volume three: discussion on the heavenly stem deity one

甲乙木，丙丁火，戊己土，庚辛金，壬癸水。

The ten Heavenly Stems are each associated with the Five Phases: Jia and Yi belong to Wood, Bing and Ding to Fire, Wu and Ji to Earth, Geng and Xin to Metal, and Ren and Gui to Water.

甲乙人在寅卯，丙丁人在巳午，庚辛人在申酉，壬癸人在亥子。經云：五音不雜無淫亂之性，合居祿位也。

The principle of ten heavenly stems not being mixed together means that Jia and Yi are born in the positions of Yin and Mao, Bing and Ding are born in the positions of Si and Wu, Geng and Xin are born in the positions of Shen and You, and Ren and Gui are born in the positions of Xu and Zi. The heavenly stems and earthly branches belong to the same Yixing and do not mix with other energies. The classics say that those whose five tones are pure and not mixed do not have lustful tendencies and are exactly settled in their own official positions.

春甲乙日時，夏丙丁日時，秋庚辛日時，冬壬癸日時，四季戊己日時。主人心明，日時金見者足壽，富貴多權。（神白經）

The concept of "honoring the divine structure" refers to people born in spring whose day stem and hour stem are Jia or Yi, those born in summer whose day and hour stems are Bing or Ding, those born in autumn whose day and hour stems are Geng or Xin, and those born in winter whose day and hour stems are Ren or Gui. Those born in the months of Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei have their day and hour stems as Wu or Ji. These are all stems that are in season and flourishing. Such people have clear minds; if their day pillar or hour pillar also contains metal, they will have long lifespans, wealth and honor, and hold power. This statement is from the "Shen Bai Jing."

如葉邵壬辰年、壬子月、壬寅日、癸卯胎，此干神一字也。然壬寅自絕是為雜，故止於正印。

For example, the destiny of a person named Ye Shao: born in the year Renchen, month Renzi, day Renyin, and hour Guimao. The heavenly stems are almost entirely Ren, which is called the One-Character Heavenly Stem Pattern. However, the column of Renyin has its metal in the Nayin sound element in the state of absolute decline, which is considered impure. Therefore, his official position only reached the level of 'Zheng Yin' (Positive Official).

如甲人見乙，丙人見丁之類。

The term "dry stem god" refers to when two stems of the same type meet, such as when someone with the Jia stem as their day master encounters the Yi or Bing stems in their fate, or when someone with the Ding stem as their day master encounters the Yi or Bing stems. This describes the situation where two stems of the same category, one yin and one yang, come together in a person's fate.

甲與乙、丙與丁、戊與己、庚與辛、壬與癸，皆干頭相類也，是甲人得乙，乙人得甲，位之偏祿，偏祿者多無科名，雖富而官卑。（壺中子）

The Heavenly Stems Jia and Yi, Bing and Ding, Wu and Ji, Geng and Xin, Ren and Gui are all paired as similar stems. For example, someone with Jia as their day stem who gets Yi, or someone with Yi as their day stem who gets Jia, occupies the position of 'biased official' or 'biased fortune'. People who have this biased fortune usually do not achieve academic success through the imperial examinations, even if their family is wealthy, their official positions remain low. This statement comes from the "Hu Zhong Zi".

如甲乙或丙丁兩字分四柱也，然須五行不雜，乃貴。（鬼谷遺文）

The concept of "two characters connected in the Heavenly Stem" refers to placing the characters Jia and Yi, or Bing and Ding, in the four pillars of year, month, day, and hour. However, it is only considered a noble pattern if the Five Phases are pure and not mixed. This statement comes from the "Ghost Valley Legacy."

謂純得五形陰陽，天元之氣不雜斷者，更有福神生旺之氣助之，則至貴之命，甲丙戊庚壬為純陽，乙丁己辛癸為純陰。

The concept of pure yin or pure yang in the Five Phases refers to a birth chart where only one side of the Five Phases is present, with the heavenly stems entirely composed of either yin or yang energy, without mixture or interruption. If this is further supported by auspicious deities and flourishing vital energy, it becomes an extremely prosperous destiny. The five heavenly stems Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren belong to pure yang, while the five heavenly stems Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui belong to pure yin.

蓋取十干遇生己之位也，謂甲遇壬見癸之類，水能生木，餘準此，若人遇之，主有大福祿也。（三命鈴）

The "Joy God" refers to the Heavenly Stem that nourishes the day master. For example, if the day master is Jia (甲), then Ren (壬) and Gui (癸) are considered the Joy Gods, because water nourishes wood. The same principle applies to the other stems. When a person's destiny encounters the Joy God, it indicates great fortune and blessings. This concept is from the *San Ming Qian* (Three Fate Keys).

三五連合者，自上至下，陰陽相和也。兩比干在上，一干在下，謂之順挑連合；一干在上，兩比干在下，謂之倒垂連合。順挑者甲乙丙、丙丁戊、戊己庚、庚辛壬、壬癸甲是也。倒垂者癸甲乙、乙丙丁、丁戊己、己庚辛、辛壬癸是也。倒垂相連，順數為上，雜數次之，不犯他干，生旺相承，福祿相助，尤勝五行連珠格。（閻東叟書）

The term "three and five connected" refers to the harmonious interaction of yin and yang among the heavenly stems in the four pillars, from top to bottom. When two similar heavenly stems are above and one is below, it is called "ascending connection"; when one is above and two similar heavenly stems are below, it is called "descending connection." The ascending combinations are Jia-Yi-Bing, Bing-Ding-Wu, Wu-Ji-Geng, Geng-Xin-Ren, and Ren-Gui-Jia. The descending combinations are Gui-Jia-Yi, Jia-Yi- Bing, Yi-Bing-Ding, Bing-Ding-Wu, and Ding-Wu-Ji. In the case of descending connections, the arrangement in order is considered the best, while a mixed arrangement is次. As long as it does not conflict with other heavenly stems, the vital energy flows continuously, and blessings and official positions support each other, making it better than the "Five Elements Linked in a Line" pattern. This statement is from the "Yan Dongshou Book."

干神順足亦非常，論此非常不可當，生旺相兼臨貴格，定知君側理陰陽。

The mnemonic says: Heavenly Stems follow one after another in sequence, and the beginning and end are complete, forming an extraordinary pattern in itself; when discussing such an exceptional pattern, its power is unmatched by anyone. If it is further combined with the qi of birth and prosperity and appears on a noble pattern, it can be determined that this person will certainly stand by the side of the monarch, participate in state affairs, and regulate yin and yang.

甲庚、丙壬、乙辛、丁癸，最為貴格，名曰神藏殺沒。蓋上天清氣之盛者，如年月日時胎五位中合成，更有福神相助，無死絕沖破空亡，須貴極一品。若有沖破空亡而有福神相助，亦可為兩制兩省。如日時上不犯空亡，他處犯之，亦可為兩府，然活不久。

The combinations of Jia with Geng, Bing with Ren, Yi with Xin, and Ding with Gui are the highest-ranking auspicious configurations, known as "Shen Cang Sha Mei," meaning that auspicious deities are hidden and malevolent forces are concealed. This is because these combinations represent the most pure and noble heavenly energies. If such a configuration is formed among the five positions of year, month, day, hour, and destiny, and is further supported by benevolent deities without encountering death,绝, conflict, or Kongwang, then one will certainly attain a top-ranking official position. If although there is conflict or Kongwang, there is still support from benevolent deities, one can still achieve high-ranking positions such as two provinces or two departments. If the day pillar or hour pillar does not encounter Kongwang, but other pillars do, one may hold a position in two government offices, though with a shorter lifespan.

如不犯空亡，只犯死絕，可作卿監，仍多難而有好差遣，若無福神為助，不過一多難員正郎而已。不犯死絕，而犯沖破空亡，無福神助之者，亦可作館職之格，或死絕空亡，更無福神為之助，即碌碌不出州縣耳。更有三刑六害，只作有名舉人，或清高僧道，與富足百姓而已。（林開五命）

If one does not commit kongwang but falls into the dead and absolute positions, they may attain the rank of a minister of the nine departments or a supervisor, although they will face many difficulties, their official duties will be good. If there is no blessing deity to assist, they will merely be an official who constantly encounters setbacks. If they do not fall into the dead and absolute positions but commit conflict and breakage, and also kongwang, without the assistance of a blessing deity, they may hold a clean position such as that of a library official. However, if they fall into both the dead and absolute positions and commit kongwang, and there is no blessing deity to help, they will be mediocre and unable to rise beyond the level of a county. If they also commit the three punishments and six harms, they can only become a famous candidate for the imperial examination, or a high-minded monk or Taoist, or otherwise a prosperous commoner. This statement comes from the "Lin Kai Wu Ming."

閻東叟云：四時天地之氣，八荒陰陽之數，甲庚丙壬為陽干之吉會，乙辛丁癸為陰干之福源，六凶神至此而藏，〈按三曆會同云：螣蛇、朱雀、勾陳、天空、白虎、玄武，為六凶神〉四惡殺相遇而沒，〈按命書四殺或以為四劫殺，或以為辰戌丑未〉年月日時四位四干分明，不論刑害沖破，皆為吉氣，更加祿馬貴印，加倍福力。而凶神惡殺，自然藏沒也。

Yan Dongshou said: The four seasons are the movement of the vital energies of heaven and earth, and the eight directions are the distribution of yin and yang numbers; Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren are the auspicious gatherings of the yang stems, while Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui are the sources of blessings from the yin stems. The sixInauspicious Spirit are hidden here — the original note cites the "Three Calendars in Harmony" which says that Tengshe, Vermilion Bird, Gou Chen, Star of Emptiness, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise are the sixInauspicious Spirit; the four evil killers also disappear when they meet this — the original note says that the four killers in命书 are sometimes considered the four劫杀, and sometimes refer to Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei. As long as the four heavenly stems are clearly distinguished in the four positions of year, month, day, and hour, even if there are punishments, harms, conflicts, or breaks, they need not be considered, and all are regarded as auspicious qi; adding the benefits of official position, horse, nobleman, and seal, the power of good fortune is doubled. TheInauspicious Spirit and evil killers will naturally hide and disappear.

三命鈐云：凡將相貴人，多生於甲庚丙壬者，以此四干有天德月德併也。若人遇之，更逢五晉旺相、及三命有氣，必居臺輔也。玉霄寶鑑云：如甲庚丙壬全，必生居孟月者，方為入格。乙辛丁癸，必生居季月者，方為入格。不然非也。此類皆為吉德君子，若居官秉政，亦寬厚也。

The San Ming Qian says: All noble and high-ranking officials are mostly born under the heavenly stems Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren, because these four stems are accompanied by the stars of virtue and resolution and virtue and charity. When a person encounters these, and also meets the condition of the five phases being vigorous and strong, with the year, month, and day of birth all having vitality, they will certainly hold high official positions. The Yu Xiao Bao Jian says: Those with the four stems Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren all present must be born in the first months of the four zodiac animals, namely寅, 申, 巳, and 亥, to be considered qualified; those with the four stems 乙, 辛, 丁, and 癸 all present must be born in the fourth months of the four seasons, namely 辰, 戌, 丑, and 未, to be considered qualified; if these conditions are not met, they are not considered qualified. This type of person are all virtuous gentlemen with good moral qualities, even when holding power in government, their governance is broad and lenient.

鬼谷要訣云：甲庚丙壬相逐來，支神次第又相該；更兼祿馬居生旺，為官必是到三臺。又云：乙辛丁癸順挑連，五行生旺祿兼全，更秉旺氣臨官上，宰相公侯在此遷。

The "Ghost Valley Essentials" has a verse that says: Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren are four heavenly stems that follow one after another, and the earthly branches also match and harmonize in sequence; if the Lu Spirit and the Post-horse are both sitting in a place of birth and prosperity, one will certainly rise to the position of the Three Grand Ministers and the Star of Conferment. Another verse says: Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui follow one after another in order, with the Five Phases in a state of birth and prosperity and complete Lu energy; further strengthened by the旺盛 energy resting upon the official star, the rank of prime minister and marquis will be attained from here.

又鬼谷遺文云：罡中是乙，魁裡伏辛，鬼神得癸，小吉隱丁。〈注云：辰中是乙，戊中是辛，丑為貴神，未為小吉，丑中有貴，未中有丁。〉

The Ghost Valley Legacy says: The Heavenly Gang is hidden in the辰 position, the River Chief is concealed in the戌 position, the癸 is located in the丑 position where deities reside, and the丁 is hidden in the未 position of small auspiciousness. The original commentary states: The乙 is hidden in the辰, the辛 is concealed in the戌, the丑 is the position of the nobleman, and the未 is the position of small auspiciousness, with the nobleman hidden in the丑 and the丁 hidden in the未.

四端迎中央之福，謂陽干甲庚丙壬全，陰干乙辛丁癸全，陽干胎月得癸而迎戊，陰干胎月得甲而迎己，中央二土，迎在歲運上，則陽能兆陰，陰能兆陽也。（閻東叟書）

The phrase "four beginnings welcoming the central blessing" refers to having all four yang stems—Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren—or all four yin stems—Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui. If a yang stem's destiny is found in the胎 (womb) or月 (month) to have癸 (Gui), it brings about戊 (Wu); if a yin stem's destiny is found in the胎 or月 to have甲 (Jia), it brings about己 (Ji). The two central earth stems,戊 and己, if welcomed in the current year and great destiny period, can attract each other—yang can attract yin, and yin can attract yang. This statement comes from the "Yan Dongshou Book."

甲丙辛己、甲丙戊庚、甲己辛癸、甲辛庚丙、甲辛癸丙；乙庚壬甲、乙庚丁己、乙癸丁壬、乙庚丁辛、乙戊甲癸〈一癸作庚〉；丙戊癸辛、丙辛癸乙、丙戊庚壬、丙癸壬戊、丙乙丁辛；丁己辛壬、丁癸壬己、丁己癸乙、丁乙己戊、丁壬己辛；戊癸丁乙、戊庚壬甲、戊庚乙癸、己辛甲癸、己甲丙戊。

The "Lian Zhu Cui Mei" pattern is a noble configuration where four heavenly stems are connected in a fixed order. Below are the groups listed according to the starting stem. Starting with Jia, there are five groups: Jia Bing Xin Ji, Jia Bing Wu Geng, Jia Ji Xin Gui, Jia Xin Geng Bing, Jia Xin Gui Bing. Starting with Yi, there are five groups: Yi Geng Ren Jia, Yi Geng Ding Ji, Yi Gui Ding Ren, Yi Geng Ding Xin, Yi Wu Jia Gui—the last group's Gui is sometimes written as Geng in another text. Starting with Bing, there are five groups: Bing Wu Gui Xin, Bing Xin Gui Yi, Bing Wu Geng Ren, Bing Gui Ren Wu, Bing Yi Ding Xin. Starting with Ding, there are five groups: Ding Ji Xin Ren, Ding Gui Ren Ji, Ding Ji Gui Yi, Ding Yi Ji Wu, Ding Ren Ji Xin. Starting with Wu, there are three groups: Wu Gui Ding Yi, Wu Geng Ren Jia, Wu Geng Yi Gui; then starting with Ji, there are two groups: Ji Xin Jia Gui, Ji Jia Bing Wu.

己甲丁壬、己甲丁辛、己辛癸乙、庚乙丁己、庚壬甲丙；庚丁丙壬、辛癸乙丙、辛丙庚戊、辛壬丙甲、辛癸乙丁；辛丙丁癸、壬甲丙戊、壬己戊甲、壬丁己辛、癸戊庚壬；癸乙丁己、癸戊己乙〈己作丙〉。以上年月日時，一句喚就者為貴，更有吉殺，定為卿相。（廣信集）

Following the sequence starting with Ji, there are three groups: Ji Jia Ding Ren, Ji Jia Ding Xin, and Ji Xin Gui Yi; starting with Geng, there are three groups: Geng Yi Ding Ji, Geng Ren Jia Bing, and Geng Ding Bing Ren; starting with Xin, there are five groups: Xin Gui Yi Bing, Xin Bing Geng Wu, Xin Ren Bing Jia, Xin Gui Yi Ding, and Xin Bing Ding Gui; starting with Ren, there are three groups: Ren Jia Bing Wu, Ren Ji Wu Jia, and Ren Ding Ji Xin; starting with Gui, there are three groups: Gui Wu Geng Ren, Gui Yi Ding Ji, and Gui Wu Ji Yi—note that in another text, the last group's Ji is written as Bing. All these combinations, if the heavenly stems of the year, month, day, and hour exactly form one of these sequences, indicate great fortune. If they are further accompanied by auspicious deities or beneficial spirits, one is destined to hold high official positions, such as ministers or prime ministers. This statement is from the "Guangxin Ji."

甲隨丙戊官卿泰，乙見丁己祿還生，丙會戊庚年稱遂，丁到己辛事皆成，戊入庚壬門有慶，己逢辛癸職遷榮，庚遷壬甲財豐足，辛逢癸乙命先升，壬逢甲丙無不喜，癸入乙丁命高亨，若遇行年生處有，此為有福運相迎。（八字金書）

The rhyme says: If Jia is followed by Bing or Wu, official fortune will be smooth and one may reach high office; if Yi meets Ding or Ji, the luck of official position will revive; if Bing combines with Wu or Geng, everything will go smoothly in the year; if Ding meets Ji or Xin, all affairs will be accomplished; if Wu enters Geng or Ren, the family will have joy; if Ji meets Xin or Gui, the position will be promoted and the reputation will be distinguished; if Geng moves to Ren or Jia, wealth will be abundant; if Xin meets Gui or Yi, the fate will rise first; if Ren meets Jia or Bing, nothing will be unsatisfactory; if Gui enters Yi or Ding, the fate will be prosperous and smooth. If the current year also has such combinations, it is a fortunate fate coming to meet. This saying is from the "Book of Eight Characters in Gold."

福會者，取十干所生及所剋是也，謂如甲木生丙火，剋之戊土之類，如甲壬見丙戊是也。〈他準此並與官卿同〉若人胎月日時遇之，主衣食豐足，官爵崇高，大小運行年至此，亦有遷官進財之喜。（三命指掌）

The term "Fukui" refers to the two heavenly stems that are either generated by or capable of overcoming the stem of one's birth. For example, Jia belongs to wood; wood generates Bing fire and overcomes Wu earth. Therefore, those born with Jia or Ren stems will find Fuku when they encounter Bing and Wu. The original note states that the same principle applies to the other stems, following the same method as the official official pattern discussed earlier. If a person's birth, month, day, or hour comes into contact with Fuku, it indicates abundant food and clothing and high official rank; if one's great destiny, small destiny, or current year also reaches this, there will be good fortune such as promotion and increased wealth. This statement is from the "Sanming Zhipang."

甲乙庫未丙丁戌，戊己壬癸辰中立；庚辛若向丑中行，一生衣食終須吉。凡人生值此庫，若年月日時皆有者，主兩府臺輔之貴，或落空亡亦吉。（八字金書）

The rhyme says: the repositories of Jia and Yi are in Wei, those of Bing and Ding are in Xu; those of Wu, Ji, Ren, and Gui are all in Chen; if Geng and Xin reach Chou, their clothing and food throughout life will ultimately be auspicious. If a person's birth time coincides with their own repository, and if all four pillars of year, month, day, and hour contain it, they will hold high official positions and be esteemed as the Star of conferment. Even if it falls into Kongwang, it remains auspicious. This statement comes from the "Book of Eight Characters in Gold."

歲干之墓謂之祿庫，祿庫中又帶地財或納音為財者，乃祿庫中有財，不惟貴，而又主富，設祿庫之內無財，則職雖顯而家貧矣。（壺中子）

The burial ground of the heavenly stem of the year is called "Lu ku" (wealth storage). If within the Lu ku there is also the hidden wealth of the earthly branch, or if the nayin sound element matches the wealth of the person, then there is wealth stored in the warehouse, and such a destiny is both noble and affluent. However, if there is no wealth in the Lu ku, then although the official position may be prominent, the family remains poor. This statement comes from the "Hu Zhong Zi."

如甲人用己為正祿，即有科名，戊為偏祿，以辛為正官，庚為偏官，於倣此。若得正官全者，併為正官祿，有科名，其偏官無出身。（金書名訣）

For example, a person born on a Jia day is considered to have Ji as their 'positive禄' (positive luck), and if this is present in their fate, they can achieve academic success. They have Wu as their 'biased禄' (biased luck), and Xin as their 'positive official' (positive official position), and Geng as their 'biased official' (biased official position). The other heavenly stems are treated in the same way. If both the positive official and positive禄 are present together, it is called 'positive official and禄', indicating the possibility of academic achievement. However, if only the biased official is present, it means they did not come from an official background. This statement is from the 'Golden Book of Famous Strategies'.

三命提要云：偏官亦主大福，若到晚年福謝祿衰，卻為災，若見二鬼剋祿干，雖有官蹇滯，亦須有停降之災。指迷賦云：偏官出於雜流。

The Three Lifetimes Summary says: A biased official (偏官) can also indicate great fortune, but by late life the fortune is exhausted and the official position declines, leading to misfortune; if there are two instances of "ghosts" (鬼) thatrestrain me and attack the official star (禄干), then even though there is an official position, it will be difficult and unsmooth, and one is sure to suffer from dismissal or demotion. The Lost Path Assignment says: People with a biased official often come from miscellaneous or lowly backgrounds.

胎生旺庫為四貴，死絕病敗為四忌，餘為四平，以太歲干為主配於五行，取四貴、四平、四忌之位，而分貴賤，遇貴多則貴，不遇則賤。四貴主貴，亦有上下生旺，庫為上，胎為次。四忌主賤，亦有輕重，死敗絕為重，病為輕，若胎月日時遇三貴上，皆有輔者，〈祿有四輔正財正官正印含神福也〉三公之命也。

The four positions of "Tai, Changsheng, Diwang, and Muku" are called "Four Precious Positions," while the four positions of "Si, Jie, Bing, and Bai" are called "Four Taboos." The remaining four positions are called "Four Common Positions." Using the heavenly stem of the year as the main reference, one matches it to the twelve cycles of the Five Phases to determine whether it falls in the Four Precious, Four Common, or Four Taboos. Based on this, one distinguishes between high status and low status: encountering more of the Four Precious positions indicates higher status, while encountering none indicates lower status. Among the Four Precious positions, the degree of high status varies, with Muku being the highest and Tai being next. Among the Four Taboos, the degree of low status also varies, with Si, Bai, and Jie being the most severe, and Bing being the least severe. If among the year, month, day, and hour, three of the Four Precious positions are present, and each of them is supported by auxiliary elements—according to the original note, the禄 (favorable position) has four types of support, namely, the official, the wealthy, the scholar, and the divine blessing—then the person is destined for a high official position, such as the Three Grand Ministers.

若三貴上帶正天乙〈如丑未生人月日時得甲戊庚之類是也〉、本家祿〈如寅生人，月日時帶甲之類是也。詩云：甲遇寅為常，寅遇甲為強，餘倣此〉、福會或天乙貴神合四三重者，亦三公之命也，三貴上帶上下合，或一官一印，即一正天乙或一位本家祿，三兩位天乙貴人合者，宰輔之命也。

If the three noble positions are also accompanied by the proper Tianyi Nobleman — as explained in the original commentary, for example, those born in the years of Chou or Wei, who receive Jia, Wu, or Geng in the month, day, or hour — and also carry their own family's luck — as explained in the original commentary, for example, those born in the year of Yin, who receive Jia in the month, day, or hour — and if this is further combined with fortune and auspiciousness, or if the Tianyi Nobleman and the heavenly noble god are in harmony to reach three or four layers, then it is considered the fate of the Three Dukes. If the three noble positions are accompanied by mutual harmony between upper and lower, or if there is one official star and one official seal, that is, one proper Tianyi Nobleman or one family luck, and further combined with two or three places of Tianyi Nobleman harmony, then it is considered the fate of the Chancellor.

或日時上遇兩貴，而帶上件者，亦然。以上若一位上遇災殺亡神劫殺地殺羊刃者，兼主兵權，樞府節鉞之貴，若胎月生月與日時上遇兩貴或只時上遇胎庫一貴，卻帶正天乙上下合，天乙貴神合，本家祿正官正印本祿餘位，但有氣，或貴人上亦帶前件祿干者，亦宰輔兩府之命也。

Or if two noble positions appear only in the day pillar and the hour pillar, and they carry the aforementioned conditions, the interpretation remains the same. For these types of birth charts, if any position encounters calamity, killing stars, 'Wangshen', ground killing stars, or Yangren, they will also hold military authority, possessing the status of a Chief Military Secretary or a Military Governor. If the fetal month, birth month, and the day and hour pillars each contain two noble positions, or if only one noble position appears in the hour pillar, either the fetal or the repository position, and they are accompanied by the harmonious combination of the heavenly stem and the earthly branch of the heavenly stem, the harmonious combination of the heavenly stem and the noble god, as well as the native's own fortune, official position, official seal, and native fortune, provided these have strength, or if the noble position also carries the aforementioned fortune and heavenly stem combinations, they are destined to hold the rank of prime minister or the position of the two great offices.

若月在忌神，而日遇貴，或日在忌神而時遇貴，不害，為清華侍從之格，若月日俱在貴而時遇忌神者，皆常調選人也。（三命提要）

If the month pillar falls on the Hostile God, but the day pillar is in a noble position; or if the day pillar falls on the Hostile God, but the hour pillar is in a noble position, it does not constitute harm and belongs to the category of clear and respectful attendants. If both the month and day pillars are in noble positions, but the hour pillar encounters the Hostile God, then it is merely the case of an ordinary official selected according to routine procedures. This statement is from "San Ming Ti Yao."

凡命年月日時有甲與己，乙與庚，丙與辛，丁與壬，戊與癸，十干合者為上，遇甲庚丙壬乙辛丁癸為奇干，甲乙丙，丙丁戊，戊己庚，庚辛壬，壬癸甲，謂以順連合，癸甲乙，乙丙丁，丁戊己，己庚辛，辛壬癸，謂之逆連合。

When examining a person's destiny, if among the heavenly stems in the year, month, day, and hour pillars there are pairs such as Jia and Ji, Yi and Geng, Bing and Xin, Ding and Ren, Wu and Gui, this is called ten heavenly stems combining, which is considered superior. If one encounters the groups of Jia, Geng, Bing, Ren or Yi, Xin, Ding, Gui, these are called "qidan" (strange stems). The sequences Jia-Yi-Bing, Bing-Ding-Wu, Wu-Ji-Geng, Geng-Xin-Ren, Ren-Jia are called "shun lian he" (forward connected combinations). The sequences Gui-Jia-Yi, Yi-Bing-Ding, Ding-Wu-Ji, Ji-Geng-Xin, Xin-Ren-Gui are called "ni lian he" (reverse connected combinations).

上合者清貴，奇干次之，順逆合又次之。此之謂入局。凡一命而兼此三者，更得五行相順，其貴不待言也。若五行不相順，乃為僧道術士清閒之人，餘輕重皆倣此。（林開五命）

The combination of the Ten Heavenly Stems is the clearest and most noble, followed by the odd stems, then the consecutive combinations in both forward and reverse order, and these are all called "entering the pattern." If a person's fate includes all three, and the Five Phases flow smoothly, then great wealth and honor are certain. But if the Five Phases do not flow in harmony, then the person will be a monk, Taoist, or fortune-teller, living a quiet life. The importance of other situations is measured by this standard. This statement comes from the "Lin Kai Wu Ming."

不拘十干為頭，〈但是十干皆為一數〉二損三食四雜求，〈二損氣，三食神，四雜神〉見五便為財神用，六合吉慶有來由〈六干合〉遇七鬼名多厄滯，八呼官印六陰收，〈陽干八位官印，陰官八位官印〉見九倒食無嘉會，十為生氣福千秋〈陰干第八，陽干第十〉。

Starting from any heavenly stem, you can count sequentially. The original commentary states that regardless of which heavenly stem you start with, the first position is counted as the first number. The second position is considered a loss of energy, the third is the food god, the fourth is a miscellaneous god. The original commentary divides it this way. The fifth position is used as the wealth god; the sixth position is where heavenly stems combine, bringing auspicious fortune. The original commentary says the sixth position is exactly where the combination of heavenly stems occurs. The seventh position is the ghost that overcomes me, indicating many calamities and obstacles in all affairs. The eighth position is called official seal; for yin stems, it should be taken separately. The original commentary says that for yang stems, the eighth position shows official seal, and for yin stems, the eighth position also shows official seal. The ninth position is called reverse food, indicating no good gatherings. The tenth position is the energy that nourishes me, bringing long-lasting blessings. The original commentary says that for yin stems, the eighth position is taken, and for yang stems, the tenth position is taken.

凡看命，先詳月干好弱，既有好乾，即令日干貢助，既日干好，即令時干貢助，更不出此發用，若月干不好，急令日干剋去，月干者為上，蓋吉者要升，凶者要除，詩曰：月為第一氣神行，吉數還教吉數生，吉氣莫令凶氣戰，不離兩子有遷升。

When examining a person's destiny, the first thing to do is to examine the strength and quality of the month's stem. If the month's stem is a good stem, then the day's stem should contribute to support it; if the day's stem is also good, then the hour's stem should further support it. The method of initiating transmission does not go beyond this. If the month's stem is not good, then the day's stem should quickly overcome it. The month's stem is always the primary concern, because good elements should be promoted and bad ones should be eliminated. The poem says: the month's stem is the first source of energy, good numbers should be supported by other good numbers; do not let good energy clash with bad energy. As long as we do not deviate from these two key points, there will naturally be promotion and advancement.

假令辛酉、丙申、乙未、己卯、己助乙勢，乙生丙旺，丙與辛合為貴，如丁巳見癸丑，不用癸丑，使己日干剋去癸水為妙，如辛酉甲午癸亥壬午，雖天干連珠，壬癸生甲，雜神貧困之命。又如丁巳戊申乙卯己卯，戊為損神，被乙助戊，己助乙，從下喜至戊，既戊得勢，轉損丁之力不好，餘準此推之。

For example, in the year of Xinyou, month of Bingshen, day of Yiwei, and hour of Jimao: Ji comes to support Yi, Yi generates Bing making Bing strong, and Bing combines with Xin to form a noble pattern. Another example is when Dingsi meets Guichou; we do not take Guichou as the useful element, but rather prefer for Ji day stem to overcome Gui water. In another case, the combination of Xinyou, Jiawu, Guihai, and Renwu: although the heavenly stems are connected in sequence, Ren and Gui both generate Jia, resulting in a poor destiny where miscellaneous elements dominate. Another example is Dingsi, Wushen, Yimao, and Jimao: Wu is a harmful element, but Yi supports Wu, and Ji also supports Yi, so the favorable energy flows upward to Wu. Once Wu gains strength, it turns back to weaken Ding, which is not good. The rest can be analyzed in the same way.

六甲日生木，夜生化土，故六戊人得甲，取日生為鬼，夜生為官。用六乙日生使金，夜生使木，故六己人見之，日生為官，夜生為鬼。六丙人日生使火，夜生使水，故六庚人見日生為鬼，夜生為官。六丁人日生木，夜生火，故六辛人得之，日生為官，夜生為鬼。六戊人日生為土，夜生為火，故六壬人見之，日生為鬼，夜生為官。六己人六庚人不變。六辛人日生為水，夜生為金，故六乙人得之，日生為官，夜生為鬼。六壬日生使水，夜生為木，六丙人得之，日生為鬼，夜生為官。六癸向晝火盛，夜生水盛，故六丁人得之，晝生不使鬼，只用火氣。

The six days of Jia (甲) are associated with wood. Those born on these days during the day exhibit the nature of wood, while those born at night transform into earth. Therefore, for the six days of Wu (戊), when encountering Jia, those born during the day consider Jia as a ghost that controls them, while those born at night regard Jia as an official. The six days of Yi (乙) are associated with metal. Those born on these days during the day use metal, while those born at night use wood. Therefore, for the six days of Ji (己), when encountering Yi, those born during the day consider Yi as an official, while those born at night regard Yi as a ghost. The six days of Bing (丙) are associated with fire. Those born on these days during the day use fire, while those born at night use water. Therefore, for the six days of Geng (庚), when encountering Bing, those born during the day consider Bing as a ghost, while those born at night regard Bing as an official. The six days of Ding (丁) are associated with wood. Those born on these days during the day are associated with wood, while those born at night are associated with fire. Therefore, for the six days of Xin (辛), when encountering Ding, those born during the day consider Ding as an official, while those born at night regard Ding as a ghost. The six days of Wu (戊) are associated with earth. Those born on these days during the day are associated with earth, while those born at night are associated with fire. Therefore, for the six days of Ren (壬), when encountering Wu, those born during the day consider Wu as a ghost, while those born at night regard Wu as an official. The six days of Ji (己) and the six days of Geng (庚) remain unchanged day and night. The six days of Xin (辛) are associated with water. Those born on these days during the day are associated with water, while those born at night are associated with metal. Therefore, for the six days of Yi (乙), when encountering Xin, those born during the day consider Xin as an official, while those born at night regard Xin as a ghost. The six days of Ren (壬) are associated with water. Those born on these days during the day are associated with water, while those born at night are associated with wood. Therefore, for the six days of Bing (丙), when encountering Ren, those born during the day consider Ren as a ghost, while those born at night regard Ren as an official. The six days of Gui (癸) have strong fire during the day and strong water at night. Therefore, for the six days of Ding (丁), when encountering Gui, those born during the day do not consider Gui as a ghost, but instead use its fire.

又云：六般陽命，男犯祿鬼、倒食，須取夜生，反凶作吉，呼鬼為官，倒食為喜神，女人反此。六般陰命，男犯祿鬼倒食，須取日生反凶作吉，餘並同前。六陽命，男無祿鬼倒食，只當取日生者為順；六陰命，男無祿鬼倒食，只當取夜生者為順，女人皆反此求之，此晝夜氣象是陰陽配合剛柔體用也。（天元變化書）

It is also said that for the six yang heavenly stems, if a man's destiny involves the ghost of official rank and the inverted food, he should be born at night, thus transforming misfortune into good fortune, treating the ghost as an official and the inverted food as a favorable deity; for women, the opposite applies. For the six yin heavenly stems, if a man's destiny involves the ghost of official rank and the inverted food, he should be born during the day, similarly transforming misfortune into good fortune, with the rest of the interpretation remaining the same as before. For the six yang heavenly stems, if a man does not have the ghost of official rank or the inverted food, he should be born during the day for harmony; for the six yin heavenly stems, if a man does not have the ghost of official rank or the inverted food, he should be born at night for harmony; for women, the opposite applies. This theory of day and night conditions explains the principle of yin and yang complementing each other and the interplay of strength and flexibility. This statement originates from the book "Tianyuan Biwandushu."

且以甲言之，則辛為官印，己為天財，丁為破官，庚為畏神，若不消息五行，推究剋制，則神殺錯雜，尊卑溷殽，善惡不分，災福必不驗矣。（閻東叟書）

Take the stem Jia as an example: Xin is its official seal, Ji is its heavenly wealth, and Ding can break its official. Geng is the deity it fears. If one does not consider the waxing and waning of the Five Phases or investigate the relationships of mutual restriction, then auspicious deities and malevolent forces will be mixed together, the hierarchy will be reversed and confused, and good and evil will be indistinct. Thus, the prediction of calamity and blessing will certainly not be accurate. This statement comes from the "Yan Dongshou Book."

凡命君須子細推，天元先去測天機，助生清秀榮應辨，吞竊傷殘賤可知。且祿之元或先傷殘吞啗，雖逢吉殺，豈可便以吉言之，或先多滋助，雖犯凶神豈可便以凶論之。（沉芝源髓）

The song says: When examining a person's destiny, you must carefully analyze it, first assessing the heavenly stems to determine the Star of wisdom and adaptability. If the heavenly stems are supported and show a clear and refined appearance, whether the person will be honored or not can be discerned. If the heavenly stems are devoured, stolen, or damaged, then poverty and low status are evident. Moreover, if the original essence of the official position has already been harmed and consumed, even if good gods or auspicious influences appear, how can it be considered favorable? Conversely, if the original essence has already received ample nourishment and support, even if malevolent influences are encountered, how can it be considered harmful? This statement comes from the "Shen Zhi Yuan Me" (The Essence of Shen Zhi).

不仁不義庚辛與甲乙交差；或是或非，壬癸與丙丁相畏。王氏注云：甲乙為東方之木，庚辛為西方之金，彼其自有仁義之理存焉。丙丁為南方之火，壬癸為北方之水，彼其自有是非之義存焉，凡陽庚合乎陰乙，陰辛合於陽甲，則木榮金生，仁義兼濟，剛柔相乘，陰陽沖和。庚辛甲乙木不能相交差也，甲見庚，乙見辛，木辱金化，純陽不生，純陽不長，陰陽不和，甲乙木不能保仁，庚辛金不能崇義，所謂不仁不義，庚辛與甲乙交差也。

Luolu Zi says: When Geng and Xin (metal) meet with Jia and Yi (wood) in a wrong position, it becomes unrighteousness and unkindness; when Ren and Gui (water) meet with Bing and Ding (fire) in mutual fear, there is distinction between right and wrong. Wang's commentary explains: Jia and Yi are the wood of the East, while Geng and Xin are the metal of the West, and they inherently contain the principles of benevolence and righteousness. Bing and Ding are the fire of the South, while Ren and Gui are the water of the North, and they inherently contain the distinction between right and wrong. Whenever a yang stem Geng combines with a yin stem Yi, or a yin stem Xin combines with a yang stem Jia, the wood flourishes and the metal is formed, benevolence and righteousness are both present, and softness and hardness support each other, yin and yang harmonize without bias. In this case, the meeting of Geng and Xin with Jia and Yi is not considered a wrong position. However, when Jia meets Geng or Yi meets Xin, the wood is harmed by the metal, the pure yang energy cannot grow or flourish, yin and yang are not harmonious, the wood of Jia and Yi cannot maintain benevolence, and the metal of Geng and Xin cannot uphold righteousness. This is what is called unrighteousness and unkindness, when Geng and Xin meet with Jia and Yi in a wrong position.

或是或非者，陽丙是畏於陽壬，而非畏於陰癸，陰丁是畏於陰癸，而非畏於陽壬，丙見壬，丁見癸，謂之祿鬼，是相畏及，丙見癸，丁見壬，謂之祿官，非相畏也。蓋陰見陰，二女同居，其志不同，陽見陽，兩男並處，其性不和，故謂之相畏也。及男女同居，其志通也，又何畏之有，故有是畏非畏之說。（珞琭子）

The terms 'is' or 'is not' refer to the fact that the yang stem Bing truly fears the yang stem Ren, but does not fear the yin stem Gui; the yin stem Ding truly fears the yin stem Gui, but does not fear the yang stem Ren. When Bing meets Ren or Ding meets Gui, it is called 'Lugui', which is genuine fear. When Bing meets Gui or Ding meets Ren, it is called 'Luguan', which is not fear. This is because when yin meets yin, it is like two women living together, with differing intentions; when yang meets yang, it is like two men in the same room, with conflicting temperaments, hence called fear. As for when male and female live together, with shared intentions, what is there to fear? Therefore, there is a distinction between 'fear' and 'not fear'. This saying comes from Luolu Zi.

丙丁然惡於壬癸，壬癸多旺而秋生，甲乙雖喜於庚庚辛，庚辛春囚而多辱。丙丁火也，壬癸水也，丙丁惡壬癸者，壬癸為丙丁之鬼，生於秋多，則壬癸旺相之時丙丁胞絕之時，號為鬼旺身衰，其阻障得尤切，若生於春夏，則壬癸胞絕，丙丁旺相，號為身旺鬼衰，其阻障不得。

Jia and Yi although like Geng and Xin, yet Geng and Xin are in captivity in spring and thus suffer humiliation. This is because Bing and Ding belong to fire, while Ren and Gui belong to water: Bing and Ding dislike Ren and Gui because Ren and Gui are the ghosts that overcome them. If Ren and Gui are numerous and appear in autumn, when they are prosperous and strong, this is the time when Ren and Gui are strong and Bing and Ding are in their fetal stage, called ghost strength and body weakness, making the obstruction particularly severe. If they appear in spring or summer, when Ren and Gui are in their fetal stage, and Bing and Ding are in their prosperous and strong phase, called body strength and ghost weakness, the obstruction cannot affect them.

甲乙木也，庚辛金也，甲乙喜庚辛者，庚辛為甲乙之官，生於春多，則庚辛胞絕，號為身衰官旺，其主爵祿增崇，或曰丙丁見壬癸，甲乙庚辛，皆為官鬼，人格，貴命從官論，不入格，俗命從鬼論。（壺中子）

The Heavenly Stems Jia and Yi belong to wood, while Geng and Xin belong to metal. Jia and Yi prefer Geng and Xin because Geng and Xin are their official stars. If someone is born in spring and there are many Jia and Yi, then Geng and Xin are in the state of fetal and absolute weakness, which is called a weak body and strong official star, indicating gradual increase in rank and salary. Some people say that when Bing and Ding meet Ren and Gui, or when Jia and Yi meet Geng and Xin, they can be considered either official stars or ghosts. If the person's destiny forms a good pattern, they are treated as official stars; if not, they are treated as ghosts. This view comes from the book "Hu Zhong Zi."

金傷木祿，丙丁先見無危；火傷於金，遇壬癸不能損貴。戊己愁逢甲乙，干頭須用庚辛；壬癸惡土以相傷，甲乙見之無畏。壬來克丙，惟怕戊以當頭，癸去傷丁，切忌己以相對。（陷迷賦）

When the metal harms the wood in the hour of the lucky stem, it does not pose a danger if the fire of Bing or Ding appears first, because fire can control metal; when fire harms metal, if there is water of Ren or Gui present, it will not affect its dignity. The stems Wu and Ji most fear being attacked by Jia and Yi, and at such times, the heavenly stems Geng and Xin must be used to control the wood. The stems Ren and Gui dislike being harmed by earth, but if Jia and Yi appear, they will have no fear. When Ren harms Bing, the greatest danger is when Wu earth is present to block it; when Gui harms Ding, the worst is when Ji earth is directly opposing. This statement comes from the "Zhi Mi Fu."