《儒門崇理折衷堪輿完孝錄》Vol. 6

The Confucian Scholars' Complete Record of Geomancy for Fulfilling Filial Piety, Volume 6, contains discussions on the Jiugong Zibai theory (an ancient geomantic system of the Nine Palaces and Flying Stars).

A scholar surnamed Xu from Qiantang (modern-day Hangzhou), while studying the classics and histories, delved deeply into the profound principles of Yin-Yang transformations. He developed particularly unique insights into the Jiugong Zibai theory, even surpassing previous interpretations. His theories align with the Celestial Talisman Scripture (Tianfu Jing), and here we excerpt their essence for discerning scholars to consider.

The core principle of the Jiugong Zibai theory is this: the nine stars of Zibai (a geomantic term referring to the nine stellar configurations, such as One White, Two Black, etc.) correspond to the nine directional palaces, forming the foundation of geomantic positioning. The nine palaces, combined with the Eight Trigrams (the Later Heaven arrangement), constitute the practical mysteries of application. Through the governing number 45, which encompasses the eight principal solar terms (from the 24 solar terms), and the distribution number 15, which regulates the flow of Qi (seasonal patterns), the four cardinal directions—Kan (North), Li (South), Zhen (East), and Dui (West)—are established to determine the duration of mid-season Qi. Meanwhile, the four intermediate directions—Gen (Northeast), Kun (Southwest), Xun (Southeast), and Qian (Northwest)—allow for assessing the shifts of heat and cold across the solar terms.

This system employs 72 transformations to map the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang across the 360 degrees of the celestial cycle. Odd numbers use whole values, while even numbers use half values. However, later scholars mistakenly conflated auspicious stars like the Greedy Wolf (Tanlang) and Giant Gate (Jumen) with the original nine palace stars. They further disrupted the fundamental trigram arrangements by introducing methods like the "Qi of Life" and "Celestial Physician" flipping trigrams (a geomantic calculation technique). As a result, core concepts such as host-guest relations, flying and latent positions (geomantic terms for manifest and hidden influences), the states of growth, flourishing, rest, and imprisonment (the cycles of the Five Phases), and interactions of restraint, drainage, transformation, and harmony (the dynamics of the Five Phases) were overlooked. Instead, they simplistically assumed that all Zibai stars were auspicious.

In truth, this view is inaccurate. For example, the One White star belongs to Water, but for mountain formations governed by Fire, Water becomes a malevolent force. The Six White star, associated with Metal, restrains Wood-aligned mountain forms; the Eight White star, linked to Earth, suppresses Water-aligned mountains; and the Nine Purple star, governed by Fire, overcomes Metal-aligned mountains. Moreover, there are distinctions in severity and strength: a light Sha Qi (killing energy) may transform into official fortune, while a heavy presence can bring disaster. A stable foundation can turn inauspicious forces into blessings, but a weak foundation cannot sustain fortune. Even seemingly favorable formations like the "Tribute of Blessings" (Chaoyuan Gongfu) may not bring prosperity if the foundation is unstable, while seemingly draining formations like "Leaking Primordial Qi" (Louyuan) may pose no major harm if properly remedied. How, then, can one simplistically declare all Zibai stars auspicious and all others inauspicious? Texts like The Celestial Key (Tongtian Qiao) and The White Mirror Charts (Bai Jing Tu) contain many misleading fallacies that have confused generations.

This scripture primarily critiques the deceptive and alarmist practices of contemporary feng shui masters while systematically expounding the core principles of orthodox feng shui theory.

These charlatans often fabricate terrifying concepts—invoking auspicious but hollow titles like "Celestial Prosperity, Celestial Blessings, Celestial Virtue (Tian De), and Celestial Wealth" to stir greed, or frightening terms like "Celestial Wailing, Celestial Resentment, Celestial Calamity, and Celestial Misfortune" to instill fear. In truth, they lack genuine understanding of the mutual generation and restraint of the Five Phases (Wuxing) or the waxing and waning transformations of Yin-Yang.

Authentic feng shui theory operates thus: All things possess form and substance, hence the Nine Palaces (Jiugong) are distinguished by color; where form exists, inherent qualities emerge, establishing the principle of nine colors. Spatial orientations govern the flow of Qi (Qi), creating the cyclical alternation of day and night; the directional currents of Qi—whether harmonious or contrary—give rise to the seasonal transitions between winter and summer. Once Heaven and Earth assume their positions, the Three Primordials (Sanyuan) fulfill their respective functions; as fortunes ebb and flow, the sixty-year Jiazi cycle repeats endlessly.

Chen Xiyi (the renowned Five Dynasties Daoist) deduced from the Luo River Chart: During the winter solstice, the Jiazi cycle begins at the Kan Palace (north) and progresses clockwise through the Nine Palaces, revealing the gradual growth of Yang Qi; at the summer solstice, it starts at the Li Palace (south) and moves counterclockwise, marking the initial emergence of Yin Qi. Thus, the transformations of Yin-Yang follow observable patterns, and the interactions of the Five Phases operate with precise accuracy.

These charlatans resemble painters—portraying human figures poorly because people know what real humans look like, but depicting ghosts convincingly since none have seen true specters. In reality, by calmly observing the correspondences between the four cardinal directions (east, west, south, north) and the attributes of the Five Phases (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth), and by studying the laws governing Qi's circulation and transformation, one can comprehend that the mysteries of cosmic movement and spiritual metamorphosis are all encoded within the Nine Palaces of the Luo River Chart.

Finally, the specific attributes of the One White position in the Kan Palace: It belongs to Yang Water, generating during the Shen hour (3–5 PM), declining during the You hour (5–7 PM), peaking at the Zi hour (11 PM–1 AM), entering its tomb at the Chen hour (7–9 AM), and exhausting its Qi at the Si hour (9–11 AM). When encountering Metal Qi, it receives nourishment (mutual generation); when meeting Earth Qi, it faces suppression (mutual restraint); its interaction with Wood Qi produces distinct effects.

This passage discusses the theory of generation and restraint among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) in feng shui geomancy, analyzing the elemental attributes and auspicious/ominous patterns corresponding to different directions (Second Black Kun position, Third Green Zhen position, Fourth Green Xun position, and Fifth Yellow central position).

Take the Second Black Kun position (southwest direction) as an example—it belongs to Yin Earth. The Earth phase begins growing in the Shen month (seventh lunar month), starts declining in the You month (eighth month), reaches peak strength in the Wu-Ji directions, enters its tomb in the Chen month (third lunar month), and completely exhausts in the Xun-Si (southeast) direction. When interacting with different phases: Fire generating Earth is called "seal" (support from benefactors), Wood restraining Earth is called "killing" (suppression and harm), Earth generating Metal is called "drain" (self-consumption), Water being restrained by Earth is called "wealth" (obtainable resources), and Earth meeting its own kind is called "compare" (mutual assistance). The Earth phase dominates during the last month of each season (third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth lunar months), rests in autumn, becomes trapped in winter, flourishes in summer, and gets restrained in spring. Years, months, days, and hours with Fire or Earth attributes are most favorable—prosperity brings good fortune, while entering the tomb or exhaustion brings misfortune.

Other directions follow similar patterns: the Third Green Zhen position (due east) belongs to Yang Wood, the Fourth Green Xun position (southeast) to Yin Wood, and the Fifth Yellow central position to Earth. Each direction has its corresponding growth cycle (growth, decline, prosperity, tomb, and exhaustion). When encountering different phases, they produce five types of relationships: seal (generating me), killing (restraining me), drain (I generate), wealth (I restrain), and compare (same phase). Different seasons also manifest as commanding star (in authority), rest, imprisonment, assistance, or subjugation states. Determining auspiciousness mainly depends on whether the phase is timely and properly positioned—growth and prosperity bring good fortune, while entering the tomb or exhaustion brings misfortune.

(Note: In the text, "逄" is interchangeable with "逢" (encounter), "扵" with "于" (in/at), and "㐫" is a variant form of "凶" (ominous).)

This passage explains the generative and controlling relationships between the Five Phases (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth) and their corresponding directions and temporal cycles in feng shui divination. It analyzes the phase attributes of four key positions—Six White (Qian position), Seven Red (Dui position), Eight White (Gen position), and Nine Purple (Li position)—along with their seasonal fluctuations.

The Six White position resides in the Qian palace, belonging to Yang Metal. Metal is born in the Si month (4th lunar month), begins weakening in Wu month (5th month), peaks during Shen-You months (7th-8th months), enters burial in Chou month (12th month), and reaches energy depletion in Yin month (1st month). Earth serves as its nourishing star (generative relationship), Fire as its killing star (controlling relationship), Water drains its energy, Wood represents wealth, and fellow Metal denotes partnership. It flourishes in autumn, rests in winter, becomes constrained in spring, regenerates during seasonal transitions, and is subdued in summer. Years or hours of Earth/Metal bring vitality—prosperous phases signify fortune while burial/exhaustion phases portend misfortune.

The Seven Red position occupies the Dui palace as Yin Metal, sharing identical growth cycles with Six White—similarly benefiting during Earth/Metal years.

Eight White resides in the Gen palace as Yang Earth. Earth is born in Shen month (7th month), weakens in You month (8th month), peaks in Wu-Ji months (5th-6th months), enters burial in Chen month (3rd month), and depletes in Xun-Si months (4th-5th months). Fire nourishes it, Wood controls it, Metal drains it, Water signifies wealth, and fellow Earth indicates partnership. It governs during seasonal transitions, rests in autumn, becomes constrained in winter, regenerates in summer, and is subdued in spring. Fire/Earth years prove auspicious.

Nine Purple in the Li palace belongs to Fire. Fire is born in Yin month (1st month), weakens in Mao month (2nd month), peaks in Si-Wu months (4th-5th months), enters burial in Xu month (9th month), and depletes in Qian-Hai months (10th-11th months). Wood nourishes it, Water controls it, Earth drains it, Metal signifies wealth, and fellow Fire denotes partnership. It dominates in summer, rests during seasonal transitions, becomes constrained in autumn, regenerates in spring, and is subdued in winter. Wood/Fire years bring good fortune.

The conclusion notes that the Five Phases manifest through Yin-Yang alternations and sequential reversals, requiring integration with heavenly stems and earthly branches for precise calculation. These principles determine the auspicious or inauspicious states of directions across temporal cycles.

This passage discusses the theories of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and the Nine Palaces Flying Stars in Feng Shui (geomancy). Among the Five Phases, Fire and Water each have only one manifestation, while Wood, Metal, and Earth each have two states. When heaven and earth first separated, only Fire and Water existed in opposition. In the Primordial Bagua (Eight Trigrams), Fire and Water represent the sun and moon; in the Later Heaven Bagua, they correspond to the extremes of winter and summer. Since Fire and Water each have a single form, it would be inconsistent for Wood, Metal, and Earth to be divided into two states.

In the relationship between Yin and Yang, Yang Qi dominates while Yin Qi follows, much like a wife accompanying her husband. Therefore, the four stages of the Five Phases—growth, flourishing, decline, and extinction (referring to their progression through the twelve Earthly Branches)—should not be distinguished as favorable or unfavorable. For example, Wu Earth resides in the Yin position, while Si Earth resides in the You position. However, according to the proper logic of the Five Phases, Earth should be positioned at the transition between Fire and Metal, between summer and autumn, to facilitate the cycle of seasons and the growth of all things. Thus, Earth should take the Kun-Shen direction as its position of growth.

The Purple-White Nine Palaces diagram is based on the Luoshu (an ancient mystical numerical chart) and the Later Heaven Bagua (representing spatial orientation). The ancients considered the Purple-White positions auspicious because: the Six White position corresponds to the Qian trigram, symbolizing the pivot of the Heavenly Gate, representing creation; the One White position corresponds to the Kan trigram, symbolizing the birth of Yang Qi, representing rest; the Eight White position corresponds to the Gen trigram, symbolizing constancy, representing growth; and the Nine Purple position corresponds to the Li trigram, symbolizing illumination and governance, representing prosperity.

On the other hand, the Three Green position directly opposes the clash of the sun and moon, while the Seven Red position governs austerity and carries an ominous sign; the Four Green position signifies the flourishing of all things; the Two Black position transmits Yin Qi, carrying connotations of death. The Five Yellow position at the center symbolizes the sovereign, ruling over the four directions with immense power—any opposition will be destroyed. Thus, the Five Yellow is the most inauspicious star, like the Tai Sui (an ancient deity of misfortune), which must be obeyed and never provoked.

In ancient calendrical systems, the Central Palace Star was called the Tai Sui Star, usually governed by the Five Yellow. However, each year, a rotating constellation takes charge—whether Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, or Venus—just as the seasons alternate, following natural law. Therefore, the Central Palace Star has the greatest influence on fortune and misfortune each year, requiring special attention to aspects like the orientation of a house's sitting and facing directions.

This passage discusses astrological taboos and directional auspices in Feng Shui. When certain orientations coincide with specific constellations, harmonious Five Phase (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) relationships may mitigate misfortune, whereas conflicting interactions can bring severe calamities. While modern practitioners commonly avoid the Grand Duke Jupiter (Taisui, the year's presiding deity), few realize certain constellations represent the true "Taisui." When a building's orientation encounters these stars during conflicting year/month/day/hour cycles, the consequences can be particularly dire.

The text enumerates prohibitions concerning the Nine Palace Flying Stars' malignant influences: each of the nine stars (White 1, Black 2, etc.) carries distinct auspicious or inauspicious properties. Six specific lethal configurations are detailed:

• Sixfold Tomb Kill (Wuxing burial): combinations like Chen-Chen-Wei-Wei
• Hidden Establishment Kill (palace resonance): directional clashes among Kan, Kun, Zhen, Xun palaces
• Subjugation Kill (weak guest vs. strong host): destructive relationships between the central palace and others
• Heart-Piercing Kill (opposing palace clash): e.g., Li (Fire) facing Kan (Water)
• Crossed Swords Kill (Metal-Metal confrontation): e.g., Dui meeting Qian palaces
• Bullfight Kill (Metal-Earth vs. Wood): e.g., Metal/Earth stars encountering Zhen/Xun Wood palaces

Each configuration carries symbolic meaning: Hidden Establishment Kill resembles ministers usurping the throne; Subjugation Kill signifies weak guests overpowered by strong hosts; Heart-Piercing Kill represents polar opposition; Crossed Swords Kill denotes metallic conflict; Bullfight Kill illustrates Metal-Earth-Wood contention; Sixfold Tomb Kill symbolizes Five Phase burial.

When establishing mountain orientations or constructing buildings, even auspicious stars (like Purple-White stars) must be evaluated for vitality: flourishing stars bring substantial blessings while weakened ones offer diminished benefits. Simultaneously, one must consider tomb-related afflictions—this embodies the principle "few recognize misfortunes concealed within auspicious signs."

The conclusion emphasizes mastering stellar transformations requires correlating twelve earthly branches with eight trigram directions: e.g., Zi corresponds to Kan palace, Chou-Yin to Gen palace. Flying Stars generate Three Penalties and Six Harms across positions, requiring integrated analysis with temporal Void (Kongwang) directions from year/month/day/hour cycles for comprehensive fortune assessment.

In Feng Shui date selection (Kanyu), the concept of "Kongwang" (Void and Vanished) holds significant importance. Within the Jiazi cycle (a 10-year period in the 60-year sexagenary cycle), the Xu and Hai directions are considered Kongwang positions. When auspicious or inauspicious energies enter these positions, they lose their potency.

Specifically: During the first to eighth months of a Jiazi year, the Xu and Hai directions are Kongwang. From the ninth to twelfth months, the Shen and You directions become Kongwang instead. Kongwang is further divided into Yin and Yang aspects—Yang days (those with the heavenly stems of Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, or Ren) affect Yang positions, while Yin days (with stems of Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, or Gui) affect Yin positions. This principle applies to yearly and monthly calculations as well.

The compounding effect of Kongwang is notable: One or two layers of Kongwang reduce energy by half, while three or four layers nullify it completely. Among these, annual Kongwang exerts the strongest decade-long influence, followed by monthly Kongwang. Daily or hourly Kongwang has the least impact, as its effects dissipate after the current 10-day cycle.

When Xinghai (clashing or harming Earthly Branches) coincides with Kongwang, the outcome depends on the Five Phases' generative and restrictive relationships: If the clash affects a noble person's palace, it may transform into authority; if it harms the Lu-Ma palace (governing wealth and officialdom), the harm may turn into assistance. A Kongwang position strengthened by supportive Qi (through generative Five Phases interactions) can regain substance, while encountering transformative combinations alters its nature.

The Five Phases relationships operate as follows: Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, and Metal generates Water—forming a cyclical generative sequence. Matching phases reinforce each other (e.g., Water reinforcing Water). The restrictive cycle runs: Water restricts Fire, Fire restricts Metal, Metal restricts Wood, Wood restricts Earth, and Earth restricts Water.

Heavenly stems combine into five transformations: Jia-Ji transforms to Earth, Yi-Geng to Metal, Bing-Xin to Water, Ding-Ren to Wood, and Wu-Gui to Fire—derived from the generative numerology of the Hetu (an ancient cosmological diagram). Earthly Branches form triple combinations: Hai-Mao-Wei transforms to Wood, Yin-Wu-Xu to Fire, Si-You-Chou to Metal, and Shen-Zi-Chen to Water. These represent natural groupings based on the three stages (growth, flourishing, and burial) of their respective directional palaces.

Finally, the initiation principle of the Three Cycles and Nine Periods (180-year cycle) is mentioned: A Shangyuan Jiazi year (e.g., the Hongzhi 17th Year Jiazi) begins with the One White star (of the Nine Stars) in the central palace—a foundational concept for Feng Shui calculations. Practical application requires flexible mastery of these principles' deeper interconnections.

This passage explains the "Three Cycles and Nine Periods" (Sanyuan Jiuyun) theory in ancient geomancy (Feng Shui), a method for calculating temporal cycles using celestial stems and earthly branches with the nine-palace flying star system. According to this framework, time is divided into three major cycles—Upper, Middle, and Lower—each spanning 60 years (a complete Jiazi cycle), totaling 180 years for one full revolution.

The calculation method works as follows: The Upper Cycle's Jiazi year begins at the One White Kan Palace (representing the North and the Water phase), the Middle Cycle's Jiazi year starts at the Four Green Xun Palace (Southeast), and the Lower Cycle's Jiazi year commences at the Seven Red Dui Palace (West). This rotation mirrors the natural order since the creation of heaven and earth, embodying the Yijing principle where "the Dao generates One, One generates Two, Two generates Three"—here manifested through the intricate transformations of numerical sequences.

The text emphasizes the significance of the One White Kan Palace, which corresponds to the Xuanming (Northern Water Deity) direction. Numerologically, it symbolizes Taiyi (the North Star) and aligns with the winter solstice (the celestial root) in the solar terms. Thus, the Upper Cycle's Jiazi begins here, completing three revolutions before returning to its origin. The Song Dynasty Yijing master Shao Yong (Shaozi) once remarked that those who comprehend this pattern gain insight equivalent to witnessing Fuxi's creation of the Bagua.

A detailed year correspondence chart follows:

• The Jiazi year of Hongwu 17 (1384 CE) belonged to the Middle Cycle
• The Jiazi year of Zhengtong 9 (1444 CE) fell in the Lower Cycle
• The Jiazi year of Hongzhi 17 (1504 CE) returned to the Upper Cycle
• The Jiazi year of Jiajing 43 (1564 CE) cycled back to the Middle Cycle

The concluding section illustrates the rotation pattern of the nine-palace flying stars through colors and trigram names. Each color represents a celestial body (e.g., white for One White, black for Two Black, etc.), circulating through the nine palaces in a fixed sequence to form distinct geomantic configurations. This arrangement serves to determine auspicious and inauspicious orientations across different eras.

This passage primarily explains the principles behind ancient calendar systems and auspicious day selection. The author emphasizes that establishing the calendar was the foremost duty of emperors, who would annually present the new calendar to the Celestial Emperor (Tiandi) with incense, pledging personal responsibility for any miscalculations to spare the people from calamities. The text criticizes contemporary practitioners who disregard official calendars in favor of folk divination methods, arguing that unofficial calculations could never match the precision of the imperial Astronomical Bureau (Qintianjian) – the authoritative institution governing celestial phenomena and calendrics.

Particular condemnation is reserved for those who spread unorthodox theories contrary to state-sanctioned calendars. The author compiled this material to rectify such practices and facilitate proper calendrical usage.

Regarding the "Three Origins and Lunar White" (Sanyuan Yuebai) calculation method: Years are classified into Upper Origin (Shangyuan), Middle Origin (Zhongyuan), and Lower Origin (Xiayuan). Upper Origin years (Zi, Wu, Mao, You) begin counting from the central palace (Zhonggong) of the Nine Palaces (Jiugong) grid – with the first month starting at 8 White (Baibai), the second at 7 Red (Qichi), and so on in reverse sequence. Middle Origin years (Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei) commence calculations from 5 Yellow (Wuhuang), while Lower Origin years (Yin, Shen, Si, Hai) start from 2 Black (Erhei). This classification derives from the Luoshu (River Chart) Nine Palaces system, where 36 months across three years complete four full cycles of the nine palaces, thus repeating the same starting point every three years. For instance, both Zi and Mao years begin their first month at 8 White.

The passage concludes with specific year-month groupings: During Zi, Wu, Mao, or You years, the first, second, third, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth months follow one numerical sequence, while months four through nine adopt another. This represents a fixed pattern in ancient calendrics for determining auspicious and inauspicious spatial orientations.

This passage discusses the coordination between years, months, and directions in Feng Shui date selection, along with the application of the Five Phases' generative and destructive cycles in Feng Shui practice.

First, it lists auspicious and inauspicious months corresponding to different years:

• Years of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei (Dragon, Dog, Ox, and Sheep years): The 7th, 8th, and 9th lunar months (or alternatively the 1st, 2nd, 3rd / 10th, 11th, 12th months) and the 4th, 5th, and 6th months are particularly significant.
• Years of Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai (Tiger, Monkey, Snake, and Pig years): The 4th, 5th, and 6th lunar months and the 7th, 8th, and 9th months (or alternatively the 1st, 2nd, 3rd / 10th, 11th, 12th months) hold greater importance.

Next, it uses numbers to represent the nine palace directions (1 White Kan/North, 2 Black Kun/Southwest, 3 Green Zhen/East, 4 Green Xun/Southeast, 5 Yellow Center, 6 White Qian/Northwest, 7 Red Dui/West, 8 White Gen/Northeast, 9 Purple Li/South), explaining the rotational patterns of auspicious directions corresponding to each monthly period.

The key explanation focuses on the influence of monthly periods on Feng Shui: while annual cycles determine overall fortune, specific directions remain fixed. The shifting of auspicious and inauspicious deities (shensha) brought by monthly periods has the greatest impact on a building's orientation, requiring careful balancing of priorities.

It then details five major principles for coordinating the Five Phases with months:

1. Harmony with Native Qi: Wood-oriented directions favor spring; fire favors summer; metal favors autumn; water favors winter; earth favors the last month of each season.

2. Support from Generating Qi: Wood benefits from winter (water generates wood); fire benefits from spring (wood generates fire); earth benefits from summer (fire generates earth); water benefits from autumn (metal generates water); metal benefits from the last month of each season (earth generates metal).

3. Wealth Qi Generation: Metal benefits from spring (metal controls wood as wealth); water benefits from summer (water controls fire as wealth); fire benefits from autumn (fire controls metal as wealth); earth benefits from winter (earth controls water as wealth); wood benefits from the last month of each season (wood controls earth as wealth).

4. Conflict with Exhausting Qi: Water should avoid spring (wood exhausts water); wood should avoid summer (fire exhausts wood); earth should avoid autumn (metal exhausts earth); metal should avoid winter (water exhausts metal); fire should avoid the last month of each season (earth exhausts fire).

5. Harm from Controlling Qi: Earth should avoid spring (wood controls earth); metal should avoid summer (fire controls metal); wood should avoid autumn (metal controls wood); fire should avoid winter (water controls fire); water should avoid the last month of each season (earth controls water).

Finally, it supplements with preferences for Flying Stars (auspicious Feng Shui stars):

• Wood-oriented directions favor the 1 White Water Star (water generates wood), though its effect weakens in spring and the last month of each season; they favor the 8 White Earth Star (wood controls earth as wealth), though its effect weakens in autumn and spring; they should avoid the 6 White Metal Star (metal controls wood), though this poses no issue in winter and summer; and should avoid the 9 Purple Fire Star (wood generates fire as exhaustion), though this poses no issue in the last month of each season and winter.
• Water-oriented directions favor the 6 White Metal Star (metal generates water), though its effect weakens in winter and summer; they favor the 9 Purple Fire Star (water controls fire as wealth), particularly in the last month of each season...

This passage discusses the interplay between the Five Phases' generative and controlling cycles with temporal and spatial orientations in feng shui geomancy, focusing particularly on the auspicious and inauspicious judgments of the "Nine Flying Stars" (such as "Eight White" and "One White") across different seasons.

Regarding mountain forms and seasonal correspondences: Metal-dominant mountains should avoid the Eight White star (associated with Earth, where Earth generates Metal but drains its Qi) in winter, though spring and autumn pose no issue. These mountains favor Eight White as their vitality star, but its potency weakens in spring and autumn, while One White (associated with Water, where Metal generates Water and thus drains itself) becomes unfavorable. In spring and the final month of each season (known as the "seasonal transition month"), Nine Purple (associated with Fire, which overcomes Metal in a controlling cycle) should be avoided, though winter presents no conflict.

Earth-dominant mountains favor Nine Purple as their vitality star, but its strength diminishes during seasonal transition months and winter, making One White their wealth star. When their energy weakens in spring and seasonal transition months, they should avoid Six White (associated with Metal, where Earth generates Metal and drains itself). Fire-dominant mountains favor Six White as their wealth star but must avoid One White (Water controlling Fire) when their energy wanes in winter and summer, though spring and autumn are permissible. However, they should steer clear of Eight White (Earth, which Fire generates and thus drains). The core principle is: auspicious stars lose potency when controlled or drained, while inauspicious stars lose their threat when subdued.

The text then addresses year-month interactions: for instance, in the Jiazi year, One White corresponds to Bingzi in the nayin system (a干支五行-based tonal classification) and retains its Water association, whereas Six White, linked to Yihai, shifts to Fire. Nine Purple, tied to Gengwu, becomes Earth. Many practitioners simplistically assume One White is perpetually Water and Six White eternally Metal when judging fortunes—hence their frequent inaccuracies.

The author asserts that while the cardinal directions' elemental associations—North (Water), South (Fire), East (Wood), and West (Metal)—remain immutable as the Five Phases' fundamental forms, their generative and controlling relationships subtly transform with yearly and monthly cycles. As the Yijing (Book of Changes) states, "Change ensures continuity"—precisely the mystery of creation manifested through these fluctuations. Mastery lies in grasping the principles and applying them with flexible analogies.

Finally, the passage introduces the "Three Periods" (sanyuan), a feng shui division of the year into upper, middle, and lower phases: the 180 days following the winter solstice initiate the "yang遁" (ascendant yang calculation model). The upper period spans four solar terms from the solstice to Lichun (Start of Spring), with One White assigned to Jiazi days, Two Black to Yichou days, and so forth in sequence.

This passage explains the ancient Chinese practice of "Three Cycles and Nine Stars" (Sanyuan Jiuxing) for selecting auspicious dates, a method belonging to Daoist geomancy (Feng Shui) numerology. The year is divided into Yin and Yang halves: after the summer solstice comes the Yin phase (counted in reverse order), and after the winter solstice comes the Yang phase (counted sequentially), each lasting 180 days.

The Yin phase after the summer solstice consists of three periods: the Upper Cycle from summer solstice to autumn begins, the Middle Cycle from limit of heat to cold dew, and the Lower Cycle from frost descent to heavy snow. Each period combines the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (e.g., Jiazi, Yichou) with the Nine Stars (1 White, 2 Black, etc.) for calculations. For instance, during the Upper Cycle after summer solstice, the Jiazi day corresponds to the 9 Purple Star, while Yichou corresponds to the 8 White Star, with numbers decreasing in reverse order.

The Yang phase after winter solstice follows a fixed arrangement, mapping the sixty Jiazi combinations (60 Stem-Branch pairs) to specific directions. It mentions the "Central Palace" (center position) and eight directions (Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, Dui—the eight trigrams of the Bagua), with the Nine Stars rotating through these positions in a set sequence.

Each star has distinct colors and auspicious/ominous attributes: 1 White (Kan/Water), 2 Black (Kun/Earth), 3 Blue (Zhen/Thunder), 4 Green (Xun/Wind), 5 Yellow (Central Palace), 6 White (Qian/Heaven), 7 Red (Dui/Lake), 8 White (Gen/Mountain), and 9 Purple (Li/Fire). Calculations determine which star governs the Central Palace on a given day, while the remaining stars distribute to the eight directions accordingly—this forms the basis for assessing directional fortune.

This passage primarily discusses date selection methods and related taboos in Daoist geomancy (Feng Shui). It first presents the sequence of the sixty Jiazi days during the yin retreat period after the summer solstice, along with their corresponding Flying Star positions in the Nine Palaces (represented by colors like blue, black, yellow, red, green, and white indicating different stellar influences).

The text then cites Chen Xiyi's (a renowned Northern Song Dynasty Daoist) "Three Cycles Date Selection Formula," explaining how the winter and summer solstices mark critical turning points in yin-yang transformation: after the winter solstice when yang energy ascends, the Jiazi day begins its progression from the first palace; while after the summer solstice as yin energy grows, the Jiazi day starts its reverse movement from the ninth palace. Specific solar terms like Rain Water, Grain Rain, End of Heat, and Frost's Descent are also correlated with their respective palace starting points.

The author emphasizes that this Three Cycles method aligns most closely with the ancient principle of "shifting palaces to receive qi," unlike other schools whose approaches often contain inconsistencies. The core of date selection lies in harmonizing the Day Master (the celestial stem and earthly branch of the chosen date) with both the mountain-facing direction (Feng Shui orientation) and the Life Master (the individual's birth chart). Numerous prohibitions are listed: for instance, the uselessness of Earth (Wu-Ji) days in spring, the "three punishments" formation when the Tiger month meets Snake days, the "six harms" configuration between Rabbit month and Dragon days, the "Great Defeat Day" that clashes with the Year Star (Taisui), and the "Broken Day" of Ox days in Goat month. Special mention is made of particularly inauspicious days like "Devouring Hidden Extinction" that remain unlucky even when coinciding with auspicious Purple-White stars.

Key technical concepts involved include: yin retreat (the yin arrangement method in Qimen Dunjia), three cycles (upper/middle/lower Jiazi cycles), and Purple-White (auspicious stars among the Nine Stars) - all specialized terminology within Daoist geomantic numerology. The passage essentially transmits crucial Feng Shui knowledge for avoiding inauspicious dates and selecting favorable ones.

This explains the ancient Chinese geomancy (Feng Shui) method called "Three Cycles White Star Sequence" for selecting auspicious timings. The system divides into Yang遁 (advancing) and Yin遁 (retreating) modes based on the winter and summer solstices, changing configurations every five days across three periods: Upper, Middle, and Lower Cycles.

After winter solstice (Yang遁):

During Upper Cycle on Zi, Wu, Mao, or You days, the 甲子 hour (11pm-1am) begins with the 1 White Star. Middle Cycle on Yin, Shen, Si, or Hai days starts with 7 Red Star at 甲子 hour. Lower Cycle on Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei days commences with 4 Green Star at 甲子 hour. All follow clockwise arrangement of the nine stars (1 White, 2 Black, 3 Blue, 4 Green, 5 Yellow, 6 White, 7 Red, 8 White, 9 Purple), determining the governing star entering the central palace before sequentially flying to the eight directions.

After summer solstice (Yin遁):

Upper Cycle days begin with 9 Purple Star at 甲子 hour; Middle Cycle starts with 3 Blue Star; Lower Cycle initiates with 6 White Star - all arranged counterclockwise.

The text details specific sequencing: when starting with 1 White Star, it occupies the central palace, followed by Xun (Southeast), Zhen (East), Kun (Southwest) etc.; when beginning with 2 Black Star, the central palace takes 2 Black, followed by Qian (Northwest), then central palace again. The original system contained some errors, with corrections noted in the text.

This method integrates three key elements: time (Three Cycles and Nine Periods), space (Eight Trigram directions), and celestial patterns (Nine Stars). It served as an essential tool for ancient geomancers to determine favorable timings and orientations. The "central palace" refers to the chart's center, while Qian, Dui, Li etc. represent the eight trigram directions.

This passage explains the calculation method of the "Three Cycles and Nine Periods" (Sanyuan Jiuyun) in ancient geomancy (Feng Shui). The ancients divided time into three cycles: Upper, Middle, and Lower, each lasting 60 years (one sexagenary cycle/Jiazi), totaling 180 years for a complete revolution.

The text points out that contemporary almanacs erroneously designated the years of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei as Middle Cycle, and Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai as Lower Cycle. The correct calculation method begins the first Jiazi cycle at the Kan position (First Palace), naturally transitioning to the Dui position (Seventh Palace) for the second Jiazi, then to the Xun position (Fourth Palace) for the third, repeating this sequence. Later practitioners' alternative method of starting the first Jiazi from the Li position (Ninth Palace) using reverse calculation is also valid. However, directly assigning Chen-Xu-Chou-Wei years as Middle Cycle violates this fundamental pattern.

The passage then details the sequential arrangement of the Nine Palace Flying Stars (Jiugong Feixing) - the nine auspicious and inauspicious astral bodies in classical geomancy from Purple-9 to White-1 - rotating through the Central Palace, Xun Palace, Zhen Palace, Kun Palace, Kan Palace, Li Palace, Gen Palace, Dui Palace, and Qian Palace. For example, when Purple-9 occupies the Central Palace, White-8 resides in Qian Palace, Red-7 in Dui Palace, and so forth.

Finally, it explains the origin of this miscalculation: ancient practitioners conflated monthly and hourly calculation methods for simplification. Originally requiring complex celestial cycle computations, they applied the "Monthly White Method" (Yuebai Fa) to calculate "Hourly White" (Shibai), resulting in widespread perpetuation of errors. For instance, designating Zi years as Upper Cycle and Chou years as Middle Cycle arose because the twelfth month of Zi years connects to the first month of Chou years. Such oversimplified algorithms caused inaccuracies in hourly calculations.

This discusses two calculation methods in ancient geomancy (Feng Shui): the Flying Stars of the Nine Palaces and the方位的 determination of the Grand Duke Jupiter (Taisui).

Regarding the calculation of the Nine Palaces Flying Stars:

In the first lunar month's calculation, during the Year of the Rat (Zi), the sixth White Star resides in the central palace in the twelfth month, while in the Year of the Ox (Chou), the fifth Yellow Star takes its place in the first month. This algorithm correlates the twelve months with the nine stellar numbers of the palaces. To calculate the Flying Stars for specific time periods, one must fully compute the 60-year Jiazi cycle (the sixty Heavenly Stem-Earthly Branch combinations), with each cycle changing every five days. For instance, starting from the Jiazi day's Jiazi hour, one must wait until the Jisi day to complete a full cycle. Days of the Rat (Zi) belong to the upper yuan cycle, while days of the Snake (Si) belong to the middle yuan cycle—this is the method for correlating the sixty time periods with the Nine Palaces. The Yin遁 (Yin retreat) and Yang遁 (Yang advance) methods also involve distinctions between forward and reverse sequences, differing significantly from monthly calculations and prone to confusion, requiring particular attention to corrections.

The correct method for calculating time periods should be: on the first day, starting from the Jiazi hour, the second day should proceed to the Bingzi hour rather than repeating Jiazi; if the first day follows the sequence of the first White Star, the second day should be the fourth Green Star instead of the seventh Red Star; if the first day reverses from the ninth Purple Star, the second day should be the sixth White Star instead of the third Blue Star. Only then can this align with the twelve palaces algorithm—otherwise, it becomes inexplicable why Rat days belong to the upper yuan and Ox days to the middle yuan.

Regarding the calculation of the Grand Duke Jupiter's方位:

Disasters brought by the Grand Duke Jupiter (Taisui, the annual ruling constellation) are difficult to guard against, as all malignant influences are perilous. The calculation method uses the principle of the Three Cycles (upper, middle, and lower yuan) to determine violations, as offending the Grand Duke may lead to major family misfortunes.

Specific calculation steps: Take the annual ruling star (the star governing the central palace that year) and place it in the central palace. Count forward to locate the star corresponding to the Grand Duke's palace position, then move this star into the central palace to find the new position of the annual ruling star. For example, in an upper yuan Jiazi year, the first White Star enters the central palace. Counting forward to the Grand Duke's position in the Kan (North) palace yields the sixth White Star. Then place the sixth White Star in the central palace and count forward to find the first White Star positioned in the Li (South) palace, which corresponds to the character "Wu." Next, calculate monthly to determine which palace position the "Wu" character occupies, and combine this with the first White Star's location to pinpoint the exact方位.

(Note: The Nine Palaces Flying Stars system in Feng Shui determines auspicious and inauspicious directions using nine stars—first White, second Black, third Blue, fourth Green, fifth Yellow, sixth White, seventh Red, eighth White, and ninth Purple—to represent different energies. The Grand Duke Jupiter (Taisui) was anciently believed to govern annual fortunes, and violating its方位 was thought to invite calamities.)

In feng shui studies, the "True Grand Duke Jupiter" (Zhen Taisui) is actually a celestial body, but contemporary practitioners often mistakenly refer to its opposing position as Taisui (this is actually the Suipo direction, not the actual star). The position of Taisui changes annually: in the Zi year, it resides in the Kan position (due north); in the Chou and Yin years, it moves to the Gen position (northeast); in the Mao year, it shifts to the Zhen position (due east); in the Chen and Si years, it occupies the Xun position (southeast); in the Wu year, it settles in the Li position (due south); in the Wei and Shen years, it moves to the Kun position (southwest); in the You year, it transitions to the Dui position (due west); and in the Xu and Hai years, it rests in the Qian position (northwest).

When calculating inauspicious directions for each month, special attention must be paid to the Taisui position and its opposing direction, as these are the most critical to avoid. For example, when the One White Star (associated with Water) moves to the Li position (associated with Fire), and if the Gen position (northeast) is simultaneously afflicted in the second month, it creates an extremely ominous configuration. The specific calculation method is as follows: Take the second month of the Shangyuan Jiazi year—placing the character "Mao" in the central palace and rotating clockwise, the character "Wu" will land in the Gen position. In years of Zi, Wu, Mao, or You, the first month begins with the Eight White Star in the central palace, and the second month starts with the Seven Red Star. Thus, the Eight White Star moves to the Qian position, the Nine Purple Star shifts to the Dui position, and the One White Star returns to the Gen position, coinciding with the monthly "Wu" character in the same Gen position, forming the most dangerous configuration.

Different elemental clashes involving Taisui trigger distinct calamities:

• Water-Fire opposition leads to major mourning events.
• Water-Metal conflict induces licentiousness, particularly harming middle-born sons, possibly affecting wives and eldest sons.
• Water-Earth clash brings epidemics.
• Water-Fire opposition also causes financial loss, suicide, and misfortune for households keeping snakes or dogs.

For instance, in the seventh month of the Shangyuan Jiazi year, the Two Black Star is in the central palace while the One White Star (Water) moves to the Xun position (Wood), creating a Water-Wood generative pattern. In the fourth month, the Five Yellow Star occupies the central palace, and the One White Star (Water) shifts to the Kan position (Water), forming a Water-Water stacking effect.

Without mitigating factors, these malefic configurations can escalate into disasters. Other combinations yield the following consequences:

• Fire-Wood punishment brings sorrowful events.
• Fire-Metal conflict, while beneficial for childbirth, harms fetuses.
• Fire-Earth clash causes illness and premature death.
• Water-Fire opposition particularly endangers young children.
• Wood-Water conflict invites accidental deaths.
• Wood-Metal clash leads to imprisonment.
• Wood-Earth opposition results in fractures or back sores.
• Wood-Fire conflict brings swift and severe misfortune.

These interactions must be carefully assessed to avoid compounding misfortunes.

This passage discusses the correspondence between the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and human diseases. An excess of Metal element can lead to short lifespans and violent tendencies, while imbalance in Wood element may cause tumors and manic disorders. Disturbances in Earth element manifest as blindness or muteness—all these pathologies are intrinsically connected to the principles of mutual generation and restraint among the Five Phases.

The author recommends using "Diaogong" (a feng shui adjustment method) to alter auspicious and inauspicious configurations, asserting that mastering this technique makes the shifts between fortune and misfortune immediately discernible. The mentioned "Grand Duke Jupiter" (Taisui) is a key feng shui concept representing the annual rotating Jupiter station, whose movement influences the Five Phases' energy dynamics.

The text emphasizes that the cyclical transformations of the Nine Stars (nine astrological influences in feng shui) fundamentally reflect the interactions of the Five Phases, just as the waxing and waning of fortune across the Eight Directions follows this same pattern. While annual and monthly influences are significant, the effects of specific days should not be overlooked. By integrating the laws of temporal cycles (Yunqi) and the esoteric art of Qimen Dunjia, unfounded claims would naturally collapse.

Concluding with a Mencius quote—"When the true Way is established, false doctrines vanish"—the author views ancient diagrams like the Hetu and Luoshu as canonical texts that inherently dispel heterodoxy through their exposition of cosmic principles. Humbly acknowledging limited scholarship, the writer presents this systematic compilation of classical knowledge for future reference.