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三元者，大小气运也。九限者，三运之荣谢也。自生得节日为初，阳男阴女顺而理，阴男阳女逆而推。向者数之未来，背者用之已往。十干分之为月，三日成之一年。向背之数，须得其实，未来无日，谓当日得节也，当虚作岁，背之同推。
行游四柱，吉凶自然，小运同途，盛衰理异。（运至四柱中，伏反生克，吉凶自然，同年小运，四柱所生有别也。）
伏反之状灾福，仍分本主之基，以辨吉凶之变。（伏，守也，逢合则动。反，动也，逢合则静。先分君子小人之主本，次看运中吉凶变通。）
小运天左地右，阳备于寅，阴备于申，故男一岁起于寅，女一岁起于申。（寅为三阳化主，申为三阴肃煞，故男小运起于寅，女小运起于申。假如甲子年，男起丙寅，女起壬申之类是也。）
以建元而论胜负，助岁运而依吉凶。（小运各以年遁月建五行而分生克胜负，小运助大运、太岁，相依辅而为吉凶也。）
反破刑孤，凶中有吉。寅申二命，小运不专。（返吟冲、伏吟害，及孤病之类，虽是凶运，其中亦有吉者，二运生而小运伏吟、反吟，故不以小运专任太岁之上也。）
一岁一移，周而复始。（若一年各有一建而循环也，不可以气运取。男三十而女二十，阳自戊子，阴自庚子，男得丁巳，女得辛巳，男顺十月至丙寅，女逆十月至壬寅也。）
气者，时也，未有时而气未定，既有时而气以完。用之纳音者，缘有身而得之气也。（言气运，取生时五行纳音之休旺。）
身者，三元之本也；气者，身之本也。运既顺而气逆，运若逆而气顺，自生时为始，转行不已，推迁逐岁，一宫以大小运分吉凶休祥，非命之也。（甲己土运，乙庚金运，乃天道起魁罡之运，主国家运祚之休祥，非云命之气运也。）
气运并绝则厄，太岁为君王，大运为元帅，气运如曹使，小运若使臣。帅凶，则曹使不能吉。（气运二真运，禄马之气并绝则死，太岁为百神之主，大运气运欲转轮不绝，则主本优游，大运主生煞之柄，故曹使不能违理。）
会吉会凶，作用定矣。（在三元生旺库，及禄马旺处为会吉，居三元沐浴衰病死绝处，逢禄马为鬼，无和顺者，为会凶。）
其象大者，至于死绝；小者，期于灾挠。身须逐运，运须逐身。柱助运而凶反吉，柱败运而吉复凶。时运逢马，吉凶马上。一吉呼而百吉会，一凶驰而众凶符。（太岁起大运，及主本尊者，则大危或死亡矣。小者有用，虽自有福，若伤慢处，亦主灾挠。身运二者，须左右有符合资助为吉，柱为主，运为客，客为主害，无不凶也。二运到马上，即看马上之吉凶。马主动，必须细取三元四柱而论，不可以马吉，而不言马上有凶也。）
吉若胜凶，凶藏吉内；凶若胜吉，吉隐凶中。（其言吉凶有相反，如季主云：“使尽吉，合则殃也”。）
运限之道，有天官限者。（三元到中庸之地，见贵逢合或只有贵却无合，或有合而无贵，四柱相生，运岁相辅，凡得此限，君子将荣，庶人获安，事事皆吉。）（有得势限，三元俱到旺相地，四柱相资承。）（有龟藏限，如禄金入土干下者是也。命金入土支下，身金入土纳音下者，则暮春之优游，不利君子利乎小人，盖子弱母胜也。）（有波浪限，金人运到亥子岁，乃小运上是也。木人大危【厄】，余人意思不调，飘泛如舟也。）（有风雨限，运到三元衰绝处，气运小运又为禄鬼，如此则吉凶相继，来去迅速，势若风雨暴遇而无所系也。）（有布素限，行运到身旺相，支干死绝是也，若太岁小运扶助，本命虽入灾运，于十载之间，亦有五年之吉，不至于凶甚，以此消息，故名布素。限分前后，五年不吉，后运则助，五年无凶，后运若凶则凶咎。）（有失所限，三元俱值鬼，二运见三刑并冲柱，主本与行年不相承，作黄泉失所之命也。）（有破碎限，此非死限，只是金破碎，去如流水而不返，诸运气沐浴更逢真鬼，谓甲衰而有庚之类。）（有灾位限，运至伏吟，上逢丧吊，见白衣、飞廉、孤寡，岁刑克身者，是主灾位之事。凡得此限，则亲戚不利，主有丧服。）
夫三元九限者，乃人之利也。四柱三才者，乃人之本也。本轻则大者小，利小则主本贫，而更无运路，亦惶惶无所依矣。（本大者得之小，犹胜小者得之大；本小者得之大，未及大者得之小。本重则利重，本轻则利轻。本重得小者遐迩无凶，得大者官清禄崇。本轻则小者且福且利，得大者吉极防凶。有小者如物待时，得时则万物滋长。本无者如折木悬空，气过则花实并败。是故木生于震，临离兑以多殃；火产东南，赴天门而寡禄；金降自乾，东而震，北遇坤乡，而败禄衰官，水长逢火木崇方，复乾宫而潜身退迹，五土忌于真败，随气运以详之。又土无正位，随真运而败，甲己土败在酉，乙庚金败在午，丙辛水败在酉，丁壬木败在子，戊癸火败在卯，各以十干所配消息而取用也。）
Three Primes and Nine Limits is a crucial concept in fate theory concerning the cycles of destiny. 🌪️ Three Primes refer to major and minor cycles, representing the fluctuations of fortune in different stages of life; Nine Limits describe the process of prosperity and decline of the three cycles (possibly referring to heaven, earth, and human cycles).
The calculation method is based on the birthdate: males born in yang years and females born in yin years have their fortunes calculated in a forward direction; males born in yin years and females born in yang years have their fortunes calculated in a reverse direction. 🔁 "Forward" indicates future fortune, while "backward" indicates past fortune. The ten heavenly stems are divided into months, with three days representing one year. The forward and backward relationships must be accurately calculated. If there are no specific days in the future, the solar term of the day is used as the starting point, and it is virtually treated as one year. The same applies to reverse calculations.
When the fortune cycles reach the Four Pillars (year, month, day, hour), the auspicious or inauspicious outcomes naturally manifest. Minor cycles follow a similar path as major cycles, but the principles of prosperity and decline differ. (In minor cycles, the relationships of Fu Yin, Fan Yin, and the interactions of generation and conquest affect outcomes. Minor cycles in the same year may yield different results due to variations in the Four Pillars.)
The states of Fu Yin (stagnation, movement upon conjunction) and Fan Yin (turmoil, stillness upon conjunction) determine disasters or blessings. It is essential to first distinguish the nature of the individual (noble or commoner) before analyzing the changes in fortune. 👑 The starting method for minor cycles: heaven moves left, earth moves right. Males start at age one from Yin, females start at age one from Shen. (Yin represents the growth of three yang 🔥, Shen represents the withering of three yin ❄️. For example, a male born in the Jiazi year starts his minor cycle from Bingyin, while a female starts from Renshen.)
The outcomes are judged based on the Five Elements of the minor cycle’s founding element, assisting the major cycle and Tai Sui (Jupiter) in determining auspicious or inauspicious events. (The minor cycle uses the Five Elements of the year’s concealed month to determine generation and conquest, assisting the major cycle and Tai Sui in producing effects.) Encountering inauspicious signs such as Fan Yin, break, conflict, or isolation may conceal blessings within misfortunes. The minor cycles of Yin and Shen do not act independently. (Fan Yin clash, Fu Yin harm, and isolation, though primarily inauspicious, may contain auspicious signs. When minor cycles experience Fu Yin or Fan Yin, they do not solely rely on Tai Sui.)
Minor cycles shift once a year, cycling endlessly. (They cycle annually without considering energy cycles. Males reach a node at age thirty, females at twenty. Yang starts from Wuzi, Yin starts from Gengzi. Males proceed forward for ten months to Bingyin, females reverse for ten months to Renyin.)
Qi refers to the hour. Before birth, Qi is undetermined; after birth, Qi is complete. The use of Na Yin Five Elements is because the body attains Qi. (Qi cycles are determined by the growth and decline states of the Na Yin Five Elements of the birth hour.)
Body is the foundation of the Three Primes, and Qi is the foundation of the body. A forward cycle may have reverse Qi, and a reverse cycle may have forward Qi. Starting from the birth hour, it shifts year by year, distinguishing auspicious and inauspicious events through major and minor cycles, but it is not absolute destiny. (Cycles like Jiaji earth, Yigeng metal, etc., belong to the fortune of the nation and the way of heaven, not individual fate.)
When both Qi and cycles are exhausted, danger arises: Tai Sui is like the emperor 👑, the major cycle is like the marshal ⚔️, Qi cycles are like officials 📜, and minor cycles are like messengers. If the marshal is inauspicious, the officials can hardly be auspicious. (If both Qi and cycles are exhausted, death may occur; Tai Sui governs the spirit, and if the major cycle and Qi are not exhausted, one may thrive; the major cycle governs life and death, and officials cannot defy it.)
Auspicious and inauspicious events converge at the prosperous, thriving, or storage points of the Three Primes or at the flourishing locations of Lu and Ma (status and mobility), which are auspicious; encountering Lu and Ma at bathing, decline, sickness, death, or exhaustion points, where they act as ghosts without harmony, is inauspicious. If the overall configuration is exhausted, minor configurations will bring disasters. The body and cycles interact: if the Four Pillars assist the cycle, inauspiciousness may turn auspicious; if the Four Pillars hinder the cycle, auspiciousness may turn inauspicious. Encountering Ma (travel star) in timing brings swift manifestation of auspicious or inauspicious events. One auspicious event can attract hundreds of auspicious events; one inauspicious event can summon numerous misfortunes. (If Tai Sui initiates the major cycle and the host is honored, great danger arises; minor cycles are useful but bring disasters where they harm. The body and cycle must align with support to be auspicious; the pillars are the host, the cycle is the guest, and if the guest harms the host, it is inevitably inauspicious. The auspicious or inauspicious effects of Ma require detailed analysis of the Three Primes and Four Pillars.)
If auspiciousness overcomes inauspiciousness, misfortune is hidden within blessings; if inauspiciousness overcomes auspiciousness, blessings are concealed within misfortunes. (Auspicious and inauspicious events are interconnected, as Ji Zhu said: "Extreme auspiciousness combined brings calamity.")
Specific Types of Nine Limits:
The Three Primes and Nine Limits are the benefits of a person, while the Four Pillars and Three Talents are the foundation of a person. If the foundation is light, benefits are small, leading to poverty and lack of fortune, leaving one anxious and helpless; if the foundation is strong, even small benefits bring no harm, and great benefits bring official status and honor; if the foundation is light, small benefits bring blessings, but great auspiciousness must be guarded against extreme harm. Small benefits are like things awaiting their time 🌱; when the time comes, all things grow. Without a foundation, it is like a broken branch hanging in the air; when Qi passes, flowers and fruits wither. Thus, wood born in Zhen, approaching Li or Dui, often faces disasters; fire going southeast to Tian Men lacks status; metal from Qian to Zhen and north encountering Kun loses status; water long encountering fire or wood flourishing must return to Qian to retreat. Five earths avoid true defeat, detailed according to Qi cycles. Earth has no fixed position; it follows true cycles to defeat: Jiaji earth defeats You, Yigeng metal defeats Wu, Bingxin water defeats You, Dingren wood defeats Zi, Wugui fire defeats Mao, matched with the ten stems.
The Three Primes and Nine Limits system reveals the dynamic cyclical nature of destiny, emphasizing the interaction of Qi and cycles and the relationship between body and cycles. The core idea is that destiny is not fixed but the result of the interplay of major and minor cycles, the Four Pillars, hour Na Yin, and other elements. Comprehensive judgment of auspicious and inauspicious events is required, where the "foundation" (Four Pillars and Three Talents) is paramount, and "benefits" (Three Primes and Nine Limits) are supplementary, reflecting the traditional philosophy of harmony between heaven and humanity.
In modern society, this can be understood as life rhythm and resource management:
The Three Primes and Nine Limits are deeply rooted in Yin-Yang and Five Elements philosophy, reflecting change and balance: