XinggeWhat Does Hua Quan Govern?
〈問化權星所主若何？〉
The Complete Book of Zi Wei Dou Shu, Volume 1: Rhapsodies, questions on the stars, and chart patterns · Original text with translation
Introduction
This is the question 「問化權星所主若何？」 in the Zhu Xing Wen Da Lun (Questions and Answers on the Stars) in volume one of the Complete Book of Zi Wei Dou Shu: what does Hua Quan (the Transformation of Power) govern? The whole chapter is a single passage from Master Xiyi. Hua Quan is 「掌判生殺之神」, the spirit that judges life and death. Guarding the Body or Life Palace and meeting Hua Ke and Hua Lu, one is a general abroad and a minister at court; meeting Hua Ke, one's writing is the finest of the age. In a Minor Luck it is never unlucky, and in a Decade Luck one surely achieves one's aims for ten years. But meeting Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, 耗, Tian Shi, Di Jie and Di Kong, one 「聽讒貽累，官災貶謫」. A woman who has it gets her wishes inside and outside the home and can become a titled lady; monks and priests preside over mountain temples and hold a master's title.
In 「耗使劫空」, 耗使 means Tian Shang and Tian Shi (the Quan Shu calls Tian Shang 'the spirit of emptiness and waste in heaven', though some read 耗 as Da Hao or Po Jun), and 劫空 are Di Jie and Di Kong.
1希夷先生答曰：權星掌判生殺之神。守身命科祿相逢出將入相。科權相逢必定文章冠世，人皆欽仰。小限相逢，無有不吉。大限十年，必然遂志。如逢羊陀耗使劫空，聽讒貽累，官災貶謫。女人得之內外稱志，可作命婦。僧道掌山林有師號。
TranslationMaster Xiyi answered: Hua Quan is the spirit that holds the judgment of life and death. Guarding the Body or Life Palace and meeting Hua Ke and Hua Lu, one goes out as a general and comes in as a minister. Meeting Hua Ke, one's writing is sure to be the finest of the age, and everyone looks up to one. Met in a Minor Luck, there is nothing unlucky; in a Decade Luck, for ten years one surely achieves one's aims. If it meets Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Tian Shang (waste), Tian Shi, Di Jie and Di Kong, one listens to slander and is dragged into trouble, meets trouble with the authorities and is demoted and sent away. A woman who has it gets her wishes inside and outside the home and can become a titled lady. Monks and Daoist priests preside over mountain temples and hold a master's title.
- 出將入相
- Going out as a general and coming in as a chief minister.
- 耗使劫空
- 耗使: 耗 is Tian Shang (the Quan Shu calls Tian Shang 「上天虛耗之神」) and 使 is Tian Shi, the same pair as 傷使 elsewhere; some read 耗 as Da Hao or Po Jun. 劫空: Di Jie and Di Kong.
- 貽累
- Being dragged into others' trouble.
- 貶謫
- An official being demoted or posted away from the capital.
Hua Quan is 「掌判生殺之神」; power here means the power to decide. The patterns in this passage mirror the Hua Lu chapter: guarding the Body or Life Palace with Ke and Lu, general and minister; Ke and Quan together, writing that leads the age; lucky in both Minor and Decade Luck. The Nature of the Four Transformations adds 「會巨門武曲必專大事，掌握兵符」: Hua Quan goes best with Ju Men and Wu Qu, two stars with some hardness to them.
Unlike Hua Lu, Hua Quan has a clear weak spot: 「如逢羊陀耗使劫空，聽讒貽累，官災貶謫」. When power meets malefic stars, one is easily slandered by petty people and gets into trouble through one's own authority. Hua Lu meeting malefic stars does no harm, while Hua Quan meeting them brings official trouble; this is an important distinction the Quan Shu draws between the two. For women, 「內外稱志」; the women's verse in The Nature of the Four Transformations is blunter: 「奪夫權柄」. On a Xingge chart look for the Quan mark; see Hua Quan and Hua Ke.
Base text (Wikisource, partly in simplified Chinese)
FAQ
What does Hua Quan govern in the Complete Book of Zi Wei Dou Shu?
Master Xiyi says Hua Quan is the spirit that judges life and death. Guarding the Body or Life Palace and meeting Hua Ke and Hua Lu, one is a general abroad and a minister at court; meeting Hua Ke, one's writing is the finest of the age. In a Minor Luck it is never unlucky, and in a Decade Luck one surely achieves one's aims for ten years.
What happens when Hua Quan meets malefic stars?
The original says that if Hua Quan 「如逢羊陀耗使劫空，聽讒貽累，官災貶謫」: one listens to slander, is dragged into trouble, meets trouble with the authorities and is demoted.