【阳宅十书——论大游年】

Overall Paraphrase

The Nine Stars in heaven correspond to the Nine Palaces on earth, governing human fortune and misfortune, responding as swiftly as an echo. However, there are only three auspicious stars and five inauspicious stars (though some say six inauspicious ones). If the auspicious stars are placed improperly, they can also turn into inauspicious signs. This shows how difficult it is to obtain blessings and how hard it is to avoid disasters. If one does not master this art and carefully construct one's residence, how can good fortune be attained? Therefore, the third chapter discusses the Great Wandering Year (Da You Nian).

The eight directions—Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui—each follow the sequential wandering of the Nine Stars, forming different combinations of auspiciousness and inauspiciousness. With Qian Palace as the hidden position (Fu Wei), the wandering year sequence is: Liu Sha, Tian Yi, Wu Gui, Huo Hai, Jue Ming, Yan Nian, Sheng Qi. With Kan Palace as the hidden position: Wu Gui, Tian Yi, Sheng Qi, Yan Nian, Jue Ming, Huo Hai, Liu Sha. With Gen Palace as the hidden position: Liu Sha, Jue Ming, Huo Hai, Sheng Qi, Yan Nian, Tian Yi, Wu Gui. With Zhen Palace as the hidden position: Yan Nian, Sheng Qi, Huo Hai, Jue Ming, Wu Gui, Tian Yi, Liu Sha. With Xun Palace as the hidden position: Tian Yi, Wu Gui, Liu Sha, Huo Hai, Sheng Qi, Jue Ming, Yan Nian. With Li Palace as the hidden position: Liu Sha, Wu Gui, Jue Ming, Yan Nian, Huo Hai, Sheng Qi, Tian Yi. With Kun Palace as the hidden position: Tian Yi, Yan Nian, Jue Ming, Sheng Qi, Huo Hai, Wu Gui, Liu Sha. With Dui Palace as the hidden position: Sheng Qi, Huo Hai, Yan Nian, Jue Ming, Liu Sha, Wu Gui, Tian Yi.

The three auspicious stars are: Sheng Qi (Vital Energy), which is Tan Lang (Greedy Wolf) Star, of the Wood element; Yan Nian (Extended Years), which is Wu Qu (Martial Melody) Star, of the Metal element; Tian Yi (Heavenly Helper), which is Ju Men (Giant Gate) Star, of the Earth element.

The five inauspicious stars are: Huo Hai (Calamity and Harm), which is Lu Cun (Salary Preservation) Star, of the Earth element; Liu Sha (Six Killings), which is Wen Qu (Literary Melody) Star, of the Water element; Wu Gui (Five Ghosts), which is Lian Zhen (Chaste Purity) Star, of the Fire element; Jue Ming (Severed Fate), which is Po Jun (Broken Army) Star, of the Metal element; Fu Bi (Assistant and Supporter), which is the repeated room of the hidden position, of the Wood element.

The years of manifestation for each star's rise and fall are: Sheng Qi and Fu Bi manifest in the years of Hai, Mao, and Wei; Yan Nian and Jue Ming manifest in the years of Si, You, and Chou; Tian Yi and Lu Cun, the four Earth palaces, manifest in the years of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei; Wu Gui's inauspicious years are in the years of Yin, Wu, and Xu; Liu Sha manifests in the years of Shen, Zi, and Chen.

Explanation of the Twelve Residence Diagrams of the Great Wandering Year: For every residence, the Great Wandering Year method is used to determine auspiciousness and inauspiciousness based on the eight surrounding directions. For example, if the door is opened in the Qian direction, the Kan direction is the Liu Sha inauspicious star. Although the position is appropriate, the building should not be too tall. The Gen direction holds the Tian Yi auspicious star. If there is a tall building there, the star is properly positioned, and it also supports the Qian door, indicating great fortune. The Zhen direction holds the Wu Gui inauspicious star. Fire entering the Wood direction—the palace generates the star, which instead amplifies the inauspicious force; moreover, it overcomes the Qian door. Buildings should be low and small; if tall, it indicates great misfortune. The Xun direction holds the Huo Hai inauspicious star. This is the palace overcoming the star, so low and small buildings bring no harm. The Li direction holds the Po Jun inauspicious star. Metal entering the Fire palace—the palace also overcomes the star—so low and small buildings are harmless. The Kun direction holds the Yan Nian auspicious star. The palace generates the star, and the star generates the door. A tall building there makes this a greatly auspicious residence. The Dui direction holds the Sheng Qi auspicious star. Although the star is auspicious, the palace overcomes it, and the door also overcomes it. Buildings should be of medium size only, indicating good fortune. People whose fate aligns with the West Four Directions (Xi Si Wei) should reside in the western building, slightly south or slightly north as appropriate. When entering a residence, follow the diagram for construction: auspicious star directions should be tall and large, inauspicious star directions should be low and small. Only then can wealth and honor endure, and descendants prosper.

Verse on the Fortune and Misfortune of the Nine Stars: Fu Wei and Tian Yi bring no calamity; Sheng Qi and Yan Nian manifest auspiciousness. Wu Gui Lian Zhen's inauspicious signs will surely appear, certainly bringing disaster and harm to the household. Liu Sha Wen Qu belongs to Ren Gui Water; the six livestock in the residence will suffer loss. Jue Ming will certainly harm the people; Huo Hai, when encountered, will surely be inauspicious. This is the verse for judging fortune and misfortune through the Nine Stars. Later scholars, read widely and examine carefully.

The Verse for Determining Residences with the Whip (Yao Bian Duan Zhai Jue) only determines the height of the Qi entrance and the residence directions; it does not discuss the sequential order of the hexagram lines. However, at the time of initial construction, one must not offend the inauspicious stars. The specific auspicious and inauspicious judgments for various directional combinations are as follows:

• Qian Metal overcoming Zhen Wood harms the eldest son; Fire appearing at the Heavenly Gate (Qian) harms the elder male—Qian Metal overcomes Zhen Wood, harming the eldest son; Fire at the Qian position harms the elder.
• Wood coming to overcome Earth weakens the youngest son; Xun entering the Kun Palace separates the mother from the father—Wood overcoming Earth weakens the youngest son; Xun Wood entering Kun Earth causes the elderly mother to be separated.
• Dui overcoming Zhen and Xun causes the eldest son to die; Kun and Kan harm the middle son's life—Dui Metal overcomes Zhen and Xun Wood, causing the eldest son's death; Kun Earth overcomes Kan Water, ending the middle son's life.
• Li over Qian causes the elder master's destiny not to last long; Xun over Kun causes the elderly mother's longevity to wane—Li Fire overcomes Qian Metal, so the elder master will not endure; Xun Wood overcomes Kun Earth, so the elderly mother's lifespan is shortened.
• Kan and Gen: young children will have many illnesses; Li and Gen: women will stir up trouble in the household—Kan Water overcomes Gen Earth, so children suffer many ailments; Li Fire generates Gen Earth, yet women bring disruption at home.
• Gen and Zhen: miscarriage harms human life; Gen and Xun: wind ailments will cut life short—Gen Earth and Zhen Wood in conflict cause miscarriage and loss of life; Gen Earth and Xun Wood in opposition cause wind ailments and premature death.
• Li and Dui: fire and metal's bright light harms young daughters; consumptive coughs and ailments come repeatedly and heavily—Li Fire overcomes Dui Metal, harming young daughters; consumptive coughs bring severe and repeated illness.

The following elaborates further with specific judgments for each star in each palace:

• Tan Lang must not enter the Qian or Dui palaces—the eldest son dies first, then the elder male—Tan Lang Wood should not enter the Qian or Dui Metal palaces, otherwise the eldest son dies first and the elder master is harmed; fields, silkworms, wealth, and treasures have no one to manage, and widows weep before the hall.
• Ju Men must not enter the Zhen or Xun palaces—first loss of family wealth, then harm to people—Ju Men Earth should not enter the Zhen or Xun Wood palaces; first family wealth is lost, then people are harmed; when Ju Men approaches the youngest son's position, Lu Cun being overcome harms women.
• Wen Qu entering the Kun or Gen palaces—it mainly harms women, and some may flee the clan—Wen Qu Water enters the Kun or Gen Earth palaces; it mainly harms women, and some may leave the clan; Gen overcomes Wen Qu, harming men; Kun overcomes Wen Qu, harming women.
• When Kan Palace is overcome, the middle son dies—when Kan Water palace is overcome by Earth, the middle son dies; when Earth arrives at the Water palace, one enters the Yellow Springs; even if both parents survive, grandchildren are extinguished, and widows suffer in their chambers.
• When Zhen Palace is overcome, Wu Qu and Po Jun harm—when Zhen Wood palace is overcome by Wu Qu and Po Jun Metal, the eldest son is harmed first, then perishes; generation after generation of sons lose their fathers first, and the widow's family wealth is surely left with no one.
• Wu Qu and Po Jun approaching Xun bring the elder daughter's death—when Wu Qu and Po Jun Metal approach the Xun Wood palace, the elder daughter dies first; a man without a wife guards an empty hall; generation after generation, sons lose their mothers first; with Yang flourishing and Yin declining, the wife dies.
• The Li palace most fears Wen Qu Water's aggression—the Li Fire palace most fears Wen Qu Water overcoming it; women first suffer consumptive childbirth ailments; fire and water contend, leaving no wealth or treasure; wealth scatters, wives are harmed, and people are lost.
• Gen Palace being overcome by Wood makes descendants scarce—when the Gen Earth palace is overcome by Wood, descendants become few; of five sons, two are endangered; swelling ailments and premature death never cease; descendants suffer in isolation and grief.
• When Qian Palace is overcome, Fire comes to invade—when the Qian Metal palace is overcome by Fire, the family head suffers consumptive ailments harming the elderly; before the elderly mother's hall, mourning garments are often worn; sons and grandsons lose their wives for years on end.
• Lian Zhen must not enter the Kan Water palace—Lian Zhen Fire should not enter the Kan Water palace; it causes people to drown in wells, throw themselves into rivers, and flee to distant lands; the eldest son goes mad, encounters robbers and dangers; soldiers and troops suffer bitter deaths and fall into the hands of others.
• When the Kun palace encounters Wood for the elderly mother—when the Kun Earth palace encounters Wood overcoming it, swelling ailments, abdominal distension, muteness, and deafness result; generation after generation of descendants lose their mothers first; wives are harmed, women suffer consumptive childbirth ailments—a grave misfortune.
• Dui, the youngest daughter, fears Lian Zhen—the Dui Metal palace fears Lian Zhen Fire overcoming it; consumptive childbirth harms women first; wheezing daughters, coughing, and many consumptive ailments; fire and metal overcome each other without mercy.
• Fu and Bi Wood coming to Qian and Dui—when Fu and Bi Wood enters the Qian and Dui Metal palaces, the population faces extinction and family wealth declines; the central palace's Wood position is the most perilous; the elderly mother must also manage the household.

Five Ghosts Controlling the Lines (Wu Gui Zhi Yao) discusses the auspicious and inauspicious outcomes when the Five Ghosts star enters each line position:

When Five Ghosts enters the Wood line, gossip, thievery, and pressure draw near; people in the household become cunning and unruly; wives, wealth, the old, and the young are restless; minor disputes continually arise among the younger generation; the household is certain to encounter calamity.

When Five Ghosts enters the Fire line, being the original palace, the ghost star enters the residence in harmony; fields, houses, wealth, and treasures have no one to manage; Yin flourishes while Yang declines, and a woman takes charge of the door; the six livestock suffer from skin ailments and wealth does not prosper; widowed persons always reside in the house.

When Five Ghosts enters the Metal line, the household is not at peace; official disasters and losses among the six livestock occur; the youngest daughter and women face calamity; fire and thieves come ceaselessly; evil spirits enter the residence, and before long the household is in an uproar.

When Five Ghosts enters the Water line, young people die prematurely; fire and water contend, causing disturbance and commotion; loss of wealth and fires occur year after year; the six livestock die fallen in their pens; the population is in turmoil in every season; fields, houses, gossip, and official disasters follow in succession.

When Five Ghosts enters the Earth line, the star overcoming Earth brings no peace; cats and dogs run away; the young and the elderly mother constantly fall ill; paralysis and ghost-induced ailments afflict them; the household will certainly produce paralyzed persons.

Kun, Li, Xun, and Dui are all pure Yin trigrams; on the widowed woman's residence, disturbances arise in full force; when Yin overcomes Yang, calamity arrives; when Yang flourishes and Yin declines, women become empty; the six livestock do not thrive, fields and silkworms are seen in decline, and night dreams are inverted and futile; when Yin is hidden and Yang declines, choking and obstruction ailments occur; the entire population, old and young, encounters hardship; generation after generation of descendants overcome and harm their fathers; widows suffer in their chambers; relatives fight over the fields and land; the women are wronged and tears flow unceasingly; the family head fears consumption and coughing, and before long, they see the King of Hell.

Qian, Kan, Gen, and Zhen are pure Yang palaces; good fortune comes first, then misfortune in the residence; when Yang flourishes and Yin declines, miscarriage ailments occur; every young person withers like an empty woman; the six livestock frequently cry out in the residence; fields, silkworms, wealth, and treasures cannot prosper; after three years or nine, poverty still persists; when Yin is hidden and Yang returns, choking and obstruction ailments arise; the entire population, old and young, encounters hardship; the elder master is not seen at the residence, and Yin people gather again within the household.

Five Ghosts Nodding Head (Wu Gui Dian Tou) discusses the manifestations of the Five Ghosts star in various situations:

One Ghost meeting Metal kills descendants; oxen and sheep are certainly lost, and fire disasters arise; meeting Yang harms Yang and Yang does not prosper; meeting Yin harms Yin and Yin does not flourish; year after year, fields and silkworms are not auspicious; every year, the six livestock suffer harm and misfortune.

Two Ghosts meeting Water brings many illnesses; the household is disobedient and disharmonious; year after year, suffering and hardship persist; before long, one sees the King of Hell.

Three Ghosts, stagnant and injurious, winds visit the Earth realm; women in the household exclusively hold power; descendants are disharmonious and grow cunning; in the end, it leads to ruin and decline with unspeakable hardship.

Metal arrives at the Fire palace, both contending with scorching; demons and evil spirits will certainly entangle the residence; the elder master leaves the mother, causing reckless affairs; people and wealth scatter in bitter suffering.

When internal overcomes external, thieves do not come; when external overcomes internal, harm to the master is greater. Metal and Wood cause violent death, illness, and madness; Water and Fire intersect, boiling every year. Wood and Earth certainly add injury to spleen and stomach; Fire and Metal bring bed-wenching calamities that entangle. Mutual generation brings wealth, honor, and mutual flourishing; mutual overcoming brings ruin, disaster, and painful affliction.

Five Ghosts Piercing the Palaces (Wu Gui Chuan Gong) discusses Lian Zhen Five Ghosts star entering each palace:

Lian Zhen entering Qian or Dui—the young are certain to suffer calamity and harm; heavy losses number five people; the household is not peaceful or secure.

Lian Zhen entering the Water realm (Kan Palace)—the second son suffers disaster and calamity; the eldest son and young ones die; repeated illnesses bring much harm.

Lian Zhen between Zhen and Gen—thieves come every year; wealth in the household scatters and is lost; every year brings suffering and torment.

Lian Zhen arriving at its own palace (Li)—every year the second branch flourishes; the eldest son wields authority; the entire family enjoys wealth and honor.

Lian Zhen entering Xun or Kun—the six livestock suffer injury and Pain; in the southwest, five people are lost; in the northeast, two people are harmed.

Po Jun's Inauspicious Killings (Po Jun Xiong Sha) discusses the Po Jun star entering each palace:

Po Jun must not be seen in the Metal palace; even in harmony, it brings no glory; descendants suffer many illnesses without peace or wellness; when the lineage fails, the family also topples.

Po Jun meeting Water makes Yin people flourish; every year silkworm harvests do not materialize; generation after generation, many descendants die; every year brings torment and certain calamity.

Po Jun meeting Wood kills the eldest son; afterward, ruin, decline, and destruction of family reputation follow; divisiveness and disobedience abandon the family estate; continuous illness prevents peace and wellness.

Po Jun meeting Fire kills the second daughter; a man without a wife sits in an empty hall; generation after generation of men suffer fire first; every year the household encounters calamity.

Nine Stars Determining the Residence (Jiu Xing Duan Zhai) respectively determines the specific manifestations of each star in the residence:

• Liu Sha: Yin people die; dogs run off and fire burns the village; official disputes and livestock losses; Yin people do not long endure; mutual generation brings thieves and fire; violating mutual overcoming is also inauspicious.
• Tian Yi: is the star of blessing; building a residence brings three sons; mutual overcoming kills two sons; land is acquired in three parcels; good people have it in their homes, reciting Buddha's name and reading scriptures; a flower snake entering the residence is auspicious; all affairs bring satisfaction.
• Wu Gui: chaotic fires and thieves; Yin people suffer minimal harm; the young in the household—five people meet death; thieves and fire harm five times; hidden fires darken three scenes; a red snake called the head leader—seeing it in the household is inauspicious.
• Huo Hai: Yin people die; three people are seen to die; wind ailments, baldness, and blindness; strange dreams frighten the household; brothers are often discordant; insects and snakes enter the residence; mutual generation brings fewer misfortunes; mutual overcoming certainly brings misfortune.
• Jue Ming: gives birth to inauspicious stars; the eldest branch faces calamity and hardship; five visible and six hidden thieves, three fires, nine people harmed; red flowers, snakes, and insects appear; the household is not peaceful or tranquil.
• Yan Nian: called Wu Qu; the youngest branch accumulates great wealth; a white snake entering the residence, with many hedgehogs, is very auspicious; childbirth will certainly produce males; encountering mutual overcoming brings restraint; the family gradually prospers, though the young experience many ailments and misfortunes.
• Sheng Qi: Tan Lang star; five sons are in the residence; the household has many people; a green snake enters the residence; all affairs are greatly auspicious; wealth grows and gradually prospers; mutual generation brings much satisfaction; mutual overcoming brings moderate outcomes.

The Nine Stars' Clear Judgment Verse (Jiu Xing Ming Duan Jue) elaborates on the characteristics of each star in poetic form:

• Tan Lang: noble and pure in demeanor, honored and wealthy, widely acquiring fields and estates; a worthy wife and filial sons, with surplus grain; descendants are intelligent and handsome; sons and grandsons achieve the top rank in examinations—the title of Zhuang Yuan—generation after generation of officials and ministers.
• Ju Men: beautiful and upright in appearance, a worthy wife, honest, and skilled in writing; fields and silkworms multiply ten-thousand-fold with surplus grain; civil officials, skilled craftsmen and artisans; also produces eminent monks and revered Daoists; oxen, sheep, mules, and horses form long lines; in due course, their names are announced on the golden list, rising to the rank of minister and prime minister.
• Lu Cun: mute, hoarse, mad, and foolish; bald, blind, and disabled; family members scatter east and west; family property and wealth cannot accumulate; suffering punishment, hanging themselves, leaving their ancestors; swelling ailments and waist and leg diseases hard to cure; residing alone, keeping widowhood, suffering in isolation and danger; the youngest branch gradually flees away.
• Wen Qu: fleeing, moving, disease and chaos; troubles mixed with drowning; fields and silkworms scattered and ruined, roots and sprouts severed; inevitably, wives become widows; suffering punishment, hanging themselves, leaving their ancestors; wealth scattered like wind-blown sand; calamity arises among the young, without glory; year by year gradually dwindles away.
• Lian Zhen: produces thieves and mad people; the eldest branch commits violence outside; joining the army ceaselessly, then relocated as civilians; women leave their hometown to marry afar; vomiting blood, epidemics, and plagues; fields and houses shattered and gone without a trace; gambling and drinking, neglecting oneself; year after year gradually flees and runs.
• Wu Qu: descendants greatly flourish; generation after generation skilled in writing and intelligent; a worthy wife and filial sons who honor both parents; every man and woman is proper and upright; the youngest branch thrives to old age; official rank gradually rises higher and higher.
• Po Jun: premature death and bitter demise; fields and houses end up with others; the eldest and youngest branches suffer poverty and hunger; scabies, ringworm, ulcers, and disability; soldiers, bandits, and thieves without cease; then relocated elsewhere as commoners; adopted sons and sons-in-law visit the graves; drowning in wells, throwing themselves into rivers, hanging, or by the blade.
• Fu Bi: the two stars cause chaos; Yin people and widows manage the household; moreover, a life of thievery is established; witches and sorcerers practice heretical arts; ancestral fields and estates cannot be preserved; fathers go south, sons go north, leaving home; relocating to other regions, chaotic as tangled hemp; fortune and misfortune, Yin and Yang, are shaped by cosmic transformation.

The Five Elements Generation and Overcoming Verse (Wu Xing Sheng Ke Jue) analyzes in detail the auspicious and inauspicious relationships of each star's element entering each palace:

Metal Entering the Wood Palaces (Metal entering Zhen and Xun)

Metal is the star; Zhen and Xun are the palaces. Metal above, Wood below—this is the star overcoming the palace, with the palace body suffering slight restraint. Metal entering the Zhen palace harms the eldest son; metal entering the Xun palace harms the eldest daughter. Metal and Wood in battle indicate violent death, producing madness and insanity, bone and sinew pain, waist and leg ulcers. Metal overcoming Zhen brings much wheezing and consumption, with men dying violent deaths. Metal overcoming Xun brings coughing and women's eye ailments. This applies to both Wu Qu and Po Jun alike.

Metal Entering the Water Palace (Metal entering Kan)

Metal is the star; Kan is the palace. Metal above, Water below—this is the star generating the palace. Metal generating Water indicates prosperity and flourishing, with the population safe and fortune and emolument increasing. Wealth and assets grow abundantly, the six livestock thrive, and descendants multiply. This refers to Wu Qu. If it is Po Jun, misfortune outweighs good fortune.

Metal Entering the Fire Palace (Metal entering Li)

Metal is the star; Fire is the palace. Metal above, Fire below—this is the palace overcoming the star, bringing calamity with even greater severity. The root body suffers restraint; wealth is quickly lost, the family estate empties, and descendants are severed and ruined. Qian Metal and Wu Qu both harm Yang; Dui Metal and Po Jun both harm Yin. It produces chronic ailments, coughing, wheezing, and chest congestion; women suffer consumptive childbirth and uterine bleeding. This is because Fire can smelt Metal—the household is not at ease, and the people suffer many illnesses.

Metal Entering the Earth Palaces (Metal entering Kun and Gen)

Metal is the star; Earth is the palace. Metal above, Earth below—this is the palace generating the star. Earth generating Metal makes the family estate prosper; both people and wealth flourish eternally. Sons are born—four of them—with descendants flourishing, and later generations prosper for a thousand springs. But although Earth generates Metal, entering the Yin Earth, it must eventually be buried and covered, losing its vitality.

Metal Entering the Metal Palaces (Metal entering Qian and Dui)

Wu Qu and Po Jun are the stars; Qian and Dui are the palaces. Wu Qu entering the Qian and Dui palaces signifies equal status—wealth and assets grow abundantly, the six livestock multiply, and the population is safe. Wu Qu entering both Qian and Dui indicates Yang entering the Yin palaces, producing many sons. Po Jun entering Qian and Dui mainly brings inauspicious events: wealth and silk are dispersed, the six livestock suffer injury, fields and silkworms are wasted, the lineage is severed and the clan toppled, descendants perish, widows manage the household, and women are afflicted with many ailments. Double Yin entering Yin brings grieving wails—one man widowed, women isolated, descendants vanish without a trace.

Wood Entering the Metal Palaces (Wood entering Qian and Dui)

Qian and Dui are the palaces; Tan Lang Wood is the star. Wood entering Qian and Dui—Wood above and Metal below—is the palace overcoming the star, with the root body suffering restraint. Wood entering the Qian palace harms Yang; wood entering the Dui palace harms Yin. Although Tan Lang is auspicious, it is not auspicious here; it should not enter Qian and Dui. Good fortune comes first, then misfortune; mutual overcoming is called "moderate in peace." After thirty years, people and wealth fade and disperse. Men and women alike develop abscesses and stagnation, throat ailments and pain, chest and heart congestion. Some hang themselves, some vomit blood; widows rise to prominence. Bone and sinew pain, waist and foot calamities, Wood overcoming Metal brings emaciation, consumption, jaundice, and swelling ailments.

Wood Entering the Wood Palaces (Wood entering Zhen and Xun)

Zhen and Xun are the palaces; Tan Lang is the star. Wood entering the Wood palaces—this is Tan Lang in its own element. The family prospers, acquiring fields and estates widely; descendants multiply, the family path flourishes; the population is safe, and all affairs proceed smoothly.

Wood Entering the Water Palace (Wood entering Kan)

Kan is the palace, and Tan Lang is the star. When Tan Lang enters the Kan palace, wood is above and water below—this is the palace generating the star. Wood nurtured by water, its roots and trunk flourish, bringing forth five sons, great wealth, thriving livestock, doubled harvests of fields and silkworms, granaries overflowing with grain, and everlasting good fortune. Tan Lang, the single wood, is a star of blessing; meeting Kan water, it must prosper. Livestock and wealth grow abundantly, and descendants flourish in endless succession.

Wood Entering the Fire Palace (Wood Entering Li)

Li is the palace, and wood is the star. Wood entering the Li palace means wood is above and fire below—this is the star generating the palace. Fields and silkworms flourish, people are safe and sound, wealth abounds, and livestock fill the pens. Though wood generates fire, there is fear that fire may grow too strong. For when wood is above and fire below, the wood's roots will surely be burned away, cutting off posterity—this indeed must not go unheeded.

Wood Entering the Earth Palace (Wood Entering Kun, Gen)

Kun and Gen are the palace, and Tan Lang is the star. When Tan Lang enters the Kun or Gen palace, wood is above and earth below—this is the star overcoming the palace, and the palace body suffers mild restraint. The family's wealth gradually diminishes. Earth overcome by wood harms the spleen and stomach, bringing choking and blockage ailments; people grow thin and sallow-faced, livestock do not thrive, and fields and silkworms yield no harvest. It also brings scabies and skin ailments.

Water Entering the Metal Palace (Water Entering Qian, Dui)

Qian and Dui are the palace, and Wen Qu is the star. When Wen Qu enters the Qian or Dui palace, water is above and metal below—this is the palace generating the star, and Liu Sha takes charge. Though Liu Sha is inauspicious, the palace generates it. Wealth and livestock prosper at first but ultimately fail and scatter. Women take charge, causing disorder and wayward deeds. Lawsuits and disputes arise, followed by yin-type ailments. Women frequently fall ill.

Water Entering the Wood Palace (Water Entering Zhen, Xun)

Zhen and Xun are the palace, and Wen Qu is the star. When Wen Qu enters the Zhen or Xun palace, water is above and wood below—this is the star generating the palace. Though Liu Sha is inauspicious, the auspicious star follows in accord; livestock also thrive, wealth rises, people are at peace, and fields and silkworms prosper. But inevitably, widows later come to head the household.

Water Entering the Water Palace (Water Entering Kan)

Kan is the palace, and Wen Qu is the star. When Wen Qu enters the Kan palace, it is water entering the water palace. Ren and Gui are overly heavy; the family enterprise drifts to ruin, men die young, descendants are few, water-swelling diseases arise, bellies and intestines swell, faces turn sallow, descendants wander adrift, livestock die inverted, and fields and dwellings are wasted away.

Water Entering the Fire Palace (Water Entering Li)

Li is the palace, and Wen Qu is the star. When Wen Qu enters the Li palace, water is above and fire below—this is the star overcoming the palace, known as water and fire attacking each other. Lawsuits and disputes arise, evil spirits bring calamity; thieves and fires strike, livestock die inverted; the family estate empties, and people suffer disasters; first the middle son and middle daughter are harmed, then the young children and the aged mother; eyes grow dim as fire suffers water's overcoming, consumption and kidney ailments harm the body. Water coming to overcome fire mostly brings kidney-cold conditions. Because fire is overcome by water, fire connects to heart pain and bloody discharges; sores are controlled by water, bringing wounds that spit blood; the throat grows hoarse and mute, wives are lost and sons harmed.

Water Entering the Earth Palace (Water Entering Kun, Gen)

Kun and Gen are the palace, and Wen Qu is the star. When Wen Qu enters the Kun or Gen palace, water is above and earth below—this is the palace overcoming the star. The roots and trunk suffer restraint, livestock die inverted, wealth does not prosper, fields and silkworms yield no harvest, lawsuits and thieves arise, people scatter and wealth disperses, and a hundred disasters spring up together. Earth overcomes water, bringing wind-crazy calamities; the complexion withers yellow, with wasting, consumption, and swollen-belly afflictions, or choking illness and water-swelling disasters; people flee and abandon their homes. Entering the Kun palace, it chiefly harms women; entering the Gen palace, it chiefly harms men. Water entering Kun, from yin into yin, brings ceaseless weeping. Water entering Gen, from yin into yang, brings hasty weeping. The family enterprise fails, and sons flee.

Fire Entering the Metal Palace (Fire Entering Qian, Dui)

Qian and Dui are the metal palace, and Lian Zhen is the fire star. When Lian Zhen enters the metal palace, fire is above and metal below—this is the star overcoming the palace. Entering the Dui palace, it first harms the youngest daughter. Wu Gui is fierce in power, bringing heart pain, coughing, blood spitting, and lung-consumption ailments. The face turns yellow and dry, and death comes through consumption after childbirth. Entering the Qian palace, it chiefly harms the head of the household. Lawsuits and imprisonment strike, with bloodshed and untimely death. Metal harmed by fire brings disputes and quarrels. Fire and metal overcoming each other brings no ease.

Fire Entering the Wood Palace (Fire Entering Zhen, Xun)

Zhen and Xun are the wood palace. When Lian Zhen enters Zhen or Xun, fire is above and wood below—this is the palace generating the star. But Lian Zhen's power is great; though wood generates fire, no auspiciousness appears—instead, disaster is drawn near. It brings decline and scattering of fields and dwellings, thieves arriving one after another; unfilial and violent fellows, disorder above and below; wealth disperses, and old and young are unsettled. Wood can generate fire yet instead does not; the body slightly suffers restraint, and disasters come thick and fast. Lawsuits and disputes appear year after year, and in drink and violence, men are beaten to death.

Fire Entering the Water Palace (Fire Entering Kan)

Kan is the water palace. When fire enters the water palace, fire is above and water below—this is the palace overcoming the star. It is like a single flake of flying snow cast into a red furnace: the moment it touches, it melts, leaving nothing behind. Wealth scatters widely, the family enterprise breaks, and fire disasters depart only to return. People suffer calamities, and lawsuits pile up. Fire overcome by water brings eye ailments, heart pain, and blood vomiting, with difficult childbirth. The lower origin's cold water controls fire, bringing wasting, consumption, spitting of pus. First the middle and youngest sons die, then the head of the household. Water and fire battle, disasters spring up together, and widow after widow stirs in tumult.

Fire Entering the Fire Palace (Fire Entering Li)

Li is the fire palace. When Lian Zhen enters the Li palace, the flame blazes forth, and disaster is swift indeed. Livestock, fields, and silkworms do not thrive, and women and widows govern the household. Heart pain, blood vomiting, and fire burning the home arise; scabies and ulcerous sores are hard to cure. The middle daughter and women frequently fall ill, and the head of household suffers mixed consumptive ailments. This combines with the ghost star in charge of affairs: every person loses wealth and abandons home. In the years of Yin, Wu, and Xu, the roots and sprouts are cut off—this is the ghost star's doing.

Fire Entering the Earth Palace (Fire Entering Kun, Gen)

Kun and Gen are the earth palace. When Lian Zhen enters the Kun or Gen palace, fire is above and earth below—this is the star generating the palace. But fire is the Wu Gui inauspicious star, bringing more misfortune than fortune. When the fire star enters Kun, the aged mother dies first. When the fire star enters Gen, the youngest son departs the world. Paralysis clings to the body, sores and dysentery shift and spread. Fields and gardens recede and scatter, livestock flee and are lost. Servants run away and cannot be found, and the family enterprise declines.

Earth Entering the Metal Palace (Earth Entering Qian, Dui)

Qian and Dui are the metal palace. Ju Men and Lu Cun are earth stars. Entering the Qian or Dui palace, earth is above and metal below—this is the star generating the palace. But earth differs in kind: Lu Cun is yin earth. Though earth generates metal, Wu and Ji abound, and in the end it must bury and obscure. Fields and silkworms do not flourish, and wealth does not rise. When Huo Hai enters Dui, women die; when Huo Hai enters Qian, men perish. If it is the Ju Men star entering the Qian or Dui palace, wealth greatly prospers, livestock multiply abundantly, fields and silkworms flourish, and descendants are numerous and thriving.

Earth Entering the Wood Palace (Earth Entering Zhen, Xun)

Zhen and Xun are the wood palace. When the earth star enters the wood palace, earth is above and wood below—this is the palace overcoming the star. The roots and trunk suffer restraint, and disaster must be severe. When Lu Cun is overcome, women are harmed; when Ju Men is overcome, men are harmed. The family enterprise decays, and oxen and sheep die inverted. Fields and silkworms yield no harvest, and people suffer calamities. When Ju Men earth is overcome, swelling, consumption, choking ailments arise, with blindness, deafness, and sallow faces. Spleen earth is disordered, and stomach qi rushes to the heart. When Lu Cun is overcome, wind ailments make movement difficult, with deafness, baldness, and blindness.

Earth Entering the Water Palace (Earth Entering Kan)

Kan is the water palace. When earth enters the Kan palace, earth is above and water below—this is the star overcoming the palace. The star and palace are out of accord, and the body suffers mild restraint. The family enterprise drifts away, and descendants perish. Livestock die inverted, and fields and silkworms are wasted. Earth entering the water palace brings wind ailments with sallow faces; wasting, consumption, and swollen bellies are hard to bear. Speech fails, muteness and choking illnesses arise, water-swelling disease brings sallow swelling calamities. Foot and leg pain are hard to cure, and deafness and kidney harm are difficult to endure.

Earth Entering the Fire Palace (Earth Entering Li)

Li is the fire palace. When earth enters the fire palace, earth is above and fire below—this is the palace generating the star. The star and palace are in accord, bringing wealth and honor. Wealth greatly prospers, livestock flourish abundantly, fields and silkworms yield double harvests, and grain fills the granaries. Fire can generate earth, bringing blessings unbroken; oxen, sheep, and breeding livestock cover the hillsides. People are safe and always blessed, and later generations of sons and grandsons acquire ever more fields. This refers to Ju Men earth; if it is Lu Cun earth, there is more misfortune than fortune.

Earth Entering the Earth Palace (Earth Entering Kun, Gen)

Kun and Gen are the earth palace. When Ju Men and Lu Cun stars arrive at Kun or Gen, it is earth entering the earth palace. When Ju Men earth arrives at Gen, it harms the youngest son; at Kun, it harms the aged mother. When Lu Cun arrives at Kun or Gen, it harms women in both. Earth gives birth to all things and is called wealth, but when earth enters the earth palace, heavy earth buries. Wealth disperses and people fall ill; young sons and aged mothers meet disaster at once. Excess earth must bring choking, swelling, and bloating calamities; depleted earth inevitably brings crippling ailments.

Summary: Heaven has nine stars, and earth has nine palaces. When star and palace generate each other, wealth and honor prevail, and resources and descendants all flourish. When star and palace overcome each other, people suffer harm, wealth does not rise, and misfortune prevails.