The Three Thrones Converge with the Imperial Seat Pattern

假令納音本干見真官，而二位天地相合，中見夾兩干貴人是。以納音水人得甲寅，又得己亥日時者入格。甲寅納音水，見甲己土，乃是真官，甲真復土見納音己亥木，又為官，而甲貴在丑，己貴在子，在六合之間，故名三合拱帝坐，如不犯凶神惡殺沖破，則官入三臺，如有則滅落斷之，庚寅生而見乙亥亦同。（玉霄寶鑑）

This pattern requires that the heavenly stem of the column corresponding to the nayin sound element sees a true official, while the other two columns have matching heavenly stems and matching earthly branches, with each of these two stems having their own tianyi nobleman in between. For example, if someone's nayin is water and they have the stem Jiayin, and their day and hour columns have Jihai, this pattern is formed. Jiayin's nayin is water, and the stems Ji and Ji combine to form earth, which can overcome water, thus forming a true official. The true earth formed by Ji and Ji then meets Jihai, which is wood, and wood overcomes earth as an official. The nobleman of Ji is Chou, and the nobleman of Ji is Zi, and Zi and Chou form Liu He, thus guarding the middle position. This is called "Sanhe Gong Dizuo." Such a destiny, if not broken by malevolent spirits or evil influences, can reach the rank of SanTai; if it is broken, it should be interpreted as a decline. The same applies to someone born in the year Gengyin who meets Yihai. This passage is from the "Yuzhao Baodian."

天官鄉者，蓋取月干制歲干也，謂六甲年正月建丙寅，五月庚午，六月辛未，庚辛金能制甲木也，戊癸即相帶而行，甲癸人在午未，乙丙人在辰巳，丁戊人在寅卯，己庚人在戌亥，辛壬人在申酉，若人遇之當食天祿，貴處朝倫，假令甲子人五月六月生是也。

The concept of "Heavenly Official's Native Place" refers to using the heavenly stem of the month pillar to control the heavenly stem of the year pillar. For example, in the case of the six Jia years, the first month is Bingyin, the fifth month is Gengwu, and the sixth month is Xinwei. The metal of Geng and Xin is capable of controlling the wood of Jia, which is known as the month stem controlling the year stem. Wu and Gui are compatible and share the same path. Following this method, those born in the year of Jia or Gui have their Heavenly Official's Native Place in Wu and Wei; those born in the year of Yi or Bing have theirs in Chen and Si; those born in the year of Ding or Wu have theirs in Yin and Mao; those born in the year of Ji or Geng have theirs in Xu and Hai; and those born in the year of Xin or Ren have theirs in Shen and You. If a person is born in these months, they are destined to receive heavenly salary and hold a high position in the court, thus enjoying prestige. For example, someone born in the year of Jiazi, if born in the fifth or sixth month, is exactly in this situation.

地官鄉者，蓋取月建制歲干也，謂歲干是甲乙屬木，七月八月建申酉，屬金，金能制木也，甲乙人在申酉，丙丁人在亥子，戊己人在寅卯，庚辛人在巳午，壬癸人在辰戌丑未，若人遇之，主早承床蔭，官序易階，榮名日益。

The concept of "earth official village" refers to using the earthly branch of the month builder to restrain the heavenly stem of the birth year. For example, if the heavenly stem of the birth year is Jia or Yi, which belong to wood, then the month builders in July (Shen) and August (You), which belong to metal, can restrain wood, thus forming the earth official village. According to this method: those born in the years of Jia or Yi have their earth official village in Shen and You; those born in the years of Bing or Ding have theirs in Hai and Zi; those born in the years of Wu or Ji have theirs in Yin and Mao; those born in the years of Geng or Xin have theirs in Si and Wu; and those born in the years of Ren or Gui have theirs in Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei. If a person is born in these months, they are likely to receive ancestral blessings in their early years, have an easy path to promotion in official rank, and experience increasing honor and reputation.

真官者，蓋取命前三辰月干與命干合也。假令丙子人二月生，為命前三辰，是辛卯，丙與辛合也，故丙子二月生人為真官中生也。餘彷此，若人遇之，當受聖眷，職隆近輔，小人逢之，亦主家富。

The term "true official" refers to the situation where the heavenly stem of the month corresponding to the third preceding earthly branch of one's birth year exactly matches the heavenly stem of one's birth year. For example, a person born in the year Bingzi (丙子) in the second month, when counting three branches backward from Zi, we arrive at Mao. The second month corresponds to Xinmao (辛卯), and since Bing and Xin are compatible, a person born in the second month of Bingzi year is said to be born in the "true official" position. This principle applies to other birth years in the same way. If a person is born in this configuration, they are destined to be favored by the emperor, hold a high official position close to the prime minister, and even ordinary people without official titles will experience family prosperity.

凡祿命身三等官，各稟五行，率以其性推之，若以金為官，主職位清峻，多掌刑獄，錢穀之任，決斷明敏，遇行年太歲在丑為官庫，主喜，亦取旺相、休敗、有氣、無氣言之，餘準此。

All three categories of official positions—favor, destiny, and body—each receive different Five Phases, and generally they are judged according to the nature of that particular Phase. If metal is the official star, the person is likely to hold a high and noble position, often in charge of criminal justice or financial matters, with decisive and quick decision-making abilities. When the year pillar arrives at the position of Chou, which is the official storehouse of metal, it indicates good fortune and celebration. Naturally, one should also consider whether it is prosperous and strong or resting and declining, whether it has energy or not, and the same method applies to the other Phases.

若以木為官，主品秩清高和裕守慎，運行年太歲在未為官庫，以火為官，主官序炎赫，為性勐烈，用刑殘酷，亦主發歇不常，遇行年太歲在戌為官庫。以水為官，主職卑位下，級升序進，謙和得眾，矜恤孤寡，亦有道性，遇行年太歲至辰為官庫。以土為官，主官序穩審難侵犯，厚重賢直，法令分明，遇行年太歲至辰為官庫。

If wood is considered the official star, the person is of high moral standing, kind in nature, wealthy, and cautious in handling affairs. When the person's age reaches the position of Wei, it is the official warehouse for wood. If fire is considered the official star, the person holds a prominent official position, but has a fierce temper, applies punishments harshly, and their official career fluctuates. When the person's age reaches the position of Xu, it is the official warehouse for fire. If water is considered the official star, the person holds a low position, can only advance step by step, but is humble, gains the support of others, cares for the lonely and the poor, and has a touch of Daoist temperament. When the person's age reaches the position of Chen, it is the official warehouse for water. If earth is considered the official star, the person holds a stable and meticulous official position that is not to be infringed upon, is solid, virtuous, upright, and enforces laws clearly. When the person's age reaches the position of Chen, it is the official warehouse for earth.

凡五行之官，各隨其性則吉，金主文主剛，木主文主仁，火主禮主勐，水主智主順，土主信主重，若各失其性，則主為官不久，禍咎生焉，假令癸丑木命人，以土為祿官，木為命宮，金為身宮蓋取克我者為官，餘命準此，皆以三命尊卑，五行休旺言之，

In general, the official star derived from the Five Phases should express its inherent nature to bring good fortune: metal represents literary talent and is strong in nature, wood represents literary talent and is kind in nature, fire represents propriety and is fierce in nature, water represents wisdom and is gentle in nature, and earth represents trustworthiness and is thick and solid in nature. If these elements lose their inherent nature, it indicates that one will not hold an official position for long and misfortune will follow. For example, a person with the Guichou Nayin sound element, which belongs to wood, takes earth as the official star, wood as the palace of destiny, and metal as the palace of self. Since these are all elements that control the person, other destinies are determined in the same way. Always follow the order of respect and hierarchy among the three aspects of official position, destiny, and self, and consider the prosperity, decline, strength, and weakness of the Five Phases.

祿命身三等宮庫者，取克我者為官，如甲子金，甲為祿屬木，木又被金克，故為祿官，金墓在丑，是為祿官庫也。命與身官庫，彷此推之。若人遇之，宜官足財，向老轉吉，小人逢之，亦得妻財兼有藝。（三命錄）

The calculation for the three types of palace and repository—Lü, Ming, and Shen—is also based on taking the element that controls oneself as the official. For example, in the Jiazi pillar, the nayin sound element is metal. Among this, Jia is the Lü (favorable position) and belongs to wood. Wood is controlled by metal, so metal is its Lü official; the repository of metal is Chou, so Chou is the Lü official repository. The official repository of the Ming palace and Shen palace are also calculated in this way. If a person encounters this, they will have official positions and not lack wealth, and their fortune will become more favorable as they grow older. Even those without official titles who encounter this can obtain property from their wife's family and also acquire a skill. This passage is from the "San Ming Lu."

天寶經有官庫源歌云：亥子巳午愛於辰，申酉生人戌上真，寅卯命人分在丑，辰戌丑未未為親。

The Tianbao Jing contains a verse explaining the origins of official warehouses, stating that those born in the years of Hai and Zi, as well as those born in the years of Si and Wu, have their official warehouses favoring Chen; those born in the years of Shen and You have their official warehouses truly located in Xu; those born in the years of Yin and Mao have their official warehouses divided among Chou; and those born in the years of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, the four earth years, have Wei as their closest official warehouse.

西蜀知命者言於予曰，凡人年月日時上四干迭相官印足者，亦主貴，若呂吉甫觀文壬申年，己酉月丁巳日庚子時，壬與己、庚與丁為官，壬與庚、己與丁為印，又章子厚相公，乙亥年，己卯胎，戊子月，丁未日，壬寅時，戊與乙，壬與己，丁與壬，為官，乙與壬，戊與丁為印，其官印足，亦至貴之助也。

A person skilled in divination from western Sichuan told me that for a person's birth year, month, day, and hour, if the heavenly stems alternate properly and both the official star and the seal are adequately matched, it still indicates great fortune. For example, Lü Huiqing, also known as Lü Jifu Guanwen, was born in the year Renshen, month Jiyou, day Dingsi, and hour Gengzi. In this case, Renshen pairs with Jiyou and Gengzi pairs with Dingsi as official stars, while Renshen pairs with Gengzi and Jiyou pairs with Dingsi as seals. Another example is Zhang Dun, also known as Zhang Zilv Xianggong, who was born in the year Yihai, with Ji'mao as his fetal stem, in the month Wuzi, day Dingwei, and hour Renyin. Here, Wuzi pairs with Yihai, Renyin pairs with Dingwei, and Dingsi pairs with Renyin as official stars, while Yihai pairs with Renyin and Wuzi pairs with Dingsi as seals. The complete matching of official stars and seals is a major factor contributing to great fortune.

歷觀大貴命，遇兩印者頗多，少有遇兩官者，若遇兩官於祿，反有所損，丁遇兩壬之類也，又須四貴華蓋上遇正官者，主大貴，四平次之。（三命提要）

Looking at all the highly prosperous destinies throughout history, those with two sets of印绶 are quite common, while those with two sets of官星 are rare. If two官星 appear at the禄 position, it can actually be harmful, such as when the day stem is丁 and there are two壬. In addition, one must have 正官 at the four noble positions or at Huagai to indicate great prosperity, while those at the four ordinary positions are of a lower rank. This passage is from《Three Essentials of Destiny》.

真官時過，早達金紫之封，日遇真官貴，則時加祿命，時日生遇官印，須憑有氣之鄉，若遇沖破空亡，此等官如不遇官印官鬼，官印如無鬼旺鬼衰，詳其勝負，官刑命喜，莫教命反刑官，官印受刑，從貴不戎即吏，官印明無暗有，比如生帶重重時日相逢，福德勝生十倍，有官無印，難求清顯之名，有印無官，發不在迅途之內。（隱迷賦）

The "Yin Mi Fu" says: When a true official star appears in the time pillar and surpasses the current ten-day cycle, the person is likely to receive a high official title and purple silk robe reward at an early age; if a true official and noble deity appear in the day pillar, one should also examine the fortune and destiny in the time pillar. The official star and official seal encountered in the time and day pillars must be in a place where the Five Phases are vigorous to be effective; once they meet a clash, emptiness or kongwang, they become ineffective. For such official stars, if neither official nor official seal is encountered, or if there is an official seal but no ghost, one should distinguish whether the ghost is strong or weak, and weigh the strength of both sides. When the official star harms the native's destiny, it is something the native desires, but it is not acceptable for the native to harm the official star. If the official seal is harmed, even if it leads to a high position, it will be either military or bureaucratic. If the official seal is not visible but hidden, it is like being born with layers of clothing, and when it meets the day and time pillars, the fortune and virtue surpasses ten times that of the visible. Having an official star but no official seal makes it difficult to achieve a clear and prominent reputation; having an official seal but no official star, even if successful, will not lead to a quick path.

凡命官鬼多，而主本卻在有氣之地，其鬼化官，若本主無氣，官有氣，即官化鬼也，季主云：旺處逢鬼鬼化官，衰處官官化鬼。（廣信集）

If a person's chart has many official stars and seven killing stars as ghosts, but the main qi of the native's birth chart is located in a place with qi, then the ghosts will transform into officials, turning into good fortune; but if the main qi of the native's birth chart is weak, while the official star has qi, then the official will transform into a ghost, turning into misfortune.司马季主 explained clearly: when the strong position meets a ghost, the ghost will turn into an official; when the weak position meets an official, the official will turn into a ghost. This passage is from the "Broad Trust Collection."

術者多以甲見辛之類為官，蓋以克我者為官，會不知其五行克納音者為真官，此最聚福神也，干頭自見官而德合者為上，又有諸福神來朝命者，最上也。

Most diviners only regard combinations like Jia and Xin as official stars, because they take the element that controls themselves as official stars; but they do not understand that the true official star is the Five Phase that controls the Nayin sound element, which is where the gathering of auspicious deities occurs. If the official star is already present in the heavenly stem and harmonizes well with it, that is considered top quality; if there are many auspicious deities converging towards the true birth star, that is the highest level.

假令甲寅納音水人得己亥，甲己為真土，是納音見真五行克也，若不見太歲本干克，而但於月日時上見乙庚者是也，若不見乙庚，而止見庚者，謂之偏官，比之全者減力，又不見庚而見乙巳、乙酉、乙丑，餘位中多見中者，亦可謂之全見，若不見申，止得三五分力而已，餘皆彷此。

For example, if the pillar of Jia Yin has a Nayin sound element belonging to water, and it meets Jihai, Jia and Ji combine to form true earth, and earth is capable of overcoming water. This is when the Nayin sound element is overcome by true Five Phases, which is considered true official. If this kind of overcoming is not present in the year pillar, but is found in the month, day, and hour pillars with Yi and Geng, it is still counted. If Yi and Geng are not both present and only Geng is seen, it is called 'biased official' and has less strength compared to when both are present. If Geng is not seen at all, but Yi Si, Yi You, and Yi Chou are present, and there are also other corresponding characters in other pillars, it can still be considered as complete. If even Shen is not present, then the strength is only about three or five parts. Other destinies are all judged in the same way.

以上貴格，須是支神帶生旺福聚方入格，若有駁雜沖破空亡，所臨時加減言之，若帶死絕、凶殺、福聚之處，雖有如無也，主吉中有凶，亦作薄命斷之，蓋變官為鬼也，又若己酉己卯人見丁壬，壬子壬午人見乙庚，雖納音見真五行克為官，奈本干同受克，故不作真官，而作真鬼斷之，大小運太歲逢之，災尤重。

All these noble patterns require the earthly branch to carry the energy of birth and strength, with all blessings gathered together, in order to truly qualify as a pattern. If there are mixed and chaotic elements, along with clashes, breaks, and kongwang, then adjustments must be made according to the specific circumstances. If there are dead or extinct elements andInauspicious Sha, then the original gathering of blessings becomes meaningless, indicating hidden danger within apparent good fortune, and it should still be interpreted as a thin destiny, because at this point the official has turned into a ghost. For example, those born in the years of Jiyou and Jimao who encounter Ding and Ren, and those born in the years of Renzi and Renwu who encounter Yi and Geng, although their nayin elements are overcome by the true five phases and meet the condition of official, the heavenly stems in their native pillars are also overcome, so they cannot be considered as true officials, but must be interpreted as true ghosts. When this is combined with the big years, small years, and the current year's sovereign, the disasters become especially severe.

丁於真五行屬木，凡丁人見乙與庚為鬼，若丁亥或丁卯丁未人見乙庚者，不為鬼而為官，若亥卯未全見三丁足者尤好，蓋亥卯土木之正位，而又得三丁木氣旺盛全，要真金剋制之。又如丁巳丁酉丁丑人，丁真木也，生居金之正位，木弱金強，而更見乙庚者不好，鬼旺故也，

In the true Five Phases, Ding belongs to wood, so anyone born on a Ding day who encounters the combination of Yi and Geng, which forms metal, should be considered as encountering a ghost. However, for those born on Dinghai, Dingmao, and Dingwei, encountering Yi and Geng does not count as a ghost but as an official position; if the three branches Hai, Mao, and Wei are all present and the three Dings are fully matched, it is even better. Because Hai and Mao are the proper positions for wood to gain strength, and with the assistance of three Dings, the wood energy becomes extremely vigorous, which exactly requires real metal to restrain and trim it. Conversely, for those born on Dingsi, Dingyou, and Dingchou, although Ding is true wood, it is born in the original position of metal. The wood is weak while metal is strong, and encountering Yi and Geng again is not good, due to the excessive strength of the ghost.

又如六丁皆真木，而見乙酉、乙亥，乙真金也，卻不為鬼，而反為官，蓋丁貴在酉亥故也，又若壬寅壬申見乙庚多者，皆不為鬼而為官，蓋取其與納音皆比和故也，辛未辛丑見甲己，己巳己亥見丁壬，乙巳乙亥見戊癸，餘皆彷此。

For example, all six days of Ding belong to true wood. When encountering Yiyou or Yihai, Yi is normally true metal and should be considered as a ghost, but instead it is treated as an official because the Tianyi Nobleman of Ding is exactly in You and Hai. Similarly, when Renyin and Renshen encounter many Yi and Geng, they are also treated as officials rather than ghosts, because they harmonize with the same sound element as their own column. Additionally, when Xinwei and Xinchou meet Jia and Ji, Jisi and Jihai meet Ding and Ren, Yisi and Yihai meet Wu and Gui, the situation is the same. The rest can be inferred in the same way.

天元變化書有反鬼作官氣格，如丁未年甲辰月癸丑日癸亥時，兩鬼反為生氣滋助甲木，既甲木旺則丁亦旺，又納音從下生至火，既火旺，水人得財盛，上下皆有用矣。寸珠尺璧云：凡克干者不得地，干卻得地者，名鬼化官。

In the "Book of Heavenly Origins and Transformations," there is a pattern called "reverse ghost to official qi." For example, in a year of Dingwei, a month of Jiachen, a day of Guichou, and an hour of Guihai, two癸 waters are normally considered ghosts, but they instead transform into life qi to nourish the Jia wood. When the Jia wood becomes strong, the Ding fire also becomes strong. Furthermore, the nayin sound element flows from below upward, with each element generating the next until it reaches fire. Once fire is strong, people with water destiny will have abundant wealth, so all four pillars are useful. The "Inch Pearl and Foot Tile" also states: whenever the side that restrains the heavenly stem is unable to hold its ground, while the heavenly stem itself gains strength on the ground, this is called "ghost transforming into official."

假令甲戌納音火，見丙辛水為真官，若得丙申、辛酉為佳，或辛未、辛丑皆好，若得辛卯者，繫在羊刃上見官，卻變為鬼，若別有福神救助，則為右選，無氣者類多胥吏之輩，不可一揆，當臨時加減也。

For example, the pillar Jiaxu has a nayin sound element of fire. If it meets the water of the combination of Bing and Xin, it becomes a true official. At this time, the best combination is Bingshen and Xinyou, and Xinchou and Xinwei are also good. However, if it meets Xinmao instead, the official star falls on the yangren, which turns into a ghost. Such a destiny, if there are other auspicious deities to help, may still be considered for a military position. If the five phases are weak, it is mostly just a low-ranking official in the government. In conclusion, we cannot generalize; we must consider and adjust according to the specific situation.

如壬申人納音是成器之金，見火則壞，故壬申人見戊癸者，乃變而為鬼，又壬屬木，木至申為絕鄉，木絕得火，則火飛煙滅，此為尤凶，若癸酉雖亦是成器金，然本干自帶癸之官，故不為鬼，見戊則尤好，當消息之也。（玉霄寶鑑）

For example, the nayin sound element of the Renshen pillar is already shaped metal, which fears encountering fire that can melt it. Therefore, people born in the Renshen year, when they meet the fire from the combination of Wu and Gui, the official becomes a ghost. Moreover, in the true five phases, Ren belongs to wood, and wood reaching Shen is in the place of extinction. Wood in the place of extinction encountering fire is like a flash of fire and the smoke vanishing completely, which is especially dangerous. As for Guiyou, it is also shaped metal, but its heavenly stem already carries the official energy of Gui, so it is not considered a ghost. In fact, encountering Wu again is even better. The distinction between these cases requires careful consideration. This passage is from the "Yuzhao Baodian."

甲用癸陰為印綬，乙壬庚己更堪論，戊丁己丙元相得，丁甲壬辛次第分，丙與乙運辛見戊，癸庚相遇賀皇恩，日時年月干頭上，運氣相逢印自臻。

The song rhyme lists the respective official (印绶) for each of the ten heavenly stems: Jia takes the yin water癸 as its official, Yi takes the water壬 as its official, and Geng takes the earth己 as its official, all of which are worth considering together; Wu takes the fire丁 as its official, Ji takes the fire丙 as its official, which naturally match; Ding takes the wood甲 as its official, and Ren takes the metal辛 as its official, which are clearly arranged in order; Bing takes the wood乙 as its official, and Xin takes the earth戊 as its official; when Gui meets Geng, it is a fortunate combination indicating royal favor. As long as these officials appear in any of the year, month, day, or hour pillars through the heavenly stem, and are supported by the atmosphere of the big destiny period and the flowing year, the blessings of the official will naturally arrive.

如甲陽木，用癸陰水為正印綬生祿者，謂之印綬，他干彷此。若祿馬相交，不值天官貴印者，亦為官。（金書命訣）

For example, Jia is yang wood, and using the yin water Gui to nourish its禄 (favorable position), this is called "Zheng Yin Shou" (correct nurturing). The other heavenly stems are similarly interpreted. If a person's chart only has the禄 and the驿马 (post-horse) meeting, but does not encounter the Tian Guan (star of officialdom) and other noble spirits like the Zheng Yin, then it can only be considered as the official star, not as the nurturing. This comes from the "Jin Shu Ming Jue."

以陽干生陰干、陰干生陽干，為正印，陽干生陽干，陰干生陰干，為偏印，若月日時在四貴、華蓋之上，遇正印者，主大貴。遇四平亦主貴，四忌上亦主福。（三命提要）

The method to distinguish between true and biased is: when a yang stem generates a yin stem or a yin stem generates a yang stem, and the yin and yang are different, it is called "zheng yin" (true nourishing). When a yang stem generates a yang stem or a yin stem generates a yin stem, and the yin and yang are the same, it is called "pian yin" (biased nourishing). If the month, day, and hour pillars fall exactly on the four precious positions or the Huagai position, and also encounter zheng yin, it indicates great fortune. If they fall on the four average positions, they also indicate good fortune. Even if they fall on the four taboos positions, there is still some fortune. This passage is from "San Ming Ti Yao."

甲子、甲寅、乙亥，對癸中甲丙卯中求，戊庚歸午己辛己、壬酉臺星射斗牛。（紫虛局）

This mnemonic indicates the positions of the heavenly stems' official stars and their禄 (favorable positions): for the pillars Jiazi, Jiayin, and Yihai, one should refer to the position of Gui; the official stars and禄 of Jia and Bing are found at Mao; those of Wu and Geng are at Wu; those of Ji and Xin are at Ji; and that of Ren is at You, which is the prestigious area where the bright light of the star shines directly over the constellation Dou and Niu. This passage is from the "Zi Xu Ju."

印綬之福星最殊，更看權殺在何居，忽然並守居元位，聲振朝廷位不虛。此言四位集福於綬。（鬼谷要訣）印綬生居被殺同，殺同心膽反粗雄，運亨便有運中職，只恐將來不善終。（林開五命）

The rhyme says: The official star, which is the most special of the auspicious stars, must also be considered in relation to the severe star of authority; if both the official star and the severe star of authority are in the same position as the person's original destiny, this person will certainly gain great reputation in the court and hold an actual official position. This refers to the concentration of auspiciousness in the official star within the four pillars. This passage is from the "Ghost Valley Essential Secrets." Another rhyme says: When the official star is born in a position that coincides with the severe star, the person's heart and courage become bold and fierce; when the person's fortune is favorable, he may attain some official position, but he is afraid of an unfortunate end in the future. This passage is from the "Lin Kai Wu Ming."

甲食丙。

The fire generated by the Jia wood is the "food god" of Jia.

乙食丁，丙食戊，丁食己，戊食庚，己食辛，庚食壬，辛食癸，壬食甲，癸食乙。

The other heavenly stems follow the same pattern: Yi wood's food god is Ding fire, Bing fire's food god is Wu earth, Ding fire's food god is Ji earth, Wu earth's food god is Geng metal, Ji earth's food god is Xin metal, Geng metal's food god is Ren water, Xin metal's food god is Gui water, Ren water's food god is Jia wood, and Gui water's food god is Yi wood. The food god is always the one that is generated by the heavenly stem itself and shares the same yin and yang quality.

謂如甲食丙、甲子人見丙子之類是也，得此者非大富，即大貴，月不如日，日不如時，若互換生旺帶祿貴者，無不貴顯。如韓魏公，戊申年、庚甲月、庚辰日、庚辰時、秦太師庚午年、己丑月、乙卯日、壬午時，如倒食在本家者，亦貴，張全真，甲子年，見壬子時，吳挺庚子年，見戊子時也。

The term "benjia shi shen" refers to the situation where the shi shen (food god) is in the same branch as the person's birth stem. For example, if someone is born under the stem Jia, their shi shen is Bing; if they are born in a Jiazi year and also encounter Bingzi, this combination is considered favorable. Those who have this configuration are either very wealthy or hold high status. It is better for the shi shen to appear in the time column than in the month column, and better in the day column than in the month column. If two columns are exchanged and both are strong and flourishing, and if the Lu Spirit and Nobleman are also present, there is no failure in achieving high status. For example, Han Qi, the Han Wei Gong, was born in the year Wushen, month Gengshen, day Gengchen, and hour Gengchen; Qin Hui, the Qin Taishi, was born in the year Gengwu, month Jichou, day Yimao, and hour Renwu. Both are examples of this. If the "dao shi" (reverse food) also appears in the same branch as the person's birth, it also indicates high status. For example, Zhang Quanzhen was born in the Jiazi year and saw Renzi in the hour, while Wu Ting was born in the Gengzi year and saw Wuzi in the hour. Both fall into this category.

一名隔十三食神，古詩云：論命先論隔十三，命中帶得入朝參，金魚束帶渾閒事，若見魁星定面南。甲辰、丁未、庚戌、癸丑四位為真魁星，如汪狀元戊戌，見庚戌時，是見魁星也。

The food god is also called "the food god thirteen apart," because counting from the original stem to the food god's stem and adding the earthly branches together, they are exactly thirteen apart. An old poem says: When judging a person's destiny, first consider this food god thirteen apart; if it is present in the destiny, one can enter government service; wearing a golden fish bag and tying an official belt is just a minor matter. If the Qiu Star is also present, one will certainly sit facing south and hold the highest position. The four combinations of Jiachen, Dingwei, Gengxu, and Guichou are the true Qiu Stars. For example, a状元 named Wang, born in the year of Wuxu, who has the time of Gengxu, has seen the Qiu Star.

甲人見丙辛、乙人見丁壬、丙人見戊癸、丁人見己甲、戊人見庚乙、己人見辛丙、庚人見壬丁、辛人見癸戊、壬人見甲己、癸人見乙庚。以上主為官有權印。（光信集）

When the food god (食神) appears together with the heavenly stem that can form a harmonious combination with it, it is called "food combining with the seal" (食合印). For someone born on a Jia day, the combination is with Bing and Xin; for someone born on a Yi day, it is with Ding and Ren; for someone born on a Bing day, it is with Wu and Gui; for someone born on a Ding day, it is with Ji and Jia; for someone born on a Wu day, it is with Geng and Yi; for someone born on a Ji day, it is with Xin and Bing; for someone born on a Geng day, it is with Ren and Ding; for someone born on an Xin day, it is with Gui and Wu; for someone born on a Ren day, it is with Jia and Ji; for someone born on a Gui day, it is with Yi and Geng. Those who have these combinations are likely to hold real power and possess the seal of authority. This passage is from the "Broad Trust Collection" (广信集).

墨池湧出金泉水，辛巳生逢癸巳傍，燦爛文章如錦繡，高攀仙桂紫薇郎。如陳朝議辛巳年、壬辰月、癸巳日、癸亥時是也。如丙寅愛戊寅、戊申愛庚申、己巳愛辛亥、庚午愛壬申、甲戌愛丙寅、壬辰愛甲申，餘皆彷此。

The rhyme says: In the ink pool, golden spring water flows, which refers to people born in the year of Xinsi, who also haveGuisi in their birth chart. Such people have brilliant writings like brocade, can achieve high rank in the moon palace, and attain important but honorable positions like the Purple Micro Minister. For example, a scholar of the Chen family, born in the year of Xinsi, month of Renchen, day of Guisi, and hour of Guihai, is of this pattern. Similar combinations include Bingyin paired with Wuyin, Wushen paired with Gengshen, Jisi paired with Xinhai, Gengwu paired with Renshen, Jiaxu paired with Bingyin, Renchen paired with Jiashen, and so on.

紅鸞天印在生時四庫之中多不移，君子命逢于吉兆，榮華富貴一生奇，法曰：丙逢戊戌是，辛得癸丑奇，壬遇甲辰好，乙見丁未時，命坐日時得，官品日遷移。如石參政命，壬申年、己酉月、甲辰日、丙寅時、壬食甲、壬水墓在辰是也。（並紫虛局）

The "Hongluan Tianyin" falls on the birth hour and is mostly fixed in the four storage positions of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, where it does not move. For those destined for scholarly success and official positions, encountering this pattern in their fate is a good omen, bringing extraordinary prosperity and wealth throughout their lives. The method of identification is as follows: on a Bing day, encountering Wu Xu is favorable; on a Xin day, encountering Gui Chou is most remarkable; on a Ren day, encountering Ji Chen is good; and on a Yi day, encountering Ding Wei is appropriate. These combinations must be seated on the day pillar or the hour pillar to be considered effective. Those who possess this pattern will experience gradual promotion in official rank. For example, a scholar named Shi, born in the year of Ren Shen, month of Ji You, day of Ji Chen, and hour of Bing Yin, has Ren water with Ji Chen as its food god, and theStorage (storage) of Ren water is located on Chen, thus fulfilling this pattern. This statement is recorded in the "Zi Xu Ju."

甲乙食丙丁，加寅卯巳午之上、丙丁食戊己，加辰戌丑未之上、戊己食庚辛，加巳午申酉之上、庚辛食壬癸，加申酉亥子之上、壬癸食甲乙，加亥子寅卯之上，謂食神見生旺者是也。若食神帶祿馬旺相，文謂兩制相省，武為建節防團，亦無財帛重權。（鬼谷要訣）

Jia and Yi take Bing and Ding as their food spirits, which should be located on寅,卯,巳, and午; Bing and Ding take Wu and Ji as their food spirits, which should be located on辰,戌,丑, and未; Wu and Ji take Geng and Xin as their food spirits, which should be located on巳,午,申, and酉; Geng and Xin take Ren and Gui as their food spirits, which should be located on申,酉,亥, and子; Ren and Gui take Jia and Yi as their food spirits, which should be located on亥,子,寅, and卯. These are all cases where the food spirit is located in a prosperous and strong position, hence called 'Star of Ranks'. If the food spirit is further accompanied by the Lu Spirit and the Post-horse and is in a prosperous and strong condition, a civil official may attain the rank of two departments and high government posts, while a military official may attain the rank of a general and positions such as defense commander and regimental commander. This passage is from the 'Ghost Valley Essential Secrets'.

十干以隔一位為食神何也，希尹曰：甲己化土，故食丙辛、丙辛化水，故食戊癸；戊癸化火，故食庚乙；庚乙化金，故食壬丁；壬丁化木，故食甲己，食者如蟲之食物，傷之也。蟲得物食則飽，故得食則吉，被食則損，甲一物如遇丁壬，兩物見食者，尤費力。

Someone asked: Why do we take the food god (shishen) by taking one position apart in the ten heavenly stems? Wanyan Xiyin answered: Jia combines with Ji to form earth, so earth consumes the water formed by Bing and Xin; Bing combines with Xin to form water, so water consumes the fire formed by Wu and Gui; Wu and Gui form fire, so fire consumes the metal formed by Geng and Yi; Geng and Yi form metal, so metal consumes the wood formed by Ren and Ding; Ren and Ding form wood, so wood consumes the earth formed by Jia and Ji. The term 'food' is like a bug eating something, which is a kind of damage. When a bug eats something, it becomes full, so when one thing eats another, it is beneficial; but when one is eaten by another, it is a loss. For example, Jia is just one thing. If it meets another thing formed by Ding and Ren to eat it, two things together eating one thing would be especially difficult.

或以倒食為喜神何也，曰：遇獨干而無氣者也，丙見甲木，反以生火，十干皆然，二者須要看納音有無剋制，如甲子金見丙寅火，雖順食，安得為奇，庚戌金見戊申土，雖云倒食，有何不可，未可以一概論。

Someone asked: Why is "dào shí" sometimes treated as a favorable deity? The answer is: It depends on whether the heavenly stem is isolated and lacks support. For example, if the fire stem Bing meets the wood stem Jia, Jia does not weaken Bing but instead nourishes it. This principle applies to all ten stems. These two situations also need to consider whether there is mutual control between the nayin elements. For instance, if Jiazi nayin belongs to metal and meets Bingyin nayin which belongs to fire, even though it seems to be a case of following the food, fire is capable of overcoming metal, so it is not a good combination. Similarly, if Gengxu nayin belongs to metal and meets Wushen nayin which belongs to earth, even though it seems to be a case of reverse food, earth can generate metal, so it is not bad. Therefore, it cannot be judged in a general way.

以子成而致食，謂如甲食丙，乙食丁，甲乙乃丙丁火之父母也，故為食神，如人子致養於父母之道也。（燭神經）

The concept of "food god" also implies that after children have grown up, they provide support and sustenance to their parents. For example, Jia uses Bing as its food, and Yi uses Ding as its food. The wood of Jia and Yi is the parent of the fire of Bing and Ding. Fire is generated from wood, and now it turns back to nourish the wood. Therefore, it is called "food god," just as a son diligently supports his parents. This statement comes from the "Zhujing Jing."

食神者，十干福祿之會，君子得之顯達，豐瞻、小人得之周旋給足，在福聚之地，則官崇祿厚，在禍聚之地，則職卑命薄，以甲子論之，食丙子為福星之貴，丙寅為長生之祿，又為祿馬同鄉食神學堂福生之貴，丙辰為正印，丙午為自刑破命，丙申為克身破祿，丙戌為身衰空亡，

The food god is the place where the ten heavenly stems' fortune and official position meet. Those who read and become officials gain prosperity and success when they have the food god; ordinary people also benefit, enjoying ease in their livelihood and sufficient food and clothing. If the food god is in a place where many blessings gather, then one will have high official position and great wealth; if it is in a place where many misfortunes gather, then one will have a low position and a thin destiny. Taking the person born in the Jiazi year as an example, the food god is Bing. Seeing Bingzi indicates the noble fortune of a benevolent star; seeing Bingyin means the food god is in its growth position and also gains official position, being in the same hometown as the official position and the food god accompanied by the Xuetang (school) fortune, which is a noble fortune of the birth of fortune. Seeing Bingchen indicates the proper seal; seeing Bingwu, however, indicates self-punishment and destruction of the original destiny. Seeing Bingshen indicates the destruction of the body and the official position, and seeing Bingxu indicates a weak body and falling into Kongwang (void).

若遇生、旺、庫、印、天乙、天官、華蓋、文星、學堂、官印、祿馬之類，為福聚之地，遇克破空亡惡殺、刑官、休敗、死絕之地，為禍聚，然有華蓋、正印、雖少、倍增。無學堂驛馬雖多減半，清貴之家，驕貴之族，亦以此別之。（閻東叟書）

In summary, if the food god (shishen) meets growth, prosperity, repository, seal, Tianyi Nobleman, Star of officialdom, Huagai, literary star, Xuetang, official seal, and禄马, it is a place where blessings gather; if it meets overcoming, destruction, evil stars, criminal officials, and the regions of rest, decline, death, and exhaustion, it is a place where misfortunes gather. However, if there is Huagai and the proper seal, even if the food god is scarce, the power of blessings is doubled; if there is a lack of Xuetang and the post-horse, even if the food god is abundant, the power of blessings is halved. The difference between a refined and noble family and a proud and domineering powerful family is also revealed here. This passage is from the "Yan Dongshou Book."

雖道食神為貴格，若無祿馬又奚為。凡食神須到生旺之處，及祿馬貴人比和方貴。（理愚歌）

Although the food god is considered a noble configuration, without the Lu Spirit and the Post-horse to support it, what achievement can be made? Generally, the food god must be in a place of birth and prosperity, and harmonize with the Lu Spirit and the Post-horse, then true greatness can be achieved. This comes from the "Li Yu Ge."

食神一一當處，用一代於三，若遇空閒，遇三重不逮於一。食分三二，財如落葉當秋風，貴克食神，福若朝生暮落，食神若遇空閒，大抵難逃憔悴。（隱迷賦）

The Yinximi Fu says: When the food god is present in its proper position, it is powerful enough to be equivalent to three. But if it falls into Kongwang, even with three instances, it is not as effective as one. When the food god is scattered into two or three places, the wealth energy fades like fallen leaves in autumn wind. If the noble god restrains the food god, blessings will vanish like a morning birth that dies by evening. Once the food god falls into an idle place, this person is likely to suffer from lifelong hardship and distress.

食神遇吉為福德，遇凶則無力，不可一概而論。（廣錄）食在四貴四平之地者，為福，在四忌上則難為福也。（三命提要）食神沖破，可做雜揉歇減斷之。人格亦可以為侍從，然終不免出入之擾。（廣信）

When the food god meets a good god, it becomes fortune and virtue; when it meets a bad god, it cannot exert its power, so it cannot be considered in general. This is the view from the "Broad Record." If the food god is in the positions of the four noble ones or the four levels, it is considered to have fortune; if it is in the positions of the four taboos, it is difficult to achieve fortune. This is the view from the "Essentials of Destiny." If the food god is broken by a clash, it should be judged as mixed and confused, intermittent, and decreasing in power; such people may still become attendants or close ministers if they enter the pattern, but they are inevitably involved in constant coming and going and disturbances. This passage is from the "Broad Trust Collection."