The Origin of the Qimen System

奇門之說，論者謂始於黃帝，刪於呂望、張良。漢以前，往往散見於他書，至於《隋志·藝文》專書，始有一十三家。唐益倍之，則其學之來，亦不在近矣。

People who talk about the "Qimen" system say that this discipline originated with the Yellow Emperor, and later was edited and organized by Lü Shang (Jiang Taigong) and Zhang Liang. Before the Han dynasty, there were only scattered references to it in other texts; it was not until the "Sui Shu · Jingji Zhi" recorded specialized works on it that there were as many as thirteen schools. By the Tang dynasty, the number of schools had doubled compared to the Sui dynasty. This shows that the origin of this discipline is not recent.

《陰符經》曰：「爰有奇器，是生萬象，八卦甲子，神機鬼藏。」張良注云：「六癸為天藏，可以伏藏。」由是言之，即奇門之權輿也。

The Yin Fu Jing says: "In the universe there is a miraculous tool that gives rise to myriad forms and phenomena; among the combination of the Eight Trigrams and the Jiazi cycle, there lies a mysterious mechanism known to neither gods nor ghosts." Zhang Liang explained these words saying: "The six Gui are the hidden position of heaven, capable of concealing one's form and traces." The term "six Gui" refers to the six hours in the sixty Jiazi cycles where the heavenly stem is Gui. In the art of Qimen Dunjia, the palace where Gui is located is considered the most suitable place for concealment. From this, we can see that the few sentences from the Yin Fu Jing mark the beginning of the study of Qimen Dunjia.

《大戴禮記·明堂篇》曰：「明堂者，古有之也，凡九室，二九四、七五三、六一八。」蓋即河圖之義，而奇學之九宮。《漢·藝文志》有《明堂陰陽》二十三篇，又《明堂陰陽》五篇。宣帝時，魏相表採《易》陰陽及《明堂月令》，言五帝所司各有時，東方之卦不可以治西方，南方之卦不可以治北方，乃以八卦方位配明堂之九室。《後漢·張衡傳》，鄭元既注九宮之說；而《南齊·高帝本紀》注云：「九宮者，一為天蓬，二為天內，三為天沖，四為天輔，五為天禽，六為天心，七為天柱，八為天任，九為天英，皆有太過不及之占。」

The "Mingtang" chapter of the "Da Dai Li Ji" says: "The Mingtang building has existed since ancient times, consisting of nine rooms arranged in the order of 2, 9, 4; 7, 5, 3; 6, 1, 8." This is exactly the meaning of the "He Tu" and " Luo Shu," which are the principles used in the "Qimen" system, known as the "jiugong" or nine squares. The directions are divided into nine squares, with five in the center, and the other eight squares arranged around it in the above numerical order. The "Han Shu · Yi Wen Zhi" records two versions of the "Mingtang Yinyang" text, one with twenty-three chapters and another with five chapters. During the reign of Emperor Xuandi of the Han dynasty, Wei Xiang submitted a memorial, incorporating the yin and yang theory from the "Yi Jing" and the "Mingtang Yueling," stating that the five emperors each governed a segment of the seasons. The trigrams of the East could not be used to govern the West, and those of the South could not be used to govern the North. Therefore, the eight trigrams were assigned to the nine rooms of the Mingtang. In the "Hou Han Shu · Zhang Heng Zhuan," Zheng Xuan had already explained the concept of the nine squares. The annotations to the "Nan Qi Shu · Gao Di Ben Ji" further state: "The nine squares are as follows: the first is Tianpeng, the second is Tiannei (i.e., Tianrui), the third is Tianchong, the fourth is Tianfu, the fifth is Tianqin, the sixth is Tianxin, the seventh is Tianzhu, the eighth is Tianren, and the ninth is Tianying. Each square has a method of divination concerning excess and deficiency of qi." These nine names are the origin of the nine stars in later "Qimen" practice.

《唐會要》：元宗三戴十月，術士蘇嘉慶上言，請於京城置九宮壇，五數為中，戴九履一、左三右七、二四為上、六八為下，符於遁甲。武宗會昌二年正月，左僕射王起等奏按《黃帝九宮經》及蕭吉《五行大義》，所謂一宮天逢、卦坎、行水方、白者，與今奇門之宮星無異。惜乎隋唐志所列諸家，今皆不傳，豈其秘之勿洩耶？抑顯晦各有時也。

The "Tang Huiyao" records that in the third year of Tianbao of Emperor Xuanzong's reign, the astrologer Su Jiaqing submitted a memorial requesting the establishment of a Jiugong altar in the capital city. He proposed that the number five should be at the center, with nine above, one below, three to the left, and seven to the right. Two and four should be above, while six and eight should be below. This arrangement perfectly matches the Jiugong of Dun Jia. In the second year of Hui昌 of Emperor Wuzong's reign, the Left Chancellor Wang Qi and others submitted a memorial, examining the "Huangdi Jiugong Jing" and the "Wuxing Dayi" by the Sui dynasty scholar Xiao Ji. They found that the first palace was named Tianfeng, belonged to the Kan trigram, was associated with the Water element, was located to the north, and had the color white. This is exactly the same as the palaces and stars used in the current Qi Men system. Unfortunately, all the Qi Men works listed in the Jingji Zhi of the "Sui Shu" and "Tang Shu" have been lost. Is it because each school carefully guarded their secrets and did not share them? Or is this discipline inherently both revealed and concealed, with its time of revelation varying?

宋之仁宗，以洗馬楊維德簒六壬則曰《神應經》，奇門則曰《符應經》，今亦不能見其全。得毋好古之士，尚有什襲而藏者乎？明之宸濠稱亂，王守仁收攬異術，乃有李成吾者進以奇門真傳，今之所謂李氏奇門者也。

During the Song Renzong period, the imperial scholar Yang Weide was commissioned to compile books on divination techniques. The book on the Six壬 (Liuren) was titled The Divine Response Classic, and the one on the Qimen (Mysterious Gate) was titled The Symbolic Response Classic. These two works are no longer available in complete versions today. Perhaps among those who value antiquity, there are still people who have carefully wrapped and preserved them? By the Ming dynasty, when the Prince Ning Zhu Chenhao rebelled, Wang Shouren gathered various esoteric arts to suppress the rebellion. At that time, a person named Li Chengwu presented the true transmission of Qimen, and this branch is what is now known as the Li family Qimen.

仇鸞門下士有林士徵者，以奇門占兵屢有有奇驗，錦衣陸炳序其書而傳之，人呼為林氏奇門。陶仲文以李林二氏之書，忝以他書而謬紊之，曰《陶真人遁甲神書》。蓋勝國之以奇門著見者三家而巳矣。

General Chou Luan's retainer, Lin Shizheng, used the art of the mysterious gate (qimen) to predict military events with frequent accuracy. The commander of the Imperial Bodyguards, Lu Bing, wrote a preface for his book and helped spread it, so people called it the "Lin School of Qimen." Later, Tao Zhongwen took the books from the Li and Lin families and mixed them with other writings in a haphazard manner, compiling them into a book titled "Tao the True Man's Dun Jia Divine Book." In total, among the previous dynasty (Ming Dynasty), only the families of Li, Lin, and Tao were famous for the art of qimen.

考諸奇門之序，出於《都天撼龍經》八十一論者凡九：其一曰都天九卦，二曰人地三元，三曰行軍三奇，四曰造宅三白，五曰遁形太白之書，六曰八山撼龍之訣，七曰轉山移水九字元經，八曰建國安基萬年金鏡，九曰玄宮入福救貧、生仙產聖。今所傳者，造宅三白耳，外俱不得而見聞。或者名山石室之藏，精光不能終廢，更有取而修明者乎？廢幾拭目俟之矣。【天芮《漢書》作內、天蓬《唐書》作逢。】

When examining the order of the books on the art of the Three Marvels, there are nine kinds mentioned in the eighty-one chapters of The Classic of Shaking the Dragon. The first is called "The Nine Trigrams of the Universal Heaven," the second "The Three Elements of Heaven and Earth," the third "The Three Marvels of Military Campaigns," the fourth "The Three Whites of Building a House," the fifth "The Book of Concealing Form and the White Star," the sixth "The Secret of Shifting Mountains and Water with Nine Characters," the seventh "The Eternal Mirror for Establishing a Nation and Foundation," and the eighth "The Method of Producing Immortals and Holy Children through the Hidden Palace." Today, only "The Three Whites of Building a House" remains in circulation, while the others are no longer known. Perhaps they are still hidden in the caves of famous mountains, their brilliance will not be lost, and in the future, someone will retrieve them and explain them again. I will now put down my brush and wait with my eyes open. The original book notes: The star Tian Rui is written as "Tian Nei" in the Han Shu; the star Tian Peng is written as "Tian Feng" in the Tang Shu.

遁甲為兵而設，兵為陰象，為詭道，故取諸遁，謂其遁於六儀之下而不見其形也。蓋甲為至尊之神，宜藏而不宜露，宜和而不宜乘，宜生扶而不宜剋制。所喜者惟土，所憎者惟金。惟其喜土也，故奇門始起之宮，例以六戊隨之，甲逆而戊亦逆，甲順而戊亦順，如形之與影，兩相附而不相離。惟其憎金也，故有乙之合以伺其內，有丙丁之威以制其外。乙者甲之同氣，丙丁者甲之子嗣，如手足之衛腹心，臣子之衛君父，鼎足之形成，而後甲有苞桑之固矣。

Dun Jia is a system of divination originally designed for military use. Military operations are of the yin nature, and they are based on deception and strategy, so the term "Dun" (to hide) is used, meaning that Jia is hidden beneath the Six Instruments (the six heavenly stems: Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui). Jia is the most esteemed of the ten heavenly stems, and it is suitable to be hidden rather than revealed. It is appropriate to harmonize with others rather than be overwhelmed by other stems. It prefers to be supported by earth and dislikes being restrained by metal. Because Jia favors earth, the first palace in the layout of the Qimen system always places Wu together with Jia. When Jia moves backward, Wu also moves backward; when Jia moves forward, Wu also moves forward, like a shadow following its form, inseparable. Because Jia dislikes metal, the arrangement places Yi to combine with Geng, controlling Geng from within; and arranges Bing and Ding's fire power to restrain Geng from outside. Yi is of the same kind as Jia (both belong to wood), while Bing and Ding are the offspring of Jia (wood produces fire). This is like brothers and sisters protecting the heart, and ministers protecting the sovereign. When Yi, Bing, and Ding form a balanced situation, Jia becomes as firm as the roots of a mulberry tree.

先王之建萬國、親諸侯，其義亦準諸此。故陰陽順逆者，造化之定理；戴九履一者，河洛之精蘊。配以八門、八卦列矣，加以三盤、三才正矣，重以三奇、三光耀矣，積時置閏、歲功成矣。

In ancient times, the sage kings divided the land into myriad states and drew near to the feudal lords to serve as a shield and support, following the same principle. Therefore, Yang Dun proceeds in the order of the heavens, while Yin Dun moves in the reverse order, forming an unchangeable law of nature. "Wearing nine and wearing one beneath" (nine on top, one below) is the essence of the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing. When combined with the Eight Doors, the positions of the Eight Trigrams are determined. Adding the Heaven Plate, Earth Plate, and Human Plate, the positions of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity are properly arranged. Furthermore, adding the three marvels, Yi, Bing, and Ding, the light of the sun, moon, and stars is emitted. Accumulating the surplus of time and setting up the intercalation method, the function of a year is completed.

一節三元、二十四氣備矣。以六十時干為經，以四時八節為緯，二九四、七五三、六一八，相摩相蕩，而四千三百二十之局以成。大之為風雲龍虎之機宜，小之為動靜行藏之趨避，範圍天地而不過，曲成萬物而不遺，百姓曰用而不知。雖其中不無詭譎荒唐，悖於聖賢之論，今但取其生剋制伏，近於理者，著之於篇，以前民用，而輔易道之所未備。凡欲教為子者之思孝，教為臣者之思忠，不至於前有讒而不知，後有賊而不見，未必非修齊治平者一助也。至於書符誦咒，似屬不經，槩不錄入。

A solar term governs the upper, middle, and lower trigrams, and with the twenty-four solar terms, all are complete. Taking the sixty-hour cycles of heavenly stems and earthly branches as the meridian, and the four seasons with their eight solar terms as the loom, following the sequence of numbers in the nine-square grid—294, 753, 618—they interact and shift, forming a total of four thousand three hundred twenty patterns. Applied on a grand scale, it serves military and state affairs, such as predicting weather, dragons, tigers, and other phenomena; applied on a smaller scale, it deals with movement and stillness, action and concealment, to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune. It encompasses heaven and earth without exceeding them, completes all things without omission, and people use it daily without realizing it. Although it may contain some strange and absurd elements that contradict the teachings of sages, now only the part concerning the five phases and their generating, controlling, and restraining relationships, which is closer to reason, is included in this book to guide daily life and supplement what the Book of Changes does not cover. It aims to help sons think of filial piety, ministers think of loyalty, so that people do not remain unaware of slanderous people ahead or hidden enemies behind. This may not be less than a help in self-cultivation, family management, state governance, and world peace. As for drawing talismans and reciting spells, which seem absurd, they are entirely excluded.

——奇門久巳失傳，人樹一幟，敝帚千金，無從別白。今一字一義，有兩說三說者並存之，以備參考。 ——奇門眾說紛然，取其理之正者為首行，列於後或分注者為次，不敢私心去取，然亦略見低昂。

The art of Qimen has been lost for a long time, and each school has established its own doctrine, regarding its own inferior methods as supreme. It is impossible to determine who is right or wrong. Now, all explanations and interpretations, even those with different meanings, are preserved for readers' reference. There are many conflicting interpretations in Qimen. In this book, the interpretation considered most correct is listed as the main text at the beginning, while the others are listed afterwards or annotated below, as secondary interpretations. I do not take personal preferences into account, but readers may roughly discern the hierarchy and importance from this order.

——奇門兵事，避忌甚多。凡三勝地五不擊之外，又有太歲、月建俱不可擊，旺氣所在，亦宜避之，所謂春不東伐、秋不西征者是也。與夫亭亭白奸、三門四戶、天馬方之類，須從歲月太陽查筭，書中未能預載。

The use of Qimen for military purposes involves many taboos. In addition to the 'Three Victorious Places' and the 'Five Unfavorable Directions' for attack, the directions where the Heavenly Stem and the Month Builder are located should also be avoided. The direction of the current ruling and flourishing energy should also be avoided, which is why it is said that one should not march east in spring or west in autumn. As for the 'Tingting' and 'Baijian' deities, as well as the 'Three Heavenly Doors', 'Four Earthly Gates', and the direction of the Heavenly Horse, these must be calculated according to the position of the sun in the current year and month. This book cannot list them in advance.

——奇門最重格局，如龍回首、鳥跌穴吉矣，如逢庚為直符，則為格勃，勃格又不可用；龍走、雀投凶矣，為主者不害；虎狂、蛇矯凶矣，為客者不害。皆有活訣，不可一例。

In Qimen, the most important aspect is the overall pattern. For example, "Qinglong Fanshou" and "Fei Niao Die Xue" are originally auspicious patterns, but if Geng is the straight symbol, they become "Ge" and "Bo", and at this time, "Bo Ge" cannot be used; "Qinglong Taozou" and "Zhuque Toujiang" are originally inauspicious patterns, but they do not harm the "Zhu" (the defending side, the one who moves later); "Baihu Changwang" and "Tengshe Yaocao" are originally inauspicious patterns, but they do not harm the "Ke" (the attacking side, the one who moves first). These all have flexible rules and cannot be judged in a general way.

——奇門選擇，最重衰旺休囚。如開門本吉，但其性屬金，如臨土宮金位，及當季夏三秋，所謂得時得地，時之最吉者也；如在春夏，而臨於木火，則金氣大衰，豈得為吉。凡八門皆然，三奇亦然。

When using the Three Marvels (San Qi) to select auspicious days and directions, the most important factors are the Five Phases (Wu Xing) of decline, prosperity, rest, and captivity. For example, the Open Door (Kai Men) is inherently a good gate, but it belongs to the metal element. If it is placed in a palace of earth (earth generates metal) or another palace of metal (same element supporting each other), and it is during the season of late summer when earth is strong or in the three months of autumn, this is called "getting the right time and place," which is the most auspicious situation. If it occurs in spring or summer and is placed in a palace of wood or fire, the metal element will be greatly weakened, and it can no longer be considered auspicious. This principle applies to all eight gates, as well as the three marvels (Yi, Bing, Ding).

——選擇以奇門會合為上吉。若有門無奇猶為可用，有奇無門則當另擇矣。然如捕獵用傷門，逃亡用杜門，弔唁用死門之類，皆當擇其得時得地，即為上吉，又不專重奇門也。

Selecting a time when the Three Marvels and auspicious gates are in the same palace is the best auspicious situation. If there are only auspicious gates but no Three Marvels, it is still acceptable. However, if there are only Three Marvels but no auspicious gates, another time should be chosen. Nevertheless, in cases such as hunting using the Shang Men, fleeing using the Du Men, or mourning using the Si Men, as long as the gate is appropriate in both time and place, it is considered the best auspicious situation, and it is not necessary for the Marvels and gates to coincide specifically.

——陰陽宅選擇粗工，但知奇門會合為吉，不知陽宅須與宅主生命，配合門奇之生旺；陰宅須與山頭化命，配合門奇之生旺。若德祿貴馬、三合六合之理，皆宜參考。

A crude craftsman choosing a date for a阳宅 or 阴宅 only knows that when the gate and the odd number are in harmony it is auspicious, but does not know that for a阳宅, one must also match the gate and the odd number with the birth year and destiny of the house owner to ensure their prosperity; for a阴宅, one must also match the gate and the odd number with the direction the tomb faces and the deceased's "changed destiny" (the birth year category of the deceased) to ensure their prosperity. In addition, the principles of Heavenly Virtue,禄神, Nobleman, Post Horse, Triple Harmony, and Liu He should also be taken into consideration.

——選擇止用奇門，則諸家可廢，然亦須檢點，必當配合斗首五行、太陽吉凶星煞，無有避忌，而又能合於奇門，方為萬吉。故造宅遷塟之家，往往有查至十餘年而後得，蓋欲求其純吉無凶者，甚難也。

If only the Qi Men method is used for selecting a day, other methods can be disregarded; however, it is still necessary to carefully examine and ensure that it is combined with the "Dou Shou Wu Xing" and the auspicious or inauspicious stars and calamities associated with the Sun's position, without violating any taboos. It must also be in harmony with Qi Men to be completely auspicious. Therefore, families engaged in building houses or relocating graves often have to consult calendars for several years to find a single suitable day, because it is extremely difficult to find a time that is entirely auspicious and free from any inauspicious influences.

——奇門占法，要分動靜之用。靜則止查直符、直使時干，看其生克衰旺何如；動則專看方向。蓋動者幾之先見者也。如聞南方之事，則占離位；聞北方之事，則占坎位。凡鴉鳴鵲噪，東鳴則看震，西鳴則看兌。此皆不能膠柱鼓瑟、刻舟求劍者也，諸占例此。

In using the Qimen divination, there are two methods: 'Jing Zhan' (static divination) and 'Dong Zhan' (dynamic divination). Jing Zhan only examines the 'Zhi Fu' (the star of the current ten-day period), the 'Zhi Shi' (the gate of the current ten-day period), and the heavenly stem of the used hour, looking at their mutual generation and overcoming, as well as whether they are in season. Dong Zhan, on the other hand, focuses specifically on the direction where the event occurs, because the dynamic signs are where the opportunity of the matter is revealed in advance. For example, if something is heard from the south, the Li palace is used; if something is heard from the north, the Kan palace is used. Crows and magpies calling in the east indicate the Zhen palace, while those calling in the west indicate the Dui palace. These cannot be rigidly followed, nor should one be stuck to old methods or apply fixed solutions to changing situations. All other types of divination are handled in the same way.

——奇門占法，其說不一。如占天時之法，有專看直符者，有專看格局者，有專看天蓬、天英為水火二星者，有專看壬癸丙丁為時雨所司者，有專看雨師風伯、雷公電母等神者。其說既不可全非，其理亦不可偏廢，臨時會意，頭緒紛然，靈機所觸，皆難預決，諸占放此。

The methods of divination in the Qimen system vary among different schools. For example, when predicting weather, some focus solely on the straight symbol, others on the overall pattern, others on the two stars of water and fire, namely Tianpeng (the Greedy Wolf Star) and Tianying (the Right Assistant Star), and others on the four heavenly stems, namely Ren, Gui, Bing, and Ding, believing they govern rain, clear weather, and cloudiness. There are also those who focus exclusively on deities such as Yushī (Rain God), Fengbo (Wind God), Leigong (Thunder God), and Dianmu (Lightning Goddess). These various approaches cannot all be entirely dismissed, nor can the reasoning behind each be neglected. When actually practicing divination, one must integrate and interpret them flexibly. The threads are numerous and complex, and the moments of inspiration cannot be predetermined in advance. The same principle applies to other forms of divination as well.

乙為日奇、丙為月奇、丁為星奇，故名三奇。然讀如奇偶之奇亦通。蓋戊己庚辛壬癸，皆有六甲遁乎其中，是甲與六儀相偶也；乙丙丁則單行矣，故名奇。兵家所謂《握奇經》者，亦音奇偶之奇，義亦相同。

Yi is called "Riqi" (Day Marvel), Bing is called "Yueqi" (Month Marvel), and Ding is called "Xingqi" (Star Marvel), collectively known as "Sanqi" (Three Marvels). However, the character "qi" can also be read as "qi" meaning single or odd, which is also reasonable: among the six heavenly stems, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui, each contains one of the stems of the Jia decade hidden within. Jia pairs with the "Liuyi" (Six Instruments); however, the three stems Yi, Bing, and Ding are single and unpaired, hence they are called "qi." In the military text "Weiqi Jing," the character "qi" is also read as "qi" meaning odd, with the same meaning.

儀者用也，為甲所用也，亦有儀衛之義。蓋甲遁於儀中，而儀則衛乎其外也。

"The term 'yi' refers to use, meaning that the six heavenly stems Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui are used by Jia. It also carries the meaning of ceremonial escort. Since Jia is hidden within 'yi', 'yi' serves as its outer protection and escort."

五行之理，畏克喜生。甲木位於東，庚金位於西，東西相對，木之畏金也甚矣，故用奇以制庚。庚制而退休於坎，以就水之生，故正北為休門。休於北而對於南，有嚮明而治之象，景者大也，故正南為景門。水能滋木，金能生水，生則金氣洩，洩則木氣舒，故金水之間，西北為開門。有開必有闔，故對開為杜門，杜者言陽氣欲盡也。木既休於水，則木氣暢，故水木之間，東北為生門。有生必有死，故對生為死門，死者言落其實而取材也。庚欲犯甲，甲既休於北，而對之者惟有卯木，不無受傷之患，此傷而彼亦驚，故正西為驚門，正東為傷門。

The principle of the Five Phases is to avoid being overcome and to prefer being nourished. Jia wood is located in the East, and Geng metal is located in the West, which are directly opposite. Wood most fears metal, so the Three Marvels are used to control Geng. Once Geng is subdued, it retreats to the Kan palace (Due North) to rest, and then uses water to nourish itself, so Due North is designated as the Xiu Men. Xiu is in the North, and its opposite is the South. The South has the image of facing light and governing the world, and "Jing" means great, so Due South is designated as the Jing Gate. Water nourishes wood, and metal generates water. When metal generates water, the metal energy is released, and when metal energy is released, wood energy becomes smooth. Therefore, the Northwest, where metal and water meet, is designated as the Open Door. If there is an opening, there must be a closing, so the opposite of the Open Door is the Du Men. "Du" means that yang energy is about to be exhausted. Since wood is now resting in water, its energy becomes smooth, so the Northeast, where water and wood meet, is designated as the Sheng Men. If there is birth, there must be death, so the opposite of the Sheng Men is the Si Men. "Si" means that grass and trees bear fruit and can be harvested. Geng wants to attack Jia, but Jia is already resting in the North. The only remaining wood opposite Geng is the卯 position, which inevitably leads to injury. Injury on one side causes fear on the other, so Due West is designated as the Jing Door, and Due East is designated as the Shang Men.

蓬、任、沖、輔、英、芮、柱、心、禽，其立義皆本於甲，而其取義則因於節氣。蓋甲既遁而星乃顯其用，謂之星者，必晦而後現，猶夫甲之必遁而後顯也。冬至之木，陽意已動，蓬者逢也，言能復逢其陽也，故一宮曰蓬。立春乃可以任其性矣，故八宮曰任。春分則其氣益暢，故三宮曰沖，沖者動也。至於立夏，扶蘇四蔭，附之者益眾，故四宮曰輔。夏至而英華盡露矣，故九宮曰英。立秋而斂，故二宮曰芮，芮之為言內也。秋分黃落，厥干獨存，故七宮曰柱。立冬則體竭內含，中藏仁德，故六宮曰心。惟土則四時相依於木，有禽之象焉，故中五曰禽。

The nine stars, namely Tianpeng, Tianren, Tianchong, Tianfu, Tianying, Tianrui, Tianzhu, Tianxin, and Tianqin, are named based on Jia Wood. Their meanings are derived from the solar terms. When Jia Wood is hidden, the nine stars become evident. They are called stars because stars first appear hidden and then emerge, just as Jia Wood first hides and then reveals its function. At the winter solstice, the wood begins to show signs of yang energy, "Peng" means "meeting," indicating the return of yang energy, so the first trigram of the Kan hexagram is called Tianpeng. At the beginning of spring, wood can freely grow, so the eighth trigram of the Gen hexagram is called Tianren. At the spring equinox, the energy of wood becomes more vigorous, so the third trigram of the Zhen hexagram is called Tianchong, "Chong" meaning movement. By the beginning of summer, branches and leaves are dense, providing shade on all sides, and more things depend on it, so the fourth trigram of the Xun hexagram is called Tianfu. At the summer solstice, the essence of wood is fully revealed, so the ninth trigram of the Li hexagram is called Tianying. At the beginning of autumn, wood begins to gather in, so the second trigram of the Kun hexagram is called Tianrui, "Rui" meaning inside. At the autumn equinox, leaves turn yellow and fall, leaving only the trunk, so the seventh trigram of the Dui hexagram is called Tianzhu. At the beginning of winter, the form is exhausted but the vitality is contained within, with the kernel hidden inside, so the sixth trigram of the Qian hexagram is called Tianxin. As for earth, it relies on wood throughout the four seasons, resembling a bird resting, so the central fifth trigram is called Tianqin.

兩儀立而後五性分，青黃赤白黑者，五方之正色。九宮之色有七，而色不同，不可以五方論。如坎在北，色主黑，而九宮主白；坤土宜黃，而九宮主黑；兌金主白，而九宮主赤。此從九宮時氣之色而言也。坎、艮皆白，萬物未萌之色也。方春而芽，白者漸有青意而猶未青，故曰碧，屬震。初夏屬巽，色重於青，故曰綠。盛夏在離，其氣薰灼，故不曰赤而曰紫。過夏而神色漸穠，故曰黑。秋深在兌為赤，丹黃凋落矣。交冬為干，萬物歸根，無色可見，故亦曰白。黃主土，四季有之，故不配於八月，非正色間色之謂也。

After the establishment of yin and yang, the Five Phases were differentiated. The five primary colors—green, yellow, red, white, and black—correspond to the five cardinal directions. However, the colors of the nine palaces have seven varieties, which do not match the five cardinal colors, so they cannot be explained by the five cardinal colors. For example, the trigram Kan, which is associated with the north, should be black, but in the nine palaces it is called 'one white'; the trigram Kun, associated with earth, should be yellow, but in the nine palaces it is called 'two black'; the trigram Dui, associated with metal, should be white, but in the nine palaces it is called 'seven red'. These colors are determined by the seasonal energies associated with the nine palaces. Kan and Gen, which are both associated with the number one and eight, are called 'white', representing the color of things before they begin to sprout. In spring, when sprouting begins, the color turns from white to green but is not yet fully green, so it is called 'green' and associated with Zhen three. In early summer, associated with Xun four, the color is deeper than green, so it is called 'green'. In summer, associated with Li five, the heat is intense, so instead of red, it is called 'purple'. After summer, the colors become deeper, so it is called 'black'. In late autumn, associated with Dui, the color is 'red', as red and yellow leaves fall. In winter, associated with Qian, all things return to their roots, and there is no visible color, so it is also called 'white'. The color yellow represents earth and is present in all four seasons, so it is not specifically associated with any particular month. This is not a distinction between primary and secondary colors.

八神者，天乙、螣蛇、太陰、六合、朱雀、白虎、九地、九天也。天乙常隨甲而加時干，故亦名直符。陽局順行、陰局逆行，依次臨方，不循宮次序。凡兵占以天乙所在，坐擊其沖；揚兵於九天，安營於九地，伏兵於太陰，匿形於六合，間諜用朱雀，偵探用白虎，驚擾用螣蛇，各有所司也。或有用元武、勾陳者，朱雀之下即可兼看玄武，勾陳之下即可兼看白虎。

The Eight Gods refer to Tianyi, Tengshe, Taiyin, Liuhe, Zhuque, Baihu, Jiudi, and Jiu Tian. Tianyi always follows Jia and is added to the heavenly stem of the used hour, so it is also called "Zhi Fu." In a Yang Dun arrangement, the Eight Gods are arranged in a clockwise order, while in a Yin Dun arrangement, they are arranged counterclockwise, sequentially placed in the directions without following the order of the first, second, third, and fourth palaces. When predicting military affairs, the palace where Tianyi is located is considered the place where the self is stationed, and the attack is directed at the palace directly opposite. To display military strength, use the direction of Jiu Tian; to set up camp, use the direction of Jiudi; to hide troops, use the direction of Taiyin; to conceal movements, use the direction of Liuhe; to send spies, use the direction of Zhuque; to conduct reconnaissance, use the direction of Baihu; to create disturbances, use the direction of Tengshe. Each has its specific function. Some also use the two deities Xuanwu and Gou Chen together. When observing Zhuque, Xuanwu can also be considered; when observing Gou Chen, Baihu can also be considered.

八節者，冬至、立春、春分、立夏、夏至、立秋、秋分、立冬也。冬至一陽生，生於陰之極也；夏至一陰生，生於陽之極也。故冬至起於坤，夏至起於干，以先天卦之接應也。是以立春起於震，春分起於離，立夏起於兌，行東蔀之生氣而隸於北；立秋起於巽，秋分起於坎，立冬起於艮，行西蔀之殺氣而隸於南。一節統三氣，一元統五日，一日統十二時，一時為一局，五百四十局為一卦，八卦合得四千三百二十局，以成一歲，此軒轅氏之始制也。一節分三氣，一氣立四十五局，歲得一千零八十局，此風后演軒轅氏四局為一局之制也。

The eight solar terms are winter solstice, beginning of spring, spring equinox, beginning of summer, summer solstice, beginning of autumn, autumn equinox, and beginning of winter. At winter solstice, one yang begins to return, arising from the extreme yin; at summer solstice, one yin begins to emerge, arising from the extreme yang. Therefore, according to the Earlier Heaven Trigrams, winter solstice begins with the Trigram坤 (Kun), which is located in the north in the Earlier Heaven arrangement, and summer solstice begins with the Trigram乾 (Qian), which is located in the south in the Earlier Heaven arrangement. This corresponds with the positions of the Earlier Heaven Trigrams. Continuing this pattern, beginning of spring begins with the Trigram震 (Zhen), spring equinox with the Trigram离 (Li), and beginning of summer with the Trigram兑 (Dui), following the life qi of the eastern half and belonging to the north. Beginning of autumn begins with the Trigram巽 (Xun), autumn equinox with the Trigram坎 (Kan), and beginning of winter with the Trigram艮 (Gen), following the killing qi of the western half and belonging to the south. Each solar term governs three qi, each cycle governs five days, each day governs twelve hours, and each hour uses one section. Five hundred forty sections make up one trigram, and the eight trigrams together total four thousand three hundred twenty sections, exactly forming one year. This was the system established by the Yellow Emperor. Later, each solar term was divided into three qi, and each qi was divided into forty-five sections, resulting in one thousand and eighty sections per year. This was the system developed by Fenghou, who combined four sections into one according to the Yellow Emperor's original system.

冬至甲子生於一，一數之始也；夏至甲子生於九，九數之終也。故冬至起於坎、夏至起於離，此後天卦之節應也。是以立春起於艮，春分起於震，立夏起於巽，順行陽氣而履於左；立秋起於坤，秋分起於兌，立冬起於干，逆行陰氣而戴於右。一節統三氣、一氣統三候、一候為一局、九局為一卦，八卦合得七十二局，以成一歲，此太公望約十五局為一局也。

The Jiazi of the winter solstice begins in the first palace, as one is the beginning of numbers; the Jiazi of the summer solstice begins in the ninth palace, as nine is the end of numbers. Therefore, the winter solstice begins at the first palace of Kan, and the summer solstice begins at the ninth palace of Li, which corresponds to the Later Heaven trigram positions. Following this pattern, the beginning of spring starts at the eighth palace of Gen, the beginning of summer starts at the third palace of Zhen, and the beginning of autumn starts at the fourth palace of Xun, moving along the left side with the yang energy. The beginning of autumn starts at the second palace of Kun, the beginning of winter starts at the sixth palace of Qian, moving along the right side with the yin energy. Each solar term consists of three qi, each qi consists of three periods, each period uses one palace, nine palaces make up one trigram, eight trigrams make up seventy-two palaces, completing a year. This is the method used by Jiang Taigong to combine fifteen palaces into one. The first part explains the method of the Earlier Heaven trigrams, and this part explains the method of the Later Heaven trigrams: the Earlier Heaven determines the solstices with Kun in the north and Qian in the south, while the Later Heaven determines the solstices with Kan in the first palace and Li in the ninth palace. Although the directions differ, the principle of yin and yang waxing and waning remains consistent. Later generations actually use this Later Heaven method for arranging the palaces.

八節分二至，二至分陰陽，陽統十二氣順行九宮為陽九局：冬至、驚蟄、清明、立夏四氣，三元甲子起於一七四宮；小寒、立春、穀雨、小滿四氣，三元甲子起於二八五宮；大寒、春分、雨水、芒種四氣，三元甲子起於三九六宮。陰統十二氣逆行九宮為陰九局：夏至、白露、寒露、立冬四氣，三元甲子起於九三六宮；小暑、立秋、霜降、小雪四氣，三元甲子起於八二五宮；大暑、秋分、處暑、大雪四氣，三元甲子起於七一四宮。每一宮統四元，每一元統六十時，四元分得二百四十時為一局，歲四千三百二十時為十八局，此留侯又約四局為一局也。

The eight seasonal divisions are governed by the winter solstice and summer solstice. These two solstices divide into Yang Dun and Yin Dun. Yang Dun governs twelve seasonal divisions, moving through the nine palaces in a clockwise direction, forming nine Yang sections. The four seasonal divisions of winter solstice,惊蛰 (Jingzhe), 清明 (Qingming), and 立夏 (Lixia) have their first Jiazi starting at the first palace, seventh palace, and fourth palace respectively for the upper, middle, and lower trigrams. The four seasonal divisions of 小寒 (Xiaohan), 立春 (Lichun), 谷雨 (Guyu), and 小满 (Xiaoman) have their first Jiazi starting at the second palace, eighth palace, and fifth palace respectively. The four seasonal divisions of 大寒 (Dahan), 春分 (Chunfen), 雨水 (Yushui), and 芒种 (Mangzhong) have their first Jiazi starting at the third palace, ninth palace, and sixth palace respectively. Yin Dun governs twelve seasonal divisions, moving through the nine palaces in a counterclockwise direction, forming nine Yin sections. The four seasonal divisions of 夏至 (Xiazhi), 白露 (Bailu), 寒露 (Hanlu), and 立冬 (Lidong) have their first Jiazi starting at the ninth palace, third palace, sixth palace respectively for the upper, middle, and lower trigrams. The four seasonal divisions of 小暑 (Xiaoshu), 立秋 (Liuchou), 霜降 (Shuangjiang), and 小雪 (Xiaoxue) have their first Jiazi starting at the eighth palace, second palace, and fifth palace respectively. The four seasonal divisions of 大暑 (Dashu), 秋分 (Qiufen), 处暑 (Chushu), and 大雪 (Daxue) have their first Jiazi starting at the seventh palace, first palace, and fourth palace respectively. When determining the section, first identify which group the current seasonal division belongs to, then according to the upper, middle, or lower trigram, take the corresponding palace as the starting point for Jiazi. Each palace governs four trigrams, each trigram governs sixty hours. Four trigrams together make 240 hours, forming one section. A year has 4320 hours, making eighteen sections. Zhang Liang (Liu Hou) further combined four sections into one.

漢陰居士曰：天地之理，陰陽生殺而已矣。含兩間而吐四時者，理中氣也。氣無理不畜，理無氣不舒。陰陽生殺者，所以畜其氣而舒其理者也。故庖羲氏俯仰以畫卦、軒轅氏即卦以分節，亦各緣陰陽生殺，發其含吐舒畜而已矣。八節之義：冬者陰也，其音翕，陰之理也；夏者陽也，其音張，陽之理也；春者陽之生氣也，故其音張而發；秋者陰之殺氣也，故其翕而斂。此陰陽理氣自然之翕張斂發，故運行四時而生成百物也。

Han Yin Ju Shi said: The principles in the universe are nothing but the generation and destruction of yin and yang. The qi that is contained within heaven and earth and that gives rise to the four seasons is the qi contained within the principle. Qi without principle cannot be retained, and principle without qi cannot be expressed; the generation and destruction of yin and yang are precisely used to retain the qi and express the principle. Therefore, Fuxi observed the heavens above and examined the earth below, and drew the Eight Trigrams. The Yellow Emperor followed the Eight Trigrams to divide the eight solar terms, and both followed the generation and destruction of yin and yang, expressing the principle of containment and release, expansion and restraint. The significance of the eight solar terms lies in the fact that winter belongs to yin, and its sound and qi are contracting, which is the principle of yin; summer belongs to yang, and its sound and qi are expanding, which is the principle of yang; spring is the yang qi of life, so its qi expands outward; autumn is the yin qi of destruction, so its qi contracts inward. This contraction and expansion, this restraint and release, are the natural expressions of the principles of yin and yang and their qi, thus enabling the cycle of the four seasons and the generation of all things.

至者拯也，分者中也，立者止也。先天坤以純陰居北，陰至於純而陰極矣，故曰冬至；陰極則陽生，陽生則陰止，故震一陽生於東北曰立春。離以陽含陰而居東，陽之生氣得乎中，是以二陽含一陰而中分之，故曰春分。陽過其中而氣漸盛，若不知其所止，則必至於極，故兌以一陰止二陽於東南曰：立夏。干以純陽居南，陽至於純而陽極矣，故曰：夏至。陽極則陰生，陰生則陽止，故巽一陰生於西南曰：立秋。坎以陰含陽而居西，陰之殺氣得乎中，是以二陰含一陽而中分之，故曰：秋分。陰過其中而氣漸盛，若不知其所止，則必至於極，故艮以一陽止二陰於西北曰：立冬，此羲皇二聖，卦節一揆之旨也。後天卦位雖易，而八方八節不能易。其所能易者，則陰陽升降之氣；而所不能易者，則陰陽配合之理也。故曰天地之理，陰陽生殺而已矣。

"Zhi" means reaching the extreme and then turning, "fen" means dividing from the middle, and "li" means stopping. In the Earlier Heaven Trigrams, the Trigram坤 (Kun) is composed entirely of yin and resides in the north. When yin reaches its purest form, it is yin's extreme, hence called Winter Solstice. When yin reaches its extreme, yang begins to arise, and when yang arises, yin stops, so the Trigram震 (Zhen) with one yang emerging in the northeast is called the Beginning of Spring. The Trigram离 (Li) contains yin within yang and resides in the east. Yang's life energy is exactly at the middle, with two yangs surrounding one yin and dividing it evenly, hence called Spring Equinox. When yang passes the middle and its strength gradually increases, if it does not stop, it will inevitably reach its extreme. Hence, the Trigram兑 (Dui) with one yin stopping two yangs in the southeast is called the Beginning of Summer. The Trigram乾 (Qian) is composed entirely of yang and resides in the south. When yang reaches its purest form, it is yang's extreme, hence called Summer Solstice. When yang reaches its extreme, yin begins to arise, and when yin arises, yang stops, so the Trigram巽 (Xun) with one yin emerging in the southwest is called the Beginning of Autumn. The Trigram坎 (Kan) contains yang within yin and resides in the west. Yin's destructive energy is exactly at the middle, with two yins surrounding one yang and dividing it evenly, hence called Autumn Equinox. When yin passes the middle and its strength gradually increases, if it does not stop, it will inevitably reach its extreme. Hence, the Trigram艮 (Gen) with one yang stopping two yins in the northwest is called the Beginning of Winter. This is the meaning of the two sages, Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor, who regarded the positions of the Trigrams and the twenty-four solar terms as the same principle. Although the Later Heaven Trigram positions have changed, the correspondence between the eight directions and the eight solar terms remains unchanged. What can change is the rising and falling of yin and yang energies, but the principle of their combination cannot be changed. Therefore, it is said: the principles of heaven and earth are nothing more than the generation and destruction of yin and yang. This passage explains the origins of the eight solar terms using the Earlier Heaven Trigrams: the two solstices represent the extremes of yin and yang, the two equinoxes represent the middle of yin and yang, and the four beginnings represent the turning points where yin and yang stop and turn. Readers can thus understand that the eight solar terms are not arbitrarily divided, but natural turning points of the increase and decrease of yin and yang in the Trigrams.

九宮者，四正四維中央也。其體則先天陰陽往來順逆之序，其用則洛書戴履左右肩足之數，其義則一也。但先天之序隱，隱則佈局繁而難；洛書之數顯，顯則佈局簡而易。是以太公留侯於奇門佈局，則用洛書之數，起元仍用先天之節。蓋去難而取易，舍繁而用簡耳。《易贊》曰：「易則易知，簡則易從。」太公留侯，真明易簡而得其理者也。

The "Nine Palaces" consist of the four cardinal directions (Kan, Li, Zhen, Dui), the four intermediate directions (Qian, Kun, Gen, Xun), and the central position, making a total of nine positions. Its structure follows the order of the Earlier Heaven Trigrams' yin and yang progression and reversal, while its application uses the numbers of the Luo Writing, which are "nine at the top, one at the bottom, three on the left, seven on the right, two and four on the shoulders, six and eight on the feet." The principles behind these two are essentially the same. However, the Earlier Heaven order is subtle and obscure, making the arrangement complex and difficult to implement; whereas the numbers of the Luo Writing are clear and explicit, making the arrangement simple and easy to carry out. Therefore, when Jiang Taigong and Zhang Liang arranged the Qi Men layout, they used the numbers of the Luo Writing, while establishing the initial cycle and determining the sections still followed the order of the Earlier Heaven. This was simply to choose the easier path and to simplify the complicated. The "Commentary on the Book of Changes" says: "Smoothness makes things easy to understand, simplicity makes things easy to follow." Jiang Taigong and Zhang Liang truly understood the principle of simplicity and captured the essence.

五行分位五方，左旋相生：正北水生正東木，正東木生正南火，正南火至中央土，中央土生正西金，正西金生正北水。惟中央無門，故虛而土寄合於西南，以續金火之氣，亦見坤為萬物之母也，以中五所以合於坤二也。

The Five Phases are distributed among the five cardinal directions and generate in a counterclockwise order: water in the north generates wood in the east, wood in the east generates fire in the south, fire in the south generates earth in the center, and earth in the center generates metal in the west, which in turn generates water in the north. The center does not correspond to any of the eight gates, so the central palace remains empty. The earth of the center is combined with the southwest palace (Kun two), to connect the energy between fire and metal; this also shows that Kun is the mother of all things—the reason why the center combines with Kun two is precisely here.

一本陽局中五合於二，陰局中五合於八。先天巽以一陰生於西南，震以一陽生於東北；冬至一陽生於陰之極，故用陽局，而以中五寄巽，以姤其陰氣；夏至一陰生於陽之極，故用陰局，而以中五寄震，以復其陽氣。是陽局順陰而逆陽，陰局順陽而逆陰，陰陽互交於五之寄宮，而後得乙與庚合，而甲始無畏。脫中五不寄於震巽，則後天之坤艮不得屬土，而洛書之二八不能相交，且中五之土，有陽無陰，有死門而無生門，亦非通論。所以《悟真》結胎，用先天之數，東南合五、西北合五、中宮分五為三家相見。蓋其分陰陽於震巽者，即二少之合陰陽於二長也。其說於理尤為周備，但舊本多從前說，故遵之。

There is another version which states that during Yang Dun, the central five is lodged in the second palace of Kun, and during Yin Dun, the central five is lodged in the eighth palace of Gen. According to the Earlier Heaven trigrams, Xun is generated by one yin in the Southwest, and Zhen is generated by one yang in the Northeast. On the winter solstice, one yang is born at the extreme of yin, so the Yang Dun layout is used, and the central five is lodged in the Xun palace to meet that point of yin (that is, the meaning of the hexagram Gou). On the summer solstice, one yin is born at the extreme of yang, so the Yin Dun layout is used, and the central five is lodged in the Zhen palace to connect with that point of yang (that is, the meaning of the hexagram Fu). In this way, the Yang layout follows yin and goes against yang, while the Yin layout follows yang and goes against yin. Yin and yang thus meet in the lodgment palace of the central five, allowing Yi to combine with Geng and Jia to be fearless. If the central five were not lodged in the Zhen and Xun palaces, then the later heaven's Kun and Gen would not belong to earth, and the Luo Writing's two and eight would not be able to meet. Moreover, the earth of the central five would only have yang and no yin, only the Death Door and no Life Gate, which does not make sense. Therefore, the "Wuzhen Pan" talks about forming the elixir and the embryo, using the Earlier Heaven numbers: the Southeast combines to make five, the Northwest combines to make five, and the central palace divides five to form the meeting of three families. It separates yin and yang into Zhen and Xun, which is actually combining the yin and yang of the young male and young female into the elder male and elder female. This explanation is more comprehensive in terms of reasoning, but most old versions follow the previous one, so this book continues to use the previous explanation.

東南合五者，木往生火，木三火二合成五也。木往必經兌，故後天巽代兌為木。西北合五者，金來生水，金四水一合成五也。金來必經艮，故後天乾代艮為金。蓋以途圖之生數合之也。不言成數有合者，以其去本位之生數即成五，不必合也。中分五者，分土之成數，西南東北各得其五也。故曰數往者順，知來者逆也。

The concept of "Southeast combines with five" refers to wood generating fire, with the birth number of wood being three and the birth number of fire being two, which together make five. Since wood must pass through the position of Dui (Lake) to generate fire, the Later Heaven hexagram uses Xun (Wind) to replace Dui and is associated with wood. The concept of "Northwest combines with five" refers to metal generating water, with the birth number of metal being four and the birth number of water being one, which together make five. Since metal must pass through the position of Gen (Mountain) to generate water, the Later Heaven hexagram uses Qian (Heaven) to replace Gen and is associated with metal. These are all derived from the birth numbers in the Yellow River Chart. The reason for not mentioning the completion numbers is that the completion numbers, when subtracted by the birth numbers of their respective positions, leave five, so there is no need for further combination. The concept of "middle divides five" refers to splitting the completion number of earth, with five being allocated to both the Southwest and Northeast. Therefore, the Classic of Divination says: "To understand past events, use forward reasoning; to foresee future events, use reverse reasoning."

六儀遁六甲者，六甲統六儀，儀用而甲不用也。其儀維何？干有十而宮惟九，甲不入宮則奇儀無首，甲若居宮則奇儀缺位。是以甲統其儀，用儀之用以為用，而不自用也。假令甲以奇儀分佈九宮，順則儀在前、奇在後，逆則儀在後、奇在前。今舉順布以類其餘。如布冬至第一局，先布三奇於後，乙居九、丙居八、丁居七；次布六儀於前，戊居一、己居二、庚居三、辛居四、壬居五、癸居六，此奇本局之定位也。

The concept of "six instruments concealed by the six Jia" refers to six Jia governing six instruments, but in practice, the instruments are used rather than the Jia directly. Why are instruments set up? Because there are ten heavenly stems but only nine palaces: if Jia does not enter a palace, the three marvels and six instruments would lack a leader; if Jia occupies one palace, one position among the marvels and instruments would be missing. Therefore, Jia leads its own instruments, using the function of the instruments to exert its influence without appearing directly. Suppose Jia distributes the three marvels and six instruments across the nine palaces. When arranging in a forward direction, the instruments come first and the marvels follow; when arranging in a reverse direction, the instruments come after and the marvels precede. Here is an example of the forward arrangement, with the rest following the same pattern. For instance, in the first year of the Yang Dun (Yang遁) during the winter solstice, first month: first, place the three marvels at the back, with Yi in the ninth palace, Bing in the eighth, and Ding in the seventh; then place the six instruments at the front, with Wu in the first palace, Ji in the second, Geng in the third, Xin in the fourth, Ren in the fifth, and Gui in the sixth. This is the fixed position of the marvels and instruments on the Earth Plate in this particular arrangement.

一局為一元，一元統五日，五日統六十時，六十時分六甲，六甲統六儀。自甲至癸，一宮一干，遍歷九宮，為終一甲；六歷九宮，為終一元；一元終又起首甲為第二局。本局甲子起一宮，順遁九宮，至癸酉仍歸一宮，則首甲所監之九干，終於一戊之本局，定位居一。甲子十干始於一而終於一，甲子與戊同宮，是戊遁甲子，故統曰甲子戊。甲戌續癸酉起二宮，宮遁一干至癸未，仍歸二宮，二為己本局之定位，是甲戌與己同宮，統曰甲戌己。甲申續癸未起三宮，宮遁一干至癸巳，仍歸三宮，三為庚本局之定位，是庚遁甲申，故統曰甲申庚。

A "局" is one yuan, which encompasses five days, and five days consist of sixty hours. These sixty hours are divided into six Jia shen (tens of Jia), each of which governs one instrument. Starting from Jia and counting to Gui, one dry branch is placed in each of the nine palaces, completing one Jia shen in this way. Repeating this process six times covers one yuan. After completing one yuan, the process starts again from the first Jia for the next "局". In the first "局", the Jiazi begins in the first palace and moves through the nine palaces in sequence, returning to the first palace at Guiyou. Thus, the nine heavenly stems governed by the initial Jia in this "局" end up at Wu in the first palace. Since Jiazi starts and ends in the first palace, Jiazi and Wu are in the same palace, meaning Wu is hidden within Jiazi, hence the term "Jiazi Wu". The next Jiaxu shen starts from the second palace after Guiyou, moving through the nine palaces, ending at Guiwei and returning to the second palace. The second palace is governed by Ji, so Jiaxu and Ji are in the same palace, hence the term "Jiaxu Ji". The next Jiashen shen starts from the third palace after Guiwei, moving through the nine palaces, ending at Guisi and returning to the third palace. The third palace is governed by Geng, so Geng is hidden within Jiashen, hence the term "Jiashen Geng". Summarizing this method: each shen consists of ten heavenly stems, starting from the palace where the previous shen ended with Gui, moving through each palace in sequence, covering ten palaces (i.e., going around the nine palaces and one more palace). The final Gui returns to the starting palace, which is the location of the instrument associated with this shen on the Earth Plate. This is the origin of the term "Jia遁于仪" (Jia hidden within the instrument).

甲午續癸巳起四宮，宮近遁一干至癸卯，仍歸四宮，四為辛本局之定位，是甲午與辛同宮，故曰辛遁甲午，而統曰甲午辛。甲辰續癸卯起五宮，宮遁一干至癸丑，仍歸五宮，五為壬本局之定位，是甲辰與壬同宮，故曰壬遁甲辰，而統曰甲辰壬。甲寅續癸丑起六宮，宮遁一干至癸亥，仍歸六宮，六為癸本局之定位，故曰癸遁甲寅，而統曰甲寅癸。舉此一局，而局局如是；布此一元，而元元如是。故甲子戊、甲戌己、甲申庚、甲午辛、甲辰壬、甲寅癸，旬首之甲莫不統儀以遁，則儀用即甲用，故曰用儀之用以為用，而不自用也。

The Heavenly Stem Jiawu follows Guisi starting from the fourth palace, moving one palace and one stem each time, returning to the fourth palace at Guimao. The fourth palace is occupied by Xin in this layout, indicating that Jiawu and Xin are in the same palace. Therefore, Xin is said to be hidden within Jiawu, forming the combination "Jiawu Xin." Similarly, the Heavenly Stem Jiachen follows Guimao starting from the fifth palace, moving one palace and one stem each time, returning to the fifth palace at Guichou. The fifth palace is occupied by Ren, indicating that Jiachen and Ren are in the same palace. Therefore, Ren is said to be hidden within Jiachen, forming the combination "Jiachen Ren." The Heavenly Stem Jiayin follows Guichou starting from the sixth palace, moving one palace and one stem each time, returning to the sixth palace at Guihai. The sixth palace is occupied by Gui, indicating that Jiayin and Gui are in the same palace. Therefore, Gui is said to be hidden within Jiayin, forming the combination "Jiayin Gui." This pattern applies to each layout; once this system is established, it applies to all. Therefore, the six combinations of "Xunshou" (ten-day cycles' starting stems) are: Jiazi with Wu, Jiaxu with Ji, Jiashen with Geng, Jiawu with Xin, Jiachen with Ren, and Jiayin with Gui. Each "Xunshou" stem is associated with its own "Yi" (assistant stem) that is hidden within it. When the "Yi" acts, it is as if the "Xunshou" stem is acting. Therefore, it is said that the "Yi" is used to express the function of the "Xunshou" stem without the "Xunshou" stem itself appearing. When arranging the chart, one only needs to remember these six combinations: seeing Wu indicates Jiazi is hidden beneath it, seeing Ji indicates Jiaxu is hidden beneath it, seeing Geng indicates Jiashen is hidden beneath it, seeing Xin indicates Jiawu is hidden beneath it, seeing Ren indicates Jiachen is hidden beneath it, and seeing Gui indicates Jiayin is hidden beneath it. When using them, the "Yi" can be used in place of the "Xunshou" stem.

六甲統儀不統奇者，儀為庚之黨羽，奇為甲之腹心也。奇儀分佈九宮，六甲又遁諸干於九宮者，備星門之為符使，所為遁宮也。

The Six Instruments are only governed by the Six Jia but not by the Three Marvels, because the Instruments belong to the faction of Geng (among Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui, Geng is in the middle), while the Marvels are the inner circle of Jia. After the Three Marvels and Six Instruments are distributed into the nine palaces, the Six Jia hide the heavenly stems of each ten-day period within the nine palaces, so that each of the nine stars and eight gates can have a basis for "straight symbol" and "straight command." This is called "hidden palace."

符頭者，符合上元首甲也。甲子、己卯、甲午、己酉四日為符頭。蓋一氣統三元，分上中下三局，一局統五日，五日統六十時為一紀。一紀即一元紀法，以十干加十二支，首尾相合為一終；干以甲為首、癸為尾，支以子為首、亥為尾，故自甲子至癸亥，合得六十為一紀，謂之一元，奇門選時之法也。

"The symbol head" refers to the day that corresponds with the first Jia in the upper beginning. The days Jiazi, Jimao, Jiawu, and Jiyou can all serve as the symbol head. Because a solar term divides the upper, middle, and lower three beginnings, forming three sections; each section governs five days, and five days consist of sixty hours, called a "ji" (纪). A "ji" is the method of counting for a "yuan" (元): by pairing the ten heavenly stems with the twelve earthly branches, the cycle completes when it loops back to the beginning, forming one full cycle. The heavenly stems start with Jia and end with Gui, while the earthly branches start with Zi and end with Hai. Counting from Jiazi to Guihai gives a total of sixty, which is called a "ji," or a "yuan." This is the fundamental calculation method for selecting time in the art of Qimen (奇门).

時非日不能得元，元非氣不能得局，是以一氣統三元為三局，分上中下以別之，再別為周，再周為變，故終十二紀。而天地之氣，是以謂之六氣也。凡變氣一，統節氣四，故四分日紀以起各氣之元。用甲己二干遁起甲子時為元首，二干加仲為上、加孟為中、加季為下。以仲之甲己四日，遁起甲子時，合時紀上元之首，故曰：符頭也。

The time of day must be separated from the day to determine the origin, and the origin must be separated from the solar term to determine the structure. Therefore, one solar term unifies three origins and forms three structures, distinguished by the terms upper, middle, and lower. A further distinction is called "zhou," and zhou again is called "bian." In this way, there are twelve records, and the atmospheric energies of heaven and earth are thus called six energies. Each change of energy unifies four solar terms, so the day must be divided into four parts to determine the origins of each solar term. Specifically, the days with the heavenly stems Jia and Ji are used to start the cycle, beginning with the Jiazi hour. If Jia or Ji falls on the "four central" positions of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, it is considered the upper origin; if it falls on the "four young" positions of Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai, it is considered the middle origin; if it falls on the "four seasonal" positions of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, it is considered the lower origin. All the days with Jia and Ji that fall on the four central positions, namely Jiazi, Jimao, Jiawu, and Jiyou, start from the Jiazi hour, which coincides with the beginning of the upper origin of the first record. Therefore, these days are called "fu tou."