Childbirth and nurturing

首出渾沌，判乾坤而生人物；繼興太昊，制嫁娶以合夫妻。迄今數千百年，化生不絕；雖至幾億萬世，絡繹無窮。蓋得陰陽交感，方能胎孕相生。先看子孫，便知男女。

At the beginning, heaven and earth separated from chaos, giving rise to humans and all things. Later, Fuxi (Taihao) emerged and established the marriage ceremony, allowing husband and wife to be united. From that time to the present thousands of years, life has continued without end; even after millions of generations, it will still go on continuously. This is all because of the interaction between yin and yang, which enables conception and birth. Therefore, when predicting childbirth, the first thing to look at is the son and daughter爻 — the son and daughter爻 is the useful god representing the fetus. By determining whether it is yin or yang, one can know if the child will be male or female.

陽為男子，掌中探見；一枝新陰，是女兒門。（右喜看弧帨說。）此段疑原文脫漏。

The Son and Daughter hexagram lines are yang, indicating a boy, which can be known at a glance; if the Son and Daughter hexagram line is a newly arisen yin line, it represents a daughter. In ancient times, when a boy was born, a bow was hung on the left side of the door, and when a girl was born, a silk cloth was hung on the right side of the door. Therefore, the original text has a marginal note saying "It is pleasant to see the bow and the silk cloth," as a hint. The text in this edition seems to have a missing part, so when compiling the sequence, a note was added indicating doubt (this sentence "This section is likely missing from the original text" is a later editorial note and not part of the original text itself).

主星生旺，當生俊秀之肥兒；命曜休囚，必產委靡之弱子。如無福德，莫究胎爻。雙胎雙福必雙生，一克二刑終一夢。

The useful god (main star, i.e., the children'爻) when strong and supported will produce a clear, healthy, and well-nourished child; if the useful god is weak and confined, the child will be weak and thin. If the hexagram has no children'爻 at all, there is no need to further examine the fetal'爻 — there is no fetus to begin with, so there can be no birth. If there are two fetal'爻 and two children'爻 in the hexagram, it indicates twins; however, if one of them is harmed and the other is afflicted, it will ultimately be a false hope and the child will not be retained.

胎臨官鬼，懷妊便有采薪憂；財化子孫，分娩即當勿藥喜。妻財一位，喜見扶持；胎福二爻，怕逢傷害。

The official ghost is sitting on the胎爻, indicating that the pregnant woman will experience illness during pregnancy (the phrase "采薪之忧" is a humble way of saying one is ill). When theWife-Wealth Line moves and transforms into theChildren Line, it signifies that the illness will be resolved upon giving birth, and no medicine is needed (this comes from "勿药有喜" in the Zhou Changes, the Book of Changes). When divining about childbirth, theWife-Wealth Line represents the mother and is most favorable when supported by another爻. The胎爻 andChildren Line represent the fetus and are most feared when they are harmed or attacked.

虎作血神，值子交重胎已破；龍為喜氣，遇胎發動日將臨。福遇龍空，胎動乃墮胎虛喜；官當虎動，福空乃半產空娠。

The White Tiger is the god of blood; if it is directly on the son's爻 and becomes active (i.e., interacts with another爻), it indicates that the amniotic fluid has broken and childbirth is imminent. The Azure Dragon represents auspicious energy; if it is on the胎爻 and becomes active, it suggests that the time of delivery is approaching. If the son's爻 meets the Azure Dragon but falls into an empty position, the胎 may appear to move but in reality it results in a miscarriage, which is an empty joy. If the Official Ghost is with the White Tiger and becomes active, while the son's爻 is also in an empty position, this indicates a miscarriage or an unsuccessful pregnancy (a 'half birth' refers to a miscarriage, and 'empty pregnancy' means a pregnancy that ends without success).

福已動而日又沖胎，兒必預生於膝下；福被傷而胎仍化鬼，子當屈死於腹中。兄動兮不利其妻，父興兮難為厥子。

TheChildren Line has already activated, and the day branch also comes to冲 the胎爻. Once it is冲, it opens up, meaning the child will definitely be born prematurely. TheChildren Line is being harmed by being克, and the胎爻 transforms intoOfficial Ghost, indicating the child is likely to die tragically in the womb. TheBrothers Line has activated, and the brothers are克 theWealth, which is unfavorable for the mother. TheParents Line is strong, and the parents are克 theChildren, which is also unfavorable for the fetus. When predicting childbirth, we are most concerned about these two yao being in control.

用在空亡逢惡煞，何妨坐草之虞；妻臨玄武入陰宮，果應夢蘭之兆。克世克身，誕生日迫；不沖不發，產日時遲。

The useful god falls into the empty and meets evil stars, indicating danger for a woman in labor (the term "sitting grass" refers to childbirth in ancient times). The wealth line is attached to the black tortoise (indicating secrecy) and enters the palace of the yin hexagram, which indeed corresponds to a favorable omen for pregnancy and childbirth (the story of "dreaming of orchids" refers to the concubine of Zheng Wen Gong dreaming of an angel presenting orchids, leading to the birth of Mu Gong). The children line comes to overcome the world line and the hexagram body, showing that the day of childbirth is approaching. Since the fetal line is not being冲 and the children line is not activated, the time of childbirth will be delayed.

胎福齊興，官父合臨，產難生；子財皆絕，日辰扶將，危有救。間合間生，全賴收生之力；官空官伏，定然遺腹之兒。

The爻 of the fetus and the爻 of children both become active, but the Official Ghost and Parents come to harmonize and approach, with the Parents overcoming the Children and the Official Ghost consuming energy, making childbirth difficult. Both the Children and Wealth爻 are in the state of decline, seeming dangerous. However, if the Day Branch supports and the general situation is favorable, there is still a chance of survival. If the intermediate爻 comes to harmonize and generate, the outcome depends on the skill of the midwife. If the Official Ghost爻 is empty or hidden, the child born will be a stillborn.

游魂卦官鬼空亡，乃背爹落地；發動爻父兄刑害，必攜子歸泉。官化福，胎前多病；財化鬼，產後多災。三合成兄，兒缺乳；六沖遇子，父安然。

A divination showing a wandering soul hexagram with the official ghost爻 falling into the empty亡 position indicates that the father was not present when the child was born (or has already passed away). If the activated爻 is the parents or siblings and it also involves punishment and harm, then both mother and child will die, with the mother taking the child to the afterlife. If the official ghost爻 transforms into the children爻, there will be many illnesses during pregnancy. If the wife's wealth爻 transforms into the official ghost爻, there will be many difficulties after childbirth. If the third line forms a siblings pattern, siblings will harm the wealth, leading to the child lacking milk. If a hexagram of six clashes is drawn and the children爻 is strong, then father and son will be safe and unharmed.

應若逢空，外家無催生之禮物；世如值弟，自家調理絕之肥甘。陽福會青龍，無異桂庭之秀子；陰孫非月建，何殊桃洞之仙姬。

If the Response Line falls into an empty position, the mother's family (the wife's family) will not send gifts to help with childbirth. If the World Line is occupied by Siblings (a type of loss), the family will not be able to afford nourishing food. If the Children Line is yang and is joined by the Azure Dragon, the son born will be as excellent as a fragrant osmanthus tree in the courtyard. If the Children Line is yin and does not align with the Month Builder (though beautiful, it is not in power), then the daughter will be like a fairy in the Peach Blossom Spring, with good looks but limited fortune.

若卜有孕無孕，須詳胎伏胎飛。出現空亡，將衃而復散；交重化絕，既孕而不成。姅必逢官，紞須遇虎。

If the divination is about whether one is pregnant or not, one must carefully examine whether the胎爻 is appearing in the hexagram (飞) or hidden beneath another yao (伏). A胎爻 that appears but falls on an empty and barren position indicates that blood has coagulated but then dispersed, resulting in an unformed pregnancy (「衃」means coagulated blood). If the胎爻 moves and transforms into a绝地, it signifies that a pregnancy has occurred but cannot be sustained. If the 「姅」image (related to menstrual blood) appears, it indicates encountering the official ghost; if the 「紞」image (related to mourning clothes) appears, it indicates encountering the white tiger—both signs indicate an unfavorable outcome for pregnancy.

帶令星而獲助，存沒咸安；有陰地而無傷，緩急非益。如逢玄武，暗裡成胎；若遇文書，此前無子。孕形於內，祗因土並勾陳；胎隱於中，端為臨龍合德。

The胎爻 carries the current star (month builder) and receives assistance from another爻, ensuring the safety of both parents and children. Although it is in a dark place without being harmed or restricted, it does not provide much benefit in urgent situations. If the胎爻 meets theBlack Tortoise (representing secret matters), it indicates a pregnancy conceived in secret. If the parents (documents) are in control (parents restrain children), there have been no children before. The胎 shape is already visible externally, due to the earth爻 accompanying theGou Chen (earth represents substantial form). The胎 remains hidden because it is accompanied by theAzure Dragon and harmonizes with people (harmony leads to concealment).

若問收生之婦，休將兩間而推；如占代養之娘，須以一財而斷。兄動兮手低，乳母須防盜物；父興兮乳少，老孃竊恐傷胎。

If you are asking about a midwife, do not use the two middle lines between the world and response lines for interpretation (those lines represent the matchmaker's position). Instead, use the response line or its associated six relations. If you are divining about hiring a wet nurse, then use only the wealth line — servants and female attendants all fall under the wealth line. If the siblings line is activated, the midwife has poor skills and there is also a risk of the wet nurse stealing property (siblings represent theft and conflict). If the parents line is strong, the parents will overcome the children, indicating the wet nurse has little milk, and the midwife may also be feared for possibly harming the fetus.

子孫發動，乳母手段更高能；兄鬼交重，禍甚世機猶反覆。財合福爻，善能調護；身生子位，理會維持。如逢相剋相沖，決見多災多咎。

TheChildren Line moves, indicating that the wet nurse and midwife are particularly skilled. If both brothers and officials ghosts move strongly, the troubles will be severe and the situation unpredictable. When theWife-Wealth Line combines with theChildren Line, the wet nurse is good at taking care of the child. If the hexagram body supports theChildren position, it also shows good management. However, if they mutually control or clash, there will certainly be continuous illness and frequent mistakes. This covers all aspects of childbirth and nurturing: the mother is associated withWealth, the fetus withChildren and the胎爻, the wet nurse withWealth and the间爻, and the father withOfficial Ghost, each with their respective associations.

獨夫處世，休言無子即忘情；君子治家，難道一身兼作僕。必須使嬖，乃足使令於前；若不螟蚙，焉繼宗支於後。

A person living alone should not give up hope just because they have no son; can a gentleman manage his household by himself, acting both as master and servant? Therefore, the household must have someone to be employed, to serve in front; if one does not adopt a son, who else can continue the family line? This type of divination concerns matters such as buying a servant, hiring a servant, or adopting a son, which are referred to as 'adding household members'. The useful god is always taken as wife and wealth (servant) or children (adopted son).

須別來占，方知主用；用不宜動，動必難留。主不可傷，傷須夭折。衰入墓中，擬定委靡不振；旺臨世上，決然幹蠱有成。

One must first determine whether the divination is about buying a servant, hiring a wet nurse, or adopting a son, before establishing the useful god. The useful god should not be activated, as once it is activated, it cannot be retained, and the person will leave and not return. The useful god should not be harmed or overcome, as being harmed leads to the person's early death and short life. If the useful god is weak and enters the storage, the person will certainly be listless and unable to accomplish anything. If the useful god is prosperous and strong and is located in the world position, the person will be capable and able to take charge of family affairs (the term 'dry蛊' comes from The Zhou Changes, the Gua of Gu, referring to the ability to manage the father's affairs).

動化空亡，有始無終之輩；蛇合官鬼，多謀少德之人。臨玄武而化兄爻，門戶須防出入；遇青龍而連福德，貨財可付經營。

The useful god moves but turns into an empty void, indicating that this person starts things but does not finish them. When the useful god combines with the snake and official ghost, this person is cunning but lacks virtue. If the useful god is accompanied by the black tortoise (indicating theft) and transforms into siblings (indicating robbery), there should be vigilance regarding this person's entry and exit from the household to prevent theft. If the useful god meets the azure dragon and connects with children (indicating fortune and virtue), this person is trustworthy and can be entrusted with goods and money for business.

若逢太過及空亡，反主少誠兼懶惰。用爻生合世爻，必得其力；主象克沖身象，難服其心。

The useful god, if overly strong, or if it falls into the void, indicates that the person lacks sincerity and is lazy. If it is too strong, it leads to arrogance; if it falls into the void, it shows lack of substance. When the useful god generates or harmonizes with the world line, the person is willing to exert effort, and there is a harmonious relationship. If the useful god instead overcomes or clashes with the hexagram body, the person is不服 (uncooperative), and it is difficult to control.

財化子，攜子偕來；世合身，終身寵用。受動變之傷，向後終難稱意；得日月之助，他時定見如心。

The wealth line changes into the children line, indicating that the servant woman came with her child. The world line and the hexagram body are in harmony, meaning this person will always be favored and trusted by the master. The useful god is harmed by the moving line or the changing line, so in the future, things will not go as desired. If the useful god receives assistance from the day branch and the month builder, then in the future, everything will go according to one's wishes.

世與卦身，以和為貴；兄動官鬼，惟靜為佳。兄鬼交重，誠恐將來成訟；三合絆住，須知此去徒勞。

The World Line and the Hexagram Body should be harmonious with each other. The Siblings and Official Ghost lines should remain quiet and still; if the Siblings move, it indicates financial loss, and if the Official Ghost moves, it brings misfortune. If both the Siblings and Official Ghost lines are strongly activated, there is likely to be legal disputes in the future. If the Triple Harmony Formation restrains them (the Useful God is trapped by harmony and cannot move), then this trip is likely to be in vain.

若在間爻，乃是牙人作鬼；如居空地，不過賣主爭財。卦象兩官兩父，須知事繫兩頭；兄鬼一動一沖，切莫財交一手。

If the obstruction comes from the middle line, it means that someone acting as an intermediary is causing trouble. If it falls into an empty position, it is merely a dispute over price between the seller and the buyer. If the divination shows two layers of official ghosts and two layers of parents (parents representing contracts), this matter must involve two parties and another dispute. When brothers and official ghosts are both activated and one confronts the other, one must not pay the money all at once—prevent him from swindling the money.

應生世，他來就我；世生應，我去求人。和合易成，最怕日辰沖破；相沖難就，偏宜動象生扶。

The Response Line comes to generate the World Line, indicating that the other party is taking the initiative to approach me, making the matter easy to resolve. When the World Line goes to generate the Response Line, it means I am seeking help from others, making the matter more difficult. When the World and Response Lines are in harmony, the matter is naturally favorable, but it is most feared if the Day Branch breaks this harmony. When the World and Response Lines are in conflict, the matter is naturally difficult, yet it is actually favorable if a Moving Line comes to generate and support it. The emergence of a Moving Line can turn the situation around.

兄爻發動，為詐為虛；卦象亂興，多更多變。六爻無父，定無主契之人；兩間俱空，未有作中之子。

The siblings line is active, indicating deceit and falsehood, with words not being sincere. In the hexagram, all six lines are moving, suggesting that the matter will undergo many changes and be unstable. Among the six lines, there is no appearance of the parents (related to documents or contracts), meaning there is no one to take charge or make a binding agreement. Both intermediate lines are empty, indicating there is no intermediary to facilitate the matter.

世獲間生，喜媒人之護向；生扶弟出，防賣主之合謀。父化兄，契虛事假；兄持世，財散人離。

The world line is supported by the intervening line, indicating that the mediator is favorable towards me. If the intervening line instead supports the siblings line, one should be cautious as the mediator may be colluding with the seller. When the parents line transforms into the siblings line, the contract is false and the matter is not genuine. If the siblings line is seated on the world line, wealth will scatter and people will not remain.

應若空亡，我欲成交徒費力；世如發動，彼來謀合亦難成。弟因財乏，鬼必疑心。四覆三番，事機不定；千變萬化，卦象無常。能求不見之形，自喻未來之事。

If the response line falls into an empty position, I want to make a deal but it would be in vain — the other party has no sincerity. If the world line becomes active, even if the other party comes to discuss, it will still be difficult to reach an agreement — my own mind is not yet decided. The siblings line being in charge is because of a lack of money; the official ghost line being in charge indicates that both sides have begun to suspect each other. The matter goes through many changes, with unpredictable shifts, and the卦 image changes endlessly with no fixed pattern. The one who interprets the卦 can discern the invisible signs within it, and thus understand the future events.

人孰無常，疾病無常；事孰為大，死生為大。火屬心經，發熱咽乾口燥；水歸腎部，惡寒盜汗遺精。

No one can be free from unexpected events, and illness is inherently unpredictable. Nothing in the world is more important than life and death. Therefore, divination regarding illness is of utmost significance. When diagnosing illness, first classify it according to the Five Phases: if the official ghost爻 belongs to fire, the illness affects the heart meridian, with symptoms such as fever, dry throat, and dry mouth; if the official ghost爻 belongs to water, the illness affects the kidney, with symptoms such as fear of cold, night sweats, and nocturnal emission.

金肺木肝，土乃病侵脾胃；衰輕旺重，動則煎迫身軀。坤腹干頭，兌必喉風咳嗽；艮手震足，巽須癱瘓腸風。

The official ghost belongs to the metal element, which affects the lungs; to the wood element, which affects the liver; and to the earth element, which affects the spleen and stomach. If this line is weak, the illness is mild; if it is prosperous and strong, the illness is severe, and once it becomes active, it will afflict the body severely. According to the eight trigrams, the坤 trigram governs the abdomen, the乾 trigram governs the head; the兑 trigram governs the mouth, so illness associated with the兑 trigram must be throat wind or coughing; the艮 trigram governs the hands, the震 trigram governs the feet; the巽 trigram governs wind, so illness associated with the巽 trigram is often paralysis or bloody discharge from the intestines. The five elements determine the internal organs, and the eight trigrams determine the body parts. Combining both, one can accurately determine where the illness is located.

螣蛇心驚，青龍則酒色過度；勾陳腫脹，朱雀則言語顛倒。白虎損傷，女子則血崩血暈；玄武憂鬱，男人則陰症陰虛。

The Six Beasts are used to diagnose illness based on symptoms: if the Official Ghost is accompanied by the Python Snake, it indicates palpitations and anxiety; accompanied by the Azure Dragon, it suggests illness caused by excessive drinking and indulgence. Accompanied by Gou Chen, it indicates swelling and fullness; accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, it suggests disordered speech and mania. Accompanied by the White Tiger, it indicates injuries from falls or blows, and in women, it suggests heavy bleeding and fainting. Accompanied by the Black Tortoise, it indicates unresolved sorrow and depression, and in men, it suggests internal coldness and deficiency. The Six Beasts only describe the appearance and nature of the illness, but they must be combined with the Five Phases and the Eight Trigrams for a complete diagnosis.

鬼伏卦中，病來莫覺；官藏世下，病起如前。若伏妻財，必是傷飢失飽；如藏福德，定然酒醉耽淫。

The official ghost is hidden within the hexagram but does not appear, indicating the illness comes without awareness. If the official ghost is concealed beneath the world line, it signifies a recurrence of an old illness with symptoms similar to before. To determine the cause of the illness, observe which line the official ghost is hidden beneath. If it is hidden beneath the wealth line (which relates to food and nourishment), the illness is caused by irregular eating, damaging the spleen and stomach. If it is hidden beneath the children line (which relates to alcohol and entertainment), the illness is due to excessive drinking or indulgence in lust.

父乃勞傷所致，兄為氣食相侵。官化官，新舊兩病；鬼化鬼，遷變百端。化出父書在五爻，則途中遇雨；變成兄弟居三位，則房內傷風。

The Official Ghost is hidden beneath the Parents, indicating the illness is caused by excessive labor; if hidden beneath the Siblings, it suggests the illness results from both anger and improper diet. If the Official Ghost is activated and transforms into another Official Ghost, it indicates a mixture of new and old illness. When the Official Ghost transforms into another Official Ghost, the condition changes constantly and varies from time to time. If the transformed Parents fall on the Fifth Line (which represents the road), the illness is due to getting caught in the rain while traveling. If it transforms into the Siblings and occupies the Third Line (which represents the door, bed, and mat), the illness is due to catching a cold indoors.

本官為在家得病，下必內傷；他卦為別處染災，上須外感。上實下空，夜輕日重；動生變克，暮熱朝涼。

If the official ghost is the line of the same palace, the illness was contracted at home and is located in the lower line, indicating internal injury. If the official ghost belongs to another palace's line, the illness was contracted outside and is located in the upper line, indicating external infection. If the upper line is solid and the lower line is empty, it indicates that the condition is lighter at night and worse during the day. If the moving line generates and the changing line controls, it indicates fever in the evening and coolness in the morning, with fluctuating chills and fever.

水化火，火化水，往來寒氣；上沖下，下沖上，內外感傷。火鬼沖財上臨，則嘔逆多吐；水官化土下直，則小便不通。

The official ghost belongs to water and changes to moving stove fire, or belongs to fire and changes to water, indicating symptoms like chills, fever, and malaria. The top line conflicts with the bottom line, and the bottom line conflicts with the top line, showing internal and external interaction and damage to both exterior and interior. If the fire official ghost attacks the wealth line and is located on the top line (wealth relates to food, top line relates to the chest area), it indicates vomiting and frequent regurgitation. If the water official ghost changes to earth and appears on the bottom line (earth controls water, bottom line relates to the bowels), it indicates difficulty in urination.

若患牙疔，兄鬼金連大煞；如生腳氣，震宮土化木星。鬼在離宮化水，痰火何疑；官來乾象雙木，頭風有準。

If the illness is a tooth abscess, it must be due to siblings and official ghost belonging to metal, connected with the great sha (metal governs teeth and bones, siblings govern the mouth). If foot disease occurs, it must be due to the zhen hexagram (zhen governs the foot) with a change from earth to wood (wood controls earth, causing stagnation below). If official ghost is in the li hexagram (li represents fire and heart) and changes to water, water and fire clash, which clearly indicates phlegm and fire syndrome. If official ghost appears in the qian hexagram (qian represents head) and meets two layers of wood hexagrams (wood represents wind), then headache syndrome is certain.

震遇螣蛇仍發動，驚悸顛狂；艮逢已午又交重，癰疽瘡毒。卦內無財，飲食不納；間中有鬼，胸膈不寬。

The line of the Zhen trigram meets the Tu She snake and becomes active (Zhen represents movement, Tu She snake indicates fear), indicating anxiety and restlessness, possibly leading to madness. The line of the Gen trigram meets the fire of Si and Wu and becomes active again (Gen represents hands and skin, fire indicates heat toxicity), leading to the development of abscesses and boils. If the hexagram lacks the line of wealth (wealth relates to food), the patient will not be able to eat. If the official ghost line is on the intermediate line between the world and response lines (the intermediate line corresponds to the chest area), it indicates a feeling of oppression and discomfort in the chest.

鬼絕逢生，病體安而復作；世衰入墓，神思困而不清。應鬼合身，纏染他人之症；世官傷用，重發舊日之災。

The official ghost is already in the state of decline, yet another line comes to support it, making the illness seem to recover only to recur. The world line is weak and enters the storage, indicating the patient is drowsy and confused. The official ghost on the response line combines with the hexagram body, suggesting the illness has passed but another illness has been contracted. The official ghost on the world line harms the useful god, indicating a recurrence of an old illness.

用受金傷，肢體必然痠痛；主遭木克，皮骨定見傷殘。火為仇，則喘咳之災；水來害，則恍惚之症。

The useful god is harmed by the metal trigram, leading to pain in the limbs (as metal governs tendons and bones). The useful god is overcome by the wood trigram, resulting in injuries to the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones (as wood governs branches and limbs). If the enemy god is the fire trigram, there will be illness such as shortness of breath and coughing (as fire overcomes metal and harms the lungs). If it is the water trigram that causes harm, there will be symptoms of mental confusion and fear (as water governs the kidneys and is associated with fear and shock).

空及第三，此病須知腰軟；官傷上六，斯人當主頭疼。財動卦中，非吐則瀉；木與世上，非癢即疼。

The third line is empty (the third line governs the waist and abdomen), indicating a condition of weak and无力 waist. The official ghost harms the top line (the top line governs the head), suggesting headache. The wealth line is active in the hexagram (wealth relates to food, and when active it harms the spleen and stomach), leading to either vomiting or diarrhea. The wood line is added to the world line (wood represents wind and dispersion), causing either itching or pain.

既明症候，當決安危。再把爻神搜索箇中之玄妙，重加參考方窮就裡之精微。先看子孫，最喜生扶拱合；次觀主象，怕逢克害刑沖。

Once the illness has been clearly understood, the next step is to determine the danger and possible death. This requires searching again through the six yao's deities and ominous signs, revealing their subtle meanings; by repeatedly referring to them, one can thoroughly explore their profound aspects. To judge danger and safety, first look at the yao of descendants—descendants are the deities of medicine and virtue, and they are most favorable when they are supported, assisted, or harmonized. Next, examine the useful deity (representing the main subject, the patient himself), as it is most feared when it encounters conflict, harm, punishment, or opposition.

世持鬼爻，病縱輕而難愈；身臨福德，勢雖險而堪醫。用壯有扶，切恐太剛則折；主空無救，須防中道而殂。

The world line is occupied by the official ghost, indicating that although the illness appears mild, it is difficult to recover— the root of the illness lies within the patient's own body. If the hexagram body is occupied by the children, the condition may be dangerous but can still be treated. The useful god is already strong and has other lines supporting it, yet one should be cautious as excessive strength may lead to decline (extreme prosperity leads to decline, extremes lead to reversal). If the useful god is in an empty state without any support, one must beware of the patient dying midway.

祿繫妻財，空則不思飲食；壽屬父母，動則反促天年。主象伏藏，定主遷延乎歲月；子孫空絕，必乏調理之肥甘。

The wife and wealth hexagram represents food andofficial stipend. If it falls into an empty position, the patient will lose appetite. The parents hexagram represents lifespan and also toil; if it becomes active, it will harm the children hexagram and shorten the lifespan. If the useful god is hidden and does not emerge, the illness will persist for a long time. If the children hexagram falls into an empty position and reaches its end, there will be a lack of nourishing food for recovery, and the care will not be sufficient.

世上鬼臨，不可隨官入墓；身臨福德，豈宜父動來傷。鬼化長生，日下正當沉重；用連鬼煞，目前必見傾危。

The world line is afflicted by the official ghost, which is most dangerous when the world line also enters the tomb along with the official ghost — this is called "following the official into the tomb," and it is extremely ominous in divination related to illness. If the hexagram body is afflicted by children, it must not have the parents' line activated to harm it. When the official ghost is activated and transforms into growth, the illness is worsening and currently very severe. If the useful god is connected with the official ghost andInauspicious Sha, it indicates immediate danger.

福化忌爻，病勢增加於小愈；世撓兄弟，飲食減省於平時。用絕逢生，危而有救；主衰得助，重亦何妨。

The children line moves but transforms into a hostile god, indicating that the illness has just begun to improve but will then worsen again. The world line is disturbed by the siblings line (siblings克制 wealth, wealth relates to food), leading to a decrease in food intake compared to usual. Although the useful god is in a state of decline, if another line comes to support it, there is hope for recovery. Even if the useful god is weak, if another line assists it, a severe illness is not too serious. The most important thing in diagnosing an illness is to check whether there is a remedy available.

鬼伏空亡，早備衣冠防不測；日辰帶鬼，亟為祈禱保無虞。動化父來沖剋，勞役堪憂；日加福去生扶，藥醫則愈。

The official ghost is hidden and falls into the void (the root of illness is deeply concealed and not visible, and the useful god has no support), so one should prepare for the worst in advance to prevent unexpected events. The day branch carries the official ghost (the day branch is strong, and the ghost gains support from the day), so one should hurry to pray and perform rituals to resolve the issue, to ensure safety. The moving line transforms into parents that conflict and control the useful god, which is caused by labor and toil, and this is very worrying. The day branch is combined with children to support the useful god, so taking medicine will lead to recovery.

身上飛伏雙官，膏盲之疾；命入幽冥兩墓，泉世之人。應合而變財傷，勿食饋來之物；鬼動而逢日破，何妨見險之虞。欲決病痊，當究福神之動靜；要知命盡，須詳鬼煞之旺衰。

The hexagram body and the flying and hidden gods are all official ghosts, with two layers of illness attacking, indicating a serious illness in the vital organs, which is incurable. The useful god has entered both the day branch's storage and the moving storage, meaning the person is already on the path to the afterlife. The responding line comes to harmonize but transforms into wealth, which harms the useful god, so one should not eat food offered by others (wealth is associated with food, but the transformation harms the useful god). Although official ghosts are active, they are broken by the day branch, so even though there are dangers, they are not serious. In summary, to determine if the illness can be cured, one should examine the movement and stillness of the children line; to determine if the life is doomed, one should carefully observe the strength and weakness of the official ghosts andInauspicious Sha.