Volume 8: Ten Essentials for Astrologers

Volume 8: Ten Essentials for Astrologers

Overall Paraphrased Translation

On Knowledge 🌱

Zhao Zhanru, the Imperial Censor of Chang'an, mentioned in the preface to his work Self-Evaluation of True Principles: Although astrology may seem like a niche field, it holds significant importance. In recent times, some practitioners, driven by the need to make a living, have failed to delve deeply into its principles, resulting in uneven academic standards. When scholarship is lacking, trust diminishes; when trust diminishes, excessive desires flourish, and fewer people remain content with their fate. This is a matter of deep concern for the noble-minded. Thus, the pursuit of knowledge lies in seeking the truth. To truly understand its principles, one must read extensively—not only books on astrology but also works from the classics, histories, philosophies, and literary collections that relate to astrology. This not only broadens one's knowledge but also benefits the mind and character. When applied to practice, it allows one to clearly discern auspicious and inauspicious signs, making judgments and discussions refined. When applied to self-cultivation, it leads to measured behavior and naturally elevated character. Those who aspire to this path must first understand this.

Other sections cover constancy and change, speech, moral conduct, integrity, diligence, vigilance, livelihood, aiding the poor, and righteousness—ten sections in total. Only the "Knowledge" section is recorded here; the other nine are omitted.

A Collection of Astrological Facts 📜

Dongpo's Notes records: Han Yu (Tuizhi) wrote in his poem, "On the day of my birth, the moon resided in the Dipper." From this, it is known that Han Yu had Mo Xie (Capricorn) as his life palace, while Su Shi (the author) also had Mo Xie as his life palace. Throughout his life, he faced much slander and praise, likely due to shared circumstances.

Supplement to the Exploration of Astrological Origins 🔍

On Annual Auspicious and Inauspicious Stars and Monthly Fortunes ⚠️

An ancient verse says:
The Grand Duke (Tai Sui), Sword Blade, and Hidden Corpse are together;
The second is the Sun and Sky Void;
The third is the Bereavement Star and Earthly Bereavement;
The fourth is the Entanglement Star and Noose;
The fifth is the Official and Five Ghosts;
The sixth is the Death Symbol and Minor Loss;
The seventh is the Year Breaker and Major Loss;
The eighth is the Sudden Failure and Heavenly Misfortune;
The ninth is the Swift Liar and White Tiger;
The tenth is the Rolled Tongue and Lucky Star;
The eleventh is the Heavenly Dog and Mourning Guest;
The twelfth is the Illness Symbol, best avoided.

Based on the birth year's earthly branch, each line corresponds to one branch, arranged in order. For example, in the current year of Jia Zi, start with Zi for the Grand Duke, Sword Blade, and Hidden Corpse; Chou for the Sun and Sky Void; Yin for the Bereavement Star and Earthly Bereavement; and so on. Other years follow the same pattern.

Note: The ancient verse on annual auspicious and inauspicious stars consists of twelve lines corresponding to the twelve earthly branches, as recorded in works like Shenfeng Tongkao and Xingping Hui Hai. However, inauspicious stars account for nine-tenths of them, while auspicious stars make up only one-tenth, indicating their limited practicality. Nowadays, some stubbornly adhere to this theory, often claiming that if a person's life palace aligns with an auspicious star in a given year, they will have good fortune; if it aligns with an inauspicious star, they will face misfortune. They also claim that the minor limit starts from the birth month and moves counterclockwise through twelve positions, with auspicious stars bringing good fortune and inauspicious stars bringing misfortune. Abandoning the principles of the interaction of the Five Elements in favor of superficial rules inevitably leads to ineffective results and invites ridicule. Therefore, this section is not included under the category of auspicious and inauspicious stars, and the evaluation section only discusses the principles of palace limits and orientations, aiming to reform this vulgar practice. At the request of a friend, it is supplemented here.

Verse on the Similarities and Differences Between Ancient and Modern Place Names 🗺️

Pu Etian's Honey Brewing Collection states:
Ji corresponds to the direct north and Shanxi;
Qing and Yan belong to the eastern state of Qi;
Xu and Yang span the two Jiangs and Zhe;
Jing and Chu are the foundations of Hubei and Hunan;
Yu belongs to Henan and Luoyang;
Liang corresponds to Yunnan, Sichuan, and Shaanxi;
Fujian is added as the Eight Min;
The Hundred Yue are divided into Guangdong and Guangxi;
Guizhou is the Han's Zangge County;
Ancient and modern names often differ.

Note: The nine provinces discussed in Volume 4, "On the Taboos of the Nine Provinces," are Ji, Qing, Yan, Xu, Yang, Jing, Liang, Yong, and Yu, based on the Xia Dynasty system.

Table of Transformative Five Elements Interaction Terms 🔄

For those encountering a transformative fate, first transform the Day Master into the standard Five Elements. For example, if the Day Master is Jia and pairs with Ji, write Wu next to Jia, as Jia-Ji transforms into earth. Jia belongs to Yang, so it should be Yang earth, and Wu is the standard Five Elements' Yang earth. Then, transform the heavenly stems of the year, month, and hour in sequence to match Wu and determine the corresponding term. For instance, if Jia appears, it is Compare肩; if Yi appears, it is Hurting Officer, and so on. The same applies to the hidden elements in the branches. However, if the Day Master encounters Ji or Geng, it should still be treated as Ji or Geng. An example is provided below for clarity.

Example: A Military Official's Chart
Transform Compare肩 Jia Shen Transform Eating Killing印
Transform Rob Wealth Ji Si Transform Eating Wealth印
Day Master
Becomes Wu Jia Zi Transform印
Transform Rob Wealth Ji Si Transform Eating Wealth印
Major Cycles: 7-16 Geng Wu, 17-26 Xin Wei, 27-36 Ren Shen, 37-46 Gui You, 47-56 Jia Xu, 57-66 Yi Hai, 67-76 Bing Zi, 77-86 Ding Chou.

Embedded chart

某武员外造

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	比肩	正财	Self (M)	正财
Stem	甲	己	甲	己
Branch	申	巳	子	巳
Hidden Stems	庚杀壬枭戊才	丙食戊才庚杀	癸印	丙食戊才庚杀
Stage	绝	病	沐浴	病

Luck cycles

庚午辛未壬申癸酉甲戌乙亥丙子丁丑

Example: Mr. Wu's Chart
Transform印 Jia Xu Transform Hurting Wealth Killing
Transform Rob Wealth Yi Hai Transform Wealth印
Day Master
Becomes Geng Geng Wu Transform Wealth印
Transform Eating God Bing Zi Transform Officer
Major Cycles: 9-18 Bing Zi, 19-28 Ding Chou, 29-38 Wu Yin, 39-48 Ji Mao, 49-58 Geng Chen, 59-68 Xin Si, 69-78 Ren Wu, 79-88 Gui Wei.

Embedded chart

吴君造

Male chart

Pillars	Year	Month	Day	Hour
Ten Gods	偏财	正财	Self (M)	七杀
Stem	甲	乙	庚	丙
Branch	戌	亥	午	子
Hidden Stems	戊枭辛劫丁官	壬食甲才	丁官己印	癸伤
Stage	衰	病	沐浴	死

Luck cycles

丙子丁丑戊寅己卯庚辰辛巳壬午癸未

The above discussion only covers the terms of transformative interactions. As for the method of reading a fate, one should not rigidly adhere to avoiding officers and killings or favoring wealth and印. There are constants and variables, and the interactions and transformations are as endless as the standard Five Elements. Understanding this requires wisdom and insight.

Method for Calculating the Life Palace 🧮

To calculate the life palace, combine the number of the birth month (if after the solar term, use the next month's number) with the number of the birth hour (Yin 1, Mao 2, Chen 3... Chou 12). The sum of 14 is the base. If the sum of the month and hour is less than 14, add until it reaches 14, and the resulting number corresponds to a palace. If the sum exceeds 14, add until it reaches 26 as the base, and the resulting number corresponds to a palace. To calculate the minor limit, combine the number of the life palace with the number of the birth year, then subtract the number of the current year. The remainder corresponds to a limit. If the sum of the life palace and birth year is less than the current year's number, add 12. If the subtraction leaves a remainder, subtract 12 again. The final remainder corresponds to a limit.

🧠 In-Depth Understanding

Core Concepts 💡

• Knowledge as the Foundation: Astrology is not a superstitious triviality but a system requiring deep scholarly support. It emphasizes extensive reading and exploring principles to enhance academic standards and personal character.
• Critique of Superficial Rules: Opposes over-reliance on auspicious and inauspicious stars, advocating a return to the core logic of Five Elements interactions, reflecting rational thinking.
• Flexibility in Transformative Theory: The transformative Five Elements demonstrate the flexibility of astrology, requiring adaptation to constant and variable principles, avoiding rigid application of preferences and taboos.
• Practical Orientation: Knowledge should be applied to practice (making judgments for others) and self-cultivation (personal refinement), aiming for clarity in discerning auspicious and inauspicious signs and measured behavior.

Modern Interpretation 🌟

• Academic Rigor: In a modern context, astrology can be viewed as a form of traditional cultural psychology or a decision-making reference tool, but it must be approached with academic seriousness to avoid commercialization and trivialization.
• Information Filtering: Although theories like annual auspicious and inauspicious stars have long been流传, their empirical effectiveness is poor. Modern individuals should focus more on core logic such as Five Elements interactions and pattern analysis, similar to variable screening in data modeling.
• Application of Transformative Theory: Transformative theory resembles systems thinking in transformation. In modern terms, it can be analogized to "situational adaptation"—the same element (heavenly stem) functions differently in various environments (transformative states), emphasizing dynamic analysis.
• Life Palace Calculation: The method for calculating the life palace is a mathematical deduction. Modern applications could involve programming or serve as a reference for annual planning, but it must be integrated with the overall birth chart.

Practical Value ⚡

• Personal Development: Reading classics (not limited to astrology books) enhances cultural literacy and critical thinking, useful for self-reflection (e.g., the anecdotes of Su Shi and Han Yu remind us to face praise and slander calmly).
• Decision-Making Support: Astrological analysis should serve as a reference for life decisions, not an absolute guide. For example, annual analysis can提示 potential risk periods but must be combined with practical actions to mitigate them.
• Professional Ethics: For practitioners, the "Ten Essentials" such as moral conduct and integrity emphasize professional ethics, which modern consulting industries can learn from—using专业知识 to serve rather than mystify.
• Geographical Reference: The verse on ancient and modern place names aids historical research and regional cultural understanding, though modern geographical divisions have changed and must be considered in context.

Philosophical Reflections 🤔

• Fate and Free Will: Astrology reveals trends rather than determinism, encouraging "accepting fate" rather than "resigning to fate"—taking positive action based on an understanding of patterns, reflecting the Daoist wisdom of "knowing destiny and doing one's best."
• Holism and Partiality: Transformative theory and Five Elements interactions emphasize a systems perspective, akin to holistic thinking in modern ecology or management, avoiding one-sided judgments.
• Cultural Heritage and Innovation: Ancient wisdom requires critical inheritance, discarding superstition (e.g., over-reliance on auspicious and inauspicious stars) while preserving精华 (e.g., Five Elements philosophy), and integrating modern scientific rationality.

📚 Related Knowledge

• Related Concepts: Five Elements interactions, Ten Gods patterns, major and minor cycles, life palace and minor limits; I Ching divination can reference cases like Plum Blossom Divination.
• Further Reading: Sanming Tonghui on transformative theory, Ditiansui on constants and variables, Shenfeng Tongkao's critique of auspicious and inauspicious stars; classics like Analects and Records of the Grand Historian for chapters on fate perspectives.
• Modern Research: Contemporary scholars like Liang Xiangrun and Xu Lewu's modern interpretations of traditional astrology; psychological studies such as "self-fulfilling prophecy" and its connection to astrological belief.

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