The Oracle Hexagram启蒙 Song

乾為天為父，坤為地為母，震坎艮為男，巽離兌為女。八卦配五行：水火金木土。內外卦既成，考渾天甲子。我生為子孫，生我為父母，我克者為財，妻妾財同此，克我者為鬼，求官亦堪許，比和為兄弟，蓋因同類取。喜慶看青龍，凶喪視白虎，口舌應朱雀，陰私驗玄武，鰧蛇多怪夢，勾陳事田土。動爻驗之變，大殺日下數，天喜喜事至，遇貴謀薦舉，六合百事吉，六害百事阻，刑沖與墓絕，舉動多憂阻。六十四卦名，吉凶為定主，大象六爻辭，細詳詩斷語，支干配六神，禍福如目睹，萬事欲先知，各以其類取。

The hexagram Qian represents Heaven and in the context of the Six Relations is considered as the father; the hexagram Kun represents Earth and is considered as the mother. The three hexagrams Zhen, Kan, and Gen are yang hexagrams and are associated with males; the three hexagrams Xun, Li, and Dui are yin hexagrams and are associated with females. Each of the eight trigrams corresponds to one of the five elements, which are water, fire, metal, wood, and earth. After the inner and outer trigrams are determined, the "Holistic Heaven and Jiazi" method is used to assign the heavenly stems and earthly branches to the six lines. The Six Relations are determined based on the five elements of the hexagram to which the line belongs: what I generate is called "children," what generates me is called "parents," what I overcome is called "wealth," and wife and concubine are also included under the wealth line; what overcomes me is called "official ghost," which is also considered when seeking official positions; and what is the same element as me is called "siblings," representing comparison with the same kind. Each of the Six Spirits has its own function: "Azure Dragon" indicates joyous matters, "White Tiger" indicates misfortune and death, "Vermilion Bird" indicates disputes and conflicts, "Black Tortoise" indicates hidden and private matters, "Tie She" often indicates strange occurrences and nightmares, and "Gou Chen" often indicates land and property. When a line is activated, one should observe what it transforms into; "Great Killing" is calculated based on the day stem, "Heavenly Joy" on a line indicates good news coming, and encountering "Nobleman" indicates someone recommending or supporting. When encountering the Six Harmony, matters proceed smoothly; when encountering the Six Harm, matters are obstructed. If there are conflicts, collisions, or if a line is buried or at its extreme, actions are often troubled. Each of the sixty-four hexagrams has a fixed direction of fortune or misfortune. The overall image of the hexagram and the statements of the six lines should be compared with the poetic interpretations. Then, the earthly branches and heavenly stems are combined with the Six Spirits, and the fortune or misfortune becomes clear as if seen with one's own eyes. To foresee matters, one simply needs to use the appropriate category spirits according to their nature.

乾為君兮首與馬，卦屬老陽體至剛。坎雖為耳又為豕，艮為手狗男之祥，震卦但為龍與足，三卦皆名曰少陽。陽剛終極資陰濟，造化因之不易量。坤為臣兮腹為羊，卦屬老陰體至柔。離雖為目又為雉，兌則是羊女之流，巽宮但為雞與股，少陰三卦皆相伴。陰柔終極資陽濟，萬象蒐羅靡不周。

The trigram Qian represents the king in human affairs, the head on the human body, and the horse in animals. It belongs to old yang and is extremely strong in nature. The trigram Kan represents the ear on the human body and the pig in animals; the trigram Gen represents the hand on the human body and the dog in animals, all of which are auspicious signs for males. The trigram Zhen represents the dragon in animals and the foot on the human body. The trigrams Kan, Gen, and Zhen are all called "young yang." When yang strength reaches its peak, it must be supplemented by yin flexibility. The changes of heaven and earth are endless and unpredictable precisely because of this. The trigram Kun represents the minister in human affairs, the abdomen on the human body, and the sheep in animals. It belongs to old yin and is extremely flexible in nature. The trigram Li represents the eye on the human body and the chicken in animals; the trigram Dui represents the sheep in animals and the young woman in human affairs; the trigram Xun represents the chicken in animals and the thigh on the human body. The trigrams Li, Dui, and Xun are all called "young yin" and accompany each other. When yin flexibility reaches its peak, it must also be supplemented by yang strength. By taking these eight trigrams as symbolic representations, all phenomena in the world are fully included and covered without exception.

伏羲始畫八卦時，龍馬伏圖河出龜，文王重為六十四，卜筮唯憑龜與蓍。試論泰復夬需旅，鼎解大畜諸卦推，八卦本來無父母，若卜父母非所宜。更有觀剝恆升井，大過六卦弟兄虧，若占兄弟切須忌，縱無大患主災厄。遁履中孚漸蹇渙，屯睽既濟革明夷，小過咸蒙十五卦，若占妻財有損虧。

Fu Xi originally drew the Eight Trigrams because a dragon horse carried a diagram from the Yellow River and a divine turtle brought a book from the Luo River. Later, King Wen overlapped the Eight Trigrams in pairs to form the sixty-four Trigrams. Divination relies only on turtle shells and yarrow stalks. Now, trying to classify by the absence of the Six Relations: the Trigrams Tai, Fu, Guai, Xu, Lu, Ding, Jie, Da Xu all lack the Parents line. If one asks about parents or elders, using these Trigrams is inappropriate. Another six Trigrams, Guan, Po, Heng, Sheng, Jing, Da Guo, lack the Siblings line. If one asks about siblings, these Trigrams are most to be avoided, even if not leading to great misfortune, they indicate calamity. Another fifteen Trigrams, Duan, Li, Zhong Fu, Zhen, Jian, Huan, Tun, Kui, Ji Ji, Ge, Ming Yi, Xiao Guo, Yan, Meng, lack the Wealth line. If one asks about spouse or wealth, these Trigrams indicate loss and damage.

無子唯有十六卦，二過否蠱並頤隨，大畜賁觀中孚井，遁升歸妹晉損兒。小畜未濟家人卦，更同旅訟並益頤，七者之中皆無鬼，問病可喜亦可悲。五位各須兼備者，二十之卦報君知。乾坤節豐謙大有，艮震比臨無妄師，大壯兌困噬嗑萃，同人坎與八純離。父母妻財兄與弟，子孫官鬼為五位，之幾有吉無則凶，更須筮者心多智。此篇不過為總斷，後有象爻宜熟玩，諸君紬繹此篇詩，他時視此皆筌蹄。

There are sixteen hexagrams that do not contain the line of children: Great Excess, Small Excess, Non-communication,蛊, Nourishment, Following, Great Accumulation, Ornamentation, Observation, Middle Trust, Well, Retreat, Ascending, Return Wife, Progress, and Loss. There are seven hexagrams that do not contain the line of official ghost: Small Accumulation, Non-attainment, Family, Traveler, Dispute, Gain, and Nourishment. If these seven hexagrams are used to inquire about illness, there is an equal chance of good or bad outcomes. The absence of the official ghost line is a good sign, indicating no disease affecting the body; however, it is also a bad sign, as the absence of the official ghost line means there is no dominant force, leaving the sick person without a clear reference point. The five types of six relations—parents, wife and wealth, siblings, children, and official ghost—are all present in twenty hexagrams. Now I tell you:乾, 坤, 节, 丰, 谦, 大有, 艮, 震, 比, 临, 无妄, 师, 大壮, 兑, 困, 噬嗑, 萃, 同人, 坎, and the eight pure hexagrams including 离. The five relations are arranged as parents, wife and wealth, siblings, children, and official ghost. If the useful god is present in the hexagram, it is auspicious; if it is missing, it is inauspicious. In addition, the person divining should be flexible in their thinking. This passage is a general summary of the entire book. Later there will be poetic interpretations of the hexagram images and line statements, which should be read repeatedly and thoroughly. Once you understand this poem, when you look at it again, it is like a fishing net or a rabbit's foot—once you have caught the fish or caught the rabbit, you can forget about the net or the foot.

問曰：卜筮者，吉凶不出有無所斷，不知有中藏無，隱中藏有。答曰：易之妙處，豈止一隅，凡有動便用。今人不曉其傳，往往亂取不一。但知德合刑沖，克旺墓空之源，禍福瞭然；不知取用，是以吉凶無準，禍福有差。今子之法，或動或靜，自然分其吉凶成敗，盛衰之旨，瞭然明白。

Questioning says: When divining with hexagrams to judge matters, whether good or bad is determined by the presence or absence within the hexagram. However, people do not understand that within the presence there is also absence, and within the absence there is also presence. Answering says: The subtlety of the Book of Changes is not confined to a single aspect. Whenever a line is activated, it can be used. Modern people do not understand the method passed down by their teachers for using these lines, and often take them randomly, each person having their own interpretation. They only know that the words "virtue, harmony, punishment, opposition, overcoming, strength, burial, emptiness" are the sources of fortune and misfortune. They understand the meaning, yet cannot identify the correct line to use, so their judgments of good or bad are not accurate, and their predictions of fortune or misfortune are often off. Now my method can naturally distinguish between good and bad, success and failure, prosperity and decline, regardless of whether the line is activated or still. The meaning is clear at a glance.

問曰：如何得知安靜動亂之中休咎如何。答曰：但明得：德合刑沖剋旺墓空，此八字，大無不包，細無不入，此乃易道之要也。且如卦中有三爻動，乃是三事在其中，又有合爻，相生相剋相刑；有三爻動中止一事，有三爻動中止五事，有眾動中事已往而再發，有事有萌而方張；看八字中有甚爻得時，何爻傷世傷身，便知吉凶。但生我合我者，便是益我之人；刑我沖我克我者，便是害我之事。所謂爻不亂發，動必有因，卦不隱情，應若影響。

When the lines of a hexagram are either still or moving in disorder, how can we discern the fortune or misfortune? The answer is: as long as one understands the eight characters 「de, he, xing, chong, ke, wang, mu, kong」, which encompass all possibilities, both large and small. This is the essence of the Way of Change. For example, if the third line moves together with others, it indicates three matters involved, among which there may be lines that are in harmony, and lines that have mutual generation, mutual control, or mutual punishment. There are cases where three lines moving together correspond to one matter, and others where they correspond to five matters. There are also cases where many lines move in disorder, yet the matter has already passed but recurs, or where the matter is just beginning to grow. One simply needs to observe which line is in season and timely, and which line harms the world line or the hexagram body. Then the fortune or misfortune becomes clear. Those that generate me or harmonize with me are beneficial to me; those that punish me, clash with me, or control me are harmful to me. Therefore, it is said: lines do not move without cause; whenever they move, there is a reason. A hexagram does not conceal the truth; its fulfillment is like a shadow following the form or an echo responding to a sound.

問曰：德字如何取用？答曰：德者與天地合其德，卦中有德神爻入，是德事，爻定主吉慶，喜悅；德神分五鄉，各有所主，財德，文書，德（），德月，德分輕重言之，私用公成，但天干與地支合起為德神。

The question asked: How is the character "de" (virtue) used? The answer said: What is called "de" is the "de" mentioned in the "Wenyan" section of the "Qian" hexagram in the "Zhou Yi" (I Ching), which says "to harmonize with the virtue of heaven and earth." If a line in the hexagram is governed by the deity of virtue and is used, then the matter being dealt with is a virtuous one, and this line will certainly bring good fortune and joy. The deity of virtue is divided into five regions, each with its own focus: there is wealth virtue, document virtue, and another type of virtue, which is the monthly virtue. When using it, one must distinguish between importance and priority. Often, personal matters are accomplished with the help of public resources. Whenever there is a combination of heavenly stems and earthly branches, that is the deity of virtue.

問曰：合字如何取用？答曰：有三合有六合，先用六合，如無則用三合。須是事有統攝可用，如事無相干，合在他人，成合之事，即不干我也。若世坐空亡，他人可成，非於我也。若合在我身世主象爻中，當有吉事，但有吉處，成事遲也。蓋合者合處也，看爻輕重，須得月合沖開，吉凶方有決斷。

The character "he" (合) is used in two ways: triple harmony and six harmony. First, six harmony is considered. If the hexagram does not contain six harmony, then triple harmony is used. The combined aspect must be able to encompass the matter being questioned before it can be used. If the harmony relates to something unrelated to the question, or if it involves another person's line, then the combined aspect refers to someone else's affairs and has nothing to do with me. If the world line falls in an empty position, others may be able to accomplish the matter, but it will not come to me. If the harmony is on the hexagram body or the world line, which are main lines representing myself, there should be good fortune coming. However, even if there is a harmonious aspect, the outcome will be slow. Because "he" means to tie two lines together; when using it, one must consider the importance of the lines and wait for the month builder to either harmonize or clash with it, thus determining the fortune or misfortune.

如正月卜得卦寅午戌三合，用寅字為文書雖旺，合他人之爻內，或四月七月卻得刑沖開，方始可成；戌字合住我用神，望丑辰日可用；如午字作文書，局動來生我身世，卻取子午日可望。如不在我，事在他人，當取子月沖開方成。文書有氣象，若有合處必遲延。又如六合，有用神合起他爻，有他爻合起我爻，事速；用神合起他爻，事隔；當詳旺相輕重言之。且如得震之豐卦；六三辰土動，化己亥文書，會起庚寅木爻，是相識中有隔也。仿此推詳，吉凶可見。

For example, if one divines in the first lunar month and the hexagram contains the three earthly branches寅, 午, and 戌, which form a fire trine, then the寅 wood is taken as the document god. Although the寅 wood is strong in the first lunar month, it is combined with another yao. It must wait until the fourth lunar month when巳 fire harms寅, or the seventh lunar month when申 metal conflicts with寅, to break the combination and make the matter succeed. If the戌 earth combines with my useful god, then I should wait for the day of丑 or 辰 to move the戌 earth so that the useful god can be used. If the午 fire is taken as the document god, and the trine is activated to generate my hexagram body and world line, then I can expect success on the day of子 or 午. If the matter is not on my side but on someone else's, then I must wait until the子 month to break the combination and achieve success. The document yao will show results as long as it has vitality, but whenever there is a combination, it will be delayed. Furthermore, regarding the Six Harmony: there are cases where my useful god combines with another yao, and cases where another yao combines with my yao. If another yao combines with my yao, the matter will be quick; if my useful god combines with another yao, the matter will be delayed by a layer. All these should be judged according to prosperity, strength, and importance. For instance, if the hexagram is 震 changing to 丰, and the sixth line with the stem Gengchen earth is activated, producing Jihai water as the document yao, and also involving the stem Gengyin wood yao, this indicates a situation where a familiar person is mixed with an obstacle. By following such reasoning, the fortune and misfortune can be discerned.

問曰：刑字如何取用？答曰：刑者，有三刑，有無禮刑，有自刑。才有刑爻，便是乖張，最是可畏，宜以輕重言之。其中亦有可救處。且如動出刑爻，亦詳旺相，又看刑我刑他，及觀旁爻所制；又詳用處何人不可，刑中傷官與世，若無解救，禍不可當。何為解救？如刑爻是鬼，傷身克世，私用卜得坎卦，如戊寅木並起可解可救，謂破辰土也。若戊寅木失時，又不如此論，當詳輕重，不可守一隅也。如子卯之刑，不傷身世，事不在我，乃為淫亂，失君臣之道。三刑亦有可用，如貴極一品得之，可用為權，豈同庶人一例之。所謂常人逢此事乖泯，君子天庭有吉祥。

The term "刑" is used in divination as follows: there are three types of punishments, the punishment of impropriety, self-punishment, and the three punishments. When a line with the punishment appears in the hexagram, things tend to be awkward and go wrong, which is particularly alarming. When using it, one must still distinguish between light and heavy cases, as there are also ways to remedy the situation. For example, if the moving line brings about a punishment, one should carefully examine whether it is prosperous and strong, and determine whether it is the line punishing me or me punishing another. Also, observe whether other lines can restrain it. Then check which side is affected by the punishment. If the punishment harms the official ghost line or the world line, and there is no remedy, misfortune is unavoidable. What counts as a remedy? For instance, if the punishing line is the official ghost, which harms the hexagram body and attacks the world line, and the divination for a private matter results in the Kan hexagram, then if there is a Wuyin wood line appearing together with it, it can be remedied, because the wood can break the earth. However, if the Wuyin wood is not in season and lacks vitality, it cannot be treated in this way, and one must still weigh the severity, without being rigid in one's approach. As for the mutual punishment between the zodiac sign of the rat and the rabbit, if it does not harm the hexagram body or the world line, the matter does not concern me, and it indicates a chaotic situation, losing the proper relationship between superior and inferior. The three punishments can also be beneficial in certain situations. For example, if a high-ranking nobleman obtains the three punishments, they can be used as a means of authority, which cannot be treated the same as common people. Therefore, it is said that ordinary people encountering the three punishments will face many difficulties and setbacks, while a gentleman encountering them may have good fortune in the court.

問曰：沖字如何取用？答曰：卦中有一爻動處，便觀六爻吉凶，如無德無合無刑，動出便沖。然喜旺相，休囚難沖有氣，如並起最是有力，一爻便發，便是兩爻動，成敗盛衰，當詳吉凶言之。

The term "chong" (conflict) is determined by looking at the six lines of the hexagram. If any one line is activated, we examine the six lines to determine their fortune. If the activated line does not have virtue, does not form a conjunction, and is not subject to punishment, then its movement constitutes a conflict. Conflict is most favorable when the line itself is prosperous and strong. Lines that are weak and confined find it difficult to conflict with strong lines. If the conflicting line also rises together with the day branch, its power is greatest. Even though only one line is activated, it is effectively equivalent to two lines being activated simultaneously. The resulting success or failure, prosperity or decline, still needs to be carefully analyzed for good or bad fortune.

問曰：克字如何取用？答曰：此克字能除凶，亦能壞事。且如卦中爻神受刑，此字能克，被救助；如克他人，則解我凶咎；若傷害身世，即是惱我之事。文書克，憂文書；兄弟克，憂兄弟；子孫克，憂子孫；官鬼克，憂官事；財克憂財。

The character "克" can be used both to eliminate misfortune and to cause harm. For example, if a line in the hexagram is afflicted, the power of "克" can restrain that afflicted line, thus helping it; if "克" is applied to another line, it can resolve the misfortune affecting me. However, if "克" is applied to the hexagram body or the world line, it becomes a source of trouble. If the parents' line representing documents is afflicted, there will be worries about documents; if the siblings' line is afflicted, there will be worries about siblings; if the children's line is afflicted, there will be worries about children; if the official ghost line is afflicted, there will be worries about legal matters; if the wealth line is afflicted, there will be worries about money.

問曰：旺字如何取用？答曰：八字中，禍福不同，皆有成敗。如卜文書文書旺，財爻衰來克，亦不傷文書，他爻來刑，亦刑不動；若凶爻旺，克害於我，禍不可解。當用爻欲旺欲吉，害爻欲墓欲絕。亦看旺爻中發動，所卜事端，便知吉凶存亡。

The character "Wang" (prosperous and strong) is used in divination by considering the state of the relevant yao (line). The eight characters—De (virtue), He (conjunction), Xing (conflict), Chong (opposition), Ke (overcoming), Wang (prosperous and strong), Mu (burial), and Kong (empty)—each indicate different fortune or misfortune, as well as success or failure. For example, if the yao related to documents is prosperous and strong, even if theWealth yao (wealth yao) is weak and overcomes it, it will not harm the documents. If other yao conflict with it, they will not affect it. Conversely, if a harmful yao is prosperous and strong, and it overcomes or harms me, the misfortune cannot be resolved. Therefore, the principle is: the yao used should be prosperous and strong and auspicious, while the harmful yao should be in a state of burial or decline. Also, one should observe which yao among the prosperous ones is active, and align it with the matter being divined. Then the fortune or misfortune and the outcome will become clear.

問曰：墓字如何取用？答曰：辰戌丑未，五行之庫，凶爻要入，吉爻不可墓，墓則為休囚。有人墓、事墓、鬼墓。何為人墓？且如占兄弟病，辰為墓，當日是戌，雖合入墓，不死；又人旺墓衰，不死；兄弟旺，墓爻衰，不死。何為事墓？但所卜之事為難成費力。何為鬼墓？占病得鬼墓，為廟神；占賊為賊之避身處；占訟乃鬼為官，入墓難決公事，墓不可旺，鬼爻要旺。

The term "mù" (mound) is used in divination by referring to the Earthly Branches of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, which are considered the repositories of the Five Phases. A harmful yao (line) benefits from entering the mound, as it is stored away, but a beneficial yao should not enter the mound, for once it does, it becomes weak and confined. There are three types of mounds: human mound, matter mound, and ghost mound. What is a human mound? For example, if one is divining about a sibling's illness, and the sibling's yao belongs to water, with Chen as the mound, and the day of the divination is Xu, which can conflict with Chen, even though the yao should be stored in the mound, the person will not die. Similarly, if the human yao is strong and the mound yao is weak, the person will not die; if the sibling yao is strong and the mound yao is weak, the person will also not die. What is a matter mound? It refers to a situation where the matter being divined is difficult to achieve and requires extra effort. What is a ghost mound? When divining illness and the ghost yao enters the mound, it indicates the person has offended a temple deity. When divining theft, the mound represents the place where the thief hides. When divining legal matters, the ghost yao represents the government, and if the ghost yao enters the mound, the case will be delayed and difficult to resolve. In summary, the mound yao should not be strong, but the ghost yao should be strong.

如占見官，墓旺難見。占病墓旺，鬼難脫，病難安，多死。占賊，墓旺賊難捉，雖福爻有氣，亦難尋見，為藏處機密。占病鬼是廟神，如墓旺，乃太廟之神，非小小神祠。占失物，墓旺物難尋；占行人，墓旺難歸；占財，墓旺有財。墓之一字，要沖克破，此以墓爻活法論之，即解神也。

For example, when divining about meeting an official, if the墓爻 (storage) is prosperous and strong, it is difficult to meet the official. When divining about illness, if the墓爻 is prosperous and strong, the ghost爻 (representing the malevolent force) cannot be released, and the illness is difficult to recover from, often leading to death. When divining about thieves, if the墓爻 is prosperous and strong, the thieves are difficult to capture; even if theChildren (children) and福爻 (fortune) have strength, they are still hard to find, because the thieves' hiding place is extremely secret. When divining about illness, the ghost爻 represents the temple deity, and if the墓爻 is strong, it is a great deity of the grand temple, not a small shrine deity. When divining about lost items, if the墓爻 is prosperous and strong, the item is difficult to recover; when divining about a traveler, if the墓爻 is prosperous and strong, the person is difficult to return. Only when divining about seeking wealth, the墓爻 being prosperous and strong indicates that wealth can be obtained, because the wealth has already been stored. The character "墓" (storage) must be opened by冲 (conflict),克 (overcoming), or破 (breaking), which treats the墓爻 as a living entity. The爻 that can open theStorage is called theRelief Deity (relief deity).

問曰：空字如何取用？答曰：空之一字，占易之中第八個，路途通於先天之道，神仙之法。到此多執空以為盡空，蓋不知萬物自無而生，有從空來，還歸於空爻，乃易中之聖道，言之不可及也。但空中，事不受傷，物不受克也，便有可成可望之妙理。如事有盡，空爻不發動又無干預，乃先天茫然蕩蕩之空也。此不屬成敗休咎之說，卜易高士得遇此文，詳空中之用甚多，要識空中有空之妙用。

The character "kong" (empty) is taken as the eighth among these eight characters, and this path leads directly to the Earlier Heaven doctrine, belonging to the class of methods practiced by immortals. Scholars who reach this point often rigidly fixate on the concept of "kong," thinking that "kong" means complete non-existence. But they do not realize that all things originally arise from non-existence, and existence comes from emptiness, eventually returning to emptiness. This is the sacred way of the Book of Changes, which cannot be fully explained by words. In terms of divination, if a line falls into "kong," the matter will not be harmed, the thing will not be affected, and there is actually a wonderful principle of possibility and hope. If the matter has already reached its end, and the "kong" line does not activate, nor interfere with other lines, then it is the vast and boundless emptiness of the Earlier Heaven, not falling within the scope of success or failure, good or bad fortune. Those who are highly skilled in studying the Book of Changes should carefully examine the many practical uses of "kong," especially recognizing the subtle use of "kong within kong."

如盡空之空，乃未萌不實，如人未生以前，則不能用一事，此為無干礙之空。若空字活如人已生，如人舉念，如人動作，類萬物發生，皆可成之理。神乎其心，傳之妙乎，讀者詳而玩之。要決數篇，乃占易之徑路，卦中之綱領，取餘占之細微。

The concept of complete emptiness refers to an emptiness that has not yet begun to take shape and is not yet realized, like the state before a person is born, when nothing can be used. This is called empty without obstruction. If the term "empty" is alive, it is like a person having been born, like a thought arising, like an action taking place, just as all things come into being. The mystery lies entirely in the mind of the user, and the subtlety of transmission is precisely here. Readers should carefully reflect and explore. The above passages are the entry path for divining the Book of Changes and the outline of a single hexagram. All the detailed aspects in divination are derived from these.

若人問卜，必因動靜吉凶，學者推占，要識淺深高下。秘旨雖傳於人口，奧妙實出乎天然。事有萬殊，理無二致。須識靜中有動，當明吉處藏凶。靜者動之機，吉者凶之本。如逢卦靜，專尋暗動及空亡；若見爻興，便察吉凶分造化。諸爻並吉，更防吉處藏凶；大象皆凶，須識凶中有吉。若逢亂動，先觀用爻。用爻有彼我之分，得失從衰旺而決。六爻上下，吉凶全繫乎日辰；一卦中間，主宰莫逃乎世應。細察生旺墓絕，精詳克害刑沖。吉凶由此而生，禍福從茲而定。

Whenever someone comes to seek divination, it is usually because they are anxious about the movement, success or failure of a matter. Those who study the Book of Changes should be able to discern the depth, height, and degree of the situation. The secret principles of divination are passed down orally from teacher to student, but their subtleties actually come from natural principles. Although the affairs of the world are varied and different, the underlying principles are one. One must understand that stillness contains movement and that good fortune often hides danger. Stillness is a prelude to action, and good fortune is the root of misfortune. If a hexagram has all six lines quiet, one should look for the "covert movement" lines that are affected by the day branch and the "empty" lines. If there is a moving line, one should judge the fortune and transformation based on the moving line. When all lines are favorable, one must still be cautious of hidden dangers within the good fortune; when the overall hexagram is unfavorable, one must recognize the presence of hidden good fortune within the misfortune. If all six lines are in motion, one should first determine which line is the "used line." The used line can be either belonging to oneself or to the other party, and the gain or loss is decided by its strength or weakness. From top to bottom, the fortune and misfortune of the six lines depend entirely on the birth and overcoming relationship with the day branch. Ultimately, the main elements of the hexagram are determined by the "world line" and the "response line." One must carefully examine the long life, prosperity, burial, and decline of each line, and precisely analyze their mutual overcoming, harm, punishment, and conflict. Fortune and misfortune arise from these, and the determination of good and bad fortune depends on them.

貴人乘祿馬，縱非吉慶也無凶；天喜會青龍，雖遇悲哀終有喜。白虎動本非佳兆，惟孕育反作吉神；子孫興總曰禎祥，問功名偏為惡客。官鬼不宜持世，求名婚娶兩相宜；妻財俱喜扶身，父母文書偏畏忌。玄武陰私兼失脫，螣蛇怪異及虛驚。朱雀本主官非，仕宦當生喜美；勾陳職專田土，行人終見遲留。

The Heavenly Joy (天乙贵人) if also accompanied by the禄 (Lucky Post) andPost Horse (Post Horse), though not necessarily auspicious, will certainly not bring misfortune. If Heavenly Joy (Heavenly Joy) joins with Azure Dragon (Azure Dragon), even if one is currently facing sorrow, it will eventually turn into joy. The White Tiger (白虎) is generally an ominous sign, but when it comes to childbirth, it becomes a favorable deity. A prosperous Children (Children)爻 is usually considered auspicious, but when asking about official rank, it becomes an ill omen because Children (Children) overcomes Official Ghost (Official Ghost). Official Ghost (Official Ghost)爻 should not be the ruler, but it is suitable for seeking official rank or asking about marriage. Wealth (Wealth)爻 is generally welcomed to support the main subject, but it is most忌 (to be avoided) when asking about parents or matters concerning documents. Black Tortoise (Black Tortoise) signifies hidden affairs and theft, while 螣蛇 (Tie Sha) indicates strange occurrences and false alarms. Vermilion Bird (Vermilion Bird) usually signifies legal disputes and verbal conflicts, but for officials, it brings good fortune and joy. Gou Chen (Gou Chen) governs land and property, and when encountering it in divination about a person's whereabouts, the person will eventually be delayed or detained.

鬼者，無形而有用；卦中不可無，宜靜不宜動。帶吉神動，亦能為福；加凶煞動，無不為殃。占身無鬼，資財聚散無常，多招兄弟嫉妒。占婚無鬼，婚難成；縱成，夫當夭折。占官無鬼，功名難就；卦中縱有貴人，終為貴而無位。占訟無鬼，無官主張，訟以官為主，其事難成。占失脫無鬼，必自遺失；不然，賊亦難獲。

The official ghost line is not visible but very useful: a hexagram cannot do without it, but it should be quiet and not active. If it is activated along with a good deity, it can bring blessings; but if activated withInauspicious Sha, it will certainly bring disaster. When divining about oneself and there is no official ghost in the hexagram, one's wealth will be unstable and often lost, and one will also face jealousy from siblings. When divining about marriage and there is no official ghost, the marriage will not succeed; even if it does, the husband will die early. When divining about official positions and there is no official ghost, one's achievements will not be realized; even if there are noble people in the hexagram, they will only bring noble energy but no actual position. When divining about legal disputes and there is no official ghost, there will be no official to support one; since legal matters depend on the official line, without support the matter will not be resolved. When divining about lost items and there is no official ghost, the item is certainly lost by oneself; if not, even if there is a thief, it will be difficult to catch.

求財無鬼，兄弟必爭權；主在他人手下趁財，財亦薄。占宅無鬼，謂之無氣。鬼者，財之主也。財雖旺，必有主張，然後能聚；無鬼無主也，必主破耗多端、資財不聚。占病無鬼，必無叩告之門，乃天年命盡也，其病難療。惟有占產、出行、行人、田蠶，無鬼方為大吉之兆也。

When seeking wealth and the divination lacks a ghost, the siblings' line will certainly come to compete for control over the wealth, indicating that one can only live under others' authority, earning meager profits. When divining the household and there is no ghost, it is called 'no vitality.' The ghost is the master of wealth; even if the wealth line is prosperous and strong, it needs a master to hold onto it. Without a ghost, there is no master, leading to continuous losses and inability to accumulate wealth. When divining illness and there is no ghost, it means there is no way to pray or appeal, indicating that the person's natural lifespan has ended and the illness is difficult to cure. Only in divinations concerning childbirth, travel, people's whereabouts, and agriculture does the absence of a ghost signify a great auspicious omen.

且如申日占，卦遇用爻屬木，木見申則絕，木爻無用矣。此同無也。若得水爻發動，水長生動來相生，木爻仍復有用。譬如人當困窮之際，得遇貴人扶持，必有寒谷回春之象，此乃是絕處逢生也。占婚：遇世應絕處逢生，事將解而後成，意先淡而後濃。或可言男女家貧乏無力，得人扶策，其事亦可成。

For example, if a divination is cast on a day of Shen, and a line in the hexagram belongs to wood, the wood line will fall into the "绝" (decline) stage of the twelve long life stages when it meets Shen. This wood line becomes ineffective, as if it were not present in the hexagram at all. However, if a water line is activated, Shen is actually the place where water begins to grow, so the water line comes to support the wood line, restoring its usefulness. This is like a person in a state of hardship and poverty suddenly encountering the support of a nobleman, leading to a revival of hope, which is called "绝处逢生" (revival from decline). In matters of marriage, if the world line and response line are in a state of "绝处逢生," the situation is one where the relationship first breaks apart and then reunites, with the feelings of both parties initially fading and then becoming stronger. It can also be said that the two families were originally weak and unable to support the marriage, but with the help of a third party, the marriage can still be arranged.

占產：遇子孫絕處逢生，子將死而復生。妻財絕處逢生，妻將危而有救，乃凶中回吉之象。占官：遇父母絕處逢生，文書雖有阻節，終有貴人主張，其事必成。占訟：遇官鬼絕處逢生，必無官吏主張，若見財動相生，可用資財囑託官吏，姑待官鬼旺相年月日，其事可振。求財：遇妻財絕處逢生，其財易求，利殊厚，非比旺相之財有限，生乃之財無窮也。

Divination regarding childbirth: if the children's hexagram is revived after being in decline, the child will die but then revive; if the wealth hexagram is revived after being in decline, the mother will be in danger but then be saved. These are signs of misfortune turning into good fortune. Divination regarding official positions: if the parents' hexagram is revived after being in decline, although official documents may face obstacles, a nobleman will eventually intervene and take charge, ensuring the matter is completed. Divination regarding lawsuits: if the official ghost hexagram is revived after being in decline, originally there would be no official willing to take sides, but if the wealth hexagram becomes active and revives the official ghost, one can use money to bribe officials, and then wait for the year, month, or day when the official ghost is prosperous and strong, and the case can then be revived. Divination regarding wealth: if the wealth hexagram is revived after being in decline, this wealth is easily obtained and brings especially great profits; unlike wealth in a prosperous and strong state, which is limited in amount, wealth revived from decline is continuous and abundant.

出行：遇世爻絕處逢生，本意已懶，被人糾合。行人：若應爻絕處逢生，必遇故人同回。若世克則不然，必是他鄉遇故知，不免稽延。家宅：吉神逢絕處逢生，家宅復有興隆之象；凶神絕處逢生，災欲退而禍復來，病治瘥而官事至。占國同此義推。占病：用爻與吉神絕處逢生，病將死而復活。鬼爻與忌神絕處逢生，病欲安而復作。

Divination for travel, if the World Line is in a state of death but then receives a beneficial influence, it indicates that the person originally had no intention to go, but was persuaded and joined by others. Divination for a person who is away, if the Response Line is in a state of death but then receives a beneficial influence, it means that the person will meet an old acquaintance and return together. However, if the World Line instead goes on to overcome the Response Line, then it is different; this indicates that the person meets an old acquaintance in a foreign place, and the journey will inevitably be delayed. Divination for the family residence, if a beneficial deity is in a state of death but then receives a beneficial influence, the family residence will experience a new period of prosperity. If a harmful deity is in a state of death but then receives a beneficial influence, it means that disaster is about to subside but will return again, and illness is about to recover but legal troubles will come again. Divination for state affairs follows the same principle. Divination for illness, if the爻 (line) associated with a beneficial deity is in a state of death but then receives a beneficial influence, the patient will die but then recover. If the ghost line associated with a harmful deity is in a state of death but then receives a beneficial influence, the illness is about to recover but will recur.

且如占得雷地豫卦。世應相生，六爻相合，吉無不利，乃事事可成之象也。卻在子日占得，子沖應上午、害世上未，此乃合處逢沖也。占婚遇之，必然被人說破，兩邊相毀，當見將成而解。占官若遇官鬼文書逢沖，貴人見許，復不作成，文書將完而不就。占財遇之，財將入手而不得。謀事遇之，必因人阻滯，事將成而有變。惟有占訟與病，喜遇合處逢沖。合則事必成，逢沖災必散。事將危而有救、病欲死而復生。其餘仿此。又云：吉神合處不可沖，凶神合處喜逢沖也。庶幾可遵此斷。

For example, if one divines the Hexagram 16 Yu (Thunder over Earth), and the World Line and Response Line are mutually generating, with all six lines paired in mutual generation, it is a favorable omen indicating success in all endeavors. However, if the divination is done on a day of Zi (Water), the Zi water will conflict with the Wu fire on the Response Line, and also harm the Wei earth on the World Line. This is called "meeting a conjunction and then a conflict." In matters of marriage, this indicates that someone will reveal the truth, leading to mutual defamation between the two parties, causing the relationship to seem successful yet ultimately fall apart. In matters of official positions, if the Official Ghost and Document lines are affected by conflict, even though a nobleman has already agreed, he will later refuse to support the matter, resulting in the completion of documents but not their finalization. In matters of wealth, the wealth is about to be obtained but will not be secured. In matters of planning, the matter is about to succeed but will encounter obstacles due to interference from others, leading to changes. However, in matters of lawsuits and illness, this situation is actually favorable: the conjunction indicates that the matter can be resolved, while the conflict signifies that the disaster will be dispelled, turning a dangerous situation into a rescue and a critical illness into recovery. For other matters, one can follow this pattern accordingly. It is also said that the conjunction of auspicious spirits should not be conflicted again, while the conjunction of inauspicious spirits is actually favorable when conflicted. One can generally follow this principle for interpretation.

隨官入墓，其目有三：有身隨鬼入墓，有世隨鬼入墓，有命隨鬼入墓。且如丑日，占得雷水解卦。身鬼俱在五爻，此乃身隨鬼入墓也。若未日，占得山天大畜。世在二爻屬木，乃世隨鬼入墓也。又如未日，寅日生人，占得地雷復，卯日生人占得火澤睽，本命皆在鬼爻，此乃命隨鬼入墓也。以上三墓，不問占何事，皆非吉兆。

The term "following the official ghost into the tomb" has three types: first, the hexagram body follows the official ghost into the tomb, second, the world line follows the official ghost into the tomb, and third, the personal destiny follows the official ghost into the tomb. For example, if on a day of Chou (丑) one draws the Xie hexagram (Thunder over Water), the hexagram body and the official ghost are both on the fifth line, and Chou is exactly the tomb of this line, this is called the body following the official ghost into the tomb. If on a day of Wei (未) one draws the Da Xu hexagram (Great Accumulation), the world line is on the second line which belongs to wood, and the tomb of wood is Wei, this is called the world line following the official ghost into the tomb. Another example is when on a day of Wei (未) one draws a hexagram, and a person born on the day of Yin (寅) draws the Fu hexagram (Returning), or a person born on the day of Mao (卯) draws the Kui hexagram (Dividing), the branch of their birth falls on the official ghost line and also meets the tomb, this is called the destiny following the official ghost into the tomb. All these three types of entering the tomb, regardless of what is being divined, are not auspicious signs.

占身遇之，須防目下有災，終身不能顯達。占婚，遇世隨鬼入墓，男家貧乏，男財不備。占產，遇命隨鬼入墓，須防妻命入黃泉。求官遇之，事體難成。若已求成來占，終不能振。若入殺墓，能入任所終不能出也。（殺墓者：丁未、戊戌是也。）占訟遇之，恐有牢獄禁繫之憂，或訟散身危，或訟中有病。求財遇之，勤勞備歷，終歸他人。

When divining about oneself and encountering this, one should be cautious as there is disaster imminent and one will never achieve success in life. When divining about marriage and encountering the World Line following the ghost into the grave, the man's family is poor and even the dowry cannot be prepared. When divining about childbirth and encountering the native following the ghost into the grave, one should be cautious as the mother's life may be in danger. When seeking officialdom and encountering this, the matter will be difficult to achieve; even if it has already been achieved and one comes to divinate, in the end one will not be able to rise again. If it enters the 'kill grave' (杀墓), one can reach the post but will never be able to leave. The 'kill grave' refers to the two stems, Dingwei and Wuxu. When divining about lawsuits and encountering this, one may face imprisonment or danger even if the case is dismissed, or one may get sick before the case is resolved. When seeking wealth and encountering this, one will work hard but ultimately lose the money to others.

出行遇之，多是去不成，若去愈為不美，必主去後有病。行人遇之：作本名占最不吉，必有突險。家宅遇之，須防宅長有災，更加凶殺，必見頃危。移居相遇，定移不成。占病遇之，十占九死。風水逢之，坐下必有伏尸，舊穴。以前略舉一二卦為例，其餘各以類推。

If you divinate about travel and encounter this, it is mostly impossible to go; if you force the journey, it will be even worse, and after leaving, illness is certain. If you divinate about a traveler and use the name of the traveler himself, it is extremely inauspicious, and there will certainly be sudden misfortune. If you divinate about the family residence and encounter this, be cautious about the head of the household suffering misfortune; addingInauspicious Sha, there is a visible danger of collapse. If you divinate about moving house and encounter this, it is certain that you cannot move. If you divinate about illness and encounter this, nine out of ten will result in death. If you divinate about the风水 of a burial site and encounter this, there must be old corpses beneath the grave site. The above is only a brief example of a couple of hexagrams; the rest should be inferred in the same way.

且如六爻安靜，不遇沖則不動。若日辰相沖，名曰暗動。暗動者，有吉有凶，各有所用焉，不可一概而論。若遇凶煞暗動，傷身克世，百事皆不為佳。吉神暗動，合世生身，事事無不為吉。吾推其義，暗者必非明也，乃陰私潛然也。福來而不知，禍來而未覺。爻吉則暗中有補，爻凶則暗中有傷。

For example, if all six lines of a hexagram are still and not activated, they will not move unless they are triggered by a clash. If the day branch of the divination day clashes with a line, that line is called "dark movement." Dark movement can be auspicious or inauspicious, each having its own function and cannot be judged as a whole. If an inauspicious evil star line moves secretly, it may harm the hexagram body and attack the world line, leading to many misfortunes. If an auspicious god line moves secretly, it may harmonize with the world line and support the hexagram body, resulting in all things going well. I have studied the meaning of the word "dark": dark means unclear, referring to private matters happening secretly. When fortune arrives, one may not be aware; when misfortune comes, one may not notice. If a line is auspicious, someone will secretly benefit it; if a line is inauspicious, someone will secretly harm it.

占婚遇之，吉則暗中有人網維，凶則暗中有人破說。占產遇胎爻或子孫爻暗動，必曾轉胎。占求官遇之，吉則有無心之機會，暗中得人作成，凶則暗中有人損己，默然害事。占訟遇之，吉則得閒人說方便，陰中有人護我，凶則暗中有人謀害。失脫遇之，吉則言暗中捕捉可獲，凶則言此事暗味，不可追尋。求財遇之，吉則言求之利益殊厚；凶則言須防凶暗費財，或陰中被人劫騙，罔可知覺。

When divining about marriage and the hexagram indicates covert movement, if it is auspicious, it means someone is secretly helping to bring about the marriage and maintain it. If it is inauspicious, it means someone is secretly revealing the truth and causing the marriage to break up. When divining about childbirth, if the hexagram indicates covert movement in the hexagram representing the fetus or the hexagram representing children, it means the fetus has definitely changed position. When divining about seeking official positions, if it is auspicious, it means there will be unexpected opportunities, and someone is secretly helping to achieve the goal. If it is inauspicious, it means someone is secretly harming you, causing trouble without making a noise. When divining about legal disputes, if it is auspicious, it means someone unrelated is secretly pleading for you, and someone is secretly supporting you. If it is inauspicious, it means someone is secretly plotting to harm you. When divining about lost items, if it is auspicious, it means secretly searching will lead to recovery. If it is inauspicious, it means the situation is unclear and there is no way to trace the item. When divining about seeking wealth, if it is auspicious, it means the profit sought will be especially abundant. If it is inauspicious, it means one should be cautious of spending money secretly or being robbed without realizing it.

出行逢之，須防不測，吉凶皆然。行人遇之，吉則言心欲動而未發，凶則言闇昧中有阻節，未能到。家宅遇之，吉則言暗中有補助，福已至而不知；凶則言暗中有事至，禍欲萌而未覺。占病遇之，吉則言病人有默佑，凶則言脈陰隙所致也，病人不病須防暗有傷。此章宜細玩之，萬無一失。

When divining about travel and encountering this sign, one should be cautious of unexpected events, whether good or bad, and remain vigilant. When divining about a traveler and encountering this sign, if it is auspicious, it indicates that the person has already thought about leaving but has not yet departed; if it is inauspicious, it suggests that the person has encountered obstacles in a dark or unclear situation and cannot arrive immediately. When divining about the household and encountering this sign, if it is auspicious, it means that someone is secretly helping, and good fortune has already arrived without the person's awareness; if it is inauspicious, it indicates that something ominous is approaching secretly, and misfortune is just beginning without the person's realization. When divining about illness and encountering this sign, if it is auspicious, it means that the patient is being secretly protected by divine forces; if it is inauspicious, it suggests that the illness is caused by a deficiency and weakness in the body's meridians, and even though the patient is not currently ill, they should be careful as they may have already been harmed secretly. This chapter should be carefully considered and used, ensuring no mistakes are made.

生助官鬼者，不過妻財也。不宜發動，動則衰鬼變成旺鬼。旺鬼遇之，其勢愈凶。且如申日占得離卦，鬼臨應爻克世，本非佳兆，更兼妻財發動，生助鬼爻，其凶愈甚，此乃助鬼傷身也。凡卦中鬼爻克身世者，無財，凶有限；若有兩財皆動，其禍大凶。占身遇之，須防日下有災，若財帶桃花又加玄武，恐斯人色慾過度，必致傷身；或偏居寵妾甚多也。

The only line that can generate and support the official ghost is the wealth line. The wealth line should not be activated; once it is activated, it will turn a weak official ghost into a strong one. If the official ghost is already strong, encountering the wealth line will make its power even more fierce. For example, if on a day of Shen, one draws the fire hexagram, and the official ghost line is on the response line to attack the world line, this is already an ominous sign. If the wealth line is also activated to support the official ghost, the danger becomes even greater, which is called "helping the ghost to harm oneself." Whenever the official ghost line attacks the hexagram body or the world line, as long as there is no wealth line, the danger has some limits. However, if two wealth lines are activated at the same time, the disaster will be extremely severe. If this appears in a divination about oneself, one should be cautious of immediate misfortune. If the wealth line is accompanied by "peach blossom" and "black tortoise," it is likely that the person has excessive sexual desires, leading to harm, or has too many concubines.

占婚遇之，亦不為吉。世者男家也，鬼者夫也，自克自家，本不為美；更遇財爻發動，生助鬼爻，縱使成就，必主其婦不賢不孝公姑，搬唆夫主，割戶分門，不和兄弟。占產遇鬼克二爻（注：二爻也為胎爻。），妻財發動，乃母之命必克子，主懷胎之後胎兒不安，亦主難產難養。求官遇鬼帶貴克世，乃日轉遷階之象。若鬼帶大殺劫殺克世，又兼財動生殺，必主身有災殃，官防革剝。

When divining about marriage and encountering this situation, it is not auspicious. The World Line represents the male family, and the Ghost Line represents the husband. If the Ghost Line overcomes the World Line, it is like the family overcoming itself, which is not favorable. If the Wealth Line also becomes active and supports the Ghost Line, even if the marriage is successful, it will certainly indicate that the wife is unvirtuous, disrespectful to her in-laws, incites the husband, causes the family to split, and has conflicts with her siblings. When divining about childbirth, if the Ghost Line overcomes the Second Line (which is the胎爻, the fetal line), and the Wealth Line becomes active, it indicates that the mother's fate will overcome the child, leading to instability in the fetal condition after conception, and also a difficult childbirth and difficulty in raising the child. When seeking official positions, if the Ghost Line comes with a Nobleman to overcome the World Line, it signifies continuous promotion and advancement. However, if the Ghost Line comes with 'Great Kill' or '劫杀' (plundering kill) to overcome the World Line, and the Wealth Line becomes active to support the killer, it will certainly indicate personal misfortune, and those in official positions should beware of being dismissed from office or losing their positions.

占訟遇之，他人廣費資財，囑託官吏；主官司不順，我必輸；乃以直作曲之象，大凶。失脫遇之，因財露見，動人眼目，故失，須防再求。又云：恐是自失之後，被人獲去，事出偶然，見財起謀，非故意偷也。求財遇鬼帶大小耗，必主此財求得之後，非官即病，耗散費用。出行遇之，因財忽有阻節。

When divining about legal matters and encountering this, it indicates the other party will spend a lot of money to bribe officials, leading to unfavorable legal outcomes for me, and I will certainly lose. It signifies that justice will be turned into injustice, which is very ominous. When divining about lost items and encountering this, it suggests the loss is due to exposure of wealth and attracting attention, and there is also a need to be cautious of further theft. It is also said that perhaps the loss was accidental, and someone picked it up, and the incident happened by chance, with greed arising upon seeing wealth, not intentional theft. When seeking wealth and the ghost爻 carries 'Great Loss' or 'Minor Loss', it certainly indicates that after obtaining the wealth, one will either get into legal trouble or fall ill, and the wealth will be wasted away. When divining about travel and encountering this, it indicates sudden obstacles arising due to money.

家宅遇之，乃財多害己也。若鬼帶白虎、喪門、弔客之類，必因財有病；若鬼加朱雀、官苻，必因財致訟。又云：或家有不賢之妻，多招禍殃。占國遇之，必有奸臣聚斂，蒙蔽其主，恐乖國政。占病遇之，若占父母必致頃危，其餘問病，亦是沉重纏綿，卒難脫體。若作本名占，或因財致病，或房事過頻，乃大凶之兆。以上諸事，若有子孫發動，解神來救，庶可反凶成吉，變禍為祥。

When divining about the family home and encountering this situation, it indicates that having too much wealth can actually harm oneself. If the ghost爻 is accompanied by "White Tiger," "Sāngmén," or "Dòukè," it is certain that illness will result from financial matters. If the ghost爻 is combined with "Vermilion Bird" or "Official Seal," it will certainly lead to legal troubles due to money. It is also said that if there is an unvirtuous wife in the family, many misfortunes will follow. When divining about state affairs, it indicates that there are corrupt ministers accumulating wealth and deceiving the monarch, possibly leading to the collapse of state governance. When divining about illness, if it refers to the parents, the condition will be critical; if others inquire about illness, it will be a severe and prolonged illness, difficult to recover from. If the person's own name is used for divination, it may indicate illness caused by financial issues or excessive sexual activity, both of which are ominous signs. All these situations can be reversed from misfortune to good fortune and from calamity to auspiciousness if theChildren Line is activated in the hexagram and acts as a Relief Deity to rescue.

春木旺，秋金旺，夏火旺，冬水旺。當生者旺，所生者相，生我者休，克我者囚，我克者死。春：寅卯木旺，巳午火相，辰戌丑未土死，申酉金囚，亥子水休。夏：巳午火旺，辰戌丑未土相，申酉金死，亥子水囚，寅卯木休。秋：申酉金旺，亥子水相，寅卯木死，死午火囚，辰戌丑未土休。冬：亥子水旺，寅卯木相，巳午火死，辰戌丑未土囚，申酉金休。

In spring, wood is strongest, in autumn, metal is strongest, in summer, fire is strongest, and in winter, water is strongest. The strength of the Five Phases is divided into five levels: those that share the same season and are in their prime are called "旺" (strong); those that are generated by the dominant season are called "相" (auxiliary); those that generate the dominant season but are themselves weakened are called "休" (resting); those that are overcome by the dominant season but are restrained are called "囚" (captured); and those that are overcome by the dominant season are called "死" (dead). In spring,寅 and 卯 wood are strong,巳 and 午 fire are auxiliary,辰, 戌, 丑, and 未 earth are dead,申 and 酉 metal are captured, and 亥 and 子 water are resting. In summer,巳 and 午 fire are strong,辰, 戌, 丑, and 未 earth are auxiliary,申 and 酉 metal are dead,亥 and 子 water are captured, and 寅 and 卯 wood are resting. In autumn,申 and 酉 metal are strong,亥 and 子 water are auxiliary,寅 and 卯 wood are dead,巳 and 午 fire are captured (the original text mistakenly writes "巳" as "死"), and 辰, 戌, 丑, and 未 earth are resting. In winter,亥 and 子 water are strong,寅 and 卯 wood are auxiliary,巳 and 午 fire are dead,辰, 戌, 丑, and 未 earth are captured, and 申 and 酉 metal are resting.

巽立夏，離夏至，坤立秋，震春分，兌秋分，艮立春，坎冬至，乾立冬。旺、相、胎、沒、死、休、囚、廢，周而復始順數是也。上圖立春從艮位順數，餘仿此。附表：旺、相、胎、沒、死、休、囚、廢。立春：艮、震、巽、離、坤、兌、乾、坎。春分：震、巽、離、坤、兌、乾、坎、艮。立夏：巽、離、坤、兌、乾、坎、艮、震。夏至：離、坤、兌、乾、坎、艮、震、巽。立秋：坤、兌、乾、坎、艮、震、巽、離。秋分：兌、乾、坎、艮、震、巽、離、坤。立冬：乾、坎、艮、震、巽、離、坤、兌。冬至：坎、艮、震、巽、離、坤、兌、乾。

The Eight Trigrams occupy the eight directions and each governs a solar term: the Xun Trigram governs the Beginning of Summer, the Li Trigram governs the Summer Solstice, the Kun Trigram governs the Beginning of Autumn, the Zhen Trigram governs the Vernal Equinox, the Dui Trigram governs the Autumnal Equinox, the Gen Trigram governs the Beginning of Spring, the Kan Trigram governs the Winter Solstice, and the Qian Trigram governs the Beginning of Winter. The strength and decline of the Eight Trigrams follow eight stages: "Prosperous, Flourishing, Fetus, Decline, Death, Rest, Captivity, and Wastage," cycling through the directions in order. The method of using the diagram is: starting from the Gen Trigram position for the Beginning of Spring, count "Prosperous." The other seven solar terms each start from their respective positions and follow the same pattern. The table below lists the stages of the Eight Trigrams for each solar term: Beginning of Spring, Gen is Prosperous, Zhen is Flourishing, Xun is Fetus, Li is Decline, Kun is Death, Dui is Rest, Qian is Captivity, and Kan is Wastage; Vernal Equinox, Zhen is Prosperous, Xun is Flourishing, Li is Fetus, Kun is Decline, Dui is Death, Qian is Rest, Kan is Captivity, and Gen is Wastage; Beginning of Summer, Xun is Prosperous, Li is Flourishing, Kun is Fetus, Dui is Decline, Qian is Death, Kan is Rest, Gen is Captivity, and Zhen is Wastage; Summer Solstice, Li is Prosperous, Kun is Flourishing, Dui is Fetus, Qian is Decline, Kan is Death, Gen is Rest, Zhen is Captivity, and Xun is Wastage; Beginning of Autumn, Kun is Prosperous, Dui is Flourishing, Qian is Fetus, Kan is Decline, Gen is Death, Zhen is Rest, Xun is Captivity, and Li is Wastage; Autumnal Equinox, Dui is Prosperous, Qian is Flourishing, Kan is Fetus, Gen is Decline, Zhen is Death, Xun is Rest, Li is Captivity, and Kun is Wastage; Beginning of Winter, Qian is Prosperous, Kan is Flourishing, Gen is Fetus, Zhen is Decline, Xun is Death, Li is Rest, Kun is Captivity, and Dui is Wastage; Winter Solstice, Kan is Prosperous, Gen is Flourishing, Zhen is Fetus, Xun is Decline, Li is Death, Kun is Rest, Dui is Captivity, and Qian is Wastage.

一、論十天干：甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸。二、論十二地支：子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥。三、論十干合：甲與己合、乙與庚合、丙與辛合、丁與壬合、戊與癸合。四、十二支合：子與丑合、寅與亥合、卯與戌合、辰與酉合、巳與申合、午與未合。五、論三合局：寅午戌合火局，巳酉丑合金局，申子辰合水局，亥卯未合木局。

The ten heavenly stems are in order: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui. The twelve earthly branches are in order: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai. The pairing pattern of the heavenly stems is as follows: Jia combines with Ji, Yi combines with Geng, Bing combines with Xin, Ding combines with Ren, and Wu combines with Gui. The pairing pattern of the earthly branches, known as the Six Harmonies, is as follows: Zi combines with Chou, Yin combines with Hai, Mao combines with Xu, Chen combines with You, Si combines with Shen, and Wu combines with Wei. Three branches combine to form a Triple Harmony Formation, known as the Triple Harmony. The pattern is as follows: Yin, Wu, and Xu form the Fire Formation; Si, Shen, and Chou form the Metal Formation; Shen, Zi, and Chen form the Water Formation; and Hai, Mao, and Wei form the Wood Formation. When setting up a hexagram for divination, if there is a combination, first check the Six Harmonies; if there are no Six Harmonies, then check the Triple Harmonies.

六、論天元祿：甲祿在寅，乙祿在卯，丙戊祿巳，丁己祿午，庚祿申，辛祿酉，壬祿在亥，癸祿在子。七、論驛馬：（若卜行人，遇日辰克行人爻，驛馬動立至。）寅午戌馬在申，申子辰馬在寅，巳酉丑馬在亥，亥卯未馬在巳。假如：寅午戌日，申爻是驛馬，酉：六害；戌：華蓋；亥：劫殺；子：災殺；丑：天殺；寅：地殺；卯：年殺；辰：月殺；巳：亡神；午：將星；未：攀鞍。八、論天乙貴人：甲戊並牛羊，乙己鼠猴鄉，丙丁豬雞位，壬癸兔蛇藏，庚辛逢虎馬，此是貴人方。九、福星貴人：甲丙相邀入虎鄉，更逢鼠穴最高強。戊申己未丁宜亥，乙癸逢牛福祿昌。庚趁馬頭辛帶巳，壬騎龍背喜非常。

"The Heavenly Stem's Wealth" is determined by the earthly branch where the stem's essential energy resides: Jia's wealth is in Yin, Yi's wealth is in Mao, Bing and Wu share their wealth in Si, Ding and Ji share their wealth in Wu, Geng's wealth is in Shen, Xin's wealth is in You, Ren's wealth is in Hai, and Gui's wealth is in Zi. "Post Horse" signifies movement and travel; if one is predicting the arrival of a person and the day branch overcomes the爻 representing the person while the Post Horse is activated, the person will arrive immediately. The Post Horse is calculated based on the first branch of the Triple Harmony Formation: in the Yin-Wu-Xu formation, Shen is the Post Horse; in the Shen-Zi-Chen formation, Yin is the Post Horse; in the Si-You-Chou formation, Hai is the Post Horse; and in the Hai-Mao-Wei formation, Si is the Post Horse. For example, on a Yin-Wu-Xu day, the Shen爻 is the Post Horse, and the subsequent branches are: You as the Sixth Harm, Xu as the Cloud Cover, Hai as the Robbery Kill, Zi as the Disaster Kill, Chou as the Heaven Kill, Yin as the Earth Kill, Mao as the Year Kill, Chen as the Month Kill, Si as the Lost Spirit, Wu as the General Star, and Wei as the Climbing Saddle. The mnemonic for "Heavenly Nobleman" is: on Jia or Wu days, the Nobleman is in Chou (Ox) or Wei (Goat); on Yi or Ji days, the Nobleman is in Zi (Rat) or Shen (Monkey); on Bing or Ding days, the Nobleman is in Hai (Pig) or You (Rooster); on Ren or Gui days, the Nobleman is in Mao (Rabbit) or Si (Snake); on Geng or Xin days, the Nobleman is in Yin (Tiger) or Wu (Horse). The mnemonic for "Favorable Star Nobleman" is: Jia and Bing stems are favorable in Yin (Tiger) position, and if they also meet Zi (Rat) position, it is especially strong; Wu takes Chou (Ox), Ji takes Wei (Goat), Ding is favorable in Hai (Pig); Yi and Gui meet Chou (Ox) for prosperity and honor; Geng takes Wu (Horse), Xin takes Si (Snake), Ren rides on Chen (Dragon) back, all indicating great joy and celebration.

十、論天喜：春戌夏丑為天喜，秋辰冬未三三止。正月戌、二月亥、三月子，順輪十二位是也。十一、論天德：春亥夏寅天德隨，秋巳冬申君需知。正月從亥上起，順輪十二位是也。十二、論月德：春未夏戌月德臨，七丑十龍可追尋。正月從未上起，順輪十二位是也。十三、天月二德：正丁二坤宮，三壬四辛同，五乾六甲上，七癸八艮同，九丙十居乙，子巽丑庚中。十四、月解：月解正二起於申，三四還從酉上臨，五六之月居戌上，七八能行亥上存，九十之月臨午位，子丑兩月未宮停。病人有此解神，天醫上卦即病癒也。

Heavenly Joy signifies joy and celebration: in spring it is in戌, in summer in丑, in autumn in辰, and in winter in未. Between the four seasons, they are each three positions apart, hence the saying "three threes stop." If calculated by month, then in the first month it is in戌, the second in亥, the third in子, and so on in sequence through the twelve branches. Heavenly Virtue signifies protection: in spring it is in亥, in summer in寅, in autumn in巳, and in winter in申. Please remember this; when calculating by month, it starts from亥 in the first month and proceeds through the twelve branches in order. Monthly Virtue signifies blessings: in spring it is in未, in summer in戌, in the seventh month in丑, and in the tenth month in辰 (Dragon). When calculating by month, it starts from未 in the first month and proceeds through the twelve branches in order. The Heavenly and Monthly Virtues are paired with the heavenly stems and earthly branches according to the month: the first month pairs with丁, the second with坤宫, the third with壬, the fourth with辛, the fifth with乾, the sixth with甲, the seventh with癸, the eighth with艮, the ninth with丙, the tenth with乙, the eleventh month (子月) pairs with巽, and the twelfth month (丑月) pairs with庚. Monthly Relief signifies the removal of calamities: in the first and second months it starts from申, in the third and fourth months it is in酉, in the fifth and sixth months in戌, in the seventh and eighth months in亥, in the ninth and tenth months in午, and in the eleventh and twelfth months it stops in theWei Palace. If a patient's hexagram contains this Relief Deity, and also has the Heavenly Doctor as the upper trigram, the illness will be cured.

十五、日解：甲己逢蛇乙庚猴，丙辛逢虎丁壬牛，戊癸雞啼官事散，病人無藥不須憂。官事若得旺發即散也。十六、天醫：天醫正卯二豬臨，三月隨丑四未尋，五蛇六兔七居亥，八丑九羊十巳存，十一再來尋卯上，十二亥上作醫人。病人有此爻上卦，必主名醫下藥有效也。十七、天赦：春戊寅，夏甲午，秋戊申，冬甲子。十八、喝散：春巳夏居申，秋豬冬到寅，官事若遇此，喝散不由人。十九、活曜：天嗣：春水、夏木、秋土、冬金。皇恩貴：春亥、夏申、秋未、冬午。

The "Daily Explanation" states that according to the day stem, if on the day of Jia or Ji, the branch Si (Snake) appears, or on the day of Yi or Geng, the branch Shen (Monkey) appears, or on the day of Bing or Xin, the branch Yin (Tiger) appears, or on the day of Ding or Ren, the branch Chou (Ox) appears, or on the day of Wu or Gui, the branch You (Rooster) appears, then legal disputes will be resolved. Even if the patient does not receive medicine at the moment, there is no need to worry. Legal matters will be resolved immediately if this line is prosperous and strong. "Heavenly Doctor" indicates a good physician and medicine. According to the month, the branch for the month is as follows: in the first month, it is Mao (Rabbit); in the second month, it is Hai (Pig); in the third month, it is Chou (Ox); in the fourth month, it is Wei (Goat); in the fifth month, it is Si (Snake); in the sixth month, it is Mao (Rabbit); in the seventh month, it is Hai (Pig); in the eighth month, it is Chou (Ox); in the ninth month, it is Wei (Goat); in the tenth month, it is Si (Snake); in the eleventh month, it returns to Mao (Rabbit); in the twelfth month, it is Hai (Pig). If the patient's hexagram contains this line in the upper trigram, they will certainly meet a famous doctor and the medicine will take effect. "Heavenly Pardon" indicates the forgiveness of sins: in spring, take the day of Wuyin; in summer, take the day of Jiawu; in autumn, take the day of Wushen; in winter, take the day of Jiazi. "Drinking Dismissal" indicates that a single drink will disperse: in spring, it is Si (Snake); in summer, it is Shen (Monkey); in autumn, it is Hai (Pig); in winter, it is Yin (Tiger). If legal matters meet this, they will not be avoided. "Living Brightness" has two types: one is "Heavenly Succession," which indicates offspring. In spring, it belongs to water; in summer, to wood; in autumn, to earth; in winter, to metal. The other is "Imperial Grace and Honor," which in spring is Hai (Pig); in summer, Shen (Monkey); in autumn, Wei (Goat); in winter, Wu (Dragon).

二十、皇恩大赦：正戌、二丑、三寅、四巳、五酉、六卯、七子、八午、九亥、十辰、十一申、十二未。二十一、天解：春寅、夏巳、秋申、冬亥。二十二、官事看日解：甲乙蛇頭戊己寅，庚辛酉位丙丁申，壬癸但從卯位是，官事消除百事寧。二十三、外解神：正五九月居子上，二六十月在巳宮，三七十一辰上是，四八十二居申中。此爻動，災患隨散吉。二十四、日解：甲己日亥，乙庚日申，丙辛日丑，丁壬日未，戊癸日辰。

"The Imperial Grace and General Amnesty" is determined by the branch of the month: in January, it is Xu; February, Chou; March, Yin; April, Si; May, You; June, Mao; July, Zi; August, Wu; September, Hai; October, Chen; November, Shen; December, Wei. "Heavenly Relief" is responsible for dispersing calamities: in spring, it is Yin; in summer, Si; in autumn, Shen; in winter, Hai. There is another type of "Daily Relief" determined by the day stem: on Jia and Yi days, it is Si (the head of the snake); on Wu and Ji days, it is Yin; on Geng and Xin days, it is You; on Bing and Ding days, it is Shen; on Ren and Gui days, it is Mao. When this occurs, legal matters are resolved and all affairs become peaceful. "Outer Relief Deity" is determined by the branch of the month: in January, May, and September, it is Zi; in February, June, and October, it is Si; in March, July, and November, it is Chen; in April, August, and December, it is Shen. When this line is activated, disasters dissipate and auspiciousness follows. There is another type of "Daily Relief" determined by the day stem and branch pairing: on Jia and Ji days, it is Hai; on Yi and Geng days, it is Shen; on Bing and Xin days, it is Chou; on Ding and Ren days, it is Wei; on Wu and Gui days, it is Chen.

二十五、十干天赦：甲己東方兔，乙庚亥上求，丙辛居酉上，丁壬未上流，戊癸蛇為穴，萬事不需憂。二十六、天赦神：正五九月在戌方，二六十月到於羊，三七十一居龍位，四八十二在丑場。卦中若得臨應位，縱有大罪也無妨，有重罪，遇此臨用爻發動，大吉。二十七、赦文星：正戌二丑三辰昌，四未五酉六卯強，七子八午九寅位，十月巳上大吉昌，十一申上十二亥，此神持世永無妨。二十八、雷火：正月寅宮二月亥，三申四巳可相親，五六輪環又到寅，周而復始定其神。若與日辰合發旺，官事立散吉。二十九、生氣：春：子丑寅；夏：卯辰巳；秋：午未申；冬：酉戌亥。俱相逢是生氣也。

"The Heavenly Pardon" is determined by the day stem: on Jia and Ji days, take the branch of卯 (Rabbit) in the East; on Yi and Geng days, take the branch of亥 (Pig); on Bing and Xin days, take the branch of酉 (Rooster); on Ding and Ren days, take the branch of未 (Sheep); on Wu and Gui days, take the branch of巳 (Snake). If this is encountered, there is no need to worry about anything. "Heavenly Pardon God" is determined by the month: in January, May, and September, it is in the direction of戌 (Dog); in February, June, and October, it is in the direction of未 (Sheep); in March, July, and November, it is in the direction of辰 (Dragon); in April, August, and December, it is in the direction of丑 (Ox). If this god is present on the response line in the hexagram, even if there is a major crime, there will be no harm. For those who have serious crimes, if this god is on the use line and becomes active, it is very auspicious. "The Amnesty Star" is determined by the month: in January, it is in戌 (Dog); in February, it is in丑 (Ox); in March, it is in辰 (Dragon); in April, it is in未 (Sheep); in May, it is in酉 (Rooster); in June, it is in卯 (Rabbit); in July, it is in子 (Rat); in August, it is in午 (Horse); in September, it is in寅 (Tiger); in October, it is in巳 (Snake), which is most auspicious; in November, it is in申 (Monkey); in December, it is in亥 (Pig). If this god holds the world line, there will be no obstacles. "Thunder and Fire" is determined by the month: in January, it is in寅 (Tiger); in February, it is in亥 (Pig); in March, it is in申 (Monkey); in April, it is in巳 (Snake); in May and June, it cycles back to寅 (Tiger), and so on in a continuous cycle. If this is combined with the day branch and is prosperous and strong, legal disputes will immediately resolve, indicating good fortune. "Life Qi" indicates vitality: in spring, it is in子 (Rat), 丑 (Ox), and寅 (Tiger); in summer, it is in卯 (Rabbit), 辰 (Dragon), and巳 (Snake); in autumn, it is in午 (Horse), 未 (Sheep), and申 (Monkey); in winter, it is in酉 (Rooster), 戌 (Dog), and亥 (Pig). If this is encountered in the hexagram, it indicates life Qi.