Tai Yang and Tai Yin: Sun and Moon

Tai Yang: transforms into Nobility

The *Quan Shu* calls Tai Yang "the essence of the sun", says that in the chart it "gives a person nobility", and that it is "best in the Career Palace". Its Hua Qi is Nobility; in plain terms, it cares about being seen and about its reputation, and is willing to step forward and light everyone up. Practitioners tend to read people with Tai Yang in the Life Palace as warm, outgoing and loyal, often giving first and asking later, with recognition arriving before money.

Tai Yang's challenge is "light others up, and remember to recharge". When it gives a lot and no one notices, Tai Yang feels it deeply.

A day in the life of the sun

In the *Quan Shu*, Master Yuchan reads Tai Yang's position in the twelve cells as the sun's journey through a day:

• Yin and Mao are "first rising", and Chen and Si are "ascending the hall": growing brighter.
• Wu is "the sun bright at the height of heaven": high noon.
• Wei and Shen are "off-center", starting to slant west; the ancients say the sun here "works hard at first and slackens later".
• You is "setting in the west": "noble but not prominent".
• Xu, Hai and Zi are "losing its light": the sun has set.

The brightness table Xingge uses runs in the same direction: brightest (Miao) in Mao; Wang in Yin, Chen, Si and Wu; Xian in Hai and Zi. When you read a chart, you can put your own Tai Yang on this timeline: in a morning cell, warmth comes naturally; in a night cell, the warmth is still there, but it takes more effort to light up.

Tai Yin: transforms into Riches

Tai Yin is "the essence of water". The *Quan Shu* says it "is lord of the Property Palace", and its Hua Qi is Riches. These riches aren't only money; they're closer to reserves and a sense of security: a settled home, a life with some quality to it, feeling sure of your footing. People with Tai Yin in the Life Palace often come across as gentle, attentive and aesthetic, with a rich inner life they don't always voice.

Tai Yin's brightness is the reverse of Tai Yang's. The *Quan Shu* says Tai Yin "takes Mao, Chen, Si, Wu and Wei as fallen ground and You, Xu, Hai, Zi and Chou as gaining ground". The table Xingge uses is finer: Miao in Hai, Zi and Chou; Wang in Yin, You and Xu; Xian in Mao, Chen and Si; Bu in Wu and Wei. Tai Yin at Xian is still attentive; it's just more prone to overthinking and keeping things bottled up.

Sun and Moon together: look at the birth time

The two share a palace in Chou and Wei, called Sun and Moon in the same palace: outward and inward in one person. For brightness, in Chou Tai Yin is Miao and Tai Yang is Bu; in Wei it's reversed, with Tai Yang at De and Tai Yin at Bu.

When volume three of the *Quan Shu* discusses Sun and Moon, it records another school's view: "If Sun and Moon share a palace, look at the time of birth. By day, favor Tai Yang; by night, favor Tai Yin." People born in daytime look to Tai Yang, people born at night to Tai Yin. The Tai Yang entry in volume two also says "born at night it is fallen; born by day it is at Miao or Wang". Xingge's brightness is calculated only from the cell's Earthly Branch, not from whether you were born by day or night; if you come across this school's view, it's enough to know where it comes from.

Sun and Moon also look at family

The *Quan Shu* says Tai Yang "for men is the father star, for women stands for the spouse", and Tai Yin "for men stands for the spouse, and is also the mother star". When reading the Parents and Spouse Palaces, the ancients would check how bright Sun and Moon were. Most practitioners today read this as "how you see that role", rather than a judgment on a family member.

A note on the transformations

By the transformation rhyme in volume two of the *Quan Shu*, Tai Yang takes Hua Lu in Geng years, Hua Quan in Xin years and Hua Ji in Jia years; Tai Yin takes Hua Lu in Ding years, Hua Quan in Wu years, Hua Ke in both Geng and Gui years, and Hua Ji in Yi years. Across the ten stems, Tai Yin takes Hua Ke twice, the only main star to do so.