The Twelfth Explanation: The Five Flavors

《洪範》曰：此法言天地之大法，通於口者為五味。五味者，酸、咸、苦、辛、甘之屬也。

The Shangshu · Hongfan discusses the great principles governing the heavens and the earth, among which the five flavors are those that can be expressed through speech. The so-called "five flavors" refer to sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and sweet. The Hongfan originally associated the five flavors with the Five Phases, stating "moistening and descending produces salt, fiery ascending produces bitterness, bending and straightening produces sour, yielding and changing produces pungent, and cultivation and reaping produce sweetness." The following text then proceeds to cite these associations, using them as symbolic references when divining about food, medicinal properties, and the flavors of things.

曲直作酸（木實之性）。《月令》曰：其味酸，其臭羶。通於口者曰味，通於鼻者曰臭。凡酸羶，屬於木也。《白虎通經》曰：木味酸，東方萬物達生也。酸者以達生也，猶五味得酸乃通達也。炎上作苦（焦氣之味）。《月令》曰：其味苦，其臭焦。凡焦味苦者，皆屬於火也。《白虎通經》曰：火味苦者，南方長養，猶五味須苦可以養也。

"The 'curved and straight' (曲直) represents the virtue of wood. Wood produces a sour taste (this is the inherent nature of the fruit of wood). The Book of Rites, Monthly Ordinances says: in the season of wood, the taste is sour and the qi is aromatic. What reaches the mouth and tongue is called 'taste,' and what reaches the nose is called 'smell,' which refers to odor; all sour taste and aromatic smell belong to wood. The White Tiger Classic says: the taste of wood is sour, because the East governs the flourishing of all things, and sour is used to promote growth and development, just as among the five tastes there must be sour, so that the flavors can be harmonious. 'Inflaming upward' (炎上) represents the virtue of fire. Fire produces a bitter taste (this is the flavor carried by the scorched and smoky air). The Monthly Ordinances say: in the season of fire, the taste is bitter and the qi is scorched; all scorched qi and bitter taste belong to fire. The White Tiger Classic says: the taste of fire is bitter, because the South governs growth, just as among the five tastes there must be bitter, so that it can nourish people."

從革作辛（金之氣味）。《月令》曰：其味辛，其臭腥。凡臭腥味辛者，皆屬於金也。《白虎通》曰：金味辛者，西方主殺。萬物辛者，所以傷殺之也。猶五味得辛乃萎殺也。潤下作鹹（水滷所生）。《月令》曰：其味鹹，其臭朽。凡臭朽味咸者，皆屬於水也。《白虎通》曰：水味鹹者，北方主咸，得咸所以堅也，猶萬物得咸而堅出。

"The quality of metal is 'from transformation,' and metal produces a pungent taste (this is the scent associated with metal). The 'Monthly Orders' say: the season of metal has the taste of pungency and the quality of a sharp, pungent smell; all pungent smells and sharp tastes belong to metal. The 'White Tiger Treatise' says: the taste of metal is pungent, because the west is associated with the severe and destructive; the reason why things have a pungent taste is to counteract the severe and destructive, just as among the five flavors, once there is pungency, the other flavors are subdued. The quality of water is 'moistening and descending,' and water produces a salty taste (this is the flavor produced by water and salt). The 'Monthly Orders' say: the season of water has the taste of salt and the quality of a stale, decaying smell; all stale and decaying smells and salty tastes belong to water. The 'White Tiger Treatise' says: the taste of water is salty, because the north is associated with salt, and only by having salt can it be firm, just as all things, when they have the salty taste, grow firmly and solidly."

稼穡作甘（甘味生於五穀）。《月令》曰：其味甘，其臭香。凡臭香味甘者，皆屬於土也。《白虎通》曰：土味甘，居中央，主中和也。故甘猶五味，以甘為主也。

"Jia se" represents the virtue of earth, as earth produces sweet flavors (sweetness comes from the five grains). The "Monthly Orders" states: the season associated with earth has the flavor of sweetness and the quality of fragrance; all fragrances and sweet flavors belong to earth. The "White Tiger Treatise" says: the taste of earth is sweet, and earth is in the center, governing the principle of harmony; thus, sweetness holds the primary position among the five flavors, just as earth holds the central position among the five elements. Now the five elements correspond with the five flavors and five qualities: wood is sour and aromatic, fire is bitter and scorched, metal is pungent and fishy, water is salty and decayed, and earth is sweet and fragrant.

釋例曰：五色以主五味，皆有象也。假令占人，用起木神，則其性仁而惻隱。在物而色青，在味則酸，在病則肝。他皆仿此例而推之。

The "Explanation of Examples" says: the five colors correspond to the five flavors, each having its own symbolic associations. For example, if the useful god in a divination is the wood element, then the person's nature is described as kind and compassionate. If the question is about an object, its color is green; if about a flavor, it is sour; if about a disease, it is in the liver. The other four elements are similarly derived in this way. In fact, this integrates the previous sections on the five colors, five sounds, five natures, and five flavors into a single reference table. When divining, one simply follows the five elements of the useful god through the table.

傳曰：四方者，東西南北之謂也。東：樂產曰：燧星見斗杓，指於左，萬物蠢然而生，故變動為東。東者，動也。南：樂產曰：燧星見斗杓，指於前，純陽用事，其氣覃敷，萬物懷妊，故變任為南。南者，任也。西：樂產曰：燧星見斗杓，指於右，萬物高齊，故變齊為西。西者，齊也。北：樂產曰：燧星見斗杓，指於後，而陽氣潛伏，故變伏為北。北者，伏也。

Ancient legend says that the "four directions" refer to east, west, south, and north. East: According to the theory of Yuechan, when the handle of the Big Dipper points to the left, all things begin to stir and sprout, so the character "dong" (east) is derived from the sound of "dong" (movement). East means movement. South: According to Yuechan, when the handle of the Big Dipper points forward, pure yang prevails, and yang energy spreads widely, with all things gestating and nurturing, so the character "nan" (south) is derived from the sound of "ren" (to bear or carry). South means to bear or carry. West: According to Yuechan, when the handle of the Big Dipper points to the right, all things grow tall and orderly, so the character "xi" (west) is derived from the sound of "qi" (orderly). West means orderly. North: According to Yuechan, when the handle of the Big Dipper points backward, yang energy retreats and does not emerge, so the character "bei" (north) is derived from the sound of "fu" (to hide). North means to hide. The names of the four directions come from the direction of the Big Dipper's handle and the corresponding seasonal phenomena. This also shows that the twelve earthly branches on the Earth Plate in the Six Rén system originate from observing the stars for direction, not from arbitrary arrangement.

《黃帝》曰：四門開張，時有括藏。昔大撓造甲子，執十二辰於地，開四門也。

The Yellow Emperor said: When the four gates are opened, the sequence of time has a way to converge and conceal. In ancient times, Da Nao created Jiazi, arranging the twelve earthly branches on the Earth Plate, and also opening four gates at the four corners. The so-called 'four gates' refer to the Heaven Gate, Earth Gate, Human Gate, and Ghost Gate, located respectively at Qian (Northwest), Xun (Southeast), Kun (Southwest), and Gen (Northeast). They are four additional gates outside the twelve earthly branches. When casting a divination, the nobleman's movement and the beginning and end of affairs must be considered based on these four gates.

天門：在西北。西北者，戌亥之間，秋冬相交之際，草木黃落，天門之內，故天門在西北也。地戶：在東南。東南者，辰巳之間，春夏相交之際，萬物已生，蟄蟲早出，故地戶在東南也。

The heavenly gate is located in the northwest. The northwest is between the earthly branches Xu and Hai, which corresponds to the transition between autumn and winter. At this time, grass and trees wither and turn yellow, and everything is gathered within the heavenly gate, hence the heavenly gate is fixed in the northwest. The earthly gate is located in the southeast. The southeast is between the earthly branches Chen and Si, which corresponds to the transition between spring and summer. At this time, all things have already begun to grow and flourish, and insects that were dormant emerge early, hence the earthly gate is fixed in the southeast. The previous section "Interpretation of Tianyi" states that Tianyi "constantly moves with its back to the heavenly gate and facing the earthly gate." This refers to the axis running from northwest to southeast: the boundary between the forward and reverse movement of the nobleman is determined by this line.

人門：在西南。西南者，申未之間，秋夏相交之際，萬物既成而後死，人之象也，故人門在西南。鬼門：在東北。東北者，丑寅之間，春冬相交之際，萬物死而得生，鬼之象也，故鬼門在東北。

The human gate is located in the southwest. The southwest is between the hours of Shen and Wei, which corresponds to the transition from summer to autumn. After all things have grown and matured, they soon begin to wither, just as human life moves from maturity to death. Therefore, the human gate is fixed in the southwest. The ghost gate is located in the northeast. The northeast is between the hours of Chou and Yin, which corresponds to the transition from winter to spring. Although all things seem to have died, they are about to revive again, just as ghosts appear to be defeated but eventually regain their strength. Therefore, the ghost gate is fixed in the northeast. Later, in the section 'Explanation of Usage and Form,' it says that when divining, one should 'hold the ghost gate with the left hand,' referring to this northeast corner. In the section 'Explanation of Common Examples,' it says 'the celestial stem is at the two gates,' indicating instability, which refers to the heavenly gate and earthly gate among these four gates.

傳：德者，得也，皆主救厄而濟溺。十干以陽德自處之，而陰德在陽也。十干德者，甲、丙、戊、庚、壬陽干，德自處。乙德在庚，丁德在壬，己德在甲，辛德在丙，癸德在戊。

Ancient legends say that "de" means "to obtain." Any deity associated with "de" is believed to rescue people from calamities and save them from drowning. Among the ten heavenly stems, the de of the yang stems lies within themselves, while the de of the yin stems is entrusted to the yang stem that pairs with them. Specifically, the five yang stems—Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren—have their de in their own positions and do not seek it elsewhere. The de of Yi is in Geng, the de of Ding is in Ren, the de of Ji is in Jia, the de of Xin is in Bing, and the de of Gui is in Wu. It can be seen that the de of the yin stems is entrusted to the yang stem that is five positions away and can harmonize with it—this is how the "de of the heavenly stems" is arranged. When the de of the day stem appears in the divination chart, it indicates a sign of rescue.

十二支德者，子在巳，丑在午，寅在未，卯在申，辰在酉，巳在戌，午在亥，未在子，申在丑，酉在寅，戌在卯，亥在辰。十二支德，歲月日時同用。

The virtues of the twelve Earthly Branches are: the virtue of Zi is in Si, of Chou in Wu, of Yin in Wei, of Mao in Shen, of Chen in You, of Si in Xu, of Wu in Hai, of Wei in Zi, of Shen in Chou, of You in Yin, of Xu in Mao, and of Hai in Chen. The pattern is to count five positions forward from the original branch (i.e., add five to the original branch) to find its virtue. This system of branch virtues is applicable to the heavenly stem of the year, the month builder, the day branch, and the time of day, and there is no need to establish a separate method.

假令正月乙酉日未時占戰爭，用傳送加乙，上克下，即申克乙。六乙之日，天乙乘神后加申，前四勾陳加乙，乙德在庚。雖有戰爭，遇德神相救，無所傷害也。他準此例占。

Take an example that can be followed: On the day of Yiyou in the first lunar month, at the hour of Wei, divining about warfare. The month general for the first lunar month is the sign of Hui (亥). Place Hui on the hour of Wei and turn the heaven plate. The lodging palace of Yi is in Chen, so Chen gets the transmission of 'Shentong' (申). This is the metal of Shen added to the wood of Yi, with the upper element overcoming the lower, meaning Shen overcomes Yi. Take this as the initiating transmission. For any of the six days of Yi, the heavenly virtue nobleman rides on 'Shenhou' (子) and is placed on Shen. Then, following the heavenly virtue from the fourth position, Gou Chen is placed on Yi. Gou Chen is the earth of Wu Chen, and the virtue of Yi is in Geng. Since the virtue god comes to save in the lesson, even though the divination is about warfare, it is concluded that there will be no harm. All other situations are judged in the same way: first check for any overcoming, then check for any virtue god saving, and combine both to reach a conclusion.

傳曰：刑者，刑戮之謂也。一曰衰謝之刑（謂金木水火土正刑），二曰制御之刑（謂十干之刑也），三曰不遜之刑（謂十二克刑）。翼奉傳曰：金剛火強，各在其方，木落歸根，水流趨未。

Ancient legend says: "Xing" refers to punishment and retribution. Xing is divided into three categories: the first is "Decay and punishment" (referring to the proper punishments of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth), the second is "Control and punishment" (referring to punishments among the ten heavenly stems), and the third is "Disrespectful punishment" (referring to mutual control and punishment among the twelve earthly branches; the original text has a missing character "branch," which is retained as is). The "Transmission of Yi Feng" states: metal is hard, fire is strong and fierce, each staying in its own place; when wood withers, it returns to its root, and when water flows, it flows toward the end (the original text has "end" written as "not yet," which is retained as is). The following text proceeds according to these four sentences to determine the places where metal, fire, wood, and water are punished.

巳、酉、丑，金之位在西方，言金恃其剛，物莫與對。陽氣八月從酉而入，因而挫之，故金刑在西方。寅、午、戌，火之位在南方，言炎恃其強，物莫與對，陽氣五月生於午，因而挫之，故火刑在於南方。

The branches Si, You, and Chou form a metal trinity, with metal's original position in the west. This means that metal relies on its hardness and has nothing to counter it; however, when the yang energy retreats from the You position in August, it is restrained at its peak, so metal's punishment occurs in the west (i.e., the You branch punishes itself). The branches Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire trinity, with fire's original position in the south. This means that fire relies on its strength and has nothing to counter it; however, when the yang energy is born at Wu in May, it reaches its peak and then turns, so fire's punishment occurs in the south (i.e., the Wu branch punishes itself). The principle here is that the Five Phases are restrained at their strongest point, which is called 'excess leads to punishment'.

亥、卯、未，木之位。木落歸本，言葉落復根。亥卯未，木之根，刑在北方。言木恃其榮觀，故陰氣刑之，使凋傷也。申、子、辰，水之位。水流趨末，水性東流，逝而不返，其謂之末也，故水刑在東方。言水恃陰德，故陽刑使之不歸也。土位在中央，寄旺四季。以未為長生，丑為冠帶，墓在辰，天刑在戌。此言土力最大，天能刑之，故天刑在戌。

The trigrams亥, 卯, and 未 form a wood trinity, which is the root of wood. The phrase "wood falls back to its root" means that leaves fall back to the root. Since亥, 卯, and 未 are the roots of wood, the punishment of wood occurs in the north (i.e.,亥 self-punishment). This refers to wood relying on its flourishing branches and leaves, so Yin energy punishes it, causing it to wither and suffer. The trigrams申, 子, and 辰 form a water trinity, which is the root of water. The phrase "water flows to its end" means that water flows eastward and does not return, and the direction it flows to is called "end." Therefore, the punishment of water occurs in the east (i.e.,辰 self-punishment). This refers to water relying on its Yin virtue, so Yang energy punishes it, preventing it from returning. The root of earth is in the center, and it is distributed among the seasons of 辰, 戌, 丑, and 未, with strength in each season. 未 is the place of growth, 丑 is the place of capping, 墓 is in 辰, and heavenly punishment is in 戌. This means that earth has the greatest power, and human punishment cannot affect it; only heaven can punish it, hence it is called "heavenly punishment in 戌."

制御之刑者，謂十干也。辰來剋日為逆亂，故加刑以制御之。凡干刑所加，戰爭不出其下。甲刑在申，乙刑在酉，丙刑在子，丁刑在亥，戊刑在寅，己刑在卯，庚刑在午，辛刑在巳，壬刑在戌，癸刑在未。

The second category, "Control and Punishment," refers to the ten heavenly stems. When a earthly branch overcomes the day stem, it is considered an act of rebellion from below, so a punishment is added to control and subdue it. Any conflict involving heavenly stems is under the control of this punishment. The punishments for the ten heavenly stems are as follows: Jia is punished by Shen, Yi by You, Bing by Zi, Ding by Hai, Wu by Yin, Ji by Mao, Geng by Wu, Xin by Si, Ren by Xu, and Gui by Wei. Upon close examination, the branches that are punished by each stem are exactly those that overcome the stem, which is identical to the "ghosts" listed in the section "Explanation of Ghosts." Thus, the concept of "stem punishment" is actually the position of the day stem's official ghost.

不遜之刑者，謂十二支也。義有三段：第一寅刑巳，巳刑申，申刑寅，為無恩之刑。言寅中有雜火，不恤巳中雜金，故寅刑巳。巳生庚金，又效尤巳裡之雜土，不恤申中之雜水，故水往刑申。申立下巳，見所生巳裡之土被寅刑，故又往刑寅，此為無恩之刑也。

The third category, called "inconsiderate punishment" or "unbenevolent punishment," refers to the twelve earthly branches, and its meaning is divided into three parts. The first part:寅 is punished by巳,巳 is punished by申, and申 is punished by寅, which is called "unbenevolent punishment." This means that寅 contains mixed fire, but does not show compassion for the mixed metal contained in巳, so寅 goes to punish巳;巳 can produce庚 metal, yet imitates the previous action, not showing compassion for the mixed water contained in申, so it goes to punish申 (the original text says "so water punishes申," with an extra character "water," which is retained as is);申 and巳 originally are in harmony, but seeing the earth contained in巳, which it produced, being punished by寅, it then turns back to punish寅 (the original text's phrase "申立下巳, 见所生" has errors and omissions, making the meaning difficult to understand, so it is retained as is). The three mutually punish each other without remembering the grace of nurturing, hence it is called "unbenevolent punishment."

第二恃勢之刑者，言未土恃長生，而欺丑之始冠帶，故未刑丑。丑恃冠帶，而欺戌土之先被刑，故丑往刑戌，戌再遷其怒，自恃旬首甲戌，而往刑旬末癸未。此為恃勢之刑。

The second section is called "恃势之刑": the earth of the earthy branch 未 (Wei) takes advantage of being the long life place of earth, and bullies the earthy branch 丑 (Chou), which has just reached the capping position, so 未 injures 丑; 丑, relying on its position at the capping, bullies the earthy branch 戌 (Xu), which had already been injured before, so 丑 turns to injure 戌; after being bullied, 戌 transfers its anger, relying on being the first of the Jia Xu decade, to injure the last of the decade, Gui Wei. The three of them take advantage of their positions to bully one another in a cycle, hence it is called "恃势之刑".

第三無禮之刑者，言陽精自生日，陽氣在子，而卯為日門，子為卯父，鼎立無卑恭之禮，是以卯子為無禮之刑也。翼奉傳曰：子為貪狼，卯為陰賊，王者為忌失之辰。辰午酉亥自刑，義見上矣。

The third type is called "No Ritual Punishment": The essence of yang is born from the sun, and yang energy is stored in the Zi position, while Mao is the gate through which the sun rises and sets. In terms of辈分, Zi is the father of Mao (water nourishes wood). Now, the two are facing each other and standing in opposition, showing no respect or humility towards the elder, so Zi and Mao mutually harm each other, which is called "No Ritual Punishment." The "Yi Feng Zhuan" says: Zi is the greedy wolf, and Mao is the阴贼 (shadow thief), both are positions that the king should avoid, as they are prone to errors and mistakes. As for the four branches, Chen, Wu, You, and Hai, each harms itself, and the reasoning has already been explained in the previous section on "Excess leads to punishment." Thus, the punishments of the twelve branches are now complete: three types of mutual punishment in two groups (Yin, Si, Shen; Chou, Xu, Wei), one group of mutual punishment (Zi and Mao), and four branches that harm themselves.

傳曰：害者，妨也，在刑殺之間。酉戌相害者，謂戌以死火，害酉生金，此名為鬼害也。申亥相害者，各恃其臨官欲競強勢，嫉才爭進相害也。子未相害者，謂未以壬土，害子壬水，此為恃勢相害也。

Ancient legends say: "Hai" means obstruction, and its intensity is between "Xing" (punishment) and "Sha" (kill). You and Xu are in mutual harm: the weak and dying fire hidden in Xu harms the strong and flourishing metal of You, with fire overcoming metal in a way that death overcomes life, and this is called "Gui Hai" (ghostly harm). Shen and Hai are in mutual harm: each relies on their own official position (Shen is the official position of Geng, and Hai is the official position of Ren), and they both strive to be superior, jealous of each other's abilities, rushing forward to compete, thus causing mutual harm. Zi and Wei are in mutual harm: the strong earth in Wei harms the strong water in Zi, with earth overcoming water, and this is called "Shi Shi Xiang Hai" (overbearing mutual harm) (the original text writes "Wang" as a character similar to "Ren", so it is transcribed as is).

寅巳相害者，謂各恃其臨官，各炫能而爭進相害也。丑午相害者，謂午以壬火，而凌丑死金，此以少凌長相害也。卯辰相害者，謂卯以壬木，凌辰死土，此以少凌長相害也。凡占遇六害者，各以本意決之。

The trigram Yin (寅) and Si (巳) are mutually harmful because both are in their official positions (Yin is the official position of Jia, and Si is the official position of Bing), and they both show off their abilities and compete to move forward, thus causing harm. The trigram Chou (丑) and Wu (午) are mutually harmful because the strong fire in Wu oppresses the weak and dying metal in Chou, which is called "the young overpowering the old," meaning the younger generation surpassing the older. The trigram Mao (卯) and Chen (辰) are mutually harmful because the strong wood in Mao oppresses the weak and dying earth in Chen, which is also "the young overpowering the old." The six combinations are called "Six Harmful Relationships" (六害): Zi and Wei, Chou and Wu, Yin and Si, Mao and Chen, Shen and Hai, You and Xu. When a divination lesson encounters the Six Harmful Relationships, each should be judged according to its original meaning: if it is a ghostly harm, judge it based on the aspect of overcoming and attacking; if it is a case of relying on power, judge it based on the aspect of bullying the weak; if it is a case of competing for advancement, judge it based on the aspect of competition and jealousy.

傳曰：鬼者，五行之精氣也，謂支干皆有之。干鬼者：甲鬼在申，乙鬼在酉，丙鬼在子，丁鬼在亥，戊鬼在寅，己鬼在卯，庚鬼在午，辛鬼在巳，壬鬼在戌，癸鬼在未。

Ancient legend says that what is called "ghost" refers to the refined energy of the Five Phases. Both the Heavenly Stems and the Earthly Branches each have their own ghosts. Here, "ghost" refers to the thing that overcomes me, which is later called official ghost. The ghosts of the Heavenly Stems are: Jia's ghost is in Shen, Yi's ghost is in You, Bing's ghost is in Zi, Ding's ghost is in Hai, Wu's ghost is in Yin, Ji's ghost is in Mao, Geng's ghost is in Wu, Xin's ghost is in Si, Ren's ghost is in Xu, and Gui's ghost is in Wei. Checking each one, it can be seen that all the listed branches are those that overcome the respective Heavenly Stems: Jia and Yi (wood) fear Shen and You (metal), Bing and Ding (fire) fear Zi and Hai (water), Wu and Ji (earth) fear Yin and Mao (wood), Geng and Xin (metal) fear Wu and Si (fire), and Ren and Gui (water) fear Xu and Wei (earth). This list is exactly the same as the ten Heavenly Stems' punishments mentioned in the previous section "Explanation of Punishments."

支鬼者：子鬼在辰，丑鬼在卯，寅鬼在申，卯鬼在酉，辰鬼在寅，巳鬼在亥，午鬼在子，未鬼在卯，申鬼在午，酉鬼在巳，戌鬼在寅，亥鬼在未。

The ghosts of the Earthly Branches are: the ghost of Zi is in Chen, the ghost of Chou is in Mao, the ghost of Yin is in Shen, the ghost of Mao is in You, the ghost of Chen is in Yin, the ghost of Si is in Hai, the ghost of Wu is in Zi, the ghost of Wei is in Mao, the ghost of Shen is in Wu, the ghost of You is in Si, the ghost of Xu is in Yin, and the ghost of Hai is in Wei. The ghost is determined by the branch that overcomes the original branch: water branches fear earth branches, earth branches fear wood branches, wood branches fear metal branches, metal branches fear fire branches, and fire branches fear water branches. When the upper god of the Day Stem or Day Branch is exactly its ghost during divination, it is called "ghost approaching the body," indicating illness, legal disputes, or theft. This situation requires checking whether there are any virtue gods or saving gods to resolve the issue.

傳曰：陰氣尤毒，謂之殺也。巳、酉、丑，劫殺在寅，寅中有陰氣生火也。災殺在卯，卯為日門，陰氣所入。天殺在辰，辰為四季陰氣，能遊天上也。

Ancient legend says that the particularly toxic part of yin energy is called "kill." Below, it is divided into four groups according to the Triple Harmony Formation, with three types of kill in each group:劫杀, 灾杀, and 天杀. For the metal Triple Harmony Formation of巳, 酉, and 丑:劫杀 is at 寅, because 寅 contains yin energy capable of generating fire (寅 is the long birth position of fire, which is exactly the terminal point of the metal Triple Harmony); 灾杀 is at 卯, because 卯 is the gate of the sun, through which yin energy enters; 天杀 is at 辰, because 辰 belongs to the earth of the four seasons, and its yin energy can move through the sky. The method is to take the first character of the Triple Harmony Formation (the long birth position) and count forward: the terminal point of the metal Triple Harmony Formation is 寅, so劫杀 is at 寅, and 灾杀 and 天杀 follow in order.

申、子、辰，劫殺在巳，巳中有陰氣生土也。災殺在午，言氣生於午也。天殺在於未，言四季陰氣，能遊天上也。亥、卯、未，劫殺在申，申中有陰金也。災殺在酉，酉為月門，陰氣所出也。天殺在戌，言四季陰氣能遊天上也。

The combination of Shen, Zi, and Chen forms a water trinity: the劫杀 (plundering killer) is in Si, because Si contains hidden yin energy that can generate earth (Si is the terminal point of the water trinity); the灾杀 (calamity killer) is in Wu, meaning yin energy originates in Wu; the天杀 (heavenly killer) is in Wei, because Wei belongs to the fourth season's earth, and its yin energy can move through the heavens. The combination of Hai, Mao, and Wei forms a wood trinity: the劫杀 is in Shen, because Shen contains hidden yin metal (Shen is the terminal point of the wood trinity); the灾杀 is in You, because You is the monthly gate, and yin energy emerges from here; the天杀 is in Xu, because Xu belongs to the fourth season's earth, and its yin energy can move through the heavens. We can see the pattern: the劫杀 is always at the terminal point of the trinity, the灾杀 is at the next position after the terminal point, and the天杀 is two positions later, inevitably falling on one of the four earths: Chen, Wei, Xu, or You.

寅、午、戌，劫殺在亥，亥中有陰水也。災殺在子，子為陰水，言陰氣生子也。天殺在丑，言四季陰氣能遊天上也。

The Triple Harmony of Yin, Wu, and Xu forms a fire trinity: the劫杀 (劫杀) is in Hai, because Hai contains hidden yin water (Hai is the terminal point for the fire trinity); the灾杀 (灾杀) is in Zi, as Zi itself is yin water, indicating the origin of yin energy in Zi; the天杀 (天杀) is in Chou, because Chou belongs to the seasonal earth, and its yin energy can move in the heavens. For the four combinations: the three killers of巳, You, and Chou are in Yin, Mao, and Chen; the three killers of Shen, Zi, and Chen are in Si, Wu, and Wei; the three killers of Hai, Mao, and Wei are in Shen, You, and Xu; and the three killers of Yin, Wu, and Xu are in Hai, Zi, and Chou—exactly the terminal points of each trinity, each occupying three consecutive earthly branches.

金神三殺者：寅申巳亥，三殺在酉；子午卯酉，三殺在巳；辰戌丑未，三殺在丑。若占病，白虎並官事，與朱雀並者，皆大凶也。

There is another type called 'Golden God Three Killers,' which are assigned based on the four beginning months, four middle months, and four end months: if the time or day branch belongs to寅,申, 巳, or 亥 (the four beginning months), the three killers are at酉; if it belongs to子, 午, 卯, or 酉 (the four middle months), the three killers are at巳; if it belongs to辰, 戌, 丑, or 未 (the four end months), the three killers are at丑. This type of killer god is named after the metal energy, hence called the Golden God. If divining about illness, whenever White Tiger and official litigation matters appear together, and Vermilion Bird is also present, it is judged as extremely凶. White Tiger signifies death, mourning, and illness, while Vermilion Bird signifies disputes and legal affairs. When these two are combined with the killer, illness is accompanied by legal troubles, which is most undesirable.

年月三殺者：申子辰，殺在未，謂水太陰之位，殺在太陽之上；亥卯未，殺在戌，謂木少陽之位，殺在少陰之上；寅午戌，殺在丑，謂火太陽之位，殺在太陰之上；巳酉丑，殺在辰，謂金少陰之位，殺在少陽之上。

There is another type called "Year-Month Triple Killer." The killer is determined by the Triple Harmony of the stem or the Month Builder: for years and months of Shen Zi Chen (申子辰), the killer is in Xu (戌) — Shen Zi Chen belongs to water, which is the Tai Yin position, so the killer falls on the side of the Sun (Southern fire and earth); for years and months of Hai Mao Wei (亥卯未), the killer is in Chou (丑) — Hai Mao Wei belongs to wood, which is the Shaoyang position, so the killer falls on the side of Shaoyin (Western metal); for years and months of Yin Wu Xu (寅午戌), the killer is in Zi (子) — Yin Wu Xu belongs to fire, which is the Sun position, so the killer falls on the side of Tai Yin (Northern water and earth); for years and months of Si You Chou (巳酉丑), the killer is in Yin (寅) — Si You Chou belongs to metal, which is the Shaoyin position, so the killer falls on the side of Shaoyang (Eastern wood). The killers of all four groups fall on the four storage positions of Chen (辰), Xu (戌), Zi (子), and Chou (丑), and they are precisely at the opposite positions of the storage of each group.

凡上三傳，吉將與殺並者，吉事速。凶將與殺並者，其凶尤重。金神三殺最惡，若乘三象氣來剋日辰人年者，大凶也。

Whenever any of these killing spirits fall into the three transmissions, one should examine which heavenly generals are accompanying them: if a favorable general (such as Qinglong, Tai Chang, or Liuhe) is present along with the killing spirit, favorable events will come quickly, because the killing spirit has a promoting effect. If an unfavorable general (such as Baihu, Xuanwu, or Tengshe) is present along with the killing spirit, the misfortune will be especially severe. Among all the killing spirits, the Jin Shen San Sha is the mostvicious. If it arrives with strong energy to overcome the day stem, the day branch, and the person's year pillar, it is considered a great凶. (The term 'three images' refers to the manifestations of the day, the earth branch, and the year pillar.)

傳曰：數者，謂五行、十干、十二支數也。五行數者：水，生數一，成數六；火，生數二，成數七；木，生數三，成數八；金，生數四，成數九；土，生數五，成數十。

Ancient tradition says that "numbers" include three sets: the numbers of the Five Phases, the ten Heavenly Stems, and the twelve Earthly Branches. The numbers of the Five Phases are: water has the generating number one and the completing number six; fire has the generating number two and the completing number seven; wood has the generating number three and the completing number eight; metal has the generating number four and the completing number nine; and earth has the generating number five and the completing number ten. This is the established explanation from the Great Treatise of the Zhou Changes: "Heaven produces water with one, and earth completes it with six." The numbers one to five are generating numbers, and adding five to each gives the completing numbers six to ten. When divining to determine the nearness or distance of time and the quantity of numbers, these numbers are used.

十二支數者：子午數九，丑未數八，寅申數七，卯酉數六，辰戌數五，巳亥數四。十干數者：甲己數九，乙庚數八，丙辛數七，丁壬數六，戊癸數五。

The numbers of the twelve Earthly Branches are: Zi and Wu are both nine, Chou and Wei are both eight, Yin and Shen are both seven, Mao and You are both six, Chen and Xu are both five, and Si and Hai are both four. The two conflicting branches have the same number, decreasing from nine to four. The numbers of the ten Heavenly Stems are: Jia and Ji are both nine, Yi and Geng are both eight, Bing and Xin are both seven, Ding and Ren are both six, Wu and Gui are both five. The two complementary stems have the same number, decreasing from nine to five. This set of numbers is directly used in the following section "Brief Explanation of Trigrams" to calculate the time of occurrence. For example, Heqi (Xu) is added to Wei. Wei's number is eight and Xu's number is five. Multiplying them gives forty, and the fortune is predicted to occur within forty days.

《金匱經》曰：二氣交會各五。五行，謂金木水火土，循環而無端。故金化而水生，水流木榮，木動而火炎，火炎而土平，積土而金成。此五行相生之情而相受也。故金生水，水生木，木生火，火生土，土生金，是為相生也。

The *Golden Chest Classic* says: After the yin and yang energies meet, they each divide into five, forming the Five Phases. The Five Phases are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, which cycle endlessly without beginning or end. Therefore, metal melts to produce water, water moistens to foster wood, wood moves to kindle fire, fire consumes to form earth, and earth accumulates to create metal. This is the pattern of mutual generation among the Five Phases, with each one receiving from the previous. Thus, metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal; this is called "mutual generation." Half of all the methods used in Six壬 divination rely on this principle: when the day branch and the upper god are mutually generating, and when the three transmissions are mutually generating from beginning to end, it often indicates smooth outcomes. Those who generate me are considered parents or helpers, while those I generate are considered children or things that consume or drain me.

《金匱經》曰：五行者，各有相惡也。故金入火而銷亡，火得水而滅光，水得土而不行，土得木而腫瘡，木逢金而折傷。此五行相剋之情，遞相惡也。故金克木，木克土，土克水，水克火，火克金，是謂遞相惡也。

The *Golden Chest Classic* says: Among the Five Phases, each one has an aversion to another, which is called mutual control. Therefore, metal put into fire melts and perishes, fire meets water and its flame is extinguished, water meets earth and cannot flow, earth is pierced by wood as if it has a swelling, and wood meets metal and is cut and damaged. This is the state of mutual control among the Five Phases, where each one successively dislikes the next. Thus, metal controls wood, wood controls earth, earth controls water, water controls fire, and fire controls metal, which is called "reciprocal aversion." In Six壬 divination, selecting the Useful God primarily focuses on mutual control—"first take the one that controls as the Useful God." Among the Four Lessons, if there is a controlling relationship, the first Transmission begins from that controlling relationship. This is based precisely on this passage.

正月將徵明：《金匱經》曰：建寅之月，陽氣始達，徵召萬物而明理之，故曰徵明。二月將天魁：《金匱經》曰：建卯之月，萬物皆生，各求根本，以類合聚，故曰天魁。三月將從魁：《金匱經》曰：建辰之月，萬物皆長，枝蕊花葉，從根本而出，故曰從魁。

The "month general" is the name of the twelve heavenly spirits on the heaven plate. It is essentially the zodiac sign where the sun resides each month. When casting a divination, this is added to the time of the divination and the heaven plate is rotated, thus starting the entire divination process. In the first month, the month general is Zhēngmíng, which corresponds to the亥 (Hai) sign. The "Golden Chest Classic" states that in the month of Yin (the first lunar month), yang energy begins to flow, summoning all things and making them clear and orderly, hence it is called "Zhēngmíng." In the second month, the month general is Tiānkuí, which corresponds to the戌 (Xu) sign. The "Golden Chest Classic" says that in the month of Mao (the second lunar month), all things sprout together, each seeking its root and gathering with similar ones, hence it is called "Tiānkuí." In the third month, the month general is Cóngkuí, which corresponds to the酉 (You) sign. The "Golden Chest Classic" states that in the month of Chen (the third lunar month), all things grow vigorously, with branches, buds, flowers, and leaves growing in order from the roots, hence it is called "Cóngkuí." Note the relationship between the month builder and the month general: the first month uses Hai, the second month uses Xu, and the third month uses You. This is exactly theLiu He (Liu He) relationship between the month builder and the month general, which is the method for determining the month general.

四月將傳送：《金匱經》曰：建巳之月，萬物盛茂，陽氣所傳而通送之，故曰傳送。五月將小吉：《金匱經》曰：建午之月，萬物小盛，陰氣始生，奉陽之功，故曰小吉。六月將勝光：《金匱經》曰：建未之月，萬物壯大，逾本而生，故曰勝光。

In the fourth month, the month general is "Chuan Song" (Transmission), which corresponds to Shen: The "Golden Chest Classic" says that in the month of Si (the fourth month), all things are flourishing and vigorous, and the yang energy flows continuously and is transmitted outward, hence it is called "Chuan Song" (Transmission). In the fifth month, the month general is "Xiao Ji" (Minor Auspiciousness), which corresponds to Wei: The "Golden Chest Classic" says that in the month of Wu (the fifth month), all things are slightly flourishing and vigorous, and the yin energy begins to arise here, assisting the yang in completing its deeds, hence it is called "Xiao Ji" (Minor Auspiciousness). In the sixth month, the month general is "Sheng Guang" (Victorious Radiance), which corresponds to Wu: The "Golden Chest Classic" says that in the month of Wei (the sixth month), all things are fully developed and surpass their original forms, growing outward, hence it is called "Sheng Guang" (Victorious Radiance). The fourth month pairs with Shen, the fifth with Wei, and the sixth with Wu, which still maintains the harmony between the month builder and the month general.

七月將太乙：《金匱經》曰：建申之月，萬物畢秀，吐穗含實，孔穴自任，故曰太乙。八月將天罡：《金匱經》曰：建酉之月，萬物強固，柯條已定，核實堅剛，故曰天罡。九月將太沖：《金匱經》曰：建戌之月，萬物成熟，收穫聚之，枝條剝毀，故曰太沖。

In the seventh month, the Month General is Taiyi, which corresponds to Si: The Golden Chest Classic says, in the month of Shen, all things are fully mature and bear grain, each hole and passage fulfilling its function, hence it is called "Taiyi." In the eighth month, the Month General is Tian Gang, which corresponds to Chen: The Golden Chest Classic says, in the month of You, all things are strong and firm, the branches and trunks have already taken shape, the fruit kernels are hard and solid, hence it is called "Tian Gang." In the ninth month, the Month General is Tai Chong, which corresponds to Mao: The Golden Chest Classic says, in the month of Xu, all things are ripe, harvested and gathered together, the branches are stripped and damaged, hence it is called "Tai Chong." The seventh month pairs with Si, the eighth with Chen, and the ninth with Mao, all being harmonious pairings.

十月將功曹：《金匱經》曰：建亥之月，萬物大聚，功事成就，計定於功，故曰功曹。十一月將大吉：《金匱經》曰：建子之月，陽氣復始，君得其位，惠化日施，故曰大吉。十二月將神后：《金匱經》曰：建丑之月，歲功畢定，酒醴蜡祭百神，故曰神后。

In the tenth month, the Month General is Gongcao, which corresponds to the Earthly Branch Yin: The Golden Chest Classic says that in the month of Ji Hai, all things gather together, and the achievements of the year are completed, with merits determined at this time, hence it is called "Gongcao." In the eleventh month, the Month General is Daji, which corresponds to the Earthly Branch Chou: The Golden Chest Classic says that in the month of Ji Zi, the yang energy begins anew (one yang returns), the sovereign attains his proper position, and benevolence and education are practiced daily, hence it is called "Daji." In the twelfth month, the Month General is Shenhou, which corresponds to the Earthly Branch Zi: The Golden Chest Classic says that in the month of Ji Chou, the agricultural work of the year is fully completed, and people offer wine and rice to perform the wax sacrifice, honoring all deities, hence it is called "Shenhou." The Month Generals for the twelve months are thus complete: Hai Zhengming, Xu Tiankui (also called Hekui), You Congkui, Shen ChuanSong, Wei Xiaojí, Wu Shengguang, Si Taiyi, Chen Tiangang, Mao Taichong, Yin Gongcao, Chou Daji, and Zi Shenhou.

天之運轉，合宿之所至，以立神名。天之十二神，動移無窮。地之十二辰，以靜而待之。或有相生，或有相剋，吉凶之本，不可不知。

The movement of heaven corresponds to the positions of the star mansions, and people established names for the twelve deities based on this. The twelve heavenly deities move with the Heaven Plate, constantly shifting; the twelve earthly branches remain still, waiting for the deities to come upon them. When heavenly deities descend onto earthly branches, they either mutually generate or mutually control each other, which is the fundamental basis of fortune and misfortune, something that must be clearly understood. These two sentences reveal the basic structure of the Six Rats divination: the moving Heaven Plate twelve deities are placed over the stationary Earth Plate twelve branches. Each compartment forms a pair of 'upper and lower' elements. Observing the generation and control relationship between these pairs serves as the starting point for divination.

上克下憂他人，下克上憂己身。上克下憂婦人，下克上憂男子。旺氣所勝，憂縣官。相氣所勝，憂財物。死氣所勝，憂死喪。囚氣所勝，憂囚繫。休氣所勝，憂疾病。餘皆仿引例。

The specific interpretation is: if the upper god overcomes the lower term, the worry arises from others; if the lower term overcomes the upper god, the worry falls upon oneself. Another view says: if the upper overcomes the lower, the worry is with the woman; if the lower overcomes the upper, the worry is with the man. Going further, one must consider the nature of the element that is overcoming: if it overcomes by a strong force, the worry is about government affairs; if by a moderate force, the worry is about wealth; if by a dead force, the worry is about death or mourning; if by a restrained force, the worry is about imprisonment; if by a resting force, the worry is about illness. Other situations are inferred by analogy with these examples. The terms of strength, prosperity, rest, restraint, and death refer to the five levels of the Five Phases' strength determined according to the season in the divination. The one in season is strong, the one I generate is prosperous, the one generating me is resting, the one overcoming me is restrained, and the one I overcome is dead.

太史楊維德曰：臣等謹案：十二次取《三統曆》，配十二分野，其旨最詳。又有費真說《周易》、蔡邕《月令章句》，並後魏太史陳卓言人宿度，各有先後，令依《三統曆》入次度，與見行曆書同，所定並同。

Taishi Yang Weide said: We have carefully examined that the division of the twelve times is taken from the San Tong Li, and combined with the twelve regions, this system is the most complete. In addition, there are Fei Zhi's interpretation of the Zhou Yi, Cai Yong's commentary on the Yueling, and Chen Zhuo of the Northern Wei dynasty's discussion on the degrees of entering the constellations. Each school has its own defined boundaries, which differ in order. Now we adopt entirely the degrees of entering the times as defined in the San Tong Li, which is consistent with the current calendar. Therefore, the definitions in this book are also consistent with it. The term "Bide" refers to dividing the 28 constellations of the sky into twelve segments, each segment corresponding to a month general, to determine where the sun is currently located in terms of the month general. If the month general is incorrect, then the entire lesson will be wrong.

自軫宿十二度，至氐四度，為天罡，於辰在辰。自氐宿五度，至尾宿九度，為太沖，於辰在卯。自尾宿十度，至斗宿十一度，為功曹，於辰在寅。自斗宿十二度，至女宿七度，為大吉，於辰在丑。自女宿八度，至危宿十五度，為神后，於辰在子。自危宿十六度，至奎宿四度，為登明，於辰在亥。

The following lists the range of mansions each month general oversees, read as "start-end mansion degree—month general name—assigned earthly branch": The sun passes through the twelve degrees of the Chariot mansion to the four degrees of the Root mansion, which is Heavenly Gang, assigned to the Dragon position; the five degrees of the Root mansion to the nine degrees of the Tail mansion, which is Tai Chong, assigned to the Rabbit position; the ten degrees of the Tail mansion to the eleven degrees of the Dipper mansion, which is Gong Cao, assigned to the Tiger position; the twelve degrees of the Dipper mansion to the seven degrees of the Girl mansion, which is Da Ji, assigned to the Ox position; the eight degrees of the Girl mansion to the fifteen degrees of the Rooftop mansion, which is Shen Hou, assigned to the Rat position; the sixteen degrees of the Rooftop mansion to the four degrees of the Legs mansion, which is Deng Ming, assigned to the Pig position. Here, the Pig general is called "Deng Ming," which is the same general as "Zheng Ming" mentioned in the previous section. Each segment follows the order of Dragon, Rabbit, Tiger, Ox, Rat, Pig in reverse, which matches the sun's annual apparent motion along the Yellow Path moving backward through the twelve earthly branches.

自奎宿五度，至胃宿六度，為河魁，於辰在戌。自胃宿七度，至畢宿十一度，為從魁，於辰在酉。自畢宿十二度，至東井十五度，為傳送，於辰在申。自井宿十六度，至柳宿八度，為小吉，於辰在未。自柳宿九度，至張宿十六度，為勝光，於辰在午。自張宿十七度，至軫宿十一度，為太乙，於辰在巳。

Following the previous six sections: from the five degrees of the Legs mansion to the six degrees of the Stomach mansion is River Chief, matching the戌 position (River Chief is also the Heavenly Chief mentioned in the previous chapter); from the seven degrees of the Stomach mansion to the eleven degrees of the Net mansion is From Chief, matching the酉 position; from the twelve degrees of the Net mansion to the fifteen degrees of the Well mansion is Transmission, matching the申 position; from the sixteen degrees of the Well mansion to the eight degrees of the Willow mansion is Small Favor, matching the未 position; from the nine degrees of the Willow mansion to the sixteen degrees of the Extended Net mansion is Victory Light, matching the午 position; from the seventeen degrees of the Extended Net mansion to the eleven degrees of the Chariot mansion is Taiyi, matching the巳 position. At this point, the twelve sections connect head to tail, completing one full circle around the sky: the last section ends at the eleven degrees of the Chariot mansion, exactly connecting to the starting point of the first section at the twelve degrees of the Chariot mansion. In practical use, one only needs to check the degree of the Sun in the host mansion on the day of the divination, and use the general corresponding general according to which section it falls into, without being bound by the crude method of "using a certain general in a certain month."