Chapter 29: The Chapter on Advancing and Retreating Spirits

Chapter 29: The Chapter on Advancing and Retreating Spirits

Overall Paraphrase
This chapter delves into the patterns of lines transforming into advancing or retreating spirits: the movement of lines generates trends of evolution or regression, corresponding to auspicious or inauspicious outcomes with specific preferences—auspicious spirits should transform into advancing 🔥, while inauspicious spirits should transform into retreating 🌊. Advancing spirits symbolize growth like spring wood 🌱, with an unceasing flow; retreating spirits resemble withering autumn flowers 🍂, gradually losing vitality.

---

🧩 Structured Components

Embedded chart

Civil Exam Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正财	Self (M)	伤官
Stem	戊	癸	戊	辛
Branch	申	卯	申	酉
Hidden Stems	庚食壬才戊比	乙官	庚食壬才戊比	辛伤
Stage	病	沐浴	病	死

Luck cycles

甲辰乙巳丙午丁未戊申己酉庚戌辛亥

Embedded chart

Offspring Seeking Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正财	Self (M)	比肩
Stem	庚	乙	庚	庚
Branch	戌	酉	戌	辰
Hidden Stems	戊枭辛劫丁官	辛劫	戊枭辛劫丁官	戊枭乙财癸伤
Stage	衰	帝旺	衰	养

Luck cycles

丙戌丁亥戊子己丑庚寅辛卯壬辰癸巳

Embedded chart

Marriage Proposal Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	偏财	Self (M)	伤官
Stem	乙	己	乙	丙
Branch	丑	卯	丑	戌
Hidden Stems	己才癸枭辛杀	乙比	己才癸枭辛杀	戊财辛杀丁食
Stage	衰	建	衰	墓

Luck cycles

戊寅丁丑丙子乙亥甲戌癸酉壬申辛未

Embedded chart

Impeachment Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正印	Self (M)	伤官
Stem	甲	癸	甲	丁
Branch	辰	酉	辰	卯
Hidden Stems	戊才乙劫癸印	辛官	戊才乙劫癸印	乙劫
Stage	衰	胎	衰	帝旺

Luck cycles

甲戌乙亥丙子丁丑戊寅己卯庚辰辛巳

Embedded chart

Father Welcoming Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正财	Self (M)	食神
Stem	丙	辛	丙	戊
Branch	戌	丑	戌	戌
Hidden Stems	戊食辛财丁劫	己伤癸官辛财	戊食辛财丁劫	戊食辛财丁劫
Stage	墓	养	墓	墓

Luck cycles

壬寅癸卯甲辰乙巳丙午丁未戊申己酉

Embedded chart

Official Duty Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	伤官	Self (M)	劫财
Stem	癸	甲	癸	壬
Branch	巳	戌	巳	子
Hidden Stems	丙财戊官庚印	戊官辛枭丁才	丙财戊官庚印	癸比
Stage	胎	衰	胎	建

Luck cycles

癸酉壬申辛未庚午己巳戊辰丁卯丙寅

Embedded chart

Scholarly Fame Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	比肩	Self (M)	正财
Stem	丁	丁	丁	庚
Branch	卯	未	卯	戌
Hidden Stems	乙枭	己食丁比乙枭	乙枭	戊伤辛才丁比
Stage	病	冠带	病	养

Luck cycles

丙午乙巳甲辰癸卯壬寅辛丑庚子己亥

Embedded chart

Illness Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正官	Self (M)	正财
Stem	辛	丙	辛	甲
Branch	卯	申	卯	午
Hidden Stems	乙才	庚劫壬伤戊印	乙才	丁杀己枭
Stage	绝	帝旺	绝	病

Luck cycles

乙未甲午癸巳壬辰辛卯庚寅己丑戊子

Embedded chart

Wife's Illness Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	偏印	Self (M)	正财
Stem	癸	辛	癸	丙
Branch	卯	丑	卯	辰
Hidden Stems	乙食	己杀癸比辛枭	乙食	戊官乙食癸比
Stage	长生	冠带	长生	养

Luck cycles

庚子己亥戊戌丁酉丙申乙未甲午癸巳

Embedded chart

Chronic Illness Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	伤官	Self (M)	正财
Stem	癸	甲	癸	丙
Branch	未	戌	未	辰
Hidden Stems	己杀丁才乙食	戊官辛枭丁才	己杀丁才乙食	戊官乙食癸比
Stage	墓	衰	墓	养

Luck cycles

癸酉壬申辛未庚午己巳戊辰丁卯丙寅

Embedded chart

Metrorrhagia Case

Female chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正官	Self (F)	正印
Stem	己	甲	己	丙
Branch	卯	戌	卯	寅
Hidden Stems	乙杀	戊劫辛食丁枭	乙杀	甲官丙印戊劫
Stage	病	养	病	死

Luck cycles

乙亥丙子丁丑戊寅己卯庚辰辛巳壬午

Embedded chart

Acute Illness Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	偏财	Self (M)	劫财
Stem	癸	丁	癸	壬
Branch	酉	卯	酉	戌
Hidden Stems	辛枭	乙食	辛枭	戊官辛枭丁才
Stage	病	长生	病	衰

Luck cycles

丙寅乙丑甲子癸亥壬戌辛酉庚申己未

Embedded chart

Annual Fortune Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正官	Self (M)	正印
Stem	癸	戊	癸	庚
Branch	丑	辰	丑	申
Hidden Stems	己杀癸比辛枭	戊官乙食癸比	己杀癸比辛枭	庚印壬劫戊官
Stage	冠带	养	冠带	死

Luck cycles

丁卯丙寅乙丑甲子癸亥壬戌辛酉庚申

Embedded chart

Wife's Mother Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正官	Self (M)	正财
Stem	乙	庚	乙	戊
Branch	丑	辰	丑	子
Hidden Stems	己才癸枭辛杀	戊财乙比癸枭	己才癸枭辛杀	癸枭
Stage	衰	冠带	衰	病

Luck cycles

己卯戊寅丁丑丙子乙亥甲戌癸酉壬申

Embedded chart

Travel Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正官	Self (M)	正财
Stem	乙	庚	乙	戊
Branch	卯	申	卯	寅
Hidden Stems	乙比	庚官壬印戊财	乙比	甲劫丙伤戊财
Stage	建	胎	建	帝旺

Luck cycles

己未戊午丁巳丙辰乙卯甲寅癸丑壬子

Embedded chart

Brother's Return Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	劫财	Self (M)	正财
Stem	己	戊	己	壬
Branch	未	辰	未	戌
Hidden Stems	己比丁枭乙杀	戊劫乙杀癸才	己比丁枭乙杀	戊劫辛食丁枭
Stage	冠带	衰	冠带	养

Luck cycles

丁卯丙寅乙丑甲子癸亥壬戌辛酉庚申

Embedded chart

Child's Illness Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正官	Self (M)	伤官
Stem	乙	庚	乙	丙
Branch	未	辰	未	子
Hidden Stems	己才丁食乙比	戊财乙比癸枭	己才丁食乙比	癸枭
Stage	养	冠带	养	病

Luck cycles

己卯戊寅丁丑丙子乙亥甲戌癸酉壬申

Embedded chart

Promotion Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正财	Self (M)	比肩
Stem	丙	辛	丙	丙
Branch	寅	卯	寅	申
Hidden Stems	甲枭丙比戊食	乙印	甲枭丙比戊食	庚才壬杀戊食
Stage	长生	沐浴	长生	病

Luck cycles

壬辰癸巳甲午乙未丙申丁酉戊戌己亥

Embedded chart

Exam Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	偏财	Self (M)	伤官
Stem	乙	己	乙	丙
Branch	丑	巳	丑	寅
Hidden Stems	己才癸枭辛杀	丙伤戊财庚官	己才癸枭辛杀	甲劫丙伤戊财
Stage	衰	沐浴	衰	帝旺

Luck cycles

戊辰丁卯丙寅乙丑甲子癸亥壬戌辛酉

Embedded chart

Mother's Visit Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	偏财	Self (M)	伤官
Stem	丁	辛	丁	戊
Branch	丑	未	丑	子
Hidden Stems	己食癸杀辛才	己食丁比乙枭	己食癸杀辛才	癸杀
Stage	墓	冠带	墓	绝

Luck cycles

庚午己巳戊辰丁卯丙寅乙丑甲子癸亥

Embedded chart

Shop Opening Case

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	偏财	Self (M)	正印
Stem	辛	乙	辛	戊
Branch	丑	未	丑	戌
Hidden Stems	己枭癸食辛比	己枭丁杀乙才	己枭癸食辛比	戊印辛比丁杀
Stage	养	衰	养	冠带

Luck cycles

甲午癸巳壬辰辛卯庚寅己丑戊子丁亥

---

🧠 In-Depth Understanding

Core Concepts 💡

• Advancing Spirits: Hai → Zi, Yin → Mao, Si → Wu, Shen → You, Chou → Chen, Chen → Wei, Wei → Xu, representing rising energy and continuous development.
• Retreating Spirits: Zi → Hai, Mao → Yin, Wu → Si, You → Shen, Chen → Chou, Wei → Chen, Xu → Wei, symbolizing decline and contraction.
• Dynamic Auspiciousness/Inauspiciousness: Auspicious spirits transforming into advancing increase blessings; inauspicious spirits transforming into retreating reduce disasters—conversely, risks intensify.

Modern Interpretation 🌟

• Energy Flow Metaphor: Advancing spirits are like career promotions 📈 or project progress; retreating spirits resemble resource reduction 📉 or relational distancing.
• Time Dimension: Short-term events depend on current line strength; long-term trends require combining with the timing of "filling the void" (empty or broken lines being replenished).
• Breaking Dogma: Traditional claims like "moving lines under the sun/moon transforming into empty/broken lines neither advance nor retreat" are flawed—flexible judgment based on specific hexagrams is essential.

Practical Value ⚡

• Decision-Making Reference:
  • Career/Job Seeking: Official lines transforming into advancing 🔄 suggest active pursuit; retreating advises caution.
  • Health: Offspring lines transforming into advancing 🌿 indicate recovery; retreating warns of relapse.
  • Investment: Wealth lines transforming into advancing 💰 favor long-term holding; retreating suggests stopping losses.
• Timing Judgment: Empty or broken lines require awaiting "filling the void" (earthly branches encountering values or clashes) for fulfillment.

Philosophical Reflection 🤔

• The Way of Advance and Retreat: Advancement is not perpetual, nor retreat eternal—dynamic evaluation based on temporal and spatial conditions is needed.
• Rejecting Absolutes: Ancient texts' assertions of "definitely not advancing/retreating" are contradicted by cases, reflecting the "change" essence of Yi studies.

---

📚 Related Knowledge

• Associated Concepts:
  • Hidden Movement/Daily Clash | Xun Kong/Monthly Break | Turning to Generate or Overcome
  • Waxing, Waning, Resting, Imprisoned, and their relationship with seasonal energy (e.g., wood flourishes in spring, metal strengthens in autumn).
• Further Reading: Divination Authenticity · Chapter on Movement and Transformation Generating and Overcoming, Yi Mao · Discussion on Advancing and Retreating Spirits
• Modern Research:
  • Liu Dajun's Introduction to the Zhouyi on line movement patterns.
  • Wang Bi's "movement and transformation responding to opportunity"思想 combined with contemporary decision-making psychology.

---

⚖️ Four Methods for Advancing Spirits (Summarized by Wild Crane)

1. Advance by Momentum: Both moving and transforming lines are strong (e.g., wood lines transforming into fire in a spring reading).
2. Advance by Awaiting Timing: Both moving and transforming lines are weak, awaiting strong days for fulfillment.
3. Advance by Borrowing Strength: One moving and one weak line, awaiting the weak line's strengthening day to progress.
4. Advance by Filling the Void: Moving and transforming lines encounter emptiness or breaks, exerting force upon exiting emptiness or breaks.

⬅️ Four Methods for Retreating Spirits

1. No Retreat Despite Timing: Moving and transforming lines are strong or supported, not retreating in the near term.
2. Retreat Timely: Both moving and transforming lines are weak, retreating rapidly.
3. Retreat at Extreme Weakness: One moving and one strong line, retreating only when the strong line weakens.
4. Retreat After Emptiness/Break: Moving and transforming lines encounter emptiness or breaks, retreating upon filling the void.

---

🎯 Application Suggestions for Modern Scenarios

• Career Divination: Official lines transforming into advancing suggest market expansion; retreating advises business contraction.
• Health Divination: Offspring lines transforming into advancing, combined with modern healthcare, indicate recovery; retreating necessitates enhanced prevention.
• Investment Divination: Wealth lines transforming into advancing favor long-term holding; retreating calls for stopping losses and recouping funds.
• Key Principles:
  • Recent events emphasize current line strength (e.g., support from monthly and daily stems).
  • Distant events observe the development trend of transforming lines and the timing of filling the void.