《儒门崇理折衷堪舆完孝录》Vol. 1

An explanation of the purpose and contents of Record of Complete Filial Piety:

Books on landform and terrain, such as Snow Heart Rhapsody and Classic of Burial, have already discussed their subjects in great detail. Books on stellar influences and Qi, such as Treatise on Urging Officials and Jade Ruler Classic, have likewise covered them thoroughly. Why should I repeat what they say? This book includes only material the ancients did not discuss, or mentioned without explaining at length. It leaves out stale ideas. However, the discussions of the Guang□ Xiong family, the Li family of Rao’an, the Ji family of Kuocang, the Zhou family of Taihe, the Wu family of Linchuan, and others accord with reason and have not yet circulated widely, so I have included them as well.

The sayings of worthy people from earlier generations can all serve as guides to landform and the movement of Qi. By contrast, the method of using the Seven Luminaries—that is, the Sun, Moon, and five planets, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury—to calculate the years and months for determining a person’s fate is rarely known. For this reason, this book discusses landform and Qi less, and the Seven Luminaries more. On landform, it retains only the writings in the current style; on the Seven Luminaries, it preserves writings in both the current and classical styles.

The system of Heavenly Stems, Purple and White, a form of divination related to the Five Phases’ cycles, the movements of Qi, and the flying stars of the Nine Palaces, explains the patterns governing the changes of the Five Phases’ cycles and the movements of Qi, and reveals the mysteries of the Luo Writing and the Yellow River Chart. Its principles are linked to those of the Seven Luminaries, and it too is rarely known, so I have included it here.

Benevolent people and filial children act from pure filial devotion, without seeking anything in return. But might discussion in this book of good and ill fortune, as well as events later borne out, not lead people astray? Truly filial people are rare in this world, so the author cites these examples of events that came to pass in order to encourage others. Not every statement in the book is necessarily fulfilled in every case.

Geomancy and fengshui traditionally emphasize stillness and composure. When the ancients established fengshui methods, they often observed changes in the movement of Qi from a state of stillness, and so they used many flexible techniques. “Flexibility” means adapting as circumstances require. Only sages can apply such adjustments appropriately; when ordinary practitioners misuse them, it is rare for this not to lead to harm. This book discusses only the standard methods. It omits material involving unusual and arcane matters that relies on flexible techniques.

Contents of the Record of Complete Filial Piety, Part One

Volume One

Chapter One: On the Orthodox Principles of Yin-Yang

Chapter Two: On the Free Flow and Obstruction of the Movement of Qi

Chapter Three: On the Rank and Status Indicated by the Color of Qi

Chapter Four: On True and False Qi Colors

Chapter Five: On the Generating and Overcoming Relations Among the Five Qi

Chapter Six: On the Qi Dynamics of Heaven and Earth

Chapter Seven: On Dragon, Acupoint, Sand, and Water

Chapter Eight: On the Dragon

Chapter Nine: On the Acupoint

Chapter Ten: On Sand

Chapter Eleven: On Water

Chapter Twelve: On the Gorge Position

Chapter Thirteen: On Form and Configuration

Chapter Fourteen: On Determining the Acupoint

Chapter Fifteen: On Verifying the Acupoint

Chapter Sixteen: On Stellar Qi

Chapter Seventeen: On the Pole Halo

Chapter Eighteen: On the Four Guardian Stars and Constellations

Chapter Nineteen: On the Left and Right Facing Peaks

Chapter Twenty: On Construction of the Form

Chapter Twenty-One: On False Appearances

Chapter Twenty-Two: On Constraints

Chapter Twenty-Three: On the Crossing of Degrees

Chapter Twenty-Four: On the Generating and Overcoming Relations of the Five Phases

Chapter Twenty-Five: On the Three Harmonies

Chapter Twenty-Six: On Responding and Listening

Chapter Twenty-Seven: On the Clashes and Combinations of the Governing Spirit

Chapter Twenty-Eight: On Forming an Acupoint in an Altered Configuration

Chapter Twenty-Nine: On the Essentials of Searching for the Dragon

Chapter Thirty: On the Essentials of Dwellings and Graves

Volume Two

Chapter Thirty-One: On the Orthodox Method of Choosing the Date

Chapter Thirty-Two: On Heavenly Timing

Chapter Thirty-Three: On Creating a Destiny

Chapter Thirty-Four: On Configurations

Chapter Thirty-Five: On the Person’s Destiny

Chapter Thirty-Six: On Examining Qi

Chapter Thirty-Seven: On Calculating the Stars

Chapter Thirty-Eight: On the Two and Five

Chapter Thirty-Nine: On the Two and Five of Mountain and Direction

Here, “dragon,” “acupoint,” “sand,” and “water” are terms from geomancy: they refer respectively to the course of a mountain range, the selected terrain position, the hills or landforms surrounding the acupoint site, and flowing water. The other terms in the contents are also technical concepts in geomantic theory.

Chapter Forty discusses the Seven Luminaries; Chapter Forty-One, the passage through the palaces; Chapter Forty-Two, determining the time; Chapter Forty-Three, astronomy; Chapter Forty-Four, the movement of Heaven; Chapter Forty-Five, the fixed stars (stars whose positions are relatively constant); Chapter Forty-Six, the wandering stars (planets whose positions change); Chapter Forty-Seven, the correspondences between stars and regions; and Chapter Forty-Eight, the Imperial Star.

Chapter Forty-Nine examines questions about the Five Planets. Chapter Fifty discusses the central needle, a method of indicating direction on a compass. Chapter Fifty-One covers the Sun and Moon, the two luminaries; Chapter Fifty-Two, the Celestial Mechanism; Chapter Fifty-Three, Mars; Chapter Fifty-Four, Saturn; Chapter Fifty-Five, Venus; Chapter Fifty-Six, Mercury; Chapter Fifty-Seven, Purple Qi; Chapter Fifty-Eight, Yuebo; Chapter Fifty-Nine, Rahu; and Chapter Sixty, Ketu. These are all names for celestial bodies in the traditional system of astrology.

Volume Three is titled “Rules for Choosing Auspicious Dates.” It presents rules and examples concerning Dragon Veins, sites, Yin-Yang, and the Five Phases in geomantic date selection. Its topics include the Yin-Yang and Five Phases of years, months, days, and hours; the Yin-Yang and Five Phases of the four seasons; the Three Cycles; and the Five Phases’ cycles of growth and decline, generation, and control. It also gives examples involving fixed stars, wandering stars, the Destiny Palace, the Body Palace, the Ruling Star, the Star of Use, beneficent stars, and hostile influences and calamities. The volume then explains methods for calculating months from the year, hours from the day, major and minor cycles, the initial period, major period, and minor period, as well as the Three Harmonies, Four Cardinal Points, flanking palaces, talismanic markers, and the stars of day and night. It also includes the names of the Earth Plate, the divisions of the Heaven Plate, the conjunctions of the Sun and Moon, the length of day and night, oppositions, and essentials for observing the stars.

Volume Four is organized around the “Introduction to the Seven Luminaries.” It sets out how to apply the Seven Luminaries and includes diagrams or methods covering Yin-Yang and the Five Phases, the positioning of the Human Element, the Five Phases’ cycles of growth and decline, generation, and control, sunrise and sunset, the Moon’s dawn and dusk, the celestial regions associated with stars, the passage of fixed stars through the palaces, the positioning of stars, the degrees of the celestial sphere, star charts, and the calculation of degrees.

These headings mainly describe how to determine a chart according to the celestial phenomena and positions of the stars at particular times. They cover the Celestial Cycle, the Sun, the Moon, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, Mercury, Purple Qi, the Moon’s Apogee, Luo and Ji, the Imperial Star, and other bodies. “Orbital position” refers to where a celestial body lies along the ecliptic; “determining the chart” means arranging the chart on that basis. “Chart diagrams and degree methods” explains the diagrams and degrees used to construct the charts.

The text next lists the order and relative strength of the twelve palaces, the positions and degrees of the body and destiny palaces, and the degrees through which each star moves in the twelve palaces. It also includes charting methods for the stars in the Six Jia years, a system of years beginning with the six Jia years, such as Jiazi and Jiaxu.

Volume Five cites the Correct Classic of the Heavenly Talisman and presents diagrams of the Five Cycles and Six Qi, as well as diagrams for the governing influences of Heaven and Earth, transformations of Qi, governing Qi, guest Qi, and the relations of support, generation, restraint, and drainage. The Five Cycles and Six Qi are an ancient system for explaining changes in the climate of Heaven and Earth and their cycles. “Governing Heaven” and “Residing in the Earth” refer respectively to the influences that govern the transformation of Qi during the first and second halves of the year. “Governing Qi” and “guest Qi” distinguish the relatively fixed climatic Qi from the Qi that rotates through the year. The text then introduces technical concepts such as the Heavenly Talisman, Yearly Meeting, Combined Heavenly Talisman, Combined Yearly Meeting, Great Unity Heavenly Talisman, and Longevity Heavenly Talisman. It also discusses calendrical methods such as the sexagenary cycle and the methods of advancing the spirit and receiving the Qi, along with directional categories such as the Eastern Dragon, Southern Dragon, Dragons of the Four Corners, Western Dragon, and Northern Dragon, as well as transformed images, associated images, and the Six Configurations.

Volume Six cites The Nine Palaces and Purple-White Stars and explains how to calculate and apply the Nine Palaces and Purple-White Stars. This is a divination method that assigns star numbers to the nine palaces according to periods such as the year and month. The material includes a general discussion of the Nine Palaces and Purple-White Stars and diagrams of their directions; prohibitions and taboos when palace stars and Sha influences arrive in a direction; and methods for calculating and arranging the annual and monthly White Stars of the Three Cycles.

Contents and Beginning of Volume One of A Confucian Compendium on Geomancy for Fulfilling Filial Piety

This section first lists the titles of the chapters that follow. They concern illustrated explanations for calculating the Three Yuan days and hours, methods for determining and interpreting the Grand-Year Star, and the material in Volume Seven on the Five Stars, palace positions and degrees, the movements of the Sun and Moon, placing a person’s fate in the Twelve Palaces, calculating year limits, and the courses of the stars. It then lists the simplified burial rites in Volume Eight, including preparing the coffin, choosing a date to open the grave, making offerings to the Earth Deity, digging the grave pit, laying the ash partition, engraving the tombstone inscription, and placing the tombstone and spirit tablet. It also includes a record of the grave pit of Master Wen’s father. A note at the end of the contents says that, because the contents in the source edition differ from the main text, the entries here have been supplemented from the main text.

Volume One is titled “On the Orthodox Lineage of Yin-Yang.” It opens: “Since Heaven came into being…” The original text breaks off here.

Since Heaven and Earth came into being, Yin and Yang have divided and transformed. The highest principle runs through Heaven and Earth, while primordial Qi has flowed from ancient times to the present. The space between Heaven and Earth may seem dark and silent, yet amid its endless transformations it opens and closes. It may seem chaotic and unfathomable, yet it holds wondrous changes within it. At times these appear as the waxing and waning, advance and retreat of Yin and Yang; at others, as the generation and restraint of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). All alternations of flourishing and decline, emptiness and fullness, depend on the subtle workings of creation and transformation.

The mysteries of Heaven and Earth’s workings may be impossible to know completely, but some of their patterns can be examined. The sun, moon, and stars travel across the sky, each along its own course; mountains, rivers, soil, and stone take shape on the earth, each with its own configuration. By tracing the movements of celestial phenomena, one can assess the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of years, months, days, and hours. By observing the terrain, one can judge the fortunes and misfortunes associated with the dragon, cave, sand, and water—that is, the mountain ranges, burial site, protective ridges, and watercourses in fengshui. The Dao runs through Heaven, Earth, and humanity, the Three Powers, whose principles are fundamentally one. Only those who can bring the principles of all three together are fit to receive Heaven’s mandate and assist the workings of creation. How could people who cling to one side or one doctrine shoulder such a responsibility?

Some people speak grandly, claiming to resemble Yang Yunsong and Zeng Wenchuan, fengshui masters of the late Tang and Five Dynasties period. Others sketch terrain and draw diagrams, imagining they have mastered the skills of Liao Yu and Lai Buyi, legendary fengshui masters. Yet when asked about astronomy and geography, they may have little real understanding. They leave great principles unaddressed and obsess over minor details; they fail to grasp the whole, yet cling to partial views. They do not understand how a landscape faces or turns away, but discuss fortune and misfortune based only on directions. They disregard the calendrical methods and timekeeping standards established by the sages, and instead use miscellaneous doctrines to draw conclusions about dates and hours.

False books and absurd claims appear one after another. There cannot be two suns in the sky; this is an unchanging truth from ancient times to the present. Yet among those who discuss the sun today, some speak of calendrical calculations, others of methods such as the Crow and Hare or the Doujian system, and together they list seven different suns. There cannot be two rulers among humanity; this is a maxim of the sages. Yet among those who discuss the Emperor Star today, there are notions such as the Venerable Emperor, the Heavenly Emperor, and the Kou Dou, and they mix together thirteen different Emperor Stars. Those who discuss Yin-Yang transformations divide them into such categories as contending Yin, contending Yang, divided Yin, divided Yang, true Yin, true Yang, precelestial, and postcelestial, without understanding that Taiji and Yin-Yang are one principle. Those who discuss the Five Phases distinguish among such doctrines as Yinfu, Hongfan, Bagua, Twin Mountains, Xuan Kong, Na Yin, Huntian, and the constellations, without realizing that the fundamental principles by which the Five Phases generate and transform are not divided into two systems.

These doctrines are too numerous to list, yet their adherents are found throughout the world. The resulting cacophony of opinions can leave people unable to find a burial place for a generation or two; truth and falsehood become hard to distinguish, and even after decades they cannot settle on a burial date. This shows that false arts cannot be relied upon; what is truly dependable lies in a person’s own heart. Only when people are good at heart can they become outstanding, and the places where they dwell reveal their spiritual vitality. Even a slight failing in one’s intentions means the land cannot offer protection, and the spirits will not grant their blessing. Because Hu Longtou governed harshly, signs of disaster appeared within ten days. Hu Niumian was buried on a mountainside, and later rose to the rank of Grand Councilor. The turning points of rise and decline, success and failure, are ultimately arranged by Heaven’s mandate. Greedy scheming and deceitful pursuit are therefore wasted effort. Digging up one’s own ancestral grave is like cutting one’s own flesh to satisfy hunger; secretly burying someone on another person’s burial ground is no different from covering one’s ears while stealing a bell.

I urge people to uphold what is right and cultivate their hearts: this is the foundation for finding a good burial site. Following the principles of Heaven is the foundation of the study of landforms. Do not put your faith in so-called enlightened masters, and do not be misled by illusionists. In assessing land, begin with the Five-Star landforms method, which judges terrain by the shapes of mountains; doctrines based on hexagram formulas or celestial stars do not deserve blind adherence. In choosing a date, give priority to the essential principles of the Seven Luminaries, a method based on the movements of the sun, moon, and five planets; the miscellaneous doctrines of the many schools cannot be trusted. Hold to the correct principles of Yin-Yang, and you can penetrate the mysteries of creation and transformation. The four sentences beginning “In assessing land, use the Five Stars” express the central idea of the entire text.

Dragon, vital point, surrounding hills, and water describe the landforms of mountains and rivers. The rise and decline of a place, and the waxing and waning of its fortunes, depend on changes in the Qi of the land. A site may have excellent landforms, but if the land’s Qi has not yet arrived, it will not immediately bring blessings. For example, Confucius was born at Mount Niqiu, and Shen Bo at Mount Song. Were these mountains and rivers any different in ancient times? The time of their fortune had simply not yet come; even the transformations of Heaven and Earth could not bring that moment forward. Conversely, even an excellent site will no longer bring blessings if the land’s Qi has dispersed. Shun was born at Zhufeng, and King Wen of Zhou at Qizhou. Had the mountains and rivers changed in later generations? The time of their fortune had simply run its course; even the transformations of Heaven and Earth could not make that moment return.

The Qi of Heaven and Earth circulates without end and never stagnates. The Luoyang of antiquity is no longer what it once was, while today’s capital is more prosperous than it was in ancient times. The mountains and rivers are the same, yet blessings may come early or late, endure for a long or short time. The reason lies solely in whether the time of fortune has arrived or been exhausted. Why, then, cling to the forms of dragon, vital point, surrounding hills, and water?

Yet changes in prosperity and decline often show signs in advance. Thus auspicious portents appearing in the Yellow River and the Luo River foretold the emergence of the Gua Chou—systems and principles derived through the trigrams and numerical patterns. The qilin appearing in the fields foretold the rise of a ruler’s institutions; the Yellow River running clear foretold the accession of a sage king; and the five planets gathering foretold the simultaneous birth of worthy men. These signs all concern the prosperity of the realm and its state. Such, in general, is how the finest Qi of Heaven and Earth appears as auspicious portents. When the allotment of Qi is nearing its end, strange omens arise, and baleful Qi gathers with them.

This Qi of fortune can be vast enough to encompass all things, yet subtle enough to run through the smallest details. Prosperity and decline can be discerned even in marketplaces, homes, and tombs. Enter a village and approach a house or tomb. If animals thrive and plants flourish, the air is mild, the valleys bright, the water deep, the soil rich, and the scenery graceful; if, at dawn, dusk, or midnight, auspicious light appears and harmonious Qi rises, as though the faint sound of bells and drums could be heard in the distance; if the elderly walk steadily with their canes, adults carry themselves with confidence, children are all bright and handsome, and people live in harmony, joy, and mutual courtesy—these are signs of flourishing Qi, which will surely bring great blessings.

If plants are withered and scorched, animals have dispersed, the wind sounds bleak, the scene is desolate, the mountains and rivers are damaged, and the valleys are dark; if at dawn, dusk, or midnight no light appears and obstructed Qi gathers, leaving the surroundings as silent as an uninhabited place; if there are no elders in the household, the young are frail and weak, wind constantly blows through the rooms, and the courtyard is filled with defiance and quarrels—these are signs of declining Qi, and calamity often follows swiftly.

Some households show baleful Qi in different colors. A mournful, ashen pallor portends death; dark, rotten, stagnant Qi portends illness and pestilence; dry, blazing red Qi, steaming with heat, portends calamities such as fire and lawsuits. Moss, white down, or a hen crowing are also taken to result from baleful Qi.

A tomb mound that sinks for no apparent reason, trees uprooted by the wind, or a tomb struck by lightning may also signal a decline in a family’s fortunes. Scorched, dry, exposed soil on a tomb indicates strong Fire Qi and may attract insects and ants. Mugwort growing alone on a tomb, or white grass or a white-leaved tree growing there, indicates strong Water Qi and may mean that a spring will appear. Where the mountains are large but the water is small, and there is no dragon or vital point, white ants are likely to appear; where the mountains are small but the water is abundant, and there is no dragon or vital point, springs are likely to emerge. A good dragon vein buried in a place without living Qi may bring the same troubles. If plants flourish all around but nothing grows on the tomb, it may be full of white ants; if moss grows only on the tomb and nowhere else nearby, the grave may be filled with spring water. Gravel in a grave inevitably leads to water; burying someone in a place charged with killing Qi can also bring white ants. A burial in a hollow, low-lying place is prone to flooding; a burial in hard, unyielding ground is prone to ants. According to this book, all these are natural consequences of the decline of the land’s Qi.

These are only broad patterns of flourishing and declining Qi. Careful observation and inquiry can reveal many subtler changes. Today, when people see auspicious signs such as lingzhi mushrooms, they usually prize them greatly, yet the signs they offer differ. When a lingzhi first emerges, it looks like a canopy, with only its tip faintly showing; or it is like a bee releasing honey, seeming to make a faint sound that cannot actually be heard. This indicates that the time of fortune has only just begun to flourish.

Next, the lingzhi reveals its cap, and the canopy shows its eaves. What had seemed to make a sound can now truly be heard. Its colors may be red, yellow, or scarlet, or it may display patterns in which several colors intermingle. These are signs that fortune is flourishing. Later, the lingzhi grows a stalk, and the canopy reveals its support. The scene becomes so abundant that it fills the eye, and the sound so pervasive that it fills the ear. This is fortune at its height. After reaching its peak, it turns toward decline.

The lingzhi’s stalk grows long, and the canopy’s support rises high. The sound of drums seems to recede into the distance; thunder seems to rise from low to high. The five-colored auspicious Qi is dense on the outside and pale within. These are signs that decline is approaching. The lingzhi’s stalk then leans and floats, no longer touching the ground; the canopy’s support stands high, swaying without anything to hold it. The drums sound farther and farther away, and the thunder seems to pass at a great height. The five-colored Qi breaks into drifting patches, gathering and dispersing without pattern. These are signs that decline is becoming visible. Finally, the lingzhi and canopy rot and decay; the sounds grow distant and hollow, the dense colors suddenly fade, and the auspicious Qi drifts like a remnant star about to disappear or a dead leaf stirred by the wind. This is decline at its extreme. The wise should learn to observe these changes carefully.

The Bu Clan says, “Reading the land is like reading a person.” This explains how to observe Feng Shui by comparing it to the way one reads a person. I have seen skilled face readers judge a person’s rank and status from their physique, then discern their fortune and prospects from their complexion. Only after examining both can they form a full picture. Those who read Feng Shui today look only at the shapes of mountains and the lay of the land, without observing its colors and atmospheric signs. Their judgments are therefore often less accurate than those made by reading a person.

Master Fan says that clouds often appear above the lofty ancestral mountain, which rises like a tower or palace; Master Yang says that seeking a dragon by observing the Qi is easy. These statements show that the ancients always gave great importance to Qi when reading Feng Shui. Yet the faintest, hardest-to-see Qi is also the most difficult to distinguish. Its signs are easier to detect at first light, at sunset, after rain has cleared, and especially in the middle of the night. According to this system, blue-green and red belong to Yang Qi, white and black to Yin Qi, while yellow with a lustrous sheen indicates Qi in which Yin and Yang are harmonized.

The height and shape of the Qi can be used to estimate the scale and length of a dragon’s lair; its breadth can suggest the number of surrounding mountains and the extent of the waters. Upright Qi that surges straight upward indicates that the principal lair is usually on a main dragon, the primary mountain range. Qi that drifts on a slant indicates that the principal lair is usually on a branch ridge. Qi on a main dragon is generally powerful and lofty, while Qi on a branch ridge is lower, smaller, and clearer. Strong mountain contours bring abundant Qi; weak contours bring fine, faint Qi. As the saying goes, for every ten li a dragon vein travels, its force rises by one zhang.

The text then links different Feng Shui configurations and human destinies to the colors and shapes of Qi. At a lair associated with wealth and rank, the Qi appears piled in layers, vividly colored and somewhat dense. At a lair associated with high honor, it looks like an open canopy, clear and unusual. Qi first issues as a thin line, then gathers into a canopy: dense and luxuriant, like clouds or mist, and resembling banners and crowns. When it appears yellow mingled with five colors and takes the shape of a coiled dragon, it is called flourishing Qi and signifies a place suited to an emperor. The text explains that imperial Qi combines Yin and Yang and gathers the essence of the Five Phases. Yellow belongs to Earth and symbolizes the ruler; the dragon also symbolizes the ruler. Thus this Qi has abundant yellow coloring and a dragonlike form.

Bright red Qi rising in distinct layers, like a rainbow, the moon, or a phoenix in flight, is called auspicious Qi and signifies a place suited to an empress or consort. Qi that is white tinged with yellow, blue-green in front and purple behind, or blue-green like an ox’s head and red like a tiger’s tail, is said to signify a place suited to a formidable general or a marquis or lord. Qi that begins like clouds or mist and later boils like liquid in a cauldron, blue-green within and red without, or that resembles a shooting star illuminating the ground, a dragon rising into the air, or a phoenix in flight, is called Qi of good fortune and celebration and signifies a place suited to a chief minister. A straight line of red and white Qi shooting toward the sun signifies a loyal, outspoken remonstrating official. Red Qi shaped like a rainbow and touched with other colors signifies outstanding literary talent and the prospect of attaining first place in the examinations. Pure white or pure yellow Qi signifies a local magistrate. Red, yellow, purple, and white Qi mingled with clear blue-green signifies an exceptional talent of the Hanlin Academy. Red, yellow, black, and white Qi mingled together in a dense form signifies a person destined for distinction.

Qi that first issues as a thin line and finally gathers into a jeweled canopy, complete with all five colors, light and clear as it rises, with distinct patterns, and resembling measured steps, a pagoda, banners, or ceremonial standards and streamers lit by the sun and stars, is called extraordinary Qi and signifies a place suited to an immortal. The text says this kind of Qi often appears on dragon veins such as the Flying Goose Dragon and the Iron Crutch Dragon. Qi in all five colors, upright and unbiased, with the bearing of a minister standing in court, is called upright Qi and signifies a place suited to the study of the Dao. It is often found on dragon veins such as the Central Dragon and the Reclusive Scholar Dragon.

In general, bright blue-green and red Qi signify civil officials, while clear, upright white and black Qi signify military officers. A trace of lustrous yellow among blue-green, red, white, or black signifies a person suited to both civil and military service. Qi shaped like a flying bird is thought to produce literary talent; Qi shaped like a running beast is thought to produce military officers. Qi that is powerful and illuminates the sky signifies the ability to become a general or chief minister. Qi that is low and small but bright also signifies a civil official with military ability. The height and breadth of the Qi indicate the rank of an official; its size and density indicate how long that rank can be maintained.

The text also uses directions, stellar divisions, and Earthly Branches to determine where an official’s position and emoluments will lie, and which zodiac signs will receive protection. “Stellar divisions” are the names given to regions of the sky in ancient China; “terrestrial correspondences” map those celestial regions onto places on earth. For example, if both the birth position and the lair lie in the northern direction associated with Zi, and auspicious Qi falls in the Xuánxiāo stellar division, the official’s post is said to correspond to the land of Song, benefiting those born in the years of Hai, Mao, or Wei. Other directions are similarly matched with different stellar divisions, ancient states, and combinations of zodiac signs. This passage describes one traditional method of deriving correspondences from direction in Feng Shui.

There is no fixed direction for promotion in office, and auspicious Qi shifts accordingly. If the birth position and the mountain orientation both lie in the direction associated with Zi, while Qi of rank and honor appears in the direction associated with Shen, the person’s official career is said to correspond to the land of Jin. If the auspicious Qi later moves to the direction associated with Chen, it is said to correspond to Zheng; if it shifts again to the direction associated with Wu, it corresponds to Zhou. Qi rising from low to high and growing more distinct signifies promotion. A gradual decline in height and strength signifies demotion; its disappearance signifies dismissal; and its drifting toward the mountain orientation signifies resignation and a return to one’s hometown. The book concludes that these changes cannot all be described in detail: only a wise and perceptive person can investigate their subtle variations.

The qi visible over the land may be genuine or false. False qi can look genuine, while genuine qi may sometimes appear false. A place that brings good fortune has an especially unusual appearance: its qi gathers and unfurls like a jeweled canopy, or grows dense and vigorous like a sacred fungus. Seen from afar, its glow and shadow are visible; up close, its form cannot be grasped. It may appear red, yellow, purple, scarlet, or white, with a moist sheen; it may also be black and lustrous, or intermingle in five colors and countless forms, like brocade in the sky or a richly patterned design. The scripture holds that these are auspicious qi arising naturally and gathering over the land, revealing their luminous essence in this way.

Some qi appears white or blue, spreading horizontally with a distinct outline yet seeming thin and insubstantial. This must be formed by the meeting of sunlight and water vapor. The dawn glow at sunrise, the rosy clouds at sunset, the light around the moon as it rises or sets, clouds after rain, dampness in the mountains, and mist over rivers and marshes may all shine. Pearls hidden in marshes lend them a lustrous beauty; jade within mountains makes them gleam. Ancient cellars and tombs may also give off a glow. The light of swords and knives, as well as withered old plants and objects from long ago, may appear as light or flame. Human blood and the blood of birds and animals left in the open for a long time may sometimes glow or show a night flame. A demonic snake exhales qi like clouds, a demonic pheasant exhales qi like brocade, and a demonic tortoise exhales qi like rosy clouds; the qi breathed out by a mirage creature often gathers into the shape of pavilions. There are also phenomena known as divine fire, ghost fire, earth lamps, and shrine lamps, too numerous to list one by one. These are all false qi that looks like genuine qi.

In general, genuine qi is broad above and narrow below, pale on the outside and dense within, dark on the outside and bright within; it has both force and radiance. False qi is narrow above and broad below, dense on the outside and pale within, bright on the outside and dark within; it has radiance but no force. Genuine qi rises from mountain peaks, while false qi lies across their slopes. Genuine qi tends to gather in bright, open places; false qi is more often found in deep, secluded valleys. Genuine qi commonly appears where many mountains converge, while false qi is more often seen in places marked by isolated Yin or Yang. If one cannot distinguish them precisely, one may mistake a magpie for a phoenix, a wild crow for a luan bird, or even a lizard for a dragon.

There is no need to discuss false qi further. Genuine qi is divided into dragon qi, cavity qi, surrounding-hill qi, and water qi. The qi of the ancestral dragon—the source of a mountain range—must shine conspicuously; the qi within a geomantic cavity should have its own distinctive radiance. The qi of the surrounding hills, ridges, and mounds supports the dragon vein and the cavity. Therefore, when observing qi over the surrounding hills, one must judge it by the qi of the dragon and cavity. One cannot conclude that an auspicious site lies on a hill simply because the qi there appears strong.

For example, if a dragon and cavity lie in the east, white or red qi over the surrounding hills; or if they lie in the south, black or yellow qi over the hills—these colors all signify qi that overcomes or drains the force of that direction, and are generally inauspicious. Only when the dragon and cavity themselves are exceptionally strong might they escape calamity. Conversely, black, moist qi over the hills of an eastern dragon and cavity, or green, moist qi over those of a southern one, is auspicious. Even if the dragon and cavity themselves are weak, this will not bring misfortune.

Qi that overcomes or drains the local force brings less harm when it falls in a disadvantaged position among the Five Phases; qi that generates or supports brings less benefit there as well. Fire in the north and Water in the east, for example, are both in disadvantaged positions. Water qi takes the same forms as the qi over surrounding hills.

Spring belongs to green Qi (vital energy), summer to red Qi, autumn to white Qi, and winter to black Qi. Yellow Qi circulates between the four seasons, taking a different form in each. Green Qi is especially strong in spring, so even the appearance of white Qi does no harm. Red radiance is strong in summer, so there is no need for concern even when black Qi appears. When white Qi is strong, there is no need to fear the arrival of red Qi; when black Qi is strong, there is no need to worry about yellow Qi. When Earth Qi is strong in summer, the presence of Wood Qi does not necessarily bring calamity; when yellow Qi is strong, encountering green Qi does not necessarily mean it will be overcome. Observe the force of the Qi carefully: if strong Qi does not fear being overcome, then weak Qi clearly cannot give life to other Qi. Spring’s Earth Qi can scarcely nourish Metal Qi; how, then, could white Qi in high summer nourish Water Qi? Fire Qi in winter cannot rescue the Earth Qi of the season’s end, and Wood Qi in autumn cannot attend to flourishing Fire Qi.

At the turn from one season to another, Water Qi weakens, and green and yellow Qi are affected as well. The green Qi of the East is light and drifting, and is naturally vulnerable to white dew. If fine threads of red and purple Qi appear, they foretell an imperial banquet and success in the civil service examinations. The white Qi of the West is fresh and rising; it should not meet strong red Qi. If black Qi appears faintly, it foretells success after enduring hardship. Weak red Qi fears black Qi, but if yellow Qi (Earth Qi) appears, one may look forward to achievement. When Water Qi is insufficient, the presence of Earth Qi is inauspicious; if green and yellow Qi appear, one’s undertakings can succeed.

Although yellow Qi fears Wood Qi, white Qi can rescue Earth Qi. If only green Qi appears, it may bring illnesses of the sinews and bones; if only red Qi appears, it may invite imprisonment; excessive yellow Qi may bring an epidemic; isolated white Qi may foretell death. When black Qi appears in the North, whatever its color, it may bring unexpected disaster. These claims need not be doubted: if green, red, yellow, and white Qi are dry and dull, without a moist sheen, or if black Qi is damp and stagnant, without radiance, they are inauspicious. If the signs are harmonious, there is no need to worry unduly even when calamity is indicated.

Disordered, irregular green Qi can foretell the appearance of spirit mediums and ritual specialists; sharp, strange red radiance can foretell a litigator. White Qi that is scattered and drifting may foretell descendants who are stubborn and violent; black radiance that slants downward or appears askew may foretell descendants with physical impairments. Yellow Qi that is dim and dull may foretell blindness, deafness, muteness, or other disabilities. When green Qi is disordered, changes abound; when black Qi is disordered, sexual misconduct abounds; when red Qi is disordered, literary achievement is hard to attain; when white Qi is disordered, warfare is likely; when yellow Qi is disordered, illness is likely.

The appearance of red and yellow Qi is usually considered auspicious, but disordered red Qi in the West may bring blood disorders, while disordered yellow Qi in the North may foretell weakness. Green and black Qi may seem inauspicious, yet if green Qi appears with a moist sheen in the South, its radiance becomes more striking; if fresh black Qi appears in the East, it too reveals a flourishing vitality. Clearly, the auspicious may conceal the inauspicious, and the inauspicious the auspicious: this is the natural pattern of change.

Qi that is excessively strong can make a person fierce and forceful; Qi that is too weak makes one prone to loneliness and hardship. When strength reaches its extreme, the family line is quickly cut off; when weakness reaches its extreme, it too ultimately dies out. The timing differs, but the outcome is the same.

This chapter discusses “Qi” and “Ji” between Heaven and Earth. It first explains Qi, then form. Fengshui begins with discerning the movements of Qi; without understanding them, there is no basis for discussing fengshui. Qi connects with Heaven, while Ji reaches the Earth, and the two are distinct. The author offers examples here in the hope that later generations will grasp the principle.

Both Qi and Ji are divided into “advance, completion, withdrawal, and decline.” Advance and completion are auspicious signs; withdrawal and decline are inauspicious. Observe the dragon veins, the acupoint, and the surrounding hills and water, then determine which category the Qi and Ji belong to. When they advance or reach completion, the place is considered noble or prosperous, bringing honor and flourishing fortunes; even those who were poor and lowly may live in security. When they withdraw or decline, the dragon vein is considered weakened, potentially leading to a family’s impoverishment and illness. Even those who were once wealthy and eminent may gradually fall into ruin.

Each of the four seasons corresponds to a particular manifestation of the Five Phases: spring belongs to Wood, with Qi appearing green and Ji rising; summer belongs to Fire, with Qi appearing red and Ji blazing; autumn belongs to Metal, with Qi appearing white and Ji harmonizing; winter belongs to Water, with Qi appearing black and Ji settling into stillness; and the end of each season belongs to Earth, with Qi appearing yellow and Ji becoming firm and settled.

The author also identifies the Qi and Ji of the Five Phases through the surrounding scene and people’s behavior. The Qi of spring Wood appears as something drifting, flowing, and vigorous. Its Ji can be recognized in such scenes as birdsong, people’s voices, and children carrying water jugs. Anything that seems lively, cheerful, and upright is classified as Wood and is suited to spring. The Qi of summer Fire appears as red light, rising motion, flickering, and intensity. Its Ji is shown in noisy sounds and uninhibited behavior. Anything surging, roaring, or thunderous is classified as Fire and is suited to summer.

The Qi of autumn Metal is clear and white, drifting as though audible but without visible form. Its Ji appears in singing, calls and responses, driving cattle and horses, and slow speech and movement. Anything marked by worry, sighing, weariness, or drunken fullness is classified as Metal and is suited to autumn. The Qi of winter Water is quiet, free of dust, and still, but not lifeless. Its Ji appears in scenes such as people walking together while supporting one another, sitting face-to-face, and holding hands as they talk. Anything bearing sadness, gloom, or a withdrawn posture is classified as Water and is suited to winter. Earth’s Qi appears as dust and sand, silence, and mild warmth or coolness. Its Ji appears in straightening one’s clothes and standing upright, carrying loads on the shoulders, and birds and beasts returning to their shelters. Anything dignified, burdened, and still is classified as Earth and is suited to the end of each season.

When spring encounters the Ji of Fire Qi, this is called “advance”; when it encounters the Ji of Wood Qi, it is called “completion”; when it encounters the Ji of Water Qi, it is called “withdrawal”; and when it encounters the Ji of Metal Qi, it is called “decline.” The other seasons can be understood by the same principle. Earth Qi accompanies all four seasons and is assessed according to its manifestations and conditions.

The author uses Qi to judge descendants and official rank, and Ji to judge ancestral inheritance and material wealth. If Qi is mixed, a household may, it is said, contain people with several different surnames. If Qi advances, descendants may become famous; if it reaches completion, the family may have more children and gain official promotions; if it withdraws, one may lose official rank or children may fall ill; if it declines, the family may face legal trouble and the death of children. If Ji is crooked, a residence or burial site may bring sexual disorder. If Ji advances, the family may gain children and wealth; if it reaches completion, its storehouses will be full; if it withdraws, family wealth will be depleted; and if it declines, the family will have to sell fields and borrow money.

The hour in which Qi and Ji are found can also be used to infer the corresponding zodiac signs. For example, if they occur in the hour of Yin, the inference extends to people born in the years of Yin and Hai; if they occur in the hour of Si, it extends to those born in the years of Si and Shen. The remaining cases follow the same pattern. The author says this method can be used to infer good and bad fortune, one’s allotted destiny, and the periods when one may suffer punishment or injury.

Finally, the author gives examples of judging the fortune of a tomb or residence according to the season, the hour, and what one sees or hears. In spring, seeing someone on horseback while climbing a mountain is used to infer illness or wealth and status, depending on whether the tomb is built with stone. In summer, hearing swallows call is used to infer the outcome of illness or fame in autumn. In autumn, seeing someone carrying wine is used to judge the state of the family’s wealth according to whether the tomb has a stele. In winter, hearing a crow call is used to infer the descendants’ prospects for official rank or the family’s moral character, depending on whether the tomb belongs to a man or a woman. At noon, seeing the sun’s shadow at a tomb is used to judge the fortunes of the eastern and western directions. At noon, going into a main hall and seeing someone selling vegetables is taken to indicate troubled marriages between men and women and widowhood in middle age. The author considers all these judgments to be based on the movements of Qi and Ji.

When discussing the “dragon” in fengshui—the course of a mountain range—one must first examine the “incoming dragon,” or where the range extends from. If its approach cannot be clearly seen, it is difficult to judge where prosperity may arise. Some say, “The East is broken and declining,” and give the example of someone who, upon entering a hall at noon and seeing a vegetable seller, concluded that the person would have poor relations with the opposite sex and be widowed in middle age. Such judgments are all drawn from changes in the movement of Qi.

In discussing a dragon vein, one must examine its approach. If its point of origin cannot be seen, it is impossible to judge whether it can form the principal vein of an auspicious site. In discussing a site, one must discern its character. Without examining its features, how can one confirm that it is a true site? Dragon veins may be divided into branches and main veins, but their approach should always display changes such as soaring, emerging, hiding, and leaping. If these features are absent, the dragon vein is not genuine. Sites take many different shapes, but where a vein descends, it should show character and carry Qi. If its energy cannot gather, the site is not properly formed.

When there is a true dragon and an upright site, even inauspicious surrounding hills—called “sand” because they encircle and protect the site—can be transformed by the strength of the overall configuration. It is like a well-governed court in which even treacherous men become good. The movement of water, too, can be put to use in accordance with the terrain: both incoming and outgoing water can benefit the site. Even an unfavorable watercourse can be regulated through the overall layout, just as when the vital organs are free of trouble, a minor ailment of the skin need not cause concern.

The text goes on to say that if a dragon vein’s momentum does not continue, burial there will bring loneliness and poverty. A place that appears to be a site but is unsuitable will bring poverty if used for burial, and at worst the family line will die out. The various relationships of generation and control are all expressed in the surrounding hills and should be brought into accord with the site. Configurations associated with “son,” “father,” “wealth,” and “official rank” should likewise gently encircle it. Encircling and protecting the site is auspicious; the reverse is inauspicious. Water should flow gently. Water from the Gen, Bing, Xun, and Xin directions should gather and flow into the site. Mountains shaped like Metal, Water, or Earth are favorable; those shaped like Wood or Fire may bring harm.

Whether a mountain form counts as sand, and a watercourse as water, also depends on correctly discerning their shapes. Hills that press in and hem the site in are not auspicious sand; scattered, crab- or shrimp-like water forms are not good water. These features can be used to determine the approach of a dragon and to verify a site. Dragons have standard and transformed configurations, and sites must also be adapted to the terrain.

If a mountain has a Metal form that transforms into a Wood form, with Fire-shaped hills gathering beside it in a slender line, the text says its prestige is unsurpassed. If a site forms in Earth-shaped terrain, it should be concealed and gathered in. When Earth-shaped mountain terrain transforms into Metal, with Wood-shaped ridges among it and a configuration like a cut-open melon, the text says its wealth is beyond measure. If Fire-shaped mountain terrain lies low to one side, the site should avoid the summit. Sand hills should not turn their backs on the site, though at times they must. What matters is their shape: sharp, steep forms bring instability and wandering, while rounded, graceful forms favor travel, official advancement, or prosperity through trade.

Water need not always be made to stay, nor need its departure be feared. If outgoing water curves back to look toward the site, it signifies wealth arriving from all directions. Incoming water that rushes straight in is likely to bring misfortune in all things.

The character “xue” is pronounced “wei” here. It refers to a place that is layered over and concealed deep within.

This chapter explains how to “seek the Dragon”—that is, how to trace a mountain range’s course and locate where it gathers to form an auspicious site in geomancy. The “Dragon” refers to the direction and course of a mountain range. Its source is called the “ancestral origin”; where it passes through a narrow mountain pass is called a “crossing gorge”; and where it finally comes to rest and gathers to form a site is called the “place of repose.” Mountain forms may be steep or rounded. At passes, the range may be tangled or gentle. Yin-Yang Qi and the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) appear in different patterns across the terrain, and a mountain range may suddenly turn, dividing into different courses step by step.

Mountain ranges link together as they proceed. Some run parallel, while others rise and fall unevenly, like a gathering of attendants. They may resemble a flock of sheep milling about, startled birds wheeling through the air, earthworms crawling along the ground, or spider silk circling an eave. They are also like the grain in woven cloth or the traces left by flowing water. Scattered minor branches often converge on the same place, and whole groups of ridges may follow the main range in a common direction. The terrain rises and falls, breaks and resumes; its forms need not be constrained by the overall course, nor must a site be limited by the mountain’s visible surface.

Where ridges are elegant and striking, the site should be finely shaped; where they are numerous and dense, the site should be concentrated and focused. Where the mountain’s form is faint and low as it descends, the site should be level and upright; where the range winds and spreads laterally, the site should curve inward. In places with lush trees and foliage, the site is generally sought halfway up the slope. Where the foliage is sparse and the range opens out, it may be found at the mountain’s end.

Thus, when many mountains turn back toward one another, sites are often found where the plain begins. When the mountains scatter and rush outward, sites are often found at the water’s outlet. Where the terrain converges from above and below, sites are often found halfway up the slope. These are the essentials of seeking the Dragon and identifying the site—the practice of determining where a burial place should lie.

As a mountain range proceeds, it should seem to have hands and feet; when it comes to rest, it should seem to have a head and face. An upright Dragon vein does not look around in all directions, but the surrounding terrain should turn toward it and shelter it. The successive sections of the Dragon vein should support and harmonize with one another, while at the crossing gorge there should be a relation of mutual restraint and control. The range’s source should take account of the mountains that follow it, and its terminus should resemble the form of the ancestral mountain. A substantial ancestral mountain can give rise to favorable terrain downstream; if the terrain that follows is graceful and fine, that too reflects the quality of the ancestral mountain.

The classic then uses the relationship among ancestral, principal, and descendant mountains to explain the rise and decline of a site’s fortunes. When the ancestral and principal mountains are strong, their descendants may prosper. Even when the principal mountain branches out, its descendants may flourish if the ancestral mountain’s force has not waned. A source that appears gentle and level may still bring renown far and wide if the terrain it gives rise to continues without interruption. If the ancestral mountain is declining while the principal mountain is lush, this may bring one generation prosperity; if the ancestral mountain is flourishing and the principal mountain is clear and elegant, wealth and status may continue for generations. If a branch descends along its course and the ancestral mountain also appears weak and level, the result is generally only modest comfort. If the branch descends but the ancestral mountain still faces and supports it, the burial site is considered to hold greater promise. If the ancestral and principal ranges lose their mutual support, it is as though the ancestral mountain has abandoned the principal one, leaving what follows without a foundation.

The Dragon veins of the plains in the north, south, east, and west are not fundamentally different from those of the high mountains. In high mountains, the Five Phases are expressed mainly in the mountain’s own form; on the plains, they are expressed mainly in the terrain’s outer course. Branching, forming a “throat” where the range narrows, opening out into ridges, and the patterns of advancing, turning back, approaching, and receding are alike in both. However, northern Dragon veins generally have stronger mountain force, so greater importance is given to the mountain’s Qi; southern Dragon veins generally have stronger water force, so greater importance is given to the course of the water.

Chapter Nine discusses the grave site: the terrain suitable for burial.

Those who specialize in geomancy these days often say that grave-site forms fall into four types: the hollow, the pincers, the breast, and the protuberance. The hollow and pincers are similar: a hollow is rounded, while a pincers form is more linear. The breast and protuberance are also similar: a protuberance rises high, while a breast extends along the lie of the land. Mountain dragons with the forms of Metal or Water tend to produce hollows and pincers; those with the forms of Earth or Wood tend to produce breasts and protuberances. Here, “mountain dragon” means the course of a mountain range.

To identify a hollow site, look for a slight mound, or “heart bubble,” at its center. Without this central rise, the hollow is considered skewed and empty, a condition called “empty flank,” said to bring loneliness, childlessness, and poverty. To identify a pincers site, look for mountain ridges embracing it on both sides, like “pierced ears.” Without this embrace, the pincers form appears empty and scattered, and is said to cause family members to drift apart. To identify a breast site, see whether it extends along the course of the water. A breast that does not follow the water is considered barren and is said to bring poverty, even ending the family line. To identify a protuberance site, look for small ridges around it, like whiskers or wings, providing protection. Without these guardians, the protuberance stands isolated and unsupported, and is said to bring hardship and disperse the family’s property.

A protuberance site in the high mountains is best when it also has a hollow form; a hollow site on level ground is best when it also has a protuberance. A site that is hollowed through or thin in its terrain is considered unfavorable. If solid mountain masses flank and protect it, giving the terrain a firm, substantial character, it is considered gentle and settled. When choosing a site, one should draw support from an official mountain—a propitious mountain that guards the site—and not rely on a ghost mountain, a form regarded as inauspicious. Relying on a ghost mountain is said to end the family’s fortunes. One should draw support from the White Tiger Sand, the protective ridge to the site’s right, and not rely on the Green Dragon Sand, the protective ridge to its left. Relying on the Green Dragon Sand is said to bring the family’s decline. One may draw support from the facing hill, the nearby hill in front of the site, but not from the backing hill behind it. Relying on the backing hill is said to leave the family with nothing. One may draw support from the mountain’s terrain, but not from the course of the water. Relying on the water is said to scatter one’s wealth.

Chapter Ten discusses sand hills: the mountains that encircle and protect the grave site.

As the main mountain descends, the surrounding mountains should follow and protect it, encircling one another like feathers and wings. The mountain should have a distinctive, prominent form, standing apart from the others and appearing exceptional, beyond comparison. When choosing a grave site, one should not rely on a backing hill. Relying on one is said to leave the family with nothing. One may draw support from the mountain’s terrain, but not from the course of the water. Relying on the water is said to scatter one’s wealth.

As the principal mountain range behind the burial site descends and extends forward, the surrounding mountains should follow it, encircling and protecting it like accompanying wings. A mountain should stand out to appear distinguished, yet it must not stand isolated, like someone cast out with no clan to rely on. Nor should there be too many mountains: an excess obscures the hierarchy and creates disorder. There must, however, be a ring of peaks, with a noble principal mountain and lesser ridges arrayed on either side like loyal ministers in attendance. The mountain forms should meet and converge, creating a sense of contest and beauty; they should also embrace the site closely, so Qi does not easily disperse. In geomancy, whether a site is “open to leakage” is judged by whether the mountain forms connect with and shelter one another.

A mountain’s form should not droop and trail away, or it will lose its favorable configuration. It should descend gradually and come to rest, allowing its force to gather. The difference is that a drooping form seems to carry harmful influence away with it, while a descending form allows living Qi to collect. Ideally, the terrain should be complete on all sides, rather than favoring just one. If the mountain forms fail to meet and respond to one another, the Qi of the Five Phases will scatter into the winds from all directions; if the terrain is constricted or sunken, the light and Qi of the sun, moon, and stars will also be obstructed. The best arrangement has dense yet spacious mountains on three sides, with a stretch of calm, clear water directly in front as protection.

The rank and worth of a burial site depend fundamentally on the Dragon Vein behind it—the force carried by the mountain range as it extends. Its auspicious or inauspicious qualities appear in the facing features before it, such as the facing mountain and the table mountain. Mountain ranges link together in successive layers, gathering at lower elevations into a coiling hollow; many peaks also line the sides, sheltering the site from wind and gathering Qi on higher ground. The mountain in front should seem to approach, while the one behind stands upright and composed. The surrounding peaks should act as supports, and the mountain at the entrance should rise high enough to block the wind. A mountain may resemble an unfurled screen or a steady city wall, but it should not look as though it is scattering and receding into the distance. It may also resemble a suspended bell or an upturned pot, turned toward and looking back at the principal mountain. Why insist that it resemble ceremonial banners? There is no need to force it into the shape of pointed bamboo shoots or upright spears.

The rear mountain range may send out a branch ridge, while the mountain in front rises high, the left side loops around, and the right side arches in protection. This is a spacious configuration in which the surrounding mountains contain and guard the Dragon Vein. If the rear range is thin and weak, the front is disordered, the left side turns its back, and the right side runs straight away, the surrounding mountains have broken from the Dragon Vein’s source and its force has been depleted. If branches split from the rear range and streams divide in front, with the left side like a comb and the right like a fine-toothed comb, the surrounding mountains have become detached from the water system, and the terrain at their base is also irregular. If the rear resembles an umbrella frame and the front a plank wall, while the mountains on the left recede like an army setting out and those on the right scatter like a crowd in flight, the surrounding mountains are following the water away, and the mountain foot is split into branches.

When judging the quality of the protective mountains, or sha, one must first assess the strength of the burial site itself. If the site’s principal element is Wood and it is excessive, mountains belonging to Fire or Metal are suitable to bring it into balance. If its principal element is Wood and it is very weak, mountains belonging to Wood or Water are suitable to support it. While supporting weak Qi, one must also restrain what is excessive. The other Five Phases may be assessed in the same way.

The mountain contours extend along the course of the water, while the water is bounded by the mountain contours. Water turns as the mountains guide it, and mountains can also hold water back from flowing away. People know that mountain contours must not be crooked or skewed, but few realize that the water’s course, too, must not be unchecked, confused, or excessively bent.

Water must not rush straight past like a sword, nor flow away before one’s eyes at an angle. It must not lie crosswise before the chest like a jianling—a term for a water shape whose form is unclear—nor divide between the arms like roof tiles set in a wall. Its course must not arch and spread like a frog’s back, or branch off to either side like a yuanchest, another water-shape term whose form is unclear. Water lying crosswise like a zither, level and properly aligned, has the force of an embrace before the chest. A course curved like a new moon and stretching like a long rainbow differs from a shape that bends backward and turns away.

The “Six Faces Facing West” pattern leaves no emptiness on the right; the “Six Replacements Moving East” pattern leaves no emptiness on the left. Both are technical terms for water configurations in geomancy. Incoming water should spread gently, like an unfurled mat, so that the earth’s Qi is pure. Outgoing water should unfold and gather itself like a curtain, so that the celestial configuration is clear. Water should flow with a welcoming, converging course; it must not strike directly at the acupuncture point.

When entering the site to seek the dragon vein, distinguish the inner water from the outer water by observing the flow and swell of the stream. In locating the point according to the terrain, also follow the low ground and course of the water. Mountain contours should have places where they come to rest and gather; only then do the continuous ridges seem welcoming. Water should encircle the settlement. If it turns away in the opposite direction, it will be difficult for the point to gather its inner Qi. Ideally, water gathers first and then flows outward; most auspicious of all is water that flows out, yet circles back and lingers. Long streams in the distance should be steady and forceful, while water close before the site should not rush away. Where a small stream meets a large one, the arm of the point should curve around it in an embrace.

Even clear, still rivers, lakes, and ponds are less intimate than water that lies close against a fish’s gills, a comparison for water that approaches and hugs the point. Water flowing crosswise should be gentle, broad, and even, silent like rivers and streams. A direct, rushing course, however, should not be short and abruptly broken like an irrigation ditch. If water appears level but is not, or crosswise but not truly so, it divides into a splayed, forked shape. If it appears slanted but is not truly slanted, or straight but not truly straight, it forms a blocked, constricted shape like the character ding.

A watercourse that wavers like a banner or bends backward and turns away invites misfortune. Collapsing banks and shores that press in from both sides also foretell disaster. If water runs off in a long trough, wealth will be depleted within a few years. If it slants like a spear or cuts across like a blade, the descendants’ ancestral sacrifices will gradually decline. Some water shapes resemble a sash, others a white silk ribbon; they should correspond to the celestial configuration. Water may take one form or another, or appear in the image of the Black Tortoise—the northern divine creature, also associated with the north—and each corresponds to a different position. If its forms are mixed or it strays into an unsuitable position, then even clear water falls into disorder and turbidity. Only when the water’s form is proper and its course well placed does it resemble a bright mirror reflecting a deep, distant pool.

When the point’s primary Qi is weak, water should nourish and support it. When that Qi is strong, it should be checked and dispersed in due measure. Support what is weak and restrain what is excessive, so that the force ultimately returns to balance. When the dragon vein is true and the point correctly situated, the water’s course will naturally conform to the proper principles.

Although the landform of a mountain peak may suitably change again and again, it must not lose its original force. For example, after a Metal Star peak has changed, it should still reveal forms of Earth and Metal; only then has it preserved its root. Once the dragon vein has emerged, we can discuss how it passes through a gorge. A gorge may look like a place where the earth’s Qi is gathered and held in, but the two serve different purposes. Qi is restrained when its force might otherwise disperse too completely; it is temporarily gathered so it can recover. Passing through a gorge, by contrast, is like a cicada shedding its shell or a dragon transforming: it is a crucial point where the earth’s vein changes form.

Take a Metal Dragon passing through a gorge as an example. Metal is the essence produced by Earth. The directions associated with Water’s birth, tomb, nourishment, and flourishing, as well as those associated with isolation, desolation, collision, extinction, prosperity, and nobility, each have corresponding landform arrangements. A dragon vein that turns from the tomb or extinction direction toward the birth or flourishing direction, and from isolation or desolation toward prosperity or nobility, indicates auspicious terrain. The forms of a gorge crossing are also divided into regular and transformed types. A rounded, symmetrical form like a pearl or jade is regular; a winding, changing form like a fine thread is transformed. When a regular form passes through a gorge, the surrounding peaks that shelter it should accord with its regular shape. When a transformed form passes through, the surrounding barriers should adapt to its changes. In this way, the terrain’s unusual character can emerge.

Before a gorge is crossed, the emphasis is on support and nurturing; after the crossing, restraint and regulation are needed. This is like raising a child: once the frame has grown, the child must leave behind childish ways and take on adult responsibilities. Only through training, discipline, and instruction can maturity be reached. Thus, although Fire controls Metal, Metal becomes an implement when tempered by Fire. Although Water controls Fire, Fire is regulated when it meets Water. Although Wood controls Earth, Earth is loosened and kept from clogging by Wood. Although Metal controls Wood, Wood becomes useful when shaped by Metal. Although Earth controls Water, Water gathers force when confined by Earth.

By observing the two sides of a gorge, one can judge the forms of protection provided by the Green Dragon, White Tiger, and other landforms. Its rises and falls reveal cave forms such as the breast and the protuberance. Its straightness or curvature indicates the height of the cave site and the form of its pincers. The gorge’s shape reveals the form of the cave site, and its force confirms whether the burial ground is suitable. The star forms displayed by the gorge indicate the cave site’s appearance and coloration; its gentleness or depth indicates how deep the burial place should be; and its length indicates whether protective landforms such as a lip or felt-like apron lie before the cave.

After the gorge crossing, one must also observe what kind of Star Peak forms, since it serves as the Lesser Ancestral Mountain, the mountain near the cave site that receives the dragon vein. If a Metal form crosses the gorge and remains Metal, the dragon vein is liable to show itself too plainly. It needs the shelter of a Water form, creating the arrangement called “the child protecting the mother,” so that the mother form is not exposed in full and the overall configuration gains dignity. If a Metal form crosses the gorge and becomes Water, the dragon vein’s force is liable to disperse. It should be supported by Earth so its original Qi does not weaken. If it becomes Earth, the dragon vein is liable to stagnate; Wood should loosen and regulate it so its essence can gradually emerge. If it becomes Wood, the dragon vein is liable to be damaged; Metal should assist it so its strength is not diminished. If it becomes Fire, the dragon vein is liable to be injured; Water should control the Fire and Earth should drain it, so its essential Qi is not harmed.

Once the ancestral mountain has formed, it should continue to change through successive transformations. After one or two changes, the Qi vein should be gathered and restrained. It should be gathered and restrained again, and only then is it suitable for a summit to rise and form a high peak. The Star Peak at the summit must be identified with particular care: if the form passing through the gorge is Metal and the summit also forms Metal, the original framework of the Qi vein is revealed. Wood and Earth forms can be paired according to their mother-and-child relationship, but Water and Fire do not make ideal configurations for a burial site. When Metal meets Wood or Fire, it is like Wealth Stars appearing alongside Sha Stars. If Metal forms overlap all along the route without any changes, Wood or Fire should appear to regulate them. It is like establishing an independent household: wealth is needed for stability, and official rank for distinction.

The incoming force of the mountains forms the terrain, which gathers into specific mountain shapes. The terrain is like a tree’s roots, while the mountain shape is like its flower; only when the blossom is abundant can the fruit set firmly, and only when the roots reach deep and far can the trunk grow strong.

The terrain should extend outward: the farther it reaches, the more its veins unfold. A mountain shape, however, should not disperse, for when it scatters, it cannot gather Qi. The terrain should not stop abruptly, or the incoming vein will lose its connection. The mountain shape, by contrast, should come to a definite end, so Qi can collect and find a place to settle. A mountain shape should not be exposed, or the wind will easily scatter its Qi. The terrain, however, should show itself at higher elevations, allowing Qi to converge at the peaks. The terrain should not sink into low, sunken ground, where its breath grows still and cannot gather. A mountain shape should be low and contained, so that Qi can collect and harmonize.

A mountain shape forms through the gathering of terrain, while terrain is the rising of a mountain shape. The mountain shape is where terrain comes together; terrain, in turn, guides the mountain shape’s course. The terrain on either side should encircle and protect the acupuncture point. The terrain in front should face the point and answer the incoming dragon, the mountain range’s main vein. The outer terrain should turn in a rounded curve, while the inner terrain should be upright and well formed. The point formed by the ancestral dragon—the mountain shape where the main vein gathers—lies at the center, like the heart of a flower. The point formed along the dragon vein is broad like a hall. The site of the point should receive the mountain range at its center, like a flower calyx supporting its heart, or like a deep compound behind a lofty gate, protected by screens.

Points formed by a position dragon may resemble the hollow of a person’s shoulder as they lie down, or the dorsal fin revealed when a fish surges upward. They follow the mountain range’s direction, respond to it from the side, and may form off-center. A point that receives the incoming dragon is like a person’s heart and gaze turning toward one another, or like the radiant essence of the sun and moon: it draws in the source of the incoming vein while broadly receiving and storing its Qi.

This is like the residence of a prominent family: its gates and walls stand high, keeping outsiders from peering into the hall. It is also like a broad-minded host arranging the comings and goings of guests, with consideration, warmth, and respect. If the place were like a neglected garden, its fences already broken, people could come and go freely, barging through. If it were like the residence of an influential elder, stern guards would surround it on both sides. And if it were used to store treasures and provisions, its stores would be abundant and its buildings high and spacious.

Thus, only when a tree’s foundation is twisted and firm can its branches and leaves flourish above. Likewise, only when mountain terrain on both sides closes in, protects, and supports it can a mountain shape form a true dragon vein point.

Tenth: A mountain body shaped like a giant wengmen (urn-gate) has formidable power and must be guarded by layer upon layer of peaks encircling it on the left and right. Just as one stores precious treasures and accumulates grain, it must have solid reserves and a high, broad configuration. Therefore the book says: only when the roots are coiled and firm can the branches and leaves flourish on a tall tree; only when mountain ranges flank it and flowing water encircles it does the configuration become a true dragon vein.

Chapter Fourteen: On Determining the Acupoint

Determining the acupoint by the horizontal vein. A horizontal vein is where the dragon vein, after rising, lies hidden again in the middle, at a place with a swelling like the bulging belly of a shuttle, where the acupoint may be placed. In front there should be a facing mountain (chaoshan) and a desk mountain (anshan), the mountains before the acupoint that serve for orientation and support; behind there should be a luotuo, the supporting mountain configuration at the rear; and to the left and right there should be shoulder- and cap-like guardian mountain forms. Only then is the configuration true and suitable for placing the acupoint. If the mountain range spreads horizontally like an adze, the acupoint should mostly be taken at the waist and should be close to the dragon ridge behind. What the book means by "heng dan heng luo, wu long xu xia you long" — "carried horizontally and falling horizontally; where there seems to be no dragon, there must be a dragon below" — refers to this situation. One must never make the acupoint too prominent, or earth Qi will leak away.

Determining the acupoint by the straight vein. A straight vein is a dragon vein that comes straight, leaning neither left nor right; when placing the acupoint one should often avoid the direct front and take a position slightly outward. On both sides there must be layer upon layer of encircling and arching-protecting mountain forms, and they must be able to intercept the water flow; only with these conditions may the acupoint be placed. If the mountain configuration is level, gentle, and low-lying, one may shift it slightly to avoid the directly rushing edge. The book says, "zhi song zhi ben, you qi yao an, wu qi" — "sent straight and rushing straight; if there is Qi, one should place the acupoint; if there is no Qi..." This means: when the mountain range comes and goes straight, if there is living Qi one should place the acupoint; if there is no living Qi, it is not suitable. One must never face directly into the straight-rushing force, or one will suffer the sha of collision.

Determining the acupoint by the broken vein. A broken vein is a dragon vein broad at both ends and narrow in the middle, like a broken lotus root still joined by fine fibers, or like a silver ingot narrowed at the middle. One should identify the acupoint at the narrow, fine place, rely on a responding mountain (yingshan) and a joyous mountain (leshan) — mountains that echo in front of or support behind the acupoint — to receive the Qi vein, and place the acupoint astride the vein horizontally. If there is no yingshan or leshan and the form of the acupoint is blurred and unclear, one must not rashly fix the acupoint.

Determining the acupoint by the leaking vein. A leaking vein is found below a great mountain, on the side where the mountain body gestates the Qi vein, where a fine thread of mountain extends onto flat ground; sometimes it also rises into a small earthen mound. This is an acupoint vein in which the true Qi of the mountain seeps out from the side. The acupoint should be placed at its top, and its orientation should follow the surrounding terrain.

Determining the acupoint by the stealing vein. A stealing vein is a faint, continuous vein on flat ground, like a grass snake moving or a gray thread connecting, and also like a turtle shell slightly raised. One should carefully examine the place where it extends to its end and place the acupoint on the dry ridge; in front there should be a mingtang, the open area before the acupoint, and behind there should be sending water (songshui), water flowing away behind as a supporting water configuration. Only then is it appropriate.

For a Flying Vein, determining the burial site: A Flying Vein describes a mountain range whose course resembles a spider’s thread, traces left by a horse, or the slender trail of a swift passing overhead. Its form is often slanted, winding, and turning back on itself. Choose a level, well-formed site where the surrounding mountains encircle it and the vital energy flows through.

For a Flat Vein, determining the burial site: A Flat Vein is a mountain range on level ground. If the fields around it are higher and a low-lying field lies in the middle, and that field is encircled by mountains through which the vital energy flows, choose a level, well-formed site.

For a Flat Vein, determining the burial site: If the fields around a flat area are higher and a raised strip of ground runs through the low field in the middle, treat the low ground as water, the raised strip as a mountain range, and the higher land around the edges as the Green Dragon and White Tiger—the protective slopes flanking the site. Observe where the watercourses meet, and place the site where the terrain gathers like the hollow of a palm.

For a Falling Vein, determining the burial site: A Falling Vein is a slender branch of a mountain range descending from a higher place, like an insect on a hanging thread or a spider on a web. Place the site on a small, rounded rise like a bead. Do not excavate too large an area, or you will damage the mountain range’s vital energy.

For a Long Vein, determining the burial site: A Long Vein is a mountain range that extends gently over a great distance, sometimes visible and sometimes hidden, with forms that vary in size. Identify the central position where the vital energy comes to rest and the watercourses meet and gather, and place the site there.

For a Short Vein, determining the burial site: A Short Vein is a main mountain range that does not stop, but leaves one or two segments on a passing ridge, or branches off where the terrain gathers. Choose a level, central position for the site, and do not make it too small. Identify the central position where the vital energy comes to rest and the watercourses meet and gather. Such a place can prosper readily, but can also decline readily.

For a True Vein, determining the burial site: A True Vein extends from the middle of a mountain range in a winding, gentle course, with a lively yet soft quality and a well-formed, graceful appearance. First make sure that the mountain facing the site aligns directly with its center, then place the site accordingly. If the front of the Black Tortoise—the mountain behind the site—is too long, place the site below it, where it presses down and contains harmful influences. If the Black Tortoise’s summit draws back, place the site where a screen-like mountain blocks those influences.

Chapter Fifteen: On Verifying the Burial Site

Verifying the site by the Five Phases: For a Metal-shaped mountain, place the site in a hollow where there is movement. For a Wood-shaped mountain, place it on a bud-like rise along the straight, elongated ridge. For a Water-shaped mountain, place it in a level, quiet spot within the winding terrain. For a Fire-shaped mountain, place it where the sharp ridge’s flame-like tip is about to end. For an Earth-shaped mountain, place it in a thinner or indented section of the square, regular terrain. The Five Phases here refer to the five mountain forms: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

Verifying the Acupoint by the Nine Stars: The location of an acupoint is determined by the forms of the mountains associated with the Nine Stars. The acupoint of the Greedy Wolf Star resembles a nipple; that of the Great Gate Star should be sought in a hollow. The Military Song Star’s acupoint is often found in a formation shaped like a hairpin or a pair of pincers. The acupoints of the Prosperity Star and the Chastity Star resemble the teeth of a comb or a pointed tip driven into an object. The Literary Star’s acupoint is usually found in gentle, enclosing terrain; even when high up, it resembles something resting in the palm of a hand. The Army-Breaker Star’s acupoint resembles a halberd or spear and is usually sought in the mountain formations to the west or on either side. The proper acupoint of the Left Assistant Star resembles a swallow’s nest cupped upward; on a high mountain, it resembles a hanging lamp. The Right Assistant Star’s acupoint is usually in low, level ground. Even when the mountain summit is rounded, the acupoint itself resembles a depression.

Verifying the Acupoint by the Three Configurations: In the standing configuration, the mountain peak rises steeply and its mountain Qi ascends. In the lying configuration, the mountain form rests low and its mountain Qi sinks. In the seated configuration, the mountain is calm and even, with its mountain Qi concealed within. These are the three configurations of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

Verifying the Acupoint by the Facing Mountain: The terms “facing mountain” and “table mountain” refer to how these formations correspond with the acupoint site and help determine its location. They should be like host and guest welcoming one another, or husband and wife sharing affection: their intentions should accord, with nothing between them. Their forms should pause and respond to each other, without appearing scattered. If an unusual peak faces the acupoint site directly, locate the acupoint from the front. If graceful mountains stand in pairs or connect with one another, locate it at the midpoint of their winding embrace. When the facing mountain is high, the acupoint site should be at a level with it; when the facing mountain is low, the acupoint site should correspond accordingly. Hence the saying: “Only by observing the facing mountain can one tell whether the acupoint site is properly situated.”

Verifying the Acupoint by the Bright Hall: Every acupoint formation must have a small Bright Hall—a space before the acupoint where Qi gathers and boundary waters collect. Small streams from the surrounding area flow into it. To assess its form: if the Bright Hall is symmetrical, the acupoint may be placed in the middle; if it lies toward the left, place the acupoint on the left; if it lies toward the right, place it on the right. The Bright Hall should support the acupoint like a tray holding a cup, or an insole supporting the foot. It must not be offset from the acupoint.

Water as a Sign of the Acupoint: Where water reaches the place where the acupoint forms, it must turn, flow clearly around it, and gather as if standing still. The text says, “When the water turns without disorder and gathers on the left, the acupoint lies to the left; when it gathers on the right, the acupoint lies to the right.” It also says, “If the water’s force is pronounced on the left, the acupoint lies to the left; if it is pronounced on the right, the acupoint lies to the right. Water facing the acupoint should be high, while water flowing away from it should be low.” This is because water is like the blood vessels of the Dragon Vein: as the mountain range advances, the water follows; when the water converges, the mountain range comes to rest. For this reason, in geomantic assessment, the flow of water is an important basis for locating the acupoint.

A Supporting Mountain as a Sign of the Acupoint: A Dragon Vein winds along its course, so the acupoint it forms often does not face directly toward the incoming Dragon. Behind the acupoint star—the raised mound where the acupoint forms—there should be a mountain serving as a supporting mountain, or Leshan. It may be part of the same mountain or a different one; as long as it faces the spot where one sits when oriented toward the acupoint, it can serve as a corresponding support. When the incoming Dragon approaches directly, the ancestral mountain of the Dragon is usually the support behind the acupoint; when it approaches crosswise, a different mountain is generally needed. If the supporting mountain does not align with the acupoint, the acupoint is not genuine.

Official and Ghost Mountains as Signs of the Acupoint: When the incoming Dragon approaches crosswise, there should be a Ghost Mountain behind the acupoint; when it descends directly, there should be an Official Mountain in front. A mountain extending behind the acupoint is called a Ghost Mountain and can also serve as a rear support. A mountain extending in front is called an Official Mountain and can also serve as an enclosing screen or table mountain. If both are present, the acupoint should sit with the Ghost Mountain behind it and face the Official Mountain in front. If it neither sits against the rear mountain nor faces the front one, it is not a genuine acupoint.

The Azure Dragon and White Tiger as Signs of the Acupoint: If the water on the left, where the Azure Dragon mountain lies, or on the right, where the White Tiger mountain lies, flows against the current, the acupoint is located accordingly: if the current runs against the flow on the Dragon side, the acupoint lies on that side; if it does so on the Tiger side, the acupoint lies on the Tiger side. If only one side has a protective mountain, a single support on the left rests against the Dragon side, while one on the right rests against the Tiger side. When the Dragon and Tiger mountains are high, the acupoint should also be placed high; when they are low, it should be placed low; when their heights are moderate, the acupoint should lie midway. If the acupoint lies below the Dragon and Tiger mountains, it should not be oppressed by their slopes; if it lies above them, it should not appear exposed and unprotected. Thus, observing the Dragon and Tiger mountains can also reveal the nature of the acupoint.

The Ten Directions as a Sign of the Acupoint: The Ten Directions are assessed by comparing the four sides—front, back, left, and right. The front and back should align, and the left and right should be balanced. The acupoint’s orientation should not be askew, the table mountain should not slant, and the mountains flanking it should be neither too far forward nor too far back. When establishing the acupoint, first observe whether the meeting of the mountain ranges forms an upright crosswise and lengthwise pattern: behind should be a rounded mountain to lean against, in front should be a pointed and graceful mountain to face, and the mountain slopes on the left and right should correspond to each other. This pattern is called “the Ten Directions at Heaven’s Heart, with a bit between its teeth.”

Confirming a Site by the Separation and Convergence of Veins and Water: To determine whether a site is genuine, observe how the incoming mountain’s branches divide and how the water converges before the site. Veins and Qi that branch apart above the site show that the incoming vein is clearly defined; water that converges below shows that the flow of Qi has truly come to rest. The converging water in the small bright hall is the flow that meets in shapes resembling shrimp whiskers or a goldfish. If there is converging water but no branching veins, the incoming vein is unclear. If there are branching veins but no converging water, it is uncertain whether the flow of Qi has stopped. Such a site is false.

Confirming a Site by the Qi of the Radiance: Beyond the elbows of the Green Dragon and White Tiger—the protecting mountains on either side of the site—an exuberant mountain presence may emerge. This is called “radiance” and can also be used to judge the site. If radiance appears on the left, the site lies to the left; if on the right, the site lies to the right; if on both sides, the site lies in the middle. Long, graceful radiance is especially auspicious; short, compact radiance with force is the strongest. Radiance appears only when the Dragon Vein reaches its end, so this is relatively rare.

Confirming a Site by Its Position and Surroundings: The forms around a site can be assessed individually from different directions or considered together. If the site lies at the center, where two streams emerge and meet, see whether the streams converge and come to rest. If it lies on level ground where water flows laterally, see whether the Dragon Vein has an especially prominent presence. If it lies where a mountain range and a watercourse run alongside one another in a contest of force, see whether the facing mountain—the mountain opposite the site—is welcoming. If the site lies obliquely against the main vein, see whether its left and right sides are balanced. If it is formed where the Green Dragon and White Tiger protect it unevenly from one side, see whether the energy in the bright hall—the space before the site—is broad and gathered. If it lies on flat or slightly raised ground with no clear facing direction, see whether the surrounding mountains are open and the water encircles the site.

There are many ways to judge a site, but the essential question is always whether the mountain and water forms are welcoming. If they are truly welcoming, even a single indication with some slight imbalance does not prevent a sound judgment. If they are unwelcoming, then even several indications that seem complete do not make the assessment complete. This is something an experienced person must grasp for themselves.

Chapter Sixteen: On Stellar Qi

Master Tao said: A site with superior fengshui terrain is hard to find. True Dragon veins are difficult to recognize, and the precise location of a true acupuncture point is hard to determine. Sometimes abundant Earth Qi follows the shape of the mountains. If you identify the star peaks—the landforms that mark the mountains’ shapes and veins—you can grasp the Earth Qi, making it easier to recognize.

At times, the star peaks line up behind while the Earth Qi spreads forward; at other times, the Earth Qi veers left while the mountain contours extend to the right. In such cases, finding the star peaks may mean missing the Earth Qi, while finding the Earth Qi may mean overlooking the star peaks. That is why recognizing Earth Qi is said to be difficult.

In general, Dragon veins form where Earth Qi gathers, and star peaks help the Earth Qi settle and collect. Those skilled at recognition can grasp the Earth Qi without overlooking the star peaks. Those who are unskilled may identify the star peaks correctly yet lose track of the Earth Qi. This follows as a matter of course.

However, where the terrain narrows and swells like a clam’s waist or a crane’s knee, examining the mountain’s course reveals where the Dragon vein comes from. Where the terrain is broad, rounded, gentle, and gathered, identifying the subtle hollow where the acupuncture point forms reveals where the vein settles. Reasoning from these similar features of the terrain leads to a reliable judgment.

Chapter Seventeen: On the Jiyun

In fengshui geomancy, the crucial point is the Jiyun: the subtle area at the center of an acupuncture point where the Qi gathers and becomes discernible. It is the most important guide to recognizing Earth Qi. The principle is the same: where the terrain narrows and swells like a clam’s waist or a crane’s knee, examining the mountain’s course can reveal the direction from which the Dragon vein comes; where the terrain is broad and rounded, gentle and gathered, identifying the subtle hollow at the acupuncture point makes clear where the vein settles. By reasoning from these features, one can judge accurately.

The key to the configuration of the land lies in having both the “pole” of the mountain dragon and the surrounding configuration’s “aura.” The “pole” refers to the core of the mountain dragon’s qi and the place where it gathers; the “aura” refers to the landscape around that core, which echoes it. There are poles all along the mountain range, and auras among the star peaks. If pole and aura do not correspond, it is difficult to speak of wealth and rank.

Earth is the “pole” of Metal; Water, Wood, and Fire are its “aura.” The pole is where the original qi resides; the aura is the configuration through which it acts. The pole neither leans too far toward what approaches nor toward what recedes. It seems faintly to hold a feeling of regard and protection. The aura neither bends itself to accommodate the pole nor stands aloof from it; the two seem to gaze at and cherish one another. As the Metal dragon passes through a mountain saddle, the Earth star shows the faint beginnings of its form, while peaks associated with the Child, Father, Wealth, and Official stars appear in successive ranks and answer one another. When the dragon vein crosses a saddle or rises from its ancestral mountain, distant Earth stars reflect one another, while the Water, Metal, Earth, and Wood star peaks cluster around it as attendants.

At a place where the qi is constricted, Earth concealing Metal means that the Father star’s original qi protects and nourishes the living dragon. When Metal carries Earth, the Wealth star and the Ghost star—a fengshui term for mountains that flank and protect—accompany it. The Official star appears, the Wealth star remains concealed, and the Child star stands upright in a protective embrace. This is called “proper aura.” Proper aura brings enduring office and emoluments, and may produce a regional governor or chief minister. If the Official star lies low, the Wealth star rises into view, and the Child star is scattered across the landscape, this is called “changing aura.” Changing aura brings formidable power and may produce an official of the censorate or a military commander.

A dragon vein that advances without carrying a pole is like a cinnamon laurel without roots. Even if someone passes the provincial or metropolitan examinations, he is unlikely to become the son of a top-ranked graduate. If the qi of the open ground before the burial site, the “bright hall,” does not gather at the pole, it is like gold without a root from which to grow. Even with civil and military officials offering support, one is unlikely to rise to the post of chief minister. When the pole appears within the aura, upright and concentrated, it symbolizes imperial honors and decrees. When the aura appears within the pole, low and contained, it symbolizes the purple pavilions and vermilion gates of the high nobility. At the burial site, if the pole occupies a place of prominence, the landscape may form a noble configuration like a screen. If Official stars are arrayed in the bright hall’s aura, the Animal star—the particular mountain form situated before a burial site in fengshui—should stand as if in a court procession.

When the pole lies among the protective hills, its sharp ridges cross one another without showing beyond them, and the aura flows subtly around it. When the pole is concealed within a bend of the water, the streams’ sources are clearly ordered, and the aura spreads around them. If the pole and aura of a dragon and burial site are incomplete, they may bring calamity to the local community. If those of the hills and waters are imperfect, they may bring misfortune to the people. A deficient pole is unlikely to produce a filial son or loyal minister. If the aura is disordered or flawed, it is also difficult to speak of governing the state or helping the world.

Poles belong to different categories, and each direction should present a pole suited to it. If the Wealth position is pressed down, this is a “greedy pole”; if the Child position is pressed down, a “weak pole”; and if the Official position is pressed down, a “contending pole.” If one’s own configuration presses down these positions, however, it may bring even greater glory to one’s ancestors. Auras, too, occupy different positions and require different forms: the Official aura should be open and spacious, the Wealth aura concealed and low, and the Child aura upright. If even one of them is unsuited to its position, it may become a source of misfortune.

When all four kinds of aura are present within the bright hall, this indicates success in the examinations at a young age. When all four are present at the mouth of the watercourse, it indicates success in the examinations later in life. In places of great wealth, the Wealth aura is often upright and properly positioned, because riches do not arrive suddenly. They accumulate like pearls and jade, and like stores of silk and cloth, until there are a thousand granaries and ten thousand storehouses. In places of great rank, the Official aura must be open and spacious and properly positioned, because eminence is not gained overnight. It requires refinement and hard work before one’s reputation can spread. Thus it is said: “What I overcome is wealth; what overcomes me is office.” If the practitioners of the present age do not understand these principles, we disciples must treat their teachings with caution.

Although terrain takes countless forms, its underlying principles are connected. To find the source of a mountain range and its ancestral mountain, one must read the direction and shape of the incoming ridge where the terrain reveals itself. The gorge position should correspond to the branch position; the rear ghost should answer to the front official; incoming Qi and residual Qi are linked; and the dividing and joining ridges should be in accord with each other. There should be a supporting formation behind and a protective lip in front. The mountain’s approach should rise and fall, while the spot where it forms a grave site should have a balanced, upright shape. The Dragon should appear gentle and supple so that the Tiger’s force is tamed. The greatest fault is a steep, tiger-like Dragon; the most auspicious form is a gentle, dragon-like Tiger. A Tiger gentle like a Dragon signifies few injuries or punishments in the family and abundant wealth. A Dragon steep like a Tiger may bring harm to able-bodied men and drain the family’s resources.

The Four Emblems—the Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger—as well as mountain forms such as the Parent, Wealth Star, and Official Star, each have their proper positions. If there is no hollow nearby to draw upon, then even a well-ordered configuration can hardly be called fully prosperous and eminent. Ghost Stars should not overlap to form a chain of ghosts, while Official Stars should be allowed to show. The falling ridge should not be weak, and the Radiant Stars should be visible. Treating a Ghost Star as an inauspicious ghost and calling it “stealing Qi” may leave a family isolated and its descendants few. An Official Star should be recognized as an Official Star: even if its peak is sharp and lofty, there is no need to fear it. Instead, it signifies descendants of broad bearing who will distinguish themselves. Ghost Stars should not be too numerous, and Descendant Stars should not be out of position. The Parent Star, Elder Brother Star, and Wealth Star should each occupy their proper place. The Official Star must also be well positioned and should be matched with Wealth and Parent Stars; Wood and Fire forms are especially beneficial.

If the falling ridge is low and weak, it is as good as absent, even if it seems to be there, and the family estate will gradually decline. If a Radiant Star has a handsome form and is paired with a noble Dragon, it signifies refined distinction and high rank. Only a few Ghost Stars bring misfortune; most Official Stars are beneficial. Great wealth and eminence depend above all on whether Wealth and Official Stars are clearly matched and possess both force and affinity. A noble Dragon without an Official Star to assist it will struggle to bring distinction; without a Wealth Star to shelter it, it can hardly be called noble. A wealthy Dragon without the protection of a Wealth Star will struggle to bring riches; without an Official Star to support it, it cannot form a wealthy configuration. Wealth and rank often go together, with Wealth and Official Stars protecting one another: without an Official Star, a Wealth Star cannot make wealth flourish; without a Wealth Star, an Official Star cannot make status secure.

The gate and entrance before the grave site should open and close appropriately. If the gate is open but lacks a screen, the eldest branch of the family may decline; if the entrance is closed and receives no support, the youngest son may become wayward. The Bright Hall, the open space in front of the grave site where Qi gathers, should not be obstructed. A level, balanced space with a receptive form is more auspicious. Enclosures around it should be proportionate; there is no fixed standard for width. If the space is too broad, Qi disperses; if too narrow, Qi may gather too tightly.

If the Water Mouth has the shape of a gourd, one should not simply mock its appearance. And without examining the configuration of the mountain peaks, praising a mountain shaped like a ceremonial pillar is of no use. In a configuration where descendants are poor and few, upright peaks shaped like a writing stand and a seal, together with the form of the outgoing water, may signify high rank. A mountain shaped like a storehouse that rises against the current, while water flows away from it, signifies gathered wealth. If the protective hills lack branches like a crane’s claws, there may be fewer descendants renowned for their literary accomplishments; but if those claws do not draw together to enclose the site, they instead appear disorderly. If the protective hills lack the outward reach of ox horns, the family estate will ultimately tend to fall into neglect; yet if the horns do not extend, they may instead form a favorable inward embrace. If the protective hills lack the cicada-wing forms that shelter the grave site, its auspicious character will be unclear; if those wings are too swollen and obstructive, they signify dull-witted descendants.

Most important is that the ridge emerge through the center of the summit, and that its course wind and turn with subtle grace. If it does not bend and move with vitality, it will be stiff and straight like a dead eel. If a branch ridge is constrained by the main ridge, it cannot be called a proper formation of a grave site; when this constrained force reaches the site, it will eventually cause harm. Even when water encircles the site, there may still be much erosion and cutting.

If geomancers of the present day do not understand these configurations and mistake enclosure for something auspicious, a ridge constrained by surrounding forces and a locked Water Mouth may instead form the sign of a prison. If there is no form that grants release, this may even bring confinement for women and children. These matters belong to the secret transmission and must be grasped through careful reflection.

Water that is overcome flows toward the front of the cave site, and in the end carries a certain danger: even when a water enclosure surrounds the site, it often causes a forceful impact and cuts through the terrain. If a geomancer does not understand the relationship between star forms such as Greedy Wolf and Upright Fire and the movement of water, but covets the terrain and wrongly applies methods of blocking it, the Dragon Vein and the water may instead be trapped, as if shut inside a prison. Without an auspicious sign such as an amnesty document, the situation will resemble a young girl bound and led by a rope. This is a secret transmission, which those capable of insight must comprehend for themselves.

Chapter Nineteen: On the Left and Right Approaches

When a gentleman is within the gate, good guests will be drawn to him. If few good guests come from outside, this may reveal that the master of the household lacks virtue. If the entrance resembles a tiled gate and bears the aspect of bandits, it may invite all manner of calamities; if the gates are not secure, disaster may follow one after another. If the screen mountain resembles a document announcing success, how does it differ from a document of exile? A mountain shaped like a weeping child also resembles a child prodigy. A mountain’s contours may look like fluttering sleeves and bring a person to leave their native place; if they resemble a prison, the place will be closed off like a storehouse.

If there is no tall screen mountain a hundred paces to the north or south, and the land to the east and west gradually falls away over sixty years, the configuration is unfavorable. A high peak directly in view may bring years of sorrow. Thus it is said: if the hall is open along the meridian-nadir axis, the south-north direction, a person is likely to lose heart in old age; if the gates along the you-mao axis, the east-west direction, are closed off, later generations will have few people of distinction.

Success in the civil examinations requires the three-harmony directions to be properly aligned. If there is also a mountain peak shaped like Fire Star, and waters from all eight directions converge, this signifies heaps of jade and gold. A noble figure on horseback may in fact resemble a thief peering out; a figure attending a reader within a tent may also be a mountain announcing an imperial edict. A mountain peak shaped like a writing brush that sways may leave a person a mere scholar even in old age; a thin mountain shaped like a jade zither may cause a person to wander from place to place. A high peak before the ancestral mountain is auspicious when it faces the cave site, but inauspicious when it turns its back; the water configuration must also be taken into account. A noble figure on horseback may also resemble a thief peering out; a mountain shaped like an attendant reading within a tent may resemble one proclaiming an edict. If Writing Brush Mountain sways, a person may remain a scholar into old age; if Jade Zither Mountain is thin, a person may drift in all directions. A peak before the ancestral mountain is auspicious when it faces the cave and inauspicious when it turns away. If the terrain is also low and mean, like a corpse or a tiger looking back, the configuration is still more unfavorable.

The image of a civil official may bring misfortune, while that of a military commander may instead bring good fortune; one must also consider merit and terrain. When the Dragon and cave are in place, the peaks shaped like Water, Fire, and Earth Stars are all graceful, and the original watercourse flows out properly, the family’s fortunes will be favored. Whether descendants, wealth, and official rank bring good fortune or disaster must be judged from how the Azure Dragon and White Tiger embrace the site and from the movement of water. Whether the Dragon Sand embraces the Tiger or the Tiger Sand embraces the Dragon must be determined according to the water. Likewise, whether water on the right rushes toward the left or water on the left rushes toward the right must be judged from the water in the Bright Hall.

Peaks that deliberately come forward in homage and bow low around the site signify noble status towering above the ministers; distant waters that arrive clear and gather signify growing wealth. Among many irregular mountains, if just one stands properly facing the cave site, it is like countless tributaries converging into one place. If the water in the Bright Hall lies as still as half a mirror, one may judge that the household will be wealthy and distinguished, though relatives may not share in its prosperity. Where the watercourse ends and the mountain range comes to rest, there should be peaks that accompany and support it. Among disorderly graves, mountain forms that seem to kneel and lie at rest are most auspicious.

Chapter Twenty: On the Compass Plate

For a straight dragon, examine the brain—the summit where the mountain’s contours turn and transform, and the mountain dragon’s Qi gathers. For a transverse dragon, look for the form where the mountain’s contours extend sideways and settle. Wherever there is a brain or a settled extension, the veins will naturally divide above and converge below. These divisions and convergences arise of themselves.

When a grandchild fails to inherit the ancestral Qi, this is called “plainness.” If the terrain bears this sign of plainness, it is difficult for people of literary talent to emerge. When the vein of the offspring fails to inherit the mother vein, this is called “leakage.” Where this sign of leakage appears, it is difficult to establish the foundations of wealth and status. Among brothers, strength and weakness do not matter, so long as there is no clashing or harm. The relationship between the host mountain and the guest mountain does not depend on distance: their positions need only be appropriate and mutually suited. However many attendant mountains there may be, they must not take the host’s place. However wide or narrow the mountain gateways may be, there must be peaks capable of guarding them.

Mountains, whether before or behind, to the left or right, must accord with the configuration of the stars. Their summits must not scatter and fly apart, and their lower slopes must not stream away. Water, whether coming or going, clear or turbid, must accord with its direction. Incoming water must not strike directly at the site, and outgoing water must not rush away like a knife cutting through. At the point where the Qi gathers and the mountain vein narrows, the form should be rounded and strong, with no dispersal on either side; if it disperses, the extending dragon lacks strength. At a mountain pass where the vein crosses a low saddle, the form should be harmonious and substantial, with no disorder on either side; if it is scattered, the mountain will reach the burial site without feeling or attachment.

It is better to regard a host mountain that has paused temporarily as a guest mountain than to mistake a guest mountain merely passing through and resting for the host. It is better to receive Yuan Shen water, which circles the site and protects its living Qi, in the hope of prosperity than to summon Yellow Springs water, deemed in geomancy to be inauspicious, in a reckless pursuit of high status. However fine the formations of the ancestral and lineage mountains may be, if they lie five or six generations away, they cannot exert an effect. And however numerous the attendant mountains, if they are five or six generations removed, their support will have dissipated.

Even if the dragon vein streams away and the Tiger Sand—the protective sand to the right of the site—scatters, the site can still be acceptable so long as the water enclosure embraces it. When the bright hall is broad and the nearby table mountain lies far away, the dragon’s configuration must be high and powerful. For terrain to promote an official career, it must accord with the Qi of rank and position; for a noble site to bring good fortune, it must also receive the dragon vein’s living Qi. When the stellar forms of spirit, officialdom, and harm occupy the same quarter, even a slight error can mean the difference between calamity and good fortune. If the ball and eaves formations, the fine features that help determine the exact burial point, differ by only a few inches, a small adjustment in the choice of position can likewise bring either blessing or disaster.

If the star peaks stand in proper order, the site may still be auspicious despite one or two minor flaws. But when ghost and calamity formations—dangerous forms thought to damage a site—are piled one upon another, the place cannot be called excellent even if one of its mountains or waters has something to recommend it. Water should meander, not run straight. A direct outflow is certainly inauspicious, and a direct incoming rush must also be guarded against. Water facing the site should flow toward it, not away; a long outflow is inauspicious, while a short, abrupt outflow appears scattered.

Mountains and waters are powerful when they are beautiful and can be relied upon and gathered in. If the mountains look harsh and the water sounds like weeping, there is no harm even if these things cannot be seen or heard. If the dragon vein does not open out into screens and curtains of protective mountain forms, it is difficult to create a fine configuration. If a site has no ghost mountain behind it and no official mountain before it, it is like a tower with drums and horns but no foundation.

If someone’s writing is exceptional yet they cannot pass the civil service examinations, it is because the brush peak and seal peak are indistinct in form. If descendants are wealthy and honored but do not flourish in number, it is because the lip cushion—the terrain supporting and protecting the site in front—is shallow. Exposed stone peaks or formations at the point where water flows away can gather great power. When arrow water, a stream that shoots straight like an arrow, approaches, even a ladleful of water in the Xun direction, the southeast, matters greatly.

The blessings brought by a principal dragon vein come late but endure. Thus, generals’ families often produce generals, and ministers’ families often produce ministers. The blessings brought by a collateral dragon vein come quickly but do not last: a family may suddenly prosper for a time and then rapidly decline.

Chapter Twenty-One: On False Appearances

It is easy to mistake a true Dragon Vein and acupoint (fengshui terms for the course of a mountain range and the place where its vital energy gathers) for a false one. A true site often looks plain and unadorned, while a false site may appear striking and unusual. A true site is like a dignified woman who lowers her curtain and composes herself, keeping others from peering in. A false site is like a flirtatious woman who bares her face and draws glances from every direction. Even when mountain peaks like towers and drum-and-bell pavilions surround a true site, they resemble a solemn procession, heads bowed and hands joined in respect. Even when a false site is adorned with scenery like flowers, plants, and cosmetics, it resembles a wastrel racing about in every direction.

A massive mountain formation that twists and rushes off course is a false mountain. Protective Sand (the hills that guard the area around an acupoint) may be numerous, but if they curve around in the wrong direction, they are false sand. An open, isolated acupoint with no connected peaks on either side, no rear screen to lean against, and no supporting lip-like rise in the Bright Hall (the open ground before the acupoint) is a false acupoint. Water may appear to meander, but if its course conflicts with the directions, it is false water: from nearby it secretly strikes the site, while from afar it merely looks gentle.

A true Dragon Vein, one that carries vital energy, may pass through the middle; a false one may pass through the middle too. A true Dragon Vein may be sheltered by surrounding mountains; a false one may also appear sheltered. When a mountain range rises in the middle but has no root or connecting vein, it is often a branch cast off beside the main trunk, or Dry Dragon. What looks sheltered but does not curve around and enclose the site is often scattered mountain terrain mixed with harmful Sha. A large false site will bring great misfortune in time; a small false site will yield only minor success. Of landforms that seem linked and winding, perhaps one or two in ten are genuine; among forms that seem to dodge and conceal themselves, hundreds or even thousands may be false. Ordinary people take a formation where a subsidiary mountain and a parent mountain lie beside a faint, gray-line-like range as a true site. A fengshui master who sees only a threadlike trace of mountains, with what seem to be Official Stars and Wealth Stars beside it, may call it false. Neither judgment should rest on outward shape alone.

Chapter Twenty-Two: On Restraint

When a landform lacks restraint and gathering, the Dragon Vein’s Qi becomes diffuse and ordinary. When the mountain formation gathers in a proper, orderly way, it may form a pattern of wealth and rank. Restraint means that the mountain formation is dignified and composed: behind it, the terrain does not scatter into ghost mountains, and in front, it does not project outward as an Official Mountain.

If the terrain lacks mountain ranges to contain it, the Dragon Vein—the term for the land’s underlying configuration in fengshui—will disperse and lose strength. If upright mountains encircle and contain it, there is hope of attaining both wealth and high status. A mountain serving as a constraint should have a stately aspect: behind, it should not appear chaotic and ghostlike; in front, it should not press in like an official bringing punishment; and to the left and right, the Dragon Sand and Tiger Sand should not compete in height and overshadow one another.

The mountains that contain imperial and royal capitals are often a hundred or two hundred li away. Those that contain the estates of official families are usually ten or twenty li away. If the ancestral generations obtained such terrain, the family would have deep foundations and remain prominent for generations. If descendants obtained it, they might prosper suddenly and become widely renowned. In matters of wealth, it could fill the granaries and even bring distinction through grain contributions. In official careers, one might pass the examinations, rise to command armies, and enter the highest offices. Among brothers, each might stand on equal footing and achieve success in his own right.

The mountain forms of the Five Phases each have a corresponding pattern of containment. A Metal Star Mountain should resemble a celestial cauldron offered up or a great bell, while the Fire Star Mountain recedes into the distance. A Wood Star Mountain should rise high toward the sky without resembling a halberd or spear, while the Metal Star Mountain lies low and withdraws. A Water Star Mountain should be broad and elevated, yet steady, while the Earth Star Mountain curves low. A Fire Star Mountain should rise like flames reaching heaven without scattering or darting about, while the Water Star Mountain lies hidden. An Earth Star Mountain should be level, high, and broad, not sharp or gaunt, while the Water Star Mountain lies low and withdraws.

If the pattern of containment falls in the area of official rank and fortune, then even someone well versed in poetry and the classics may not escape lawsuits or imprisonment. If it falls in the area of the father, he may be honest, kind, and filial, yet relocation and danger must be guarded against. If it falls in the area of children, they may be highly gifted, but could die young in adulthood. If it falls in the area of wealth, the family may be prosperous, yet the wife may suffer illness and hardship. If it falls in the area of brothers, they will establish separate households and contend for power and advantage.

Only when one mountain stands upright and alone, with no peaks rising alongside it and all the surrounding mountains lying low and withdrawing, does it signify a family’s exalted standing and abundant blessings. If the Dragon Vein comes from the left, the containing mountain should be on the right, as though drawing it in and restraining it from the left. If it comes from the right, the containing mountain should be on the left. If it comes from behind, the containing mountain should be in front, as though guarding it from behind. Where the Dragon Vein originates, a containing mountain beyond several layers of Dragon and Tiger Sand is especially rare and auspicious. Where the Dragon Vein departs, a containing mountain within the gateway at the water outlet is even more suitable.

A containing mountain arising from a flourishing direction signifies a lifespan of a hundred years; one arising from a place of tomb and extinction signifies a short life, with even seventy years hard to attain. If the containing mountain lies within the water outlet and has the shape of the arm of the Black Tortoise, the guardian beast of the north, embracing the site, it is like a city wall and defensive barrier, and can confer authority over an entire region. When the overall terrain is vast, one should not fix attention on a single mountain or stream. A fengshui master should first assess the configuration as a whole.

To judge whether blessings can come to pass as surely as a tally being matched, one must understand “interlocking configurations”: the coordination among mountain ridges, the burial site, surrounding peaks, and waterways. The secret instructions say that when a fengshui configuration lacks such coordination, a person will find it difficult to become as wealthy as Tao Zhu Gong, attain rank as high as the Three Dukes, or live as long as Peng Zu. A married couple may also be unable to grow old together, and the household may even include someone widowed or without a spouse.

When the configuration of a dragon vein is out of harmony, it is called “jealousy.” Such a vein can hardly bring lasting blessings. Disharmony in the configuration of the burial site is called “chronic affliction”: its blessings are unlikely to endure. Disharmony in the configuration of the protective peaks is called “turbidity,” and descendants will struggle to rise to prominence. Disharmony in the waterways is called “fragmentation,” and the family’s fortune may readily disperse or move elsewhere.

From the mountain pass where the dragon vein narrows as it crosses a ridge to the minor ancestral mountain—the principal mountain nearest the point where the vein forms a burial site—the discussion concerns the dragon configuration. If a Metal Dragon lacks water to protect it, this is called “jealousy of the children,” and descendants will struggle to prosper. If a Water Dragon lacks a Metal Dragon to turn back and protect it, this is called “jealousy of the father,” and the household is unlikely to have long-lived elders. If a Metal Dragon lacks the support of a Wood Dragon, this is called “jealousy of wealth,” and daily life is often financially strained. If a Wood Dragon lacks the support of a Metal Dragon, this is called “jealousy of office,” and study and writing are unlikely to bring distinction. If a Metal Dragon lacks the protection of another Metal Dragon, this is called “jealousy of siblings,” and the family’s affairs must be shouldered alone.

From the ghost peak—a mountain that offers protection behind or to the rear side of the burial site—to the lip and cushion, the supporting landform in front of it, the discussion concerns the burial site’s configuration. When Metal is the element of the seated burial site, the absence of Wood to complement it is called “chronic affliction of wealth.” Even if one claims that storehouses stand in every direction, wealth will be hard to accumulate in practice. The absence of Metal is called “chronic affliction of siblings.” Even if surrounding mountains enclose and protect the site, the support of siblings may still be lacking. The absence of Fire is called “chronic affliction of office.” Even with many auspicious peaks that aid literary achievement, writing will not readily bring high rank. The absence of Earth is called “chronic affliction of the father,” and the household may lack parents or elders. The absence of Water is called “chronic affliction of children,” and orphans or widows may be found in the family.

From the water that follows the dragon vein to the gateway—the water outlet in front of the burial site—the discussion concerns the water configuration. For a Metal burial site paired with a water enclosure, the water corresponds to children and descendants. If their configuration is out of harmony, it will be difficult for the ancestral estate to become prosperous. A Metal burial site paired with a Wood enclosure corresponds to wealth. If their configuration is out of harmony, the family will spend all day calculating income and expenses, while wealth remains hard to gather. A Wood burial site paired with a Metal enclosure corresponds to office and rank. If their configuration is out of harmony, one may still be laboring over books and writing in old age, with honors and status difficult to attain. A Metal burial site paired with a Metal enclosure corresponds to siblings. If their configuration is out of harmony, siblings are prone to quarrel and wear one another down.

From the Green Dragon sand hills on the left side of the burial site to the White Tiger sand hills on the right, the discussion concerns the water configuration. A Metal Dragon paired with successive layers of water corresponds to children and descendants. If the pairing is poor, children may be born frequently, yet take longer to become accomplished. A Water Dragon paired with a high, rising Metal-shaped mountain corresponds to the father’s generation. If the pairing is poor, children of different fathers or mothers may be at odds. A Metal Dragon paired with a Wood-shaped watercourse corresponds to wealth. If the pairing is poor, much may be earned but little accumulated. A Wood Dragon paired with a clearly defined, orderly Metal-shaped mountain corresponds to official prospects. If the pairing is poor, reputation and status tend to remain low. A Metal Dragon paired with a bright, prominent Metal-shaped mountain corresponds to siblings. If the pairing is poor, siblings may be similar in talent and learning yet receive unequal blessings.

The general point is this: to understand the coordination of the dragon vein and burial site, one must consider how the visible protective hills function. For the coordination of water, one must attend to whether the outward form of the water creates an unfavorable pairing. These instructions must be absorbed inwardly; they cannot be transmitted in full through words alone.

Chapter Twenty-Four discusses the Five Phases’ relationships of generation and overcoming. The foundations of geomancy (fengshui) lie in the Five Phases, and the key to judging fortune and misfortune is how they generate and overcome one another. Generation is usually welcomed, yet some forms of generation are inauspicious. Overcoming is usually disliked, yet some forms do no harm and may even be beneficial.

There are five kinds of generation: flying and hidden, responsive and corresponding, forward and reverse, male and female, and sleeping, sitting, and standing. “Flying generation” is when strong, exposed Metal generates Water; “hidden generation” is when soft, concealed Metal generates Water. Flying generation should not be too abrupt, and hidden generation should not be too forceful; otherwise, disobedience may arise in the family. A Metal cave paired with Water as its facing hill is called responsive generation; a Metal cave paired with Earth as its facing hill is called corresponding generation. Responsive generation should be close, while corresponding generation should be prominent in form. If it is neither close nor prominent, it is difficult to attain wealth and honor.

When a Metal ridge sheds away into Water, this is called forward generation; when it sheds away into Earth, this is called reverse generation. Forward generation depends on graceful beauty, while reverse generation depends on gathering and clustering. Without grace or clustering, it is difficult to nurture outstanding talent. Metal on the left and Water on the right is called male generation; Metal on the right and Water on the left is called female generation. Male generation should incline downward, and female generation should face upward. If male generation does not incline downward, family members may turn against one another; if female generation does not face upward, harmony in the household may be lost.

Generation from an upright main mountain form is called sitting; generation from a slanted profile is called sleeping; generation from a facing form is called standing. Sitting generation should be upright, sleeping generation should lie close and gently, and facing generation should be level. If it is not upright, close, and gentle, it portends early deaths in the family and the elderly weeping.

Overcoming among the Five Phases is also divided into five kinds: strong and weak, present and absent, favored and feared, visible and hidden, and self and other. When strong Metal in the directions of Geng, Shen, Xin, and You overcomes a Wood star, this is strong overcoming. When soft Metal appears from the directions of Bing, Ding, Si, and Wu and overcomes a Wood star, this is weak overcoming. Strong overcoming strong, or weak overcoming weak, is called “slaying”; strong overcoming weak, or weak overcoming strong, is called “subduing.”

If a Fire star rushes directly at a Metal cave, then even if the surrounding attendant peaks display Water forms, the cave is still being overcome unless an Earth star restrains the Water’s force. Conversely, if no Fire star intrudes upon an upright Metal dragon, and Wood stars gather in a group while an isolated Metal star cannot control them, then overcoming is in fact present even if none is apparent. When overcoming exists but seems absent, it signifies high rank and distinction. When no overcoming is apparent but overcoming is actually occurring, one is often slandered.

When the Metal star at the cave rises steeply and surrounding Lianzhen (Fire-shaped mountains) press in, this is visible overcoming, and calamity is apparent. When Fire stars flank and protect the Metal dragon layer upon layer all the way to the cave site, this is hidden overcoming, and the harm is concealed. If a Metal dragon can just be seen with a Fire star pressing down on the cave’s presiding form, this is self-overcoming. If an independently standing Fire star from an outer mountain confronts it, this is overcoming by others. Overcoming by others readily leads to local disputes; self-overcoming readily causes discord among kin.

When inauspicious stars and malign peaks press upon the cave’s presiding Lianzhen, Water stars are welcome; this is called favored overcoming. When an auspicious star is properly placed—for example, Metal in the Dui position, the western direction—Fire stars are unwelcome; this is called feared overcoming. If a welcomed form of overcoming occurs, it can bring especially great blessings. If a feared form occurs, its calamities are difficult to dispel.

When the dragon vein and the site do not correspond, the dragon vein is not genuine; when the site and the water’s course do not correspond, the site is not properly located. For example, if a Wood Dragon’s vein rises from the Hai direction, forms a site in the Mao direction, and the water flows toward the Wei direction, this is an auspicious configuration. The water should come from a position of “birth” or “flourishing,” and flow away toward a position of “tomb” or “extinction.” This is what is called the “Three Harmonies.”

If the water’s course does not accord with the Three Harmonies, blessings will struggle to flourish. If the fire configuration does not accord with them, fame and eminence will struggle to shine. If the dragon vein does not accord with them, its force will struggle to grow. If the site does not accord with them, the surrounding forms will struggle to gather. If the surrounding hills that guard the site do not accord with them, the overall configuration will lack propriety. The author holds that this is the standard by which to judge a place of wealth and rank. Diviners invoke the so-called “Three Harmonies” to discuss fortune and misfortune, but their claims do not conform to the principles of landform geomancy described here.

When the dragon vein rises from a suitable direction, this is called “Heaven’s Harmony.” When the site forms in a suitable position of birth and flourishing, this is called “Humanity’s Harmony.” When the water occupies a flourishing position, this is called “Earth’s Harmony.” Together, these three constitute the Three Harmonies of the dragon vein. When the low hill behind the site lies in the Black Tortoise direction, this is called “Rear Harmony.” When the guardian hill before the site appears in the bright hall—the open area in front—this is called “Front Harmony.” When rocky outcrops extend along the sides, these are called “Flanking Harmony.” Together, these three constitute the Three Harmonies of the site.

If the surrounding hills do not rob the dragon vein of its force, this is “Approach Harmony.” If they do not turn their backs on the site, this is “Restraint Harmony.” If they do not run straight along with the water and drain away, this is “Departure Harmony.” These are the Three Harmonies of the surrounding hills. If water comes from a direction of birth and nourishment, this is “Source Harmony.” If it gathers at a place of official rank and flourishing, this is “Confluence Harmony.” If it flows toward a direction of tomb and extinction, this is “Flow Harmony.” These are the Three Harmonies of water.

When the watercourse between the Azure Dragon and White Tiger hills—the protective ridges on either side of the site—comes together, this is “Ear Harmony.” When two streams converge evenly in the shape of the character for “eight,” this is “Elbow Harmony.” When the fine streams in front of the site, known as shrimp-whisker water, run alongside each other and join, this is “Fluid Harmony.” These, too, belong to the Three Harmonies of water.

If the central table mountain directly before the site lies in the Wu direction and has a graceful peak rising from it, this is called “Heaven-and-Earth Harmony.” If a peak in the Yin direction answers it, this is “Sun-and-Moon Harmony.” If a peak in the Xu direction faces it, this is “Wind-and-Cloud Harmony.” These are the Three Harmonies of the fire configuration.

If only one of these conditions is met, the configuration will not become scattered or cut off. If two are met, it will not be poor or low in status. If all three are met, the result is great wealth and high rank. Such a configuration, however, can only be encountered; it cannot be forced. In general, when all three harmonies are present in the terrain, the mountain pass turns back as if looking toward and welcoming what lies behind it. When the pass turns back in this way, the dragon vein has a source in its ancestral mountain. When the dragon vein has such an ancestral source, the site will not be exposed and isolated. It may resemble a boat drawn up at the shore, with its oars and sculls settled in place; or a ruler ascending to the hall, attended and protected by civil and military officials. The notions of the “Three Failings” and “Three Taboos” are the opposite of what is described here, and can be inferred accordingly.

Fire can aid the fame of those gifted in letters, so fire is singled out here as an example to illustrate the other cases.

“Others look at the forms of mountains; I observe their star peaks. Others examine the outward layout; I discern the mountain range’s underlying configuration. Star peaks are only the outward appearance of the Dragon Vein; its configuration and underlying pattern are its essence.” This is the teaching of the Fengxiong lineage of the Venus school.

What kinds of supporting hills and descending ridges suit a Venus formation? When the mountain forms of Saturn and Jupiter alternate, but the welcoming approaches on the Azure Dragon and White Tiger sides lack the forms of Water and Fire, the Qi cannot blend and transform. Instead, the landscape appears stiff and coarse. Metal, Wood, Water, and Earth are the star forms of the burial site; nest, pincer, breast, and protuberance are the forms of the burial mound; convex, concave, high, and sunken describe the terrain of the site. One must examine all the corroborating signs carefully to distinguish them clearly: in front, look at the Bright Hall—the open ground before the site—as well as the facing and table mountains; behind, look at the descending ridge and the supporting and guarding hills; on either side, look at the Azure Dragon and White Tiger hills and the encircling waters. After examining these, assess the character of the surrounding hills and waters.

I have seen hills arranged like a screen or a brush rest, with the White Tiger hill close by and encircling the site, their forms as picturesque as a painting. Yet the right side of the mountain pass stood alone, without an auspicious star peak to answer it. As a result, the younger branch of the family was ultimately unlikely to gain distinction.

I have seen water shaped like a jade belt or the back of a recumbent bow, winding and curving around the Azure Dragon side. But there was no auspicious star peak on the left side of the mountain pass, so even in a site with this configuration, the eldest branch of the family was unlikely to receive good fortune.

I have seen a table mountain shaped like a scholar’s cap or a zither laid crosswise, upright and graceful, inviting admiration. Why, then, did the descendants still fail to earn academic degrees? It was because the position and star peaks of the supporting hill behind the burial site were in disorder.

I have seen a broad Bright Hall, as if a myriad horses had gathered, with the surrounding hills arranged in orderly ranks like officials standing in court, answering in unison—a sight worthy of praise. Who would have thought that the protective mound below the burial site was not extended and open? Thus, although the family had wealth, it could not hold on to it; although they had prospects for office, they could not enjoy its rewards.

I have seen a water outlet shaped like a gourd, with water winding and circling as though it were turning back to gaze with affection. Why, then, did the family not prosper? The Dragon Vein and burial site lacked the configuration of a “storehouse,” making it difficult to gather Qi and retain wealth.

I have seen a literary brush peak on a table mountain, along with auspicious forms such as the Imperial Proclamation and the Heavenly Horse. But if the Dragon Vein and burial site themselves lack sound form and a firm foundation, then even descendants who study diligently for ten years will find it difficult to gain distinction through these favorable outward signs.

I have seen configurations like a brocade cover spread over a carved bed, with mountain ridges layered like rows of children and grandchildren. But because the Dragon Vein and burial site lay in a dark, cold place, the children and daughters-in-law of the family could not flourish, and the family remained small.

How do surrounding hills and waters bring calamity? The key is that the original vitality of the Dragon Vein and burial site has weakened. It is like a weak ruler and an incompetent sovereign, while treacherous ministers and fierce generals seize power. How do hills and waters increase good fortune? The key is that the original vitality of the Dragon Vein and burial site is strong. It is like a wise ruler governing the court, with generals from every direction becoming pillars who protect the state.

I have heard that the Dragon Vein and burial site should answer one another, and that the waters and hills should complement each other. Auspicious waters can often counteract harmful hills, while auspicious hills can also offset flaws in the water. If Yin sand on the right crosses the burial site and reaches toward the left, while water flows away on the left, this usually does not bring great calamity. But if the hills recede and the water flows away with them, the family’s gatherings and celebrations may collapse in an instant.

Chapter 27 discusses the use of spirits through clash and combination. For the dragon vein and burial site of a yin dwelling, one must first identify the respective “useful spirits”—the key Five Phases or Earthly Branches used to determine fortune and misfortune and to arrange directions and dates. The effects of activating a useful spirit through a clash should not be taken lightly. The underlying methods are difficult to explain fully, and a feng shui master who identifies them incorrectly can easily make mistakes.

What useful spirits should be used for a Metal Dragon and a Metal burial site? Their birth and flourishing positions are Si, and their tomb and storehouse position is Chou. Si and Chou may be chosen as facing directions or used to determine the direction from which the dragon vein enters the site. The text says there is no need to be bound by prohibitions such as Huangquan or Xingmu, but the burial site must correspond with the dragon vein. If the deceased’s destiny belongs to the Water or Fire palace, burial should be arranged for the Chou hour. You, hidden within the Si and Chou palaces, must be activated by a clash from Mao so that the soul may rest in peace. If descendants were born in the Hai or Wei years, combining and activating those Earthly Branches can also have an effect.

The Metal Horse is originally in Hai and You, while Metal’s Lu position shifts to Shen and You; one character is missing here in the original. Clashing the Lu position may bring official success, while clashing the Horse position calls for caution about illness. When the Horse position falls in a position of sickness, it should be harmonized through generation and combination. When the Lu position lies in an official position, its force should be made manifest.

The roots of wealth and nobility lie in the fetal position; their support should be sought in the longevity position. Arrangements should be made in a flourishing direction, while the position for seeking a response should be in the tomb or extinction position. The text advises clashing the birth position, not the fetal position, lest the roots be damaged. Clash the birth position only once, so that support is preserved and the method remains flexible. Do not clash the flourishing position either, to avoid making an improper arrangement; clash the tomb position only once, and a response will naturally be easier to obtain.

Metal’s noble energy lies in the Yin and Wu positions. Noble figures should be brought together by combination, not activated by a clash. Bring the noble figures together and clash the Lu position, and wealth and nobility may follow. To combine the noble figures of Metal, the method is to combine Yin and Wu with Xu. If auspicious stars are in the Yin or Wu direction and the deceased was born in the Xu year, this is especially suitable. If the deceased was born in the Mao or You year, this too is said to allow the energy of wealth and nobility to gather in successive layers.

Water and Fire are noble in their tomb and extinction positions. Metal is noble in [missing text]. Water’s nobility depends on the waxing and waning of Earth; Earth is noble in the tomb and extinction position of the Wei direction.

Nine out of ten precious burial sites—that is, places deemed suitable for burial in fengshui—belong to landforms transformed from one shape into another. Ordinary fengshui masters have only modest discernment and find them difficult to recognize. The first type is a Fire-form mountain turning into a Metal form: it seems as though molten metal is flowing, leaving only a slender ridge. Where it reaches the end and meets an Earth-form, a burial site may be placed. The mountain resembles a hanging gallbladder; this is how the Metal form reveals itself. The second type is a Wood-form mountain turning toward an Earth-form and transforming into Metal: the Earth form rises in overlapping mounds and changes into a Metal form. Look for it beside a hollow site accompanied by a Fire form; ahead there will surely be a mountain formation like a screen and a writing desk. The third type is a Metal-form mountain shaping a Wood form: the Wood form changes into a phoenix shape, like a chicken pecking at a chestnut. A burial site may be placed where a Water-form mountain appears. The site should be slightly raised, like a flower bud; only then is it a true Wood form. The fourth type is an Earth-form mountain blocking a Water form: the water rushes along like a snake shedding its skin. In the distance ahead, a Metal-form peak faintly appears to greet it, and the site is settled, as if recessed into a hollow. The fifth type is a Water-form mountain pressing down and extinguishing a Fire form: the sharp Fire-form peak is subdued like a water chestnut. Find the place where a Wood-form mountain unfolds in successive sections; when a Water form is also reflected across the site, a burial may be placed there.

When a mountain form changes because it is overcome, its original form should be visible. If that original form is seen before burial, wealth and high status will follow. When a mountain form changes through generation, the form it generates should be visible; seeing that generated form brings wealth and high status. The “overcoming” and “generating” discussed here refer to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) overcoming and generating one another. The subtle methods of transformation are too numerous to set out in full. The key is to arrange generation and overcoming properly: when a form changes through generation, it should display the form of wealth and office; when it changes through overcoming, it should display the pattern of inheritance passing from father to son. Thus, both situations can be properly settled.

Chapter Twenty-Nine, “On the Essentials of Tracing Dragon Veins” (the principles of tracing dragon veins), says: “Do not think that tracing dragon veins is difficult; what is difficult is discerning distant mountains from a level plain.”

Searching for the dragon (the course of mountain ranges suited to burial) does not simply mean climbing to a high place to look at the mountains. The real difficulty is observing distant high mountains from level ground. By contrast, it is easier to read the terrain by looking down over the plains from a mountain. First, observe how the dragon vein begins: where a true dragon vein gathers force, it often has branches. Then see how it spreads out; where it spreads, there is usually support. Next, observe how it descends: where it dips down, things often gather. Finally, see how it extends. As a true dragon advances, it shows a posture of turning toward and acknowledging what faces it.

Also observe the direction in which the dragon vein’s configuration faces. The place it faces is often winding and concealed, so discern it from both sides: behind is the sending vein, and in front is the welcoming vein. Observe these sending and welcoming veins from the left and right, taking care not to mistake branches that guard the dragon vein for the main dragon. A true dragon often disappears and reappears at each turn, so trace it back to its source. Carefully distinguish the five mountain forms—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—then identify the lesser ancestral mountain, the nearby ancestral range, that corresponds to the mountain’s star form, or category. If the lesser and distant ancestral mountains generate and respond to one another, this indicates terrain supported in successive layers. Then see whether the descendant mountains, parent mountains, and wealth and official stars follow one another in sequence; this is used to judge whether the site has enduring blessings. If the dragon vein advances with its force rising and then gathering, it may conceal a complete hall configuration, a terrain where mountains and waters encircle and concentrate their force.

After examining the lesser ancestral mountain, also look at the peaks that accompany the dragon. Wealth and official stars arriving with the dragon vein make for a rare configuration. If the parent, lesser ancestral, and distant ancestral mountains generate and respond to one another, the terrain is supported in successive layers. If the descendant and parent mountains, along with the wealth and official stars, follow one another in sequence, this is thought to bring lasting blessings. A dragon vein that rises and gathers in due measure may also indicate a complete hall configuration. After examining the lesser ancestral mountain, inspect the peaks that accompany the dragon as well: the parent mountain should approach with an easy, gentle course, while the descendant mountains should arrive fully formed and substantial. If their approach is not gentle or their form not substantial, prosperity will be hard to sustain. For great wealth and high status, Yang Gong, a renowned figure in the lore of geomancy, especially valued wealth and official stars that accompany the dragon. If the mountains merely follow one another, even a temporary blessing will not bring misfortune.

After examining the dragon vein, look at where the ghost mountain—the range that guards the main dragon from behind or around it—falls, and identify its mountain form. If the ghost mountain nourishes the dragon vein and the burial site, it brings hidden benefit and is cause for gratitude. If the dragon and burial site instead nourish the ghost mountain, this is thought to drain their Qi and invite misfortune. Mutual overcoming is inauspicious; ideally, mountains of the same kind harmonize and support one another. A ghost mountain on level ground should provide a place to lean on; one in high terrain should form a backing. Whether it lies to the left, to the right, or in the middle, observe which side it faces and encircles.

After examining the ghost mountain, examine the burial site and determine whether it is high, low, convex, or concave. Observe where the vital energy, believed to nourish the earth’s veins, enters. Burial should follow and receive this vital energy; keep this in mind. It is best for the energy to enter from the two sides of the site, next best from the top, and then from the waist. Also identify the ball eave, the slight projection at the front of the burial ground beneath the transforming crown, the raised terrain behind the site. The site’s shape should resemble a sprouting plant: it should have a hollow above, a pattern in the middle, and a lip cushion, the terrain supporting it in front. None of these should be thin or meager. The shrimp whiskers and cicada wings, the fine protective formations beside the site, should meet along both sides; the chicken heart and fish bubbles, raised forms in front of the site, should stand high and face it. Dragon veins with Earth or Wood forms commonly have breast-shaped mounds, while those with Metal or Water forms commonly have bell-shaped and hollow forms.

After examining the burial site, look at its protective embrace. The enclosing terrain should accord with the dragon vein. If wealth stars on both sides encircle the site, this symbolizes wealth and status for the descendants; if official stars encircle it on both sides, this too symbolizes accumulated wealth and deep blessings. It is unfavorable for parent mountains to encircle the site while descendant mountains are scarce, or for descendant mountains to encircle it while the parent mountains are incomplete. It is better for the mountains to encircle and respond to one another, allowing the family to live in peace and prosperity.

After examining the protective embrace, look at the facing mountain, opposite the site, and the near table mountain, the low hill close in front of it. They should nourish and answer one another. If wealth and official stars stand alongside them, this symbolizes lasting wealth and status for the family. After examining the facing and near mountains, also look at the entrance, the opening and approach in front of the burial ground; its configuration should not obstruct the descendants’ dwelling. In making this judgment, look first at the parent mountain, then the wealth stars, and then the official stars. Auspicious configurations can be recognized from the actual terrain; the mountain peaks should face inward toward the site. Once the Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger—the positions and protective configurations in front, behind, to the left, and to the right of the site—have all been examined, the protective hills, watercourses, and bright hall, the open ground in front of the site, will also become clear.

There is no need to insist that water take one particular shape; judge where it comes from and where it goes by its direction. Incoming water should flow steadily and over a long course, not rush turbulently. Departing water should seem reluctant to leave, as though turning back to look, rather than hurrying away. For great wealth and high status, the text says, it is auspicious for water from the Xun direction (southeast) to flow steadily to the site. Mountainous terrain is easier to read, while the configurations of level ground are more obscure. When a dragon vein descends from the mountains onto level ground, keep watch for signs that it still retains the rises and falls of a mountain range. As for how to recognize these signs, the final sentence says: there, crops do not grow, but grass does.