Chapter 67: Divining Father’s Career and Reputation

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Overall Interpretation
When the Father Line is strong and the Officer Ghost Line moves to generate it, or when the Day Branch or Month Builder acts as an Officer Star to support the Parent Line, or when the Parent Line is strong and transforms into an Officer Ghost Line, or when moving lines turn auspicious, these all indicate success in achieving fame and rank 🌟.

If the Wife Wealth Line restrains the Parent Line, or the Offspring Line moves and damages the Officer Star, or if the Parent or Officer Ghost Lines move and turn inauspicious, or if the Day Branch or Month Builder restrains the Officer Ghost or Parent Lines, or if the Parent or Officer Lines are in a state of decline, tomb, break, or extinction, then success in fame and rank will be difficult ❌.

📜 Case 1: Timing of Father’s Reappointment

Original Hexagram: Huàn to Guài (Mǎo Month, Rén Chén Day)

Parent Mǎo Wood (moves to transform into Offspring Wèi Earth)
Brother Sì Fire (Self)
Offspring Wèi Earth (moves to transform into Officer Ghost Hài Water)
Brother Wǔ Fire (moves to transform into Offspring Chén Earth)
Offspring Chén Earth (Response)
Parent Yín Wood (moves to transform into Officer Ghost Zǐ Water)

Analysis:
The inner trigram’s Yín Wood Parent Line is strong and transforms into Zǐ Water Officer Star, indicating reappointment in the Yín year (when the Officer Star is in its prime) ✅. The father was indeed reappointed to his original position in the Yín year and passed away in the Wèi year. Key logic:

The Yín year was the timing because the moving line Yín Wood reached its prime;
The top line Mǎo Wood transforming into Wèi Earth represents a tomb, and the Wèi year filled the tomb (empty tomb in the divination), hence the end in that year;
Overlapping Line Gods (dual Parent Lines) require tomb closure, aligning with the principle of "extreme strength awaiting the tomb."

📜 Case 2: Father’s Awaiting Vacancy and Appointment

Original Hexagram: Guān to Huàn (Chén Month, Wù Shēn Day)

Wife Wealth Mǎo Wood
Officer Ghost Sì Fire
Parent Wèi Earth (Self)
Wife Wealth Mǎo Wood
Officer Ghost Sì Fire (moves to transform into Parent Chén Earth)
Parent Wèi Earth (Response)

Analysis:
Wèi Earth Parent Line holds the Self position, and Sì Fire Officer Star moves to generate the Self, indicating an imminent appointment ✅. The father was later assigned to a vacancy in Sichuan and returned to take up the post in the Sì month—because the Sì Fire Officer Star generated the Self Line, and the Sì month was the timing when the Officer Star was strong.

🧠 In-Depth Understanding

Core Concepts 💡

Officer and Parent Strength: The Officer Star represents the position, while Parents represent documents and appointments; their interaction and strength are key to success in fame and rank;
Moving Lines Turning Auspicious: Moving lines transforming toward Officer or Parent Lines indicate a turnaround;
Tomb Timing: Strong lines in empty tombs await filling; extreme strength requires tomb closure.

Modern Interpretation 🌟

Career Advancement: Similar to the modern model of "vacancy + qualifications + timing";
Timing Logic: Moving lines point to time (e.g., transforming into an Officer Line aligns with an Officer year) and space (e.g., the region indicated by the Officer Line);
Risk Warning: When Wealth Lines (interests) or Offspring Lines (freedom) restrain Officer or Parent Lines, beware of competition or rule changes.

Practical Value ⚡

Decision Reference:
- If the hexagram shows Officer and Parent strength, prepare materials actively and seize the timing;
- If Wealth or Offspring Lines cause damage, avoid conflicts of interest or wait for rules to clarify.
Timing Judgment: The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches of moving and transforming lines are key time points.

Philosophical Reflection 🤔

Dynamic Balance: Official positions and documents (ability and qualifications) must improve simultaneously;
Peak and Reserve: Extreme strength requires tomb closure, implying the need for consolidation after reaching a peak.

⚠️ Lǐ Wǒpíng’s Critique: The Fallacy of Ancient Field Division Methods

Summary of Views:

Time and location must be divined separately; combining them in one hexagram is prone to error ❌;
Criticizes the mechanical correspondence of "Officer value Shēn Metal means promotion in July must be in the West";
Refutes complex systems like the Eight Palaces (e.g., Lí South, Kǎn North), Twenty-Eight Mansions, Lù Gods, and Wandering or Returning Souls for determining direction;
Examples show that stacking Six Spirits + Star Auspices leads to contradictory conclusions (e.g., the paradox of "holding military power and literary academy").

Modern Insight:

Region and timing should be divined separately for precision, avoiding over-interpretation;
Five Elements and Eight Palaces or Twenty-Eight Mansions have logic, but stacking Auspices loses focus;
Decisions should focus on the main structure (Officer-Parent generation and restraint), not mystical combinations.

📚 Related Knowledge

Key Concepts: Overlapping Line Gods, moving lines turning auspicious or inauspicious, tomb timing, Officer-Parent generation and restraint;
Further Reading: Authentic Divination Vol. 10 "Chapter on Promotion," Yì Mào "Discourse on Field Division";
Modern Research: Scholars believe "Field Division Theory" reflects ancient views of heaven-earth-human resonance but requires rational critique and inheritance.

🌍 Cultural Heritage and Innovation

Essence: Moving line transformation, strength and decline, generation and restraint, and timing logic still hold analytical value;
Dross: Mechanical field division and Auspice stacking should be discarded;
Innovation: Integrate with modern career advancement systems and rationalize time-space divination.

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