Stars in Fallen Positions: Broken Patterns

Stars in Fallen Positions: Broken Patterns is the reverse of the previous chapter, Stars in Strong Positions: Fitting Patterns, and also lists the worst combinations by the branch of the Life Palace. This poem covers Zi and Chou together: Tian Ji in Zi or Wu, and Ju Men and Ling Xing in Chou. The problem of Tian Ji being fallen in Zi and Wu is explained under the Xingge approach above (Xingge marks it Miao). Ling Xing in Chou, too, is marked De on Xingge's brightness table, not fallen, so this set of verses often parts ways with the brightness table. Ju Men in Chou is Bu, which does fit.

「縱然化吉更為美，任他富貴不清寧」 is finely put: even with an auspicious transformation, even rich and noble, there is no peace. A broken pattern does not mean certain poverty; it means the benefits are discounted and the road is rough. That is the keynote for reading the whole set.

Yin lists Tian Ji, Tai Yin, Wen Chang and Wen Qu. Tian Ji and Tai Yin share the Yin palace, and on a Xingge chart the pair is not weak: Tian Ji De, Tai Yin Wang. Wen Chang in Yin is fallen. The Nature of Tai Yin has an almost identical verse, 「寅上機昌曲月逢，縱然吉拱不豐隆」 (The Nature of Tai Yin), so this is a fixed saying in the Quan Shu.

Tian Ji and Tai Yin in Yin or Shen being listed as a broken pattern agrees with the Quan Shu's verdict on this pair in women's charts: The Nature of Tian Ji says 「天機星與太陰同，女命逢之淫巧容」. The ancients' reason was probably that both stars govern change and softness, and with the talents of Wen Chang and Wen Qu, they were seen as not keeping to one's station. The original's 「男為伴僕女娼婢」 is very heavy language; today it reads as a tendency to depend on others, or to work in service roles.

Mao looks at Tai Yin and Qing Yang, Chen at Ju Men and Zi Wei. Tai Yin in Mao is fallen, and so is Qing Yang in Mao, both matching the brightness table; Ju Men in Chen is fallen, which matches too. But 「辰宮巨宿紫微同」 is a problem on the chart: under the placement method Ju Men and Zi Wei never share a palace, nor even meet in the San Fang Si Zheng. Zi Wei in Chen sits with Tian Xiang at brightness De, so the line should be read as two cases: Ju Men in Chen, or Zi Wei in Chen.

Zi Wei in Chen may be listed as a broken pattern because Chen is the Net of Heaven; the next chapter, Stars in Fallen Positions: Poverty and Low Station, also says 「辰戌紫破朝羅網」. 「縱然化吉非全美」 strikes the same note as segment 1.

Si lists Wu Qu, Tai Yin, Tian Liang, Ju Men, and Tan Lang with Lian Zhen. Against the brightness table: Tai Yin is fallen in Si, Tian Liang fallen in Si, Lian Zhen and Tan Lang both fallen in Si, all matching; Wu Qu in Si is Ping (sharing the palace with Po Jun), but Ju Men in Si is Wang, which does not match the verse.

「三方吉曜皆不貴，下賤貧窮度歲華」 is an absolute statement: not even auspicious stars in the San Fang can save it. Lian Zhen and Tan Lang in Si are the 「廉貪巳亥宮，遇吉福盈豐，應過三旬後，須防不善終」 of What Does Lian Zhen Govern?; that chapter at least grants blessings with auspicious stars, while this one says auspicious stars bring no rank. Different chapters of the Quan Shu are stricter or more lenient with the same stars.

Wu lists Tan Lang, Ju Men, Tai Yin and Wen Chang. Against the brightness table: Wen Chang is fallen in Wu and Tai Yin Bu, roughly matching; Tan Lang and Ju Men in Wu are both Wang, which does not. More notable still, the Gu Sui Fu says 「子午巨門石中隱玉」 (Gu Sui Fu): Ju Men in Zi or Wu is a top pattern there, yet a broken pattern here, so the Quan Shu's verdicts on Ju Men in Wu are exact opposites.

A reasonable way to reconcile them: Shi Zhong Yin Yu needs Hua Lu, Hua Quan or Hua Ke and no malefics, while this poem is about 「羊刃三合最嫌沖」, Qing Yang clashing from the trine. The same star depends on its conditions. 「橫破橫成到老窮」: great swings, and in the end nothing kept.

Wei looks at Ju Men and Tai Yang. Ju Men in Wei shares the palace with Tian Tong at brightness Bu; Tai Yang in Wei shares it with Tai Yin at brightness De, the sun already slanting west. 「縱少災危有剋傷，勞碌奔波官事至」 means toil and lawsuits.

Tai Yang in Wei is what Master Yuchan in the Tai Yang chapter calls the 'slanting wall', 「作事先勤後惰」. Ju Men's darkness and a westering sun are both images of light not bright enough. Today it reads as giving a lot and getting returns slowly, with a tendency to get drawn into disputes or legal problems, so contracts and communication need extra care.

The heading says Shen and You, but the text only says 'Tian Ji and Ju Men in Shen'. As the note explains, Tian Ji and Ju Men share a palace only in Mao and You and never in Shen, so in practice it must be Tian Ji and Ju Men in You that is the broken pattern. Set against Stars in Strong Positions: Fitting Patterns, 「卯宮機巨武曲逢，辛乙生人福氣隆」, this is the Quan Shu's frequent 'good in Mao, bad in You': the same Tian Ji and Ju Men are a noble pattern in Mao and a broken one in You.

「二宮若然桃花見，男女逢之總不榮」: later writers often treat Zi, Wu, Mao and You as peach-blossom places, and a peach-blossom star in You makes it worse. The Star Combinations chapters also say 「巨陷天機為破格」 (Star Combinations: Tian Ji): in a woman's chart in Yin, Shen, Mao or You, even rich and noble she cannot escape lust.

Xu lists Zi Wei and Po Jun, Tian Tong and Tai Yang. Zi Wei and Po Jun share a palace only in Chou and Wei; in Xu it is either Zi Wei sitting with Tian Xiang and Po Jun opposite in Chen, or Po Jun in Xu with Zi Wei and Tian Xiang in Chen. Tian Tong in Xu is Ping, and the Gu Sui Fu says 「天同戌宮為反背，丁人化吉主大貴」 (Gu Sui Fu): turned backwards, yet with the auspicious transformation of a Ding year greatly noble instead. Tai Yang in Xu is Bu, its light lost.

「若還孤寒更殀折，隨緣勤苦免貧窮」: solitude and poverty, plus a short life; only by accepting one's lot and working hard can poverty be avoided. Xu is the Net of Earth, paired against Chen, the Net of Heaven, and that is one reason the Quan Shu lists Chen and Xu as unfavourable places.

Hai lists Tan Lang, Huo Xing and Tian Liang. Tan Lang in Hai is fallen and so is Tian Liang, matching the brightness table; Huo Xing in Hai is Li. Tan Lang meeting Huo Xing would normally be the Huo Tan pattern, but that pattern needs Miao or Wang, and in Hai neither star is strong, so it turns into the wanderer instead.

There is a contradiction inside the Quan Shu: the next chapter, Stars in Strong Positions: Wealth and Rank, says 「亥宮天府天梁吉」 (Stars in Strong Positions: Wealth and Rank), so the same Tian Liang in Hai is a broken pattern in one place and auspicious in another. The Star Combinations chapters also say 「天梁月曜女淫貧 梁巳亥陰寅申主淫佚」, leaning unfavourable. Readers who see Tian Liang in Hai marked Xian on their chart can go with the view held by more of the chapters.