Star Elements and the Northern and Southern Dippers

This segment sets out two levels in the Quan Shu's way of reading a star: first know the star's own element, then look at the element of the palace it falls in. The element of each of the twelve palaces follows its branch: Yin and Mao are wood, Si and Wu fire, Shen and You metal, Hai and Zi water, and Chen, Xu, Chou and Wei earth. Lian Zhen is fire; in Yin, wood produces fire, the palace nourishes the star, and its strength grows.

Brightness on a Xingge chart (Miao, Wang, Li, Xian and so on) follows the Miao-Wang table in the setup charts; it is not calculated from this producing-and-overcoming scheme, and the two do not match one to one. Lian Zhen, for example, is Miao in Yin but only Ping in Mao, which is wood as well. This scheme is the underlying logic of how the Quan Shu discusses stars; when reading a chart, use it as a supplement, not to overturn the brightness table.

The note above already points out that Wu Qu and Lian Zhen never share a palace, so 'the same degree' here has to be read as meeting in trine: in the Zi Wei group, Wu Qu and Lian Zhen are always four palaces apart (see Placing the Northern and Southern Dipper Stars). The ancients reasoned that Lian Zhen's fire overcomes Wu Qu's metal, the wealth star is overcome, and so 「為財而無用」.

This is one of the few places where the Quan Shu explains the relation between two main stars directly by the Five Elements. Elsewhere, though, the Quan Shu does not judge Wu Qu meeting Lian Zhen consistently: The Nature of Wu Qu lists Lian Zhen among the malefic stars that ruin a household, but that is the case of a Xian position plus malefic stars; see the original.

All four cases are 'the palace overcoming the star': a metal star in the fire palaces Si and Wu, a fire star in the water palaces Hai and Zi, a water star in the earth palaces Chen, Xu, Chou and Wei, an earth star in the wood palaces Yin and Mao. The overcoming cycle has five pairs, and the original is missing 'wood entering metal ground' (a wood star in Shen or You), probably left out by mistake.

Tai Yin, for example, is water; in Chen it is 'water entering earth ground', and on the brightness table Tai Yin is indeed Xian in Chen, so this one fits. Others do not: Zi Wei is earth, yet in the wood palaces Yin and Mao it is Wang. So these four phrases are best taken as general principles, not a formula for working out brightness.

Zi Wei's attributes are written the same way throughout the Quan Shu; the first line of The Nature of Zi Wei is almost identical to this one (see the original). 'Star of the central heavens' means it belongs to neither the Southern nor the Northern Dipper alone but is master of both, hence 'both Dippers'.

The transformed qi 'emperor's seat' is the key to understanding Zi Wei: an emperor needs ministers to make a court, which is why the Quan Shu always checks whether Zi Wei has Zuo Fu and You Bi, Tian Fu and Tian Xiang. 'Master of the Career Palace' means Zi Wei governs career and status, and does best in the Life or Career Palace.

Tian Ji's transformed qi is 'kindness', so the Quan Shu says that Tian Ji in the Life Palace means a kind heart that loves doing good, and the Tian Ji question calls it 「南斗第三益算之善星」 (see the original). 'Master of the Siblings Palace' means Tian Ji governs the Siblings Palace, and when judging sibling ties one looks at Tian Ji first.

Its being wood matters here: wood governs growth and change, the same image as Tian Ji's changeable, scheming character.

In this table Lu Cun has no transformed qi; it only 「司爵貴」 and is a 'star of longevity'. It is the third star of the Northern Dipper, which is why it is also third among the seven Life Masters (see Life Master, Body Master and Notes on Chart Setup).

'Presides over rank and nobility' refers to the stability of office and salary, unlike the 'flowing wealth' of Hua Lu. Lu Cun is earth, and earth means solidity, which is the image behind the Quan Shu's description of people with Lu Cun in the Life Palace as mature and steady.

Tai Yang's transformed qi is 'rank', and it is also master of the Career Palace, so the Quan Shu's discussion of Tai Yang never strays far from name and office. Like Tai Yin it is listed under 'both Dippers': the sun and moon do not belong to one Dipper only.

Xingge's modern reading of Tai Yang as giving, radiating outward and putting reputation before profit grows out of exactly this 'rank' and 'fire'. Tai Yang's brightness depends on day and night and on the palace; see The Nature of Tai Yang.

Listing two elements, water and metal, is peculiar to this table; The Nature of Tian Tong in volume two only says 'Tian Tong, water', as the note explains. Transformed qi 'blessing' and master of the Fortune Palace: Tian Tong governs enjoyment, good fortune and state of mind, and people with it in the Life Palace are easy-going; the Quan Shu describes them as kind and upright.

The later saying 'Tian Tong transforms into blessing, bitter first and sweet later' is reasoned from the idea that blessing only shows after hardship; it is not in the Quan Shu.

Lian Zhen's entry is the most complex. Its transformed qi is both 'killing' and 'prisoner', and it plays different roles in different palaces: master of the Career Palace in the Career Palace, the secondary peach blossom in the Body or Life Palace. 'Prisoner' means being restrained, so Lian Zhen has principles and self-control, and also a side that gets trapped.

The Nature of Lian Zhen says it 「最喜天相同宮，能化其惡」 (see the original). Tian Xiang's transformed qi is the seal, and the seal governs the prisoner: the same logic of transformed qi.

Wu Qu's transformed qi is 'wealth' and it is master of the Wealth Palace, the star the whole Quan Shu recognises as the true wealth star. It is metal, and metal means hardness and decisiveness, which is why the Quan Shu calls Wu Qu firm and resolute.

Its other name, 'the general star', also comes from its metal nature: the women's verse in The Nature of Wu Qu says 「將星一宿最剛強」 (see the original), and the general star there is Wu Qu.

Tian Fu's transformed qi is 'star of command', and it governs both the Wealth and Property Palaces, which is why later writers see Tian Fu as the treasury: with lucky stars the treasury is full, with Di Kong and Di Jie it is an 'empty treasury'. It is earth, and earth stores and guards, which is where Tian Fu's cautious, steady character comes from.

The Tian Fu question calls it 「南斗主令第一星」 (see the original). It belongs with Zi Wei to the line of emperor stars, but Zi Wei stands for honour and Tian Fu for keeping.

Tai Yin's transformed qi is 'riches', and it governs the Wealth and Property Palaces, pairing exactly with Tai Yang's 'rank': the sun governs rank, the moon riches. It is water, and water means softness and keeping things hidden, so people with Tai Yin are subtle and reserved.

The Quan Shu also calls Tai Yin the mother's star and the wife's star (see The Nature of Tai Yin); in a man's chart its brightness is often consulted for mother and wife.

The Quan Shu gives Tan Lang's element three different ways: 'water and wood' here, 'wood' in The Nature of Tan Lang, and in the Tan Lang question 「其氣屬木，體屬水」, its qi is wood and its body water (see the original). The third version neatly explains the first two.

The transformed qi 'peach-blossom killer' shows that Tan Lang governs desire, social life and romance; 'governs fortune and misfortune' means it is neither simply lucky nor simply unlucky, depending on what stars it meets.

Ju Men's transformed qi is 'darkness' and it governs disputes; this is the starting point of every verdict the Quan Shu gives on Ju Men. Quarrels, suspicion and talk behind one's back all come from 'darkness'. The Ju Men question gives it as 'water and metal' instead (see the original), unlike the plain 'water' here.

Note that 'darkness' has another side: what is dark needs to be sorted out and questioned, which is why later writers read Ju Men as eloquence, analysis and a spirit of inquiry.

Tian Xiang's transformed qi is 'seal', the official seal of a government office, so Tian Xiang is master of the Career Palace and governs management, coordination and keeping to the rules. It is water, and gentle by nature.

A seal is only useful when someone stamps with it, which is why later writers pay special attention to the palaces on either side of Tian Xiang: whether what shares its palace and what flanks it is lucky or unlucky decides whether Tian Xiang is good or bad. That is an extension of the image of the seal.

Tian Liang's transformed qi is 'shelter', meaning protection, so Tian Liang governs looking after others and being looked after, and also turning bad luck into good. 'Star of longevity' means it governs lifespan; with Tian Liang in the Life Palace or the Health Palace, the ancients read long life and rescue.

Tian Liang and Tian Ji both belong to the Southern Dipper and often meet; the Quan Shu says 「機梁會合善談兵」 (see Star Combinations: Tian Ji).

This entry differs from The Nature of Qi Sha by one character: here it is the 'subdued star' (降星), there the 'general star of the Southern Dipper' (南斗將星) (see the original). Both make sense. 'General star' speaks of Qi Sha's own stern martial courage; 'subdued star' speaks of its being subdued by Zi Wei and turned into authority, hence the second half, 「遇帝為權」.

Qi Sha is fire and metal: metal means sternness and killing, fire means hardness and violence. The Quan Shu says that in the other palaces it is all killing; without Zi Wei, its harsh side shows.

Po Jun's transformed qi is 'waste', which means consumption and breaking with the old, so Po Jun governs both pioneering and loss. It presides over the Spouse, Children and Friends Palaces, meaning the people of these palaces are the ones most affected by Po Jun; The Nature of Po Jun puts it as governing wife and children, and servants.

Water, Northern Dipper. Po Jun, Qi Sha and Tan Lang always meet in the San Fang, so the transformed qi of the three, 'killing', 'waste' and 'peach blossom', are often read together.

Wen Chang is metal, presides over the examinations and is 「文魁之首」. It stands alongside Wen Qu, which also 'governs the examinations', but here Wen Chang is ranked higher. In old times the examinations were the gateway to office, so Wen Chang and Wen Qu in the Life Palace were mostly read as marking a scholar.

The modern reading is examinations, documents, order and orthodox learning. Wen Chang takes Hua Ji in Xin years and Hua Ke in Bing years; the transformations are in Placing the Four Transformations.

Wen Qu is water, of the Northern Dipper, and also governs the examinations. Wen Chang and Wen Qu often appear together, but their natures differ: Wen Chang is metal and leans toward the orthodox and orderly; Wen Qu is water and leans toward eloquence and the arts. The Quan Shu discusses it separately in the Wen Qu question (see the original).

Wen Qu takes Hua Ji in Ji years and Hua Ke in Xin years; like Wen Chang, it is one of the few stars outside the fourteen main stars that take transformations.

The text note already flags the corrupt characters in this line. Compare the opening line of The Nature of Zuo Fu in volume two, 「左輔土，南北斗善星，佐帝令尤佳」 (see the original): 「善住雨令星」 is very probably a corruption of 'good star, assisting the emperor's command', since 住 looks like 佐 and 雨 looks like 帝. Read this way, Zuo Fu and You Bi are good stars that assist the emperor (Zi Wei) in issuing commands.

The two places also differ on the Dipper: here it is the Northern Dipper, in the chapter on its nature both Dippers.

This line settles what 'proper stars' covers. The table runs from Zi Wei to Zuo Fu and You Bi: the fourteen main stars, Lu Cun, Wen Chang, Wen Qu, Zuo Fu and You Bi. Counted one by one that is nineteen stars, one more than the original's 「一十八星」; perhaps Zuo Fu and You Bi are counted as one entry, but the original does not say. Tian Kui, Tian Yue and Tian Ma, though lucky, are explicitly excluded, and the four malefic stars and the four transformations are not included either.

Xingge puts the fourteen main stars in the most prominent place in each palace, with the Six Auspicious Stars, the Six Malefic Stars, Lu Cun and Tian Ma listed beside them; the division is close to this one but not identical.

Kui and Yue are fire. The table gives only their element, with no Dipper and no transformed qi, which shows that the Quan Shu treats them as supporting lucky stars. The two are the Tian Yi patrons and govern help from patrons; for how they are used, see What Do Tian Kui and Tian Yue Govern?.

Tian Ma is fire, and fire means movement, which fits Tian Ma's nature of rushing about and relocating. Tian Ma itself is neither lucky nor unlucky; it depends on what it meets. With Lu Cun or Hua Lu it is 'Lu and the horse running together'; in emptiness it means rushing about all one's life. For other sayings, see What Does Tian Ma Govern?.

Qing Yang's transformed qi is 'punishment', meaning injury and legal penalty, so Qing Yang governs conflict, physical injury and legal trouble; used well, it is also boldness. 'Floating star' means a star that is not a proper star and floats above the main stars.

As for the element, this says 'metal', while The Nature of Qing Yang in volume two says 'fire and metal' (see the original); the Quan Shu is inconsistent between the two.

Tuo Luo's transformed qi is 'ji' (忌), the same character as Hua Ji among the four transformations: it governs delay, entanglement and holding things up. Qing Yang is the open blade and Tuo Luo the hidden arrow, as later writers often put it.

Here Tuo Luo is called a 'helping star', but The Nature of Tuo Luo calls it a 'floating star of the Northern Dipper' and gives its element as 'fire and metal' (see the original); the two places differ and both are kept as written.

Huo Xing is fire, of the Southern Dipper, called a 'helping star' here and a 'floating star of the Southern Dipper' in The Nature of Huo Xing, the same two versions as for Tuo Luo. Huo Xing governs impatience and outbursts; meeting Tan Lang it forms the Huo Tan pattern instead, one of the few combinations in which the Quan Shu approves of a malefic star; see The Nature of Huo Xing.

Ling Xing is also fire and of the Southern Dipper, and forms a pair with Huo Xing. Later writers often say Huo Xing is open and Ling Xing hidden, that Huo Xing strikes fiercely while Ling Xing smoulders inside; that is an extended reading, and the Quan Shu itself draws no such distinction.

The 'Tian Kong' here is Di Kong. Di Kong and Di Jie are fire, governing emptiness and loss, and also unconventional ideas. The Quan Shu discusses them most in the star-combinations chapters, for example 「生處劫空，猶如半天折翅」 (see the original).

Tian Shang and Tian Shi are water. The two are fixed in the Friends and Health Palaces, and the table gives only their element, not their Dipper, which shows that the Quan Shu sees them as unlucky stars for the luck periods rather than stars that speak to character. For their use, see Placing Di Kong, Di Jie, Shang Shi, the Twelve Bo Shi Spirits and Minor Stars.

Hua Lu is earth and likes to see Lu Cun: when the two Lu meet it is called 'double Lu', and wealth is doubled. The Nature of the Four Transformations calls Hua Lu 「福德之神」 (see the original), which can be read alongside its being earth here.

Note that Hua Lu moves with the year stem: the same star sometimes takes Hua Lu and sometimes Hua Ji, so the benefit of Hua Lu has to be judged together with the brightness of the star that carries it.

Hua Quan is wood and likes to meet Ju Men and Wu Qu. The reason can be seen from their transformed qi: Ju Men is darkness and Wu Qu a hard wealth star, and only with power can disputes and wealth be held firmly in hand. The Nature of the Four Transformations says Hua Quan 「會巨門武曲必專大事，掌握兵符」 (see the original).

Hua Ke is water and likes to meet Kui and Yue. Ke means examination honours and reputation, Kui and Yue are patrons, and together they mean winning the examiner's favour, which is why The Nature of the Four Transformations says Hua Ke 「最喜逢魁鉞，必中科第」 (see the original).

Hua Ji is water and is also called the Ji Du star. Ji Du is an invisible star that came into China with Indian astronomy, paired with Luo Hou, and in astrologies such as the Seven Governors and Four Remainders it governs misfortune. The Quan Shu's comparison of Hua Ji to Ji Du shows Dou Shu absorbing the vocabulary of older astrology.

The Nature of the Four Transformations calls Hua Ji 「多管之神」, the spirit that meddles in much (see the original). Today it reads as caring, clinging, not letting go, which is closer to how it works than simply 'unlucky star'.

Hong Luan and Tian Xi are water, and water governs feeling and flow, which fits their nature of governing marriage and happy events. The two always face each other, so a palace with Hong Luan always has Tian Xi opposite, and they are often read together. For their placement and the verdicts by age, see the rhyme for placing Hong Luan and Tian Xi.

The year's lord is the Tai Sui of the Annual Luck. The Quan Shu lists it as fire, and The Nature of the Four Transformations has a separate passage on Tai Sui: 「太歲之星不可當，守臨官限要推詳」 (see the original), which shows that the year's Tai Sui itself was seen as a powerful star.

From this line on come the elements and meanings of the twelve Bo Shi spirits, through Guan Fu in segment 49. Bo Shi is water and governs intelligence, in agreement with 'Bo Shi, intelligence' in the rhyme of the chapter on placing the minor stars (see the original). Bo Shi always shares a palace with Lu Cun: intelligence paired with steady Lu, a combination that leans lucky.

Li Shi is fire and governs power and influence. For yang-year men and yin-year women, Li Shi always shares a palace with Qing Yang, which is where the Quan Shu's 「擎羊逢力士，李廣難封」 comes from (see the star-combinations chapter): the spirit of power meets the star of punishment, strong but hard put to reach a good end.

Qing Long is wood and governs joy. Wood means growth, which suits celebration. The Tian Liang question has 「青龍動則有文書之喜」 (see the original), linking Qing Long with good news about documents and contracts; today that can be read as good news such as a signed contract, an acceptance or an approval.

This line covers Da Hao and Xiao Hao together, both fire: Xiao Hao governs loss of money, Da Hao the decline of the ancestral estate, one lighter and one heavier. On a Xingge chart, Da Hao and Xiao Hao each appear twice, once in the Bo Shi set and once in the Sui Qian set; the two sets share the names, so be clear which one you are reading.

Jiang Jun is wood and governs might, yet 「欠合」: mighty people do not easily get along with others. The Tai Wei Fu says 「力士將軍同青龍，顯其權勢」 (see the original), looking at the authoritative side of Jiang Jun.

Zou Shu is metal and governs blessings and emolument. A zou shu was originally a memorial presented to the emperor, so it governs documents and reaching those above: its lucky side. The chapter on placing the annual spirits, however, has another Zou Shu among the three flying killers, which governs quarrels, a different star with the same name; see the original.

This 飛廉, Fei Lian, is the Bo Shi spirit: fire, governing loneliness. The rhyme in the chapter on placing the minor stars writes the same spirit as 蜚廉 and has 'Fei Lian governs loneliness', which the base text miswrites as 「主弧」; the text note there deals with it. On a Xingge chart the Bo Shi set writes 飛廉, and the list of lesser stars has a separate 蜚廉 placed by year branch. Both come out as Fei Lian in English, but they are two different stars from different systems; don't mix them up.

Xi Shen is fire and governs joy, in the same festive group as Qing Long. Among the twelve Bo Shi spirits, six lean lucky (Bo Shi, Li Shi, Qing Long, Jiang Jun, Zou Shu, Xi Shen) and six lean unlucky or govern loss (Xiao Hao, Da Hao, Fei Lian, Bing Fu, Fu Bing, Guan Fu): exactly half and half.

Fu Bing is fire and governs quarrels. Fu Bing means soldiers lying in ambush, and the image is of hidden disputes and slander, unlike Guan Fu, which comes into the open. The two are listed together under quarrels, and the rhyme in the chapter on placing the minor stars has 「伏兵宮府口舌纏」 (with 宮府 for Guan Fu; see the original).

Bing Fu governs illness; no element is given here, one of the few entries in the table without one. Bing Fu is the ninth of the twelve Bo Shi spirits, in a trine position to the palace of Lu Cun. On a Xingge chart the Bo Shi set and the Sui Qian set each have a Bing Fu; this entry refers to the Bo Shi one.

Guan Fu governs lawsuits. It is the last of the twelve Bo Shi spirits, and again no element is given. Xingge's twelve Sui Qian spirits include a separate Guan Fu (官符), in the same group as the annual Sang Men and Bai Hu; see Placing the Annual Spirits, Dou Jun and Kong Wang.

From this line on come the elements of the four annual malefics: Sang Men wood, Diao Ke fire, Bai Hu metal, Guan Fu fire. The four are placed by counting two palaces forward and back from the year's Tai Sui and then taking the opposite palaces; see Placing the Annual Spirits, Dou Jun and Kong Wang. All four are among Xingge's twelve Sui Qian spirits.

Diao Ke is fire. Diao Ke is two palaces behind Tai Sui and Sang Men two palaces in front, holding Tai Sui between them, and the ancients used these two stars to read mourning, visits to the sick and grief in a given year. The Gu Sui Fu says 「弔客喪門又相遇，管教災病兩相攻」 (see the original).

Bai Hu is metal, and metal means sternness and killing, so Bai Hu governs bloodshed and injury. Bai Hu is always opposite Sang Men. The Lian Zhen question says Lian Zhen 「遇白虎則刑杖難逃」 (see the original), the use of Bai Hu quoted most often; when the annual Bai Hu reaches the Life Palace, the ancients were especially wary of legal trouble.

Guan Fu is fire. This Guan Fu is one of the four annual malefics, with the same meaning as the Bo Shi set's Guan Fu (官府) but from a different system: one is laid out from the Lu Cun of the birth year, the other from the year's Tai Sui. The Guan Fu written 官符 among Xingge's twelve Sui Qian spirits is this one.