Qian Li Ming Gao (千里命稿) · Volume 1

觀夫世界之廣大，宇宙之奇妙，人事之渺茫，若可知，若不可知，雖聖人亦不敢以論斷定也。然一春一秋，物故者新；一晝一夜，花開者謝。廢興成毀，盈虛依伏；大而名利，細而飲啄。默察一切，冥冥中似有定之者，故聖人不敢以論斷定者。今可於中仄盈虧之象，五行生剋之理之中，求之而百不失一焉。

Looking at this world so vast and the universe so marvelous, human affairs seem so uncertain, as if knowable yet unknowable. Even sages dare not make definitive statements. Yet within a single spring and autumn, old things die and new ones arise; within a single day and night, flowers that bloom in the morning wither by evening. Success and decline, achievement and destruction, fullness and emptiness depend on each other and lie hidden within one another. Whether great as fame and fortune or small as a sip of drink or a single grain of rice, all follow this pattern. By quietly observing these things, one senses an unseen force governing them, which is why sages do not easily make judgments. Now, this principle can be sought in the heavenly phenomena, such as the sun reaching its zenith and then tilting westward, or the moon waxing to fullness and then waning. It can also be found in the "Five Phases" or the mutual generation and mutual control of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. By seeking it in these ways, there will be no error in a hundred cases.

餘始對於命運，乃深信而不疑。曩歲因事至申，訪韋子千里於其寓，論往指來，不爽禾黍。且評語簡明透澈，以少勝多。非深於道，明於理，通於儒，洞明乎世事者，弗能也。然餘有感焉，江湖述士之流，恆籍此為生，理既不明，語亦鄙陋，大雅君子，為之不齒。

I only then fully believed in the matter of destiny. A few years ago, I went to Shanghai (Shanghai is also called "Shen"), and visited Mr. Wei Qianli at his residence. He interpreted my past and advised me about my future, and his words were completely accurate. Moreover, his comments were concise and clear, explaining many things with very few words. Only someone who has deeply studied divination, thoroughly understands worldly affairs, is well-versed in Confucian learning, and has insight into human nature could achieve such a level. However, I also had a feeling of regret: those fortune-tellers in the world usually rely on this trade for a living. They cannot explain the principles clearly, and their speech is crude and vulgar, so scholars of high status and cultivation look down upon this profession.

命理之學，晦而不彰，安得如韋子者作中流之砥柱耶。今韋子學益進，出其餘緒，編印《命學講義》一書問世，蒙示全稿，吟誦之餘，覺奧邃詳明，裨補後學，余嘗有志於斯而未能，今又有鞭策之者矣。敢不勉旃，敢不勉旃。詩云：“高山仰止，景行行止”，雖不能至心響往之，爰書此以歸。韋子其樂而教之乎，是有命焉，非餘所敢望也。公元一九三四年七月楊叔和於蚌埠大淮報館

This discipline of fate and destiny has therefore become obscure and unable to flourish, where else can we find someone like Mr. Wei, who can stand firm in turbulent waters? Now Mr. Wei has advanced further in his studies, and with his remaining capacity, he has compiled a book called "Treatise on Destiny Studies" and published it for the world. He has entrusted me with the complete manuscript, and after I have read it repeatedly, I feel that this book is both profound and well-organized, greatly beneficial to those who come after. I once had aspirations in this field but failed to achieve them; now there is someone beside me urging me on, how could I not strive harder, how could I not strive harder. The "Book of Songs," "Small Odes," "Cart Yoke" says, "Looking up to the high mountain, following the broad path." The high mountain inspires admiration, the great path inspires following; although I may not reach that level, my heart is deeply yearning for it, so I have written this preface to return to him. Will Mr. Wei be willing to teach me? This is also determined by fate, not something I dare to expect. This preface was written in July of 1934, by Yang Shuhe at the Da Huai Newspaper Office in Bengbu.

餘於公餘之暇，喜讀命學諸書。凡坊間古籍名著，均先後蒐羅，迭經殫心參研，苦無心得，如《星平會海》、《三命通會》、《滴天髓》等書，或博而寡約，或簡奧難明，往復思索，雖略曉其意，終未了然於胸。客歲識鴛湖韋君千里，一見如故，蓋知其秉承家學，精研有素者也。讀其所纂之《精選命理約言》一書，深佩其註釋精微、闡揚命學之功，不在素庵相國下也。

While working, I enjoy reading books on destiny studies. I have collected all the famous ancient texts circulating in the market, and have repeatedly tried to study them thoroughly, but I have been troubled by the lack of personal insights. Works such as "Star and Balance in the Sea of Fate," "Complete Compendium of the Three Fates," and "Dropping the Sky's Essence" are either too voluminous without a clear structure or written in a concise and obscure manner that is difficult to understand. Although I have pondered them repeatedly and have a general understanding of their meanings, I have never fully grasped their essence. Last year, I met a person from Yuanhu (another name for Jiaxing), Mr. Wei Qianli. From the first meeting, we became close friends, and I realized that he had inherited his family's scholarly tradition and had put in solid efforts in this field. After reading his compiled work "Selected Essentials of Destiny Studies," I deeply admired his meticulous annotations and his contributions to the development of destiny studies. His work is no less than that of the original author, Chen Su'an, a late Ming dynasty minister.

君復以命學之式微，胥由古籍說理未透，今歲月於百忙中，編《命學講義》，以授海內有志斯學者。餘因加入研究，先獲其稿，披覺竟日，恍然有悟。昔日之所疑難者，今皆迎刃而解矣，他書中支離瑣屑之點，亦均條分縷晰，舉例闡明，矛盾謬誤之處，則說理指正，充推子平正宗，不僅為初學者必讀之書，亦可供精究者參考之籍。書成，將奧邃詳明，裨補後學，殊非淺鮮。余嘗有志於斯而未能，今又有鞭付剞劂，餘乃樂為之序。甲戌仲秋嘉定駱經畲

Wei Jun also believed that the decline of the art of divination was due to the lack of clear explanations in ancient texts. Therefore, this year, amidst his busy schedule, he compiled "The Essentials of Destiny Studies" to teach those who are devoted to this discipline. Since I participated in the research, I was the first to receive the manuscript. I spent an entire day reading it and suddenly had a clear understanding: previous doubts and difficulties are now easily resolved; the fragmented and trivial content in other books is here clearly explained with examples; contradictions and errors in previous works are corrected and clarified, making this a true representative of the "Zi Ping" school (Zi Ping refers to the method of eight characters divination passed down by Xu Ziping of the Song dynasty). It is not only essential reading for beginners but also a valuable reference for those who have already deeply studied this field. After the book was completed, its profound yet clear explanations will greatly benefit future learners. I once had a desire to contribute to this field but was unable to do so. Now that this book is about to be printed ("ji jue" originally refers to the carving tools used in book printing, and here it means the act of publishing), I am delighted to write this preface. Written in the middle autumn of the Jia Xu year, by Luo Jingye from Jiading.

韋子千里，少負奇才，幼承庭訓，家學淵源，挾君平術，為人權衡，談必微中。與之語世道，辯古今事當否；論人高下，事後常成敗。若河決下流而東注，若駟馬駕輕車就熟路，飽學老成，固非世俗所能望其肩背，且慷慨好義，憂世疾憤，輒嘗論世道崎嶇，人心險詐，魑魅諮肆，魍魎橫行，未嘗不嘆息痛恨於挽狂瀾之乏術也，

Master Wei Qianli had a remarkable talent from a young age. He was educated by his father and had a solid academic background. With the skill of "Junping," which refers to the tradition of divination and fortune-telling, he would assess people's destinies. When he spoke, he often hit the key points. When discussing the world's affairs, he could clearly discern whether certain actions in ancient times were right or wrong. When evaluating people's merits and demerits, his predictions often proved accurate later. His speech flowed like a mighty river breaking its banks, or like four strong horses driving a light carriage on a familiar road. His knowledge was profound and his insight mature, far beyond the reach of ordinary people. Moreover, he was generous and righteous, deeply concerned about worldly matters. He often spoke about the hardships of the times, the treachery of human hearts, the rampant activities of supernatural beings, and the prevalence of evil forces. Without fail, he would sigh and regret his lack of means to reverse the tide.

予諷之日，徒言無補於事，空談不如實行，君抱稀世之才，挾君平神技，曷不將命學公開，廣為宣傳，使人人得知命理。預識趨避之道，槽權己衡人，兩相裨益，彼魅魁魍雖熾，或得稍斂其跡，未始非治標之一法也，我子曷不圖乎？君聞言奮然起曰：誠如子言，餘當知所勉矣。乃毅然決然，將所學供獻於世人，創辦命學函授於韋氏命苑，未及匝月，成績裴然，國中聞風響學者，日必數十起，

I advised him: merely talking about it is of no help, empty words are worse than practical action. You possess rare talent and have mastered the divine skills of Junping. Why not make your knowledge of destiny public and widely spread it, so that everyone can understand the principles of fate, know in advance how to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and be able to evaluate oneself and others, benefiting both sides. Although those evil spirits and ghosts may be flourishing now, they might be somewhat restrained as a result. This could be a way to address the problem at its surface. Why don't you do it? Wei Jun listened and rose up with determination, saying: Just as you said, I should now know how to make an effort. So he resolutely contributed his knowledge to the world, establishing a correspondence course in destiny studies called "Wei's School of Destiny." Within a month, the results were remarkable. Every day, people from all over the country heard of it and came to study, with dozens coming each day.

而筆政冗繁，案續勞形，雖日以繼夜，案頭常積卷盈尺，漸臻精力不繼，輒對之漢曰：餘不勝其勞矣。而欲罷湧者其奈何？竊相與憂而莫能相助。於是轉輾焦思，若有所得，即欣然謂韋子曰：君不將函授講義，收集成冊，發行單行本問世，如要則於君可一勞永逸，於學者不啻躬沐教誨，豈非一舉二得者耶，君以為可，乃夜發書，焚膏繼晷，將手編講義，重行邏輯，補遺拾漏，去腐存菁。

But the work of answering letters was too complicated and tedious. Although he worked day and night, the pile of documents on his desk often reached a foot high, and gradually his energy ran out. He often sighed in front of these documents, saying: I can't stand this hard work anymore. But I can't stop, what should I do? I worried about him privately, but couldn't help. So he thought and thought again, and seemed to have found a solution. He was happy and said to Wei Jun: Why don't you collect your correspondence lessons into a book and publish it as a separate volume? This would be a one-time solution for you, and for scholars it would be no less than receiving personal instruction. Isn't that a win-win situation? Wei Jun thought it feasible, so he started writing all night, burning the lamp and oil, working day and night, reorganizing the notes he had compiled, adding what was missing, removing the bad parts, and keeping the good ones.

其間皆根據先哲之立言，參以一己之實驗，提綱摘要，纂言扣玄，發人所不敢發，道人所未曾道，由淺顯而入於深奧，一氣貫通，不愧為學命梯範。夫韋君年少好學，口不絕吟於六藝之文，手不停披於百家之編，識廣學博，著作等身。其生平所述甚宏，具為精警碩論，獨於此命學講義尤多，焉見付梓在即，出版有期，其不紙貴洛陽，不脛而走者，我不信也。公元一九三四年甲戌仲秋季日顧乃平謹識於淞濱逸廬

The content of the book is based on the established teachings of wise scholars of previous dynasties, and then refers to his own practical observations. He summarizes the main points, presents concise statements, explores subtle matters, dares to say what others dare not, and explains what others have not explained. He leads readers from simple to profound, maintaining a continuous flow, and is truly a ladder and model for those entering the study of destiny. Master Wei is young but diligent in learning. He constantly recites texts of the Six Arts (here generally referring to Confucian classics), and continuously consults works of the Hundred Schools of Thought. His knowledge is extensive, his learning broad, and his writings could be piled up to the same height as a person. Throughout his life, he has written a great deal, all of which are profound and insightful discussions. Among these, this work, "Treatise on Destiny," has been particularly carefully composed. Now that it is about to be printed and will soon be published, I do not believe it will not become as popular as Zuo Si's "Three Capitals" of the Jin Dynasty, causing paper to be expensive in Luoyang and spreading widely without needing to be carried. This preface was written on the last day of the middle autumn in the year Jiaxu (1934), and Gu NaiPing respectfully records it at the Suzhong Yilu.

祿命之學，由來已久。如言數理者，言星辰者，言子平者，以常情測之，僉依據於了平一書。夫命不可信乎？唐呂才有言：長平坑卒，曷嘗共犯三刑；南陽貴人，未必盡逢六合。命不可信乎，南史沈攸之嘗言：早知窮達有命，恨不十年讀書。故孔子五十而知天命，孟子曰莫非命也，順受其正，是以知命者，不立乎嚴牆之下。然則命之可信與否，其精微奧妙，寂靜感通，誠不易言也。

The study of calculating destiny has existed for a long time. There are different schools of thought: one focusing on numbers and mathematics, another on stars and constellations, and another on the system of Zi Ping. According to common reasoning, all these schools base their theories on the book of Zi Ping (the original text mistakenly writes "leping" instead of "Zi Ping"). So, is destiny really reliable? In the Tang Dynasty, Lu Cai once said: could it be that all the hundreds of thousands of surrendered soldiers killed in the Battle of Changping were all subject to the Three Punishments? And could it be that all the noble people from Nanyang necessarily encountered the Six Harmonies? According to this, destiny seems unreliable. However, destiny also seems reliable: the Southern History records that Shen Youzhi once said, if he had known that success and failure in life are determined by fate, he would have regretted not reading ten more years of books. Therefore, Confucius said that at fifty he understood the will of heaven, and Mencius said that nothing is not determined by fate, and one should follow the right path to accept it. Therefore, those who understand destiny would not stand under a wall about to collapse (from Mencius, "The Utmost Goodness," the original text says "yanchuang"). Thus, whether destiny is reliable or not, its subtle and profound principles, which are still and yet responsive, are really difficult to explain clearly.

吾儕讀古人書，研摩命理，無非求際遇之順利，聲譽之暢達，素位而行，有從不背，要皆修身之一助耳。丁茲人心澆薄，世道衰微，講求命運，更應趨吉避凶，免非就是，為常務之急。餘不敢謂之命，只謂推命而已。

We who read the writings of ancients and study destiny are merely seeking smooth circumstances, fame and success, contentment in our positions, and acting according to proper principles without overstepping our roles. In the end, all of this is just a means to cultivate ourselves. In this age of shallow morals and declining ways, emphasizing fate should focus on avoiding misfortune and choosing the right path, which is the most urgent matter at present. Therefore, I dare not claim to be able to determine people's destinies; I can only offer them fortune readings.

溯行道以還，所見富貴之命固多，貧賤之命，實亦不少。茲特先集百餘則，公諸同好，並加批註，籍為研究之資。至因革損益，論短評長，皆折衷於典籍。若云創作，則吾豈敢。如瑩巨碩宏文，進而教之，更幸甚矣。民國乙亥夏日浙江嘉興韋千里謹識於春申寓次。

Since I have been engaged in this profession, I have seen many wealthy and prosperous destinies, but in fact, there are also not a few of poor and humble ones. Now I will compile over a hundred examples of命例 (fate cases) and share them with fellow enthusiasts, adding comments to each case as research material. As for some parts that may have been inherited, modified, or added or deleted, discussing their merits and drawbacks, I will take classical texts as the standard for resolution. To call this my own creation would be an overstatement. If there are scholars with broad insights who are willing to offer further guidance, that would be even more fortunate. In the summer of the Year Yihai of the Republic of China, Wei Qianli from Jiaxing, Zhejiang, records this at his residence in Chunshen (Shanghai).

問：何謂十天干，十二地支。答：甲、乙、丙、丁、戊、己、庚、辛、壬、癸，此為十天干；子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥，此為十二地支。問：何謂六十花甲子？答：十天干，十二地支以次聯貫，即構成下列六十花甲子。甲子，乙丑，丙寅，丁卯，戊辰，己巳，庚午，辛未，壬申，癸酉，甲戌，乙亥，丙子，丁丑，戊寅，己卯，庚辰，辛己，壬午，癸未，甲申、己酉，丙戌，丁亥，戊子，己丑，庚寅，辛卯，壬辰，癸巳，甲午，己未，丙申，丁酉，戊戌，己亥，庚子，辛丑，壬寅，癸卯。甲辰，乙巳，丙午，丁未，戊申，己酉，庚戌，辛亥，壬子，癸丑，甲寅，乙卯，丙辰，丁巳，戊午，己未，庚申，辛酉，壬戌，癸亥。

What is meant by the ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches? The ten characters 甲, 乙, 丙, 丁, 戊, 己, 庚, 辛, 壬, 癸 are called the "ten heavenly stems"; the twelve characters 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥 are called the "twelve earthly branches." All the symbols used in the entire system of four pillars of destiny are composed of these twenty-two characters, so they must be memorized first. What is meant by the "sixty jiazi" (sixty heavenly stem and earthly branch combinations)? By pairing the ten heavenly stems with the twelve earthly branches in sequence, one by one, for example, 甲 pairs with 子, 乙 pairs with 丑, 丙 pairs with 寅, and so on, proceeding in order. Since the heavenly stems consist of ten and the earthly branches consist of twelve, and yang stems can only pair with yang branches, and yin stems can only pair with yin branches, it is not possible to form 120 combinations. Instead, the pairing stops at the sixtyth combination, which is Guihai. After that, it cycles back to Jiazi, continuing endlessly. These sixty combinations are called the "sixty jiazi" (also known as the "sixty heavenly stem and earthly branch combinations"). The heavenly stems and earthly branches used in the four pillars of destiny—year, month, day, and hour—are all selected from these sixty combinations. The following list shows these sixty combinations, starting from Jiazi and ending at Guihai. There are some errors in the original text: the eighteenth combination is mistakenly written as 辛己, it should be Xinsi; the twentieth-two combination is mistakenly written as Jiyou, it should be Yiyou; the thirty-second combination is mistakenly written as Jiwei, it should be Yiwei. The text is reproduced as it is, and readers are advised to check the order from Jiazi to Guihai to verify.

問：四柱是否指年柱，月柱，日柱，時柱。答：然，每柱一干一支，四柱共四干四支，即俗所謂八字是也，例如：甲子（此年柱也）、丙寅（此月柱也）、乙丑（此日柱也）、己卯（此時柱也）。問：假如今年癸酉，其人三十七歲，何以知其所生一處為丁酉。答：此非用推年法不可矣，推年之法多端，干支分推，較為簡便，詳述如下：

Question: So-called "four pillars" refers to the year pillar, month pillar, day pillar, and hour pillar? Answer: Exactly. Each pillar consists of one heavenly stem and one earthly branch. Altogether, the four pillars contain four heavenly stems and four earthly branches, making a total of eight characters, which is commonly called "eight characters". The arrangement is as follows: Jiazi is the year pillar, Bingyin is the month pillar, Yichou is the day pillar, and Jimao is the hour pillar. The four pillars are arranged vertically, with the year at the top and the hour at the bottom. This forms the foundation for divination. Question: If this year is Guiyou, and someone is thirty-seven years old, how can we know the year they were born was Dingyou? Answer: This requires the method of calculating the year. There are several methods for calculating the year, among which separating the heavenly stems and earthly branches and calculating them individually is the simplest. The detailed explanation is given below. (In the Republic era, people often only reported their age in years without recording the heavenly stems and earthly branches, so Wei taught readers to calculate their birth year by working backward from their age.)

推所生之年干：必先將其人歲數之零數，從今年天干起，逆推至若干位，即以其干，為生年天干。（歲數若為整十無零，則作十數論）例如三十七歲，七為零數，今年癸酉，自癸至丁，逆數是得七位（癸一壬二辛三庚四己五戊六丁七），即知所生之年，天干值丁。

First, determine the heavenly stem of the person's birth year. The method is to take the units digit of their age, count backward from this year's heavenly stem by that many positions, and the heavenly stem you land on is the birth year's heavenly stem. If the age is a multiple of ten with a units digit of zero, treat it as ten. This method works because there are ten heavenly stems, cycling every ten years, so the units digit of the age exactly corresponds to the number of positions between the birth year's heavenly stem and this year's heavenly stem. For example, if someone is thirty-seven years old, the units digit is seven, and this year's heavenly stem is Gui. Counting backward seven positions from Gui—Gui is first, Ren is second, Xin is third, Geng is fourth, Ji is fifth, Wu is sixth, and Ding is seventh—when you reach Ding, you know the heavenly stem of the birth year is Ding.

推所生之年支：必先將其人歲數除十二，視其餘數若干，從今年地支起，逆推至若干位。即以其支為生年地支。（若除盡無餘，即作十二數論）例如三十七歲，除三個十二，尚餘一數。今年癸酉，酉屬第一位，即知所生之年，地支值酉（合觀上例，可以知為丁酉年生，即以丁酉兩字，排入年柱可也）

To determine the earthly branch of the birth year, divide the age by twelve and check the remainder. Count backward from the current earthly branch by the number of the remainder, and the branch you land on is the birth year's earthly branch. If there is no remainder, treat it as twelve. The reasoning is the same as before: the earthly branches cycle every twelve years, so the remainder from dividing the age by twelve indicates the number of positions between the current branch and the birth year's branch. For example, if someone is thirty-seven years old, this includes three full cycles of twelve, leaving a remainder of one. If the current branch is You (酉), then You is considered the first position. Therefore, the birth year's branch is also You. Combining this with the heavenly stem Ding (丁) determined earlier, we know the person was born in the year Dingyou (丁酉). Thus, the characters 'Dingyou' are placed in the year pillar.

又如四十八歲。除四個十二，並無餘數。故必須作十二數論，今年癸酉。自酉至戌，逆數適得十二位（酉一申二未三午四巳五辰六卯七寅八丑九子十亥十一戌十二），即知所生之年，地支值戌。又如四十歲。除三個十二，尚餘四數今年癸酉，自酉至午，逆數適得四位（酉一申二未三午四）。即知其所生之年，地支值午。

Take two more examples. For a person who is 48 years old: 48 contains four twelves, and divides exactly with no remainder. According to the previous rules, it should be counted as twelve. This year's earthly branch is You. Counting backward twelve positions from You: You one, Shen two, Wei three, Wu four, Si five, Chen six, Mao seven, Yin eight, Chou nine, Zi ten, Hai eleven, Xu twelve. Counting to Xu, we find that his birth year's earthly branch is Xu. Another example: a person who is 40 years old: 40 contains three twelves, with a remainder of four. This year's earthly branch is still You. Counting backward four positions from You: You one, Shen two, Wei three, Wu four. Counting to Wu, we find that his birth year's earthly branch is Wu. Both examples show that when the remainder is zero, we must add twelve to count correctly, otherwise we would miss a whole cycle.

問：如甲子年，自元旦至除夕，是否始終作甲子推算。答：未可固定。蓋推年以立春為標準，其區別有三也。（一）在本年立春後生者，即以本年之干支，排為年柱。（二）在本年立春前生者，即以上一年之干支，排為年柱。（三）在本年十二月立春後生者，即以下一年之干支，排為年柱。列例如左下：

Question: For example, in the year of Jiazi, from the first day of the first lunar month to the last day of the twelfth lunar month, is the entire year calculated based on Jiazi? Answer: It cannot be considered as a whole. When determining the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year, it is not based on the first day of the first lunar month, but rather on the solar term "Start of Spring." The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year only change at the moment of the Start of Spring. Therefore, there are three situations: First, if someone is born after the Start of Spring of the current year, their year pillar is calculated based on the current year's heavenly stem and earthly branch; Second, if someone is born before the Start of Spring of the current year (even though the first day of the first lunar month has passed, the solar term has not arrived), their year pillar is still calculated based on the previous year's heavenly stem and earthly branch; Third, if someone is born in the twelfth lunar month but the Start of Spring of the next year has already arrived (Start of Spring occurs in the twelfth lunar month, and the solar term belongs to the next year), their year pillar is calculated based on the next year's heavenly stem and earthly branch. The following examples will be given in order.

例一：假定三十七歲，正月初二日亥時生人。照今年癸酉計算，三十七歲，當為丁酉。萬年曆載明是年正月初二日戌時立春，是亥時在戌時之後，已過立春，即以本年干支，丁酉兩字，排為年柱。例二：假定三十七歲正月初二日酉時生人，照今年癸酉計算，三十七歲，當為丁酉，萬年曆載明是年正月初二日戌時立春。是酉時在戌時之前，猶未立春。應以上一年之干支，丙申兩字，排為年柱（丁酉上一年為丙申）。

Example one: Suppose a person is thirty-seven years old and was born on the second day of the first lunar month at the hour of亥 (nine to eleven PM). According to the current year Guiyou, he was born in the year Dingyou. Checking the perpetual calendar, the beginning of spring occurred at the hour of戌 (seven to nine PM) on the second day of the first lunar month. Since the hour of亥 comes after戌, the beginning of spring had already passed at the time of birth, so the year pillar is determined by the current year's stem and branch, Dingyou. Example two: Suppose another person is also thirty-seven years old but was born on the second day of the first lunar month at the hour of酉 (five to seven PM). The same calculation leads to the year Dingyou. The perpetual calendar shows that the beginning of spring occurred at the hour of戌 on that day. Since the hour of酉 comes before戌, the beginning of spring had not yet arrived at the time of birth, so the year pillar cannot be Dingyou. Instead, the previous year's stem and branch, Bingshen, must be used. Although both were born on the same day, differing by just two hours resulted in a difference of one full year in the year pillar, demonstrating the strict division of the solar terms.

例三：假定三十六歲，十二月二十四日已時生人，照今年癸酉計算，三十六歲，當為戊戌，萬年曆載明是年十二月二四日辰時立春，是已時在辰時之後，已過立春，應以下一年之干支，已亥兩字，排為年柱。（戊戌下一年為己亥）。

Example three: Suppose a person was born on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month at the巳 hour (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.). According to the current year Guiyou, the person would have been born in the year Wuxu when they were thirty-six years old. Checking the perpetual calendar, the立春 (Beginning of Spring) was at the辰 hour (7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month in the year Wuxu. The巳 hour comes after the辰 hour, so the person was born after立春 had already occurred. Therefore, although the lunar month is still the twelfth month of the Wuxu year, the year pillar should use the next year's heavenly stem and earthly branch, which is Jihai. This is the third case mentioned earlier. It shows that people born in the twelfth lunar month must check the exact time of立春, otherwise the entire year pillar will be incorrect. (The original text mistakenly wrote「已时」and「已亥」as「已」instead of「巳」and「己」, which is a printing error.)

問：每年十二月建，是否固定。答：此誠固定也。正月建寅，二月建卯，三月建辰，四月建巳，五月建午，六月建未，七月建申，八月建酉，九月建戌，十月建亥，十一月建子，十二月建丑。

Question: Are the "Month Builders" (i.e., the Earthly Branches of the month pillar) fixed for each of the twelve months every year? Answer: This is indeed fixed. The first month is always built on寅, the second on卯, the third on辰, the fourth on巳, the fifth on午, the sixth on未, the seventh on申, the eighth on酉, the ninth on戌, the tenth on亥, the eleventh on子, and the twelfth on丑. This remains the same every year. The reason we start with寅 is that the traditional Chinese calendar begins with the month of寅, making the first month belong to寅; then the Earthly Branches follow in order, so by the twelfth month, we reach丑. Since the Earthly Branch of the month pillar is fixed, the only remaining issue in determining the month pillar is to find out what the Heavenly Stem of that month is.

問：如甲子年，正月建寅，固知其為寅月，然何以知其丙寅月。答：此非用推月法不可矣，推月之法，先須熟讀歌訣，歌曰：甲己之丙作首，乙庚之歲戊為頭，丙辛必定尋庚起，丁壬壬位順行流，更有戊癸何方覓，甲寅之上好追求，

Question: For example, in the year of Jiazi, the first month is built on Yin, so we know it is the Yin month. But how do we know it is Bingyin month instead of another Yin month? Answer: This requires the method of determining the month. To use this method, one must first memorize the mnemonic. The mnemonic says: "In the years of Jia and Ji, Bing is the first; in the years of Yi and Geng, Wu is the first; in the years of Bing and Xin, look for Geng; in the years of Ding and Ren, follow the order of Ren; and for the years of Wu and Ji, where can they be found? Seek them on Jiayin." This mnemonic is commonly known as "Wu Hu Dun" (Five Tiger Concealment), because it conceals the Bingyin month, which is the Yin month belonging to the tiger. Its function is to determine the heavenly stem of the first month based on the heavenly stem of the year. Once the heavenly stem of the first month is determined, the heavenly stems of the remaining months can be arranged in order according to the sixty jiazi. The original first line of the mnemonic was "Jia and Ji's Bing is the first," but it is missing the character "year." It should be read as "In the years of Jia and Ji, Bing is the first."

甲己之年丙作首，甲年己年之正月，皆為丙寅，二月皆為丁卯，三月皆為戊辰，餘類推。乙庚之歲戊為頭，己年庚年之正月，皆為戊寅，二月皆為己印，三月皆為庚辰，餘類推。丙辛必定尋庚起，丙年辛年之正月，皆為庚寅。二月皆為辛卯，三月皆為壬辰，餘類推。丁壬壬位順行流，丁年壬年之正月，皆為壬寅，二月皆為癸卯，三月皆為甲辰，餘類推。更有戊癸何方覓，甲寅之上好追求，戊年癸年之正月，皆為甲寅，二月皆為乙卯，三月皆為丙辰，餘類推。

The first line "甲己之年丙作首" means that for years with the heavenly stem Jia or Ji, the first month is always Bingyin, the second month is Dingmao, the third month is Wuchen, and the rest of the months follow in order according to the sixty-jiazi cycle. The second line "乙庚之岁戊为头" means that for years with the heavenly stem Yi or Geng, the first month is always Wuyin, the second month is Jimao, the third month is Gengchen, and the rest of the months follow in order according to the sixty-jiazi cycle. (Note: there is a printing error in the original text where "己年庚年" should be "乙年庚年" and "己印" should be "己卯") The third line "丙辛必定寻庚起" means that for years with the heavenly stem Bing or Xin, the first month is always Gengyin, the second month is Xinmao, the third month is Renchen, and the rest of the months follow in order according to the sixty-jiazi cycle. The fourth line "丁壬壬位顺行流" means that for years with the heavenly stem Ding or Ren, the first month is always Renyin, the second month is Guimao, the third month is Jiachen, and the rest of the months follow in order according to the sixty-jiazi cycle. The fifth line "更有戊癸何方觅，甲寅之上好追求" means that for years with the heavenly stem Wu or Gui, the first month is always Jiayin, the second month is Yimao, the third month is Bingchen, and the rest of the months follow in order according to the sixty-jiazi cycle. These five lines together cover all ten heavenly stems, so once the heavenly stem of the year is known, the heavenly stem of the month can be determined without consulting a calendar.

問：甲年正月為丙寅月，是否由初一日至三十日，均作正月丙寅推算。答：未可固定，蓋推月以節令為標準，其區別有三也。（一）在本月節令後生者，即以本月所遁干支，排為月柱。（二）在本月節令前生者，即以上月所適干支，排為月柱。（三）在本月下一節令前生者，即以下月所遁干支，排為月柱。

Question: If the first month of the year of Jia is the month of Bingyin, then from the first day to the thirtieth day of the month, is the entire month calculated according to Bingyin? Answer: It cannot be considered as a general rule. Arranging the month pillar is similar to arranging the year pillar; it does not depend on the first or fifteenth day of the lunar month, but rather on the "term" or "jie" of the month. Therefore, there are three situations: First, if one is born after the term of the current month has passed, then the stem-branch of the current month is used for the month pillar; Second, if one is born before the term of the current month has passed (although the month has already changed, the term has not arrived), then the stem-branch of the previous month is used for the month pillar; Third, if one is born in the current month but the term of the next month has already passed, then the stem-branch of the next month is used for the month pillar. The original text's third point says "those born before the next term of the month," where the character "before" should be read as "after," which becomes clear from example six below; the character "适" in "appropriate stem-branch" should also be read as "遁."

問：十二月節令，異同如何，請詳言之。答：正月立春節，二月驚蟄節，三月清明節，四月立夏節，五月芒種節，六月小暑節，七月立秋節，八月白露節，九月寒露節，十月立冬節，十一月大雪節，十二月小寒節。

The first month is divided by the beginning of spring, the second by the awakening of insects, the third by pure brightness, the fourth by the beginning of summer, the fifth by the wheat harvest, the sixth by the minor heat, the seventh by the beginning of autumn, the eighth by the white dew, the ninth by the cold dew, the tenth by the beginning of winter, the eleventh by the major snow, and the twelfth by the minor cold. The twenty-four solar terms alternate, with the odd ones called "jies" and the even ones called "qi." Only the "jies" are used to divide the months; when a month begins, it is determined by the corresponding "jie." These twelve "jies" serve as the twelve dividing lines for the month pillars and must be memorized.

例一：如癸卯年三月初九日卯時生，萬年曆載明是年三月初九日辰時清明，是卯時在辰時之前，猶未清明（即未進三月節），應以二月所遁干支，排為月柱，列式於下。癸卯（年），乙卯（月）。例二：如癸卯年三月初九日辰時生，萬年曆載明是年三月初九日辰時清明，是辰時已交清明（即已交三月節），應以三月所遁干支排為月柱，列式於下。癸卯（年），丙辰（月）。

Example one: Born on March 9th, Guimao year, at the卯 hour (5 to 7 a.m.). Checking the perpetual calendar, the Qingming festival began at the辰 hour on March 9th. Since the卯 hour is before the辰 hour, Qingming had not yet begun, meaning the solar term had not entered, so the month column cannot use March and should instead use the stem-branch of February. The heavenly stem of the Guimao year is癸, following the rule "Wu Gui year starts with Jiayin," so the first month isJiayin, the second month isYimao. Therefore, the year column isGuimao, and the month column isYimao. Example two: The same birth date, but at the辰 hour (7 to 9 a.m.). Since the辰 hour has already entered Qingming, meaning the solar term has begun, the month column should use the stem-branch of March. The first month isJiayin, the second month isYimao, and the third month isBingchen. Therefore, the year column isGuimao, and the month column isBingchen. The two examples are born on the same day, differing only by one hour, but the month column changes fromYimao toBingchen.

例三：如癸卯年十一月二十日丑時生，萬年曆載明是年十一月二十日丑時小寒，是丑時已交小寒（即已進十二月節），應以十二月所遁干支，排為月柱，列式於下。癸卯（年），乙丑（月）。例四：如癸卯年正月初八日卯時生，萬年曆載明是年正月初八日辰時立春，是卯時在辰時之前，未過立春（即未進正月節），不獨癸卯年作壬寅推（癸卯上一年為壬寅），且須以壬寅年十二月所遁干支，排為月柱（癸卯年正月之上一月，即壬寅年十二月。）列式於下。癸卯作壬寅（年），癸丑（月）。

Example three: Born on the 20th day of the 11th lunar month at the hour of You (1 a.m. to 3 a.m.) in the year Gui Mao. According to the perpetual calendar, the hour of You on the 20th day of the 11th lunar month marks the beginning of Xiaohan (Minor Cold), which is the solar term of the 12th lunar month. Although the lunar calendar is still in the 11th month, the month column must use the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the 12th month. The first month of the year Gui Mao is Jiayin, and counting forward to the 12th month gives Yi Chou, so the year column is Gui Mao and the month column is Yi Chou. Example four: Born on the 8th day of the first lunar month at the hour of Mao (5 a.m. to 7 a.m.) in the year Gui Mao. According to the perpetual calendar, the solar term of Lichun (Start of Spring) begins at the hour of Chen (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.) on the 8th day of the first lunar month. Since the hour of Mao is before the hour of Chen, Lichun has not yet arrived, and the solar term of the first lunar month has not entered. In this case, not only does the month column need to be adjusted backward, but the year column also needs to be adjusted backward. The year column should be based on the previous year, Ren Yin (the year before Gui Mao). The month column should use the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the 12th month of the year Ren Yin (the month before the first month of Gui Mao). The heavenly stem of the year Ren Yin is Ren. According to the rule "Ding Ren Ren proceeds in order," the first month of Ren Yin is Ren Yin, and counting forward to the 12th month gives Gui Chou. Therefore, the year column is Ren Yin and the month column is Gui Chou. This is an example of both the year and month columns being adjusted backward by one step.

例五：如癸卯年正月初八日辰時生，萬年曆載明是年正月初八日辰時立春，是辰時已交立春（即已進正月節），應以癸卯年正月所遁干支，排為月柱，列式於下。癸卯（年），甲寅（月）。例六：如癸卯年十二月二十日申時生，萬年曆載是年十二月二十日未時立春是申時在未時之後，已過立春（即已進下一年之正月節），不獨癸卯年作甲辰年推（癸卯年下一年為甲辰），且須以甲辰年正月所遁干支，排為月柱（癸卯年十二月之下一月，即甲辰年正月）。列式於下。癸卯作甲辰（年），丙寅（月）。

Example five: Still on the eighth day of the first lunar month in the year Gui Mao, but born at the hour of Chen. The hour of Chen is exactly when the beginning of spring (Lichun) begins. Since the beginning of spring has already arrived and the first lunar month has started, we follow the stem and branch of the first lunar month in the year Gui Mao to determine the monthly pillar: the first lunar month in the year Gui Mao is Jiayin, so the year pillar is Gui Mao and the month pillar is Jia Yin. Compared with example four, only the hour differs, and the year and month pillars change from Ren Yin and Gui Chou to Gui Mao and Jia Yin. Example six: Born on the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month in the year Gui Mao at the hour of Shen (3 to 5 p.m.). According to the perpetual calendar, the beginning of spring (Lichun) occurs at the hour of Wei (1 to 3 p.m.) on the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month. The hour of Shen comes after the hour of Wei, so the beginning of spring has already passed, meaning that the new lunar month, the first month of the following year, has already begun. At this time, the year pillar must be calculated as Jiachen (the next year after Gui Mao is Jiachen), and the month pillar must also be calculated using the stem and branch of the first lunar month in the year Jiachen (the next month after the twelfth lunar month of Gui Mao is the first lunar month of Jiachen). The stem of the year Jiachen is Jia, so according to the rule 'Jia and Ji years start with Bing', the first lunar month is Bingyin. Therefore, the year pillar is Jiachen and the month pillar is Bingyin. (The original text is missing the character 'ming' in 'the perpetual calendar clearly states', and the phrase 'the beginning of spring is at the hour of Wei, which is Shen' should be punctuated, but we still follow the original text as recorded.)

例七：如癸卯年十二月二十日午時生。萬年曆載明是年十二月二十日未是立春。是午時在未時之前，猶未立春（即未進下一上之正月節），仍以癸卯十二月所遁干支，排為月柱，列式於下。癸卯（年），乙丑（月）。

Example seven: On the same day, the 20th of the twelfth lunar month in the year Gui Mao, the child was born at the hour of Wu (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). The perpetual calendar states that the beginning of spring (Lichun) occurs at the hour of Wei on that day. Since the hour of Wu is before the hour of Wei, the beginning of spring has not yet arrived, meaning the beginning of the next year's first lunar month has not yet entered. Therefore, the stem and branch for the month should still be calculated according to the stem and branch of the twelfth lunar month in the year Gui Mao. The first lunar month of the year Gui Mao is Jiayin, and counting forward, the twelfth lunar month is Yichou. Thus, the stem and branch for the year is Gui Mao, and for the month is Yichou. This example is on the same day as example six, differing only by two hours, yet the stem and branch for the year and month change from Jiachen and Bingyin to Gui Mao and Yichou. This shows that the exact time of the seasonal change must not be ambiguous. (The original text mistakenly uses "is" for "hour" and "next above" for "next year," both being printing errors.)

問：推日之法如何？答：較推年推月，皆為簡易，只須查看萬年曆，即知所生之日，是何干支。例如癸亥年正月初八日生人，是年萬年曆所載：申（初一日為庚申），正月小庚，午（十一日為庚午），辰（廿一日為庚辰）。既知初一日為庚申，屈指順推，則知初八日應為丁卯矣（庚申初一辛酉初二壬戌初三癸亥初四甲子初五乙丑初六丙寅初七丁卯初八），即以丁卯兩字，排為日柱，列式於下。癸亥（年），甲寅（月），丁卯（日）。

Question: How do you determine the day pillar? Answer: It is easier than determining the year or month. You just need to look up the calendar for the year, and you can find out what stem and branch the day of birth corresponds to. Because the stem and branch of the day have been changing every day since ancient times without interruption, they cannot be calculated with a mnemonic, but must be looked up in the calendar. For example, someone born on the eighth day of the first lunar month in the year Guihai: the calendar for that year notes in the first lunar month section that it is a small month, and lists three stem and branches that occur every ten days: Gengshen (first day), Gengwu (eleventh day), and Gengchen (twenty-first day). The original text is a vertical small table, but the characters are out of order. When reading, they should be restored to read "the first lunar month is a small month, Gengshen is the first day, Gengwu is the eleventh day, and Gengchen is the twenty-first day." Knowing that the first day is Gengshen, you can count forward: Gengshen on the first day, Xinyou on the second, Renxu on the third, Guihai on the fourth, Jiazi on the fifth, Yichou on the sixth, Bingyin on the seventh, Dingmao on the eighth. Therefore, the eighth day is Dingmao, and the two characters "Dingmao" are arranged as the day pillar. The three pillars together are the year pillar Guihai, the month pillar Jiayin, and the day pillar Dingmao. The day stem is the most important in the four pillars of a birth chart, as it represents the person themselves. In the following text, it will be referred to as "day master" or "self."

問：假如甲子日寅時，何由知其為丙寅時。答：此非用推時法不可矣，推時之法，先須熟讀歌訣，歌曰：甲己還加甲，乙庚丙作初，丙辛從戊起，丁壬庚子居，戊癸何方發，壬子是真途。

Question: Suppose it is the Jiazi day and the Yin hour, how do we know it is Bingyin hour? Answer: This requires the method of determining the heavenly stem of the hour. The earthly branch of the hour column is fixed: Zi hour, Chou hour, Yin hour, etc., and the twelve hours are sequentially matched each day, so there is no need to calculate them. What needs to be calculated is only the heavenly stem of the hour. The method of determining the hour begins with memorizing a mnemonic: Jia and Ji add Jia again, Yi and Geng start with Bing, Bing and Xin start with Wu, Ding and Ren start with Geng, and Wu and Ji start with Ren. This mnemonic is commonly known in later generations as "Wushu遁" (the Five Rats遁, as the遁 refers to the hour of Zi, which is the hour of the rat). Its function is to determine the heavenly stem of the Zi hour based on the heavenly stem of the day. Once the heavenly stem of the Zi hour is determined, the remaining eleven hours can be sequentially calculated.

甲己還加甲，甲日己日之子時，皆為甲子，丑時皆為乙丑，寅時皆為丙寅，餘類推。乙庚丙作初，乙日庚日之子時，皆為丙子。丑時皆為丁丑，寅時皆為戊寅，餘類推。丙辛從戊起，丙日辛日之子時，皆為戊子，丑時皆為己丑，寅時皆為庚寅，餘類推。丁壬庚子居，丁日壬之子時，皆為庚子，丑時皆為己丑，寅時皆為庚寅，餘類推。戊癸何方發，壬子是真途，戊日癸日之子時，皆為壬子，丑時皆為癸丑，寅時皆為甲寅，餘類推。

The first line "Jia and Ji add Jia" means that when the day stem is Jia or Ji, the Zi hour is always Jiazi, the Chou hour is Yichou, the Yin hour is Bingyin, and so on in sequence. This explains why on a Jiazi day, the Yin hour is Bingyin. The second line "Yi and Geng start with Bing" means that when the day stem is Yi or Geng, the Zi hour is Bingzi, the Chou hour is Dingchou, the Yin hour is Wuyin, and so on in sequence. The third line "Cing and Xin start with Wu" means that when the day stem is Cing or Xin, the Zi hour is Wuzi, the Chou hour is Jichou, the Yin hour is Gengyin, and so on in sequence. The fourth line "Ding and Ren start with Geng" means that when the day stem is Ding or Ren, the Zi hour is Gengzi, the Chou hour is Xinchou, the Yin hour is Rennyin, and so on in sequence. (The original text mistakenly copied the previous line's "Jichou" and "Gengyin" here; it should be corrected according to the rule, but the original text is retained. Also, the phrase "Ding day Ren's Zi hour" is missing a "day" character.) The fifth line "Wu and Gui start from Renzi" means that when the day stem is Wu or Gui, the Zi hour is Renzi, the Chou hour is Guichou, the Yin hour is Jiayin, and so on in sequence. With this, the methods for calculating the year, month, day, and hour are complete, and the eight characters (八字) can be determined.

問：請述十天干之陰陽。答：甲丙戊庚壬皆為陽，乙丁己辛癸皆為陰。問：大運部位從何起點，請詳述之。答：其起點皆根據所生之月建，如男命所生之年，天干屬陽，或女命所生之年，天干屬陽，運皆順行；男命所生之年，天干屬陰，或女命所生之年，運皆逆行。

Question: What are the yin and yang attributes of each of the ten heavenly stems? Answer: Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren are yang stems, while Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui are yin stems. The order of the ten stems has yang for odd numbers and yin for even numbers. Remember this principle, for the pairing of the six spirits' yin and yang can be deduced. Question: Where does the "big destiny period" (a ten-year cycle of life divided into several periods, each period represented by a heavenly stem and earthly branch) start? Please explain in detail. Answer: The starting point is always based on the month column of the birth month, that is, proceeding downward or upward from the month builder. The direction of progression is determined by the yin and yang of the heavenly stem of the birth year and the gender of the person: if the person is male born in a yang year or female born in a yin year, the big destiny period proceeds forward; if the person is male born in a yin year or female born in a yang year, the big destiny period proceeds backward. The original text has a printing error, stating "if the year of birth of a female is yang, the destiny period proceeds forward," which contradicts the four examples below (a female born in a yang year proceeds backward, and a female born in a yin year proceeds forward). It should be corrected to follow the general rule of "yang male and yin female proceed forward, yin male and yang female proceed backward."

例如：男命甲子年，丙寅月生，甲屬陽，運皆順行，當從丙寅月建起點，順推而下。第一部運為丁卯，第二部運即為戊辰，以次遞進，列式於下。（第一部運）丁卯、（第二部運）戊辰、（第三部運）己已、（第四部運）庚午、（第五部運）辛未、（第六部運）壬申。

Take the first example: a male born in the year Jiazi and in the month Bingyin. The stem of the year Jia is yang, indicating a yang year for a male destiny, and the great destiny runs in the forward direction. Since it is moving forward, we start from the Bingyin column of the month. Following the order of the sixty jiazi, the next after Bingyin is Dingmao, so the first great destiny is Dingmao. The next is Wuchen, which is the second great destiny; then we proceed step by step. The sequence is: first Dingmao, second Wuchen, third Jisi, fourth Gengwu, fifth Xinwei, sixth Renshen. Note that the starting point is the column of the month itself, not the column after the month column. The first destiny is obtained by moving the month column one step forward (the original text mistakenly writes 'ji yi' instead of 'ji si').

又如男命乙丑年戊寅月生，乙屬陰，運皆逆行，當從戊寅月建起點，逆推而上，第一部運為丁丑，第二部運即9為丙子，以次遞退，列式於下。（第一部運）丁丑、（第二部運）丙子、（第三部運）乙亥、（第四部運）甲戌、（第五部運）癸酉、（第六部運）壬申。

The second example: a male's birth year is Yichou, and the birth month is Wuyin. The heavenly stem of the year, Yi, is yin, indicating a yin year for a male's birth. The great destiny cycle moves in reverse. Starting from the month pillar Wuyin, the cycle is traced backwards according to the order of the sixty jiazi. The previous stem to Wuyin is Dingchou, so the first great destiny is Dingchou. The next previous is Bingzi, which is the second step. Then it continues in reverse order. The sequence is: first step Dingchou, second step Bingzi, third step Yihai, fourth step Jiaxu, fifth step Guiyou, sixth step Renshen. Comparing this with the previous example, it is clear that starting from the month pillar, the sequence of heavenly stems and earthly branches differs completely depending on whether the direction is forward or backward. Once the direction is incorrectly determined, the entire destiny cycle becomes wrong (the number '9' in the original text 'the second great destiny is 9 Bingzi' is an error introduced during printing).

又如女命乙丑年戊寅月生乙屬陰，運皆順行，當從戊寅月建起點，順推而下，第一部運為己卯，第二部運，即為庚辰，以次遞進，列式於下。（第一部運）己卯、（第二部運）庚辰、（第三部運）辛巳、（第四部運）壬午、（第五部運）癸未、（第六部運）甲申。

The third example: A female's destiny, also born in the year of Yichou and the month of Wuyin. The heavenly stem of the year, Yichou, is yin, but since this is a female's destiny, the large years for a female proceed in the forward direction. Starting from the month pillar Wuyin, the sequence proceeds forward: after Wuyin comes Jimao, which is the first large year; then Gengchen, the second; and so on. The sequence is: first Jimao, second Gengchen, third Xinsi, fourth Renwu, fifth Guiwei, sixth Jiashen. This example has the same birth chart as the previous one, but because of the difference between male and female, the course of destiny is opposite. This is the clearest demonstration of the rule that "yin males and yang females proceed in reverse, while yang males and yin females proceed in the forward direction."

又如女命甲子年丙寅月生，甲屬陽，運皆逆行，當從丙寅月建起點，逆推而上，第一部運為乙丑，第二部運，即為甲子，以次遞退，列式於下。（第一部運）乙丑、（第二部運）甲子、（第三部運）癸亥、（第四部運）壬戌、（第五部運）辛酉、（第六部運）庚申。

The fourth example: A female born in the year Jiazi and month Bingyin. The heavenly stem of the year Jia is yang, so for a female born in a yang year, the major years are reversed. Starting from the month pillar Bingyin, we count backwards: the previous pillar is Yichou, which is the first major year; the one before that is Jiazi, which is the second major year; and so on. The sequence is: first Yichou, second Jiazi, third Guihai, fourth Renxu, fifth Xinyou, sixth Gengshen. This example has the same birth chart as the first example, but differs in gender, and the fortune progression is exactly reversed. By examining these four examples together, both the forward and backward progressions and the different genders are covered. Readers can then follow the same pattern.

問：行運歲數，如何推算，亦請詳述。答：運若順行，從生日生時，數至最近未來節之日時；運若逆行，從生日生時，數至最近已往節之日時。每三日為一歲，每一日為百二十天，每一時為十天，如離節三日，則一歲行運，如離節一日，則落地百二十天行運，離節一時，則落地十天行運，每足三日，方算一歲，且須扣算清楚，某年某月某日時交運，不得混稱幾歲，列例如下。

Question: How is the age at which one starts their big destiny cycle calculated? Please explain in detail. Answer: For a big destiny cycle that progresses in the same direction, one starts from the day and hour of birth and counts forward to the nearest upcoming "jié" (solar term). For a big destiny cycle that progresses in the opposite direction, one starts from the day and hour of birth and counts backward to the nearest past "jié" (solar term). The counted days are converted according to the following ratio: three days equal one year, one day equals 120 days, and one hour equals ten days. Therefore, if one is three days away from the "jié", the destiny cycle starts at the age of one year; if one day away, the destiny cycle starts 120 days after birth; if one hour away, the destiny cycle starts ten days after birth. One must wait until three days have passed to count as one year; if not, the remaining days and hours should be converted into fractions. It is essential to clearly calculate the exact year, month, day, and hour when the destiny cycle begins, and not just vaguely say "starting at a certain age." The reasoning behind this conversion method is that a solar term roughly covers thirty days, and a big destiny cycle covers ten years. Therefore, three days correspond to one year, one day corresponds to 120 days, and one hour corresponds to ten days. The following example illustrates this.

例一：男命甲子年正月十五日子時生。甲子（年）、丙寅（月）、戊辰（日）、壬子（時）。男命陽年干，運皆順行，從月建順推而下。（第一部運）丁卯、（第二部運）戊辰、（第三部運）己已、（第四部運）庚午、（第五部運）辛未、（第六部運）壬申。

Example one: A male born on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the Jiazi year at the Zi hour. The four pillars are: the year pillar Jiazi, the month pillar Bingyin, the day pillar Wuchen, and the hour pillar Renzi. The heavenly stem of the year pillar Jia is yang, indicating a yang year for a male, so the big years progress in a clockwise direction, starting from the month pillar Bingyin. The first step is Dingmao, the second step is Wuchen, the third step is Jisi, the fourth step is Gengwu, the fifth step is Xinwei, and the sixth step is Renshen. Once the heavenly stems and earthly branches of the big years are determined, the next task is to determine from which age the first big year begins (the original text mistakenly writes 'Ji Yi' instead of 'Jisi').

運屬順行，數到最近未來節之日時，生立春後，最之未來節即是驚蟄，萬年曆載明是年二月初二日寅時驚蟄，由正月十五日子時，數至二月初二日寅時，共十六天又二時，（正月小）以三天為一歲折之，即知為五歲多一天二時，應在五歲百四十日後起運，每一運管十年運管十年，故第一部運，五歲起行，第二部運，為十五歲起行，列式如下。

This destiny's great cycle progresses in the order of the years, so one must count from the birth date and time forward to the nearest future solar term. If he was born after the Start of Spring, then the next solar term is Awakening of Insects. Check the perpetual calendar; in that year, on the second day of the second lunar month at the hour of Yin, the Awakening of Insects begins. Counting from the fifteenth day of the first lunar month at the hour of Zi to the second day of the second lunar month at the hour of Yin, since the first lunar month is a small month with only twenty-nine days, the total is sixteen days and two hours. Calculating by converting three days to one year: among the sixteen days, there are five sets of three days, which equals five years, leaving one day and two hours. One day equals one hundred twenty days, and two hours equal twenty days, totaling one hundred forty days. Therefore, this person's destiny begins to take effect five years and one hundred forty days after birth. Each major cycle lasts ten years, so the first cycle begins at five years old, the second at fifteen years old, and so on, increasing by ten years each time. The arrangement is as follows (the original text has a missing character "近" in "最之未来节," and "每一运管十年运管十年" is a repetition, both being printing errors).

五歲丁卯、十五戊辰、二五己巳、三五庚午、四五辛未、五五壬申。自甲子年正月十五日子時計算，必至己巳年正月十五日子時，（乙丑一丙寅二丁卯三戊辰四己巳五）方算五歲足，再加百四十天，即知為己巳年六月初五日，始行第一部丁卯運，以次遞推，其為己卯年行第二部戊辰運，己丑年行第三部己巳運，顯而易知，蓋一運管十年，而十干亦周而復始也，若簡稱每逢己年六月初五日子時交換，亦可。

The fortune progression is as follows: at five years old, one enters the Ding Mao cycle; at fifteen, the Wu Chen cycle; at twenty-five, the Ji Si cycle; at thirty-five, the Geng Wu cycle; at forty-five, the Xin Wei cycle; and at fifty-five, the Ren Shen cycle. The exact day of entering each cycle is calculated from the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the Jia Zi year, which is the time of the first day of the cycle. It takes until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the Ji Si year to reach five years old (Yi Chou for one year, Bing Yin for two, Ding Mao for three, Wu Chen for four, Ji Si for five). Adding 140 days to this date gives the day the Ding Mao cycle begins, which is the fifth day of the sixth lunar month in the Ji Si year. Following this pattern, the second step of the cycle is entered in the Ji Mao year, and the third step in the Ji Chou year. This is evident because each cycle lasts ten years, and the heavenly stems cycle through ten characters, so the heavenly stem of the year when the cycle begins is always the same, 'Ji'. For simplicity, it can be stated as 'changing cycles at the fifth day of the sixth lunar month in the Ji year at the time of the first hour of the day'.

例二：女命甲子年正月十五日子時生。甲子（年）、丙寅（月）、戊辰（日）、壬子（時）。女命陽年干，運皆逆行，從月建逆推而上。（第一部運）乙丑、（第二部運）甲子、（第三部運）癸亥、（第四部運）壬戊、（第五部運）辛酉、（第六部運）庚申。

Example two: A female's birth date is exactly the same as example one, also being the year of Jiazi, the first day of the first lunar month, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the hour of Zi. The four pillars are the same: the year pillar is Jiazi, the month pillar is Bingyin, the day pillar is Wuchen, and the hour pillar is Renzi. However, the year stem Jia is yang, and since this is a female's birth, it is a yang year for a female, so the big luck (dazheng) moves in reverse. Starting from the month pillar Bingyin, it is traced backwards, resulting in the first step Yichou, the second step Jiazi, the third step Guihai, the fourth step Renxu, the fifth step Xinyou, and the sixth step Gengshen. The eight characters are identical, but because of the difference between male and female, the six steps of luck are entirely different, and the starting age for the big luck also changes (the original text mistakenly writes 'Renwu' instead of 'Renxu').

運屬逆行，數至最近已往節之日時，生立春後，最近之已往節，即是立春，萬年曆載明，是年正月初一日巳時交立春，由正月十五日子時，數至正月初一日巳時，共十三天又七時，以三天為一歲折之，即知為四歲多一天七時，應在四歲百九十日後起運，每一運管十年，故第一部四歲起行，第二部十四歲起行，列式如下。

This fate moves in reverse order, so one must count backwards from the birth date and time to the most recent passed solar term. She was born after the Beginning of Spring, so the most recent passed solar term is the Beginning of Spring itself. Checking the perpetual calendar, the Beginning of Spring occurred at the time of Si (Snake) in the morning of the first day of the first lunar month. Counting backwards from the fifteenth day of the first lunar month at Zi (Rat) time to the first day of the first lunar month at Si time, there are thirteen days and seven hours. Still, calculate three days as one year: among thirteen days, there are four sets of three days, which equals four years, with one day and seven hours remaining. One day equals 120 days, and seven hours equals 70 days, totaling 190 days. Therefore, her fate begins at four years and 190 days. Each step of fate lasts ten years, so the first step begins at four years, and the second step begins at fourteen years. The details are listed below.

四歲乙丑、十四甲子、二四癸亥、三四壬戌、四四辛酉、五四庚申。自甲子年正月十五日子時計算，必至戊辰年正月十五日子時，方算四歲足，（乙丑一丙寅二丁卯三戊辰四）再加百九十天。即知為戊辰年七月甘五日子時，始行第一部乙丑運，以次遞推。其為戊寅年行第二部甲子運，戊子年行第三部癸亥運，顯而易知，蓋一運管十年，而十干亦周而復始也，若簡稱每逢戊年七月廿五日子時交換，亦可。

The fortune progression is as follows: at four years old, the person enters the Yi Chou (乙丑) period; at fourteen years old, the Jia Zi (甲子) period; at twenty-four years old, the Gui Hai (癸亥) period; at thirty-four years old, the Ren Xu (壬戌) period; at forty-four years old, the Xin You (辛酉) period; and at fifty-four years old, the Geng Shen (庚申) period. The exact day of entering each period must be calculated: starting from the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the Jia Zi (甲子) year at the hour of the rat (子时), it takes until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the Wu Chen (戊辰) year at the hour of the rat to complete four years (Yi Chou for the first year, Bing Yin for the second, Ding Mao for the third, and Wu Chen for the fourth). Adding another one hundred and ninety days brings us to the twenty-fifth day of the seventh lunar month of the Wu Chen (戊辰) year at the hour of the rat, from which moment the first period Yi Chou (乙丑) begins. Subsequently, the periods progress as follows: the second period Jia Zi (甲子) begins in the Wu Yin (戊寅) year, and the third period Gui Hai (癸亥) begins in the Wu Zi (戊子) year. Since each period lasts ten years and the heavenly stems cycle every ten stems, the year's heavenly stem for the year of entering each period is always 'Wu' (戊). Therefore, it can be simply stated that 'every Wu year on the twenty-fifth day of the seventh lunar month at the hour of the rat, the period changes.' (The original text mentions 'July Gan Wu Day,' where 'Gan' should be interpreted as the twentieth day.)

問：何為五行。答：金木水火土是也。問：五行之生克如何。答：金生水，水生木，木生火，火生土，土生金；金克木，木克土，土克水，水克火，火克金。問：請述十天干，十二地支之五行。答：甲乙寅卯皆為木，丙丁己午皆為火，戊己辰戌丑未皆為土，庚辛申酉皆為金，壬癸亥子皆為水。寅辰已申戌亥為陽，子丑卯午未酉為陰。

What is the Five Phases? It refers to the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. How do the relationships of generation and control work among the Five Phases? Mutual generation is a cycle: metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal, continuing in a cycle. Mutual control is when each element controls the one two places away: metal controls wood, wood controls earth, earth controls water, water controls fire, and fire controls metal. The entire system of fortune-telling is based on these two chains. What are the Five Phases associated with the ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches? Jia, Yi,寅,卯 belong to wood; Bing, Ding,巳,午 belong to fire; Wu, Ji,辰,戌,丑,未 belong to earth; Geng, Xin,申,酉 belong to metal; Ren, Gui,亥,子 belong to water. The yin and yang of the earthly branches are:寅,辰,巳,申,戌,亥 are yang;子,丑,卯,午,未,酉 are yin. (The original text has '己' and '已' both as '巳' in the phrases '丙丁己午' and '寅辰已申'. Regarding the yin and yang of the earthly branches, the common view considers子,寅,辰,午,申,戌 as yang and丑,卯,巳,未,酉,亥 as yin, which differs from the list here. This table from Wei's text is based on the actual hardness and softness considered in four-column divination, so readers should keep both views in mind.)

問：十二地支，中藏何物。答：子中藏癸水；丑中藏己土、辛金、癸水；寅中藏甲木、丙火、戊土；卯中藏乙木；辰中藏乙木、癸水、戊土；巳中藏丙火、戊土、庚金；午中藏丁火、己土；未中藏乙木、己土、丁火；申中藏庚金、壬水、戊土；酉中藏辛金；戌中藏辛金、丁火、戊土；亥中藏壬水、甲木。

Question: What are the hidden heavenly stems in each of the twelve earthly branches? Answer: Unlike heavenly stems, which have only one of the five phases, earthly branches contain one to three heavenly stems internally. These are called "personally originated stems" or "hidden stems." Zi contains癸 water; Chou contains己 earth, 辛 metal, and 癸 water; Yin contains甲 wood, 丙 fire, and 戊 earth; Mao contains only乙 wood; Chen contains乙 wood, 癸 water, and 戊 earth; Si contains丙 fire, 戊 earth, and 庚 metal; Wu contains丁 fire and 己 earth; Wei contains乙 wood, 己 earth, and 丁 fire; Shen contains庚 metal, 壬 water, and 戊 earth; You contains only辛 metal; Xu contains辛 metal, 丁 fire, and 戊 earth; Hai contains壬 water and 甲 wood. Zi, Mao, and You each contain only one hidden stem, and are therefore the purest. The four generative branches (Yin, Shen, Si, Hai) and the four tomb branches (Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei) each contain three hidden stems, and are the most complex. When casting a horoscope, in addition to the visible power of the heavenly stems, these hidden stems must also be considered. Otherwise, the strength and weight of the elements will be miscalculated. This is precisely what the later section "Personally Originated Stems" will discuss in detail.

問：何為財，官，印，食，比，劫，傷，殺。答：皆五行生剋之代名詞也。問：請述財官印等之構成。答：生我者，陽見陽，或陰見陰，為梟神；陰見陽，或陽見陰，為正印。我生者，陽見陽，或陰見陰，為食神；陰見陽，或陽見陰，為傷官。克我者，陽見陽，或陰見陰，為七殺；陰見陽，或陽見陰，為正官。我克者，陽見陽，或陰見陰，為偏財；陰見陽，或陽見陰，為正財。仝我者，陽見陽，或陰見陰，為比肩；陰見陽，或陽見陰，為劫財。

Question: What do the terms wealth, official, seal, food, same, competition, injury, and killing mean? Answer: They are all just terms representing the relationships of generation and overcoming among the Five Phases, and later generations collectively refer to them as the "Ten Gods." Question: Please explain how each of them is formed. Answer: All of them are determined with the "Day Stem" as the center. First, look at the generation and overcoming relationships, then consider the difference between yin and yang. Combining these two aspects determines the name. Those that generate me: if yin and yang are the same (yang meets yang or yin meets yin), it is called "Xiao Shen," which is also known as "biased seal"; if yin and yang are different (yin meets yang or yang meets yin), it is called "Zheng Shen," which is also known as "correct seal." Those that I generate: if yin and yang are the same, it is called "Shi Shen," and if yin and yang are different, it is called "Shang Gan." Those that overcome me: if yin and yang are the same, it is called "Qi Sha," and if yin and yang are different, it is called "Zheng Guan." Those that I overcome: if yin and yang are the same, it is called "Pian Cai," and if yin and yang are different, it is called "Zheng Cai." Those that are the same as me (the original text uses "Tong," meaning same): if yin and yang are the same, it is called "Bi Jian," and if yin and yang are different, it is called "Jie Cai." In general, those with the same yin and yang have a more biased and urgent energy, hence their names all include terms like "biased," "Xiao," "Sha," and "Jie." Those with different yin and yang have a more correct and harmonious energy, hence their names all include the term "Zheng." This distinction is fundamental for the entire book in selecting the useful god and determining the pattern of the chart.

問：再請舉例明之，我字指何物。答：我字即日干，例如甲木日干，遇丁火，甲為陽木，丁為陰火，甲木能生丁火，丁乃我生而陽見陰，即傷官也，又如辛金日干，遇乙木。辛為陰金，乙為陰木，辛金能克乙木，乙乃我克而陰見陰，即偏財也，特立表於後，以便檢查。

Question: Please give another example to explain what is meant by "I." Answer: "I" refers to the heavenly stem of the day pillar, which is also called the day stem in divination. In the eight characters of a birth chart, the other seven characters are all referenced against this day stem. For example, if the day stem is Jia Wood and it meets Ding Fire, Jia is Yang Wood and Ding is Yin Fire. Wood can generate Fire, so Ding is the aspect that I generate, and since Yang meets Yin, they are yin and yang opposites. According to the previous rule, this is called "Wang Gan" (offspring). Another example is when the day stem is Xin Metal and it meets Yi Wood, Xin is Yin Metal and Yi is Yin Wood. Metal can overcome Wood, so Yi is the aspect that I overcome, and since Yin meets Yin, they are of the same yin and yang. According to the rule, this is called "Pian Cai" (biased wealth). For convenience of reference, the results of the interactions between the ten heavenly stems are listed in the two tables below.

天干財官印等檢查表：日干、比肩、劫財、梟神、正印、偏財、正財、七殺、正官、食神、傷官。甲：甲、乙、壬、癸、戊、己、庚、辛、丙、丁。乙：乙、甲、癸、壬、己、戊、辛、庚、丁、丙。丙：丙、丁、甲、乙、庚、辛、壬、癸、戊、己。丁：丁、丙、乙、甲、辛、庚、癸、壬、己、戊。戊：戊、己、丙、丁、壬、癸、甲、乙、庚、辛。己：己、戊、丁、丙、癸、壬、乙、甲、辛、庚。庚：庚、辛、戊、己、甲、乙、丙、丁、壬、癸。辛：辛、庚、己、戊、乙、甲、丁、丙、癸、壬。壬：壬、癸、庚、辛、丙、丁、戊、己、甲、乙。癸：癸、壬、辛、庚、丁、丙、己、戊、乙、甲。

This is a chart for identifying the Ten Heavenly Officials (Sheng Shen) based on the Day Stem. The headers, from left to right, are Day Stem, Same Official (Biqian), Robber Wealth (Jiecai), Ghost God (Xiaoshen), Regular Seal (Zhengyin), Oblique Wealth (Piancai), Regular Wealth (Zhengcai), Seven Killers (Qishashen), Regular Official (Zhengguan), Food God (Shi Shen), and Injury God (Shangguan). Each row starts with the Day Stem, followed by the ten corresponding officials. For example, for the Day Stem Jia, the Same Official is Jia, the Robber Wealth is Yi, the Ghost God (Oblique Seal) is Ren, the Regular Seal is Gui, the Oblique Wealth is Wu, the Regular Wealth is Ji, the Seven Killers is Geng, the Regular Official is Xin, the Food God is Bing, and the Injury God is Ding. For the Day Stem Yi, the Same Official is Yi, the Robber Wealth is Jia, the Ghost God (Oblique Seal) is Gui, the Regular Seal is Ren, the Oblique Wealth is Ji, the Regular Wealth is Wu, the Seven Killers is Xin, the Regular Official is Geng, the Food God is Ding, and the Injury God is Bing. The same pattern applies to the rows for Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui. It can be seen that there is a pattern: the same-named officials for yin and yang stems are exchanged. For example, the Regular Seal of Jia is Gui, while the Regular Seal of Yi is Ren, because a change in yin and yang causes the regular and oblique to reverse. This chart does not need to be memorized. Once the structure is understood, it can be derived on the spot.

地支財官印等檢查表：日干、比肩、劫財、梟神、正印、偏財、正財、七殺、正官、食神、傷官。甲：寅、卯、亥、子、辰戌、丑未、申、酉、巳、午。己：卯、寅、子、亥、丑未、辰戌、酉、申、午、己。丙：巳、午、寅、卯、申、酉、亥、子、辰戌、丑未。丁：午、巳、卯、寅、酉、申、子、亥、丑未、辰戌。戊：辰戌、丑未、巳、午、亥、子、寅、卯、申、酉。己：丑未、辰戌、午、巳、子、亥、卯、寅、酉、申。庚：申、酉、辰戌、丑未、寅、卯、巳、午、亥、子。辛：酉、申、丑未、辰戌、卯、寅、午、巳、子、亥。壬：亥、子、申、酉、巳、午、辰戌、丑未、寅、卯。癸：子、亥、酉、申、午、巳、丑未、辰戌、卯、寅。

This is a table for checking the Ten Heavenly Spirits based on the Earthly Branches, with the same order of headings as the previous table. The difference is that there are twelve Earthly Branches but only five elements in the Five Phases, so the four branches of Earth are paired in pairs: Chen and Xu belong to Yang Earth, while Chou and Wei belong to Yin Earth. For example, when the Day Stem is Jia, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem. When the Day Stem is Bing, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem. The rest of the rows follow the same pattern. This table is based on the original element of the Earthly Branch, that is, the most dominant heavenly stem hidden within the branch. The other elements hidden within the branch are discussed separately. The second row of the original text mistakenly writes the Day Stem as Ji, which should be Yi. The last character in that row, Ji, should be Si. Readers can easily recognize this by following the order of Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, etc.

問：地支內所苦藏之字，其財官印綬，推法如何？答：與推天干相同，詳參天干財官印等檢查表。按干、支、花甲子，排命，排運，五行，生克，財官印綬等，為推命之起端，學者不可不知，且不可不熟讀，否則如作文之不諳題目，文章何由而成。

Question: How do we determine the wealth, official positions, and official seals (印绶) of the heavenly stems hidden in the earthly branches? Answer: The method is the same as for the heavenly stems. Treat the hidden stems as if they were heavenly stems and refer to the heavenly stem checking table above (the original text has "所苦藏" where "苦" should be "暗"). In summary, the heavenly stems and earthly branches, the sixty jiazi (甲子), the four pillars of a person's destiny, the great years (大运), the five phases, the relationships of generation and overcoming, and the wealth, official positions, and official seals are all fundamental techniques for divining a person's destiny. Scholars must not be unfamiliar with these, and they must memorize them thoroughly. Otherwise, it would be like a writer who does not even understand the topic of the essay; from where would the article begin? This passage is the conclusion of the "Start and Examples" section of "The Start and Examples" (起例问答). The following sections will enter into the discussion of the meaning and principles.