Dou Shu Fa Wei Lun

The piece opens by having Bai Yuchan draw a line between Dou Shu and the Five Planets method. The Five Planets method (also called Qi Zheng Si Yu, 'Seven Governors and Four Remainders') uses the actual positions of the planets, while Dou Shu mostly uses notional stars worked out from the year, month, day and hour of birth; the two are set up in completely different ways. The line serves to mark out territory: Dou Shu has its own rules and cannot be read with the ideas of the Five Planets method. Bai Yuchan was a Daoist of the Southern Song, and the Quan Shu often argues in his name (Master Yuchan) or Chen Xiyi's, the same device of attribution as in the Luo Xu, a way old books added authority. Modern readers only need to know this; what matters is the method that follows.

This line is the general rule for reading a chart. 「四正」 means the palace itself, its opposite palace and its two trines. With auspicious stars in the Si Zheng (Zuo Fu and You Bi, Wen Chang and Wen Qu, Tian Kui and Tian Yue, Lu Cun, Hua Lu, Hua Quan, Hua Ke), the pattern is high; with Sha stars converging from the San Fang, outstanding achievement is hard. The wording of the second half, 「少為奇」, is measured: it does not say the result must be bad, only that little is outstanding. This agrees with the Tai Wei Fu's 「諸星吉，逢凶也吉。諸星凶，逢凶也凶」: both say the overall ratio of auspicious to malefic stars decides the pattern, not any single star.

This line divides 'shining in' into two kinds, from the opposite palace and from the trine, each read for different things. The opposite palace strikes directly and has the most direct influence, so 「詳凶詳吉」, both good and bad must be examined closely; the trine palaces give support from the side, so they are read for the level of the pattern, nobility or lowliness, honour or disgrace. It is a fine distinction. Modern chart reading often counts the San Fang Si Zheng all together, and this line reminds us that the opposite palace weighs more than the trines. In practice, Hua Ji striking from the palace opposite the Life Palace (the Travel Palace) deserves more attention than Hua Ji in a trine palace, and this is one of the roots of the later idea of 'Ji striking' (忌沖).

This line is short but says two things: an auspicious star counts as auspicious only when it is in its enclosure (Miao or Wang), and a malign star counts as malign only when it has lost its ground (Xian). Conversely, an auspicious star in Xian is discounted, and a malign star in its temple has its malignity transformed. The idea appears in many places in the Quan Shu; for example the Dou Shu Zhun Sheng says 「貪狼為善宿入廟不凶」. On a Xingge chart, each main star and each of the Six Malefic Stars has small brightness text beside it, and the first step in reading is to look at that: the same Qing Yang is Miao in Chen, Xu, Chou and Wei and Xian in Zi, Wu, Mao and You, and is read completely differently.

First line, 「命逢紫微」: Zi Wei in the Life Palace brings long life and honour. Zi Wei is the imperial seat, and the Quan Shu generally rates it very highly, though What Does Zi Wei Govern? also says that without Zuo Fu and You Bi it is a lone ruler. Second line, 「身遇殺星」: a Sha star, usually Qi Sha and sometimes Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing and Ling Xing generally, in the Body Palace brings poverty and low station. The Body Palace stands for where one puts in effort later in life, and with a Sha star there, the direction of one's efforts is full of toil and conflict. The line is built on contrast and both halves are stated in absolute terms; read today, it has to be put back into the whole chart. People with Qi Sha in the Body Palace are often hard-working and make their own way, and if Zi Wei meets it, What Does Zi Wei Govern? says 「帝降七殺為權」: the harshness can turn into command.

First line: Zuo Fu and You Bi meeting Zi Wei and Tian Fu is the highest honour. This extends Jun Chen Qing Hui (the ruler and ministers celebrate together), counting Tian Fu in as well. Second line: Hua Ke and Hua Quan in malign, fallen ground make for a thwarted career. Hua Ke stands for reputation and examinations, Hua Quan for power and ability; in a fallen position they mean having the will and the means but not the place. When reading a chart, look at which star the birth-year Hua Quan and Hua Ke fall on and how bright that star is. For example, Tian Ji is Xian in Chou and Wei, and if it takes Hua Quan in a Bing year or Hua Ke in a Ding year, this line applies. Read today: plenty of effort and no lack of qualifications, but promotion and recognition always come a step late.

This line feels very modern: a luck period in weak ground is not necessarily a disaster, and a Life Palace in a strong palace is sure to bring blessings. The first half says luck periods are not isolated; with a good natal foundation, a weak period can be weathered. As for 「強宮」 in the second half, the Quan Shu's Life Master, Body Master and Notes on Chart Setup says that for a man the Wealth, Career, Fortune, Travel and Property Palaces are strong palaces, while the note, following What Does Zi Wei Govern?, gives only the Travel Palace; both views exist side by side. In today's terms, people with a stable inborn pattern are less likely to run into serious trouble when luck is low. When reading luck periods, do not look only at the good or bad of the current palace; go back and check the foundation of the natal chart.

This line is about malign stars in the luck periods: Qing Yang, Tuo Luo and Qi Sha, with the original note adding Di Jie, Di Kong, Tian Shang and Tian Shi. Meeting them in a luck period brings injury. Tian Shang and Tian Shi have fixed positions on a Xingge chart: Tian Shang is always in the Friends Palace and Tian Shi always in the Health Palace, so they flank the Travel Palace one on each side, which is why special care is needed when the Decade or Minor Luck reaches those two palaces. The Quan Shu's Qi Sha Met Twice treats this line in more detail: it is most poisonous when natal Qi Sha meets Qing Yang or Tuo Luo of the Annual Luck, the disaster is lighter if it is in its temple, and Zi Wei, Tian Xiang or Lu Cun can resolve it. The verdict does not mean misfortune the moment the stars appear.

Tian Ku and Sang Men are both minor stars of grief. Tian Ku is a minor star placed by the branch of the birth year and is listed among the minor stars on a Xingge chart; Sang Men is one of the twelve Sui Qian spirits, which move with the Annual Luck and can be seen on the luck-period chart. When the Annual Luck meets these two, the old writers said to guard against loss of money and harm, and it is often read as a death or weeping in the family. The Quan Shu's Gu Sui Fu also says 「弔客喪門又相遇，管教災病兩相攻」. Small stars like these carry little weight; read today, they are a reminder about emotions and family matters, and only mean something together with the main stars and the transformations.

This line uses the Southern and Northern Dippers to judge whether a son or daughter is born: a Southern Dipper star governing the luck period brings a son, a Northern Dipper star arriving brings a daughter first. It is a very unusual claim in the Quan Shu, and one of the most disputed lines among later readers. The old writers paired the Southern Dipper with yang and the Northern with yin, or the other way round; schools differ, and the Quan Shu itself gives no reason. For a modern reader, verdicts like this are hard to verify and should not be used to predict a child's sex. They can be treated as material for understanding how the old writers classified the stars: Dou Shu's main stars fall into a Southern and a Northern group, which carried symbolic meanings of yin and yang, male and female.

Hua Ke in a fallen position is like studying hard by lamplight with little success; Wen Chang and Wen Qu in malign ground are like living as a recluse in the mountains, neglected and unfulfilled. Both lines are about 'literary stars out of place': the scholar's stars in the wrong place leave learning and reputation with no outlet. The volume three table says Wen Chang and Wen Qu are both Xian in Yin, Wu and Xu; on Xingge's brightness table Wen Chang is likewise Xian in Yin, Wu and Xu, while Wen Qu is Xian in Wu and Xu and only Ping in Yin. Read today: qualifications or professional skills are not lacking, but the person has trouble being noticed at work, or earns a limited income on an academic or cultural path. 「林泉冷淡」 can also be read as suiting quiet work away from competition, which is not entirely bad.

First line: Zi Wei meeting Po Jun lays treacherous schemes again and again. Zi Wei and Po Jun share a palace only in Chou and Wei; besides that, when Zi Wei is in Chen or Xu, Po Jun is in the opposite palace, and the Gu Sui Fu says 「紫微辰戌遇破軍，富而不貴有虛名」. Po Jun's transformed qi is 耗 (waste), standing for destruction and risk; when the emperor star meets it, power is joined by a willingness to use any means, hence treacherous schemes. Second line: Hong Luan meeting Tan Lang, elopement and lewdness run rampant. Hong Luan is the star of romance and marriage, Tan Lang the star of peach blossom, and when they meet, peach blossom runs too strong. Read today: the first is great ambition and flexible methods; the second is romantic impulsiveness and a tendency to ignore the rules. Both depend on whether malefic stars or Hua Ji make them heavier.

First line: when the elements of the Life and Body Palaces overcome each other (for example, the main star of the Life Palace is fire and that of the Body Palace water), the mind is troubled and uneasy. This is the idea of reading Life and Body together: Life is one's nature, Body the direction one develops in later life, and when the two clash, the person is often torn inside. Second line: Tian Yao (Xuan Ao) in the San Fang of the Life Palace means depravity, lewdness and drink. The Quan Shu's What Does Tian Yao Govern? says Tian Yao guarding the Body or Life Palace means 「心性陰毒，多疑恐、善顏色、風流多婢、主淫」, but also says 「入廟旺主富貴多奴」. Tian Yao stands for charm, aesthetic sense and personal attraction, which in excess slides into indulgence; check whether other peach-blossom stars meet it too.

The note explains how 「三位」 and 「二宮」 are counted. Qi Sha in the Spouse Palace means discord between husband and wife; Ju Men in the Siblings Palace means siblings without loyalty. Qi Sha stands for fierceness and making decisions alone, and in the Spouse Palace the spouse has a strong personality and neither gives way; Ju Men stands for gossip and quarrels, and in the Siblings Palace there are many disputes between brothers and sisters. The Quan Shu's Spouse Palace says Qi Sha 「早剋」, harms early, and that marrying late avoids it; the Siblings Palace says Ju Men in a fallen position 「宜分居」, should live apart. In practice: Qi Sha in the Spouse Palace suits marrying late, or choosing a partner who can accept mutual independence; with Ju Men in the Siblings Palace, siblings do better keeping some distance and going their own ways.

First line: Qing Yang and Qi Sha guarding the Children Palace, 「子難奉老」. The old writers valued raising sons to provide for old age, and Xing and Sha in the Children Palace mean a thin bond between children and parents, children leaving home early, or children who are headstrong and disobedient. It is the same kind of verdict as the Dou Shu Zhun Sheng's 「專在擎羊耗殺」 (Dou Shu Zhun Sheng). Second line: malign stars shining on the Wealth Palace, money gathers and scatters without constancy. With Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing, Ling Xing, Di Kong or Di Jie in the Wealth Palace, income swings widely and savings do not stay. The first means the parent-child relationship needs tending and one should plan for old age oneself; the second means managing money conservatively and keeping a reserve when income is unstable.

First line: Qing Yang and Tuo Luo guarding the Health Palace, 「眼目昏盲」. Qing Yang and Tuo Luo are metal and stand for injury; in the Health Palace they stand for damage to the body, and the old writers singled out the eyes. Second line: Huo Xing and Ling Xing reaching the Travel Palace, 「長途寂寞」. The Travel Palace is read for going out into the world; Huo and Ling stand for haste and isolation, so away from home the person is a stranger with few to help. The Xing Xing Fu also says Tian Tong meeting Tuo Luo is 「肥滿而目眇」, so the link between Tuo Luo and eye trouble is consistent throughout the Quan Shu. For a reader now: the first is a reason to look after the eyes and have regular check-ups; the second means one easily feels lonely when working or studying away from home, and should build connections actively.

First line: the venerable star (usually Zi Wei) in a lowly position means the person toils much. 「賤位」 is usually taken to mean idle palaces such as Siblings, Health and Friends; What Does Zi Wei Govern? also says that Zi Wei falling in the Health, Siblings, Friends or Parents (Appearance) Palace, the 「四陷宮，主人勞碌作事無成」, the four fallen palaces, means toil without achievement. Second line: malign stars in the eighth palace (the 奴僕 palace, that is, the Friends Palace) mean servants are of no help. The Friends Palace is read for subordinates and friends; with malefic stars there, subordinates are not capable and friends cannot help, or one is even dragged down by them. The first is strong ability placed in the wrong position, so one needs to find the right stage; the second calls for care in teamwork and friendship, and for not leaning too heavily on others.

First line: Zi Wei or Tian Fu in the Career Palace, rich and noble. Zi Wei stands for power and rank, Tian Fu for treasuries, and in the Career Palace they mean holding authority and having resources in one's career. Second line: Po Jun in the Property Palace, first ruin, then success. Po Jun's transformed qi is 耗 (waste), and in the Property Palace it stands for changes and losses in the family estate early on, after which the person acquires property on their own. The Quan Shu's Property Palace is more detailed: Po Jun in Zi or Wu keeps the ancestral estate flourishing, with Lian Zhen it is 「先破後有置」, first ruin then acquisition, and with Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing or Ling Xing the ancestral fields dwindle. Put simply: many moves and changes of home early in life, or renting first and buying later; property has to be won by one's own effort.

First line: Di Kong and Di Jie in the Fortune Palace, rushing about without strength. The Fortune Palace is read for inner life, enjoyment and inner contentment; with Kong and Jie there, the heart feels empty and effort finds no purchase, and one wants to enjoy life but cannot. In the Quan Shu's Fortune Palace, the star-by-star entries mostly say 「奔走不得寧靜」, rushing about without peace, when Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing, Ling Xing, Di Kong or Di Jie are added. Second line: Qing Yang or Qi Sha added to the Appearance Palace (the Parents Palace), harm and clashes are hard to avoid, echoing the Dou Shu Zhun Sheng's 「相貌逢凶必帶破相」 (Dou Shu Zhun Sheng). In today's terms, people with Kong and Jie in the Fortune Palace often have otherworldly leanings and little interest in material pleasures, which is not necessarily bad.

The close says that later students who work things out with these rules will not make one mistake in ten thousand. This is the kind of self-assurance common in old books, and 「萬無一失」 need not be taken literally. As for content, the first half of the piece is method (Si Zheng, opposite and trine palaces, in or out of the enclosure) and the second half is palace-by-palace verdicts, and the method has more lasting value than the verdicts. Students of Dou Shu today can use the first half's method as an order for reading a chart: first the ratio of auspicious to malefic stars in the San Fang Si Zheng, then what strikes from the opposite palace, then brightness, and only last the palace-by-palace verdicts.