Parents Palace

This is the heading rule for the Parents Palace, with a point that is easy to miss: the first step in judging the parents is not the Parents Palace but the sun (Tai Yang) and the moon (Tai Yin) across the whole chart. Tai Yang is the father and Tai Yin the mother; Tai Yang in Xian means the father is harmed first, Tai Yin in Xian the mother, whatever palace they sit in. This is the Quan Shu's distinctive use of stars to stand for people: the sun and moon are the yin and yang of a chart, and they match the two parents. In Xingge's brightness, Tai Yang is Xian in Zi and Hai and Tai Yin in Mao, Chen and Si; volume three's table makes Tai Yang Xian only in Zi. 'Harmed first' can be read as which parent one has the thinner bond with, or spends less time with; it should not be read straight off as an early death.

When both are Xian, go by the birth hour: by day the father remains, by night the mother. This is the Quan Shu's steady rule of looking at Tai Yang for a day birth and Tai Yin for a night birth: in volume three, the pattern of the sun lighting the Thunder Gate requires 「晝生」, a day birth, and the moon bright at the Heavenly Gate requires 「夜時生」, a night birth, and the Children Palace has 「日生最怕太陰臨，夜生最怕太陽照」, a day birth fears Tai Yin most and a night birth Tai Yang. The second half refines it: born by night with Tai Yin turned away and dim, the mother is harmed first. Xingge's Ri Yue Tong Lin (Sun and Moon Together) pattern likewise uses day or night birth to decide whose light carries. The ancients thought whether one was born by day or by night decided which parent's influence ran deeper.

Continuing: born by day with Tai Yang turned away and dark, the father is harmed first. The author's 「余試之屢驗矣」 is a rare first-person report of experience in the Quan Shu. The second half sets out an important principle: only when the palace already has a star that rules harm and vicious stars are added does one judge it as harm. In other words, the sun or moon in Xian is only one indicator; the Parents Palace itself must hold a star of harm and malefic stars must be added, three things stacked, before a heavy verdict is given. It is a careful way to read. On a chart, the bond with parents needs several conditions together; a single indicator is not enough.

「據理參詳，在乎人之自悟耳」: reason it through, and the rest is up to each reader's understanding. This closes the general rule and admits that the rules above are not a formula; the reader of the chart has to judge. It is the same attitude as the Dou Shu Zhun Sheng's 「大抵在人之機變」, it all depends on a person's flexibility (see the original). From here on come the entries star by star, each shaped as 'this star alone, this star with that star, with malefic stars added'. In reading them, remember the opening reminder: the brightness of the sun and moon, the star in the palace and the malefic stars are judged together.

Zi Wei in the Parents Palace: no harm. With the emperor star there, the parents have standing and the bond with the child is stable. Partners: Tian Fu (Yin, Shen), no harm; Tian Xiang (Chen, Xu), no harm; Tan Lang (Mao, You), no harm without malefic stars; Po Jun (Chou, Wei), early harm. But the Po Jun entry of this chapter says 「紫微同無刑」 (segment 21): the same pair, early harm in one place and no harm in the other, an inconsistency from the one-entry-per-star method. By brightness, Zi Wei is Miao and Po Jun Wang in Chou and Wei, both strong. People with Zi Wei here usually have parents with firm views and authority; the upbringing is strict but dependable.

Tian Ji in Miao or Wang in the Parents Palace, no harm; in Xian with malefic stars, lodging under another surname, adoptive parents, adoption or marrying into the wife's family. Tian Ji is Miao in Zi and Wu and Xian in Chou and Wei (volume three's table). Tian Ji rules change, so in Xian with malefic stars in the Parents Palace, the bond with the parents shifts a great deal, which the ancients expressed as fostering and adoption. Today these words mostly match other family shapes: divorced parents, being raised by grandparents or relatives, or drifting away from the family as an adult. In everyday terms, people with Tian Ji here relate to their parents mostly through talk and discussion, and their views often differ.

Continuing the Tian Ji entry: with Tai Yin (Yin, Shen) harm is avoided, with Tian Liang (Chen, Xu) no harm, both only without malefic stars. With Ju Men (Mao, You), early harm: Ju Men's quarrels plus Tian Ji's changes in the Parents Palace mean many arguments with the parents. The text note covers the punctuation. Tian Ji with Tai Yin or Tian Liang here gives gentle parents who value education; Tian Ji with Ju Men quarrels easily with the parents and the views differ widely, and keeping a sensible distance as an adult often makes for a better relationship.

Tai Yang in its temple in the Parents Palace, no harm; in Xian, harm to the father; with malefic stars, early harm to the parents. Tai Yang is the father star to begin with, so seated in the Parents Palace it is the father star in the parents' house, and its brightness decides the bond with the father directly. Tai Yang is Miao in Mao and Wang in Yin, Chen, Si and Wu (volume three's table), and Xingge's brightness is close to this. A Tai Yang in Miao or Wang here means a father who achieves things and looks after the family; in Xian, the father may be wrapped up in work and spend little time with the children, or simply have a hard life himself. This follows the same line of logic as the rule in segment 1.

Continuing the Tai Yang entry: with Tai Yin (Chou, Wei) and no Qing Yang or Tuo Luo, both parents are complete and harm comes late; with Ju Men (Yin, Shen) and malefic stars, early harm; with Tian Liang (Mao, You), no harm. 'With Tian Liang, no harm' here is not the same as 「太陽同剋遲」, harm late, in the Tian Liang entry (segment 19): one says none, the other late, a difference of degree. The sun and moon together in the Parents Palace put the father star and the mother star in the same seat; Tai Yin is the brighter in Chou and Tai Yang in Wei, and the ancients called it late harm, separation only in old age. Tai Yang with Tian Liang here suggests parents of moral principle and an upright household.

Wu Qu in the Parents Palace: early harm; leaving the ancestral estate, none. Wu Qu is a solitary general star, and here the bond with the parents is thin. 「退祖業不刑」 means that leaving the family estate and setting up on one's own avoids the harm, a common old 'remedy': living apart makes the relationship better. Partners: Tan Lang (Chou, Wei), harm; Qi Sha (Mao, You), harm; Tian Xiang (Yin, Shen) with malefic stars, injury. People with Wu Qu here mostly have practical, serious parents who are not good at showing feelings, and they become financially independent early.

Tian Tong alone in the Parents Palace in Miao or Wang: no harm; with the four killing stars, adoptive parents. Tian Tong sits alone in Mao, You, Chen, Xu, Si and Hai, and is Miao in Si and Hai (volume three's table). Partners: Ju Men (Chou, Wei), not in harmony; Tai Yin (Zi, Wu), both parents complete; Tian Liang (Yin, Shen), no harm, or leaving the estate. Tian Tong is the star of blessing, and its verdicts in the Parents Palace are mild on the whole, a harmonious bond. People with Tian Tong here have easy-going, loving parents and a relaxed home; with Ju Men, misunderstandings with the parents need watching, and saying things plainly helps.

Lian Zhen in the Parents Palace, 「難為父母，祖重拜」. Lian Zhen's transformed qi is prisoner, and here the bond with the parents is hemmed in. Partners: Tan Lang (Si, Hai), early harm; Qi Sha (Chou, Wei), solitude and harm; Tian Fu (Chen, Xu), harm avoided; Po Jun (Mao, You), early harm. The Xing Xing Fu says 「陀耗囚之星守父母之纏，決然破祖刑傷」 (see the original): Tuo Luo, Po Jun and the 'prisoner' guarding the Parents Palace surely mean a broken ancestry and injury; the prisoner is Lian Zhen, so the two agree. Notice that Tian Fu lets Lian Zhen avoid harm; What Does Tian Fu Govern? says Tian Fu can bring Qing Yang and Tuo Luo into line and turn Huo Xing and Ling Xing into blessings, and here it tempers Lian Zhen too. In families today, the common picture is a sharp clash of views with the parents, where each side needs its own space.

Tian Fu in the Parents Palace: both parents complete. Tian Fu is the treasury, steady and conserving, and here it stands for a settled family. Partners: Zi Wei (Yin, Shen), no harm; Lian Zhen (Chen, Xu) or Wu Qu (Zi, Wu) in Miao or Wang, no harm; with malefic stars, injury. Tian Fu is one of the best-rated stars in the Parents Palace. People with Tian Fu here have parents with stable finances and get material support from home; the parents' outlook is conservative and values security, and they tend to hope for a steady job and life for their children.

Tai Yin in its temple in the Parents Palace, no harm; with Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing or Ling Xing, harm to the mother, or adoption and leaving home. Tai Yin is itself the mother star, so seated here the mother's influence is the most direct. Tai Yin is Miao in Hai, Zi and Chou (volume three's table), and Xingge's brightness agrees. Partners: Tai Yang (Chou, Wei), both parents complete without the four killing stars; Tian Ji (Yin, Shen), no harm; Tian Tong (Zi, Wu), excellent. For people with Tai Yin here the mother's role is especially important, a gentle and attentive mother; in Xian or with malefic stars, the mother may have a hard time, or there is little time together.

Tan Lang in Xian in the Parents Palace: leaving home early, adoptive parents, adoption, marrying into the wife's family (the text note covers the extra character). Tan Lang is Xian in Si and Hai. Partners: Lian Zhen (Si, Hai), early harm and solitude; Zi Wei (Mao, You), both parents complete without malefic stars. The entry does not cover Wu Qu (Chou, Wei); the Wu Qu entry gives 「貪狼同刑剋」. Tan Lang rules desire and social life, and in Xian in the Parents Palace the bond with the parents keeps shifting. In a modern family, the parents may be outgoing and many-talented, or home life may change a lot; the relationship needs tending.

Ju Men in Xian in the Parents Palace: injury, leaving home, adoption. Ju Men is Xian in Chen and Xu. Partners: Tai Yang (Yin, Shen), little harmony; Tian Ji (Mao, You), adoptive parents; Tian Tong (Chou, Wei), perhaps leaving the estate, no harm. The text note covers the punctuation. Ju Men rules words and disputes, and here the commonest picture is poor communication and many quarrels with the parents. People with Ju Men here often see things differently from their parents and do well to listen more; with Ju Men in Miao or Wang (Yin, Shen, Mao, You), the parents may be people who reason things out and value education, only blunt in how they say it.

Tian Xiang in Miao or Wang in the Parents Palace: no harm. Volume three's table puts Tian Xiang's temple in Zi, Wu, Chou, Yin and Shen, and Xingge's brightness has it Miao in Zi, Chou, Yin, Wu and Shen. Partners: Zi Wei (Chen, Xu), no harm; Lian Zhen (Zi, Wu), harm after all; with malefic stars, early harm. This entry gives Lian Zhen as 'harm after all', while the Lian Zhen entry does not mention Tian Xiang, so the two fill each other in. Tian Xiang is the seal star, ruling mediation, and here it means a harmonious, mutually respectful bond with the parents. People with Tian Xiang here have reasonable parents and a home with clear rules that are not harsh.

Tian Liang in Xian with malefic stars in the Parents Palace: solitude and harm, leaving home, marrying into the wife's family, a new name and fostering, 「保養免刑」, harm avoided by being raised by others. Tian Liang is the sheltering star; What Does Tian Liang Govern? calls it 「父母之主」, master of the parents, so it is naturally the star best suited to the Parents Palace; in Xian (Si, Shen, Hai) with malefic stars, the shelter is lost instead. 「更名寄人，保養免刑」 is an old remedy: change the name, have the child fostered and raised by others, and the harm is sidestepped. Tian Liang in Miao or Wang here means parents who are a dependable shelter; in Xian, the child may be raised by grandparents or other elders.

Continuing the Tian Liang entry: with Tian Tong (Yin, Shen), harm with the four killing stars and none without; with Tian Ji (Chen, Xu), no harm; with Tai Yang (Mao, You), harm comes late, and early with malefic stars. 'With Tai Yang, harm comes late' here differs in degree from 'with Tian Liang, no harm' in the Tai Yang entry; read together, Tai Yang with Tian Liang in the Parents Palace means that any harm comes late. Tian Liang's shelter is protective on the whole in this palace: most of its pairings are 'no harm', and harm is spoken of only once malefic stars are added.

Qi Sha in the Parents Palace: early harm, leaving home, 「六親骨肉孤獨」, solitary among all one's kin. Qi Sha is a star of solitude and harm, and its rating here is very low, one of the harshest entries in the chapter. Partners: Wu Qu (Mao, You), harm after all; Lian Zhen (Chou, Wei), early harm; Zi Wei (Si, Hai) with lucky stars, no harm. The Dou Shu Fa Wei Lun also says 「相貌加刑殺，刑剋難免」 (see the original): the Parents Palace with harmful and killing stars cannot escape harm. In a present-day family, people with Qi Sha here have strong-willed, strict parents, or see little of them; they mostly become independent early, and 'solitary' is better read as self-reliant than as kinless.

Po Jun in the Parents Palace: early harm and leaving home, avoided by a new name and fostering. Po Jun rules waste, and here the bond with the parents keeps changing. Partners: Wu Qu (Si, Hai), early harm; Lian Zhen (Mao, You), early harm; Zi Wei (Chou, Wei), no harm. The Xing Xing Fu lists Po Jun (the 'waste' star) among the stars that, guarding the Parents Palace, surely bring 「破祖刑傷」 (see the original), which agrees with this entry. 'With Zi Wei, no harm', though, is the opposite of 「破軍同早剋」 in the Zi Wei entry. People with Po Jun here often had an unsettled early home life: moves, parents changing jobs, or leaving home young to make their way.

Wen Chang in its temple with lucky stars in the Parents Palace, no harm; with malefic stars, harm, or leaving home and surviving under another surname. Wen Chang is Miao in Si, You and Chou. Wen Chang is a literary star, and here it stands for parents who value education and have a cultured background. 「二姓延生」 means surviving only in a family of another surname, which in the old days meant fostering or adoption. People with Wen Chang here mostly have bookish parents who care about schoolwork, and their dealings with them centre on study and paperwork; with malefic stars, they may have been apart from their parents early, for example studying away from home or lodging with relatives.

Wen Qu alone in the Parents Palace, in its temple, no harm; with malefic stars, 'neither parent complete'. The entry resembles Wen Chang's, but 'neither complete' is heavier than Wen Chang's 'harm'. Wen Qu is Miao in Si, You and Chou (volume three's table), and Xingge's brightness has it Miao in Chou, Si and You. 'Guarding alone' means the Parents Palace has no main star, only Wen Qu; in that case, borrow the main stars of the opposite palace (the Health Palace) to read it. People with Wen Qu here tend to have parents with artistic gifts and a way with words; with malefic stars, one parent may leave early, or the home may be unsettled.

Zuo Fu alone in the Parents Palace, no harm; with Lian Zhen, early harm; with Wen Chang, generating each other, no harm; with malefic stars, injury, leaving home, surviving under another surname. Zuo Fu is a helper star, and here it means elders other than the parents who help. 'With Wen Chang, generating each other' refers to the Five Elements: Zuo Fu is earth and Wen Chang is metal, and earth generates metal, so there is no harm. This is one of the few places in the chapter that explains a verdict directly by the generating cycle. People with Zuo Fu here often grew up cared for not just by their parents but by grandparents, uncles and aunts too.

You Bi alone in the Parents Palace, no harm; with lucky stars, the parents' protection; with malefic stars, leaving home and living settled under another surname. You Bi is a helper star like Zuo Fu, and this entry says outright 「得父母庇蔭」, gaining the parents' shelter, a better verdict than Zuo Fu's. 「二姓安居」 is gentler than 「二姓延生」: living in another family's house, and living there in peace. People with You Bi here are looked after by their parents mostly behind the scenes, for example with money or introductions; with malefic stars, they may live apart from the family, but in a settled way.

Lu Cun in the Parents Palace, no harm; with malefic stars, the father's wealth is ruined early, and amid injury it is hard to set up on one's own. Lu Cun keeps wealth, and here it means parents with money who can leave assets. Lu Cun is always flanked by Qing Yang and Tuo Luo, so when it is in the Parents Palace the two neighbours are always those two: Tuo Luo in the Life Palace and Qing Yang in the Fortune Palace. 'With Qing Yang and Tuo Luo added' in the text should mean in the same palace or shining in. In real life, people with Lu Cun here have thrifty parents who save; with malefic stars, the parents' finances may run into trouble early on and affect the child's financial start.

Qing Yang in the Parents Palace: early harm; meeting the sun and moon, leaving home again and again; with many lucky stars, harm avoided. The entry singles out 「會日月」: Qing Yang meeting Tai Yang and Tai Yin amounts to the punishing star clashing with the father star and the mother star, hence repeated leaving. This echoes the opening rule that the sun and moon are the parents. The Dou Shu Zhun Sheng says 「相貌逢凶必帶破相」 (see the original), the 相貌 palace meeting malefic stars must bring a marred face; since 相貌 ('appearance') is the old name of the Parents Palace, Qing Yang here also carries that reading of facial injury. People with Qing Yang here clash easily with their parents, or were injured as children; with lucky stars the conflict can be resolved.

Tuo Luo in the Parents Palace: injury in childhood; meeting the sun and moon, repeated leaving and living settled under another surname; with lucky stars, marrying into the wife's family, adoption, adoptive parents, surviving under another surname. The entry is odd: even with lucky stars the outcome is still marrying out or adoption, only a little better than without them. Tuo Luo rules delay and entanglement, and the bond with the parents is a tangle. Tuo Luo also 'meets the sun and moon', written the same way as the Qing Yang entry. People with Tuo Luo here have a long-running knot with their parents, such as drawn-out questions of care or inheritance; keeping some distance as an adult tends to help.

Huo Xing alone in the Parents Palace: solitude and harm, surviving under another surname; with lucky stars, calm. Huo Xing is hasty and sudden, and here the bond with the parents changes abruptly. The entry is short and heavy; only lucky stars bring calm. Volume three's section on Huo Xing and Ling Xing puts Huo Xing's temple in Yin, Wu and Xu, but this entry does not separate Miao from Xian. People with Huo Xing here often have quick-tempered, blunt parents and a tense home; with the parents it helps to stay cool and give way first when there is a clash.

Ling Xing in the Parents Palace: harm and solitude, living under another surname, adoptive parents, marrying out, adoption. The entry lists every form of fostering and adoption, one of the heaviest in the chapter, and offers no remedy at all, not even 'with lucky stars added'. Ling Xing is close to Huo Xing but darker and more smouldering; here it means an unspoken distance from the parents. People with Ling Xing here share little feeling with their parents and do well to reach out themselves; today verdicts like this mostly mean an estranged relationship rather than actual adoption.

Tian Kui and Tian Yue in the Parents Palace: honoured, noble parents; with lucky stars, both complete. Kui and Yue are the stars of noble helpers, and here the parents are themselves the noble helpers: people of standing and connections who can lift their children up. As in the Kui and Yue entry of the Fortune Palace, there are no malefic conditions, so the ancients saw Kui and Yue as purely good in both palaces. People with Kui and Yue here have parents with some social standing or professional expertise, and get plenty of resources and guidance growing up.

The last entry is the Dou Jun: in the year it reaches the Parents Palace, lucky stars bring the parents good fortune and joy at home and abroad; malefic stars go badly for them. It is written like the Dou Jun lines of the Property Palace and the Fortune Palace, the fixed ending of each palace chapter. Applied to a year, it can be read as a time when the parents' health and the affairs of elders need particular attention; with the Dou Jun in the Parents Palace and malefic stars there, spend more time with the parents and watch their health, and also mind relations with bosses and superiors, since today the Parents Palace is also read as standing for those above you.