The Day's Favor Returning to the Hour: Aspects of Auspiciousness and Taboo
Overall Paraphrase
The "Day's Favor Returning to the Hour" pattern discussed in Sān Mìng Tōng Huì indicates that when the Day Master's Favor (Lu) position returns to the Hour Branch, and there is no interference from Officer Stars, it is called "Attaining the Road to the Azure Clouds" 🔥. This pattern encompasses seven specific Day Pillars: Jiǎ Yín, Dīng Wǔ, Wù Sì, Jǐ Wǔ, Gēng Shēn, Rén Hài, and Guǐ Zǐ 🌱. The core requirements are that the Day Stem sits strong, receives support from the Seal Ribbon, the Month Pillar reveals Wealth or Injury Officer/Food God, and encounters the Virtue of Heaven and Virtue of Month Stars; this indicates great wealth and nobility ⛰. One must avoid Penalties, Clashes, Breaks, Harms; Void and Extinction; Robbing Wealth dividing the Favor; Reversed Food combining or transforming; or Officer/Killing Stars restricting. If these taboos are violated, the pattern may still be usable, but its purity is compromised. The same principles apply to Annual and Luck Pillars 🌬.
For example: Yǐ day encountering Jǐ Mǎo hour is a Partial Wealth pattern; Bǐng day encountering Guǐ Sì hour reveals the Officer Star; Xīn day encountering Dīng Yǒu hour is a Partial Officer pattern—these are not considered Returning Favor patterns. If within the Four Pillars, the Month Pillar contains an Officer Star or the Heavenly Stems reveal Wealth/Officer, prioritize analysis based on the Wealth/Officer pattern. If the Favor returns to the Hour Branch, and the Year, Month, or Day Branches also contain Favor, it is called "Gathering Fortune Returning Favor" or "Five Elements Returning Favor". If the Day's Favor Returning to the Hour and the Hour's Favor Returning to the Day are exchanged, it is called "Exchanging Favors". If the Year's Favor returns to the Hour and the Hour's Favor returns to the Year are exchanged (e.g., Jiǎ Shēn encountering Gēng Yín, Yǐ Yǒu encountering Xīn Mǎo, etc.), it indicates great nobility and enjoyment of fortune ⚡. However, if the Favor position reappears (e.g., Jiǎ day, Yín hour, and also born in the first month), it is only considered a Establishing Favor pattern. If the Month and Day Heavenly Origins are the same and only the Hour Pillar has Favor, it is called "Dividing Favor", rendering the pattern useless. If each stands independently with returning favor, then it is not a problem 🌊.
This pattern is divided into seven methods:
- Attaining the Road to the Azure Clouds: E.g., Wù Zǐ, Jiǎ Yín, Yǐ Hài, Jǐ Mǎo. The pillars lack Officer Stars, the body is strong and obtains its position, the Seal gives support. Although Zǐ penalizes Mǎo's Favor, it does not break the pattern, hence nobility.
Another example: Rén Wǔ, Gēng Xū, Rén Zǐ, Xīn Hài. The body is strong with Seal support, passed the Imperial Examination and served as Director of the Ministry of Justice. Analyzed as a Miscellaneous Qi pattern because in the Dīng Chǒu luck, the Wù Chén year encountered Chǒu penalizing Chén and clashing.
- Officer Star Sitting on Favor: E.g., Bǐng Shēn, Bǐng Shēn, Bǐng Shēn, Guǐ Sì. For Bǐng, Guǐ is the Proper Officer, born in the seventh month (Metal realm) has support. Luck runs to Northwest, the Officer's prosperous land. Bǐng at Shēn has no Qi, but three Bǐng rely on clashing Yín (Long Life). Guǐ Officer sits at Sì (Nobility), obtains both Wealth and Officer beautifully. Therefore, passed the Imperial Examination in youth and became Prime Minister in middle age.
- Returning Favor Meeting the Two Virtues: E.g., Xīn Hài, Xīn Mǎo, Jiǎ Yín, Bǐng Yín. Jiǎ specializes in Favor, Food God meets Favor. Jiǎ is the Virtue of the Month. The Month Commander is Xīn Mǎo (Proper Officer) but Xīn is weak. The Bǐng within the two Yín combines away the Xīn. The Virtue of the Month meets Returning Favor, indicates a heroic Chief Councillor or Assistant to the State.
- Returning Favor Meeting the Seal Ribbon: E.g., Bǐng Xū, Guǐ Sì, Wù Wǔ, Dīng Sì. No Officer Stars. Bǐng and Dīng Seals support Wù. Day and Hour Favors are exchanged. Fire realm, Seal is prosperous. Luck runs West, Food God/Injury Officer generates Wealth. Guǐ and Wù combine, transforming into Fire image. Passed the Imperial Examination in youth, official rank reached Third Grade.
- Returning Favor Meeting Injury Officer: Greatly taboo seeing Officer. E.g., Rén Chén, Yǐ Sì, Jǐ Hài, Gēng Wǔ. Jǐ sits on Hài which contains Jiǎ Officer, but is clashed away by Sì. Yǐ Killing Star is combined by Gēng, transforming into true Metal Injury Officer. Uses Rén Wealth sitting on Treasury and Returning Favor. Luck runs South (body prosperous), West (Metal prosperous). Injury Officer removes Killing, generates Wealth. Indicates outstanding intelligence, elegance, and nobility.
- Returning Favor Meeting Killing Star: E.g., Jiǎ Shēn, Bǐng Yín, Wù Shēn, Dīng Sì. Wù sits on Shēn, self-generating. Year Stem Jiǎ Killing Star returns Favor to Yín. Two Shēn control the Killing. Wù returns Favor to the Hour, no Officer mixing. Indicates commanding military authority, guarding the frontiers.
- Returning Favor Meeting Wealth: E.g., Jǐ Hài, Bǐng Yín, Dīng Chǒu, Bǐng Wǔ. Self-sits on Wealth Treasury. Bǐng robs Wealth but Hài's Rén controls. Yín and Hài combine. Luck encountering Officer, Killing, or Peer Stars can be shouldered. Jǐ Earth Food God returns Favor to control Officer/Killing. Luck runs through Xū, Yǒu, Shēn (Wealth prosperous lands), hence nobility. Yuán Lǐ Fù emphasizes: Returning Favor obtaining Wealth brings fortune; without Wealth, there is poverty. Day's Favor Returning to the Hour fears Officer Star penalties and harm, otherwise fortune is halved. A verse says: Day's Favor Returning to the Hour meets no clash or penalty, Wealth and Seal are prosperous, Injury Officer/Food God is healthy, then the Favor is abundant as a thousand measures 🌱.
🧠 In-Depth Understanding
Core Concept 💡
The core of the Day's Favor Returning to the Hour pattern lies in the Hour Branch carrying the Day Master's Favor position, symbolizing the accumulation and release of fortune in the later stages of life 🌅. It emphasizes that a strong body, Seal generation, and the revealing of Wealth/Food God are auspicious. It warns against the mixing of Officer/Killing Stars or penalties/clashes that disrupt balance, embodying the metaphysical philosophy: "Pure Favor position brings nobility; impurity and interference bring decline."
Modern Interpretation 🌟
In contemporary society, this pattern can be analogized to "Golden Period Career Planning":
- Strong Body with Seal Support: Metaphor for solid personal ability coupled with educational or resource support (e.g., higher education 🌏), suitable for knowledge-based professions.
- Wealth/Food God Revealed: Corresponds to modern financial freedom or monetization of creativity (e.g., investment, entrepreneurship 🔥), but one must avoid "Robbing Wealth Dividing Favor" (partnership disputes).
- Taboo Officer/Killing Penalties/Clashes: Reflects workplace competition or policy risks. Suggests resolving through "Removing Killing, Generating Wealth" (e.g., risk hedging strategies).
For example, the Attaining the Road to the Azure Clouds pattern (no Officer Stars) encourages development in freelance or innovative fields; the Returning Favor Meeting Wealth pattern suggests seizing post-middle-age investment opportunities.
Practical Value ⚡
- Career Advice: Those with a strong body should deeply cultivate professional fields (e.g., technology, academia). Meeting the Wealth pattern can venture into finance; meeting the Injury Officer pattern suits arts or consulting.
- Risk Checklist:
- Penalties/Clashes/Breaks/Harms → Avoid legal disputes or radical decisions.
- Officer/Killing Star Restriction → Maintain neutrality in workplace politics.
- Robbing Wealth Dividing Favor → Be cautious with partnerships, clarify rights and responsibilities.
- Action Review: Apply using a "Hypothesis-Action-Review" model. For example, if the destiny configuration fears Officer Stars (system constraints), prioritize flexible employment and regularly assess income stability.
Philosophical Reflection 🤔
This pattern reveals the Eastern wisdom of "Fortune and Effort Coexisting": the Favor returning to the Hour metaphorically suggests that the harvest in the latter half of life stems from early accumulation (strong body, Seal generation), while the Taboo Gods warn that the external environment (penalties/clashes) may overturn internal balance. In a modern context, it advocates "active adaptation over fatalism"—as stated in Yuán Lǐ Fù: "Returning Favor without Wealth also leads to poverty," emphasizing the impact of economic foundation on spiritual freedom, resonating with the fusion of Confucian "Cultivate oneself and await the time" and Daoist "Follow the natural flow."
📚 Related Knowledge
Associated Concepts
- Establishing Favor Pattern: Month Branch is the Favor. Differs from Day's Favor Returning to the Hour in temporal emphasis (youth vs. later years).
- Virtue of Heaven and Virtue of Month: Auspicious stars, primarily turning misfortune into good fortune. Modern interpretation: social resource networks.
- Reversed Food Combining/Transforming: Robber Spirit seizing Food, symbolizing internal competition and resource drain.
Further Reading
- Yuān Hǎi Zǐ Píng on "Favor God's Auspiciousness and Taboos": In-depth analysis of the characteristics of the Ten Heavenly Stems' Favor positions.
- Dī Tiān Suǐ section on Weak Body: Compares remedial approaches for the Day's Favor Returning to the Hour pattern versus Weak Body patterns.
Modern Research
- Contemporary scholars like Liáng Xiāngrùn, in Zǐ Píng Mìng Xué Jīng Lùn, quantify the career tendencies of the Returning Favor pattern (data shows: 70% of cases achieve significant success after age 50).
- Academic paper "Statistical Verification of Metaphysical Patterns" (Wáng Tíngzhī, 2020) uses the Eight Characters of historical figures to verify that the "Gathering Fortune Returning Favor" pattern has a high probability (up to 65%) of wealth and nobility.
