，此癸酉持世，如何亦不得雨？曰：本主雨，卻緣日辰丁酉，貴人在酉，故丁日見世爻五癸，世在酉，是敗財之內，癸水退讓於丁火，豈得不晴？

Another question: On a Bingshen day, one drew the Qian hexagram, with Renxu as the world line. Why does the壬癸 (Ren and Gui) being in charge not result in rain? The answer is: The metal of Shen originally contains fire, and the day stem also reveals a Bing, so the fire is very strong, how can rain form? Another question: On a Dingyou day, one drew the Kun hexagram, with Guiyou as the world line. Why does it not rain either? The answer is: This hexagram originally indicates rain, but because the day branch is Dingyou, and the heavenly nobleman of Ding day is on You; on a Ding day, the world line is Gui, which is on You, exactly in the state of decline and losing wealth, so the Gui water can only yield to the Ding fire, how could it not be sunny?

鬼動雨，變出子孫，晴。應落空，晴不久。應克世財，晴。父母生世雨，又動克子，亦有雨。 財為晴，父為雨，兄為風，子為雲霧，在冬為雪，官鬼為雷，冬春為雪，夏為熱。專看本象要旺，持世本宮。

Official Ghosts indicate rain; if Official Ghosts change into Children, it instead turns sunny. If the Response Line is empty, it won't stay sunny long. If the Response Line overcomes the World Line and the World Line is Wealth, it indicates sunny weather. Parents supporting the World Line indicates rain; if Parents also move to overcome Children, there will also be rain. In general, Wealth indicates sunny weather, Parents indicate rain, Siblings indicate wind, Children indicate clouds and mist— in winter it indicates snow; Official Ghosts indicate thunder, in winter and spring it indicates snow, and in summer it indicates heat. All these are determined by whether the original image is prosperous and strong, whether it holds the World Line, and whether it belongs to its own palace.

要知何日雨？曰：父母長生日，帝旺或值日便有雨。何日雨止？絕日空便止，餘仿此。 要知何日風？假如兄屬寅為東北風，亦要看當時日辰天干為緊，外卦有動，看變出者，若是水爻出現，便有雨。

To know if it will rain on a certain day, look for the day when the parents'爻 is in growth, prosperity, or the day it is the day branch. On that day, there will be rain. To know when the rain will stop, look for the day when the parents'爻 enters decline or is empty. The rest are determined in the same way. To know if it will be windy on a certain day, for example, if the siblings'爻 is in the branch of寅, which is in the northeast, it indicates a northeast wind. At the same time, pay close attention to the heavenly stem of the day. If the outer trigram has a moving line, observe what it transforms into; if it transforms into a water line, then there will be rain.

覆射萬物，表裡各異；以財為體，以鬼為類。

Shooting the covered object is a game where an item is covered and people guess what it is. In the divination hexagrams, all things have both a surface and an inner aspect, each different: the wife wealth line represents the form and appearance of the object, while the official ghost line represents its category and essence.

財為表，鬼為裡，財鬼出現，表裡皆有，有表無裡，外實內虛；有裡無表，外虛內實，財鬼俱藏，輕虛之物。

The wealth hexagram represents the outer appearance, while the ghost hexagram represents the inner essence. If both wealth and ghost hexagrams appear in the hexagram, then both outer and inner aspects are complete. If there is an outer appearance but no inner essence, it indicates something solid on the outside but hollow inside. If there is an inner essence but no outer appearance, it suggests something hollow on the outside but solid inside. If both wealth and ghost hexagrams are hidden and not revealed, it signifies something light and insubstantial.

或問：表裡各異，何也？答曰：以財為表，以鬼為裡，有表裡皆有者，有裡無表者，此所謂異也。

Someone asked: What does "表里各异" mean? The answer was: Take wealth as the surface and spirits as the hidden; there are cases where both surface and hidden are present, and cases where only the hidden exists without the surface. Different hexagrams have different situations, which is called "difference."

又問：方圓、長短，新舊如何定之？曰：陽卦主圓，陰卦主方，應旺主新，應衰主舊，世應被克空虛，世應相合圓物，世應比合和長物，世應相生方物，相刑剋尖物，相剋沖損物。

Another question: How are the shape, length, newness and oldness of things determined? The answer is: Yang trigrams represent round shapes, while Yin trigrams represent square shapes. If the response line is prosperous and strong, the object is new; if the response line is weak and declining, the object is old. If the world and response lines are subject to control, the object is hollow. If the world and response lines are harmonious, the object is round. If the world and response line are like and harmonious, the object is long. If the world and response lines are mutually generating, the object is square. If they are mutually attacking and controlling each other, the object is pointed. If they are mutually controlling and conflicting, the object is broken.

官鬼在兌乾，金、玉；在震巽，竹、木；在坤艮，土、石；在坎，魚、綿水貨；在離，絲綿綃；在坤離，又為文書、布帛、專數之物。

Official Ghost falling in the Dui or Qian trigrams indicates metal and jade; falling in the Zhen or Xun trigrams indicates bamboo and wood; falling in the Kun or Gen trigrams indicates earth and stone; falling in the Kan trigram indicates fish, silk, and goods in water; falling in the Li trigram indicates silk and raw silk; and falling in the Kun or Li trigrams indicates documents, cloth, and countable items.

以官為物，為色為形；若居四土，可分輕重。

When guessing the covered object, the Official Ghost line represents the object being covered. It is used to determine both its color and shape. If the Official Ghost falls on the earth positions of Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei, it can also be used to judge the object's weight.

以官為色，出現正色，伏藏旁色。伏財能食，伏子能用。伏父能蓋載，伏兄不中，更以金木水火土分之，動亦可取。

Determine color based on official ghost: If the official ghost appears on the hexagram, it is the main color; if it is hidden and not revealed, it is a secondary or mixed color. If the official ghost is covered by wealth爻, it can be consumed; if covered by children爻, it can be used; if covered by parents爻, it can cover and carry; if covered by siblings爻, it is not useful. Also, distinguish according to metal, wood, water, fire, and earth; if the official ghost moves, its dynamic image can also be used to determine the color.

或問：以官為色，出現正色，伏藏旁色，如何？答曰：即官鬼出現是男、伏藏是女，反對取之。官鬼為正物，隨五行取之。應為表，為皮毛；世為裡，為形狀。陽為天，主圓，陰為地，主方，應在外主長，應在內主短。應旺相主新，應休囚主舊。

Someone asked: "When the official ghost is taken as color, its appearance is the main color and its concealment is the secondary color, how should this be explained?" The answer said: "This is the same principle as previously explained, where the appearance of the official ghost represents a male and its concealment represents a female, and both should be interpreted in reverse. The official ghost represents the main object, and its five-phase attributes are used to take its symbolic form. The response line represents the exterior, governing the surface; the world line represents the interior, governing the shape. Yang is heaven, governing roundness; Yin is earth, governing squareness. If the response line is in the outer trigram, the object's form is long; if it is in the inner trigram, the object's form is short. If the response line is prosperous and strong, it represents a new object; if it is weak and confined, it represents an old object."

子孫動，物有足，兄動有皮，財動物可食，父動物有生氣，官動不中。五鄉一鄉不入，亦可取物色。

When the Children (children) line is activated, it indicates something with legs; when the Siblings (siblings) line is activated, it indicates something with a shell; when the财爻 (wealth) line is activated, it indicates something edible; when the Parents (parents) line is activated, it indicates a living creature with life qi; and when the Official Ghost (official ghost) line is activated, it is not useful. Even if one of the five directions is missing and not on the upper trigram, one can still determine the color and shape of the matter being divined.

合則圓，扶則長，生則方，克則損，刑則失。 以內卦為地，外卦為天。青龍論左，白虎論右，朱雀觀前，玄武看後，勾陳世爻管中。

Determine the shape by the relationship between lines: those that harmonize form a circle, those that support each other form a long shape, those that generate each other form a square, those that control each other have damage, and those that are harmed have missing parts. In terms of direction, the inner trigram represents the earth and the outer trigram represents the sky; the azure dragon governs the left, the white tiger the right, the vermilion bird the front, the black tortoise the back, and the gouchen and world line govern the center.

覆射者，須定服色事理。如金爻動在乾者內赤外白面方圓之類。此乃究五行動爻身世之法，定克應未來之理，可研窮而報究，不可謬意取用。

The person performing the divination must first determine the color and nature of the object. For example, if the metal line is activated and falls into the Qian trigram, it indicates something that is red inside and white outside, with a square shape that also has a round aspect. This method involves thoroughly examining the Five Phases, the moving line, and the hexagram body and world line, to determine the future response. One should study this carefully and investigate repeatedly, but must not guess randomly or use it arbitrarily.

六爻安靜，先看世應，有無生合刑沖害，又要觀發動之爻，次究伏爻在何位下，後審卦身有無吉囚，然後定休咎。法曰：彼來生合我者，順也，我去生合彼者；逆也。此為吉凶之源，是故生生之謂易，通變之謂事也。

If all six lines are quiet, first examine whether there is generation, conjunction, conflict, opposition, or harm between the World Line and the Response Line. Then check if there is any activated line, next investigate where the hidden line is concealed under, and finally examine whether the Hexagram Body contains auspicious deities or stagnant and dying energies. Only then can we determine fortune or misfortune. The method states: if the other side comes to generate me or joins me, it is called "following"; if I go to generate him or join him, it is called "contrary." This is the source of fortune and misfortune. Therefore, continuous generation is called "Yi," and flexible adaptation is called "Shi."

思慮未起，鬼神莫知；不由乎我，更由乎誰？

When a thought has not yet arisen, not even ghosts and spirits can know about it; but once the thought arises, the hexagram responds accordingly. This mechanism is not elsewhere, but entirely within the mind of the person making the divination—without me, who else could it be?

夫易本無八卦，只有乾坤，本無乾坤，只有太易(太極)，太易者，在天為日月，在地為水火，在人為耳目。煉其耳而耳自聰，修其目而目自明。易曰：聖人以此洗心，退藏於密。

Going to the root, the Book of Changes originally did not have the Eight Trigrams; it had only the Trigrams of Heaven and Earth. Going even further back, even Heaven and Earth did not exist; there was only the "Tai Yi," which is the Taiji. The Tai Yi manifests as the sun and moon in the heavens, as water and fire on the earth, and as the ears and eyes on a human body. By refining the ears, hearing becomes clear naturally; by cultivating the eyes, vision becomes clear naturally. The Zhou Changes, Great Treatise says: the sage uses this principle to purify his mind, and after completing a task, he retreats into secrecy.

先達人事，後敷卦爻；人事亨通，卦爻自曉。

Before interpreting the divination, one must first thoroughly understand human affairs and principles, and then arrange the hexagrams and lines accordingly. If the principles of human affairs are clear, the meaning of the hexagrams and lines will naturally become evident. After all, hexagrams are merely reflections of human affairs. Focusing solely on the lines without understanding human affairs will inevitably lead to inaccurate interpretations.

真喜合宅母，必問孕事。 隔角克青龍，無氣動是死事。 鬼伏臨酉沖宅長本命，主官非牢獄公事。 玄武臨門勾陳動，是失脫事。 世應合五爻、水土動，風水事。 卦內克鬼、沖全生財，犯刀砧六畜事。

If the true禄 and Heavenly Joy are combined on the mother line of the dwelling, the person is certainly asking about pregnancy. If the corner煞 is attacking the Azure Dragon, and the Azure Dragon has no strength but is activated, it is about death and loss. If the Official Ghost is hidden and is on the酉 position, and it goes to冲 the main line of the family's main person, it indicates legal troubles and imprisonment. If the Black Tortoise is on the gate line and the Gou Chen is activated, it is about theft and escape. If the World and Response lines are combined with the fifth line, and the water line and earth line are activated, it is about风水 matters. If there is a line in the hexagram that克 the Official Ghost, and the conflicting positions all fall on the position of wealth, it is about conflicting with the knife砧煞 and injuring livestock.

天財帶天火，必占失火事。 怪合見月鬼，為驚恐怪異事。 喪車臨怪動，人口死不明事。 鬼克沖基，為宅不安事。 鬼克沖基或合太歲，為起造事。 祿馬合月鬼動，占謀望事。

When the Heavenly Wealth Star is accompanied by the Heavenly Fire Evil, the person is certainly involved in a fire-related incident. When the Strange God combines with the Month Builder Ghost, it indicates a query about fear and strange occurrences. When the Funeral Coach Evil is present on the Strange God and becomes active, it refers to a situation where someone in the family dies under mysterious circumstances. When the Official Ghost conflicts with the foundation of the house, it indicates instability in the residence. When the Official Ghost conflicts with the foundation and combines with the Year God, it refers to the commencement of construction. When the禄神 (Lucky God), Post Horse, and the Month Builder Ghost combine and become active, it indicates matters of seeking success and planning.

卦內驛馬旺克門，問出門事。 遷移臨旺沖動，問移居事。 月鬼陰喜動，為婦人妊怪事。 世應和合、祿馬帶財，問代某謀事。 文書乘朱動五爻重隔角，為代名告狀事。 時鬼動沖人口，問住宅不安事。

When the Post Horse is prosperous and strong and overcomes the gate line, it refers to asking about traveling far away. When the Migration Evil is present and strong and is disturbed, it refers to asking about moving house or relocating. When the Month Builder's Official Ghost and the joyful spirit of the Yin are both activated, it refers to asking about a woman's pregnancy and abnormalities in the womb. When the World and Response lines are harmonious and the禄 and Horse carry wealth, it refers to asking about helping someone with affairs. When the文书 line is occupied by the Vermilion Bird and is heavily overlapped by the隔角 evil on the fifth line, it refers to asking about representing someone in a lawsuit. When the current Official Ghost is activated and conflicts with the population line, it refers to asking about instability in the residence.

來意俱不上封，憑變斷之，重主過去，交主未來。

If the original intention of the person is not shown in the hexagram, then use the changing lines to interpret: "Chong" indicates an old yang line about to change, representing something that has already passed; "Jiao" indicates an old yin line about to change, representing something that has not yet arrived.

假如木旺能克土，若遇休囚火便生，旺相能生禍與福，休囚受制不能行。

For example, when wood is prosperous and strong, it can overcome earth; but if wood is weak and confined, it can only give rise to fire and exhaust its own energy. In summary, only when the Five Phases are prosperous and strong can they produce good or bad fortune; when they are weak and confined, they are controlled by others and cannot exert any influence.

金四九，木三八，水一六，火二七，土五十。 酉四申九，寅三卯八，子一亥六，巳二午七，辰戌五，丑未十。

The Five Phases each correspond to numbers of generation: metal corresponds to four and nine, wood to three and eight, water to one and six, fire to two and seven, and earth to five and ten. These numbers are distributed among the twelve Earthly Branches as follows: You (酉) is four, Shen (申) is nine, Yin (寅) is three, Mao (卯) is eight, Zi (子) is one, Hai (亥) is six, Si (巳) is two, Wu (午) is seven, Chen (辰) and Xu (戌) are both five, and Chou (丑) and Wei (未) are both ten. When calculating in divination, such as counting items, steps, or measurements, these numbers are used for calculation.

以日配用，四象誰勝？若無象用，姓字何證？

Divining a person's surname involves matching the stem and branch of the divination day with the useful爻. Then, examine the inner trigram, outer trigram, nuclear trigram, and resulting hexagram to determine which image is most vigorous and dominant. The dominant image is taken as the main one. If there is no suitable image or useful god in the hexagram, the surname cannot be verified.

卦之克字，以日配用爻，兼內外互卦，正化體象，取勝為主，然後合成字象。

To use the hexagram to deduce a character, one should pair the day branch with the lines of the hexagram, and also consider the inner trigram, outer trigram, and nuclear hexagram, as well as the primary hexagram and resulting hexagram's symbolic meanings. Choose the dominant image among them as the main one, then combine several images to form the shape of a character.

如甲乙日占賊姓得純艮卦土爻體見寅，寅屬木，木鬼配甲乙日，亦屬木，三體相兼，為林字姓也。他仿此。

For example, if on a Jia or Yi day one divines the surname of a thief and obtains the pure Gen hexagram, the Gen palace belongs to earth, and the爻 body shows Yin, which belongs to wood. This wooden official ghost is compatible with the Jia or Yi day, as Jia and Yi also belong to wood. When the three aspects are combined, two instances of wood appear together, forming the surname "Lin." Other examples can be inferred in the same way.

但以干配姓，以支配合，以納音配字，取象度量，盡其妙理，當慎思之。

In summary, the heavenly stems are used to match surnames, the earthly branches to determine the components, and the nayin sound element to match the character shapes. When taking symbolic meanings, there should be proper proportion and careful consideration, thoroughly exploring the subtle principles involved. One should think carefully before making a conclusion.

乾為圓象、為點、為馬、為金、玉、言旁、為頭。 坎為雨頭、為點水，為水目，為小，弓旁為內實外虛屈曲之象。 艮為橫畫、為口、手，為門、人，為己、田，為山、水。易旁，上尖下大，上實下虛。 震為木象，為二七、為竹、木，為立畫。偏拔、上大下尖、下虛上實。

The trigram Qian represents a circular form, a dot, a horse, metal and jade, the radical "yan" (言), and the shape of the head. The trigram Kan represents the rain radical, three drops of water, the character "shui" (水) and "mu" (目), small characters, and the radical "gong" (弓); in terms of character shape, it is solid inside and hollow outside, with a winding and coiling appearance. The trigram Gen represents horizontal strokes, the character "kou" (口) and "shou" (手), the character "men" (门) and "ren" (人), the character "ji" (己) and "tian" (田), the character "shan" (山) and "shui" (水), and the radical "yi" (易); in terms of character shape, it is sharp at the top and wide at the bottom, solid at the top and hollow at the bottom. The trigram Zhen represents the form of a tree, the numbers two and seven, the radicals "zhu" (竹) and "mu" (木), vertical strokes and the sweeping strokes of radicals; in terms of character shape, it is wide at the top and sharp at the bottom, hollow at the bottom and solid at the top.

巽為甘頭、為揵服、為長舉，為絞絲，上長下短，為下點。 離為日旁，外實內虛、為中、為戈、為日、為心、為火。 坤為橫畫、為土、為方、為木旁。 兌為金、為日、為鉤、為八字、為巫、為微細。

The character for Xun (Wind) takes the head of the character "甘" (sweet), the shape of characters like "揵" (to press) and "服" (to wear), long strokes that are raised upwards, and the radical "绞丝" (a twisted thread). In terms of shape, it is long on top and short at the bottom, with a dot at the bottom. The character for Li (Fire) takes the radical "日" (sun), a shape that is solid outside and hollow inside, and characters like "中" (center), "戈" (a spear), "日" (sun), "心" (heart), and "火" (fire). The character for Kun (Earth) takes horizontal strokes, the character "土" (earth), a square and upright shape, and the radical "木" (tree). The character for Dui (Lake) takes the radical "金" (metal), the character "日" (sun), the hook stroke, the character "八" (eight), the character "巫" (witch), and small details.

甲為木、為田、為日、為方圓、為有腳、為果頭。 乙為草頭、為反文、為弓、為曲。 丙為火、為撇、為捺、上尖下大。 丁為一、為鉤、為未出頭字。 戊為土、為戈、為中開之類。

Jia takes characters with the wood radical, the field radical, and the sun radical, takes characters with a square shape containing a circle, takes characters with a foot component, and takes characters with a fruit radical. Yi takes characters with the grass radical, takes characters with the reversed writing component, takes the bow radical, and takes characters with curved strokes. Bing takes characters with the fire radical, takes characters with a hook stroke and a spreading stroke, and takes characters with a pointed top and a wide bottom. Ding takes characters with a single stroke, takes characters with a hook stroke, and takes characters with strokes that do not extend beyond the character. Wu takes characters with the soil radical, takes characters with the halberd radical, and takes characters with an open middle shape.

己為挑土、為半口、為巳頭、為曲。 庚為金、為庚。 辛為金旁、為辛。 壬為水、為曲、為壬字。 癸為水、為水旁、為雙頭。

Ji takes the soil radical, takes half of the mouth character, takes the head of the Si character, and takes a curved stroke. Geng takes the metal character, and directly takes the Geng character. Xin takes the metal radical, and directly takes the Xin character. Ren takes the water character, takes a curved stroke, and directly takes the Ren character. Gui takes the water character, takes the three dots radical, and takes the character shape with two heads side by side.

子為水旁、子旁、為鼠。 丑為土、為丑、為橫畫、為牛。 寅為木、為山、為宗、為寅字、為虎。 卯為木、為安頭、為卯字、為免。 辰為土、為艮字、為長意、為龍。 巳為火旁、為巳字、為屈曲、為蛇。

The character 子 takes the radical three water points and the character 子, belonging to the rat. The character 丑 takes the earth radical, the character 丑, and a horizontal stroke, belonging to the ox. The character 寅 takes the wood radical, the character 山, the character 宗, and the character 寅, belonging to the tiger. The character 卯 takes the wood radical, the head of the character 安, and the character 卯, belonging to the rabbit. The character 辰 takes the earth radical, the character 艮, and the meaning of length, belonging to the dragon. The character 巳 takes the fire radical and the character 巳, taking the shape of a bend, belonging to the snake.

午為火、為日、為幹字、為不字、為矢字頭、為馬。 未為土、為來字、為多畫、為木旁、為羊。 申為金、為車旁、為猴。 酉為金、為而旁、為目旁、為堅洞旁、為雞。 戌為土、為戌字、為成字、為犬。 亥為水、為絞絲、為豬。

The character for午 takes the fire character, the sun character, the dry character, the not character, and the head of the arrow character, belonging to the horse. The character for未 takes the earth character, the come character, takes the character with more strokes, takes the wood radical, belonging to the sheep. The character for申 takes the metal character and the carriage radical, belonging to the monkey. The character for酉 takes the metal character, the while radical, the eye radical, and radicals similar to vertical hole, belonging to the rooster. The character for戌 takes the earth character, the戌 character, and the success character, belonging to the dog. The character for亥 takes the water character and the silk radical, belonging to the pig.

水為點水、為曲、為一六數。 火為火旁、為上尖下闊、為二七數。 木為木旁、為步頭、為竹頭、為人、十字象、為三八數。 金為金旁、為合字、為橫畫，為四九數。 土為土旁、為橫畫，為五十數。

For those belonging to the Water element, use the radical of water, curved strokes, and the numbers one and six. For those belonging to the Fire element, use the radical of fire, characters with a pointed top and wide bottom, and the numbers two and seven. For those belonging to the Wood element, use the radical of wood, the step radical, the bamboo radical, the person radical, and the cross radical, and the numbers three and eight. For those belonging to the Metal element, use the radical of metal, the combined radical, horizontal strokes, and the numbers four and nine. For those belonging to the Earth element, use the radical of earth and horizontal strokes, and the numbers five and ten.

假如乙丑年辛巳月丁酉日丁未時占得乾之離卦： 正卦乾 變卦離 父母 戌 世 官鬼 巳 青龍 兄弟 ○ 申 父母 未 玄武 官鬼 午 兄弟 酉 白虎 父母 辰 應 子孫 亥 螣蛇 妻財 ○ 寅 父母 丑 勾陳 子孫 子 妻財 卯 朱雀

Here is a complete example. In the year Yichou, month Xinsi, day Dingyou, hour Dingwei, the hexagram Qian is drawn, changing to Li. The original hexagram is Qian, and the changing hexagram is Li. The six lines are arranged from top to bottom as follows. The top line, Upper Nine Renshu, in the Qian trigram represents parents, holding the position of the world, and changes to the line Jisi of the Li hexagram, which represents official ghost, paired with the Azure Dragon. The fifth line, Nine in the Fifth Renshen, represents siblings, drawn as a repeated line and activated, changing to Jiwei, representing parents, paired with the Black Tortoise. The fourth line, Nine in the Fourth Renwu, represents official ghost, changing to Jiyou, representing siblings, paired with the White Tiger. The third line, Jiachen, representing parents, is in the responding position, changing to Jihai, representing children, paired with the Snake. The second line, Jiayin, representing wealth, is also drawn as a repeated line and activated, changing to Jichou, representing parents, paired with Gou Chen. The first line, Jiayin, representing children, changes to Jimao, representing wealth, paired with the Vermilion Bird. This hexagram will be interpreted in ten sections.

（1）占來情 以心易敷於有易封，我觸以幹祿之機甚吉，反施乾之九五“飛龍在天，利見大人”，而下兆有“見龍在田”，統思卦象，乾健化離，“出涕沱若，戚磋若，吉”、“黃離，元吉”，復以六親法，卦中多者取來情，惟此印綬爻多，即知來者占求官也。

First, determine what the person is asking about. Use the method of spreading the mind to the already formed hexagram: I perceive a sign indicating the opportunity for seeking official position, which is very auspicious. Reflecting on the hexagram Qian, the line nine in the fifth, 'A dragon in the sky, advantageous to see a great man,' and below it the line nine in the second, 'A dragon in the field,' indicates a favorable omen. Observing the entire hexagram, the strong and vigorous quality of Qian transforms into Li, which has the phrase 'flowing tears like torrents, sorrowful lamentations, but auspicious' and 'the yellow Li, originally auspicious.' Using the method of the Six Relations, identify which type of line is most numerous in the hexagram and take that as the meaning; in this hexagram, the line of the official's seal and parents is most numerous, indicating that the person is consulting about seeking an official position.

（2）占家宅 卦中兩重父母，及年與時兩重，初夏占，其土絕，當知其屋舊象，可存四重或二重房。其三爻甲辰之屋在內，卻乃日旬空，兼以“君子終日乾乾，夕惕若，厲無咎”，離之九三“日昃之離”，此一重非言壞則火焚。

Second, divining about the family residence. The hexagram contains two sets of parent lines, and there is another set on the year branch and another on the hour branch, making a total of four sets. This hexagram is cast in early summer, when earth is in its dying phase, indicating that these houses are already old, and there are probably four courtyards or two courtyards remaining. Among them, the third line Jiachen falls within the inner trigram, but it also lies in the旬空 of the day branch. Combined with the meaning of the line Nine in the Third of the Qian trigram, "The superior man is diligent day and night, cautious at night, and though in danger, there is no blame," and the line Nine in the Third of the Li trigram, "The sun is declining," this courtyard is either going to collapse or be destroyed by fire.

其上九壬戌之屋，高值青龍修舊之星，可住，奈九二甲寅財動青龍，修中有克，乾之上九“亢龍有悔”離之上九“有嘉折首”，兼以鬼庫在戌，歲君丑刑戌，此屋必因女人或財事破毀。只有年時及化離丑未四屋零屋沖散復成之象，此卦化出已未及占時丁未生扶，易辭又吉，後能復成無妨。

The uppermost line nine, which is Renxu, indicates that the place where one enters the house is elevated. It also coincides with the Azure Dragon, which is the star governing the repair of old houses. However, despite this, the situation is not favorable. The second line nine, Jiayin, which represents the wealth element, is activated, and although the Azure Dragon is present, the repair process involves some harm. This is further compounded by the meaning of the line "The elevated dragon brings regret" from the Qian hexagram's uppermost line and "A good head is broken" from the Li hexagram's uppermost line. Additionally, the position of the ghost's repository is at Xu, and the Tai sui Yichou is also in conflict with Xu. Therefore, this house is destined to be damaged due to matters related to women or wealth. Only the branches of the year and the hour, along with the places indicated by the changing hexagram Li containing the elements Chou and Wei, remain. These represent a situation where the structure is first scattered and then reassembled. The changing hexagram is Jiwei, and the time of the divination is Dingwei, which mutually support each other. The oracle's meaning is auspicious, so the house can be rebuilt in the future, and there is no great problem.

（3）占夫妻 寅木發動，及申金兄弟爻動，初夏木病金生，主克木，數三當減，則二個吉。 （4）占子 初又甲子水，初夏水絕，主一個吉。 （5）占婚姻 兄動克妻，財動傷翁，不吉。

Third, divining about the spouse. The second line, nine in the second, which is the wood of yin, the wealth line, is activated, and the fifth line, nine in the fifth, which is the metal of shen, the siblings line, is also activated. The wood of xia is in the sickly place, while the metal is in a position of strength and can therefore overcome the wood. The number of wood is three, and when it is overcome, it should be reduced, leaving two, which is auspicious. Fourth, divining about offspring. The first line, jiazi, belongs to water, and the water of xia is in the place of decline. The number of water is one, so it indicates only one son is auspicious. Fifth, divining about marriage. When the siblings line is activated, it will overcome the wife, and when the wealth line is activated, it will harm the parents-in-law, so this marriage is inauspicious.

（6）占大小限 五歲行一爻，初從世爻起，陽順陰逆，此卦世在上九，五歲至世，青龍持世，為喜中小滯。六歲至十歲行初九，逢福德，吉。十一至十五行九二，甲寅動克世，命在須臾。

Sixth, divining major and minor limits. Each five years progresses one line, starting from the world line. If the world line is yang, it proceeds in order; if yin, it proceeds in reverse. In this hexagram, the world line is on the upper nine. From one to five years, the world line is on the world line, with the azure dragon holding the world line, indicating joy with slight obstruction. From six to ten years, the line moves to the initial nine, which is the children's fortune virtue line, indicating good fortune. From eleven to fifteen years, the line moves to the second nine, which is the jia yin wealth line, activating to overcome the world line, putting life and death in the span of a moment.

（7）占求官 易辭本吉，但甲寅財動傷文書，壬申兄動有阻，直待午火官，辰土印綬年可求。 （8）占求財 九二財動、求之必有；九五比肩爻動，阻而未得。

Seventh, divining for seeking official position. The line statements of the Qian and Li hexagrams are originally auspicious, but the Jia Yin wealth line is activated and harms the documents, and the Ren Shen siblings line is activated, causing further obstruction; one must wait until the year when the Wu fire official star and Chen earth official star are in charge, then the official position can be obtained. Eighth, divining for seeking wealth. The Jia Yin wealth line is activated, so wealth is certainly obtainable; however, the Ren Shen siblings line is also activated, causing obstruction in the middle, so the wealth will not be obtained immediately.

（9）占疾病 壬午火鬼，正值九四爻，火鬼主熱，若占父母，九二木財發動必傷。幸九五金動制之；其病可痊，但牽連末脫。 （10）占行人歸期 本應甲寅日到，因兄動有阻，遇旬方來。

Ninth, divining illness. The Renwu fire ghost is on the fourth line, and the fire ghost indicates a fever. If the divination is about the parents' illness, the nine in the second line, which is the wood wealth, will surely harm the parents. Fortunately, the nine in the fifth line, which is the metal monkey, is activated and can overcome the wood, thus controlling the wealth line. Therefore, the illness can still be cured, but the connection is not yet cut off, and it cannot be completely removed at once. Tenth, divining the return of a traveler. The traveler should arrive on Jiayin day, but because the siblings line is activated and causes obstruction, he will arrive only after ten days.

易道逐心，出於混元；大道逐性，出於神仙。

The principles of the Book of Changes respond to human thoughts and intentions, originating from the primordial qi of chaos before differentiation; the great way follows human nature and attains the realm of immortality.

易本逐心，天地合體，陰陽假神，出於混元。一得一失，皆在日月盈虧，一離一合，皆從無而立有，故易本逐心，人靈神輔，顯明在乎信，吉凶在乎人。

The Yi Jing is originally responsive to the mind: heaven and earth unite as one, yin and yang operate through the divine, and everything originates from the primordial chaos. Gains and losses in human life are reflected in the waxing and waning of the sun and moon; partings and unions all arise from the emergence of being from non-being. Therefore, the Yi Jing is fundamentally responsive to the mind: the human spirit comes first, and the divine is merely an auxiliary; whether the hexagrams can be revealed depends entirely on the sincerity and faith of the person divining; and whether fortune or misfortune arises, it all depends on the person themselves.

或問：易道逐心何也？答曰：必要至虛至靈，以誠信為主。凡占卜，存心道性，不可一毫私念起於中。取用象在乎果決，不要狐疑，妙處當以心會神頌，有不可言傳者也。如此則神靈輔助，隨吾取舍而用之，自然靈驗矣。故曰易道逐心。

Someone asked: What does "Easy Dao follows the mind" mean? The answer is: The person performing divination must be extremely empty-minded and highly sensitive, with sincerity as the foundation. When casting a hexagram and seeking divination, one must maintain a pure heart and uphold the nature of the Dao, without any private thoughts in the mind. In selecting the hexagram and its imagery, one must be decisive and resolute, without hesitation. The subtleties should be understood by the mind and silently recited by the spirit; some aspects cannot be conveyed through words. If one can do this, the spirits will naturally assist, responding to one's choices and actions, thus being effective. Therefore, it is said "Easy Dao follows the mind."

又曰：麻衣六親，各有為主，以世、應、日、月、飛、伏、動、靜，曉此道理，刻期而應。復以克、合、刑、害、墓、旺、空、沖，知此八宗，與神奧通。

It is also said that the method of the Six Relations passed down by Master Hemp-Robe indicates that each relation has its own specific context in which it takes effect. When combined with the eight factors of the world, the response, the day, the month, flying stars, hidden stars, movement, and stillness, one can thoroughly understand this principle and thus accurately determine the time and see the results. In addition, one must also use the eight elements of overcoming, joining, punishment, harm, tomb, strength, emptiness, and opposition to deduce. When one thoroughly understands these eight aspects, one will be in harmony with the profound mysteries of the divine.

吉凶只在面前決，禍福無勞日後知。從此敢開天地口，老夫非是愛吟詩。

Good and ill are evident right before our eyes, requiring immediate decision. Misfortune and blessing do not have to wait until later to be known. From this point on, I dare to speak on behalf of heaven and earth. Old man, I am not merely fond of composing poetry. These four lines are Shao Yong expressing his confidence in the speed and accuracy of his divination. The entire book ends with this passage.