Chapter 8: The Use of Deity

用神章第八

1、父母爻：

占父母，即以卦中之父母爻为神。占祖父母、伯叔、姑姨、父母，凡在我父母之上，或与我父母同辈之亲，及师长、妻父母、，乳母、拜认之父母，三父八母、或仆占主人，皆以父母爻为用神。 占天地、城池、墙垣，宅舍、屋宇、舟车、衣服、雨具、绸缎，布匹、杂货及章奏、文书、文章、书馆、文契也以父母爻为用神，物类众多，在人通变，一切庇羁我身者是也。

2、官鬼爻：

占功名、官府、雷霆、鬼神、妻占夫，皆以官鬼爻为用神。占乱臣、贼盗、邪崇，亦以官鬼爻为用神，物类亦多，一切拘束我身者是也

3、兄弟爻：

占兄弟、姐妹、族中兄弟、姑姨姐妹、姐妹夫，及结拜兄弟，皆以兄弟爻为用神。

兄弟乃同类之人，彼得志则欺凌，见财则夺，所以占财物，以此为劫神，占谋事，以此为阻神，占妻妾、婢仆，以此为刑伤克害之神。占姊丈妹夫，以世爻为用神，予屡得验，占表兄弟以兄弟爻为用神而不验，还以应为用神。

【新评释】：此也看求测者与被测者关系之疏密程度，疏者以应为用，密者以兄弟为用。

4、妻财爻：

占妻妾、婢仆、下役，凡我驱使之人，皆以妻财爻为用神。占货财、珠宝、金银、仓库、钱粮，一切使用之财物，什物、器皿，亦以妻财爻为用神。

5、子孙爻：

占子孙、占女、女婿、侄甥、门徒，凡在我子孙辈中，皆以子孙爻为用神。占忠臣、良将、医士、医药、僧道、兵卒，皆以子孙爻为用神。占六畜、禽兽亦以子孙爻为用神。

子孙为福德之神，为制鬼之神，为解忧之神，故谓之子孙乃是福神，诸事见之为喜，独占功名者忌之，故又为剥官削职之神。

【新评释】：以上论述是六亲常见的含义，初学者能知道掌握这些含义，已足够用了。但要断卦出神入化，只掌握以上含义还是远远不够的。就妻财而言，用于断病，可代表呼吸、血液、眼泪、屎尿、月经、精液、卵子、屁、毛发、骨髓等诸多意思，这些都是我在实践中一一验证了的。姑且以上述含义为入门知识，等入门之后再往深里学习。

Chapter 8: The Use of Deity

Overall Paraphrased Translation

This chapter systematically explains the selection rules of "Use of Deity" in Six Lines prediction 🌿. The Use of Deity refers to the core line position representing the person, event, or object in question and must be determined flexibly based on the subject of the divination. The following are the five major categories of the Use of Deity and their corresponding relationships:

1. Parent Line
Represents: Nurturing and protective figures (parents, grandparents, teachers, wet nurses, etc.) and protective objects (houses 🏠, vehicles 🚗, clothing 🧥, documents 📜, umbrellas ☂️, etc.).
Principle: All objects that provide protection, shelter, or carry knowledge fall into this category.

2. Officer and Ghost Line
Represents: Authoritative and restraining forces (official positions 👑, husbands 💍, deities/ghosts 🙏, thieves 🥷), as well as illnesses and misfortunes.
Principle: All entities that control, restrict, or threaten the self belong to this category.

3. Sibling Line
Represents: Blood relations of the same generation and sworn relationships (brothers 👬, sisters 👭, relatives of the same clan).
Characteristics:

• Seizing wealth and competing for gains → Regarded as the deity of wealth plundering when divining wealth matters.
• Hindering progress → Regarded as the deity of obstruction when divining plans or endeavors.
• Restraining wives and concubines → Regarded as the deity of harm when divining marriage or servants.
  ⚠️ Special Cases:
• Brother-in-law (sister’s husband): Use the Self Line (empirically verified as effective).
• Cousins: Use the Corresponding Line (the Sibling Line is ineffective).

4. Wife and Wealth Line
Represents:

• Subordinate figures (wives/concubines 💃, servants 🧹).
• Controllable objects (money 💰, jewelry 💎, grains 🌾, utensils 🛏️).
  Principle: All resources that can be directed or controlled by the self fall into this category.

5. Offspring Line
Represents:

• Younger generations and descendants (children 👶, disciples 🎓, nephews/nieces).
• Auspicious forces (doctors ⚕️, medicinal herbs 🌿, monks/priests 🧘, loyal ministers 🛡️).
• Domestic animals 🐄.
  Dual Attributes:
• Auspicious aspect: Deity of fortune and virtue ✨, dispelling disasters and worries, subduing Officer and Ghost Lines.
• Taboo aspect: Unfavorable for seeking official positions 📉 (may lead to dismissal or demotion).

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🧠 In-Depth Understanding

Core Concept 💡

The Use of Deity serves as the "locator" in Six Lines prediction, locking onto specific people, events, or objects through line positions and the relationship between the Self and Corresponding Lines. It establishes a mapping bridge between the hexagram and reality, representing the ultimate application of "analogical thinking."

Modern Interpretation 🌟

• Expansion of Interpersonal Relationships:
  The Parent Line can correspond to social security systems and insurance companies 🏢; the Officer and Ghost Line can extend to legal clauses ⚖️ and workplace superiors; the Sibling Line can be analogous to competitors and colleague teams 👨‍💼; the Wife and Wealth Line covers salary income and liquid assets; the Offspring Line includes creative outputs and hobbies 🎨.
• Evolution of Material Forms:
  The "documents" represented by the Parent Line can now refer to electronic contracts 📧 and cloud storage; the "utensils and objects" under the Wife and Wealth Line can encompass digital products 📱 and virtual currencies ₿.

Practical Value ⚡

1. Dynamic Selection Principle:
   For boundary relationships like cousins or close friends, judgment should combine emotional closeness—those with intimate bonds are selected according to the Six Deities, while distant ones use the Corresponding Line.
2. Function-Oriented Classification:
   There is no need to memorize object categories mechanically. Instead, focus on core functions such as "whether it provides protection/constraint/resources/inheritance" to make analogies.

Philosophical Reflection 🤔

The Six Deities system reveals the ancient cosmological view of "interconnectedness of all things":

• It integrates interpersonal roles, social functions, and material attributes within the Five Elements framework.
• It embodies the idea of "correspondence between heaven and humanity"—microcosmic human affairs holographically correspond to macrocosmic hexagram phenomena.

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📚 Related Knowledge

Associated Concepts:

• Self and Corresponding Line Relationship: The Use of Deity must be comprehensively judged in combination with the Self Line (the querent) and the Corresponding Line (the subject of the query).
• Transformation of the Six Deities: When the Use of Deity is missing, flexible methods such as "hidden lines" or "divination by proxy" can be employed.

Further Reading:

• The True Teaching of Divination: Classification of the Use of Deity provides more detailed divisions for object categories.
• Subtle Theories on the Use of Deity in Yiyin explores selection techniques for special situations.

Modern Research:

• Scholar Wang Huying proposed the "Three-Level Theory of the Use of Deity": surface symbolism (direct correspondence), deep functionality (Five Elements interaction), and dynamic correlation (line position interaction).
• Practical verification shows that when divining electronic device repairs, using the Parent Line as the Use of Deity yields significantly higher accuracy than using the Wife and Wealth Line.

This chapter covers the basic rules of the Use of Deity. Actual divination requires dynamic analysis combining line strength and weakness, Five Elements interactions, and the influence of the sun and moon. Avoid applying these rules mechanically.

Please translate the above content into English, maintaining the original format and structure.