Learning BaZi from Scratch (44): External Patterns — Six Yin Meeting the Sun, Six Yi Rat Nobility, Day Master Lux Returning to Hour
Overall Interpretation
The three external patterns discussed in this chapter all originate from the Xiji Pian (Chapter on Preferences and Taboos), representing relatively refined derivational pathways within Zi Ping's external patterns. Their common characteristic is: they do not rely on the Month Commander to establish the pattern, but instead, through specific Hour Pillar stem-branch combinations, indirectly trigger the Officer Star, Luxus God, or noble energy, thereby constituting an enhancement mechanism for the pattern.
Six Yin Meeting the Sun 🌅
The Xiji Pian states: "For the six Xin days encountering Wu Zi hour, avoid the Wu position; favorable Luck lies in the West."
Six Yin Meeting the Sun refers to the six Xin days (Xin Chou, Xin Mao, Xin Si, Xin Wei, Xin You, Xin Hai) born at the Wu Zi hour. The term "Meeting the Sun" takes Xin metal as yin metal, which, upon receiving the Wu Zi hour, is likened to the sun just rising at dawn—yin exhausted and yang returning.
The establishment pathway of this pattern is quite intricate and circuitous:
- On a Xin day with the Wu Zi hour, Wu earth serves as Xin metal's Direct Resource, seated upon Zi water;
- Wu earth's Lux is at Si, and Wu earth generates Xin metal—this constitutes "Resource Seal protecting the body";
- Si contains Bing fire, which can generate Wu earth, forming a layered generational sequence;
- The key point: Bing and Xin combine, and Xin metal "obtains the Officer" through its combination with Bing fire—Bing fire being Xin metal's Direct Officer.
In other words, the Xin metal Day Master, through the medium of the Wu Zi hour, indirectly acquires the power of the Bing fire Direct Officer hidden within Si. This is a classic remote-combination obtaining Officer structure—not relying on a manifest Officer Star, but achieving it through hidden combination and remote Lux mechanisms.
Pattern Taboos:
- 🔴 Avoid seeing Wu fire: Wu clashes with Zi, breaking Zi water; Wu earth's foundation is shaken, and the entire "remote Si" chain is severed;
- 🔴 Avoid seeing Chou earth: Chou combines with Zi, binding Zi water, preventing it from fulfilling its role of "triggering the Si Lux";
- 🟢 Favorable Luck in the West: The West is where metal thrives; when Xin metal gains ground, the pattern stabilizes and the Officer combination becomes more powerful.
Six Yi Rat Nobility 🐭
The Xiji Pian states: "Yin wood alone encountering the Zi hour constitutes the place of Six Yi Rat Nobility."
Six Yi Rat Nobility refers to the six Yi days (Yi Chou, Yi Mao, Yi Si, Yi Wei, Yi You, Yi Hai) born at the Bing Zi hour.
The core mechanism of this pattern is as follows:
- Yi wood is yin wood, i.e., "yin wood";
- The Zi hour specifically refers to the Bing Zi hour, not just any Zi hour;
- Zi is Yi wood's Heavenly Nobleman; the Hour Branch carries noble energy, hence the name "Rat Nobility"—Zi corresponds to the Rat;
- Bing fire sits upon Zi water; Bing fire's Lux is at Si;
- Si and Shen form a Six Combination, enabling the "remote combination" to draw in Shen metal;
- Shen and Zi form a half Water Bureau combination, bringing Shen metal into the bureau;
- Shen contains Geng metal , which serves as Yi wood's Direct Officer Star.
Thus, the Yi wood Day Master, through the chain reaction of "Bing Zi hour → Bing's Lux at Si → Si combines Shen → Shen-Zi half Bureau → Geng metal within Shen," indirectly obtains the Direct Officer. Its pathway is even more circuitous than that of Six Yin Meeting the Sun, fully embodying the unique reasoning of external patterns—"drawing the substantial through the insubstantial, illuminating the manifest through the hidden."
Pattern Preferences and Taboos:
- 🟢 Most favorable: multiple Zi—multiple Zi gather nobility and more effectively combine forces to remotely draw Shen metal, strengthening the acquisition of the Officer Star;
- 🔴 Fear seeing Chou in the Year or Month: Chou combines with Zi, binding Zi water and preventing its remote-combination power;
- 🔴 Fear seeing Wu fire: Wu clashes with Zi, unsettling Zi water; the noble energy destabilizes and the remote-combination mechanism fails.
Day Master Lux Returning to Hour ☀️
The Xiji Pian states: "When the Day Master's Lux returns to the Hour and no Officer Star appears, it is called 'Gaining the Road to the Azure Clouds.'"
Day Master Lux Returning to Hour refers to the Day Master's Luxus God descending upon the Hour Branch, with the chart showing no Officer Star nor Killing Star. Under these conditions, this pattern may be established. When the Lux returns to the Hour, it resembles a person receiving fortune in later years, soaring straight into the clouds—hence "Gaining the Road to the Azure Clouds."
The Seven Days Capable of Forming This Pattern:
| Day Master | Hour Branch | Hour Pillar | Explanation |
|---|
| Jia | Yin | Jia Yin hour | Jia's Lux is at Yin |
| Ding | Wu | Ding Wu hour | Ding's Lux is at Wu |
| Wu | Si | Wu Si hour | Wu's Lux is at Si |
| Ji | Wu | Ji Wu hour | Ji's Lux is at Wu |
| Geng | Shen | Geng Shen hour | Geng's Lux is at Shen |
| Ren | Hai | Ren Hai hour | Ren's Lux is at Hai |
| Gui | Zi | Gui Zi hour | Gui's Lux is at Zi |
Reasons the Remaining Three Days Cannot Form This Pattern:
| Day Master | Hour Branch | Hour Pillar | Reason Pattern Cannot Form |
|---|
| Yi | Mao | Ji Mao hour | Hour pillar forms Indirect Wealth pattern, not Lux returning to hour |
| Bing | Si | Gui Si hour | Hour Stem reveals Officer Star (Gui water Direct Officer), cannot be considered Day Lux Returning to Hour |
| Xin | You | Ding You hour | Hour Stem reveals Killing Star (Ding fire Seven Killing), cannot be considered Day Lux Returning to Hour |
Key Conditions for Pattern Formation:
- The chart must have no Officer Star and no Killing Star to establish this pattern;
- If Officer or Killing appears manifestly, the Day Lux Returning to Hour pattern does not apply, and the chart must be evaluated by conventional patterning;
- Once this pattern is established, it can elevate the overall level of the chart, indicating comfortable later years and self-attained fortune and blessing.
🧠 Deep Understanding
Core Concepts 💡
The common core of these three external patterns lies in the mindset of "indirect acquisition":
- Six Yin Meeting the Sun: Xin metal does not directly see the Officer, but through the chain of Wu earth → Si Lux → Bing fire → Bing-Xin combination, it "secretly combines to obtain the Officer." The core is using the Resource to draw the Officer.
- Six Yi Rat Nobility: Yi wood does not directly see the Officer, but through the chain of Bing fire → Si Lux → Si-Shen combination → Shen-Zi half Bureau → Geng metal, it "remotely combines to obtain the Officer." The core is using nobility to draw the Officer.
- Day Master Lux Returning to Hour: The Day Master does not rely on Officer or Killing, but rather has its own Luxus God return to the Hour Branch, achieving "self-nobility without an Officer." The core is using Lux in place of Officer.
All three embody an important methodology of Zi Ping external patterns: when the Officer Star is not manifest, one need not conclude there is no Officer; rather, one should examine whether the chart contains mechanisms to indirectly trigger the Officer Star. This is precisely the typical application of "seeking substance within emptiness" in Yi learning.
Modern Interpretation 🌟
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The essence of Six Yin Meeting the Sun can be understood as a person who, supported by an organization (Wu earth Resource Seal representing platform and resources), gains recognition of authority (Officer Star) through indirect channels (remote combination). In modern society, this resembles "behind-the-scenes resource-type talents"—not standing directly in the spotlight, but wielding influence through specific resource chains.
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The structure of Six Yi Rat Nobility leans more toward the "nobleman mentorship" pathway. The Heavenly Nobleman itself represents noble energy; multiple Zi's "gather nobility," analogous to modern social capital and high-quality network circles. Through connections (Si-Shen combination), one indirectly obtains professional status (Geng metal Direct Officer), rather than relying on head-on competition.
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Day Master Lux Returning to Hour can be interpreted as a "self-actualization" type of achievement. The absence of Officer and Killing indicates a lack of external authority's constraint and conferral, but the Lux returning to the Hour Branch suggests that a person relies on their own professional competence (Lux) to gain stable social status and material security in the latter half of life (Hour Pillar representing later years). This resembles the modern "technical expert path" or "freelancer trajectory"—winning respect and returns through professional capability rather than through hierarchical advancement within a system.
Practical Value ⚡
Key Practical Points in Chart Analysis:
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Six Yin Meeting the Sun:
- Confirm the Day Master is Xin and the Hour Pillar is Wu Zi;
- Check specifically whether the chart contains Wu or Chou—if so, the pattern is damaged;
- Favorable Luck lies in the Western metal region (Shen, You, Xu); unfavorable is the Southern fire region;
- In practical interpretation, people with this pattern often exhibit "indirect acquisition of power"—such as behind-the-scenes planners, consultants, resource integrators.
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Six Yi Rat Nobility:
- Confirm the Day Master is Yi and the Hour Pillar is Bing Zi;
- Favorable: multiple Zi; avoid Wu and Chou;
- Favorable Luck lies in water and wood regions, supporting the remote-combination power;
- In practical interpretation, these individuals often have good nobleman fortunes, excelling at leveraging and integrating networks—suitable for public relations, consulting, and intermediary professions.
-
Day Master Lux Returning to Hour:
- First check whether the Hour Branch is the Day Master's Lux position (only the seven days listed above qualify);
- Then examine whether the chart has manifest Officer or Killing—if present, this pattern may not apply;
- Without Officer and Killing, the chart's level is significantly elevated;
- In practical interpretation, there is often a "late bloomer" quality—mid-to-late career stability, suitable for deep technical work, independent entrepreneurship, and professional services.
Philosophical Reflection 🤔
These three external patterns collectively reveal a profound philosophical proposition in traditional Chinese destiny studies: the dialectical relationship between "presence" and "absence."
Laozi said: "All things under heaven are born from the existent; the existent is born from the non-existent." The Day Master Lux Returning to Hour pattern is precisely the archetype of "no Officer surpassing those with Officer"—with no Officer Star in the chart, yet the Lux God serves as nobility. This does not negate the value of the Officer Star but rather points out: when a certain force exists in a state of "absence," it may exert an even more profound influence through other means.
The "remote combination obtaining Officer" mechanism of Six Yin Meeting the Sun and Six Yi Rat Nobility comes closer to the I Ching concept of "sensing and thereby penetrating"—direct contact is unnecessary; as long as vital energy connects, substantive relations can manifest. This "remote combination" thinking also appears in the "external correspondence" theory of later Plum Blossom Numerology.
From a modern philosophical standpoint, these pattern theories remind us: the relationships between things are not necessarily explicit or direct; indirect and implicit relationships can sometimes determine outcomes more decisively. When analyzing complex systems, one should not focus solely on surface-level causal relationships but also examine potential, indirect chains of causation.
📚 Related Knowledge
Associated Concepts
- Remote Combination: Not directly combining, but indirectly combining through an intermediary medium. In Six Yin Meeting the Sun, Xin metal achieves remote combination through Wu earth → Si → Bing fire; in Six Yi Rat Nobility, Yi wood achieves remote combination through Bing fire → Si → Shen → Geng metal.
- Heavenly Nobleman: One of the most honored spirits in Zi Ping methodology; Yi wood's Heavenly Noblemen are Zi and Shen.
- Luxus God: The Day Master's position of prosperity (Lin Guan) within the Earthly Branches, representing one's own strength, stipend, and resources. Jia's Lux is at Yin, Yi's at Mao, Bing/Wu's at Si, Ding/Ji's at Wu, Geng's at Shen, Xin's at You, Ren's at Hai, Gui's at Zi.
- External Pattern: Contrasted with internal patterns (which derive from the Month Commander), established independently of the Month Commander based on special stem-branch combinations.
- Half Bureau: A combination of any two branches from a Three Harmony Bureau; the Shen-Zi half Water Bureau belongs to this category.
Further Reading
- Xiji Pian: A classic Zi Ping rhapsody and original source for all three patterns. Recommend carefully reading the full text to grasp the overall logic of external pattern discourse.
- Yuan Hai Zi Ping, Volume 3, sections on "Six Yin Meeting the Sun," "Six Yi Rat Nobility," and "Day Master Lux Returning to Hour," providing more detailed conditions for pattern formation/breaking and case analysis.
- San Ming Tong Hui, Volume 6: Wan Mingying provided extensive supplementary argumentation and collected numerous actual chart examples for comparison.
- Zi Ping Zhen Quan's discussion of external patterns: Shen Xiaozhan's critical examination of external patterns from the Month Commander framework offers valuable perspective for fully understanding both the position of and debate around external patterns within the Zi Ping system.
Modern Research
- Contemporary scholar Ling Zhixuan, in his Modern Commentary on Zi Ping Zhen Quan, conducted statistical research and empirical testing on the formation conditions of Six Yin Meeting the Sun, Six Yi Rat Nobility, and other external patterns. Findings suggest that while these patterns appear at relatively low statistical frequency, when they do form, they often align remarkably well with real-world pathways of "indirectly acquiring power."
- Lu Zhiji, in Historical Theory of Chinese Mingli Studies, traced the rise and fall of external patterns from the Song-Yuan to Ming-Qing periods from a historical-evolutionary perspective, noting that their rise paralleled the anxiety of traditional scholars over "non-standard paths to office" under the imperial examination system. The "indirectly obtaining Officer" mindset reflected the existence of non-mainstream advancement pathways within that society.
- He Chongjian, in Chinese Mingli Studies, offered a modern interpretation of the five-element energy transmission pathways within "remote combination" mechanisms, attempting to re-understand energy transfer and transformation in external patterns through a systems-theory lens.
