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一气即判，天地辟焉。三才既定，阴阳立焉。于是乎运用五行之造化，于是乎推迁四时之气候。洛出神龟，河生龙马。八卦露太易之象，九畴彰洪范之篇。是以圣人仰则观天，俯则察地。以类万物之情，以通神明之意。办四时之气候，成于律吕，取五行之造化，为之卜筮。
然后以干为天，与地相配。以支为地，与干相连。主静以持载，主动以斡旋。下以应五行之风景，上以应五位之经缠。日月虽明，不能照于毫忽。鬼神虽奥，不能察其幽玄。成天下之美丽，序人事之绵绵，故有化而不化之由，聚而不聚之义，合而不合之类，秀而不秀之体。聚而不聚者，损其财用。化而不化者，损于贵气。合而不合者，三主必背。秀而不秀者，一生何遂。
又有不化而化之局，不聚而聚之者，不秀而秀之用，不合而合之事。不聚而聚之者，终于富足，不化而化之者，定于权贵。不合而合者，必达于官职。不秀而秀者，须享于禄位。定四时己旺未旺，察五行有气无气。有显隐，有休囚。有进退，有否泰。人亨通，有屯蹇，有驳杂，有纯粹。随物而变物，因类而求类。
至五事，俱宜自旺，一物不可偏伤。水不胜火，奔波而流落。火不胜金，困难而怆隍。有秀无官，但施巧于技艺。见财无比，惟逐利于经商。三辛见丙兮，财多破散。二壬就丁兮，家道丰稔。土力败水，则胃弱而色黑。木气刑土，则脾衰而面黄。性显聪明，盖为水家之秀。事能决断，因成金气之刚。
太岁与命不和，有殃无福。四柱与命各旺，有福无殃。男逢两位之妻，必须置妾。女纯真夫之气，定主淫娼。火炎水涸者，多自坏之苦。木秀火明者，有吉庆之祥。甲木如革之方，桎梏圆土。戊土居润下之势，萍梗他乡。
又若阳死阴生，阴死阳生。关五行之所变，由五气之所藏，外合五常，而应乎动静。内合五曜，而通乎表里。俱旺则玄之所使，俱衰则化而为物。失运则百无一通，化物则十有九死夫旺则妻必从夫而化，妇旺则夫必从妇而归。一财未必胜两官，一禄不能当两鬼。
头面有损，则申破甲乙。眼目有灾，则丙沉亥子。爱仁好义，日时因旺于庚辛。多信多仁，基本位专于戊己。美资貌者，春夏之生木。无见识者，丑未之困水。木坚则心直以行仁，为旺则性急而好礼。五行气足，体必至于充肥。四柱过多，性自成于顽鄙。
盖夫本位为主，次位为宾。阳干顺行，阴干逆行。气无归根，终身归于何地。物有倚托，一世托于他人。藏暗合者，官高极品。遇贵禄者，位非常论。十干临死绝病衰，残居尘土。五行入生旺库墓，荣列簪缨。乙庚丙辛，德秀在巳酉丑申。丁壬甲乙，德秀在亥卯未寅。寅午戌巳兮，德丙丁而秀戊癸。申子辰亥兮，德壬癸而秀丙辛。五行落于本乡，则贵亦富。四气临于破处，更贱且贫。可谓生旺为上，德秀为奇。身坐学堂，文艺入清高之格；命临鬼祸，盗贼犯徒配之危。禄内隐伤，作兵戎于军戌。秀中鬼克，掌吏职於官司。母旺鬼休，牛马与奴仆浩大；母衰鬼旺，父子及兄弟散离。官印双全，乘旄戟而居武职。德秀兼备，应科甲而入文员。两在鬼乡，逢倒食必为奴婢。一归有气，遇基月定主孤穷。
此则天地相临，上下相应。气顺则和，气逆则病。非其位则邪，当其位则正。及有所生，互有所制，互有所胜，互有所衰，弥纶于天地之道，包括于人民之命。探颐索隐而见其隐，穷里尽性而识其性。既不可以一理而观，又不可以一途而定。若能极于玄机，乃祸福吉凶之龟鉴。
The universe separated from chaos, forming heaven and earth 🌌. After the establishment of the Three Powers (heaven, earth, and humanity), the concept of yin and yang duality was established. Thus, the creative forces of the Five Elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth) began to operate, and the climatic cycles of the Four Seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) proceeded accordingly. The divine turtle emerged from the Luo River, and the dragon-horse was born from the Yellow River; these auspicious signs revealed the mysteries of the cosmos. The Eight Trigrams (Bagua) displayed the symbols of the Great Change (Taiyi), and the Nine Categories (Jiuchou) manifested the chapters of the Great Plan (Hongfan). Therefore, sages observed the celestial phenomena above and examined the geographical features below, analogizing the conditions of all things to comprehend the will of the divine. They discerned the climatic patterns of the four seasons, regulated them with musical pitch (Lü Lü), and adopted the creative principles of the Five Elements for divination and prediction 🔮.
Subsequently, the Celestial Stems (Tiangan) represent heaven and pair with earth; the Earthly Branches (Dizhi) represent earth and connect with heaven. The Earthly Branches are passive, bearing all things; the Celestial Stems are active, driving change and transformation. Below, they correspond to the natural phenomena (scenery) of the Five Elements; above, they align with the trajectories (wrapping) of the five positions in the stars. Although the sun and moon are bright, they cannot illuminate the subtlest details; though ghosts and spirits are mysterious, they cannot perceive the profound mysteries. These forces accomplish the beauty of the world and sequence the continuity of human affairs. Hence, there are phenomena such as transformation without transformation, gathering without gathering, union without union, and excellence without excellence. Gathering without gathering leads to loss of wealth; transformation without transformation harms nobility; union without union indicates divergence among three parties; excellence without excellence means a lifetime of unfulfilled desires.
Conversely, there are also cases of transformation without intentional transformation, gathering without intentional gathering, excellence without intentional excellence, and union without intentional union. Those who gather without intentional gathering ultimately become wealthy; those who transform without intentional transformation inevitably gain power; those who unite without intentional union achieve official success; those who excel without intentional excellence enjoy positions and emoluments. The key is to determine whether the Five Elements are flourishing or declining within the four seasons and to observe whether the Five Elements possess vitality or lack it. There are changes between visibility and concealment, rest and imprisonment, advance and retreat, and obstruction and prosperity: individuals may experience smoothness or hardship (Zhun Jian), and destinies may be mixed or pure. All things change with their environment, and one must seek categories based on their nature.
Regarding the Five Matters (Wushi, matters related to the Five Elements), all should be self-flourishing, and none should be excessively damaged. If water cannot overcome fire 🔥, people will奔波流落 (rush about and wander); if fire cannot overcome metal, life will be difficult and仓皇 (hurried and flustered). Having excellence (Xiuqi) but no official star (Guanxing) means making a living only through skills; seeing a wealth star (Caixing) but no peer (Bijian) means being solely profit-driven in business. Three Xins meeting Bing leads to wealth being mostly scattered; two Rens approaching Ding results in a prosperous family. Earth overpowering water weakens the stomach and darkens the complexion; wood penalizing earth weakens the spleen and yellows the face. Water nature is intelligent 🌊, owing to water's familial excellence; metal nature is resolute and decisive, owing to metal's inherent firmness.
If the Grand Duke (Taisui) conflicts with one's destiny, there will be disaster without fortune; if the Four Pillars (Sizhu) and destiny are each flourishing, there will be blessing without calamity. A man encountering two wife stars will inevitably take concubines; a woman pure in husband qi will certainly be licentious. Those with blazing fire and parched water suffer much self-destruction; those with flourishing wood and bright fire enjoy auspiciousness and good fortune. Jia wood is like leather, binding round earth; Wu earth residing in moist lowlands漂泊他乡 (wanders in foreign lands) ⛰.
Further discussed are yang dying while yin is born, yin dying while yang is born, relating to the changes of the Five Elements, stored by the Five Qi. Externally, they correspond to the Five Constants (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, faithfulness), responding to movement and stillness; internally, they correspond to the Five Luminaries (planets), connecting the surface and the depths. If both are flourishing, mystical驱使 (driving) occurs; if both are declining, transformation into objects happens. Losing luck means all affairs are blocked; transforming into objects means nine out of ten die. If the husband is flourishing, the wife follows the husband's transformation; if the wife is flourishing, the husband follows the wife's return. One wealth star may not overcome two official stars; one emolument cannot withstand two ghosts.
Damage to the head and face is due to Shen damaging Jia and Yi; eye troubles arise from Bing sinking in Hai and Zi. Love for benevolence and righteousness comes from strong Geng and Xin at the day and hour; being trustworthy and benevolent stems from a foundation focused on Wu and Ji. Those with beauty are born in spring and summer with wood 🌱; those lacking insight are hindered by Chou and Wei困水 (trapped water). Firm wood means a straightforward heart and benevolent actions; flourishing fire means an impatient nature and love for propriety. Sufficient Qi of the Five Elements fills the body plumply; excessive Four Pillars make the nature stubborn and vulgar.
The本位 (original position) is the host; the次位 (secondary position) is the guest. Yang stems proceed順行 (forward); yin stems proceed逆行 (backward). Qi without returning to the root means终身无依 (lifelong reliance on nothing); objects having something to rely on means一世托人 (lifelong dependence on others). Those with hidden combinations hold official positions of the highest grade; those encountering noble emoluments hold positions beyond ordinary discussion. The ten stems approaching death, extinction, sickness, or decline mean残居尘土 (living残缺 in dust); the Five Elements entering birth, flourish, treasury, or tomb mean荣列簪缨 (gloriously ranking among the elite). Yi Geng Bing Xin, virtue and excellence are in Si You Chou Shen; Ding Ren Jia Yi, virtue and excellence are in Hai Mao Wei Yin. Yin Wu Xu Si, virtue Bing Ding excellence Wu Gui; Shen Zi Chen Hai, virtue Ren Gui excellence Bing Xin. The Five Elements falling in their native land mean nobility and wealth; the Four Qi approaching broken places mean poverty and lowliness. Birth and flourish are superior; virtue and excellence are extraordinary. The body seated in the school hall means literary artistry and refinement; destiny approaching ghost misfortune means theft, banditry, or exile. Emolument hidden within injury means military service; excellence with ghost克制 (restraint) means official duties and lawsuits. If the mother is flourishing and the ghost is dormant, servants and retainers are numerous; if the mother is weak and the ghost is flourishing, father, sons, and brothers scatter and separate. Full official and seal mean military positions with banners and halberds; complete virtue and excellence mean civil officials and imperial examinations. Two in ghost lands, meeting倒食 (reverse eating) means becoming slaves; one returning with vitality, meeting the base month means孤穷 (solitude and poverty).
This is how heaven and earth interact, above and below responding. Qi flowing smoothly brings harmony; qi flowing逆 (adversely) brings illness. Not in the right position means evil; in the right position means correctness. Mutual generation and restraint, mutual overcoming and decline, encompass the ways of heaven and earth and include the destinies of the people. Exploring the profound and seeking the hidden reveals the concealed; exhausting the interior and understanding the nature recognizes its essence. It cannot be viewed with a single principle nor determined by a single path. If one can reach the utmost of mystery, it becomes the tortoise shell mirror for fortune, misfortune, auspiciousness, and inauspiciousness.
This ode elaborates on the interactions between the Celestial Stems and Earthly Branches, the creative transformations of the Five Elements, and the climates of the Four Seasons. The core idea is that all things in the universe operate through yin-yang and the Five Elements, influencing human destiny. It emphasizes balance and change: the Five Elements need to be flourishing and vital, avoiding imbalance; the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of destiny depends on the smooth or adverse flow of Qi and the correctness or incorrectness of positions. Key concepts include the dynamics of transformation, gathering, union, and excellence, as well as命理 (destiny theory) principles like virtue-excellence (Dexiu) and birth-flourish (Shengwang).
In a modern context, this can be understood as a form of systems thinking: life and environment are determined by the interaction of multiple factors (e.g., time, elements, energy). The Five Elements analogize natural elements (🔥 fire = passion/action, 🌊 water = wisdom/flow, ⛰ earth = stability/practicality, 🌬 metal = decisiveness/change, 🌱 wood = growth/benevolence), and the Four Seasons represent life cycles (spring birth, summer growth, autumn harvest, winter storage). Phenomena like "transformation without transformation" mirror adaptation and resistance in modern life—for example, "gathering without gathering" in the workplace might refer to dispersed resources leading to inefficiency, while "transformation without intentional transformation" can be interpreted as success brought by flexibility. Viewed scientifically and rationally, this encourages analyzing the impact of environmental variables (e.g., seasonal changes, personal traits) on decision-making, rather than superstitious fatalism.
This text is deeply rooted in the philosophy of harmony between heaven and humanity, believing the micro (individual destiny) connects to the macro (cosmic way). It suggests destiny is not deterministic but based on interactive changes: "mutual generation and restraint" resembles modern chaos theory, where small changes cause large outcomes. Ethically, combining the "Five Constants" (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, faithfulness) with the Five Elements advocates harmony between inner virtue and external environment. Critical thinking: remove the mystical shell, and the core is wisdom advocating observation, adaptation, and balance, but avoid over-determinism and combine with modern psychology (e.g., behavioral economics) for verification.