A male with a yin nature and a female with a yang nature.

陰男者，乙丁己辛癸五陰年所生之男也。假如丁卯年壬寅月初一子時生男，逆數至丙寅年十二月三十日未時立春節，實歷有五時，以三日為一歲折之，是為一歲欠三百一十天，起運從生月壬寅布，始行辛丑，列式如下：丁卯 壬寅 丙辰 戊子 初一辛丑 十一庚子 廿一己亥 卅一戊戌 四一丁酉 五一丙申 六一乙未 七一甲午。大運一歲，扣足欠三百一十天，每逢丁壬之年二月二十一日子時交換。

The term "yin male" refers to male destinies born in the five yin years, namely the years of Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui. For such individuals, the calculation of their destiny starts by counting backwards. For example, a male born on the first day of the first month of theRenyin year in theDingmao year at the子 hour. Counting back to the previous year'sBingyin year, on the thirtieth day of the twelfth month at the未 hour, the beginning of the Spring Festival, the actual time span is only five hours. According to the rule of converting three days to one year, since it is less than a year, it is counted as one year but lacking 310 days. The destiny years start from the birth monthRenyin and are arranged in reverse order. The first step isXinchou. The full calculation is as follows: the four pillars areDingmao, Renyin, Bingchen, Wuzi; the destiny years are: one yearXinchou, eleven yearsGengzi, twenty-one yearsJihai, thirty-one yearsWuxu, forty-one yearsDingyou, fifty-one yearsBingshen, sixty-one yearsYiwei, seventy-one yearsJiawu. The start of the destiny years is one year, but since 310 days are still lacking, the destiny years change at the子 hour on the twenty-first day of the second month in the year of Ding or壬. Compare this with the previous two examples: the same method of starting from the month pillar is used, but for a yang male or yin female, the destiny years are arranged in a forward direction (after 庚寅 comes 辛卯), while for a yin male or yang female, the destiny years are arranged in a reverse direction (before 壬寅 comes 辛丑). The key distinction in the method of starting the destiny years is whether it is arranged in a forward or reverse order.

陽女者，甲丙戊庚壬五陽年所生之女也。假如丙午年辛丑月十九日申時生女，逆數至十一月十九日卯時小寒節，實歷有三十天零五時。以三日為一歲折之，是為十歲多五十天，起運從生月辛丑逆布，始行庚子。列式如下：丙午 辛丑 庚午 甲申 初十庚子 二十己亥 三十戊戌 四十丁酉 五十丙申 六十乙未 七十甲午 八十癸巳。大運十歲，扣足多五十天，每逢丁壬之年，二月初九日申時交換。

The term "Yang female" refers to female destinies born in the five yang years: Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren. These are calculated in the same way as Yin males, by counting backward. For example, a female born on the 19th day of the Shichen month in the Bingwu year, at the Shen hour. Counting back to the Xiaohan festival on the 11th day of the 11th month at the Maohour, the actual time span is thirty days and five hours. According to the rule of one year for every three days, thirty days equals ten years, and the extra five hours amount to fifty days. The big years start from the birth month, which is Xinchou, and are counted backward. The first step is Gengzi. The full calculation is as follows: the four pillars are Bingwu, Xinchou, Gengwu, and Jiashen. The big years start at ten years old with Gengzi, twenty years old with Jihai, thirty years old with Wuxu, forty years old with Dingyou, fifty years old with Bingshen, sixty years old with Ywei, seventy years old with Jiawu, and eighty years old with Guisi. The start of the big years at ten years old includes an extra fifty days, so the big years change on the second ninth day of the second month in the year of Ding or Ren at the Shen hour. The examples of starting big years for the four types of destinies (Yang male, Yin female, Yin male, Yang female) are now fully presented. Readers can follow the same method to calculate.

木生火，火生土，土生金，金生水，水生木，此為五行相生。《河圖》一六為水居北，二七為火居南，三八為木居東，四九為金居西，五十為土居中。北方水生東方木，東方木生南方火，南方火生中央土，中央土生西方金，西方金生北方水，此五行相生之序也。

The order of mutual generation among the Five Phases is: wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, metal generates water, and water generates wood, forming a continuous cycle. This sequence can be observed in the directions of the Yellow River Chart: one and six represent water, located in the north; two and seven represent fire, located in the south; three and eight represent wood, located in the east; four and nine represent metal, located in the west; and five and ten represent earth, located in the center. Following the directions in a circle, water in the north generates wood in the east, wood in the east generates fire in the south, fire in the south generates earth in the center, earth in the center generates metal in the west, and metal in the west generates water in the north—this is the order of mutual generation among the Five Phases. In the study of destiny, "those who generate me are called my seal," and "those I generate are called my food and affliction," all of which are based on this chain. Only by understanding mutual generation can one proceed to discuss the concepts of seal, food, and affliction, as well as transformation and release.

《白虎通》云：木生火者，木性溫暖，火伏其中，鑽灼而出，故木生火。火生土者，火熱能焚木，木焚而成灰，灰即土也，故火生土。土生金者，金居石依山，津潤而生，聚土成山，山必生石，故土生金。金生水者，少陰之氣，溫潤流澤，銷金亦為水，所以山雲而從潤，故金生水。水生木者，因水潤而能生，故水生木也。

The White Tiger Treatise explains the mutual generation of the Five Phases in terms of physical phenomena. Wood generates fire because wood is warm in nature, and fire is latent within wood; when wood is struck, fire emerges. Fire generates earth because fire can burn wood, and when wood is completely burned, it turns into ash, which is earth. Earth generates metal because metal is contained within stone and relies on the nourishment of earth; when earth accumulates to form mountains, stone is inevitably formed within the mountains, and metal is found within the stone. Metal generates water because the moist and warm air of the lesser yin produces moisture that spreads and nourishes, and melting metal also turns into water; therefore, clouds rising from mountains come from this moisture. Water generates wood because water provides nourishment, and plants and trees can only grow with moisture. These explanations may not all align with modern science, but they reveal the reasoning behind the ancient concept of the Five Phases' mutual generation: it is not abstract symbolic reasoning, but a summary derived from the interdependence of natural properties.

木克土，土克水，水克火，火克金，金克木，此為五行相剋。《洛書》：戴九履一，左三攸七，二四為肩，六八為足，五居中央。一六水克二七火，二七火克四九金，四九金克三八木，三八木克五中土，五中土克一六水，此五行相剋之序也。

The order of mutual control among the Five Phases is: wood controls earth, earth controls water, water controls fire, fire controls metal, and metal controls wood, forming a continuous cycle. This sequence can be seen from the arrangement of the Luo Writing's nine-square grid: the Luo Writing is arranged with nine at the top, one at the bottom, three on the left, and seven on the right. Two and four are the shoulders, six and eight are the feet, and five is in the center. By matching numbers with the Five Phases, one can deduce: one and six belong to water, which controls two and seven (fire); two and seven belong to fire, which controls four and nine (metal); four and nine belong to metal, which controls three and eight (wood); three and eight belong to wood, which controls the central five (earth); and five (earth) controls one and six (water)—this is the order of mutual control among the Five Phases. In divination, "what controls me is called official and evil star," and "what I control is called wealth," all of which are based on this chain. Combining the chains of mutual generation and mutual control forms the complete basis for the naming of the ten celestial stems. Scholars must memorize this thoroughly until they can recite it from memory.

《白虎通》云：五行所以相害者，天地之性眾勝寡，故水勝火也；精勝堅，故火勝金；剛勝柔，故金勝木；專勝散，故木勝土；實勝虛，故土勝水也。按：《白虎通》雖未云克，而云害，雲勝其義同。《說文》云：害傷也。《增韻》云：害，殘也。師古曰：五勝，五行相勝也。《廣韻》云：勝者，負之對也。

The "Baohu Tongyi" explains the principle of mutual control using the contrast of "strong overpowering the weak": the natural order in heaven and earth is that the greater overcomes the lesser, so water overcomes fire; the refined overcomes the hard, so fire overcomes metal; the hard overcomes the soft, so metal overcomes wood; the focused overcomes the scattered, so wood overcomes earth; the full overcomes the empty, so earth overcomes water. Yuan Shushan notes: The "Baohu Tongyi" does not use the character "ke" (overcome), but instead uses "hai" (harm) and "sheng" (overcome). In fact, their meanings are the same. The "Shuowen Jiezi" says "hai" means injury; the "Zengyuan" says "hai" means damage; Yan Shigus notes in his annotations that "wusheng" refers to the overcoming of the five elements. The "Guangyuan" says "sheng" is the opposite of "fu" (defeat). This shows that the characters "ke," "hai," and "sheng" are commonly used interchangeably in ancient texts. Readers should not assume they represent different concepts simply because of the different characters used.

《古歌》云：子宮癸水在其中，丑癸辛金己土同，寅宮甲木兼丙戊，卯宮乙木獨相逢，辰藏乙戊三分癸，巳中庚金丙戊叢，午宮丙火併己土，未宮乙己丁共宗，申位庚金壬水戊，酉宮辛字獨豐隆，戌宮辛金及丁戊，亥藏壬甲是真蹤。

This ancient song explains which heavenly stems are hidden within each of the twelve earthly branches, a concept known as "branch藏着 heavenly stems" or "earthly branch hidden heavenly stems." Here is the detailed breakdown: Zi contains only Gui water; Chou contains Gui water, Xin metal, and Ji earth; Yin contains Jia wood, along with Bing fire and Wu earth; Mao contains only Yi wood; Chen contains Yi wood, Wu earth, and also one-third of Gui water; Si contains Geng metal, along with Bing fire and Wu earth; Wu contains Ding fire and Ji earth; Wei contains Yi wood, Ji earth, and Ding fire; Shen contains Geng metal, Ren water, and Wu earth; You contains only Xin metal; Xu contains Xin metal, Ding fire, and Wu earth; Hai contains Ren water and Jia wood. This section is one of the most important mnemonics in the text: although each earthly branch appears as a single character, it often contains two or three heavenly stems. When discussing the ten heavenly stems, assessing strength, and determining the useful god, one must open up the earthly branches to calculate accurately. Simply looking at the eight characters of the heavenly stems is insufficient for an accurate reading. The terms "three parts," "common root," "Fenglong," and "true trace" in the song are merely rhyming words.

王逵《蠡海集》云：地支內所藏天干者，子午卯酉為四極，寄四祿焉。辰戌丑未為四藏，寓四墓焉。故此八支各藏一陰。寅申巳亥為四開闔，就生四祿焉。故各藏二陽，戊藏辰戌，己藏丑未。陰陽各歸其所，戊藏於巳，己藏於午，則亦就寄祿而藏焉。

Wang Kui's "Li Hai Ji" summarizes the principles of hidden heavenly stems structurally. The branches Zi, Wu, Mao, and You are four main positions (four extremes), each containing the禄 of four yin heavenly stems:癸's禄 is in Zi, 丁's禄 is in Wu, 乙's禄 is in Mao, and 辛's禄 is in You. The branches Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are four storage places (four repositories), each containing theStorage of the four elements. Therefore, each of these eight branches mainly contains one yin heavenly stem. The branches Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai are four turning points for opening and closing, where four yang heavenly stems have their Growth: 丙 and 戊 are born in Yin, 庚 is born in Si, 壬 and 戊 are born in Shen, and 甲 is born in Hai. Thus, each of these branches contains two yang heavenly stems. As for the earth heavenly stems: 戊 is hidden in Chen and Xu, 己 is hidden in Chou and Wei, with yin and yang each returning to their proper positions; 戊 is also hidden in Si and 己 is hidden in Wu, which is due to the relationship of禄. This passage highlights a key point: hidden heavenly stems are not haphazard. The four main positions contain禄, the four repositories containStorage, and the four turning points contain Growth, each with its own order. Once the order is understood, there is no need to memorize by force.

按：支藏之五行，以孟、仲、季區別之，其義有三。四孟者，乃陽干長生臨官寄臨之所也。寅為丙戊之長生，又為甲之臨官，故丙火戊土甲木寓焉。巳為庚之長生，又為丙戊之臨官，故庚金丙火戊土寓焉。申為戊壬之長生，又為庚之臨官，故戊土壬水庚金寓焉。亥為甲之長生，又為壬之臨官，故甲木壬水寓焉。

Yuan Shushan explains: The Five Phases hidden in the Earthly Branches are divided into three categories according to the beginning (Meng), middle (Zhong), and end (Ji) of the seasons. Each category has its own reasoning. First, the four Meng branches: they are the places where the Yang Heavenly Stems are born and hold officialdom.寅 is the place of birth for 丙 fire and 戊 earth, and also the officialdom position for 甲 wood, so 寅 contains 丙 fire, 戊 earth, and 甲 wood.巳 is the place of birth for 庚 metal, and also the officialdom position for 丙 fire and 戊 earth, so 巳 contains 庚 metal, 丙 fire, and 戊 earth.申 is the place of birth for 戊 earth and 壬 water, and also the officialdom position for 庚 metal, so 申 contains 戊 earth, 壬 water, and 庚 metal.亥 is the place of birth for 甲 wood, and also the officialdom position for 壬 water, so 亥 contains 甲 wood and 壬 water. This explains thoroughly the reason why the four birth places each contain two Yang Heavenly Stems: the Heavenly Stems contained are of two types, those born here and those holding officialdom here.

四仲者，乃陰干臨官寄臨之所也。子為癸之臨官，故癸水寓焉。卯為乙之臨官，故乙木寓焉。午為丁之臨官，故丁火己土寓焉。酉為辛之臨官，故辛金寓焉。四季者，乃陰干、陽干、冠帶、墓寄臨之所也。丑為癸之冠帶，金之墓，又為己之墓，故癸水辛金己土寓焉。未為丁己之冠帶，又為木之墓，故辛金丁火戊土寓焉。《考原》云：金長生於巳，故丑可為辛金之墓；水長生於申，故辰可為癸水之墓；木長生於亥，故未可為乙木之墓；火長生於寅，故戌可為丁火之墓也。

Now regarding the four intermediate branches: they are the positions where the yin stems attain officialdom. Zi is the officialdom position of Gui water, so it conceals Gui water; Mao is the officialdom position of Yi wood, so it conceals Yi wood; Wu is the officialdom position of Ding fire, so it conceals Ding fire, and also conceals Ji earth; You is the officialdom position of Xin metal, so it conceals Xin metal. This is the reason why each of the four cardinal branches conceals one yin stem. Now regarding the four seasonal branches: they are the positions where the yin stems and yang stems attain their capping and storage. Chou is the capping position of Gui water and the storage of metal, and also the storage of Ji earth, so it conceals Gui water, Xin metal, and Ji earth; Wei is the capping position of Ding fire and Ji earth, and also the storage of wood, so it conceals Yi wood, Ding fire, and Ji earth (the original text mistakenly writes 'Xin metal, Ding fire, Wu earth', but according to the previous verse, it should be 'Yi wood, Ji earth, Ding fire'). Yuan Shushan later cites the Star and Calendar Origin to explain the method of determining storage: the long life of metal is in Si, counting twelve positions in sequence leads to Chou, which is the storage, so Chou is the storage of Xin metal; the long life of water is in Shen, counting twelve positions leads to Chen, which is the storage, so Chen is the storage of Gui water; the long life of wood is in Hai, counting twelve positions leads to Wei, which is the storage, so Wei is the storage of Yi wood; the long life of fire is in Yin, counting twelve positions leads to Xu, which is the storage, so Xu is the storage of Ding fire. Once this method is understood, it is easy to know what is concealed in the four storage positions.

凡推十干生克，以日干為我，與年干、月干、時干及支中所藏之干相比較，觀其為比、為生、為克。陽見陰，陰見陽，則為正。陽見陽，陰見陰，則為偏。與我比者，為比肩、為劫財、為敗財。我生者，為傷官、食神。我克者，為正財、偏財。克我者為正官、偏官。生我者，為正印、偏印。偏官亦曰七煞，偏印亦曰倒食、又曰梟神。

This section explains the naming of the "Ten Gods" (十神), which serves as the general framework for all fortune-telling terminology. The procedure is as follows. First, identify the "Day Stem" (日干), which is the heavenly stem of the day pillar, as "I," representing the person's own destiny. Second, compare the heavenly stems of the year, month, and hour pillars, as well as the heavenly stems hidden within the four earthly branches, one by one with the Day Stem. Determine whether they are of the same type (ratio), mutually generating (mutual generation), or mutually controlling (mutual control). Third, consider the yin and yang: if one is yin and the other is yang, they are called "positive" (正); if both are yin or both are yang, they are called "biased" (偏). Based on these, ten categories are established: those of the same type as me are called "Twin" (比肩) and "Robbery Wealth" (劫财) and "Loss Wealth" (败财); those I generate are called "Food God" (食神) and "Injury Official" (伤官); those I control are called "Positive Wealth" (正财) and "Biased Wealth" (偏财); those that control me are called "Positive Official" (正官) and "Biased Official" (偏官); those that nourish me are called "Positive Seal" (正印) and "Biased Seal" (偏印). Among these, "Biased Official" is also called "Seven Evil" (七煞), because it is the seventh from the Day Stem. "Biased Seal" is also called "Reverse Food" (倒食), or "Sparrow God" (枭神). These ten categories themselves have no inherent good or bad connotations; whether they are auspicious or inauspicious depends on the strength of the Day Stem and the selection of the "Useful God" (用神). This topic is specifically discussed in the section "Auspicious and Inauspicious" (宜忌) in Volume Four of this book.

五陽干 甲 丙 戊 庚 壬 比肩 甲 丙 戊 庚 壬 敗財 乙 丁 己 辛 癸 食神 丙 戊 庚 壬 甲 傷官 丁 己 辛 癸 乙 偏財 戊 庚 壬 甲 丙 正財 己 辛 癸 乙 丁 偏官 庚 壬 甲 丙 戊 正官 辛 癸 乙 丁 己 偏印 壬 甲 丙 戊 庚 正印 癸 乙 丁 己 辛

This is a chart showing the ten heavenly stems in relation to the five yang heavenly stems. The way to read it is: the top row, 「Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, Ren」, are the five day stems, each column representing a day stem; the left column is the names of the ten heavenly stems; each cell in the table is the name given to the day stem when it encounters that character. Take the first column, Jia Wood day stem, for example. Reading down the column: meeting Jia is a same-branch same-yin-yang partner, meeting Yi is a same-branch opposite-yin-yang劫财 (loss of wealth), meeting Bing is a same-branch same-yin-yang food god, meeting Ding is a same-branch opposite-yin-yang injurious official, meeting Wu is a same-branch same-yin-yang biased wealth, meeting Ji is a same-branch opposite-yin-yang official wealth, meeting Geng is a same-branch same-yin-yang biased official (seven evils), meeting Xin is a same-branch opposite-yin-yang official, meeting Ren is a same-branch same-yin-yang biased intelligence, meeting Gui is a same-branch opposite-yin-yang official intelligence. The other four day stems, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren, can be read in the same way. The arrangement of the entire chart is very systematic: same-branch same-yin-yang is a partner, same-branch opposite-yin-yang is a loss of wealth; what I am born from with same-yin-yang is a food god, with opposite-yin-yang is an injurious official; what I control with same-yin-yang is biased wealth, with opposite-yin-yang is official wealth; what controls me with same-yin-yang is a biased official, with opposite-yin-yang is an official; what nurtures me with same-yin-yang is a biased intelligence, with opposite-yin-yang is an official intelligence. Once you understand the pattern, you don't need to memorize the chart by heart; you can derive it at any time.

五陰干 乙 丁 己 辛 癸 比肩 乙 丁 己 辛 癸 敗財 甲 丙 戊 庚 壬 食神 丁 己 辛 癸 乙 傷官 丙 戊 庚 壬 甲 偏財 己 辛 癸 乙 丁 正財 戊 庚 壬 甲 丙 偏官 辛 癸 乙 丁 己 正官 庚 壬 甲 丙 戊 偏印 癸 乙 丁 己 辛 正印 壬 甲 丙 戊 庚

This is a table of the five yin stems and their corresponding ten heavenly relationships, read in the same way as the previous table: the top row 「Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, Gui」 are the five day stems. The left column lists the names of the ten heavenly relationships. Reading down a column gives all the ten heavenly relationships for that day stem. Taking Yi wood as an example: seeing Yi is a same-branch companion, seeing Ji is a defeated wealth, seeing Ding is a food god, seeing Bing is a damaging official, seeing Ji is a biased wealth, seeing Wu is a proper wealth, seeing Xin is a biased official, seeing Geng is a proper official, seeing Gui is a biased intelligence, and seeing Ren is a proper intelligence. By comparing this table with the previous one, it can be seen that the pairing of yin stems is the mirror image of that of yang stems—yang stems meeting yang stems are biased, and yin stems meeting yin stems are also biased; yang stems meeting yin stems are proper, and yin stems meeting yang stems are also proper. Together, these two tables contain all 100 combinations of the ten stems. When arranging a birth chart, you can refer to this table for labeling, a process known as 「determining the ten heavenly relationships」 or 「assigning the names of heavenly relationships and malevolent influences.」

按：先賢論命之旨，本乎陰陽，察乎人情，非無因也。觀其以木火土金水之五行，而演成比、食、財、官、印五種，即知其定名之義，莫不親切處來也。

Yuan Shushan remarked: The principles of divination used by predecessors are based on the theory of yin and yang and the generation and overcoming of the Five Phases, and also take into account human emotions and social situations. They do not invent things out of nowhere. By looking at how they transformed wood, fire, earth, metal, and water into the five categories of same type, food and offspring, wealth, officialdom and suppression, and the protective influence, we can see that each name is derived from the most intimate relationships in human life. Same type represents brothers; what I generate represents children and talents; what I overcome represents wealth and spouse; what overcomes me represents officials and laws; and what generates me represents parents and protection. In the following five sections, Yuan Shushan will explain why these five categories are named as such and why they are important in a person's destiny. These sections are where this book demonstrates its greatest expertise in discussing the ten heavenly stems. Readers should not skip them as trivial.

何以謂之我比者，即甲乙木日干，見甲乙木是也。然我比之中，有親疏之別，故有為比肩、為劫財、為敗財之不同。甲屬木為陽，乙屬木為陰，甲見甲，同一屬木，同一為陽；乙見乙，同一屬木，同一為陰，既可同聲相應，又可同氣相求，此我比之親者，故為比肩。甲見乙，同一屬木，有陰陽之異，乙見甲，同一屬木，亦有陰陽之異，雖可聲應，不可氣求，比我比之疏者，故為敗財、劫財。語云：眾擎易舉，獨力難成，故人命貴有比我者之劫財、敗財。而尤貴有比我者之比肩也。（餘干同此）

What is meant by "同类" (same type)? It refers to a day stem such as Jia or Yi (wood) encountering another Jia or Yi (wood). Among the same type, there are distinctions of closeness and distance, so they are divided into three categories: Tong Shen (Twin), Jie Cai (Struggle Wealth), and Bai Cai (Loss Wealth). Jia is Yang Wood and Yi is Yin Wood: when Jia meets Jia, they are both Wood and both Yang; when Yi meets Yi, they are both Wood and both Yin. They can harmonize in sound and seek together in energy, which is the closest relationship among the same type, so it is called "Tong Shen" (Twin, meaning standing side by side). When Jia meets Yi or Yi meets Jia, although they are both Wood, one is Yang and the other is Yin. They can harmonize in sound but cannot seek together in energy, which is a relatively distant relationship among the same type, so it is called "Bai Cai" (Loss Wealth) or "Jie Cai" (Struggle Wealth). There is a saying: "It is easy to lift something when many people work together, but difficult to accomplish anything when one person tries alone." Therefore, in a person's destiny, it is valuable to have the assistance of Jie Cai or Bai Cai of the same type, and especially valuable to have Tong Shen of the same type. (The principles for other stems are the same.) Readers should note: the term "valuable" here refers to when the day stem is weak. If the day stem is already too strong, having too many Tong Shen or Jie Cai can become a problem of competition. The section on "Tong Shen and Jie Cai" in Volume Four will discuss the opposite situation.

何以謂之我生者，如甲乙木日干，見丙丁火是也，然我生之中，有直接間接之分，故有為食神、為傷官之不同。甲屬木為陽，丙屬火亦為陽，甲見丙，以我陽木生彼陽火；乙屬木為陰，丁屬火亦為陰，乙見丁，以我陰木生彼陰火，一氣相生，出乎天然，此我生之直接者，故為食神。甲屬木陽，丁屬火為陰，以我陽木生彼陰火；乙屬木為陰，丙屬火為陽，以我陰木生彼陽火，異氣相生，迫於人情，此我生之見接者，故為傷官。

What is meant by "what I give birth to"? It refers to the Day Stem of wood, Jia or Yi, encountering Bing or Ding, the fire stems. Among the categories of what I give birth to, there is a distinction between direct and indirect. Therefore, we distinguish between food god and injurious official. Jia is yang wood and Bing is yang fire; when Jia meets Bing, it is yang wood giving birth to yang fire. Yi is yin wood and Ding is yin fire; when Yi meets Ding, it is yin wood giving birth to yin fire. The same type of qi giving birth, arising naturally, is the most direct form of giving birth, so it is called "food god." Conversely, when Jia meets Ding, yang wood gives birth to yin fire; when Yi meets Bing, yin wood gives birth to yang fire. Different types of qi giving birth, arising from human effort, is an indirect form of giving birth, so it is called "injurious official." This explains the difference between food god and injurious official: both are expressions of my qi, but food god flows smoothly and naturally, while injurious official expresses itself against the current, displaying talent with a sharp edge.

古云：人貴自食其力，蓋人必聚精會神，始能作事，能作事，始得報酬。得報酬，始能飲食。先賢定名曰我生者為食神、傷官，即此義也。又云：凡人須勤作生活，蓋能生始能活也。然間接生活，不若直接生活之自然，所以食神勝於傷官，故人命貴有我生者之傷官，而尤貴有我生者之食神也。

Ancient people said, "A person is valuable in being self-reliant": one must first concentrate one's mind in order to do things; only by doing things can one receive rewards; only by receiving rewards can one have food to eat. Our elders named what is "born from me" as "food god" and "hurt official," precisely meaning this—these are the paths through which the vital energy of the destiny owner is released to obtain clothing and food. Ancient people also said, "All people must work hard to live." Because being able to "produce" is the way to "live." However, indirect ways of living are less natural than direct ones, so the "food god" is more desirable than the "hurt official." Therefore, in one's destiny, it is valuable to have the "hurt official" which is born from me, and especially valuable to have the "food god" which is born from me. Similarly, we should note: this is speaking about the case when the day master is strong and needs to release its brilliance; if the day master is inherently weak and there is an excess of food and hurt officials, it can instead become harmful, draining the original energy. Therefore, the choice between them still depends on the strength and weakness of the day master.

何以謂之我克者，如甲木日干，見戊己土是也。然我克之中，有偏正之分，故有為偏財、為正財之不同。甲屬木為陽，戊屬土亦為陽，以我陽木克彼陽土；乙屬木為陰，己屬土亦為陰，以我陰土克彼陰土。只有以力假仁之霸，並無陰陽融合之情，此我克之偏者，故為偏財。甲屬木為陽，己屬土為陰，以我陽木克彼陰土；乙屬木為陰，戊屬土為陽，以我陰木克彼陽土。既有陰陽融合之情，又有以德行仁之妙，此我克之正者，故為正財。

What is meant by "what I overcome"? It refers to the Day Stem of Jia Wood encountering Wu or Ji Earth. Among the things that I overcome, there is a distinction between biased and proper, hence the differentiation between偏财 (biased wealth) and正财 (proper wealth). Jia is Yang Wood and Wu is Yang Earth, so my Yang Wood overcomes its Yang Earth; Yi is Yin Wood and Ji is Yin Earth, so my Yin Wood overcomes its Yin Earth. When the same type overcomes, there is only a forceful and霸道 (domineering) approach, relying on strength and using righteousness and benevolence as a pretext, but no harmonious blending of Yin and Yang. This is the biased path of overcoming, hence called 偏财 (biased wealth). Conversely, Jia is Yang Wood and Ji is Yin Earth, so my Yang Wood overcomes its Yin Earth; Yi is Yin Wood and Wu is Yang Earth, so my Yin Wood overcomes its Yang Earth. When different types overcome, there is both a blending of Yin and Yang and the subtle virtue of governing with benevolence. This is the proper path of overcoming, hence called 正财 (proper wealth). Using human affairs as an analogy, 正财 is like rightful and deserved wealth and the wife of the main wife, while 偏财 is like unexpected and unstable wealth and the wife from a secondary relationship. The nature of these two is thus distinguished.

《大學》十章，理財居半，蓋人主所以加惠天下者財，奔走人才者亦財。天子無財，不能澤一民，不能辦一事，而況其下焉者乎？又曰：以義為利，則財恆足。夫利本於義，其出於正可知。利本於非義，其出於偏更可知。故人命貴有我克者之偏財，而尤貴有我克者之正財也。

Yuan Shushan then proceeded to argue from the "Great Learning," pointing out that the last chapter of the text discusses half of its content regarding financial management; because the ruler uses wealth to benefit the people and to attract talents. If the Son of Heaven lacks wealth, he cannot benefit even a single commoner or accomplish a single task, let alone those in positions below the Son of Heaven. The "Great Learning" also says, "If profit is based on righteousness, then wealth will always be sufficient." If profit originates from righteousness, it is evident that it comes from the correct path; if profit originates from unrighteousness, it is even more evident that it comes from the biased path. Therefore, in one's destiny, it is important to have偏财 (biased wealth) that one can obtain, but especially important to have正财 (correct wealth) that one can obtain. This passage connects the concept of the ten heavenly stems in divination with the Confucian distinction between righteousness and profit, a style commonly used by Yuan Shushan. He aims to make readers perceive the names of the ten heavenly stems not merely as terms, but as reflections of real-life situations.

何以謂之克我者，如甲乙木日干，見庚辛金是也。然克我之中，有偏正之殊，故有為偏官、正官之不同。甲屬木為陽，庚屬金亦為陽，以彼陽金克我陽木；乙屬木為陰，辛屬金亦為陰，以彼陰金克我陰木。只有****壓迫之力，並無剛柔寬猛之方，此克我之偏者，故為偏官，為七煞。甲屬木為陽，辛屬金為陰，以彼陰金克我陽木；乙屬木為陰，庚屬金為陽，以彼陽金克我陰木。既有陰陽協合之功，必得勸懲賞罰之效，此克我之正者，故為正官。

What is meant by "those that control me"? It refers to when the Day Stem of wood, either Jia or Yi, encounters Geng or Xin metal. Among the controlling forces, there is a distinction between biased and proper control, which leads to the differentiation between biased official (偏官) and proper official (正官). Jia is yang wood and Geng is yang metal; it is yang metal controlling yang wood. Yi is yin wood and Xin is yin metal; it is yin metal controlling yin wood. When the same elements control each other, there is only a force of oppression, without a balance of firmness and leniency. This is the biased path of control, hence called "biased official" or "seven calamities" (the original text here is missing four characters, but based on the meaning, it should be a term describing strong and oppressive forces). Conversely, Jia is yang wood and Xin is yin metal; it is yin metal controlling yang wood. Yi is yin wood and Geng is yang metal; it is yang metal controlling yin wood. When opposite elements control each other, there is a harmonious balance of yin and yang, and this will surely result in the encouragement of good and punishment of evil, with clear rewards and punishments. This is the proper path of control, hence called "proper official." In terms of human affairs, proper official is like a national judge, restraining me so that I follow rules and regulations; seven calamities are like strong and ruthless individuals, suppressing me without regard for sentiment. However, if seven calamities are properly controlled, they can be transformed into authority.

孔子曰：君子懷刑，小人懷惠。懷刑者，畏官法也；懷惠者，貪貨利也。世人懷官刑，而不貪貨利，則各安生理，有不家齊而國治者乎！故人命貴有克我者之偏官，而尤貴有我克者之正官也。

Yuan Shushan again cites Confucius' words from the "Analects of the Master Lu" to illustrate: "The superior man keeps the law in mind, while the inferior man seeks private gain." By "keeping the law in mind," it means respecting the government's laws and regulations; by "seeking private gain," it means being greedy for wealth and personal benefits. If people in the world all respected the law and did not seek private gain, each person would abide by their own duties and livelihood, how could there be disorder in families and states? Therefore, in a person's destiny, it is important to have a biased official who is controlled by the person, but especially important to have a proper official who controls the person (the original text mistakenly says "I control them" instead of "they control me," a transmission error). This passage again uses the order and laws of the human world to explain the function of official stars: official stars are forces that restrain the day master. When used appropriately, they bring fame and career; when used inappropriately, they bring disaster and oppression.

何以謂之生我者，如甲乙木日干，見壬癸水是也。然生我之中，有偏正之異，故有為偏印、為正印之不同。甲屬木為陽，壬屬水亦為陽，以彼陽水生我陽木；乙屬木為陰，癸屬水亦為陰，以彼陰水生我陰木。只有物質名分之相生，並無陰陽密邇之關切，此生我之偏者，故為偏印。甲屬木為陽，癸屬水為陰，以彼陰水生我陽木；乙屬木為陰，壬屬水為陽，以彼陽水生我陰木。既有物質名分之相生，又得陰陽密邇之關切，此生我之正者，故為正印。

What is meant by "those who generate me"? It refers to the Day Stem of wood, such as Jia or Yi, encountering Ren or Gui water. Among the categories of those who generate me, there is a distinction between partial and complete, which leads to the differentiation between偏印 and正印. Jia is yang wood, and Ren is yang water, which is yang water generating yang wood. Yi is yin wood, and Gui is yin water, which is yin water generating yin wood. When the same type generates, there is only a material relationship of generation, but no emotional closeness between yin and yang. This is the path of partial generation, hence called 偏印. Conversely, Jia is yang wood, and Gui is yin water, which is yin water generating yang wood. Yi is yin wood, and Ren is yang water, which is yang water generating yin wood. When different types generate, there is both a material relationship of generation and an emotional closeness between yin and yang. This is the path of complete generation, hence called 正印. Using human relationships as a comparison, 正印 is like the mother who gives birth to us and the authority of the seal, while 偏印 is like a stepmother or partial protection, generating us but with less affection. Therefore, 偏印 is also called 倒食 and Owl Spirit, because it can take away the food god.

《說文》云：印者，執政所持之印也。萬育吾曰：朝廷設官分職，畀以印綬，使之掌管。官而無印，何所憑據？是以印繼官後，蓋有印之官，始能福民利國，故人命貴有生我者之偏印，而尤貴生我者之正印也。以上五節，悉本人情物理，能明乎此，即愛群、生活、齊家、守法、敦信之道亦寓於中，豈恃為究心命理者，所當知哉。

The Shuowen Jiezi says: "Yin" refers to the official seal held by those in power. Wan Minying says: the court establishes positions and assigns duties, entrusting them with the seal and ribbon, so that they may wield authority. How could one govern affairs without a seal? Therefore, in the order of the ten heavenly stems, the seal comes after the official position. An official with a seal can benefit the people and serve the country. Therefore, in a person's fate, it is valuable to have a birth-giving biased seal, but especially valuable to have a birth-giving proper seal. The above discussion on the five sections of comparison, food, wealth, official position, and seal all stem from human nature and natural principles. If one can understand these, then the principles of cherishing others, seeking one's own livelihood, maintaining family order, obeying laws, and being sincere and trustworthy are all contained within them. This is not only something for those who study divination to know. Yuan Shushan established these five sections, not only to teach people to recognize the ten heavenly stems, but also to use them to explain the principles of being a person. This is what distinguishes him from ordinary diviners.

假如甲子年辛未月甲申日丙寅時，以日干為我，甲屬木為陽，先論天干年干見甲木，為我比者，陽見陽為比肩，月干見辛金為克我者，陽見陰為正官，時干見丙火為我生者，陽見陽為食神。

The following is a practical demonstration of identifying the ten heavenly stems. Suppose someone's four pillars are Jiazi year, Xinwei month, Jiashen day, and Bingyin hour. The first step is to identify the day stem Jia wood as "I". Jia wood is yang wood. The second step is to examine the three heavenly stems: the year stem is Jia wood, which is the same as "I", so yang meets yang, marked as "Twin Brother"; the month stem is Xin metal, which overcomes "I", so yang meets yin, marked as "True Official"; the hour stem is Bing fire, which is what "I" produces, so yang meets yang, marked as "Food God". Please note that the day stem itself is not marked with a heavenly stem, as it is "I". After marking the heavenly stems, we then examine the earth branches, which will be covered in the next part.

次論地支年支見子，《古歌》云：子宮癸水在其中，是子藏癸水也。癸水為生我者，陽見陰為正印。月支見未，《古歌》云：未宮乙己丁共宗，是未藏乙木己土丁火也，乙木為我比者，陽見陰為敗財，己土為我克者，陽見陰為正財，丁火為我生者，陽見陰為傷官。日支見申，《古歌》云：申位庚金壬水戊，是申藏庚金壬水戊土也。庚金為克我者，陽見陽為偏官，即七煞。壬水為生我者，陽見陽為偏印，戊土為我克者，陽見陽為偏財。時支見陰，《古歌》云：寅宮甲木兼丙戊，是寅藏甲木丙火戊土也。甲木為比我者，陽見陽為比肩。丙火為我生者，陽見陽為食神。戊土為我克者，陽見陽為偏財。列式如下：

Third step: open each of the four earthly branches one by one, and mark the heavenly stems they contain with their respective ten heavenly stems. The year branch is Zi. According to the ancient song, "Zi house contains癸water," so the Zi branch contains癸water;癸water generates me, and since it is yin and I am yang, it is marked as "positive mother." The month branch is Wei. According to the ancient song, "Wei house contains乙wood, 己earth, and 丁fire," so the Wei branch contains乙wood, 己earth, and 丁fire;乙wood is of the same type as me, and since it is yin and I am yang, it is marked as "broken wealth." 己earth is what I overcome, and since it is yin and I am yang, it is marked as "positive wealth." 丁fire is what I generate, and since it is yin and I am yang, it is marked as "wounding official." The day branch is Shen. According to the ancient song, "Shen house contains庚metal, 壬water, and 戊earth," so the Shen branch contains庚metal, 壬water, and 戊earth;庚metal overcomes me, and since it is yang and I am yang, it is marked as "biased official" or seven煞. 壬water generates me, and since it is yang and I am yang, it is marked as "biased mother." 戊earth is what I overcome, and since it is yang and I am yang, it is marked as "biased wealth." The hour branch is Yin (the original text says "hour branch is Yin," with "Yin" being a mistake for "寅"). According to the ancient song, "Yin house contains甲wood, 丙fire, and 戊earth," so the Yin branch contains甲wood, 丙fire, and 戊earth;甲wood is of the same type as me, and since it is yang and I am yang, it is marked as "twin." 丙fire is what I generate, and since it is yang and I am yang, it is marked as "food god." 戊earth is what I overcome, and since it is yang and I am yang, it is marked as "biased wealth." All are marked, and the result is as follows.

乾造前清同治三年六月十五日寅時生 比肩 正官 食神 甲 辛 甲 丙 子 未 申 寅 正印 敗財 正財 傷官 七煞 偏財 偏財 比肩 食神 偏財 七歲壬申 十七癸酉 廿七甲戌 卅七乙亥 四七丙子 五七丁丑 六七戊寅 七七己卯 大運七歲啟行，扣足欠六十天，每逢辛丙之年，四月十五日寅時交換。

This is the complete chart after the previous example, for a male birth (「Qian Zao」meaning male destiny), born on the fifteenth day of the sixth lunar month in the third year of Tongzhi, during the Qing Dynasty, at the寅 hour. The chart is read as follows: the middle two lines 「Jia Xin Jia Bing／Zi Wei Shen Yin」are the four pillars and eight characters, read from right to left as year, month, day, and hour (originally arranged horizontally from left to right in the original text); the line above 「Tieqian, Zhengguan, (the day stem is not marked), Shishi」are the ten heavenly stems of the three heavenly stems, with the day stem not indicated; the line below shows the ten heavenly stems hidden in the four earthly branches, arranged in the order of the Zi branch containing Zhengyin (correct nourishment), the Wei branch containing Baicai (defeated wealth), Zhengcai (correct wealth), and Shanguan (injury), the Shen branch containing Qisashi (seven harmful stars), Piaocai (biased wealth), and Piaocai (biased wealth) (which should be Qisashi, Piaoyin, and Piaocai), and the Yin branch containing Tieqian (same as the day stem), Shishi (food god), and Piaocai (biased wealth). The line below that is the big years (large cycles): starting at age seven with theRenshen cycle, then at seventeen withGuiyou, twenty-seven withJiaxu, thirty-seven withYihai, forty-seven withBingzi, fifty-seven withDingchou, sixty-seven withWuyin, and seventy-seven withJimao—since it is a male birth in a yang year, the cycles are arranged in order from the month pillarXinwei. The last line notes that the start of the big cycle is at age seven, with a remaining period of sixty days, and the big cycle changes on the fifteenth day of the fourth lunar month in the years of辛 or丙 at the寅 hour. This is the complete content of a standard birth chart.

又如丙午年庚寅月乙丑日壬午時，以日干為我，先論天干。年干見丙火，為我生者，陰見陽為傷官。月干見庚金，為克我者，陰見陽為正官。時干見壬水，為生我者，陰見陽為正印。次論地支，年支見午，《古歌》云：午宮丁火併己土，是午藏丁火己土也。丁火為我生者，陰見陰為食神。己土為我克者，陰見陰為偏財。月支見寅，寅藏甲丙戊，為劫財傷官正財。日支見丑，丑藏癸辛己，為偏印七煞偏財。時支見午同年支。列式如下：乾造清道光二十六年正月初九午時生（式略。）大運十歲，扣足欠三十天。每逢乙庚之年，十二月初九日午時交換。

Another example of a yin day stem. The four pillars are Bingwu year, Gengyin month, Yichou day, Renwu hour. The day stem Yichou is 'I', which is yin wood. First look at the heavenly stems: the year stem Bing fire is what I generate, yin meets yang, marked as 'food god'; the month stem Geng metal controls me, yin meets yang, marked as 'true official'; the hour stem Ren water generates me, yin meets yang, marked as 'true nourishing'. Now look at the earthly branches: the year branch Wu contains Ding fire and Ji earth according to the ancient song. Ding fire is what I generate, yin meets yin, marked as 'food god'; Ji earth is what I control, yin meets yin, marked as 'biased wealth'. The month branch Yin contains Jia wood, Bing fire and Wu earth. For Yichou wood, they are respectively 'biased wealth', 'food god' and 'true wealth'. The day branch Chou contains Gui water, Xin metal and Ji earth, which are respectively 'biased nourishing', 'seven evils' and 'biased wealth'. The hour branch is again Wu, same as the year branch. The chart is as follows: this is a male birth, born on the ninth day of the first lunar month in the 26th year of Qing Daoguang (the original text had a chart here, which is omitted now). The big years start at ten years old, with thirty days still to be deducted, and change every December ninth at noon on the year of Yi or Geng. Comparing this example with the previous one, it can be seen that the determination of the ten heavenly stems for a yin day stem is exactly opposite to that for a yang day stem, and they must not be confused.

又如己卯年丁卯月丙辰日戊戌時： 傷官 己卯 正印 敗財 丁卯 正印 日干 丙辰 正印食神正官 食神 戊戌 正財敗財食神 大運一歲，扣足欠一百六十天。每逢己甲之年，十月初二日戌時交換。

The third example is arranged vertically, with each column representing one pillar. On the left, the heavenly stem's ten heavenly relationships are marked, and on the right, the heavenly stems hidden in the earthly branch are noted. The four pillars are: Ji Mao year, Ding Mao month, Bing Chen day, and Wu Xu hour. The day stem Bing fire is considered 'I'. For the year pillar Ji Mao: the heavenly stem Ji earth is the parent of Bing fire, with a yang stem meeting a yin stem, marked as 'Official Son'. The earthly branch Mao contains Yi wood, which nourishes Bing fire, with a yang stem meeting a yin stem, marked as 'Positive Mother'. For the month pillar Ding Mao: the heavenly stem Ding fire is of the same type as Bing fire, with a yang stem meeting a yin stem, marked as 'Broken Wealth'. The earthly branch Mao remains 'Positive Mother'. For the day pillar Bing Chen: the heavenly stem is the day stem itself, so it is not marked; the earthly branch Chen contains Yi wood, Wu earth, and Gui water, which correspond to 'Positive Mother', 'Taste God', and 'Positive Official' respectively. For the hour pillar Wu Xu: the heavenly stem Wu earth is the parent of Bing fire, with a yang stem meeting a yang stem, marked as 'Taste God'. The earthly branch Xu contains Ding fire, Xin metal, and Wu earth, which correspond to 'Broken Wealth', 'Positive Wealth', and 'Taste God' respectively (the original text lists them as 'Positive Wealth', 'Broken Wealth', and 'Taste God', with a slightly different order). The last line notes that the big year begins at one year old, with a remaining period of 160 days. It changes on the second day of the tenth month of the year Ji or Ji.

又如辛亥年癸巳月丁酉日己酉時 （式略） 大運三歲，扣足多一百七十天。每逢甲己之年，十月十九日酉時交換。

The fourth example includes only the four pillars and the big years, the arrangement is briefly mentioned. The four pillars are:Xinhai year, Guisi month, Dingyou day, Jiyou hour. The day stem, Ding Fire, is considered as 'I'. 丁 is yin fire. Readers can apply the previous method to mark them: the year stem Xin Metal is what 丁 fire is overcome by, yin overcomes yin, which is considered as a biased wealth. The month stem Gui Water overcomes 丁 fire, yin overcomes yin, which is considered as a biased official or seven evils. The hour stem Ji Earth is what 丁 fire generates, yin generates yin, which is considered as food and spirit. In the earth branches,亥 contains Ren Water and Jia Wood, which are considered as the official and the master teacher for 丁 fire. 巳 contains Bing Fire, Wu Earth, and Geng Metal, which are considered as a劫 wealth, a damaging official, and a proper wealth. The two 酉 each contain Xin Metal, both considered as biased wealth. The last line notes that the big years start at the age of three, with a surplus of 170 days. They change every October nineteenth at酉 hour in the year of 甲 or 己. After these four examples, the step of 'determining the ten heavenly relationships' is fully clear: first determine the day stem as 'I', then compare each position in terms of generation, overcoming, and yin and yang, without missing any heavenly stem or earthly branch.

凡推命宮，先由手掌之子位起正月，向亥逆數，至所生之月為止，再以所生之時，加臨生月所臨支位，以次順數，至卯位為止，即以卯字所臨手掌定位之支為某宮。欲知某宮之干，再以年干遁之。

The method of determining the "Ming Gong" (Destiny Palace) involves four steps. First, start counting from the Zi position on the palm, assigning it to the first month, and count backwards towards Hai, with each position representing a month (Zi for the first month, Hai for the second, Xu for the third, and so on). Stop when you reach the month of birth, and note which branch is under the finger at that point. Second, place the birth hour on the branch where the counting stopped. Third, count forward from that position, moving through the branches in order, until you reach the Mao position. Fourth, observe which branch is under the Mao position at that moment; this branch is the branch of the Ming Gong. The heavenly stem of the Ming Gong is determined by using the heavenly stem of the birth year according to the Five Tiger遁 method. The Ming Gong is a separate palace outside the four pillars, and ancient methods considered it to govern one's success and failure in life, complementing the four pillars. If the八字 lacks something, and the Ming Gong happens to make up for it, the person will benefit throughout their life.

巳 午 未 申 八月 七月 六月 五月 辰 酉 九月 四月 卯 戌 十月 三月 寅 丑 子 亥 十一月 十二月 正月 二月

This is the positioning diagram for determining the month based on the palm. Imagine it as a circle: the outer circle has twelve sections representing the fixed Earthly Branches on the palm. The inner circle indicates the months in reverse order. The top row from left to right is the sections for巳, 午, 未, and 申, representing August, July, June, and May respectively. The middle left section is 辰, representing September, and the middle right section is 酉, representing April. Further down, the left section is 卯, representing October, and the right section is 戌, representing March. The bottom row from left to right is 寅, 丑, 子, and 亥, representing November, December, January, and February respectively. The pattern is clear: January falls on the 子 position, and then the months from February to December are assigned in reverse order clockwise as 子, 亥, 戌, 酉, 申, 未, 午, 巳, 辰, 卯, 寅, and 丑. When using this diagram, first locate the branch corresponding to the birth month, then count forward from that branch to 卯 to determine the position of the命宫.

俞曲園《遊藝錄》云：凡欲求命宮，先從子上起正月，逆行十二辰，乃將所生之時，加於所生之月，順行十二位，遇卯即命宮。假令甲子年三月酉時生，如前圖則卯在辰上，仍隨甲子年，起甲年正月丙寅，則辰上之干戊也，即以戊辰為宮。

In the late Qing dynasty, the scholar Yu Yue (styled Quyuan) wrote in his work "Youyi Lu" that the method is the same as above: to find the destiny palace, first start from the position of Zi (the rat) and count backward through the twelve earthly branches to the birth month. Then add the birth hour to the position of the birth month, and count forward through the twelve earthly branches until reaching the position of Mao (the rabbit), which is the destiny palace. He gave an example: a person born in the year Jiazi, in the third lunar month at the hour You (the rooster). The third month falls on the position Xu (the dog). Adding the hour You to the position Xu, count forward: You is on Xu, Xu is on Hai (the pig), Hai is on Zi (the rat), Zi is on Chou (the ox), Chou is on Yin (the tiger), Yin is on Yin (the tiger), Yin is on Chen (the dragon). Thus, the character "Mao" falls exactly on the position Chen, so the earthly branch of the destiny palace is Chen. Then, according to the method of deducing the monthly stem for the year Jiazi: the first month of the year Jia starts with Bingyin, and counting forward: Bingyin, Dingmao, Wuchen. The stem on Chen is Wu, so the destiny palace is determined as Wu Chen. This example fully demonstrates both the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the destiny palace.

按：推命宮之，固以生月為主，然古人謂交過中氣，即作次月推，此又不可不知。中氣者何？正月雨水也，二月春分也，三月穀雨也，餘仿此。

Yuan Shushan points out: Although determining the birth month for the destiny palace is primarily based on the birth month, there is an ancient rule that must be known — once the "middle solar term" has passed, it should be considered as the next month. What is a middle solar term? The middle solar term of the first month is Rain Water, the second month is Spring Equinox, the third month is Grain Rain, and so on for the rest of the months. This rule differs from the method used in determining the monthly pillar: the monthly pillar is divided by the "solar term" (such as Start of Spring, Awakening of Insects, Pure Brightness, etc.), while the destiny palace is divided by the "middle solar term" (such as Rain Water, Spring Equinox, Grain Rain, etc.). The two differ by half a month, and they must not be confused. For those born after the middle solar term, the month for the destiny palace should be advanced by one.

假如丙午年十二月節過了大寒，推命宮須作正月，以正月加臨子位，是至所生之月矣。再以生時之申，加臨正月子位，以次順數，至卯位止，卯字所臨手掌定位是未，即為未宮。再以丙午年起庚寅，即知為乙未宮也。列式如下：

For example, to determine the destiny palace for someone born in the month of December of the Bingwu year, if the person has already passed the middle solar term of Dahan (which is the middle term of December), the month should be considered as the first month. The first month is placed on the position of Zi. Then count forward to the birth month. Add the birth time of Shen (hour) to the position of Zi where the first month is located, and count forward—Shen is on Zi, You is on Chou, Xu is on Yin, Hai is on Mao. Therefore, the character 'Mao' is placed on the position of Wei in the palm. Hence, the branch of the destiny palace is Wei. Then, according to the Bingwu year's heavenly stem, the first month starts with Gengyin. Count forward: Gengyin, Xinmao, Renchen, Guisi, Jiawu, Yiwei. The heavenly stem on Wei is Yi, so the destiny palace is determined as Yiwei. The birth chart is arranged accordingly.

坤造道光二十六年十二月十九日申時生 七煞 丙午 正官正印 劫財 辛丑 傷官劫財正印 庚午 正官正印 偏財 甲申 比肩食神偏印 十歲庚子 二十己亥 三十戊戌 四十丁酉 五十丙申 六十乙未 七十甲午 八十癸巳 大運扣足多五十天，每逢丁壬之年，二月初九日申時交換。 命安未宮 按：安命乙未亦可。

This is the complete chart of the previous example, for a female birth (a "Kun zao," meaning female destiny), born on the 19th day of the 12th lunar month in the 26th year of the Daoguang era at the hour of Shen. The vertical reading is: each row represents a pillar, with the middle part indicating the heavenly stem and earthly branch. On the left, the heavenly stem's ten heavenly stems are noted, and on the right, the heavenly stems hidden within the earthly branch are indicated. The year pillar is Bingwu, with Bing fire overcoming Geng metal, the day master, and the yang stem overcoming the yang stem, making it seven煞 (seven evil stars). The Wu branch contains Ding fire and Ji earth, which are the official and the original teacher for Geng metal. The month pillar is Xinchou, with Xin metal being the same as Geng metal, and the yang stem overcoming the yin stem, making it劫财 (robber wealth). The Chou branch contains Gui water, Xin metal, and Ji earth, which are the injurer, robber wealth, and original teacher. The day pillar is Gengwu, with the heavenly stem being the day master and not marked; the Wu branch still contains the official and the original teacher. The hour pillar is Jiashen, with Ji wood being overcome by Geng metal, and the yang stem overcoming the yang stem, making it偏财 (biased wealth). The Shen branch contains Geng metal, Ren water, and Wu earth, which are the same kind, the food god, and the biased original teacher. The big years are arranged in reverse order because it is a female birth in a yang year: at ten years old, Gengzi; at twenty, Jihai; at thirty, Wuxu; at forty, Dingyou; at fifty, Bingshen; at sixty, Yiwu; at seventy, Jiashen; at eighty, Guisi. This accounts for fifty more days, and the exchange occurs on the 9th day of the second lunar month in the year of Ding or Ren at the hour of Shen. The last two lines note that the palace of destiny is in the Wei palace, and Yuan Shushan added a comment saying that writing it as "Yiwu" including the heavenly stem is also acceptable.

凡推小限，以生年之支，加於命宮之上，以次逆數，至本流年歲支為止，視歲支所臨手掌定位為某支，即知為某限。欲知某限之干，再以本流年之干遁之。

The method of calculating the "small limit" (小限): The small limit is a position that moves through the twelve earthly branches each year, used to examine the fortune or misfortune of a particular year. Unlike the big destiny (大运), which changes every ten years, the small limit is calculated by placing the earthly branch of the birth year on the position of the native's命宫 (life palace). Then, count backwards from that position until reaching the earthly branch of the year being calculated. The branch that falls on the fixed position of the palm at that moment is the small limit for that year. As for the heavenly stem of the small limit, it can be determined by using the heavenly stem of the current year and applying the five tiger遁 (five tiger method). Yuan Shushan emphasized in Volume 5, "On the Annual and Destiny (with a note on the palace and limit)", that the命宫 (life palace) governs the whole life, while the small limit governs each year, neither should be neglected. If the missing useful god (用神) in the八字 (eight characters) is supplemented by the small limit, that year will be favorable. If the small limit conflicts or harms the useful god, that year will be unfavorable.

假如丙午命，乙未宮，於乙卯年推其小限，即以生年之午，加臨未宮，以次逆數，至本流年歲支卯止，卯字所臨手掌定位是戌，即為戌限。再以乙卯年起戊寅，即知為丙戌限也。

Take an example. Suppose someone was born in the year Bingwu (丙午), with their natal palace at Yimao (乙未). To determine the small limit (小限) for the year Yimao (乙卯), place the earthly branch of the birth year, Wu (午), on the position of the natal palace, which is Wei (未). Then count backwards: Wu (午) is on Wei (未), Si (巳) is on Wu (午), Chen (辰) is on Si (巳), Mao (卯) is on Chen (辰)... continue counting backwards until reaching the earthly branch of the current year, Mao (卯). At this point, the character 'Mao' (卯) falls on the position X (戌), so the small limit for this year is X (戌). Next, determine the heavenly stem for the year Yimao (乙卯) by counting forward from the first month of the year Yi (乙) which starts with Wu Yin (戊寅): Wu Yin (戊寅), Ji Mao (己卯), Geng Chen (庚辰), Xin Si (辛巳), Ren Wu (壬午), Gui Wei (癸未), Jia Shen (甲申), Yi You (乙酉), Bing Xu (丙戌). The heavenly stem on X (戌) is Bing (丙), so the small limit is Bing Xu (丙戌). This method is used each year, simply changing the heavenly and earthly branches of the current year.

坤造道光二十六年十二月十九日申時生 七煞 丙午 正官正印 敗財 辛丑 傷官敗財正印 庚午 正官正印 偏財 甲申 比肩食神偏印 十歲庚子 二十己亥 三十戊戌 四十丁酉 五十丙申 六十乙未 七十甲午 八十癸巳 大運十歲，扣足多五十天，每逢丁壬之年，二月初九日申時交換。 命安未宮，小限蒞戌。 按：安命乙未，小限丙戌，亦可。

This is the same horoscope chart with the addition of the small limit (xiao xian). The four pillars, ten gods, and large destiny (da yun) are identical to the previous chart (the monthly pillar is marked as "failed wealth" here, which is the same as "robber wealth" in the previous chart). Only an additional item is added at the end: "the destiny palace is in Wei, and the small limit arrives in Xu" — meaning the destiny palace is in Wei, and this year's small limit is in Xu. Yuan Shushan's commentary says that writing out the heavenly stems together, as "destiny palace Yiwei, small limit Bingxu," is also acceptable. This shows that in addition to the four pillars and large destiny, the destiny palace and the current year's small limit should also be noted on the horoscope chart. When judging the fortune or misfortune of a particular year, all three — the large destiny, the flow year, and the small limit and destiny palace — should be considered together: first check whether the large destiny supports or suppresses the useful god, then check the flow year, and finally check the relationship between the small limit and the destiny palace.

凡推流年，即以所值本流年干支為主，其論生克，亦如上例。經云：太歲為一年主宰，烏不可重視之哉。假如庚金日主，於乙卯年推，即是流年乙卯，乙木為我克者，陽見陰為正財。列式如下：

To determine the "flowing year" or "流年" simply: use the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year you are analyzing, treating it as an additional set of characters outside the four pillars. Compare it with the day stem using the same method as determining the ten heavenly stems, to assess the relationships of generation and control. Ancient texts say: the sovereign of the year (the heavenly stem and earthly branch of that year) is the master of the year, how can it be ignored? For example, if the day stem is Geng metal, and we are analyzing the year Yimao, the flowing year is Yimao. The wood of Yi is the thing that Geng metal controls. Since it is a yang stem meeting a yin branch, it is labeled "positive wealth." Therefore, this year is dominated by the wealth star. The chart is listed below. When analyzing the flowing year, you cannot only look at this step—you must also check whether the flowing year and the big year (大运) are in conflict or harmony, and whether they support or damage the useful god (用神) in the original birth chart. This topic is specifically discussed in the chapters "On the Flowing Year" and "On the Year and the Big Year" in Volume Five of this book.

坤造道光二十六年十二月十九日申時生 七煞 丙午 正官正印 敗財 辛丑 傷官敗財正印 庚午 正官正印 偏財 甲申 比肩食神偏印 十歲庚子 二十己亥 三十戊戌 四十丁酉 五十丙申 六十乙未 七十甲午 八十癸巳 大運十歲，扣足多五十天，每逢丁壬之年，二月初九日申時交換。 命安未宮，小限蒞戌，流年乙卯，正財主事。

This is the same horoscope chart with additional notes on the current year, and it represents the final standard format of the book. The four pillars, ten heavenly stems, and major years are the same as before. The last line includes all three time elements together: "The native's命宫 is in Wei, the small limit is in Xu, the current year is Yimao, and the main influence is the official wealth." The native's命宫 is in Wei, the small limit for this year is in Xu, and the current year being calculated is Yimao. The wood of Yi is the official wealth for the day stem of Geng metal, so this year is dominated by the wealth star. At this point, the process of calculating the year, month, day, and hour to form the four pillars, determining the ten heavenly stems, starting the major years, setting the命宫, calculating the small limit, and listing the current year has been fully completed. The following sections discuss the胎元, 息, 变, 通, and small years, which are supplementary branches. Yuan Shushan himself also said that these are not strictly necessary to adhere to.