What Do Tian Kui and Tian Yue Govern?

Tian Kui and Tian Yue together are called the Tian Yi noble, 「司科之星」, governing patrons and exams. 「坐貴向貴」 is one in the Life Palace and the other facing it from the Travel Palace; see Zuo Gui Xiang Gui (noble at home, noble opposite). Kui and Yue are placed by the birth year's Heavenly Stem, and by the Quan Shu's rhyme only people born in Jia, Wu and Geng years have Kui and Yue facing each other across Chou and Wei, so this pattern appears only for those three stems with the Life Palace in Chou or Wei.

「上界和合之神」 is the other side of Kui and Yue: good relations and a smooth marriage. Hence the second half: Kui in the Life Palace and Yue in the Body Palace, with lucky stars too, means 'a young man is sure to marry a beautiful wife'. The Star Combinations chapter also has 「魁鉞夾命為奇格」 (Star Combinations: Kui Yue, Zuo Fu, You Bi and Lu Cun): Kui and Yue flanking the Life Palace from the two neighbouring palaces is a noble pattern as well. Seen today, Kui and Yue mean a life in which people who promote and help you turn up easily, with patrons for exams, interviews and promotions.

This passage gives the most practical use of Kui and Yue: 「若遇大難，必得貴人成就扶助」. Kui and Yue do not keep trouble away; they mean someone pulls you out when it comes. This is a little like Tian Liang turning misfortune into luck, but Tian Liang's shelter is its own, while Kui and Yue bring patrons from outside.

「限步巡逢必主女子添喜」 is about luck periods: when they reach Kui and Yue, there is happy news at home, and sons and daughters born then are both good. 「若四十以後逢墓庫，不依此斷」 is an exception of age and place: after forty, if the luck period falls in a tomb or storehouse such as Chen, Xu, Chou or Wei, Kui and Yue's power no longer counts. The book gives no reason; probably the patron stars govern early exam success, and after middle age, entering the tomb, they withdraw.

「僧道享福，與人和睦，不為下賤」: the harmonising nature of Kui and Yue lets even monks and priests get on well with others. For a woman, 「吉多宰輔之妻，命婦之論」 was the highest praise of old: married to a high official and titled by the court.

「若加惡殺亦為富貴，但不免私情淫佚」: patron stars with malefic stars added still bring wealth and rank, but Kui and Yue's harmony turns into secret affairs. This is a common move in the Quan Shu: a lucky star meeting malefic stars does not necessarily lose its benefit, but the form of the benefit changes. A present-day reading: a wide social circle and good relations with people, and also a tendency toward complicated relationships in love.

「天乙貴人眾所欽，命逢金帶福彌深」: the term Tian Yi noble also appears in Bazi; in Zi Wei Dou Shu it means Tian Kui and Tian Yue. The golden belt was the belt of a high official, so the Life Palace meeting Kui and Yue is likened to receiving the emblem of office. 「博雅皆通古與今」 again ties Kui and Yue to learning and exams.

On a Xingge chart, Kui and Yue are assisting stars placed by the year stem; look for Tian Kui and Tian Yue in the Life Palace or its San Fang Si Zheng. The verse appended to the Lu Cun chapter also says that Kui and Yue in the Body or Life Palace mean one 「必少年登科及第」; see The Nature of Lu Cun.

This verse is about Kui and Yue in a luck period: money and grain flow in, officials gain wealth and see the ruler. 「當年必定見君王」 was the highest honour of old; today it can be read as a year of recognition from above, an important meeting, or a chance at promotion.

Note that 'luck period' here covers both the Decade Luck and the Annual Luck. The Annual Luck has its own annual Kui and Yue, placed by the year's Heavenly Stem; when the natal Kui and Yue overlap with the annual ones, the patrons' effect is clearest. The luck-period verse in the Lu Cun chapter is almost the same poem: 「魁鉞命身限遇昌，常人得此足錢糧，官員遇此高遷擢，必定當年面帝王」.