Tai Wei Fu

The book opens by stating its own limits: Dou Shu can never be fully told, and long life, early death, wisdom, folly, wealth and poverty 「不可一概論議」, cannot all be judged by one rule. Read this as the instructions for the whole book. Most of the rhapsody that follows gives verdicts for single combinations, such as 「七殺廉貞同位，路上埋屍」, and the author warns from the first line that no single sentence should be pinned on a person. 「星之分野」 borrows from astronomy: regions of sky were matched to regions of land, and in Dou Shu each star governs one area of life, so a star must always be read together with the palace it sits in. Students can treat this as a standing rule: when you meet a harsh line, first ask which palace the star is in, who sits beside it and where the luck periods have reached, and only then judge. The lesson Reading the whole chart is about exactly this.

This passage makes three points. The first is layout: the stars are spread across twelve palaces, and 「三十六位」 is usually read either as each palace split into upper, middle and lower grades, or simply as the total number of star positions; schools differ. The second is strength: in its temple a star is outstanding, out of its degree it is empty. This later grew into the brightness grades, and the small text next to each main star on a Xingge chart (Miao, Wang, De, Li, Ping, Bu, Xian: Temple, Prosperous, Gain, Profit, Average, Unsupported, Fallen) is exactly this. The third is priority: the Life and Body Palaces come first, then the 「根源」. You can read a chart in this order: find the two palaces holding the Life and Body Palaces, see which stars sit there and how bright they are, then turn to the birth-year transformations that the year stem brings. That is what the old writers meant by the inborn foundation.

「同躔」 means several stars in one palace, and 「生剋」 is the Five Element relationship between a star and its palace. The line asks the reader to watch two things at once: whether the stars get along with each other, and whether each star is in the right place. Tian Ji, for example, is wood, so in the water palaces Hai and Zi it is nourished, since water generates wood. Wu Qu is metal, so in the wood palaces Yin and Mao it has to spend itself overcoming the palace, and the old writers saw its power reduced. Xingge does not mark element relationships separately, but the brightness table already takes most of this into account. In practice, check the brightness of each star sharing a palace, and take special note of pairs whose elements clash (fiery Lian Zhen with metal Qi Sha, for instance); many of the harsh verdicts later in the book come from combinations like these.

The 「土星」 and 「金星」 here are not planets. They are element nicknames for Dou Shu stars: Zi Wei is earth and Wu Qu is metal. Zi Wei 「率列宿而成垣」, leading the constellations to form an enclosure, means the emperor star needs other stars around it to make a pattern, which sets up the later line 「紫微天府全依輔弼之功」. Wu Qu's transformed qi is wealth and it keeps the treasury; it most fears emptiness, because a wealth star that falls into emptiness cannot hold on to money even when money comes. On a Xingge chart, look in Wu Qu's palace for minor stars of emptiness such as Xun Kong, Jie Lu or Kong Wang, or for Di Kong and Di Jie in the same palace. The line is echoed later in the Xing Xing Fu, which says the source of wealth fears meeting Kong Wang.

The first half describes Zi Wei's reach: when the palace holding the emperor star is stirred (a luck period reaches it, or a transformation sets it off), every star on the chart responds, which is why many readers use Zi Wei's position as the frame of the whole chart. In the second half, 「貪守空」, Tan Lang's transformed qi is peach blossom, and it also rules desire and social life; when it falls into emptiness, what it reaches for slips away, which the old writers called wealth that does not gather. The Your chart check on this page widens emptiness to any one of Di Kong, Xun Kong, Jie Lu or Kong Wang in the same palace. Read today, it describes plenty of chances and plenty of ideas, little of which ends up in the bank, so money calls for real discipline. Volume three's section on Tan Lang has several more lines on Tan Lang meeting emptiness or malefic stars.

Only eight characters, but this is the basic attitude for reading stars: each star has its own office, and you cannot read one star by another's nature. Zi Wei governs rank, Tian Fu the treasury, Tian Ji strategy, Tai Yang reputation, each to its own. The transformations work the same way: Hua Lu governs wealth, Hua Quan power, Hua Ke reputation, Hua Ji obstruction. The most common beginner's mistake is to treat a lucky star as good for everything and a malefic star as bad for everything. Following this line, the right question is what this star governs in this palace. Wu Qu in the Spouse Palace, for instance, describes how the couple deal with each other, not one's money luck.

「機」 is the key and 「變」 is change. The first half concerns the static chart, the second the moving luck: the same combination turns out differently once a transformation or a luck period touches it. The whole book keeps coming back to this. The Dou Shu Fa Wei Lun says that a luck period reaching a weak place is not necessarily a disaster, which is the same idea: weakness in the static chart does not equal misfortune in motion. On Xingge, the natal chart is only the base. To see the changes, open the Decade Luck and Annual Luck overlays and look at which palace is struck by Hua Ji, or lifted by Hua Lu, in which year. Drawing conclusions from the natal chart alone is exactly what this line means by 「數之造化遠矣」.

Both lines describe something good being marked down. Lu (Lu Cun or Hua Lu) is a blessing, and it most fears Hua Ji, Qing Yang or Tuo Luo striking from the opposite palace or the trine; hence misfortune hidden in good fortune: money and chances come, but with losses or disputes attached. Tian Ma rules movement; when it falls into emptiness such as Xun Kong or Jie Kong it is called a 'dead horse', moving but landing on nothing, hence a lifetime of rushing about. Xingge's Lu Feng Chong Po (Lu Meets Clash and Breakage) pattern is checked in every palace, but it only looks at Hua Lu meeting Hua Ji, in the same palace or striking from the opposite one; breakage by Qing Yang and Tuo Luo, and Lu Cun itself, are not counted. This line speaks of the Life Palace, but a Lu star in the Wealth or Career Palace should be read with the same eye. In modern terms, the first is earning money but not keeping it, or gains that bring trouble with them; the second is changing surroundings often without getting the result you wanted.

This couplet uses the twelve stages of growth: Chang Sheng (Birth), Mu Yu (Bathing), Guan Dai (Capping), Lin Guan (Taking Office), Di Wang (Peak), Shuai (Decline), Bing (Sickness), Si (Death), Mu (Tomb), Jue (Extinction), Tai (Conception) and Yang (Nurture). The 'place of defeat' is Mu Yu, also called defeat; Jue is where qi is weakest. The first line says that when the Life Palace or its main star sits in Mu Yu, success can come but does not last. The second says that in Jue, meeting support (lucky stars, Hua Lu) makes the foundation firm instead. Every palace on a Xingge chart carries its stage of growth, so you can look these up directly. The idea behind the couplet, that a low start with support is steadier than a hollow start, is an interesting way to look at life's ups and downs. But these stages weigh far less than the main stars and the transformations, and should not be used on their own to judge anything.

This line picks up segment 3 and says once more that Miao or Wang is not the conclusion. A star in its temple or prosperous position is a good start, but if a star in the same or the opposite palace clashes with it by element, or brings Hua Ji or a malefic star, the benefit is cancelled out. A Life Palace sitting in a 「強宮」 also has to be checked for stars that restrain or rescue it. As for which palaces count as strong, the Quan Shu's Life Master and Body Master says that for men the Wealth, Career, Fortune, Travel and Property Palaces are strong, while the chapter on Zi Wei in the star questions names only the Travel Palace. People with good conditions have blind spots too, and people with poor conditions can still be lifted up. A workable order is brightness first, then the four transformations, then the Six Malefic Stars, and finally whether any lucky star resolves the trouble. Don't stop at step one.

Ri Yue Fan Bei (sun and moon turned away) means Tai Yang in a night palace (roughly Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou) and Tai Yin in a day palace (roughly Chen, Si, Wu, Wei), both without light. The old writers took the sun and moon as the axis of light and dark on a chart; with both fallen, they predicted toil, a thin bond with parents, and fame and gain that are hard to win. Lu Ma Jiao Chi (Lu and Ma galloping together) means Lu Cun (or Hua Lu) meeting Tian Ma: wealth that comes through movement. Xingge's Ri Yue Fan Bei is judged only for the Life Palace (Tai Yang and Tai Yin both without light, and both in the Life Palace's San Fang Si Zheng), while Lu Ma Jiao Chi is checked in every palace. Note, though, that volume three's section on Tai Yin adds its own line, saying it is also good if one leaves the clan and sets up a household elsewhere and should not always be judged as turned away, and that day or night birth must be considered. Don't call a chart unlucky the moment you see the sun and moon turned away.

This line takes the earlier ideas of emptiness and the place of defeat one step further. In emptiness, the key is how gain and loss are weighed against each other; in a place of defeat, the key is whether there is support. In other words, neither emptiness nor defeat is a conclusion in itself; what matters is whether other stars change the picture. When a palace has Xun Kong or Jie Kong, check its San Fang Si Zheng for Hua Lu, Hua Quan, Zuo Fu and You Bi, or Tian Kui and Tian Yue; when the stage of growth is Mu Yu, check the same. The modern reading is very practical: when circumstances are against you, helpers and resources count for the most.

This is one of the most quoted principles in the Tai Wei Fu. Zi Wei and Tian Fu are the leading stars of the northern and southern dippers and rank high, but an emperor without ministers is a lonely ruler, so they need Zuo Fu and You Bi in the same palace or in the San Fang Si Zheng. Qi Sha and Po Jun are the stars that charge into battle; with malefic stars such as Qing Yang and Ling Xing, their drive turns violent and trouble follows. When Zi Wei or Tian Fu sits in the Life Palace, first count whether Zuo Fu and You Bi are in its San Fang Si Zheng; when Qi Sha or Po Jun sits there, first check whether Qing Yang or Ling Xing shares the palace or meets it. Xingge's Sha Po Lang and Gu Jun (lonely ruler) patterns can both be read against this line.

This is the Quan Shu's important rule of looking at the whole. A chart with many lucky stars treats the odd malefic star as a small setback; a chart with many malefic stars is hit harder by one more. That is close to how we would put it today: someone in good overall shape has reserves to handle a difficulty, while someone in poor shape can be knocked off balance by a single blow. When reading, first count the lucky stars (Zuo Fu and You Bi, Wen Chang and Wen Qu, Tian Kui and Tian Yue, Lu Cun, Hua Lu, Hua Quan, Hua Ke) and the malefic stars (Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing, Ling Xing, Di Kong, Di Jie, Hua Ji) in the Life Palace and its San Fang Si Zheng, see which way the whole leans, and only then read any single star.

In the first line, 「輔弼夾帝」, Zuo Fu and You Bi sit in the two palaces next to Zi Wei's, holding the emperor star between them, one of the best supporting patterns; compare Xingge's Zuo You Jia (flanked by Zuo Fu and You Bi) pattern. In the second line, 「桃花犯主」, Tan Lang, whose transformed qi is peach blossom, shares a palace with Zi Wei, which happens only in Mao and You. The Quan Shu rates this pairing very low, and What Does Zi Wei Govern? also says that if a woman's Zi Wei meets peach blossom, she drifts and falls into prostitution. The pairing leans toward the senses and pleasure, with strong romantic pull. Whether it really slides into dissipation depends on whether Hua Ji, Qing Yang or Tuo Luo join it; with Hua Ke, Wen Chang or Wen Qu it more often turns into artistic and social talent.

Jun Chen Qing Hui is the pattern of Zi Wei supported by Zuo Fu and You Bi: Zi Wei is the ruler, Zuo Fu and You Bi the ministers. The Quan Shu's Patterns of Rank defines it as Zuo Fu and You Bi guarding the Life Palace together, and adds that it is even better if it also meets Tian Xiang, Wu Qu and Tai Yin, a much stricter condition than Xingge's loose reading. Volume three's section on Tian Fu also calls 'Tian Fu with Tian Xiang and Tian Liang' Jun Chen Qing Hui, so the name has two uses. In practice: able to run things and lead people, with a large-scale career, suited to management or public office. Note, though, that if Zi Wei itself meets Qing Yang, Tuo Luo or Hua Ji, or Zuo Fu and You Bi are only in the trine rather than in the same palace, the weight should be scaled down.

Tian Kui and Tian Yue are a pair of noble-helper stars, both placed by the birth-year stem (in Jia, Wu and Geng years, for example, Kui is in Chou and Yue in Wei). They never share a palace, so 'travelling together' can only mean one in the Life Palace and the other shining in from the San Fang Si Zheng. The old writers put the position at chief minister. It means promotion, opportunity, luck in exams, and powerful elders or superiors who help. The Quan Shu has a separate chapter on Tian Kui and Tian Yue. When reading, check whether the Life Palace they shine on holds a main star; an empty Life Palace that relies only on Kui and Yue gets limited help.

「祿文拱命」 means Lu Cun or Hua Lu, together with Wen Chang or Wen Qu, shining into the Life Palace from its trine and opposite palaces (Wealth, Career, Travel). Lu governs wealth and blessing, Wen governs learning and reputation, so with both shining on the Life Palace one is noble and worthy as well: holding position and having cultivation. The condition is loose, so weigh it: Lu and Wen together in one of those palaces is stronger than the two scattered across different palaces, and with Hua Ke as well the reputation grows. On your own chart, take the four palaces of the Life Palace's San Fang Si Zheng and count which of them these stars sit in.

The Quan Shu itself gives two readings of 「日月夾財」. Volume three says the Wealth Palace is held between Tai Yang and Tai Yin; Patterns of Wealth says Wu Qu, the wealth star, guards the Life Palace with the sun and moon flanking it. On a real chart, the only palaces Tai Yang and Tai Yin can flank are Chou and Wei, and that palace holds either Tian Fu or Wu Qu with Tan Lang, so both readings can occur. 「不權則富」 says that with the sun and moon shining on wealth, one gets at least one of power or money. Watch the brightness of the sun and moon themselves: if both flanking stars are Xian, the flanking is weak.

The Quan Shu has two definitions of Ma Tou Dai Jian, as explained under the Xingge approach above. Here is the old logic: Qing Yang is the star of punishment and belongs to metal, and Wu is a fire palace; fire overcomes metal, so Qing Yang in Wu is held in check and fallen, and its violence is pressed into martial courage. Hence guarding the frontier: a pattern of winning merit in dangerous places. The same combination in the Gu Sui Fu, however, is judged as 'if not an early death, then injury by punishment', so good or bad depends on whether lucky stars join it. For a reader now, it suits high-risk, high-pressure work such as the military, police, surgery or crisis response; with few lucky stars and many malefic ones, accidents and injuries need watching.

Xing is Qing Yang, Qiu is Lian Zhen and Yin is Tian Xiang. The name says 'flanking the seal', yet there are two readings: one is Lian Zhen and Tian Xiang in the same palace (only in Zi and Wu) with Qing Yang in that palace or beside it; the other is Qing Yang and Lian Zhen on either side of Tian Xiang. Xingge uses the same-palace reading. The Quan Shu's Patterns of Rank uses Tian Xing and Lian Zhen together in the Life or Body Palace and reads it as a martial, brave person, which points a different way from the punishment here. 「刑杖惟司」 can be read both ways: in old times, the official who administered punishment, or the person who received it. It points to work with law, discipline and sanctions, or to a life prone to lawsuits and disputes; the other stars decide which side applies.

Tian Ji's transformed qi is kindness and Tian Liang's is shelter. The two share a palace only in Chen and Xu, which is the Shan Yin Chao Gang pattern. Tian Ji rules intelligence and planning, Tian Liang protection and principle; together they make the picture of a wise elder who looks after others, hence an elder of benevolence and compassion. Volume three's section on Tian Ji says that when Ji and Liang meet one is good at talking strategy, so beyond intelligence there is also a love of debate and of offering advice. Put simply, it suits advisory, teaching, religious or social work, jobs that involve giving counsel and caring for people. In Chen and Xu, Xingge rates Tian Ji Li and Tian Liang Miao, so the stronger side of the pair is Tian Liang.

The line says only 「貴入貴鄉」, without naming a star or a palace, as the note above mentions. Later readers commonly take it in one of several ways: Tian Kui and Tian Yue in the Life Palace; a rank-giving transformation such as Hua Ke or Hua Quan in the Life or Career Palace; or a main star in its most prosperous palace. All three point the same way: a star of rank in the right place. Lines like this should not be forced into a single condition; treat it as a principle when reading. Rank shows most clearly when the stars of rank (Zi Wei, Tai Yang, Tian Liang, Hua Quan, Hua Ke, Tian Kui and Tian Yue) are Miao or Wang and sit in the Life or Career Palace.

This is the partner line to the previous one and likewise leaves its conditions unstated. The 'wealth star' usually means Wu Qu (transformed qi: wealth) or Tai Yin (transformed qi: riches), and also Lu Cun and Hua Lu; the 'place of wealth' can be the Wealth Palace, the Property Palace, or the star's Miao and Wang positions. A star that handles money sitting in a palace that handles money, with good brightness, means better money sense and a higher income. The word 「奢」, lavish, is also a reminder that more money tends to mean more spending. To test the line on a given chart, see which star sits in the Wealth Palace and how bright it is, then whether Hua Lu, Hua Quan or Lu Cun share the palace or shine on it.

Tai Yang in Wu is the noon sun at its brightest; Xingge rates it Wang. The Quan Shu's Jin Can Guang Hui (golden radiance) pattern is exactly Tai Yang alone in the Life Palace in Wu. The old logic: Tai Yang rules rank and reputation, and in its brightest position it brings the nobility of sole authority; wealth to rival a nation is an exaggeration to stress that rank and riches come together. Note that with Tai Yang in Wu, the opposite palace Zi holds Tian Liang, Xu holds Ju Men, and Yin has no main star and borrows Tian Ji and Tai Yin from Shen opposite it. A sun this bright also spends itself: it loves reputation and gives a great deal. In the Tai Yang chapter of the star questions, Master Yuchan says that in Wu it is the sun splendid at midheaven and brings great wealth and rank, which agrees with this line.

Tai Yin in Zi: Zi is a water palace and this is the midnight moon. Xingge rates it Miao, one of Tai Yin's best positions, the Shui Cheng Gui E pattern. A 「清要之職」 is a respected, important post, like the old Hanlin scholars or censors; 「忠諫之材」 describes an upright character willing to tell the truth. In practice, it suits work that calls for professional judgement and integrity, such as research, auditing, editing or public service. Tai Yin in Zi always shares the palace with Tian Tong, and Tian Tong's gentleness together with Tai Yin's finesse gives a refined manner. With Hua Ji or Qing Yang, aloofness can turn into gloom, so check the birth-year transformations.

The first line has Zi Wei sharing a palace with Zuo Fu and You Bi, more specific than the Jun Chen Qing Hui of segment 17: all three stars in one palace, which is not common on real charts. Volume three's note that the trine is the next grade of good means the weight drops a step when Zuo Fu and You Bi only shine in from the trine. In the second line, all waters flowing east: Wen Qu and Po Jun are both water, and Yin and Mao lie in the east. Note that on a chart Po Jun in Mao always shares the palace with Lian Zhen and is Xian, while in Yin it sits alone, so 「文耗居寅卯」 actually describes two different charts. The rhapsody gives only the name, with no verdict, and later readers disagree on whether the pattern is good or bad; the version with Lian Zhen and Po Jun together and fallen especially needs the transformations and malefic stars checked before judging.

The first line says Tai Yang or Tai Yin sitting in the Life Palace is not as good as shining on it from the trine. The reasoning: when the sun or moon sits alone in one palace, poor brightness darkens the whole Life Palace; shining in from the trine, the Life Palace only borrows its light, which is steadier. Volume three also says that guarding the Life Palace is good with many lucky stars and bad with many malefic ones. The 「蔭福」 in the second line are Tian Liang and Tian Tong, which share a palace only in Yin and Shen. Tian Tong rules blessing and Tian Liang rules the resolving of disaster; together, the old writers believed, they can turn misfortune into luck. Such people often find help and a way out in hard times, though they may lack drive because of it. Compare the overall Ji Yue Tong Liang pattern.

In the first line, peach blossom offending water (volume three: floating on water) is Tan Lang in the two water palaces, Hai and Zi. Tan Lang belongs to water and wood, and its transformed qi is peach blossom, so on water ground the peach-blossom quality is at its strongest. Xingge rates Tan Lang Wang in Zi and Xian in Hai. Volume three's version adds the condition of meeting Qing Yang or Tuo Luo, making it stricter than this one. In the second line, 「刑遇貪狼」 is Qing Yang sharing a palace with Tan Lang: a beating for romance, the rod being an official penalty in old times. The Quan Shu's two versions differ, as explained under the Xingge approach above. For a reader now: feelings and desire easily bring trouble, even legal trouble, and with this pairing the Spouse Palace and where Hua Ji falls deserve a close look.

This is one of the harshest verdicts in the Tai Wei Fu. Qi Sha and Lian Zhen share a palace only in Chou and Wei. Qi Sha is the general star and Lian Zhen's transformed qi is prisoner, one hard and one fierce, and the old writers said the person dies on the road far from home. Volume three's section on Qi Sha adds the conditions: it is especially bad only when fallen and with Hua Ji, and it also covers Po Jun in the Travel Palace. In the second line, Po Jun and Ju Men cannot share a palace; volume three reads it as the two shining on the Life or Travel Palace. Both pairings point to accidents and risks away from home, so travel, traffic and water activities call for care. The Quan Shu also argues the other side: the Gu Sui Fu says Lian Zhen with Qi Sha makes, on the contrary, a person who accumulates wealth, and volume three adds 'in Miao or Wang'. The same pair of stars means death in one place and riches in another, and the difference lies in brightness and Hua Ji, so two main stars sharing a palace are never grounds on their own to predict death.

In the first line, 「祿居奴僕」, Lu Cun (volume three: Quan, Lu or lucky stars) sits in the Friends Palace. With Lu in someone else's palace, the benefit goes to others, so even with office one rushes about; today this reads as working for others' gain, with the team profiting more than oneself. In the second line, 「帝遇凶徒」, Zi Wei shares a palace with Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing, Ling Xing, Di Kong or Di Jie: the emperor star has its luck, but its methods are crooked, which the old writers called being without the Way. The verse in What Does Zi Wei Govern? likewise says that when Zi Wei has no Zuo Fu or You Bi and the evil stars bully it together, the emperor becomes a ruler without the Way. When reading, see whether the malefic stars share the palace or only meet it from the San Fang Si Zheng; sharing the palace weighs the most.

Readings of 「帝坐金車」 differ, as listed in the notes. Worth noting: the Chong Bu Dou Shu Gou Lü writes the same pattern as Zi Wei in the Life Palace in a storehouse position, and changes the next line to Wen stars in the Lin Guan (Taking Office) position, called brocade robes catching heavenly fragrance, rather than the Fortune Palace here: two transmitted versions of the same set of lines. In the second line, jade sleeves and heavenly fragrance means Wen Chang or Wen Qu in the Fortune Palace, and volume three's section on Wen Chang and Wen Qu says it is better still with Zi Wei, and fine in Wu. The Fortune Palace rules inner life and enjoyment; with Chang and Qu there, the modern reading is refined taste, a love of arts and letters, and a rich inner life.

Tai Yang rules rank and reputation, Wen Chang rules exams and documents; with both in the Career Palace, the old writers saw an official at court with wealth and rank both complete. Volume three's section on Tai Yang says the same holds with Wen Qu in place of Wen Chang. The line assumes Tai Yang is bright: a fallen Tai Yang in the Career Palace lacks light, and the name outruns the substance. Put simply, it suits public service, professional qualifications, and work built on exams and paperwork, with a career that brings reputation. Open the Career Palace and check Tai Yang's brightness in the small text and whether Wen Chang or Wen Qu is there; you can also see whether the chart comes close to Yang Liang Chang Lu.

Tai Yin rules softness and refinement, Wen Qu rules talent and the arts. With both in the Spouse Palace, the old writers spoke of breaking off the cassia in the toad palace, with writing at its height. Volume three's section on Tai Yin adds that Wen Chang works the same way, and in the Life or Body Palace makes a person of skilled craft. Notice that this pairing is in the Spouse Palace, so the old writers may have meant help gained through the wife, a gifted spouse, or one's own talent being bound up with marriage, not simply the person alone. A spouse with literary or professional talent, or a love life closely tied to learning and creative work. If Tai Yin is Xian, the effect is reduced.

First line: Lu Cun in the Property or Wealth Palace. Lu Cun's nature is to keep wealth, and it is most useful in the palaces that handle money and real estate, hence gold piled up and jade amassed. The 「財蔭」 in the second line must be taken apart: Wu Qu and Tian Liang never share a palace, and volume three gives them two lines. The section on Wu Qu has Wu Qu in the Travel Palace, with the note that it applies only when lucky stars are many. The old writers used the Travel Palace for life away from home, so a wealth star or shelter star there means profit from trading abroad. In practice: postings abroad, cross-border trade, business development. Mind that note about lucky stars being many: if the Travel Palace has malefic stars or Hua Ji, you cannot jump to great merchant.

These are among the ugliest verdicts in the whole book, and the text is given as it stands. First line, 「耗居祿位」: Po Jun's transformed qi is waste, and when it sits in the place of Lu (Lu Cun's position, or the Career Palace), it uses up what one ought to receive, hence begging. The Chong Bu Dou Shu Gou Lü writes 'Hao in a place of defeat', a different condition. Second line: volume three's section on Tan Lang narrows 'prosperous palace' to Tan Lang in Zi, Wu, Mao or You, and subdivides it further by birth-year branch, so it is narrower than the line here. The first is spending and squandering too much; the second is strong desire and a tendency to take shortcuts. Neither should be judged heavily unless malefic stars or Hua Ji share the palace.

Both lines use the twelve stages of growth: Qi Sha in Jue (Extinction), Tan Lang in Chang Sheng (Birth). Volume three predicts an early death only when Sha in the place of extinction also meets Qing Yang and Tuo Luo, and its section on Tan Lang writes the second line as Tan Lang with lucky stars in Chang Sheng, so both sides gain a condition. Yan Hui died in his early thirties and Peng Zu was said to live eight hundred years: the comparisons are deliberately extreme. The old logic: Qi Sha is austere and deadly by nature, and in Jue, where qi is weakest, it has the least life; Tan Lang is a star that dissolves calamity and also rules longevity, and its qi is fullest in Chang Sheng. The Chong Bu Dou Shu Gou Lü instead has 'the sun in a prosperous palace can match Peng Zu's eight hundred years', swapping in Tai Yang, another transmitted version. Today, verdicts on lifespan like these are best used only as health reminders.

「忌暗」 is Hua Ji and Ju Men. Ju Men's transformed qi is darkness; when it is itself transformed to Hua Ji (only in Ding years; in Gui years Ju Men takes Hua Quan), or another star in the same palace takes Hua Ji, darkness is laid on darkness. In the Life, Body or Health Palace, this means long hardship and a frail, sickly body. Some readers take 'Ji' as Tuo Luo, and the Your chart check on this page includes both readings. In the second line, malefic stars meeting in the Parents Palace mean a thin bond with elders and harm suffered under their discipline, and in the Travel Palace injury while away from home, hence injury by punishment and the ancestral estate broken. For a reader now: the first calls for attention to chronic illness and pent-up emotion; the second often means leaving home early and not relying on family. See also Ju Men Hua Ji.

First line: Qing Yang (Xing), Qi Sha or malefic stars (Sha), and Lian Zhen (Qiu, prisoner) together in the Career Palace. The Career Palace shows work and public affairs; Lian Zhen, whose transformed qi is prisoner, meeting the star of punishment there led the old writers to say the cangue cannot be escaped, that is, prison over official business. In the second line, Guan Fu is one of the twelve Sui Qian spirits and moves with the year; on a Xingge chart it appears in the luck overlays. When the annual Guan Fu reaches the Travel Palace together with Xing and Sha, it means a lawsuit while away and a sentence of exile. The first is legal risk in one's work, such as handling money or working in grey areas; the second is a lawsuit or penalty in another place in that year.

First line, 「善福居空位」: Tian Ji and Tian Tong in emptiness (Xun Kong, Jie Kong, or Di Kong and Di Jie). Tian Ji rules thought and Tian Tong rules blessing; when they fall empty, worldly blessings feel hollow and the mind turns away from the world, hence the life of a monk. Put simply: a strong pull toward the inner life and an interest in religion, philosophy or psychology, which need not mean actually taking vows. Second line, 「輔弼單守命宮」: the Life Palace has no main star, only Zuo Fu or You Bi, which the old writers read as leaving the clan or being born of a concubine. Volume three's section on Kui, Yue, Zuo, You and Lu Cun adds that it is good if the trine meets Zi Wei, Tian Xiang or Tian Fu. It suggests a looser tie to the family of origin and having to stand on one's own; 'born of a concubine' need not be taken literally.

First line: Qi Sha in the Life or Body Palace, with malefic stars such as Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing and Ling Xing added. 「必定死亡」, certain death, is among the heaviest words in the book. Volume three's Qi Sha Chong Feng places verdicts like this inside the luck cycles: only when the annual Qi Sha overlaps the natal Qi Sha, with malefic stars added, is it judged gravely bad. In the second line, Bai Hu is an annual Sui Qian spirit, and volume three's note says the annual White Tiger has arrived at the Life Palace as well. In other words, both lines are really about a luck period setting things off, not about a verdict fixed the moment the natal chart is seen. In practice: with a combination like this in the natal chart, take extra care over accidents, surgery and legal trouble in the matching years.

From here the rhapsody turns to the minor spirits of the year. The first Guan Fu is one of the twelve Bo Shi spirits, and it shows its good side only with lucky stars. The year's malefic stars (annual Qing Yang and Tuo Luo) most fear Po Jun, because Po Jun is loss in itself. 「羊陀憑太歲以引行」 means the annual Qing Yang and Tuo Luo are placed by the year's stem, while Bing Fu and the second Guan Fu move with Tai Sui. These minor spirits weigh far less than the main stars and the transformations. Xingge shows them in the luck overlays; use them as support only, adding weight to a verdict when the main stars and transformations already look bad.

Following on from the last segment, this lists the favourable members of the Bo Shi spirits plus the annual Lu Cun: Zou Shu for documents and good news, Bo Shi for intelligence, the annual Lu for that year's income; Li Shi, Jiang Jun and Qing Long for power and drive. Each of these comes round to every palace in turn, so they can only add a finishing touch. When the annual Life Palace has good main stars and also meets the annual Lu and Qing Long, the year can be read as bringing real gains and visibility. The lesson on the Twelve Bo Shi Spirits gives the full order of the set, and Xingge places all of them in every palace.

The 「童子限」 is the luck of early childhood, which the Quan Shu covers separately in On Children's Charts; the 「老人限」 is the luck of old age. The first is like a bubble, easily burst; the second like a candle in the wind, easily blown out. Both say these are the most fragile stretches of life. The second half, 「遇殺無制」, means a luck period meets malefic stars with no lucky star, Hua Lu or Hua Ke to hold them in check, which is what the Annual Luck fears most. Young children and the elderly need the most care with their health, and in a year that meets malefic stars with nothing in its San Fang Si Zheng to resolve them, it is wise to act conservatively. The line also marks the point where the rhapsody's focus has shifted from the natal chart to the luck periods.

The close says that honour and disgrace in a life come with good and bad stretches in the luck periods; a person who is alone and poor all their life has a fate of lucky and malefic stars 「駁雜」, mixed together so that neither side is pure. This idea of a mixed chart is very useful in practice: a chart that is half good and half bad is often not mediocre but full of swings, making it hard to build anything up. When the Life Palace's San Fang Si Zheng shows lucky and malefic stars side by side, or Hua Lu and Hua Ji at the same time, that is the sign of a mixed chart, and it pays to find the good stretches in the luck periods and make the most of them. The last line, 「學至此誠玄微矣」, answers the opening 「至玄至微」 and closes the circle.