Six Harmful Relationships

子未相害，丑午相害，寅巳相害，卯辰相害，申亥相害，酉戌相害。《考原》云：六害者，不合也。凡事莫不喜合而忌沖。子與丑合，而未沖之，故子與未害。丑與子合，而午沖之，故丑與午害。寅與亥合，而巳沖之，故寅巳害。卯與戌合，而辰沖之，故辰與卯害。巳與申合，而寅沖之，故巳與寅害。午與未合，而丑沖之，故午與丑害。未與午合，而子沖之，故未與子害。申與巳合，而亥沖之，故申與亥害。酉與辰合，而戌沖之，故酉與戌害。戌與卯合，而酉沖之，故戌與酉害。亥與寅合，而申沖之，故亥與申害也。

The six pairs of Earthly Branches that are considered harmful to each other are: Zi and Wei, Chou and Wu, Yin and Si, Mao and Chen, Shen and Hai, and You and Xu. The "Star Calendar Origin" explains that "harm" refers to the act of disrupting another's harmony. Generally, people prefer harmony and avoid conflict. For example, the branch Jia naturally harmonizes with Yi, but if branch Bing comes to conflict with Yi, it disrupts the harmony between Jia and Yi. In this case, branch Bing is considered harmful to Jia. Applying this principle to each pair: Zi originally harmonizes with Chou, but Wu comes to conflict with Chou, so Zi and Wei are harmful; Chou originally harmonizes with Zi, but Wu comes to conflict with Zi, so Chou and Wu are harmful; Yin originally harmonizes with Hai, but Si comes to conflict with Hai, so Yin and Si are harmful; Mao originally harmonizes with Xu, but Chen comes to conflict with Xu, so Mao and Chen are harmful; Si originally harmonizes with Shen, but Yin comes to conflict with Shen, so Si and Yin are harmful; Wu originally harmonizes with Wei, but Chou comes to conflict with Wei, so Wu and Chou are harmful; Wei originally harmonizes with Wu, but Zi comes to conflict with Wu, so Wei and Zi are harmful; Shen originally harmonizes with Si, but Hai comes to conflict with Si, so Shen and Hai are harmful; You originally harmonizes with Chen, but Xu comes to conflict with Chen, so You and Xu are harmful; Xu originally harmonizes with Mao, but You comes to conflict with Mao, so Xu and You are harmful; Hai originally harmonizes with Yin, but Shen comes to conflict with Yin, so Hai and Shen are harmful. By understanding the principle that "the branch that conflicts with my harmonious partner is harmful to me," one does not need to memorize the six harmful pairs individually.

子刑卯，卯刑子，為無理之刑。寅刑巳，巳刑申，申刑寅，為恃勢之刑。丑刑戌，戌刑未，未刑丑，為無恩之刑。辰、午、酉、亥，為自刑之刑。《陰符經》云：恩生於害，害生於恩，三刑生於三合，亦如六害生於****之義。如申子辰三合，加寅卯辰三位，則申刑寅，子刑卯，辰見辰自刑。寅午戌加巳午未，則寅刑巳，午見午自刑，戌刑未。巳酉丑加申酉戌，則巳刑申，酉見酉自刑，丑刑戌。亥卯未加亥子丑，則亥見亥自刑，卯刑子，未刑丑。合中生刑，猶人夫婦相合而反致刑傷，造化人事，其理一而已矣。

The earthly branches are divided into four types of punishment: Zi (rat) harms Mao (ox), and Mao harms Zi, called "Punishment of Illogical Harm"; Yin (tiger) harms Si (snake), Si harms Shen (monkey), and Shen harms Yin, called "Punishment of Overbearing Power"; Chou (ox) harms Xu (dog), Xu harms Wei (sheep), and Wei harms Chou, called "Punishment of Ingratitude"; and when Chen (dragon), Wu (horse), You (rooster), and Hai (pig) each meet their own branch, it is called "Self-Punishment." The "Yin Fu Jing" says: Favor arises from harm, and harm arises from favor; the three punishments come from the triple harmony, just as the six harms come from the six harmonies (the original text here has the word "six harmonies" missing and replaced with four asterisks). The method is to pair a set of triple harmonies with the next three consecutive branches: the triple harmony of Shen-Zi-Chen is paired with the three consecutive branches of Yin-Mao-Chen, resulting in Shen harming Yin, Zi harming Mao, and Chen meeting Chen as self-punishment; the triple harmony of Yin-Wu-Xu is paired with Si-Wu-Wei, resulting in Yin harming Si, Wu meeting Wu as self-punishment, and Xu harming Wei; the triple harmony of Si-You-Chou is paired with Shen-You-Xu, resulting in Si harming Shen, You meeting You as self-punishment, and Chou harming Xu; the triple harmony of Hai-Mao-Wei is paired with Hai-Zi-Chou, resulting in Hai meeting Hai as self-punishment, Mao harming Zi, and Wei harming Chou. Harm arises from harmony, just as a husband and wife, who are naturally harmonious, may harm each other. The workings of heaven and earth and the affairs of the world are fundamentally the same.

儲泳云：三刑是極數，蓋天道惡盈滿則覆也。翼氏風角曰：金剛火強，自刑其方。木落歸本，水流趨東，故巳酉丑金位，其刑皆在寅午戌火位，其刑皆在南方是金剛火強，自刑其方也。亥卯未木位，其刑皆在北方，亥者木之根，言木落歸本者，草木至冬而搖落，歸根之謂也。申子辰水局，其刑皆在東方，辰者水之府，言水流趨東，逝而不返也。子卯一刑也，寅巳申二刑也，丑未戌三刑也。

In the Song dynasty, Chu Yong explained from another perspective: the Three Punishments arise from numbers reaching their extremes, because the heavenly way dislikes fullness; when something is full, it will collapse. He cited the saying from Yi Feng's "Fengjiao" in the Han dynasty, summarizing the direction of the four groups of punishments with four lines: "Jin Gang Huo Qiang, Zi Xing Qi Fang; Mu Luo Gui Ben, Shui Liu Qu Dong." This means that the groups of巳酉丑 belong to the metal position, and the punishments fall within申酉戌, which is still within the western direction; the groups of寅午戌 belong to the fire position, and the punishments fall within巳午未, which is still within the southern direction. This is because the nature of metal is strong and the nature of fire is vigorous, and the punishments occur within their own directions. The groups of亥卯未 belong to the wood position, and the punishments fall within亥子丑, the northern direction. Since亥 is the root of wood (wood is born in亥), the phrase "mu luo gui ben" means that when trees and grass wither in winter, they return to their roots. The groups of申子辰 belong to the water trinity, and the punishments fall within寅卯辰, the eastern direction. Since辰 is the repository of water, the phrase "shui liu qu dong" means that water flows eastward and does not return. Finally, he summarized: Zi Mao is the first group of punishments, Yin Si Shen is the second group, Chou Wei Xu is the third group. (The original text has a slight error in the phrase "qi xing jie zai yin wu xu huowei," which should be read as "si you chou jin wei, qi xing jie zai xibang; yin wu xu huowei, qi xing jie zai nanfang.")

《三車一覽》云：子卯為無理，子屬水，卯屬木，水能生木，則子水為母，卯母為子。子母相刑，故曰無禮。寅巳申為恃勢，以三位中各有長生臨官，恃強而刑，故曰恃勢。丑戌未為無恩，以三位皆屬土，比和為兄弟，今乃同室操戈，故曰無恩。辰午酉亥為自刑，謂寅申巳亥，有寅巳申互相刑，內有亥無刑。辰戌丑未，有戌丑未互相刑，內有辰無刑。子午卯酉，有子卯互相刑，內有午酉無刑。是以四位謂之自刑，蓋無別物相加，故曰自刑也。

The "San Che Yi Lian" explains the names of the Three Punishments from the perspective of human feelings. The reason why Zi and Mao are called "Punishment of Ingratitude" is that Zi belongs to water and Mao belongs to wood, and water can generate wood. Zi water is the mother and Mao wood is the son, yet mother and son end up harming each other, hence called "Ingratitude." The reason why Yin, Si, and Shen are called "Punishment of Overbearing Power" is that each of these positions contains the energies of growth and officialdom (in Yin, Bing and Wu are in growth, and Ji is in officialdom; in Si, Geng is in growth, and Bing and Wu are in officialdom; in Shen, Wu and Ren are in growth, and Geng is in officialdom). Each relies on its own strength to harm others, hence called "Overbearing Power." The reason why Chou, Xu, and Wei are called "Punishment of Ingratitude" is that these three branches all belong to earth, which are of the same type like brothers, yet they now turn against each other, hence called "Ingratitude." The reason why Chen, Wu, You, and Hai are called "Self-Punishment" is that in the group of Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai, Yin, Shen, and Si form mutual punishments, leaving Hai without a corresponding branch to form a punishment; in the group of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, Xu, Chou, and Wei form mutual punishments, leaving Chen without a corresponding branch to form a punishment; in the group of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, Zi and Mao form mutual punishments, leaving Wu and You without a corresponding branch to form a punishment. Since these four branches have no other branches to form punishments with, they must punish themselves, hence called "Self-Punishment."

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。

The twelve lunar months correspond fixedly with the twelve Earthly Branches, a term known as "month builder" or "月建," which refers to the direction indicated by the handle of the Big Dipper during that month. The first lunar month corresponds to寅, the second to卯, the third to辰, the fourth to巳, the fifth to午, the sixth to未, the seventh to申, the eighth to酉, the ninth to戌, the tenth to亥, the eleventh to子, and the twelfth to丑. This fixed correspondence forms the basis for determining the Earthly Branch of the month in a person's birth chart. Regardless of the year, the Earthly Branch for the first lunar month is always寅, and only the Heavenly Stem above it changes. In Volume Two, the "Five Tiger遁" method for calculating the month is explained, which involves these twelve fixed month builders. It is important to note that in astrology, the division of months is based on the solar terms rather than the beginning of each month. The first lunar month begins with寅 only after the start of the solar term Li Chun (Start of Spring), and the second lunar month begins with卯 only after Jing Zhe (Awakening of Insects), and so on for the remaining months.

鄭康成曰：正月為孟春者，日月會於女取訾，而斗建寅之辰也。二月為仲春者，日月會於降婁，而斗建卯之辰也。三月為季春者，日月會於大梁，而斗建辰之辰也。四月為孟夏者，日月會於實沉，而斗建巳之辰也。五月為仲夏，日月會於鶉首，而斗建午之辰也。六月為季夏者，日月會於鶉火，而斗建未之辰也。七月為孟秋者，日月會於鶉尾，而斗建申之辰也。八月為仲秋者，日月會於壽星，而斗建酉之辰也。九月為季秋者，日月會於大火，而斗建戌之辰也。十月為孟冬者，日月會於析木，而斗建子之辰也。十二月為季冬者，日月會於元枵，而斗建丑之辰也。

In the Eastern Han dynasty, the Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan (styled Kangcheng) explained the origin of the Month Builder from an astronomical perspective. Each month, the sun and moon meet at one of the twelve divisions of the Yellow Path, while the handle of the Big Dipper points to a particular earthly branch. These two factors together determine the name of the month. The first month is called Mengchun, when the sun and moon meet at the division Ju Zi and the Big Dipper's handle points to Yin; the second month is Zhongchun, when the sun and moon meet at the division Jiang Lou and the Big Dipper's handle points to Mao; the third month is Jichun, when the sun and moon meet at the division Da Liang and the Big Dipper's handle points to Chen; the fourth month is Mengxia, when the sun and moon meet at the division Shi Shen and the Big Dipper's handle points to Si; the fifth month is Zhongxia, when the sun and moon meet at the division Chen Shou and the Big Dipper's handle points to Wu; the sixth month is Jixia, when the sun and moon meet at the division Chen Huo and the Big Dipper's handle points to Wei; the seventh month is Mengqiu, when the sun and moon meet at the division Chen Wei and the Big Dipper's handle points to Shen; the eighth month is Zhongqiu, when the sun and moon meet at the division Shou Xing and the Big Dipper's handle points to You; the ninth month is Jiqiu, when the sun and moon meet at the division Da Huo and the Big Dipper's handle points to Xu; the tenth month is Mengdong, when the sun and moon meet at the division Xi Mu and the Big Dipper's handle points to Hai. The original text mistakenly writes "the Big Dipper's handle points to Zi" instead of "points to Hai" in this section. In the eleventh month, the original text is missing the sentence "the eleventh month is Zhongdong, when the sun and moon meet at the division Xing Ji, and the Big Dipper's handle points to Zi." Readers may infer the meaning from the preceding and following entries, but the original text should not be arbitrarily supplemented.

《古歌》云：正月立春雨水節，二月驚蟄及春分，三月清明並穀雨，四月立夏小滿方，五月芒種及夏至，六月小暑大暑當，七月立秋還處暑，八月白露秋分忙，九月寒露及霜降，十月立冬小雪張，冬月大雪與冬至，臘月小寒大寒昌。

This ancient song is a mnemonic for memorizing the twenty-four solar terms. Each of the twelve months is paired with two solar terms, forming six lines of rhyming verse. Reading it once allows one to remember the order of the entire year. Reading sentence by sentence: the first month has the Beginning of Spring and Rain Water; the second month has Awakening of Insects and Vernal Equinox; the third month has Clear and Bright and Grain Rain; the fourth month has Beginning of Summer and Grain Full; the fifth month has Grain in Ear and Summer Solstice; the sixth month has Slight Heat and Greater Heat; the seventh month has Beginning of Autumn and Limit of Heat; the eighth month has White Dew and Autumn Equinox; the ninth month has Cold Dew and Frost Descent; the tenth month has Beginning of Winter and Slight Snow; the eleventh month (also called the twelfth lunar month) has Heavy Snow and Winter Solstice; the twelfth month has Slight Cold and Greater Cold. The words "fang," "dang," "mang," "zhang," and "chang" in the song are added for rhyme and have no actual meaning. In astrology, it is important to distinguish that the first solar term of each month is called "jie" (a solar term) and the second is called "qi" (a middle solar term). When arranging the monthly pillar and calculating the big destiny years, the division is based on "jie," but when determining the命宫 (destiny palace), the "qi" is used. This point will be repeatedly mentioned in volume two, so it must be remembered first.

萬育吾曰：立節中氣，其春秋有分，而不言至，夏冬有至，而不言分。及夫雨水、驚蟄以降，二十四氣，分屬有名。亦必有所以為名者，何言乎？四立者，四時之節氣也，丑之終，寅之始，則為節。月之半則為中。二分者，陰陽相半之謂也。二至者，至有二義：子至巳為六陽，午至亥為六陰，至者介乎巳午亥子之間也。冬至亥陰極，故曰子，子者止也，陽於此生，故亦曰至。夏至巳陽極，故曰午，午者仵也，陰於此生，故亦曰至。

Wan Minying then proceeded to explain the meanings behind the names of the twenty-four solar terms. He first raised a question: among the twenty-four solar terms, the "ji" (beginning) and "zhongqi" (middle) ones, in spring and autumn, only the term "fen" (equinox) is used, not "zhi" (solstice); in summer and winter, only "zhi" is used, not "fen". As for the twenty-four solar terms following Rain Water and Awakening Insects, each has its own name, and each must have its own reasoning for its name. Why is this so? He first explained three groups of names. The four "ji" (beginning) terms, namely Start of Spring, Start of Summer, Start of Autumn, and Start of Winter, are the starting points of the four seasons. The boundary between the end of the previous month and the beginning of the next month is called "ji"; the middle of a month is called "zhongqi". The two "fen" (equinox) terms, namely Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox, refer to the point where yin and yang each occupy half. The two "zhi" (solstice) terms, namely Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice, the character "zhi" has two meanings: from Zi to Si, the six yang energies are increasing; from Wu to Hai, the six yin energies are increasing. The term "zhi" is located at the turning points between Si and Wu, and between Hai and Zi. At the Winter Solstice, the yin energy at the position of Hai has reached its peak, and the next term is Zi, which means "stop", indicating the beginning of yang energy, hence it is called "zhi". At the Summer Solstice, the yang energy at the position of Si has reached its peak, and the next term is Wu, which means "meeting at noon", indicating the beginning of yin energy, hence it is called "zhi".

自秋分水始涸，立冬水始冰，冬至水泉動，大寒水澤腹堅。雨水者，先是為露，為霜，為雪，皆水氣凝結，以至於寒之極，春則暑氣順行，而又為暑之始。況天一生水，人物之生，皆始於水。春屬木，木生於水，立春後，繼以雨水，宜也。卦氣正月為泰，天氣下降，當為雨水。二月大壯，雷在天上，當為驚蟄，先雨水而後驚蟄，亦宜也。驚蟄者，萬物出乎震，震為雷也。清明者，萬物出乎巽，巽為風也，巽潔齊而曰清明，清明乃潔齊之義。

Wan Minying then explained the naming of the seasonal divisions in spring. He first followed the form of water to explain the year: after the autumn equinox, water begins to dry up; after the beginning of winter, water starts to freeze; at the winter solstice, underground spring water begins to flow; and by the time of the great cold, water has frozen solid at the bottom. As for "Rain Water," it is because before this time, water vapor condensed into dew, frost, and snow, and the cold had reached its extreme. After spring begins, the heat of summer follows the season, and thus becomes the beginning of summer, causing the condensed substances to transform into rain. Moreover, the "Heavenly River Chart" says "Heaven produces water," and the generation of people and all things begins with water. Spring belongs to wood, and wood is born from water, so after the beginning of spring comes rain water, which is reasonable. Looking at the hexagram correspondences: the first month corresponds to the Qie hexagram, with the weather descending, which is appropriate for rain water; the second month corresponds to the Da Zhuang hexagram, whose image is thunder above the sky, which is appropriate for the Awakening of Insects. The order of rain water followed by the Awakening of Insects is also proper. The meaning of "Awakening of Insects" comes from the "Zhou Changes · Shuo Gua" which says "all things emerge from Zhen," Zhen is thunder, and thunder moves, causing the insects to awaken. The meaning of "Clear and Bright" comes from "all things are clean and orderly under Xun," Xun is wind, and the Xun hexagram has the meaning of cleanliness and order, so it is called Clear and Bright—Clear and Bright means cleanliness and order.

穀雨三月中，自雨水後，土膏脈動，至此又雨，則土脈生物，所以滋五合之種也。小滿四月中，先儒云：小雪後，陽一日生一分，積三十日，生三十分，而成一晝，為冬至。小滿後，陰生亦然。夫四月乾之終，謂之滿者，女後初六，羸豕孚，踟躇坤初六，履霜堅冰至。羸豕，喻其小。踟躇喻其滿。履霜，喻其小。堅冰，喻其滿。易言於既生之後，歷言於一陰方萌之初。慮之深，防之預也。小雪後，即大雪，此但有小滿，無大滿，意可知矣。

The "Gu Yu" is the middle solar term of the third lunar month. After the rainwater season, the rich moisture in the soil begins to become active, and by this time it rains again, allowing the soil to nourish all living things and moisten the seeds of various grains. The "Xiao Man" is the middle solar term of the fourth lunar month. The older Confucian scholars said: after the "Xiao Xiao" (Minor Snow), the yang energy grows by one part each day, accumulating thirty parts over thirty days to reach the winter solstice; similarly, after the "Xiao Man", the yin energy also grows in this way. The fourth lunar month marks the end of the Qian hexagram (with all six lines being pure yang), yet it is called "Full". The reason for this can be understood by examining the line statements of two hexagrams: the Gou hexagram's initial line says "A thin pig is restless", and the Kun hexagram's initial line says "Treading on frost, ice comes". "A thin pig" symbolizes the smallness of yin energy, while "restless" symbolizes its approach to fullness. "Treading on frost" symbolizes the smallness of yin energy, while "ice" symbolizes its eventual fullness. The Zhou Yi speaks of yin energy after it has already begun to appear, but the calendar points out the beginning of yin energy's emergence, showing deep consideration and early prevention. After "Xiao Xiao" comes "Da Xue" (Major Snow), yet here there is only "Xiao Man" and no "Da Man". The meaning behind this is now clear—yin energy has just begun to appear, so it can only be described as small, and should not be allowed to grow too large.

至若三月中谷雨，五月中芒種，此二氣獨指穀麥言，谷必原其生之始，谷種於春，得木之氣，殘於秋，金克木也。麥必要其成之終，麥種於秋，得金之氣，成於夏，火克金也。六月節小暑，六月中大暑，夏至後，暑已盛，不當又謂之小，殊不知《易》曰：寒往則暑來，暑往則寒來。寒暑相推，而歲成焉。通上半年之半，皆可為暑，通下半年之半，皆可為寒。正月暑之始，十二月寒之終，而曰大暑、小暑者，不過上半年之詞耳。六月中大暑之極，故謂之大，然則未至於大，則猶為小也。

Now let us discuss the solar terms of Gu Yu and Mang Zhong. The middle term of March is Gu Yu, and the middle term of May is Mang Zhong. Among the twenty-four solar terms, only these two specifically refer to grains and wheat. Regarding grains, we must trace back to their beginning of growth: grains are sown in spring and receive the energy of wood; they wither in autumn because metal overcomes wood. Regarding wheat, we should focus on its point of maturity: wheat is sown in autumn and receives the energy of metal; it matures in summer because fire overcomes metal. For example, the solar term of June is Xiao Shu, and the middle term is Da Shu. Some people wonder: after the summer solstice, the heat is already intense, so how can it still be called "small"? In fact, the "Great Treatise" of the "Zhou Yi" explains clearly: "When cold departs, heat comes; when heat departs, cold comes; cold and heat alternate, and thus the year is completed." Looking at the first half of the year, everywhere can be considered as heat; looking at the second half, everywhere can be considered as cold. January is the beginning of heat, and December is the end of cold. The terms "Da Shu" and "Xiao Shu" refer only to the first half of the year. The middle term of June is the peak of heat, so it is called "Da Shu." Since the heat has not yet reached its peak in the solar term of June, it is called "Xiao Shu," which is logical.

七月中處暑，七月暑之終，寒之始，大火西流，暑氣於是乎處矣。處者，隱也，藏伏之義也。白露八月節，寒露九月節，秋本屬金，金色白金氣寒，白者露之色，寒者露之氣。先白而氣始寒，固有漸也。九月中霜降，露寒始結霜也。立冬後曰小雪、大雪，寒氣始於露，中於霜，終於雪。霜之前為露，露由白而始寒，霜之後為雪，雪由小至而大，皆有漸也。至小寒大寒，《幽風》云：一之日寒發，二之日栗烈，寒發風寒，故十一月之餘為小寒，栗烈氣寒，故十一月之終為大寒也。

The middle solar term of July is called "Heat Dissipates" (Chu Shu): July marks the end of the heat and the beginning of the cold. At this time, the Heart Mansion (Xin Xu) star, also known as the Red Star, sets in the west, and the heat stops here. "Chu" means to hide or to conceal. The solar term of August is called "White Dew" (Bai Lu), and that of September is called "Cold Dew" (Han Lu): autumn belongs to metal, which is white in color and cold in nature. "White" refers to the color of the dew, while "Cold" refers to the climate. First there is white dew, and then the weather turns cold, which is a gradual process. The middle solar term of September is called "Frost Descends" (Shuang Jie): dew becomes cold and begins to condense into frost. After the Beginning of Winter (Li Dong), we have Minor Snow (Xiao Xue) and Major Snow (Da Xue): the cold begins with dew, reaches its middle stage with frost, and ends with snow. Before frost comes dew, which starts white and then turns cold; after frost comes snow, which starts small and gradually becomes larger, all following a gradual progression. As for Minor Cold (Xiao Han) and Major Cold (Da Han), the Book of Songs, Wind of Bin (Bing Feng), says, "On the first day, the wind is fierce; on the second day, the cold is intense." "Fierce wind" describes the cold wind, so after the eleventh month comes Minor Cold; "Intense cold" describes the cold air, so the last day of the eleventh month is called Major Cold. (The original text mistakenly says "Yong Feng" instead of "Bing Feng," and "Han Fa" instead of "Bi Fa.")

大抵合而言之，上半年主長生，曰雨、曰雷、曰風。皆生之氣。下半年言天時，不言農時，農時莫急於春夏也。先儒云：變者化之漸，化者變之成。立春雨水後，寒氣漸變，至立夏則寒盡化為水矣。然曰小暑、大暑，其化固有漸也。立秋、處暑後，暑氣漸變，至冬至則暑氣盡化為寒矣。然曰小寒、大寒，其化亦有漸也。

In summary, the solar terms of the first half of the year focus on growth, with rain, thunder, and wind all representing the rising energy. The solar terms of the second half of the year only discuss the weather and not the farming seasons, because the most important farming activities occur in spring and summer. Elder scholars have said: "Change" is the gradual stage of "transformation," and "transformation" is the completion of "change." After the Beginning of Spring and the Rain Water solar terms, the cold gradually transforms, and by the Beginning of Summer, the cold has completely transformed into water. However, they are still called Minor Heat and Major Heat, showing that this transformation occurs in stages. After the Beginning of Autumn and the Limit of Heat solar terms, the heat gradually transforms, and by the Winter Solstice, the heat has completely transformed into cold. However, they are still called Minor Cold and Major Cold, showing that this transformation also occurs in stages. The key point here is that the names of the twenty-four solar terms all emphasize the concept of "gradual change"—the alternation of cold and heat never occurs suddenly. In命理 (fate or destiny) discussions, the concept of the monthly ruler's entering and exiting energy, and the depth of energy before and after each solar term, is precisely focused on this idea of gradual change.

又曰：日月運行，而四時成，以其常也。故聖人立法以步之，陰陽相錯而萬物生，以其無窮也。故聖人指物以候之，貫六氣終始早晏，五運大小盈虛，原之以至理，考之以至數，而垂示萬古，無有差忒也。經曰：五日謂之候，三候謂之氣，六氣謂之時，四時謂之歲。又曰日為陽，月為陰，行有分紀，周有道理，日行一度，月行十三度而有奇焉。故大小月三百六十五日而成歲，積氣餘而盈閏矣。

Wan Minying also cited the words of predecessors, saying: The sun and moon move to form the four seasons, because they have a constant course, so the sage established the calendar to track them; yin and yang intermingle to generate all things, because their changes are endless, so the sage pointed out specific phenomena to verify them. The calendar encompasses the beginning and end, the early and late times of the six qi, and the waxing and waning of the five movements. It is based on the principle of utmost precision and verified by exact numbers, thus being passed down to future generations without error. The medical text "Huangdi Neijing" says: Five days make a "hou," three hou make a "qi," six qi make a "shi" (season), and four seasons make a "nian" (year). It also says: The sun belongs to yang, the moon to yin; their movements each have their own degrees, and each completes their orbit around the sky. The sun moves one degree per day, the moon moves thirteen degrees and a bit per day. Therefore, by matching the large and small months, 365 days form a year, and the remaining days from the lunar months are accumulated to produce a leap month. This passage places the solar terms back into the calendar system to explain: solar terms are not arbitrary conventions of diviners, but calculations derived from the actual movement of the sun and moon.

經曰：日常於晝夜行天之一度，則一日也，共三百六十日四分之一，而周天度乃成一歲。常五日一候應之，故三候成一氣，即十五日也。三氣成一節，節謂立春、春分、立夏、夏至、立秋、秋分、立冬、冬至此八節也，三八二十四氣，而分主四時，一歲成矣。

The Inner Canon also states: The Sun traverses one degree of the celestial sphere within a day and night, which constitutes one day. Accumulating 365 and 1/4 days completes the entire celestial sphere, forming one year. Usually, every five days correspond to one '候' (watch), so three '候's make up one '气' (climate), which is fifteen days. Three '气's compose one '节' (node), referring to the eight major solar terms: Start of Spring, Spring Equinox, Start of Summer, Summer Solstice, Start of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Start of Winter, and Winter Solstice. Multiplying three by eight gives twenty-four '气's, which govern the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, completing the year. This passage clearly explains the conversion relationship among the five levels of time measurement: five days make one '候', fifteen days make one '气', forty-five days make one '节', and one year consists of twenty-four '气's and eight '节's, forming the shared time framework used in both calendar systems and astrology.

春秋言分者，以六氣言之，則二月半，初氣終，而交二之氣，八月半，四氣盡，而交五之氣。若以四時之分言之，則陰陽寒喧之氣，到此可分之時也，晝夜分五十刻，亦陰陽之中分。故經曰：分則氣異，此之謂也。冬夏曰至者，以六氣言之，則五月半，司天之氣，之其所在。十一月半，在泉之氣，至其所在，以四時之令言之，則陰陽至此，極至之時也。夏至日長，不過六十刻，陽至此而極。冬至日短，不過四十刻，陰至此而極。皆天候之未變，故經曰：至則氣同，此之謂也。

The reason why the Spring and Autumn are called "Fen" and the Winter and Summer are called "Zhi" is as follows. Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox are called "Fen" because, according to the six qi, when the second month is halfway, the first qi ends and the second qi begins; when the eighth month is halfway, the fourth qi ends and the fifth qi begins. These are the points where one qi separates from another. According to the four seasons, at these times the yin and yang of cold and warmth are exactly divided into two halves, and day and night each have fifty parts, making them the midpoints of yin and yang. Therefore, the Inner Canon says, "When there is a Fen, the qi differs," referring to this. Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice are called "Zhi" because, according to the six qi, when the fifth month is halfway, the governing qi reaches its position; when the eleventh month is halfway, the undergoverning qi reaches its position. According to the four seasons, at these times yin and yang have reached their extremes. At Summer Solstice, the day is longest, not exceeding sixty parts, and yang qi reaches its peak; at Winter Solstice, the day is shortest, not less than forty parts, and yin qi reaches its peak. At these times, the weather has not yet changed, so the Inner Canon says, "When there is a Zhi, the qi is the same," referring to this. Thus, the names, order, and astronomical basis of the twenty-four solar terms are all explained. Yuan Shushan lists this at the end of the first volume "Benyuan" to make readers understand that the measuring rod used in divination for months and qi is originally the measuring rod of the calendar.

推年之法，視人所值生年干支為主，以立春節為綱，其區別有三，如在本年正月立春後生者，皆以本年干支為主；在本年正月立春前生者，皆以上一年干支為主；在本年十二月立春後生者，皆以下一年干支為主。

The method for determining the "year pillar" is based on the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year of birth, with the dividing line not being the first day of the lunar new year, but the beginning of spring (Lichun). There are three specific cases to follow: First, if born after the beginning of spring in the same year, use the heavenly stem and earthly branch of that year as the year pillar. Second, if born before the beginning of spring in the same year (even though the lunar new year has already passed, the solar term has not arrived), go back one year and use the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the previous year as the year pillar. Third, if born after the beginning of spring in the twelfth lunar month (the old year has not yet ended, but the solar term has already moved into the next year), move forward one year and use the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the following year as the year pillar. This is the first step in arranging the four pillars of destiny and also the most common mistake for beginners: the starting point of a year in divination is the beginning of spring, not the first day of the lunar new year. Whenever the birthday is close to the beginning of spring, it is essential to consult a perpetual calendar to check the exact time of the beginning of spring, as even a difference of one hour can completely change the year pillar.

假如今年乙卯，其人四十九歲，欲知所生之年為何干支，須用掌上捷法推之，便自確當。由本年一歲起乙卯，十一歲起乙巳，二十一歲起乙未，三十一歲起乙酉，四十一歲起乙亥，由乙亥再逆行八位，即知四十九歲為丁卯年也，列式如下：丁卯

This is a quick method for calculating the heavenly stem and earthly branch of a person's birth year using the palm. Let's take an example. Suppose this year is Yi Mao (乙卯), and the person is 49 years old (calculated by the old method of counting age as one year more than actual age). To find out the heavenly stem and earthly branch of their birth year, simply use this palm method. The process is as follows: take this year, Yi Mao, as one year. Then, for every additional ten years, the heavenly stem remains the same, while the earthly branch moves back two positions. So, at 11 years old, it is Yi Si (乙巳); at 21 years old, it is Yi Wei (乙未); at 31 years old, it is Yi You (乙酉); and at 41 years old, it is Yi Hai (乙亥). After Yi Hai, there are still eight more years to reach 49. So, starting from Yi Hai, move back eight positions (Yi Hai, Jia Xu, Gui You, Ren Shen, Xin Wei, Geng Wu, Ji Si, Wu Chen, Ding Mao), which gives the birth year as Ding Mao (丁卯). Therefore, the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth year is Ding Mao. The key is that every ten years, the heavenly stem remains unchanged while the earthly branch moves back two positions. The palm method cycles through a 60-year cycle. Once mastered, one can determine the birth year without needing to refer to a calendar.

又如今年丙辰，起人七十一歲，欲知所生之年何干支，亦用掌上捷法推之，由本年一歲起丙辰，十一歲起丙午，二十一歲起丙申，三十一歲起丙戌，四十一歲起丙子，五十一歲起丙寅，周而復始，六十一歲又起丙辰，即知七十一歲又為丙午年也。列式如下：丙午（圖略）

Let us take another example. Suppose this year is the year of Bingchen. A person is seventy-one years old, and we use the palm method to calculate. Taking this year, Bingchen, as one year, the age of eleven is Bingwu, twenty-one is Bingshen, thirty-one is Bingxu, forty-one is Bingzi, fifty-one is Bingyin; after sixty years, the cycle of Jiazi repeats, so sixty-one years brings us back to Bingchen. Therefore, seventy-one years corresponds to Bingwu. The heavenly stem and earthly branch for the year are written as Bingwu. This example deliberately crosses over sixty years to make it clear to the reader that the cycle of heavenly stems and earthly branches repeats every sixty years: if the age difference is sixty years, the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth year will be the same. For ages over sixty, simply subtract sixty and then calculate. The original text included a palm diagram, but the current version has omitted it.

又如丙午年正月初九日巳時生，曆書載明是年正月初九日午時立春，是巳時在午時之前，猶未立春，當作乙巳年推。列式如下。 丙午作乙巳。又如丙午年正月初九日午時生，曆書載明是日午時立春。是午時已交立春，即作丙午年推。列式於下：丙午

The following four examples specifically demonstrate how to choose the year pillar before and after the Beginning of Spring. They are practical applications of the three rules mentioned earlier. The first example: someone born on the ninth day of the first lunar month in the Bingwu year at the巳 (Snake) hour. According to the almanac, the Beginning of Spring occurs at the午 (Horse) hour on that day. Since the birth time is before the Beginning of Spring, according to the rules, we should subtract one year, and the year pillar should be considered Yisi. The notation is written as "Bingwu as Yisi," meaning although the almanac records it as the Bingwu year, when calculating the fate, it should be treated as the Yisi year. The second example: the same birth date, but at the午 (Horse) hour. The almanac clearly states that the Beginning of Spring occurs at the午 (Horse) hour on that day. Since the birth time is after the Beginning of Spring, we use the current year's stem and branch, and the year pillar is Bingwu. These two examples differ by only one hour, yet the year pillar changes completely, showing how crucial it is to accurately determine the time of the Beginning of Spring.

又如丙午年十二月十九日戌時生，曆書載明是年十二月十九日酉時立春，是戌時在酉時之後，已過立春，作丁未年推。列式如下： 丙午作丁未。又如丙午年十二月十九日申時生，曆書載明是年十二月十九日酉時立春，是申時在酉時之前，猶未立春，仍作為丙午年推。列式如下： 丙午

The third example and the fourth example demonstrate the situation when the New Year begins on the day of the Start of Spring. The third example: born on the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month in the Bingwu year at the戌 hour. According to the almanac, the Start of Spring occurred at the酉 hour on the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month of that year. The戌 hour comes after the酉 hour, indicating that the Start of Spring had already passed. According to the rules, the year column should be advanced by one year, so the year pillar is considered Dingwei, written as "Bingwu becomes Dingwei." The fourth example: born on the same date, the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month in the Bingwu year, but at the申 hour. The申 hour comes before the酉 hour, meaning the Start of Spring had not yet arrived, so the original year pillar remains as Bingwu. These four examples together illustrate both ends of the "Start of Spring divides the year" rule: if the Start of Spring has not arrived at the beginning of the year, the year is counted as the previous year; if the Start of Spring has arrived by the end of the year, the year is counted as the next year. All other cases follow the original year pillar.

推月之法，由人生年遁月之干支為主，以節令為綱，其區別有三：如在本月節令後生者，即以本月所遁干支為主；在本月節令前生者，即以上月所遁干支為主；在本月下一節令後生者，即以下月所遁干支為主。古歌云：

The method of determining the "month pillar" is as follows: first, use the fixed heavenly stem of the year and apply the mnemonic "Dun" to determine the heavenly stem and earthly branch of each month. The dividing line is the solar term (not the first day of the month). There are three cases. First, if born after the solar term of the current month, use the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the current month as the month pillar. Second, if born before the solar term of the current month, go back one month and use the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the previous month. Third, if born after the solar term of the next month (i.e., the solar term has already moved into the next month), move forward one month and use the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the next month. It is important to distinguish between "solar terms" and "middle terms": the twelve solar terms are 立春 (Lichun), 惊蛰 (Jingzhe), 清明 (Qingming), 立夏 (Lixia), 芒种 (Mangzhong), 小暑 (Xiaoshu), 立秋 (LiQiu), 白露 (Bailu), 寒露 (Hanlu), 立冬 (Lidong), 大雪 (Daxue), and 小寒 (Xiaohan). Only these are considered for determining the month pillar; the middle terms such as 雨水 (Yushui) and 春分 (Chunfen) are not taken into account. The mnemonic for determining the heavenly stem of the month is the following ancient poem, commonly known as the "Five Tiger遁" (Wu Hu Dun).

甲己之年丙作首，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。（行夏之時，寅為歲首）甲己年正月起丙寅，乙庚之年正月起戊寅，丙辛之年正月起庚寅，丁壬之年正月起壬寅，戊癸之年正月起甲寅。

This mnemonic is called "Wu Hu Dùn" and is used to determine the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the first lunar month based on the heavenly stem of the birth year. Since the first lunar month is called Yín (寅), which is associated with the tiger, it is called Wu Hu Dùn. Reading it sentence by sentence: if the heavenly stem of the birth year is Jia or Ji, the first month starts with Bing Yín; if it is Yi or Geng, the first month starts with Wu Yín; if it is Bing or Xin, the first month starts with Geng Yín; if it is Ding or Ren, the first month starts with Ren Yín; if it is Wu or Gui, the first month starts with Jia Yín. The note "Xing Xia Zhi Shi, Yín Wei Su Shou" means that since the Xia Dynasty's calendar regarded Yín month as the beginning of the year, the calculation of the months always starts with Yín. The method is: first determine the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the first month using the mnemonic, then count forward in the sequence of the sixty jiazi. For example, if the first month is Bing Yín, the second month is Ding Mao, the third month is Wu Chen, and so on, continuing until the month of birth. The heavenly stem of the year has only ten possibilities, but the heavenly stem of the first month has only five possibilities. Memorizing these five sentences allows one to immediately determine the monthly stem and branch for any year.

《考原》云：上古曆元，年月日時，皆起於甲子。是甲子年必甲子月，為年前冬至十一月也，而正月建寅，故得丙寅，二月丁卯以次順數，至次年正月，得戊寅，故乙年正月起戊寅。從甲至己，越五年，共六十月，花甲周而復始，故己年正月亦為丙寅也。

The *Star Calendar Origins* explains the origin of this method of concealment: in ancient times, the starting point of the calendar was set at Jiazi, so the year, month, day, and hour all began with Jiazi. Therefore, the Jiazi year must be paired with the Jiazi month, which is the eleventh month before the winter solstice of that year. Since the eleventh month is the Jiazi month, and the first month of the year is Yiny, counting from the Zi month to the Yin month is the third position, so the first month of the Jia year is Bingyin. Then the second month is Dingmao, the third month is Wuchen, and so on, continuing in order. By the time we reach the first month of the second year, it is Wuyin, so the first month of the Yi year starts with Wuyin. Counting from the Jia year to the Ji year takes five years, which is sixty months, exactly completing one full cycle of the sixty Jiazi. Therefore, the first month of the Ji year again starts with Bingyin. This explains why the mnemonic verse uses the same line for Jia and Ji, and for Yi and Geng—the heavenly stems are five positions apart, and the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the month complete a full cycle in five years.

假如丁卯年正月初一子時生，曆數載明丙寅年十二月三十日未時立春，是初一日早屬丁卯年正月矣。古歌云：丁壬壬位順行流，是丁年正月遁得壬寅也。列式如下：丁卯 壬寅

Here is an example. First example: born on the day of the first day of the first lunar month in the year Ding Mao. According to the almanac, the previous year Bing Yin's twelfth lunar month on the thirty day at the hour of Wei had already entered the beginning of spring. Therefore, the first day of the first lunar month in the new year Ding Mao had already entered the month of Yin. Both the year pillar and the month pillar are calculated according to the first day of the first lunar month in the year Ding Mao. Then using the ancient verse "Ding Ren Ren position flows in order," the month of Ding Mao's first lunar month is hidden to get Ren Yin. Thus, the year pillar and month pillar are written as Ding Mao and Ren Yin. This example should note that the beginning of spring falls on the last day of the previous year's twelfth lunar month, so although the first day of the first lunar month is the first day of the new year, according to the solar term it has already entered the month of Yin. Therefore, there is no need to adjust the year pillar and month pillar.

又如丙午年正月初九日巳時生，曆書載明是年正月初九日午時立春，是巳時在午時之前，猶未立春，不獨丙午年作乙巳年推，且須作乙巳年十二月推。古歌云：乙庚之歲戊為頭，是乙年正月遁戊寅，以次順數至十二月得己丑也。列式如下：丙午作乙巳 己丑

Second example: Born on the ninth day of the first lunar month in the year of Bingwu at the hour of Si. Checking the almanac, the beginning of spring falls at the hour of Wu on the ninth day of the first lunar month. The hour of Si comes before the hour of Wu, so the beginning of spring has not yet arrived. In this case, not only does the year pillar need to be adjusted to YiSi, but the month pillar must also be adjusted to the twelfth month of the previous year, YiSi. Using the ancient verse "In the year of Yigeng, Wu is the first," the first month of the year of Yi is hidden to get WuYin. Then following the order of the sixty jiazi, the months are: first month WuYin, second month JiMao, third month GengChen, fourth month XinSi, fifth month RenWu, sixth month GuiWei, seventh month JiaShen, eighth month YiYou, ninth month BingXu, tenth month DingHai, eleventh month WuZi, twelfth month JiChou. Therefore, the year and month pillars are written as: Bingwu becomes YiSi and JiChou. This example shows that if the year pillar is adjusted, the month pillar must also be adjusted to the end of the previous year, not just the year itself.

又如丙午年正月初九日午時生，曆書載明是年正月初九日午時立春，是午時已交立春，即作丙午年正月推。古歌云：丙辛必定尋庚起，是丙年正月遁得庚寅也。列式如下：丙午 庚寅

Third example: Both are born on the ninth day of the first lunar month in the year of Bingwu, but at the hour of Wu. The almanac clearly states that this day is the hour of Wu when the spring begins, so the hour of Wu has already entered the new season. Therefore, both the year pillar and the month pillar are calculated according to the year of Bingwu and the first lunar month. Using the ancient verse "Jingxin must seek Geng to start," the hidden pillar for the first lunar month of the year of Bingwu is Gengyin. Thus, the year and month pillars are written as Bingwu and Gengyin. Comparing this example with the previous one, they are on the same day but differ by one hour. One is born on the twelfth lunar month of the year of Yisi, on the day of Jichou, and the other is born on the first lunar month of the year of Bingwu, on the day of Gengyin. The year and month pillars are entirely different. This is exactly the purpose of Yuan Shushan repeatedly demonstrating the time of seasonal change.

又如丙午年十二月十九日戌時生，曆書載明是年十二月十九日酉時立春，是戌時在酉時之後，已過立春，不獨丙午年作丁未年推，且須作丁未年正月推。古歌云：丁壬壬位順行流，是丁年正月遁得壬寅也。列式如下：丙午作丁未 壬寅

Fourth example: Born on the 19th day of the twelfth lunar month in the year Bingwu at the hour Wu. Checking the almanac, on this day the beginning of spring (立春) occurred at the hour You. The hour Wu comes after the hour You, so the beginning of spring has already passed. Therefore, not only does the year pillar advance to Dingwei, but the month pillar also advances to the first month of the year Dingwei. Using the ancient verse 「丁壬壬位顺行流」, the first month of the year Ding is calculated as Renyin. Thus, the year and month pillars are written as: Bingwu becomes Dingwei, and the month pillar is Renyin. This example is exactly the opposite of the second example: in that case, the year had not yet arrived and it was retreated, while here, the year has already passed and it is advanced. Both cases follow the principle that when the year pillar changes, the month pillar also changes.

又如丙午年十二月十九日申時生，曆書載明是日酉時立春，是申時在酉時之前猶未立春，仍屬丙午年十二月推。古歌云：丙辛必定尋庚起，是丙午年正月遁庚寅，以次順數至十二月遁得辛丑也。列式如下：丙午 辛丑

The fifth example: Two people were born on the 19th day of the twelfth lunar month in the year of Bingwu, but at the hour of Shen. The hour of Shen comes before the hour of You, and the Beginning of Spring has not yet arrived, so the year and month are still calculated according to the year of Bingwu and the twelfth lunar month. Using the ancient verse "Jingxin must seek Gengyin first," the month of the year of Bing is found to be Gengyin. Then we proceed in order: the second month is Xinmao, the third month is Renchen, the fourth month is Guisi, the fifth month is Jiawu, the sixth month is Yiwei, the seventh month is Bingshen, the eighth month is Dingyou, the ninth month is Wuxu, the tenth month is Jihai, the eleventh month is Gengzi, and the twelfth month is Xinchou. Therefore, the year and month columns are written as Bingwu and Xinchou. After completing these five examples, all the situations for determining the year and month columns are covered: first check the solar term to determine the year, then use the heavenly stem of the year to find the hidden month, with the rule of going back before the solar term and forward after the solar term. There is no other method.

推日之法，由人生日定其干支，視曆書所載某月初一某干支，十一某干支，二十一某干支，則每月每日之干支，可屈指得矣。假如丁卯年正月初一日子時生，曆書載明正月初一丙辰，即知為丙辰矣。列式如下：丁卯 壬寅 丙辰

The method of determining the "Day Pillar" is the simplest: the stem and branch of the day have no mnemonic device, and can only be looked up in the almanac. In ancient times, the almanac would mark the stem and branch of the day on the first, eleventh, and twenty-first days of each month. The other days could be calculated by starting from the nearest marked day and counting forward finger by finger. For example, if someone is born at the子时 (hour of the rat) on the first day of the first lunar month of the Dingmao year, and the almanac states that the first day of the first lunar month is Bingchen, then the Day Pillar is Bingchen. The three pillars combined would be written as Dingmao, Renyin, Bingchen. Note that the change of the Day Pillar is determined by the子时 (hour of the rat), and it is not affected by the solar terms; it is only based on the order of days in the almanac. As for how the子时 (hour of the rat) is divided between two days, there is a distinction between "night子时" and "正子时," which is discussed in detail in Chapter Five, "On the Moments and the Difference Between Night子时 and正子时" of this book.

丙午年正月初九日午時生，曆書載明正月初一丁巳，以次順數至初九日，即知為乙丑矣。列式如下：丙午 庚寅 乙丑。又如丙午年十二月十九日戌時生，曆書載明十二月十一日壬戌，以次順數至十九日，即知為庚午矣。列式如下：丙午作丁未 壬寅 庚午

Another example: someone born on the ninth day of the first lunar month in the year of Bingwu at the hour of Wu. The almanac states that the first day of the month is DingSi. Counting eight days from DingSi to the ninth day (second day Wuwu, third day Jiwei, fourth day Gengshen, fifth day Xinyou, sixth day Renxu, seventh day Guihai, eighth day Jiazi, ninth day Yichou), the day pillar is Yichou. The three pillars are written as Bingwu, Gengyin, Yichou. The second example: someone born on the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month in the year of Bingwu at the hour of Xu. The almanac states that the eleventh day of the month is Renxu. Counting eight days from Renxu to the nineteenth day (twelfth day Guihai, thirteenth day Jiazi, fourteenth day Yichou, fifteenth day Bingyin, sixteenth day Dingmao, seventeenth day Wuchen, eighteenth day Jisi, nineteenth day Gengwu), the day pillar is Gengwu. The three pillars are written as Bingwu, Dingwei, Gengwu. In the second example, the year and month pillars advance to Dingwei and Renyin because they have passed the beginning of spring, but the day pillar is still calculated based on the actual day, showing that the method of calculating the day pillar is independent of the solar terms.

推時之法，由人生日遁得生時之干支為主。古歌云：甲己還生甲，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。甲己日起甲子時，乙庚日起丙子時，丙辛日起戊子時，丁壬日起庚子時，戊癸日起壬子時。

The method of determining the "Hour Pillar" is to use a mnemonic to find the heavenly stem of the hour, based on the already determined day stem. This ancient song is called "Wu Shu Duan" (Five Rats Duan), because the hour of Zi (rat) is the starting point, hence the name. Reading it sentence by sentence: if the day stem is Jia or Ji, the Zi hour starts with Jiazi; if the day stem is Yi or Geng, the Zi hour starts with Bingzi; if the day stem is Bing or Xin, the Zi hour starts with Wuzi; if the day stem is Ding or Ren, the Zi hour starts with Gengzi; if the day stem is Wu or Gui, the Zi hour starts with Renzi. The method is to first determine the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the Zi hour according to the mnemonic, then count forward in the sequence of the sixty heavenly stems and earthly branches to the actual birth hour. The earthly branches of the twelve hours are fixed: Zi hour (from 23 to 1), Chou hour (1 to 3), Yin hour (3 to 5), Mao hour (5 to 7), Chen hour (7 to 9), Si hour (9 to 11), Wu hour (11 to 13), Wei hour (13 to 15), Shen hour (15 to 17), You hour (17 to 19), Xu hour (19 to 21), Hai hour (21 to 23). Only the heavenly stem needs to be determined and paired with the fixed earthly branch.

《考原》曰：甲子日起甲子時，從甲子日順數，至此日子時得丙子，故乙日起丙子。從甲至己，越五日暴六十時，花甲周而復始，故己日子時，亦為甲子時也。

The *Star Calendar Origin* explains the origin of the Five Rats遁 (Wushu遁), which follows the same principle as the Five Tigers遁 (Wuhu遁). On a Jiazi day, the first hour (zi) starts with Jiazi. Counting twelve hours in order from the Jiazi day to the next day's zi hour (which is the Yi day), it arrives at Bingzi. Therefore, on the Yi day's zi hour, Bingzi begins. Counting from the Jia day to the Ji day involves five days, which total sixty hours. The sixty Jiazi cycle completes exactly once, so on the Ji day's zi hour, it returns to Jiazi. This is why the mnemonic says that Jia and Ji both start with Jiazi, and Yi and Geng both start with Bingzi—the day stems are five positions apart, and the stem-branch of the hour completes a cycle. Understanding this, the Five Tigers遁 and the Five Rats遁 are actually two applications of the same principle and do not need to be memorized separately.

假如丁卯年壬寅月、丙辰日子時生，古歌云：丙辛從戊起，是丙日子時遁得戊子也。列式如下：丁卯 壬寅 丙辰 戊子。又如丙午年庚寅月乙丑日午時生，古歌云：乙庚丙作初，是乙日子時遁得丙子，以次順數至午，遁得壬午也。列式如下：丙午 庚寅 乙丑 壬午

Take two examples. The first: born in the year of Dingmao, month of Renyin, day of Bingchen, and hour of Zi. The day stem is Bing. Using the mnemonic "Jingxin from Wu starts," Bing day with Zi hour leads to Wu Zi. The hour column is Wu Zi. The four pillars are: Dingmao, Renyin, Bingchen, Wu Zi. The second: born in the year of Bingwu, month of Gengyin, day of Yichou, and hour of Wu. The day stem is Yi. Using the mnemonic "Yi Geng starts with Bing," Yi day with Zi hour leads to Bing Zi. Then count forward: Chou hour is Dingchou, Yin hour is Wuyin, Mao hour is Jimao, Chen hour is Gengchen, Si hour is Xinsi, Wu hour is Renwu. The hour column is Renwu. The four pillars are: Bingwu, Gengyin, Yichou, Renwu. Now the four pillars of year, month, day, and hour are fully determined, forming the foundation for all calculations in divination.

又如丁未年壬寅月庚午日戌時生，古歌云：乙庚丙作初，是庚日子時遁得丙子，以次順數至戌，遁得丙戌也。列式如下：丙午作丁未 壬寅 庚午 丙戌

Another example. A person born in the year of Dingwei, month of Renyin, day of Gengwu, and hour of Xu. The day stem is Geng. Using the mnemonic "Yi Geng uses Bingzi as the beginning" (Yi and Geng are paired with Bingzi), Gengwu at Zi hour is Bingzi. Counting from Zi hour to Xu hour, ten positions are covered (Chou Dingchou, Yin Wuyin, Mao Jimao, Chen Gengchen, Si Xinsi, Wu Renwu, Wei Guiwei, Shen Jiashen, You Yiyou, Xu Bingxu), resulting in the hour pillar Bingxu. The four pillars are written as: Bingwu for Dingwei, Renyin, Gengwu, Bingxu. The year pillar is marked as "Bingwu for Dingwei" because the person was born in the year of Bingwu, but after the start of spring, it is advanced to Dingwei. As the method of calculating the year and month has already been demonstrated, once the four pillars are determined, the next step is to calculate the big luck years.

凡推大運，俱從所生之日，陽男陰女順行，數之未來節，陰男陽女逆行，數之過去節，皆遇節而止。三日為一歲，以知大運之所起，十年一易也。

The general method for starting the "big luck period" (大运) is to count from the day of birth. For a male born in a yang year or a female born in a yin year (referred to as yang male and yin female), count forward to the nearest "jie" (节) after the birth day. For a male born in a yin year or a female born in a yang year (referred to as yin male and yang female), count backward to the nearest "jie" before the birth day. The counting stops when a solar term is reached. The number of days counted is converted into years by dividing by three days per year, which determines the starting age for the big luck period. Each big luck period lasts ten years, and the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the luck period are arranged in order from the month pillar, either forward or backward depending on the direction of counting. Here, the "jie" still refers only to the twelve solar terms such as the Beginning of Spring, Awakening of Insects, and Pure Brightness, and the middle solar terms are not counted. The big luck period is the most important time line outside of the four pillars of destiny: the four pillars determine the overall structure and ultimate height of a person's fate, while the big luck period determines the fortune and adversity of each ten-year period, so the age for starting the big luck period must be calculated accurately.

萬育吾曰：古人以大運一辰應十年，折除以三日為一歲者，何也？蓋一月之終，晦朔周而有三十日，一日之終，晝夜周而有十二時（一時有八大刻，二小刻，十二時周，計有一百二十刻。）；以三日計，有三十六時，合三百六十刻，正應一歲三百六十日為一歲之數；以一月計，有三百六十時，以三百六十時計，合三千六百刻，正應一辰十年，三千六百日也。經云：人生百二十歲為周天，即此義也。

Wan Minying explains the basis for the conversion of "three days equal one year" and "one zodiac sign governs ten years." He asks: why did ancients set one earthly branch as governing ten years, and why do three days equal one year? The answer lies in the correspondence of time units. A month completes a cycle of new and full moons in thirty days; a day completes a day and night in twelve hours (one hour contains eight large divisions and two small divisions, totaling 120 divisions per day). Calculating three days, there are thirty-six hours, which equals 360 divisions, exactly matching the 360 days of a year, hence three days equal one year. Calculating a month, there are 360 hours, which equals 3,600 divisions, exactly matching the 3,600 days of ten years, hence one earthly branch governs ten years. Ancient texts say "a person's life of 120 years completes a cycle," referring to this proportion. Clearly, the conversion is not arbitrary, but derived through layer by layer correspondence between divisions, hours, days, months, and years.

若夫折除之法，必用生者實歷過日時，數其節氣，較其多寡，陽男陰女，則順數至生日後未來節氣日時止，順而行之；陰男陽女，大運以生日前過去節氣日時為數，逆而行之。以三日為一歲，六日為二歲，九日為三歲，三十日為十歲，有餘為零，零即多也。不足當借，借即欠也。假如陽命正月初一日丑時正一刻生，至初四日丑時正一刻立春節，乃足一歲，若在寅時，則多一時，乃零一旬，若春在子時，則少一時，乃借一旬。

Wan Minying then explained the detailed procedures for conversion. Conversion must use the actual days and times experienced by the person at birth, counting up to the solar term. For a yang male or a yin female, count forward from the day of birth to the next solar term, including its time, and the big years are arranged in order. For a yin male or a yang female, count backward from the day of birth to the previous solar term, including its time, and the big years are arranged in reverse. The conversion ratio is: three days equal one year, six days equal two years, nine days equal three years, and thirty days equal ten years. Any remaining days are called "ling" (remainder), which means excess. If there is a shortage, it is called "jie" (borrowing), which means deficiency. For example, a yang male born on the first day of the first lunar month at the hour of Chou and the moment of Chong, reaches the solar term of Lichun on the fourth day at the hour of Chou and the moment of Chong, which is exactly three days, thus exactly one year. If the solar term of Lichun occurs on the fourth day at the hour of Yin, there is an extra hour, which is converted into "ling one sheng" (excess ten days); if the solar term occurs on the fourth day at the hour of Zi, there is a missing hour, which is converted into "jie one sheng" (deficit ten days). This shows that the remaining hours must also be converted into days and recorded. One hour is equivalent to ten days.

至於交運之年，尤需扣足。如甲子陽男十二月二十四日已時生，是月也二十九日申時立春，陽男數以未來之日，自二十四日已時至二十五日已時方是一日之實數，至二十九日申時正得五日三時之節氣，實歷過六十三日折除，過六十三時折除，計六百三十日，乃一歲奇九月之大運，必自十二月生日後，實歷二十有一月，方交大運。如此推之，乃是丙寅年九月二十四日巳時，始行大運。若不得其實歷之數，率以為二歲起運，則失之矣。按百二十刻之說，當參觀論時刻篇

Wan Minying once again emphasized that the year of transition must be calculated precisely. He provided a complete example. A male born in the Jiazi year, a yang year, on the 24th day of the 12th lunar month at the hour of Si; the spring equinox fell at the hour of Shen on the 29th day of that month. For a yang male, the future days are counted in order: from the Si hour on the 24th day to the Si hour on the 25th day is a full day. Counting up to the Shen hour on the 29th day, it totals five days and three hours. According to the calculation of three days as one year, five days equal one year and two days, and the three hours are converted into days. In total, this equals 630 days, which is one year and nine months of big destiny. Therefore, one must wait until twenty-one months have actually passed after the birth date in the 12th lunar month before the big destiny begins. According to this calculation, the destiny begins on the 24th day of the ninth month in the Bingyin year at the hour of Si. If one does not calculate the actual days and hours precisely and simply says the destiny begins at two years old, it would be wrong. (Yuan Shushan's note: The statement "one hour equals 120 moments" mentioned above should be referred to in the chapter "On Hours and the Difference Between the Night Hour and the Morning Hour" in Volume Five.) The practical key point here is: the age of starting destiny should be accurately calculated down to the month, day, and hour, and not just take whole numbers.

陽男者，甲丙戊庚壬五陽年所生之男也。假如丙午年庚寅月九日午時生男，順數至二月初九日卯時驚蟄節，實歷有十天欠三時，以三日為一歲折之，是為十歲欠三十天，起運從生月庚寅順布，始行辛卯，列式如下：丙午 庚寅 乙丑 壬午 初十辛卯 二十壬辰 三十癸巳 四十甲午 五十乙未 六十丙申 七十丁酉 八十戊戌。大運十歲，扣足欠足三十天，每逢乙庚之年十二月初九日，午時交換。

The term "Yang Man" refers to male destinies born in the five yang years: Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren. For such individuals, the calculation of their destiny starts with a progressive count in the same direction. For example, a male born on the ninth day of the first lunar month in the Gengyin year, at the noon hour of the Wushen month. Starting from the day of birth, the count proceeds to the day of the Jiachou month's Qizheng festival, which is ten days and three hours later. According to the method of calculation, three days equal one year, so ten days equal three years and one day. Following the original method, this results in ten years minus thirty days. The big destiny starts at ten years old, and the remaining thirty days are subtracted. Therefore, the big destiny changes on the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month at the noon hour of the Yichou year or the Gengyin year. Readers should note two points: first, the destiny stems and branches are arranged in order from the month column, and second, the years and times when the destiny changes can be determined, which are useful for determining the flow of years. The full calculation is as follows: the four pillars are Bingwu, Gengyin, Yichou, and Renwu; the big destiny starts at ten years old with Xinmao, twenty years old with Renchen, thirty years old with Guisi, forty years old with Jiawu, fifty years old with Yiwei, sixty years old with Bingshen, seventy years old with Dingyou, and eighty years old with Wuxu. The start of the destiny is at ten years old, with thirty days still to be subtracted, so the big destiny changes on the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month at the noon hour of the Yichou year or the Gengyin year. Readers should note two points: first, the destiny stems and branches are arranged in order from the month column, and second, the years and times when the destiny changes can be determined, which are useful for determining the flow of years.

陰女者，乙丁己辛癸五陰年所生之女也，又如丙午年十二月十九日戌時生女，作丁未年壬寅月推，起大運當以丁未為陰，壬寅為正月，由丙午年十二月（是月小建）十九日戌時，順數至丁未年正月二十日午時驚蟄節，實歷有三十天欠四時，以三日為一歲折之，是為十歲欠四十天，起運從生月壬寅順布，始行癸卯。列式如下：丙午作丁未 壬寅 庚午 丙戌 初十癸卯 二十甲辰 三十乙巳 四十丙午 五十丁未 六十戊申 七十己酉 八十庚戌。大運十歲，扣足欠四十天，每逢丙辛之年，十一月初九日戌時交換。

The term "yin nu" refers to female destinies born in the five yin years, namely yi, ding, ji, xin, and gui. These female destinies are counted in the same way as yang male destinies, in a forward sequence. For example, a female born on the 19th day of the 12th lunar month in the year bingwu at the hour xu. Since the spring equinox has already passed, the year and month columns are adjusted to dingwei year and renyin month. When starting the destiny calculation, the year stem ding is yin, indicating a yin year female destiny, so the sequence proceeds forward. Starting from the 19th day of the 12th lunar month (this month is a small month with only 29 days) in the year bingwu, the sequence proceeds forward to the day of jingzhe on the 20th day of the first lunar month in the year dingwei at the hour wu. The actual time span is 30 days minus four hours. According to the rule of counting three days as one year, 30 days equals ten years, and the four hours are equivalent to forty days. The destiny calculation starts from the birth month renyin, with the first step being guimao. The full calculation is as follows: the four pillars bingwu are adjusted to dingwei, renyin, gengwu, and bingxu; the first big destiny is guimao at ten years old, then jichen at twenty, yisi at thirty, bingwu at forty, dingwei at fifty, wushen at sixty, jiyou at seventy, and gengxu at eighty. The start of the destiny at ten years old is adjusted by forty days, so the big destiny changes on the 9th day of the 11th lunar month in the years jing or xin at the hour xu.