XinggeThe Two Lucks and Tai Sui
〈論二限太歲吉凶〉
The Complete Book of Zi Wei Dou Shu, Volume 3: Reading a life and its luck periods · Original text with translation
Introduction
The Two Lucks and Tai Sui (論二限太歲吉凶), in volume three of the Complete Book of Zi Wei Dou Shu, is one paragraph on how to stack three luck periods, the Decade Luck, the Minor Luck and Tai Sui (the Annual Luck).
The steps are: first look at how good or bad the palace of each of the Decade Luck, Minor Luck and Tai Sui is on its own; if all are bad, it is bad. Then look at whether the Decade and Minor Luck meeting, the Decade Luck meeting Tai Sui, and the Minor Luck meeting Tai Sui are good or bad; fortune and misfortune are settled by this. Finally look at whether Tai Sui clashes with the Decade or Minor Luck, and whether it clashes with Qing Yang, Tuo Luo or Qi Sha, and only then give a verdict.
It is the Quan Shu's concise guide to reading several layers of luck together, and it works hand in hand with Fortune and Misfortune in the Decade Luck.
1須詳大限獨守吉凶何如，小限獨守吉凶何如，太歲獨守吉凶何如。如歲限俱凶則凶。又看大限與小限相逢吉凶何如，大限逢太歲吉凶何如，小限逢太歲吉凶何如，禍福所定。又看太歲沖大限小限，太歲沖羊陀七殺，然後可斷吉凶。
TranslationOne must examine how good or bad the Decade Luck is guarding alone, how good or bad the Minor Luck is guarding alone, and how good or bad Tai Sui is guarding alone. If the year and the lucks are all bad, it is bad. Then look at how good or bad it is where the Decade Luck and Minor Luck meet, where the Decade Luck meets Tai Sui, and where the Minor Luck meets Tai Sui; fortune and misfortune are settled by this. Then look at whether Tai Sui clashes with the Decade Luck or Minor Luck, and whether Tai Sui clashes with Qing Yang, Tuo Luo or Qi Sha; after that one can judge good and bad.
- 太歲
- Tai Sui: the Annual Luck.
This is the Quan Shu's outline of method for the luck periods, splitting the three layers of Decade Luck, Minor Luck and Tai Sui into three steps: first each on its own, then in pairs (Decade with Minor, Decade with Tai Sui, Minor with Tai Sui), and finally whether Tai Sui clashes with the two lucks or with Qing Yang, Tuo Luo and Qi Sha. Today this is called stacking the charts. All three layers can be found on a Xingge chart: each palace carries its Decade Luck ages, the current ten-year span and the current year's Tai Sui palace are shown, and the Minor Luck ages for each palace are listed in the detailed chart. Note that on Xingge the Decade Luck starts at the Life Palace itself, while the Quan Shu starts it at the palace next to the Life Palace, so for the same age the two are one palace apart; see Fortune and Misfortune in the Decade Luck. For an introduction to stacking, see the lesson reading the three layers together.
Base text (Wikisource, partly in simplified Chinese)
FAQ
How are the Decade Luck, Minor Luck and Annual Luck read together?
The Two Lucks and Tai Sui says: first look at the Decade Luck, Minor Luck and Tai Sui each on its own, and if all three are bad it is bad; then look at how each pair meets; finally look at whether Tai Sui clashes with the Decade or Minor Luck and with Qing Yang, Tuo Luo or Qi Sha, and then judge.
What is Tai Sui?
Tai Sui is the Annual Luck: the palace of the year's branch serves as that year's Life Palace. The Quan Shu often calls the Minor Luck and Tai Sui together 「歲限」.
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