Star Combinations: Tian Ma, Hua Ke, Hua Quan and Hua Lu

This section deals with Tian Ma. Tian Ma follows the birth-year branch: in Shen for Yin, Wu and Xu years, in Yin for Shen, Zi and Chen years, in Hai for Si, You and Chou years, in Si for Hai, Mao and Wei years. So Tian Ma only ever falls in the four 'birth' palaces, Yin, Shen, Si and Hai, opposite the Chang Sheng position of each trine. Tian Ma governs movement, relocation and rushing about; it is neither lucky nor unlucky in itself, and it depends on whether what it meets is Lu or emptiness.

The original is the Tai Wei Fu's 「日月最嫌反背，祿馬最喜交馳」 (segment 12), the pattern Lu Ma Jiao Chi. Lu is wealth and the horse is movement; when they meet, money comes from moving. The note says malefic stars, Qing Yang, Huo Xing, Jie Lu and Kong Wang are to be avoided, or there is mostly toil. On a Xingge chart, Jie Lu and Kong Wang are two separate minor stars. This means income tied to movement, other places and circulation, as in trade, logistics or sales.

Tian Ma is only ever in the four birth palaces, so 'Tian Ma in a four-birth palace' simply means Tian Ma itself, and the point of the condition is the Spouse Palace. With Tian Ma in the Spouse Palace, the spouse is rich and noble and receives honours. Such honours were titles the court gave to an official and his wife and parents, so the line says the spouse rises and the person gains standing along with them. The ancients often read Tian Ma in the Spouse Palace as a capable spouse with ties to other places, or moving house after marriage.

The original is the Tai Wei Fu's 「馬遇空亡，終身奔走」 (segment 9), the pattern Ma Feng Xun Kong (the horse meeting Xun Kong). Kong Wang comes in two kinds, Xun Kong and Jie Kong, and Essentials of Reading the Stars says Jie Kong is the heavier and Xun Kong the lighter. The horse meeting emptiness moves without gaining anything, rushing about and coming up empty. On Xingge, Xun Kong sits in a single palace, while Jie Kong is split into two minor stars, Jie Lu and Kong Wang; the commentary on the rhyme for placing Xun Kong explains the difference.

This section deals with Hua Ke, Hua Quan and Hua Lu. All three follow the birth-year stem, and in a given year Lu, Quan and Ke go to three different stars. The lines below cover how they meet and where they fall: meeting in the Life Palace's San Fang is lucky, a fallen position or vicious spirits reduce them, the Wealth and Fortune Palaces bring glory, and the Friends Palace brings rushing about. On a chart, each birth-year transformation is attached to the star that receives it.

This is San Qi Jia Hui (the three wonders meeting). A given stem's Lu, Quan and Ke fall on three different stars, and all three must enter the Life Palace's San Fang Si Zheng together for the pattern to count, which is not easy on real charts; the 'Xingge approach' note on the Zi Wei page of this chapter records that with Zi Wei in Zi or Wu the three never meet together. The note's addition, 'Lu Cun is also Lu', widens the condition: Hua Lu meeting Lu Cun also counts as wealth and rank all together. The phrase 「巨武戍揚科」 is unclear, and the textual note leaves it in doubt.

Hua Lu and Hua Quan in the Life Palace, joined by lucky stars, mean authority over the crowd, becoming chief minister and being made a prince. The Women's Gu Sui Fu has 「祿權周勃命中逢，入相王朝贊聖功」 (segment 22), citing Zhou Bo as an example. Lu is resources and Quan is control; both in the Life Palace mean money and power together. In today's terms, a position within an organisation that holds both resources and decision-making power.

This is Quan Lu Xun Feng (Hua Quan and Hua Lu meeting on the round). The note says it is lucky only with many lucky stars in the San Fang, and merely gathered together it is not fine; the implication is that Hua Quan and Hua Lu need lucky stars alongside, or power and wealth gathered with no support only invite envy. Segment 11 below is the case of the two meeting again with malefic stars, where the verdict turns to empty fame. The two lines should be read together.

Hua Ke in the Life Palace with Hua Quan facing it from the San Fang: passing high in the examinations and taking office; the note says having both Hua Quan and Hua Lu is better, and calls it the pattern of Lu coming to greet. Ke governs reputation and examinations, Quan real power; first a name, then power, the old scholar's path from examination to office. The sequence is: first gaining a reputation through qualifications or professional standing, then moving into a position with decision-making power.

Hua Lu in the Travel Palace in Zi or Wu is called 'facing the Son of Heaven across the way'; the note's example of Tai Yang taking Hua Lu in Wu is a Geng year. The latter part of the note gives an example of 'flanked by nobility': the Life Palace in Zi, Hua Lu in Hai and Hua Quan in Chou, the two on either side. This is the same structure as Qing Yang and Tuo Luo flanking or Wen Chang and Wen Qu flanking, except that what flanks here is lucky transformations. 'Writing like the Master, first in the world' borrows Confucius as a figure; read now, outstanding skill with words and argument.

Hua Quan and Hua Lu meeting again with malefic stars joining bring only empty fame. The Wen Chang and Wen Qu page uses the same phrase, 「虛譽之隆」 (segment 15), for Wen Chang and Wen Qu in fallen palaces broken by malefic stars. Hua Quan and Hua Lu are substantial resources; broken by malefic stars, only the title and the name remain, without real gain. It can mean a big position or reputation with limited real resources and authority.

The original is the Gu Sui Fu's 「苗而不秀科名陷於凶神」 (segment 18). The note's example, 'the sun in Xu and the moon in Mao', has two problems: with Tai Yang in Xu, Tai Yin is in Chen, and with Tai Yin in Mao, Tai Yang is in Hai, so the two never occur together; and Tai Yang never takes Hua Ke (the Hua Ke stars are Wu Qu, Zi Wei, Wen Chang, Tian Ji, You Bi, Tian Liang, Tai Yin, Wen Qu and Tian Fu). So the example can only be read as Tai Yin fallen in Mao with Hua Ke (a Geng or Gui year), with Tai Yang in Xu merely another example of a star without light.

This is the second half of the same place in the Gu Sui Fu, 「發不主財祿主躔於弱地」 (segment 18). The Lu master is Hua Lu, and a weak position is a fallen, powerless place. Hua Lu in a fallen position brings chances of income that cannot be kept, or gains that do not take the form of money. Examples: in a Jia year Lian Zhen takes Hua Lu, and Lian Zhen is fallen in Si and Hai; in a Ding year Tai Yin takes Hua Lu, and Tai Yin is fallen in Mao, Chen and Si. On a chart, check whether the star carrying Hua Lu is graded Xian.

The page on Jie Kong and Shang Shi has an almost identical line, 「權祿守財福之位出世榮華」 (segment 35), differing by one character, 處世 against 出世. The Wealth and Fortune Palaces face each other; Essentials of Reading the Stars says 「以福德宮對財帛宮也」. So with Hua Quan and Hua Lu in these two palaces, money and enjoyment answer each other.

The original is the Tai Wei Fu's 「祿居奴僕縱有官也奔馳」 (segment 32). The Friends Palace was the servants' palace in old times and today is mostly read as friends, colleagues and subordinates. With Hua Quan and Hua Lu there, resources and power sit with other people, and even with an official post one runs about for others. The modern sense is giving a great deal to a team and wearing oneself out, or resources that come through connections.