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Capítulo 2 de 5
大六壬断案
Governor Han Divines for Snow, in the third year of Jianyan, Ji You year, eleventh month, fourth day, Ji Mao day, Yin General, You hour.
Master Shao said: For days the weather has been warm, like the climate of late spring. The prefectures and counties have prayed for snow, all without response. Now obtaining this lesson, tomorrow the weather will surely change: at Si hour 🌬 wind will rise and turn cold, at Wei hour 🌧 there will be rain, at Hai hour ❄️ it will snow, accumulating seven inches deep. The assembled officials all sighed: Today is clear and warm—where would snow come from? The next day it was indeed verified—wind rose at Si hour, clouds gathered in an instant; light rain at Wei hour; after the second watch it snowed, continuing until Wei hour the next day, indeed accumulating seven inches.
Principle of the reading: In this lesson 🔥 fire is hidden below, 🌊 water rises above; regardless of whether one divines for snow or rain, it will occur that very day. Moreover, Shen is the nocturnal noble, precisely where authority resides. On the day stem one sees the waters of the Celestial River surging above; what rises above must flow below. The initial transmission Si fire approaching Zi is overcome, with Xuan Wu seen above, transforming into great wind and snow. Si Xu Mao is the Seal-Casting lesson; in spring, summer, and autumn it must bring rain, in winter it must bring snow. In the final transmission Mao rides White Tiger, and together with Shen both are white in color; Shen is in the void, precisely what descends from the void—this is what creation produces.
The Seal-Casting Lesson is one of the important lesson structures in Liu Ren: the three transmissions Si, Xu, Mao combine like the shape of casting a seal. Divining weather with the Seal-Casting lesson, in spring, summer, autumn it must rain, in winter it must snow. The principle lies in:
The three combine to form a strong upward movement of air currents. In winter, when the cold qi of heaven and earth envelops, rising heat meets cold and condenses, descending as snow. Mao rides White Tiger; white belongs to metal, echoing Shen metal; Shen being in the void signifies snow descending from the void—this is the image of "descending from the void."
The Moistening and Descending Lesson: The three transmissions Shen Zi Chen or Hai Zi Chou combine into a water bureau. In the Duan An, on a Wu Shen day in the twelfth month, one lesson's three transmissions Chen Shen Zi combined into a water bureau; Xuan Wu approached Zi as the initial use, the middle transmission Qing Long rode Shen, and the final transmission was the nocturnal Qing Long. Duke Shao judged: "Divining in winter there must be heavy snow," and it was verified.
Fire hidden below, water surging above: This is the core principle for judging rain and snow. After the winter solstice, yang qi (fire) lies hidden beneath the earth, while yin qi (water) fills the sky. If the lesson shows fire hidden and overcome while water qi rises, precipitation must result. The difference between snow and rain lies in the season and the cold/warm qi within the lesson—divining in winter encountering water bureaus and white spirits (Shen, You, White Tiger), the water transforms into snow.
The underlying logic of weather divination: Da Liu Ren's weather divination is not simple empirical induction but is built upon a rigorous model of yin-yang rising and falling. Viewed from a contemporary perspective:
🔥Thermal convection principle: The Seal-Casting lesson's "fire hidden below, water surging above" aligns with the principle of convective precipitation in modern meteorology—surface hot air rises, meets cold air aloft, and condenses into rain/snow. The ancients abstracted this natural mechanism into the symbolic model of "fire hidden, water surging."
🌊Water bureau and precipitation probability: The Moistening and Descending lesson's three transmissions combine into a water bureau, representing abundant water vapor in the atmosphere. In modern meteorology, water vapor content is a necessary condition for precipitation. By judging "water qi is vigorous" through the lesson structure, the ancients were essentially symbolically grasping the state of atmospheric humidity saturation.
❄️The role of seasonal parameters: The same lesson structure yields different judgments in different seasons—divining in spring with a water bureau indicates rising water levels, in winter heavy snow. This reflects the ancients' holistic understanding of the climate system: season determines the baseline temperature, determining whether water vapor descends in liquid or solid form.
Repeatability of predictive verification: In Governor Han's case, the precisely predicted sequence of "wind at Si hour → light rain at Wei hour → snow at Hai hour" shows that Duke Shao's calculation of temporal factors within the lesson and transmissions had rigorous methodological support. The sequential progression of the three transmissions represents events unfolding in order, corresponding to the logical sequence in weather forecasting of "increasing wind → increasing cloud cover → precipitation."
| Divinatory Element | Modern Application Reference |
|---|---|
| Seal-Casting Lesson | Judgment on timing of major decisions—such as project launches, signing ceremonies; appropriately combine daily weather and lesson structure to assess environmental variables |
| Moistening and Descending Lesson | Liquidity analysis—judging capital flows, market trends; water bureau governs circulation and diffusion |
| Fire hidden, water surging | Identifying yin-yang imbalance—in corporate management, this can be analogized to structural contradictions of "grassroots enthusiasm suppressed while upper-level information overflows" |
| Void and White Tiger | Early warning of depletion and failure—resource investment must heed the uncontrollable factors symbolized by "descending from the void" |
| Temporal judgment | The three transmissions correspond to the rhythm of event development—initial transmission as cause, middle as process, final as result |
Decision methodology: Weather divination is not limited to meteorology; it can map onto project environment assessment. If "praying for snow" is analogized to "praying for project success," then one must examine: ① Is the core resource (fire) suppressed? ② Are external conditions (water) abundant? ③ Is the execution path (three transmissions) smooth? ④ Will the final result (final transmission) fall into the void?
"Descending from the void" and non-action in action: Shen is in the void, also serving as White Tiger, white in color, symbolizing snow descending from emptiness. This contains a profound philosophical proposition—the greatest power often comes from "emptiness." Laozi said, "All things under heaven are born of the you (being); you is born of wu (non-being)." The void is not true emptiness but an empty position pregnant with generative potential. In divination, the "void initiating use" is often not inauspicious but indicates unexpected gain.
The image beyond the image in the Seal-Casting Lesson: The three transmissions Si Xu Mao are like casting a seal; the seal represents authority and credibility. In weather divination the Seal-Casting lesson governs great rain and snow; in human affairs it governs the establishment of authority. The same image maps onto different matters in different domains, reflecting Liu Ren's flexibility of "one image, multiple responses." This way of thinking aligns with contemporary metaphor theory in cognition—humans understand and extrapolate complex systems through basic image schemas (such as casting, flowing).
Causal nesting within temporal sequences: In Governor Han's divination for snow, the precise sequence of "wind at Si hour, rain at Wei hour, snow at Hai hour" was deduced from the lesson and transmissions. This contains the ancients' unique view of time: time is not a homogeneous container but a structured, rhythmic unfolding process. Each time period has its specific "qi-number," and events naturally fall into place within the time structure according to their nature.
Zhang Jiuweng, born Wu Wu, fifty-one years old, divines for his residence. Wu Shen year, ninth month, Geng Yin day, Chen general, Wei hour.
Duke Shao judged: Both stem and branch receive generation from the spirits above them, favoring the residence, not the person. The initial transmission from the stem returns to the branch, and the final transmission Hai weakens today's stem and generates today's branch. Because of corvée expenses, and discord with a certain Chen clerk; in later years the eldest generation, for the son's marriage, spent entirely, ruining the family estate; within eleven years a woman was widowed and the family property divided into four parts. Afterward everything was verified: first prosperity then decline; great expense from corvée; litigation with the wife's uncle and Clerk Chen; heavy dowry for the son's marriage; five years later brothers divided the family, splitting into four portions.
Principle of the reading: Geng is generated by Si, Yin is generated by Hai; both stem and branch receive generation yet mutually weaken each other—first thriving, then declining. Hai has the number four, Yin has the number seven, totaling eleven years. Hai weakens the stem and depletes wealth; Hai is the branch's longevity point, generating the residence while weakening me. Therefore expenses due to residence and service accumulate. Hai upon Tai Yin represents an elderly woman, indicating a widow; the middle transmission Yin as a clerk disturbed by Serpent, indicating litigation.
Ye Zhujiao, born Wu Wu, fifty-one years old, divines for his residence. Wu Shen year, first month, Xin Mao day, Zi general, Wei hour.
Duke Shao said: This lesson has the branch coming to the stem, being controlled by the stem, named the "son-in-law" lesson. The Tai Sui enters the residence and overcomes it; within six years the house breaks and the roof is dismantled, becoming a grave site—an elder will surely be buried within. Six years before that, the household will fracture and split in five directions; the gates and doors will separate. Afterward, in the Gui Chou year his uncle died and was encoffined within; the uncle had three sons, one a monk who returned to the clan to claim his share of the family property. The case went to the authorities and was divided into six shares. That same year another son and daughter died.
Principle: The final transmission Chou is the grave spirit for the Xin day, approaching the Tai Sui; the Tai Sui, pressed by the grave, comes to the residence and overcomes it. Mao has the number six, so no more than six years. Mao above seeing Xuan Wu indicates the doorways and gates dispersing. Shen represents a monk; Xin and Shen are of the same kind, so the monk returns to lay life.
Shao Sanweng, born Gui Hai, forty-six years old, divines for his residence. Wu Shen year, eighth month, Xin Si day, Chen general, Hai hour.
Duke Shao said: In this lesson the wife is the master; the day goes to add to the branch, the husband goes to weaken the wife. Your wife was originally your brother's wife, and you obtained her; afterward you will only have nine years together. In the eighth year, because of a gravesite, there will be discord with the brothers. Presently you will lose your wife; because of a grinding wheel pressing the east gate, there is the misfortune of remarriage. Shen represents the millstone, adding to Mao presses the east gate. For Xin, Mao is the wife, upon it seeing Tian Hou—the wife is the master. Shen, of the same kind as Xin, represents the brother, adding to the wife's line—it is the brother's wife. Shen as Tian Kong, and being in the void, the brother must already be dead. The final transmission Chou is Xin's grave spirit adding to the same-kind line; Serpent and Chou have the number eight, indicating eight years of discord with brothers over a gravesite. Xu adding to Si, five above and four below, totals nine, so death comes in nine years.
Shao Xiucai, born Gui Chou, fifty-seven years old, divines for his residence and parents. Ji You year, second month, Yi Si day, Xu general, Hai hour.
Duke Shao said: Generally in transmissions and uses, if the yin and yang of stem and branch already occupy their positions, one speculates only about what is incomplete; one must not redundantly take what is already used. In this lesson Yi wood overcomes earth; Mao comes to harm the day; the residence cannot contain people. The initial transmission Chen issues from the residence position, and the middle returns to the Mao position—this is seizing the father's wealth and emolument. The three transmissions do not depart from stem and branch; Yi takes Mao as its emolument, Yin as its same-kind, so there must be brothers who went out but later returned. Chen as Gou Chen governs litigation. The lesson does not show the parents; only the same kind consuming one another. The querent and his parents have lived apart for sixteen or seventeen years; when he reaches fifty-nine or sixty, his annual cycle arrives at Hai and Zi, and seeing the parents above indicates mourning apparel. Later verified without the slightest error.
Shao Xunjian, born Gui Hai, forty-six years old, divines for his residence. Wu Shen year, sixth month, Geng Chen day, hourly general Wu at the twenty-seventh, Yin hour.
Duke Shao said: A metal day obtains a water bureau; the three transmissions, day and branch, are all sons-and-grandsons lines. Where weakness occurs one sees Qing Long; where generation occurs one sees Xuan Wu; at the Lin Guan position one sees Fei Serpent. Your whole life your offspring will cause you strife; when one dies, another comes. The family estate will also be eroded by grandchildren. This residence after twelve years will produce anomalies; you cannot stay and will surely move away. You will certainly obtain the post of water-and-land patrol inspector. After sixty-three will be hard to survive. Afterward Shao married a woman of the imperial clan, sired eight sons who all died young; a bondservant's three sons likewise died; he then took a concubine who bore two sons and a daughter—his vital essence was entirely exhausted. When his appointment ended he indeed received the post of Yingzhou water-and-land patrol inspector. He died on the third day of the fourth month in the Yi Chou year of Shaoxing, aged sixty-three.
Principle: Geng takes Zi as its true qi; sons and grandsons ride Qing Long to weaken qi, and Xuan Wu and Fei Serpent, two baleful spirits, both steal his true qi. The day approaching Chen as Serpent—the day's Shen has seven and Chen has five, totaling twelve years. Dying after sixty-three—Zi on Shen; Zi has nine, Shen has seven; seven and nine together make sixty-three.
Ren Sanweng, born Geng Wu, thirty-nine years old, divines for residence. Wu Shen year, eleventh month, Ren Yin day, Chou general, Shen hour.
Duke Shao said: The body and residence dwell in the grave without vitality; due to dispute between concubine and maidservant you expelled the maidservant, but she later returned. You are also constantly disturbed by offspring and brothers; at the gateway there is endless gossip. Only the final transmission being void, and also being the absolute position, brings good fortune—in the end all the gossip and disturbance will come entirely to nothing. Everything was verified exactly as divined.
Shao Bodai divines about a house foundation. Ji You year, tenth month, Geng Yin day, Yang general at the fifteenth, You hour.
Duke Shao said: In divining about seeking a house foundation, take the day as the person and the branch as the residence. The branch combining the void—this residence cannot be obtained or planned for. The initial transmission is a weakening qi; though it sees Qing Long, it is also in the empty position—temporary lodging, unsettled. The middle transmission Si represents shop property; Tai Yin represents a woman. Si adding to Zi as Tai Yin—Geng is generated by Si—so you will buy an old woman's shop property and that will serve as the house foundation. It was verified exactly as judged. Only in the Ding Si year was this residence built.
Tong Baoyi, born Ding Si, fifty-two years old, divines for residence. Wu Shen year, sixth month, Ding Si, seventh day, Wei general, You hour.
Duke Shao said: This lesson has six yin in succession, entirely without a yang spirit. Your destiny will decline and fail from here. A maidservant will fatally fall into a latrine. In front of the house is a large withered tree; if you do not remove it, idle troubles will plague you. One son will suffer from abdominal qi. Improperly you turned the rear pavilion into a pigpen; the pigs flourishing overwhelms the people. In four years decline, in six years total ruin. In the tenth month of that year a maidservant indeed fell to her death in the latrine. In the twelfth month a stranger hanged himself beneath the tree. The second son developed hernia. In the fourth year the house was dismantled and sold; in six years indeed completely ruined.
Zheng Xuanyi divines for residence. Eighth month, Gui Chou day, Si general, Chou hour.
Duke Shao said: The people flourish while the residence is cramped; the people and the residence alternate. Within four years you will surely renovate the wine room; a maidservant will die from wine in the kitchen. Do not buy your aunt-in-law's property; there will certainly be regret. You have three shops; the first two you open will see profit, but the last one you open will bring ruin. Improperly you placed a smelting pot in front of the house; within eight years a coffin will rest beneath the smelting pot. All verified afterward.
Wang Deqing, born Xin You, forty-eight years old, divines for residence. Wu Shen year, tenth month, Ren Zi day, Mao hour, Mao general.
Duke Shao said: Wealth and emolument are extremely stable, but you have bladder qi and genital swelling from water qi causing disturbance. Above the residence is imperial vigor; goods and wealth flourish. This year you will gain a son and also a grandson. The final transmission Mao riding Zhu Que indicates unrest at the gate, disturbance from household service. Improperly you placed a talisman in the main hall, and the household will have not a moment of peace. Family resources will gain the benefit of a pond—you will surely flourish. You still have sixteen years of life, and will die of edema. All verified.
Tong Desong, born Ding Si, fifty-three years old, divines for residence. Ji You year, sixth month, Ren Xu day, Wei general, Chou hour.
Duke Shao said: In this lesson virtue is lost and spirit is extinguished; the person dies and the family breaks. Ren's virtue is in Hai; Hai is the closed mouth—there is no virtue to speak of. The body and destiny approach Hai; fire is overcome by water. The generating qi is overcome while the dying qi is lord. Chen comes to break the residence and serves as the grave of both stem and branch. First, the water of the residence does not flow; second, the stove and latrine are inconvenient. When Tong heard this, he moved to a shop to dwell, and the misfortune was thereby dissolved.
Xu Bagong, born Jia Yin, fifty-five years old, divines for residence. Wu Shen year, sixth month, Gui Hai day, tenth day, Wei general, You hour.
Duke Shao said: Gui Hai is the apex day of the six Jia; yin increases and yang wanes. This lesson is also one of six yin in succession; the fortune of the residence has reached its extreme. Yet when things reach the extreme, they must turn. Now six shares of the family dwell together; next year a woman of yin will die, and each will go his separate way, east and west, north and south. You will surely be promoted, somewhat better than before. Later verified: the next year the honored lady of the household died; Bagong went out to dwell elsewhere and subsequently married a former attendant's concubine who brought two thousand strings of cash in goods as dowry. From this he rose in fortune, and died at the age of eighty-four.
Liu Jiangshi, born Geng Wu, forty years old, divines for residence. Ji You year, fifth month, Wu Shen day, Wei general, Mao hour.
Duke Shao said: You are infatuated with an old concubine and have also taken a new one—your vital essence is exhausted. The three transmissions are all wealth, stolen by house thieves. Zi on the residence makes Fei Serpent—the son faces external calamity. The water of the residence improperly is consumed by the longevity point, inviting much controversy. This year the Tai Sui is in water's defeat position, so it can still pass; next year will be unfavorable. You yourself have a visceral toxin that will ultimately torment you. Afterward, by the Ding Si year he had lost eighty percent; by Geng Shen year completely; in the fourth month of Xin You year he died of the visceral toxin.
He Chengwu, born Ding Si, fifty-three years old, divines for residence. Ji You year, second month, Wu Zi day, Xu general, Si hour.
Duke Shao said: In this lesson the day goes to add to the branch—people are many while the residence is cramped. The residence's first transmission issues forth to reach the day—the residence cannot contain so many people, so they will subsequently leave. If each moves out to make his own living, disputes will arise due to Tai Yin's stirring. After thirteen years, people and wealth will also flourish. In the eleventh month of that year he indeed moved out to a shop and ran his own business. Thirteen years later, in the Jia Zi year, there was indeed litigation over family property, ending only in the fourth month of Yi Chou.
Ren Taigong, born Jia Wu, seventy-five years old, divines for residence. Wu Shen year, first month, Bing Xu day, Zi general, Chen hour.
Duke Shao said: In this lesson stem and branch mutually harm each other. First, in all your life oxen and horses will harm themselves. Second, a woman will lose her sight. Third, you yourself have an adulterous maidservant, and the maidservant will follow in wanton arrogance. Fourth, an elderly woman will suffer blood illness becoming consumption. Fifth, there will be disputes over mountain land.
Wang Xiejuan, born Xin Wei, thirty-nine years old, divines for residence. Ji You year, third month, Gui Si day, Xu general, Wei hour.
Duke Shao said: This lesson favors the residence, not the person. If divining illness or litigation, it is truly a closed-mouth hexagram. The grave spirit on the day with Tian Hou indicates sluggishness—the time and fortune are not yet free-flowing. Fortunately, the residence's six-spirit and longevity point attract and bring in—indications of gaining people, a woman pregnant. Hai as Tian Kong riding Ding indicates moving vats and jars. The final transmission—descendants will catch wind-damp illness. The southwest and northwest corners must not be renovated. The fields will suffer flood damage. All verified afterward.
He Xuanyi, born in Ding Chou year, thirty-three years old, divines for residence. Ji You year, third month, Gui Si day, Xu general, You hour.
Duke Shao said: The self is lustful, with lofty ambitions. The three transmissions and the residence are all in the south. Your whole life you will have difficulty with household members. With toil and worry you will accumulate goods. In the final transmission to You, in later years lust intensifies; a concubine will take command, oppressing everyone, and you will ultimately die at that concubine's hand. The family estate will in future be several times larger than today, but afterward will be robbed of goods by this concubine. Later, in Geng Zi it halted; transporting goods to the south brought profit and established the family. Doting excessively on a concubine led to robbery of goods. In the fifth month mourning for the mother-in-law; in the third and fourth months a concubine miscarried.
Lin Chengwu, born Bing Chen, fifty-four years old, divines for residence. Ji You year, sixth month, Xin Mao day, Wu general, Chen hour.
Duke Shao said: Zi on the day stem is a theft qi and also sees Tian Kong—it governs seminal emission from the lower body, and your offspring are unfortunate. The branch suffers fragmentation; middle and final transmissions are both void—the emolument spirit being void, your future is not lasting. The residence violates fragmentation; Zi acts as theft qi—your sons waste and steal goods. Lin had four sons; the things from his hall the sons all stole. He himself constantly suffered urinary dribbling, and the family estate gradually declined.
Feng Xiuzhi, born Ji Mao, thirty years old, divines for residence. Wu Shen year, fifth month, Yi You day, Shen general, Mao hour.
Duke Shao said: In this lesson the branch comes to add to the stem—named the "arriving at the gate, rebellion at the head" lesson. Also, the use spirit is imprisoned and dying; the Dipper Gang ties to the Japan stem and adds to Hai—named the "heavenly prison" lesson. If not great mourning, then certainly great calamity. The branch spirit violates the day; You represents maidservants and concubines—fear a maidservant's death bringing entanglements. First unexpected disturbances, next inauspicious mourning. Also guard against fire. Afterward, a maidservant vying for favor hanged herself; he was detained in Nengren Temple for over a month; his mother died and he entered mourning; his aunt also died; a fire broke out in the kitchen.
Ye Youbing Shop Owner, born Geng Xu, fifty-nine years old, divines for residence. Wu Shen year, sixth month, Wu Chen day, Wei general, You hour.
Duke Shao said: Chou, Hai, You form the extreme yin lesson. Fortunately, in the Jia Zi decade the middle and final are both void, so though there are calamities and dangers, they will not reach the unforeseen. Only the sons and grandsons cause many gateway disputes, dissipating the capital. In old age you will die disappointed. The mother will die of wine-disease, and the family's fortunes will decline. All verified afterward: the mother died in the Xin Hai year; seven sons and daughters married, and the marriage expenses dissipated the estate.
Tong Xiucai, born Geng Chen, twenty-nine years old, divines for residence. Wu Shen year, third month, eleventh day, Yi Wei day, Xu general.
Duke Shao said: In this lesson the person comes to the residence—precisely the lesson of seeking a new residence. A residence cannot lack earth; now the four earths are all complete—front and back, left and right there are mountains. The main mountain is too high, pressing upon the residence. There is a new grave on the mountain that wishes to be opened, and you will surely contend with the grave's owner. On the residence's left, Qing Long with fragmentation—you must fill it with earth; in future you will surely become rich. A woman will be widowed. Also, the northwestern boundary of your land is not yet settled—you will contend with others over boundaries. But unfortunately there are no water issues at all—this indicates that the people produced will be heavy and turbid. It should occur twenty years after building the residence.
He Qi Xiucai, born Ren Shen, thirty-seven years old, divines for residence. Wu Shen year, second month, Jia Zi day, Hai general, Wu hour.
Duke Shao said: Within the year relatives will come—it will certainly become a great imprisonment. The Heavenly Gang ties to the Japan stem—named "heavenly prison" for this reason. Fragmentation as Tai Chang enters the residence—someone in mourning apparel will return to cause disputes and contention over property. In the end a person must be added, and separate stoves will appear. Afterward, in the fourth month the brother-in-law died; in the sixth month the younger brother returned home and raised litigation, which went all the way to the Dali Court, ending only in the twelfth month of the Ren Zi year.
Someone divines for his residence, Wu Shen year, ninth month, Jia Shen day, Chen general, Hai hour.
Duke Shao said: This residence was originally an empty grave. Now the grave spirit causes mischief; within the residence there is constantly a sound. One sees a man walking with a hood on his head—it is a sixty-year-old man buried within; his wandering corpse still comes out to cause anomalies. It often overcomes sons. If you move the stove, the sound will cease. Further, beneath the third room is precisely where this hooded old man is buried—dig down five feet and you will find it. Indeed so.
Yu's Daughter, born Yi You, fifty-one years old, divines for residence. Bing Chen year, fifth month, eighth day, Ding Hai day, Shen hour.
Duke Shao said: This is the "pellet-shooting" pattern: first, a woman suffers blood qi; second, the gate is not tranquil; third, a maidservant will leave; fourth, the head of the household will suffer mouth-and-tongue illness. For this lesson one should alter the gate and door; otherwise mouth-and-tongue troubles will arrive immediately. All verified on the fifteenth of the fifth month.
Shao Sangong, born Ren Shen, thirty-eight years old, divines for residence. Ji You year, first month, Ren Wu day, Zi general, Zi hour.
Duke Shao said: The self naturally has emolument, with mourning attire assisting; all your life you will keep to yourself, clothing and food sufficient. You will have difficulty with the six relatives, children, and wife and concubines. Self-punishment, the handicap of some disability pressing upon you, then auspiciousness. Above the residence there will be additions and constructions; after building, people will enter the household. But afterward the offspring will come out to spend money. At first you will rise through pigs; later you will decline through pigs. The wife is capable of raising the family and bearing sons. Nine years of consumption, successively overcoming sons and grandsons. All verified afterward—he raised pigs to build the family; the wife was capable; of twelve children, seven died; the wife fell to consumption; by Gui Hai only one daughter remained.
Jiang Wenlao divines about his residence. Seventh month, fifteenth day, Ding You day, Wu general, Chen hour.
Duke Shao said: The spirit your family worships is not orthodox, but heterodox. It is something like the one-legged Wutong. It has defiled a young girl, also spoiled a jar of soy paste for you, and snakes have entered the residence. Afterward it was verified—he indeed worshipped a Wutong spirit with a broken leg, and his wife bore a one-legged son.
Xu Daifu, born Yi Chou, divines about his residence. Wu Shen year, first month, Bing Xu day, Zi general, Wei hour.
Duke Shao said: The branch comes to add to the day's grave; on the day Fei Serpent clamps it from both sides—the person is as if in cloud and fog, unable to advance or retreat. Heaven-and-Earth turning killer adds to the residence and overcomes it; Tai Chang is mourning attire; Bing takes Mao as mother, and the mother will die in the sixth month. The wife should not be pregnant; if pregnant, death. In the Zi year the self will not die a natural death. Afterward Xu entered mourning in the fifth month; in Geng Xu he received the post of inspector; in Ren Zi, eleventh month, he was defeated over corruption and cut his own throat.
Guo De divines about his residence. Born Ren Shen, thirty-eight years old. Ji You year, sixth month, Jia Yin day, Wei general, Wu hour.
Duke Shao said: Person and residence both encounter flourishing spirits. Divining in the sixth month is not the flourishing of his own surname—it is guarding the east's flourishing. Only suitable for keeping one's position, not for active operations. If you keep to your position you will naturally enjoy fortune; the moment you act, hardship follows. The sons will each be frequently ill, spending everything and then dying—these are debt-collecting sons.
Ye Zhujiao, born Bing Chen year, fourth month, ninth day, Yin hour, fifty-four years old, divines about his residence. Ji You year, second month, fourth day, Gui Chou day, Hai general, Wu hour.
Duke Shao said: It indicates the water channel of the eastern latrine behind the residence is blocked. First, a person in the household suffers eye illness; second, a person constantly suffers intestinal wind, diarrhea, and dysentery; third, a woman's blood channels are not free-flowing; fourth, a person will die of edema. It is all because the northwestern water route is blocked. If you do not open it, certainly a woman will go mad with a serious illness. All verified afterward. In the Wu Wu year a woman suffered madness after childbirth.
Tong Sanshisi Gong, born Bing Shen, seventy-four years old, divines about his residence. Ji You year, Wu Shen day, Si general, Mao hour.
Duke Shao said: In this lesson the old are sent off by the young—most inauspicious. The initial Zi is also one's offspring; Tian Hou represents a young girl. Having an initial but no middle or final—household affairs do not advance. Xu on the residence as Xuan Wu—the sons will each live separately, each taking wealth into his own hands. The third son is the most unfilial. In that year the third son's wife died, and a young daughter was married off. The next year litigation erupted. The second son died. In the Ren Zi year the eldest son died; in Jia Yin the fourth son died; goods were entirely exhausted. Of Tong Gong's five sons, only two remained.
Wang Siliu Gong, born Gui Chou, fifty-seven years old, divines about his residence. Ji You year, Ren Wu day, Chen general, Shen hour.
Duke Shao said: A water day with a fire bureau—people all call this wealth, not knowing it instead generates the Wei earth on the day, and the earth in turn overcomes water—wealth is transformed into a ghost. This is all unfinished business with household members, spending too freely. Above the residence the sons are not orderly; the timber of the main hall indicates thunder frightening people. After ten more years you will die amid litigation. Afterward, in the Jia Yin year the house was struck by thunder; in Wu Wu year he died in litigation.
Yi Boting, born Jia Xu, thirty-six years old, divines for residence. Ji You year, Bing Wu day, Mao general, Shen hour.
Duke Shao said: Zi combines with Chou, and the final also is longevity. Although Zi overcomes Bing, with Chou and Yin leading the ghost to generate, though the initial and middle have mutual harm, one may expect first inauspicious, later auspicious. However, Yin being void—seeing generation yet not generated, it turns instead into misfortune. In Jia Yin there will surely be great calamity. The Zi and Chou years will be eventful; urgent relocation can avert it. Afterward, in the Jia Yin year he was involved with a condemned criminal's money and imprisoned for over a hundred days. In Ji Wei both wife and mother died. In Geng Shen he lost a son. Only after relocating was he free of it.
Someone divines about his residence. First month, Ding Mao day, Zi general, Mao hour.
Duke Shao said: It indicates a dark and gloomy gateway, with repeated mourning. Also, yin (women, children) have calamity. Zi as Serpent enters the residence as the use; Tiger rides Wu on You in the final transmission; Serpent and Tiger add to the second and eighth gates. In that year the person himself died, and a grandson died as well.
Shi Sheng, in the Ji You year, forty-three years old, divines on the first day of the second month.
Duke Shao said: Behind the residence presses against a mountain; in front there is a river pressing close. Though the water flows east past the house, it then runs straight away. If this is used as a residence foundation, it indicates more daughters than sons, the son becomes a clerk, the grandson a soldier or servant; wealth recedes and people scatter. Afterward she gave birth to four daughters in succession; the son, however, became a county clerk; the grandson became a butcher's boy and joined the army; the residence was washed by flood waters.
Someone divines residence, Gui You day, Si general, Shen hour.
Duke Shao said: Generally, when the four cardinal points add to one another, if not death then ruin. Wu adding to You as the use—Wu fire reaching You is without light. Tian Hou's water also is defeated at You. It indicates men and women wantonly eloping; within the residence there are lascivious and disorderly affairs. Afterward, because the daughter-in-law returned home, the father-in-law debauched her.
Someone divines about his residence. First month, Ji Si day, Wu general, You hour.
Duke Shao said: In the household there is a woman who has lost a tooth. Recently, because of the newly renovated kitchen and stove, work must be done with new bricks. Indeed, his sister had a gap in her teeth, and the stove had been newly built.
Zheng Sangong, born in Xin Hai year, fourth month, first day, Wei hour, fifty-nine years old, divines for a grave site. Ji You year, first month, twenty-third day, Ren Yin day, Zi general, Yin hour.
Duke Shao said: In this lesson the Gen mountain carries the dragon line, the Kan mountain is where the point falls—it is not the true dragon. On the left there is no mountain; on the right there are two layers of White Tiger, the third layer being the facing mound. It indicates your descendants will be lustful and fond of wine, later becoming hired hands at a wine shop. Women are not upright, following others in wanton elopement. Within the coffin there is mud; white ants eat the corpse. On the right side there is water. In the end a person becomes a Daoist novice; you yourself will be ruined by wine, without a wife in old age, taking another's concubine as wife; after six years suffering wine disease, three more years and it's over. All verified afterward.
Xu Chengwu, born Ding Wei, sixty-three years old, divines for a grave site. Ji You year, ninth month, Gui Mao day, Chen general, Mao hour.
Duke Shao said: This ground is very good, but I fear at the present time it cannot be obtained for burial. Front, back, left, and right all have empty caves; beside the mountain there is also a woman's grave. You must spend money to resolve it, then you may bury—you will surely produce honored persons. The best is the water combining with the stars; the mountains and rivers are clear and refined, with twin literary peaks—surely a Mao dragon entering at the head, facing Yi mountain with Xin direction. Afterward Xu bought the Wang family's mountain and in the ninth month of the Geng Xu year buried his wife; afterward his descendants all passed the examinations.
Liu Mijiao divines about residence. Forty-one years old, Ji Si fate, Ji You year, sixth month, first day, Wu Shen day, Wei general, You hour.
Duke Shao said: The family's fortune is in decline. The void on the day overcomes the day and also makes Gou Chen—old affairs of all sorts cling entirely to the self. Wu on the residence with Fei Serpent and the blade of the sheep's sword—the family members will contend over property and scatter in all directions. The initial Chou as Tian Kong in Mao—earth and mud choking the gate and doors; women and maidservants constantly suffer abdominal pain and leucorrhea. The self will suffer spleen diarrhea. In the Yi Mao year the residence was indeed demolished and each went his separate way.
Guo Zhongqi, born Xin Wei, thirty-nine years old, divines for residence. Ji You year, sixth month, Jia Yin day, Wei hour, Yin general.
Duke Shao said: The natal destiny comes on its own to bury the body—called the "heavenly net wrapping oneself." Again, on the natal destiny the first use sees the void, and the middle transmission again approaches the empty position. It indicates overcoming sons and losing sons; the path of official stars is unfavorable; even if you ascend the official road there will be no progress whatsoever. The final sees the wife and wealth—you must remarry. The house has a well, and the well has not yet overcome someone. If you are unwilling to move, you will certainly die within twelve years. The next year Guo indeed moved his residence, and the misfortune was avoided.
The residence and grave cases in Da Liu Ren Duan An · Yuan Ji collectively embody Duke Shao Yanhe's core methodology for judging residences:
I. Stem and branch positioning: person as stem, residence as branch
This is the first principle of Liu Ren residence divination. The day stem represents the querent himself; the day branch represents the residence. The generating/overcoming relationships between stem and branch directly reflect the interaction between person and residence:
II. The dialectic of "not favoring the person" and "not favoring the residence"
When Duke Shao judged residences, he did not simply look at auspicious or inauspicious; rather, he distinguished between "favoring the residence but not the person" and "favoring the person but not the residence." In the Wang Xiejuan case, "favoring the residence, not the person"—the residence's six-spirit and longevity point attract people, but the body riding the grave spirit and Tian Hou indicates stagnation. This distinction reflects a refined understanding of the relationship between dwelling and dweller—the prosperity of the residence does not necessarily equal the smoothness of the person, and vice versa.
III. Positioning rules for the six relations within the residence
IV. Numerical and mathematical inferential methods
Duke Shao's cases abundantly employ math to infer periods and lifespans:
The sources of these numbers include: earthly branch ordinal numbers (Zi one, Chou two, Yin three...), Luoshu numbers (Zi nine, Shen seven, etc.), the five-element generating numbers, sums of Heaven-Earth plates, and so on. This system of numbers must be flexibly combined with the specific lesson structure.
V. Judgment of extreme yin and extreme yang
VI. The multiple meanings of "grave"
In residence divination the "grave" repeatedly appears with rich meanings:
VII. Symbolic correspondences for objects within the residence
Modern transformation of residence and grave divination: Although Duke Shao's residence cases were produced in a Song-dynasty agrarian society, their core logic can be transformed into decision-making tools for contemporary real estate, living environment analysis, and family management.
🏠 Analysis of person-residence matching
Duke Shao repeatedly emphasized "people flourish while the residence is cramped," "the residence cannot contain people," and "the residence cannot contain many people." In the modern context, this issue transforms into: the match between living space and family structure. If a family's numbers grow and its roles change (marriage, childbirth, elderly parents moving in), but the living space remains unchanged, tension similar to "people flourish while residence is cramped" inevitably develops. The lesson structures of "branch coming to add to the stem" and "day going to add to the branch" can analogize the systematic impact of different stress sources on residential satisfaction.
🌳 "Sha" and "Ji" in the living environment
Ancient residence divination concerned trees, ditches, roads, graves, and other external environmental factors. Modern society has different forms, yet the core logic is analogous:
🔄 Mapping of six relations in living space
Duke Shao's residence cases involve to a large extent concubine rivalry, sons depleting wealth, brothers dividing the family, mourning and filial duties, and other family events. This indicates: residential problems often are spatial expressions of family relationship problems.
📊 "Cannot be buried" and resource scarcity
Shao Bodai divined for a house foundation and was told "the branch combining with the void—the residence cannot be obtained." Xu Chengwu divined for graves: "front, back, left, and right all have empty caves," "you must spend money to resolve it, then you may bury." These cases concern the scarcity of land resources and the cost of acquisition—in modern cities, the contest for quality plots, the premium for school-district housing, the soaring prices of grave plots—all essentially connect to this. The divinatory judgment hints at the timing and strategy of resource acquisition ("cannot be obtained by scheming" means one needs to wait for opportunity or alter strategy).
Framework for family decision-making
| Decision Dimension | Divinatory Points | Modern Application |
|---|---|---|
| Home purchase timing | Branch in the void → residence unobtainable | Do not force entry into the market when the environment is immature |
| Relocation judgment | Residence cannot contain people → moving out is auspicious | Consider relocation when living space seriously mismatches family needs |
| Division of family property | Closed mouth/litigation → separate stoves and discontent | Family asset splits need ample communication and legal process |
| Renovation/Remodeling | Hai as Tian Kong riding Ding → moving vats and jars | Plumbing and electrical rerouting need careful planning, avoiding critical nodes |
| Fengshui adjustment | Millstone pressing the east gate → move the millstone | Clearing obstacles inside and outside the gate can improve the residence's fortune |
| Illness prevention | Blocked water routes → all sorts of sickness | Attention should be given to the connection between damp qi in the living environment and health |
| Lifespan warnings | Numerical calculations from the lesson | Incorporate risk factors into personal life-cycle timeline management |
The methodology of "moving resolves calamity": In many cases Duke Shao offers actionable recommendations: "moving is safe," "moving the stove silences the sound," "changing the gate can resolve." These embody the action-oriented character of Liu Ren divination—not passively accepting fate, but changing outcomes by altering environmental variables. In the Tong Desong case, "he moved to a shop to dwell, the room became empty, and the misfortune was thereby dissolved"; in the Guo Zhongqi case, "the next year he moved and the misfortune was avoided"—both are successful applications of this method.
The dialectic of "keeping one's position and acting": In the Guo De case, Duke Shao judged "only suitable for keeping to your position, not for operations; if you keep to your position you will naturally enjoy fortune; the moment you act, hardship follows." This is an important insight about risk preference and fortune cycles—during flourishing periods one may actively advance; during flat periods one should be conservative. This "cycle awareness" is equally critical in modern investment decisions.
"When things reach the extreme, they must turn" and life transitions
In the Xu Bagong case, Gui Hai is "the apex day of the six Jia, when yin grows and yang wanes"—the fortune of the residence has reached its extreme. Duke Shao nevertheless judged: "When things reach the extreme, they must turn... you will surely be promoted, somewhat better than before." This is a typical expression of when adversity ends, prosperity comes, in Liu Ren. When things develop to their extreme, they contain the occasion for reversal. Low points in modern life, viewed through this philosophical lens, can also be seen as "the eve of transformation"—what matters is the wisdom to recognize the "occasion of change" and the action to grasp it.
"Virtue lost and spirit extinguished" and the spiritual dimension of dwelling
The judgment "virtue lost and spirit extinguished—the person dies and the family breaks" in the Tong Desong case treats "virtue" (inner nature) and "spirit" (psychological vitality) as core variables of the residence's fortune. This suggests: a residence is not merely physical space, but a carrier of spiritual energy. If a dwelling is long in a suppressed, obstructed, and dark energy state, it will inevitably affect the residents' psychological state and vitality. Modern research on "sick building syndrome" in environmental psychology resonates intriguingly with this ancient wisdom.
The paradox of "self-punishment pressed by disability then auspicious"
In the Shao Sangong case, "self-punishment—the handicap of disability pressing upon you then auspiciousness" contains profound dialectical wisdom: certain structural defects can instead become the key to balancing the whole. Like the "sacrificial component" design in modern engineering—letting one part bear stress to preserve the whole. Certain "imperfections" in life are sometimes necessary components of a stable system.
The cognitive pitfall of "seeing wealth transformed into ghost"
In the Wang Siliu case, "a water day with a fire bureau—people all call it wealth, not knowing that instead it generates the Wei earth on the stem, and the earth overcomes water—wealth becomes a ghost." This is a profound analysis of apparent benefits versus substantive harm. Modern investment likewise teems with traps that "look profitable but are actually losses"—high-interest financial products, overleveraging, hidden risks in apparent growth. Duke Shao's judgment reminds people that judging "wealth" versus "ghost" requires examining not merely the surface form, but the internal pathways of generation and overcoming and the final destination.