Heavenly Officials (Continued)

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

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

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

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

此亦得其大概也。更不宜合化，如丙用羅官愁見月，土陰湊合不為官。餘仿此。

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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