What Does Tian Xiang Govern?

Tian Xiang's transformed qi is the seal, an official's seal, which is why it is the 「司爵之宿」 and the 「官祿文星」. When an emperor gives an order, it takes effect only once the seal is stamped; Tian Xiang's role is the chief minister who keeps Zi Wei's seal, hence 「佐帝之位」. In character, 「言語誠實，事不虛偽」 and 「見人惡，抱不平之氣」 show a side that values rules and fairness.

「帝座合之則爭權」 is interesting: when the minister is too close to the ruler, their powers overlap. Zi Wei and Tian Xiang share a palace in Chen and Xu, and then there are two issuers of orders in one palace, which the ancients read as a struggle for power. Today it can be read as an unclear position within an organisation, with blurred authority between oneself and a superior or partner. For Tian Xiang's basic nature, compare Tian Xiang.

This passage says Tian Xiang can 「佐日月之光，兼化廉貞之惡」. The first half needs a word about the chart: under the placement rules neither Tai Yang nor Tai Yin falls in Tian Xiang's San Fang Si Zheng, so 'assisting the sun and moon' speaks of nature, meaning Tian Xiang can set off other people's brilliance. The second half, 'resolving Lian Zhen's evil', is common: Lian Zhen and Tian Xiang share a palace in Zi and Wu, and the Tian Xiang nature chapter also says 「天相又能化廉貞之惡」 (see The Nature of Tian Xiang).

「不隨惡而變志，不因殺而改移」 is Tian Xiang's steadiness, different from Tian Tong's 'not fearing Qi Sha's intrusion': Tian Tong is mild in character and absorbs the blow, while Tian Xiang has clear principles and is not carried off. 「雖不逢帝座，若得左右，則職掌威權」 shows that Tian Xiang's power comes from the system of assistance; Zuo Fu and You Bi are enough to stand in for Zi Wei.

This line is short but takes Tian Xiang's character all the way: even in an idle, weak place it is lucky, and when the Decade or Minor Luck reaches it, wealth and rank. The Quan Shu has almost no bad verdicts on Tian Xiang, and ranks it with Tian Fu and Tian Liang among the steadiest main stars.

One thing to add: what later writers weigh most in Tian Xiang is not its brightness but its two neighbours. Under the placement rules, Tian Xiang's neighbours are always Ju Men and Tian Liang, so the transformations they carry are crucial. The Quan Shu's Patterns of Wealth writes Cai Yin Jia Yin (wealth and shelter flanking the seal) as 「武梁來夾」, but Wu Qu never falls next to Tian Xiang, so later writers mostly read it as Hua Lu (wealth) and Tian Liang (shelter) flanking it; conversely, Hua Ji and Qing Yang flanking it is Xing Ji Jia Yin (punishment and obstruction flanking the seal). This is something the passage does not say, but anyone reading Tian Xiang must check.

Master Xiyi works in three tiers: meeting Wen Chang and Wen Qu, Zuo Fu and You Bi, 「位至公卿」; in a fallen place with Tan Lang, Lian Zhen, Wu Qu, Po Jun, Qing Yang and Tuo Luo gathered, 「巧藝安身」; with Huo Xing and Ling Xing clashing and breaking it, disability. On a Xingge chart Tian Xiang is Xian only in Mao and You, where it sits alone with Lian Zhen and Po Jun in the opposite palace, so the condition 'fallen with Tan Lang, Lian Zhen, Wu Qu and Po Jun' is easily met. 'Living by a craft' is not a bad thing; today it means earning one's keep through technical skill, handiwork or professional expertise.

On women: 「聰明端莊，志過丈夫」 is high praise; 「若昌曲沖破侍妾」 is an old verdict about marital status, which today reads as a tendency toward unequal positions in relationships. Tian Xiang's opposite palace is always Po Jun, so a person with Tian Xiang in the Life Palace always faces Po Jun's impulsiveness and change in the Travel Palace, something to read together with Tian Xiang.

The verse defines Tian Xiang as 「化印主官祿」, consistent with segment 1. 「形體又肥滿，語言不輕瀆」: a solid build and weighty speech, not given to idle joking or giving offence. This is the image of Tian Xiang as chief minister and keeper of the seal: the seal is not used lightly, and neither are words.

「定主多財福」 shows that Tian Xiang governs wealth as well as rank, because in old times the seal of office usually came with a salary. It points to work within systems and rules, rewarded for reliability and expertise, such as administration, legal affairs, finance and accounting, or human resources.

「出仕主飛騰，居家主財穀」 sets Tian Xiang in two kinds of life: in office, promotion; at home, plenty. The ancients saw office as the proper path and staying at home as keeping the family land; today it can be read as doing well within an organisation, and building up steadily when working for oneself.

「二限若逢之，百事看充足」 again stresses that Tian Xiang in a luck period is lucky. When actually reading luck periods, besides Tian Xiang itself one must check whether the palaces on either side of the Decade Luck Life Palace carry Hua Ji or Qing Yang; when Tian Xiang is spoiled by what flanks it, a luck period that reaches it is not necessarily ample. See the explanation at segment 3.