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Chapter 9 of 34
Huang Jin Ce — Golden Strategies
Overall Paraphrased Translation
A person living in the world cannot abandon emotional sustenance simply because they have no heirs; how can a noble person manage a household by taking on all affairs alone? One must have capable assistants to be of immediate use; if one does not adopt an heir, how can the family lineage be continued? It is necessary to use divination to discern, in order to clarify the dominant factors. The operative line should not be in motion; if it moves, it becomes difficult to retain. The main image must not be harmed; if harmed, it may lead to an early demise. If the operative line is weak and enters the tomb, it is destined to be listless and unproductive. If it is strong and appears near the line of self, it will certainly be capable of taking on great responsibilities. If it moves and transforms into emptiness, it indicates a person who starts things but does not finish them. If the Tengshe (Coiled Snake) combines with the official ghost, it often signifies a cunning and unethical individual. When appearing near the Xuanwu (Black Tortoise) and transforming into a brother line, one must guard against theft by insiders. When encountering the Qinglong (Azure Dragon) and connecting with the virtue line, one can entrust them with managing finances.
If the operative line is excessively strong or encounters emptiness, it conversely indicates a lack of integrity and laziness. If the operative line generates and combines with the line of self, one will surely gain their assistance. If the main image restrains or clashes with the line of self, it will be difficult to win their loyalty. If the wife/wealth line transforms into the offspring line, they may bring children along when joining. If the line of self combines with the line of self, they will be entrusted for life. If harmed by moving or transforming lines, they will ultimately prove unsatisfactory in the future. If supported by the daily or monthly stems, they will surely meet expectations in time to come. Harmony is most valued between the line of self and the hexagram body; it is best for the brother and official ghost lines to remain still. If the brother and official ghost lines are repeatedly active, one must guard against future legal disputes. If a three-harmony combination is obstructed, know that the effort will ultimately be in vain.
If the brother and official ghost lines are in the intermediary lines, it indicates intermediaries are secretly causing trouble. If they reside in empty lines, it is merely the seller haggling over price. The appearance of two official lines and two parent lines in the hexagram indicates the matter involves two parties. When brother and official ghost lines are alternately moving and clashing, avoid having finances handled by a single person. If the line of response generates the line of self, the other party will actively seek me out. If the line of self generates the line of response, I must take the initiative to seek the other person. Harmony and combination make matters easy to succeed, but one most fears the day stem breaking this. Conflict makes matters difficult to succeed, yet it is favorable for moving lines to generate support. Movement of the brother line indicates deception and falsehood. A hexagram with chaotic movement indicates numerous changes and reversals. If the hexagram lacks a parent line, there is certainly no leading party to the contract. If both intermediary lines are empty, there is no reliable middleman. If the line of self receives generation from the intermediary lines, it is pleasing as it indicates the mediator's covert assistance. If the brother line receives generation and support, one must guard against the seller colluding in fraud. If the parent line transforms into a brother line, the contract is insubstantial and the matter is false. If a brother line holds the line of self, both people and wealth will ultimately scatter to nothing.
If the line of response is empty, my desire to close the deal will be futile effort. If the line of self moves, even if the other party wishes to cooperate, success is difficult. Movement of the brother line is due to insufficient wealth; movement of the official ghost line inevitably indicates lingering doubts. Repeated upheavals mean the situation is changeable and difficult to settle. An inconstant hexagram foretells a thousand changes and transformations. By deducing unseen images, one can naturally foresee future events.
This chapter analyzes matters of "adding members to the household" such as employing people, adoption, and transactions through hexagram imagery. It emphasizes the influence of the generative and restrictive relationships between host and guest, the strength and weakness of line positions, and movement and change on the success or failure of human affairs. The core lies in discerning the generation, combination, clash, and restriction between the "operative line" and the "line of self/response" to judge the reliability and development trends of human relationships.
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