The Forty Odd Gate Patterns

龍回首：甲值符加地盤丙奇。鳥跌穴：丙奇加地盤甲值符。天遁：生門與丙奇臨，又開門與六丙合。地遁：開門與乙奇臨己。人遁：休門與丁奇臨太陰。雲遁：休開生與乙奇合奇，地盤六辛。風遁：休開生臨乙奇，地盤巽四宮。龍遁：休門與乙奇合坎。虎遁：休門與乙奇合艮辛。神遁：休門與乙奇合九天。鬼遁：乙奇合九地杜門。

"The Azure Dragon Looking Back" —— the Heaven Plate Jia (Chief Symbol) is placed over the Earth Plate Bing Qi. "Flying Birds Dive into the Cavity" —— the Heaven Plate Bing Qi is placed over the Earth Plate Jia (Chief Symbol). "Heavenly Concealment" —— the Life Gate carries Bing Qi to the戊 Earth Palace, or the Open Door meets with the Six Bing. "Earthly Concealment" —— the Open Door carries Bing Qi to the己 Earth Palace. "Human Concealment" —— the Xiu Gate carries Ding Qi to the Taiyin. "Cloud Concealment" —— one of the three auspicious gates, Xiu, Open, or Life, meets with Bing Qi, and the Earth Plate is Six Xin. "Wind Concealment" —— one of the three auspicious gates, Xiu, Open, or Life, carries Bing Qi to the Earth Plate Xun four palace. "Dragon Concealment" —— the Xiu Gate carries Bing Qi to the Kan one palace. "Tiger Concealment" —— the Xiu Gate carries Bing Qi to the Gen eight palace or the Xin position. "Divine Concealment" —— the Xiu Gate carries Bing Qi and meets with the Nine Heavens. "Ghost Concealment" —— Bing Qi meets with the Nine Earths and Du Gate. These eleven patterns are all auspicious, among which five are the best choices for concealment, surprising the enemy and achieving victory.

龍逃走：乙奇遇辛。虎猖狂：辛遇乙奇。蛇妖矯：癸見丁奇。雀投江：丁奇見癸。三奇得使：乙奇加甲午、甲戌，丙奇加甲子、甲申，丁奇加甲寅、甲辰。玉女守門：甲己時丙，乙庚時辛，丙辛時乙，丁壬時己，戊癸時壬，十干之符。

"The Azure Dragon flees" — the Heaven Plate Yi Qi falls on the Earth Plate Xin. "The White Tiger runs rampant" — the Heaven Plate Xin falls on the Earth Plate Yi Qi. "The Qilin is mischievous" — the Heaven Plate Ji falls on the Earth Plate Ding Qi. "The Vermilion Bird jumps into the river" — the Heaven Plate Ding Qi falls on the Earth Plate Ji. These four situations all indicate misfortune. "The Three Marvels are in command" — when Yi Qi is placed over the palace of Jiawu (Xin) or Jiaxu (Ji), when Bing Qi is placed over the palace of Jiazi (Wu) or Jiashen (Geng), and when Ding Qi is placed over the palace of Jiayin (Ji) or Jiachen (Ren), it is as if each of the Three Marvels has received an instrument to be commanded, which is most effective. "The Jade Maiden guards the gate" — according to the day stem to determine the hour: on the day of Jia or Ji, look at the hour of Bing; on the day of Yi or Geng, look at the hour of Xin; on the day of Bing or Xin, look at the hour of Yi; on the day of Ding or Ren, look at the hour of Ji; on the day of Wu or Gui, look at the hour of Ren. This is derived according to the symbols paired with the ten heavenly stems.

大格：庚臨六癸。刑格：庚臨六己。歲格：庚臨歲干。月格：庚臨月干。日格：庚臨日干。時格：庚臨時干三奇。小格：庚臨壬。伏宮：庚臨值符。伏干：庚臨日干。飛干格：日干臨庚。

All these are obstructions caused by the six Geng stems. "Great Obstruction" occurs when the Heaven Plate's Geng stem is placed over the Earth Plate's Ji stem. "Crime Obstruction" occurs when the Heaven Plate's Geng stem is placed over the Earth Plate's Ji stem. "Year Obstruction" occurs when Geng is placed over the stem of the current year. "Month Obstruction" occurs when Geng is placed over the stem of the current month. "Day Obstruction" occurs when Geng is placed over the stem of the current day. "Hour Obstruction" occurs when Geng is placed over the hour stem or the Three Marvels. "Small Obstruction" occurs when Geng is placed over Ren. "Hidden Palace" occurs when Geng is placed over the palace where the Chief Symbol is located. "Hidden Stem" occurs when Geng is placed over the day stem. "Flying Stem Obstruction" occurs when the day stem is placed over Geng. Whenever these obstructions occur, affairs will be blocked and one will be at a loss for direction.

太白入熒：六庚加丙奇，又庚加卯日時酉丁。火入金鄉：丙奇加六庚金，又丙奇加驚用值符之庚辛。反吟：星加對宮。伏吟：本星加本宮。五不遇格：時干剋日干。三奇入墓：乙奇坤宮，丙奇乾宮，丁奇艮宮。時墓：當用時墓干。

"The White Tiger Enters the Fluorescent" —— the Heaven Plate's Geng is placed over the Earth Plate's Bing Qi; another interpretation is that Geng is placed over the卯 day,酉 hour, or丁 position. "Fire Enters the Metal Homeland" —— the Heaven Plate's Bing Qi is placed over the Earth Plate's Geng (metal); another interpretation is that Bing Qi is placed over the Jing Door or over the Geng and Xin carried by the Chief Symbol. "Reverse Chant" —— a star on the Heaven Plate is placed into the opposite palace of its own palace. "Hidden Chant" —— a star on the Heaven Plate is placed exactly back into its own palace. "Five Unfavorable Positions" —— the hour stem overcomes the day stem. "Three Marvels Enter the Storage" —— the Yi Qi falls into the Kun two palace, the Bing Qi falls into the Qian six palace, and the Ding Qi falls into the Gen eight palace, each entering their own storage. "Hour Storage" —— the heavenly stem of the used hour exactly falls into its own storage position. These are all ominous patterns that should be avoided when engaging in affairs.

六儀擊刑：甲子值符三，甲申值符八，甲戌值符二，甲午值符九，甲辰值符四，甲寅值符四。六儀受制：休加離，傷加坤，杜加艮，景加乾，生加兌，死加坎，開加震，驚加巽。地羅遮蔽：六壬臨時干。天網四張：六癸臨時干。尺寸高低：一二三四五宮尺寸低，六七八九宮尺寸高。

"Six Instruments Strike Crime" refers to when Jiazi (Wu) serves as the Chief Symbol and falls into the third palace of Zhen, Jiaxu (Ji) serves as the Chief Symbol and falls into the eighth palace of Gen, Jiayin (Gui) serves as the Chief Symbol and falls into the second palace of Kun, Jiawu (Xin) serves as the Chief Symbol and falls into the ninth palace of Li, Jiachen (Ren) serves as the Chief Symbol and falls into the fourth palace of Xun, and Jiayin (Gui) serves as the Chief Symbol and falls into the fourth palace of Xun. These are all instances where the first day of the ten-day period collides with the earthly branch, resulting in a crime. "Six Instruments Under Control" refers to Xiu Men added to the ninth palace of Li, Shang Men added to the second palace of Kun, Du Men added to the eighth palace of Gen, Jing Gate added to the sixth palace of Qian, Sheng Men added to the seventh palace of Dui, Si Men added to the first palace of Kan, Kai Men added to the third palace of Zhen, and Jing Men added to the fourth palace of Xun. These are all cases where the gate is suppressed by the palace. "Earthly Net Obstructing" refers to the Six壬 (Six癸) pressing upon the hour stem, like a net in front, blocking the way. "Heavenly Net Spread Out" refers to the Six癸 pressing upon the hour stem, with a net surrounding from all four sides. As for "Dimensions and Height," it means when the Heavenly Net falls into the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth palace, the net is low, allowing one to lift it and escape. However, when the Heavenly Net falls into the sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth palace, the net is higher than a person, leaving no way to escape.

冬至：休門旺，生門絕，傷門胎，杜門沐，景門死，死門囚，驚門休，開門廢。立春生門旺，春分傷門旺，立夏杜門旺，夏至景門旺，立秋死門旺，秋分驚門旺，立冬開門旺，冬至周而復始。

Taking the winter solstice as an example, the eight gates follow the waxing and waning of the eight solar terms. At the winter solstice, the Xiu Men (Rest Gate) is strong, the Sheng Men (Life Gate) is in a state of decline, the Shang Men (Injury Gate) is in the fetal stage, the Du Men (Du Gate) is in the bathing stage, the Jing Men (Scene Gate) is in a state of death, the Si Men (Death Gate) is in captivity, the Jing Men (Alarm Gate) is in the rest position, and the Kai Men (Open Gate) is in a state of decline. The other seven solar terms follow this pattern in sequence—during the beginning of spring, the Sheng Men is strong; during the spring equinox, the Shang Men is strong; during the beginning of summer, the Du Men is strong; during the summer solstice, the Jing Men is strong; during the beginning of autumn, the Si Men is strong; during the autumn equinox, the Jing Men is strong; during the beginning of winter, the Kai Men is strong; and at the winter solstice, the cycle returns to the Xiu Men being strong. Each gate is strong in the solar term corresponding to its own palace. This is the basis for determining the strength of each gate.

九星旺於子月，相於本月，死於父母月，囚於鬼月，廢於妻月。如天蓬水星，正二月旺，十月十一月相，七月八月死，三六九十二月囚，四五月廢。

The four seasonal states of the nine stars are determined by the generation and overcoming relationships of the Five Phases. In the month of the "child" (the month that generates the star), it is strong. In the month when the star's own phase is dominant, it is in the state of "xiang". In the month that generates the star (the "parents" month), it is in the state of "si". In the month that overcomes the star (the "ghost" month), it is in the state of "qiu". In the month that is overcome by the star (the "wife" month), it is in the state of "fei". For example, Tianpeng Star belongs to water. The months of January and February are the wood months that generate water, so it is strong. The months of October and November are the water months when water is dominant, so it is in the state of "xiang". The months of July and August are the metal months that generate water, so it is in the state of "si". The months of March, June, September, and December are the earth months that overcome water, so it is in the state of "qiu". The months of April and May are the fire months that are overcome by water, so it is in the state of "fei". The other eight stars follow the same pattern.

開門臨三四宮（金克木），休門臨九宮（水克火），生門臨一宮（土克水），傷門臨八宮（木克土），景門臨六宮（火克金），死門臨一宮（土克水），驚門臨三四宮（金克木），杜門臨二八宮（木克土）。

the so-called "compulsion" refers to the situation where the Eight Doors fall into the palace they control, and the energy of the door is restricted by the palace. This causes auspicious doors to become less auspicious and inauspicious doors to become more inauspicious. Specifically, the Open Door belongs to metal and falls into the wood palaces of Zhen three and Xun four, which is metal controlling wood; the Xiu Men belongs to water and falls into the fire palace of Li nine, which is water controlling fire; the Life Gate belongs to earth and falls into the water palace of Kan one, which is earth controlling water; the Shang Men belongs to wood and falls into the earth palace of Gen eight, which is wood controlling earth; the Jing Gate belongs to fire and falls into the metal palace of Qian six, which is fire controlling metal; the Death Door belongs to earth and falls into the water palace of Kan one, which is earth controlling water; the Jing Door belongs to metal and falls into the wood palaces of Zhen three and Xun four, which is metal controlling wood; the Du Men belongs to wood and falls into the earth palaces of Kun two and Gen eight, which is wood controlling earth.

欲求財利往生方，葬獵須知死路強。征戰遠行開門吉，休門見貴最為良。捉賊驚門無不獲，杜門無事好逃藏。索債須防傷上去，思量飲酒景門高。

If you wish to seek wealth and profit, go in the direction of the Life Gate. If you are to bury the dead or go hunting, the Death Door is the most effective path. For military campaigns or long journeys, the Open Door is auspicious. If you wish to meet a Nobleman, the Rest Gate is best. To capture thieves, go through the Startle Gate, and you will surely succeed. If you want to avoid trouble and hide, the Southeast Xun Gate is most suitable. If you are to collect debts, be cautious and go in the direction of the Wound Gate. If you plan to have a banquet or gathering, the Scene Gate is the best choice. This song matches each of the eight gates with specific activities, forming the fundamental mnemonic for selecting directions in the art of the Odd Gate.

冬至驚蜇一七四，夏至白露九三六，小寒二八五相隨，小暑八二五之間。大寒春分三九六，大暑秋分七一四，芒種六三九是儀，立秋二五八循環。穀雨小滿五二八，霜降小雪五八二，立春八五二相宜，大雪四七一相關。清明立夏四一七，處暑排來一四七，雨水九六三為奇，立冬寒露六九三。

This is a mnemonic for the structure numbers used in the upper, middle, and lower trigrams for each of the twenty-four solar terms. Each line provides the structure number for one (or two shared) solar terms. The winter solstice and惊蛰 (Awakening of Insects) use one, seven, and four structure numbers; the summer solstice and white dew use nine, three, and six structure numbers; the minor cold uses two, eight, and five structure numbers; the minor heat uses eight, two, and five structure numbers. The major cold and vernal equinox use three, nine, and six structure numbers; the major heat and autumn equinox use seven, one, and four structure numbers; the grain in ear uses six, three, and nine structure numbers; the beginning of autumn uses two, five, and eight structure numbers. The rain water and grain full uses five, two, and eight structure numbers; the frost descent and minor snow use five, eight, and two structure numbers; the beginning of spring uses eight, five, and two structure numbers; the major snow uses four, seven, and one structure numbers. The clear and bright and beginning of summer use four, one, and seven structure numbers; the heat dew uses one, four, and seven structure numbers; the rain water uses nine, six, and three structure numbers; the beginning of winter and cold dew use six, nine, and three structure numbers. From the winter solstice to the grain in ear, it belongs to yang遁 (Yang遁), progressing in order; from the summer solstice to the major snow, it belongs to yin遁 (Yin遁), progressing in reverse order.

天輔巽四木、天英離九火、天芮坤二土；杜門四綠、景門九黃、死門二黑。天沖震三木、天禽中五土、天柱兌七金；傷門三碧、驚門七赤。天任艮八土、天蓬坎一水、天心乾六金；生門八白、休門一白、開門六白。

These two diagrams show the original positions, Five Phases, and corresponding palace colors of the nine stars and eight gates within the nine palaces, arranged in three rows: upper, middle, and lower. The upper row is: Tian Fu Star is in the Xun palace (fourth palace) belonging to Wood, Tian Ying Star is in the Li palace (ninth palace) belonging to Fire, and Tian Rui Star is in the Kun palace (second palace) belonging to Earth; the corresponding gates are Du Men (four green), Jing Men (nine purple, originally nine yellow), and Si Men (two black). The middle row is: Tian Chong Star is in the Zhen palace (third palace) belonging to Wood, Tian Qin Star is in the Central Palace (fifth palace) belonging to Earth, and Tian Zhu Star is in the Dui palace (seventh palace) belonging to Metal; the corresponding gates are Shang Men (three green), Jing Men (seven red), and there is no gate in the Central Palace. The lower row is: Tian Ren Star is in the Gen palace (eighth palace) belonging to Earth, Tian Peng Star is in the Kan palace (first palace) belonging to Water, and Tian Xin Star is in the Qian palace (sixth palace) belonging to Metal; the corresponding gates are Sheng Men (eight white), Xiu Men (one white), and Kai Men (six white). Remember this original position diagram before you can proceed to calculate the Chief Symbol and Duty Gate.

一逢坎上一坎休，芮死還排第二流，更有沖傷居震位，巽逢杜輔數為頭。禽心死五心開六，驚柱還從七上來，惟有任生居八艮，九尋英景逐方周。

This mnemonic arranges the nine stars and eight gates in the order from one to nine palaces. The first palace, Kan position, is paired with the Tianpeng star and Xiu Men; the second palace is paired with the Tianrui star and Si Men; the third palace, Zhen position, is paired with the Tianchong star and Shang Men; the fourth palace, Xun position, is paired with the Tianfu star and Du Men; the fifth palace, the Central Palace, is paired with the Tianqin star, and since the Central Palace has no gate, it uses Si Men instead; the sixth palace, Qian position, is paired with the Tianxin star and Kai Men; the seventh palace, Dui position, is paired with the Tianzhu star and Jing Men; the eighth palace, Gen position, is paired with the Tianren star and Sheng Men; the ninth palace, Li position, is paired with the Tianying star and Jing Gate. Once the nine palaces are counted through, the correspondence between stars and gates is complete. If the beginning of the ten-day period falls in a particular palace, that palace's star is the Chief Symbol for that ten-day period, and that palace's gate is the Duty Gate for that ten-day period.

年運：子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥。年孤：亥子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌。年虛：巳午未申酉戌亥子丑寅卯辰。月位：正、二、三、四、五、六、七、八、九、十、十一、臘。月孤：丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥子。月虛：未申酉戌亥子丑寅卯辰巳午。

This is a table for determining the positions of "Gu" and "Xu" each year and each month. The first row lists the year branches, starting from Zi year and proceeding in order to Hai year. The second row shows the corresponding Gu direction, which is one position behind the year branch (for example, Gu of Zi year is Hai, Gu of Chou year is Zi, and so on). The third row shows the corresponding Xu direction, which is the opposite of the Gu direction (for example, Xu of Zi year is Si, Xu of Chou year is Wu, and so on). The next three rows are for the monthly correspondences: the first row lists the order of the months from the first month to the twelfth month. The second row shows the corresponding monthly Gu direction (for example, Gu of the first month is Chou, Gu of the second month is Yin, and so on). The third row shows the corresponding monthly Xu direction (for example, Xu of the first month is Wei, Xu of the second month is Shen, and so on). In military strategy, it is important to "attack Xu and retreat from Gu," and this table is used to determine directions.

日位：子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥。日孤：亥子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌。日虛：巳午未申酉戌亥子丑寅卯辰。時位：東北東西西西南北南北北南。時孤：東北東西西西西南北南北南。時虛：西南西東東東東北南北南北。

This is a reference table for determining the isolated and empty positions (gu xu) on a daily and hourly basis. The calculation for the day follows the same method as for the year: the first row lists the day branch from Zi to Hai; the second row lists the day's isolated position (gu), which is one step back from the day branch; the third row lists the day's empty position (xu), which is the opposite of the isolated position. For the hourly section, the directions are directly indicated: the first row lists the major directions corresponding to the twelve hours, in the order of East, North, East, West, West, West, South, North, South, North, North, South; the second row lists the corresponding isolated directions for each hour, in the order of East, North, East, West, West, West, West, South, North, South, North, South; the third row lists the corresponding empty directions for each hour, in the order of West, South, West, East, East, East, East, North, South, North, North, North. The level of gu xu used depends on the number of people involved, which is further explained in the section on "Gu Xu" later.

乙奇咒曰：天帝神威，誅滅鬼賊。六乙相扶，天道贊德。吾令所行，無攻不克，急急如玄女律令。丙奇咒曰：吾德天助，前後遮羅。青龍白虎，左右驅魔。朱雀道前，使我會他。天威助我，六丙除痾。急急如玄女律令。丁奇咒曰：天帝弟子，部令天兵。賞善罰惡，出幽入冥。來護吾者，玉女六丁。有犯我者，自滅其形。急急如玄女律令。

The Three Marvels each have their own incantation, which should be recited when going out, to assist the Qi Men. The incantation for the Yi Marvel is: I borrow the divine power of the Heavenly Emperor to eliminate all ghosts, bandits, and evil spirits; the Six Yi deities assist me from the side, and the heavenly path approves of my virtue; wherever my command reaches, there is no failure to conquer — urgently as the decree of the Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven. The incantation for the Bing Marvel is: My virtue is protected by heaven, with divine soldiers and nets guarding me from both front and back; the Azure Dragon and White Tiger stand on both sides to drive away evil spirits, the Vermilion Bird leads the way, allowing me to meet the person I seek; the divine power of heaven supports me, and the Six Bing deities help me remove illness — urgently as the decree of the Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven. The incantation for the Ding Marvel is: I am the disciple of the Heavenly Emperor, able to deploy and command heavenly soldiers; rewarding good and punishing evil, moving freely between the mortal and spirit realms; those who come to guard me are the Six Ding Jade Maidens; anyone who dares to offend me will vanish without a trace — urgently as the decree of the Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven.

三奇六儀，天地之機。陰陽順逆，至順玄微。時加六甲，一開一闢，上下交接。加陽星為開，百事吉；加陰星為闢，百事凶。

The Three Marvels, which are Yi, Bing, and Ding, and the Six Instruments, which are Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui, are the key mechanisms of the operation of Heaven and Earth. In Yang Dun, the movement is in the order of the sequence, while in Yin Dun, the movement is in the reverse order. The principle behind this is extremely smooth yet profoundly subtle. When these elements are applied and placed upon the Six Jia (the Chief Symbol), they form two situations, one opening and one closing, with the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate intersecting above and below. If the element placed is a Yang Star (such as Tianpeng, Tianren, Tianchong, Tianfu, Tianqin), it is called 'Opening,' and all affairs will be auspicious. If the element placed is a Yin Star (such as Tianying, Tianrui, Tianzhu, Tianxin), it is called 'Closing,' and all affairs will be inauspicious.

時加六乙，往來恍惚，與神俱出。時下得乙為日奇，凡攻擊往來者、逃凶者，宜從天上六乙出。則恍惚如神，無人見者，故曰：與神俱出。六乙為蓬星，又為天德，百事宜，利將兵不勝所向獲功。人君宜施恩賞，不可違怒行鞭樸之事。

When the Six Yi is added to the time, the movement and travel become indistinct and unclear, as if accompanying a deity. The original commentary says: when the Yi appears in the current hour, it is called the 'Daily Odd'. Whenever one needs to move about or escape from danger, one should depart from the direction where the Six Yi is located on the Heaven Plate. This makes one's movements indistinct like a deity, so that no one can see them, hence it is said 'going out with the deity'. The Six Yi also corresponds to the Tianpeng Star, also known as 'Heavenly Virtue'. All affairs are favorable, and in military operations, it is invincible and leads to many military achievements. The ruler should be benevolent and bestow rewards at this time, and should not act against Heavenly Virtue by becoming angry and imposing punishments.

時加六丙，萬兵莫往，王侯之象。時下得丙為月奇，又為威火之象，凡攻伐宜從天上六丙出，與月奇相逢，又挾威火，故威王侯。

When the Six Bing (丙) is added to the time plate, the army will be unstoppable, indicating the image of a king or marquis. The original commentary says: when the time plate has Bing, it is called 'the lunar oddity' and also symbolizes a fierce and powerful fire. Whenever there is a need to go to war, one should start from the direction where the Six Bing on the Heaven Plate is located — since it meets the lunar oddity and carries the momentum of fierce fire, it thus presents an appearance of shaking the kings and marquises.

時加六丁，出入幽冥，到老不刑。時下得丁為星奇，又為玉女，宜安葬逃匿。人事若隨星奇，挾玉女從天上六丁而出，入太陰而藏，敵人自不能見也。百事皆吉，若用兵主大勝。

When the Six Ding are added to the time, one can move about in darkness and obscurity without being known by others, and will not suffer punishment or injury even in old age. Original commentary: When Ding appears in the time, it is called 'Star Qi' or 'Yu Nu', which is suitable for burial and concealment. In human affairs, if one follows the Star Qi, carrying the spirit of Yu Nu, and departs from the direction where the Heaven Plate Six Ding is located, then hides beneath Tai Yin, enemies will not be able to see. This hour is favorable for all affairs. If used for military campaigns, it will lead to a great victory.

時加六戊，乘龍萬里，莫敢阻止。戊為天武，從天上六戊而出，杖天武入天門，百事皆吉，遠行萬里，凡所阻止。又宜發施號令，誅惡伐罰。

When the Six Wu are added to the time, it is like riding a dragon to travel ten thousand miles, with no one daring to obstruct. The original commentary says: Wu is called 'Tian Wu'. Starting from the direction where the Six Wu on the Heaven Plate is located, it is relying on the power of Tian Wu to enter the Heaven Gate, resulting in all affairs being auspicious, and traveling ten thousand miles without any obstruction. This hour is also suitable for issuing commands, eliminating evils, and carrying out military campaigns.

時加六己，神人所使，出被凶咎。己為地戶，為六合，宜陰謀私合之事，不可表裹彰露。凡事皆凶，將兵必弱。

When the hour is combined with the Sixth Earthly Branch, it seems as if one is being driven by divine beings, and going out will invite misfortune. The original commentary says: 'Ji is called 'the gate of the earth,' and also governs Liu He. It is suitable for secret planning and private communication, but one must not spread it around or reveal it openly. This hour is unfavorable for all matters, and if used for leading troops, the army will surely be weak.'

時加六庚，抱木而行，蚩尤不入，必有鬥爭。庚為天獄，百事凶。將兵客死主勝。時加六辛，行逢死人，強有所作，殃罰纏身。辛為天庭，諸事不利，將兵客死主勝。

When the hexagram is used with the sixth stem Geng, it is like carrying a wooden枷 while walking, and even the war god Chi You will not come to help. There will certainly be conflict. Original note: Geng is called "Heavenly Prison," and all matters will be ominous; when used for leading troops, the opposing side will suffer defeat and the main side will win. When the hexagram is used with the sixth stem Xin, one will meet a corpse on the way. If one insists on taking action, calamity and punishment will follow. Original note: Xin is called "Heavenly Court," and all matters will be unfavorable; when used for leading troops, it will also result in the opposing side's defeat and the main side's victory.

時加六壬，為利所禁，強又出入，非禍相臨。壬為天牢，此時用事必有仇惡，為吏所呵不可舉兵，止宜嚴刑獄平訴訟。時加六癸，眾人莫視，不知六癸，出門必死。癸為天藏，只宜遠遁絕跡，從天上六癸而出，則眾人不見。又宜揚鞭樸之事。

When the heavenly stem Ji is used in conjunction with the Six Rén, it will lead to seeking profit and thus being imprisoned. If one forces oneself to go out, misfortune will come suddenly. Original note: Rén is called 'Heavenly Prison'; at this time, any affairs will certainly bring enmity and resentment, and one will be scolded by officials. It is not suitable to go to war; instead, it is appropriate to enforce strict punishment and fairly adjudicate lawsuits. When the heavenly stem Gui is used in conjunction with the Six Kui, everyone will not see you; but those who do not understand the principles of the Six Kui will certainly meet with death when going out. Original note: Kui is called 'Heavenly Concealment'; it is only suitable to escape far away and cut off one's trail; if one leaves from the direction of the Six Kui on the Heaven Plate, everyone will not see you. This hour is also suitable for carrying out beatings and punishments.

陰陽順逆妙難窮，二至還鄉一九宮。若能了達陰陽理，天地都在一掌中。三才變化作三元，八卦分為八遁門。三才，天地人也；三元，上中下也。遁者，隱也。六甲隱在六儀之下，故名遁甲。今以神龜數論，故知八卦所屬，即：左三右七，戴九履一，二四為肩，六八為足，五居中宮，以實其腹。中宮，寄坤宮也，即易之坤為母也。今遁八卦所生，故曰八遁門也。

Yang Dun proceeds in the order of the trigrams, while Yin Dun proceeds in reverse order; the subtleties within are endless. On the winter solstice and summer solstice, each returns to its original palace, one starting from the Kan palace and the other from the Li palace. If one thoroughly understands the principles of yin and yang proceeding in order or reverse, the changes of heaven and earth are all within one's grasp. The changes of heaven, earth, and humanity are transformed into the upper, middle, and lower trigrams. The eight trigrams give rise to eight doors of Dun Jia. Original note: The three principles (three cai) refer to heaven, earth, and humanity; the three trigrams (three yuan) refer to upper, middle, and lower trigrams. "Dun" means to hide — the six Jia are hidden beneath the six instruments, hence it is called "Dun Jia." Now, according to the number of the divine turtle carrying the map, one can understand the directional positions of the eight trigrams: three on the left, seven on the right, nine on the head, one on the feet, two and four on the shoulders, six and eight on the feet, and five in the central palace, filling the abdomen. The central palace should be assigned to the Kun palace, which corresponds to the principle in the Book of Changes that "Kun is the mother." The eight doors arise from the eight trigrams, hence they are called the "eight doors of Dun."

星符每逐時干轉，值使常隨天乙奔。星符，九星也。值使，八門也。天乙，值符也。時甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸是也，本甲所主之值使。順即一二三四五六七八九也；逆，則九八七六五四三二一也。

The star representing the Chief Symbol always follows the heavenly stem of the hour, and the gate representing the Duty Gate always follows the Tianyi (Chief Symbol). The original commentary says: "Star Symbol" refers to the nine stars, "Duty Gate" refers to the eight gates, and "Tianyi" refers to the Chief Symbol. The term "hour" refers to the ten heavenly stems, Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui, which are paired to form the hours. The Duty Gate is originally governed by the stem Jia at the beginning of the ten-day cycle. When moving in the order of the hour palace, it is one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine; when moving in reverse order, it is nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

急從神兮緩從門，三五反覆天道利。若急速無奇門，即從玉女反閉之術布六儀而行，即神機也。若緩須吉門出。經云：趨三避五，巍然獨處，謂趨三吉門避五凶也。如用神機則反凶變吉，是天道利矣。如遁得乙奇，貞在門，念乙奇咒丙丁咒，出其方，百事貞吉。

When matters are urgent, one should act according to the "God" (the Eight Gods and the art of God's Mechanism), but when things are calm, one should follow the "Gate." Understanding and skillfully applying the principle of "advancing toward the three auspicious gates and avoiding the five inauspicious ones" allows one to gain the advantage of heaven's way. Original commentary: If the situation is urgent and there are no available Qimen (Mysterious Doors) at the moment, one should set up the Six Instruments according to the Yu Nu Fan Bi technique and proceed, which is called "God's Mechanism." If time is abundant, one still needs to wait for a favorable gate before proceeding. The classic says, "Advancing toward the three auspicious gates and avoiding the five inauspicious ones, standing alone in dignity," meaning moving toward the three good gates and avoiding the five bad gates. If one uses the method of the God's Mechanism, one can transform misfortune into good fortune, which is called gaining the advantage of heaven's way. For example, if one has captured the Yi Qi (Ethereal Odd) and it is located on an auspicious gate, one should recite the Yi Qi incantation and the Bing Ding incantation, and proceed from that direction, and all affairs will be correct and auspicious.

天輔沖任禽心吉，天蓬天英芮柱凶。凡時下得輔禽心大吉，任沖小吉，蓬芮大凶，英柱小凶。吉星方不合奇，用可；凶星方奇到，呼其事而咒之，如天蓬呼子之類是也。

The stars Tian Fu, Tian Chong, Tian Ren, Tian Qin, and Tian Xin are considered auspicious, while Tian Peng, Tian Ying, Tian Rui, and Tian Zhu are considered inauspicious. Original commentary: If the time position contains Tian Fu, Tian Qin, or Tian Xin, it is a great blessing. If it contains Tian Ren or Tian Chong, it is a minor blessing. If it contains Tian Peng or Tian Rui, it is a great misfortune. If it contains Tian Ying or Tian Zhu, it is a minor misfortune. Even if the auspicious stars are not combined with the Three Marvels, they can still be used. However, if the inauspicious stars are combined with the Three Marvels, one should call out the name of the matter being sought and recite a spell to appease the situation. For example, if Tian Peng belongs to the water of Zi, one should call out "Zi" to appease it. The same applies to the others.

陰宿禽心柱英芮，陽宿沖輔及蓬任。凡陰星加一宮為闢，陽星加一宮為開。蓋一宮者，九氣之盡，陰陽之根。凡占事，開時吉，闢時不吉。遠信行人開時來，闢時不來。

The Yin stars are Tian Qin, Tian Xin, Tian Zhu, Tian Ying, and Tian Rui. The Yang stars are Tian Chong, Tian Fu, Tian Peng, and Tian Ren. The original commentary says: whenever Yin stars are added to the first Kan palace, it is called "Bi" (closing). Whenever Yang stars are added to the first Kan palace, it is called "Kai" (opening). Because the first palace is the end of the nine palaces' energy and the fundamental point where yin and yang alternate. In divination, if "Kai" occurs, it is auspicious; if "Bi" occurs, it is inauspicious. For matters concerning distant messages and the return of travelers, if "Kai" occurs, people will come; if "Bi" occurs, people will not come.

天網四張無走路，陰陽順逆妙難窮。天網者，六癸也。六癸時，不宜舉動，百事惟宜逃亡，從天上六癸方出，其人不見也。然網有高低，若臨一二三四五宮，尺寸低，可揚而出；臨六七八九宮，尺寸高過人，為四張無走路，多遭刑厄。

When the heavenly net is spread on all four sides, there is no way to escape. The subtlety of yin and yang in the reverse and forward directions is infinite and cannot be fully explored. The original commentary says: the so-called "heavenly net" refers to the six Gui. When encountering the six Gui, it is not advisable to take any action; among all affairs, only fleeing is appropriate—leaving from the direction where the six Gui is located on the Heaven Plate, so others will not see the person. However, the net has different heights: if the six Gui falls in the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth palace, the net is low, and one can lift it up and escape through it; if it falls in the sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth palace, the net is higher than the person's head, which is truly "no way to go in four directions," and one is likely to suffer punishment or misfortune.

坎一天蓬，坤二天芮，震三天沖，巽四天輔，中五天禽，乾六天心，兌七天柱，艮八天任，離九天英。天禽陽遁陰遁俱寄坤宮，一本陽遁寄坤宮陰遁寄艮宮。

The nine stars are originally located in the nine palaces as follows: the first palace of Kan is the Tianpeng Star, the second palace of Kun is the Tianrui Star, the third palace of Zhen is the Tianchong Star, the fourth palace of Xun is the Tianfu Star, the central palace is the Tianqin Star, the sixth palace of Qian is the Tianxin Star, the seventh palace of Dui is the Tianzhu Star, the eighth palace of Gen is the Tianren Star, and the ninth palace of Li is the Tianying Star. Since the central palace has no specific direction, the Tianqin Star is always located in the second palace of Kun in both Yang Dun and Yin Dun. Another version suggests that in Yang Dun the Tianqin Star resides in the second palace of Kun, while in Yin Dun it resides in the eighth palace of Gen.

坎休、艮生、震傷、巽杜、離景、坤死、兌驚、乾開。六儀：戊己庚辛壬癸為六儀。甲子遁於六戊，甲戌遁於六己，甲申遁於六庚，甲午遁於六辛，甲辰遁於六壬，甲寅遁於六癸。

The eight gates are located in the eight trigrams' positions as follows: the gate of rest is in the Kan trigram, the gate of life is in the Gen trigram, the gate of injury is in the Zhen trigram, the gate of block is in the Xun trigram, the gate of brilliance is in the Li trigram, the gate of death is in the Kun trigram, the gate of alarm is in the Dui trigram, and the gate of opening is in the Qian trigram. The term 'six instruments' refers to the six heavenly stems: Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui. Each of the six Jia stems is hidden beneath one of the six instruments: Jiazi is hidden under Wu, Jiaxu is hidden under Ji, Jiashen is hidden under Geng, Jiawu is hidden under Xin, Jiachen is hidden under Ren, and Jiayin is hidden under Gui. When arranging the chart, only the six instruments are visible on the surface, not the six Jia stems. This is why the term 'Dun Jia' (Hidden Jia) is used.

一值符、二騰蛇、三太陰、四六合、五勾陳、六朱雀、七九地、八九天，此謂陽遁也。陰遁則一值符、二九天、三九地、四朱雀、五勾陳、六六合、七太陰、八騰蛇（朱雀下有玄武，勾陳下又白虎）。

The order of the Eight Gods when using Yang Dun is: one Chief Symbol, two Teng Sha, three Tai Yin, four Liu He, five Gou Chen, six Vermilion Bird, seven Jiudi, eight Jiu Tian, proceeding clockwise through the nine palaces starting from the palace where the Chief Symbol is located. When using Yin Dun, the order is reversed: one Chief Symbol, two Jiu Tian, three Jiudi, four Vermilion Bird, five Gou Chen, six Liu He, seven Tai Yin, eight Teng Sha, proceeding counterclockwise through the nine palaces starting from the palace where the Chief Symbol is located. The original note explains: beneath the Vermilion Bird there is also the Black Tortoise, and beneath the Gou Chen there is also the White Tiger — this is another method of expanding the Eight Gods into the Ten Gods. In later divination interpretations, the White Tiger and Black Tortoise are often mentioned together, which comes from this method.

陽遁九局，順布六儀逆布三奇。如一局，甲子戊起坎一宮，則甲戌己在坤二宮，甲申庚在震三宮，甲午辛在巽四宮，甲辰壬在中五宮，甲寅癸在乾六宮，此順布六儀也。丁在兌七宮，丙在艮八宮，乙在離九宮，此逆布三奇也。（因乙丙丁次於六七八九故曰逆）二局則甲子戊起坤二宮，三局則甲子戊起兌三宮，餘仿此。

Yang Dun has nine structures. The arrangement follows the order of the Six Instruments in a forward direction and the Three Marvels in a reverse direction. Taking Yang Dun one as an example: Jiazi Wu starts at the first palace of Kan, followed by Jiaxu Ji in the second palace of Kun, Jiashen Geng in the third palace of Zhen, Jiawu Xin in the fourth palace of Xun, Jiachen Ren in the fifth palace of Zhong, and Jiayin Gui in the sixth palace of Qian. This is the forward arrangement of the Six Instruments according to the palace order. After arranging the Six Instruments, the Three Marvels are arranged in reverse order: Ding in the seventh palace of Dui, Bing in the eighth palace of Gen, and Yi in the ninth palace of Li. This is called reverse arrangement of the Three Marvels because Yi, Bing, and Ding fall in the ninth, eighth, and seventh palaces respectively, which is opposite to the palace order. The structure number refers to the palace where Jiazi Wu starts. For example, in the second structure, Jiazi Wu starts at the second palace of Kun, and in the third structure, Jiazi Wu starts at the third palace of Zhen (originally stated as the third palace of Dui, but the third palace is actually Zhen). The other structures follow the same pattern.

陰遁九局逆布六儀順布三奇。如甲子戊起離九宮，則甲戌己在艮八宮，甲申庚在兌七宮，甲午辛在乾六宮，甲辰壬在中五宮，甲寅癸在巽四宮，此逆布六儀也。丁在震三宮，丙在坤二宮，乙在坎一宮，此順布三奇也。八局則甲子戊起艮八宮，七局則甲子戊起兌七宮，餘仿此。

Yin Dun also consists of nine structures, arranged in the opposite order to Yang Dun: reverse arrangement of the Six Instruments and forward arrangement of the Three Marvels. Taking Yin Dun nine structures as an example: Jiazi Wu starts at the Li nine palace, followed by Jiaxu Ji in the Gen eight palace, Jiashen Geng in the Dui seven palace, Jiawu Xin in the Qian six palace, Jiachen Ren in the Zhong five palace, and Jiayin Gui in the Xun four palace—this is the reverse arrangement of the Six Instruments according to palace numbers. After arranging the Six Instruments, the Three Marvels are arranged: Ding in the Zhen three palace, Bing in the Kun two palace, and Yi in the Kan one palace—this is the forward arrangement of the Three Marvels. Similarly, the structure number is determined by the palace where Jiazi Wu starts: for eight structures, Jiazi Wu starts at the Gen eight palace; for seven structures, Jiazi Wu starts at the Dui seven palace; the rest follow the same pattern.

一年二十四氣，一氣三候，一候五日。故五日為一元，一氣之中凡統三元，而下六十花甲之時一周。

There are twenty-four solar terms in a year, each divided into three phases, with each phase lasting five days. Therefore, five days are considered one unit, and each solar term encompasses three units. Three units total fifteen days, which exactly equals one hundred and eighty hours. This is precisely three cycles of the sixty Jiazi hours, forming a complete cycle.

冬至甲子起坎，小寒、大寒隨之。立春甲子起艮，雨水、驚蜇隨之。春分甲子起震，清明、穀雨隨之。立夏甲子起巽，小滿、芒種隨之。夏至甲子起離，小暑、大暑隨之。立秋甲子起坤，處暑、白露隨之。秋分甲子起兌，寒露、霜降隨之。立冬甲子起乾，小雪、大雪隨之。

Each of the eight solar terms leads three solar divisions, and the starting hexagram for each set of three solar divisions is determined by its respective hexagram: The Jiazi of the winter solstice begins from the Kan one palace, followed by Minor Cold and Major Cold; the Jiazi of the Beginning of Spring begins from the Gen eight palace, followed by Rain Water and Start of Thunder; the Jiazi of the Vernal Equinox begins from the Zhen three palace, followed by Clear and Bright and Grain Rain; the Jiazi of the Beginning of Summer begins from the Xun four palace, followed by Slight Heat and Major Heat; the Jiazi of the Summer Solstice begins from the Li nine palace, followed by Minor Heat and Major Heat; the Jiazi of the Beginning of Autumn begins from the Kun two palace, followed by Limit of Heat and White Dew; the Jiazi of the Autumn Equinox begins from the Dui seven palace, followed by Cold Dew and Frost Descent; the Jiazi of the Beginning of Winter begins from the Qian six palace, followed by Minor Snow and Major Snow. Eight solar terms multiplied by three solar divisions make up the twenty-four solar terms.

坤（立秋、處暑、白露）、兌（秋分、寒露、霜降）、乾（立冬、小雪、大雪）；離（夏至、小暑、大暑）、中、坎（冬至、小寒、大寒）；巽（立夏、小滿、芒種）、震（春分、清明、穀雨）、艮（立春、雨水、驚蜇）。

This diagram arranges the eight trigrams in the nine palace positions and notes the three solar terms each trigram governs. The top row, from right to left (corresponding to the nine palace positions of southwest, due west, and northwest), is: the Kun palace governs the Beginning of Autumn, Limit of Heat, and White Dew; the Dui palace governs the Autumn Equinox, Cold Dew, and Frost Descent; the Qian palace governs the Beginning of Winter, Light Snow, and Heavy Snow. The middle row (due south, center, due north) is: the Li palace governs the Summer Solstice, Minor Heat, and Major Heat; the central palace has no solar terms to govern; the Kan palace governs the Winter Solstice, Minor Cold, and Major Cold. The bottom row (southeast, due east, northeast) is: the Xun palace governs the Beginning of Summer, Minor Fullness, and Grain in Ear; the Zhen palace governs the Vernal Equinox, Clear and Bright, and Grain Rain; the Gen palace governs the Beginning of Spring, Rain Water, and Awakening Insects. By looking at the diagram, one can determine which palace to start the calculation for any given solar term.

三元者，上中下三局也。一元五日，以甲己二干為一元之首，謂之符頭。符頭所臨之支值子午卯酉則為上元；值寅申巳亥則為中元；值辰戌丑未則為下元。蓋甲子日起上元，越五日己巳起中元，又起五日甲戌起下元。三局已遊，又起五日，己卯復起上元，則又是一氣矣。

The term "three yuan" refers to three sections: upper yuan, middle yuan, and lower yuan. One yuan lasts five days, starting on a day with the heavenly stem Jia or Ji, which is called the "symbol head." To determine which yuan a day falls into, look at the earthly branch of the symbol head day: if it is on the four central branches, Zi, Wu, Mao, or You, then it is the upper yuan; if it is on the four young branches, Yin, Shen, Si, or Hai, then it is the middle yuan; if it is on the four seasonal branches, Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei, then it is the lower yuan. Therefore, the upper yuan begins on Jiazi day, and after five days, on Jisi day, the middle yuan begins. After another five days, on Jiaxu day, the lower yuan begins. Once the three yuan cycles are completed, another five days later on Jimao day, the cycle returns to the upper yuan, and this marks the beginning of the next solar term.

旬首者，從用時之干溯至本旬之甲首。如乙丑至癸酉皆以甲子為旬首，乙亥至癸未皆以甲戌為旬首是也。地盤旬首所臨之宮，其星即為值符，其門即為值使。如旬首在坎宮，則天蓬星為值符，休門為值使，餘仿此。

The term "xunshou" refers to finding the leading Jia in the current ten-hour period by tracing back from the stem and branch of the given hour. For example, the ten hours from Yichou to Guiyou all have Jiazi as their xunshou; the ten hours from Yihai to Guiwei all have Jiaxu as their xunshou. After determining the xunshou, one looks at which palace on the Earth Plate it falls into: the star of that palace is the chief symbol of the current ten-hour period, and the gate of that palace is the duty gate. For instance, if the xunshou falls in the Kan one palace, then Tianpeng star is the chief symbol and Xiu Men is the duty gate, and the rest of the palaces follow the same pattern.

假如陽遁一局甲子在坎宮，天蓬為本旬值符，休門為本旬值使。至癸酉十時又換符使甲戌在坤宮，天芮為本旬值符，死門為本旬值使，管至癸未十時；又換甲申在震宮，天沖為本旬值符，傷門為本旬值使，管至癸巳十時。又換甲午在巽宮，天輔為符，杜門為使。甲辰在中宮，寄於坤二，天禽為符，死門為使；甲寅在乾，天心為符，開門為使。

Taking a Yang Dun (Yang遁) cycle as an example: On Jiazi (甲子), the Heaven Stem falls in the Kan (坎) first palace, Tianpeng (天蓬) star is the chief symbol, and Xiu Men (休门) is the duty gate. This cycle governs ten hours, ending at Guiyou (癸酉). Then the cycle changes—on Jiaxu (甲戌), the Heaven Stem falls in the Kun (坤) second palace, Tianrui (天芮) star is the chief symbol, and Si Men (死门) is the duty gate, governing ten hours until Guiwei (癸未). Another change—on Jiashen (甲申), the Heaven Stem falls in the Zhen (震) third palace, Tianchong (天冲) star is the chief symbol, and Shang Men (伤门) is the duty gate, governing until Guisi (癸巳). Another change—on Jiawu (甲午), the Heaven Stem falls in the Xun (巽) fourth palace, Tianfu (天辅) star is the chief symbol, and Du Men (杜门) is the duty gate. On Jiachen (甲辰), the Heaven Stem falls in the Central Palace (中宫), which has no gate, so it is assigned to the Kun (坤) second palace, Tianqin (天禽) star is the chief symbol, and Si Men (死门) is the duty gate. On Jiayin (甲寅), the Heaven Stem falls in the Qian (乾) sixth palace, Tianxin (天心) star is the chief symbol, and Open Door (开门) is the duty gate. After completing the six cycles, the sixty hours form a complete cycle.