XinggeWhat Does Wen Chang Govern?
〈問文昌星所主若何？〉
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 Wen Chang question 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: 「問文昌星所主若何？」, what does Wen Chang govern? It is very short: one answer and one verse. Wen Chang 'governs success in the imperial exams'. A person with it guarding the Body or Life Palace is refined, handsome, widely read and unusually quick-witted, and 「一舉成名，披緋衣紫」; even with the four malefic stars clashing and breaking it, the person is not base. A woman's chart is different: the four malefic stars clashing and breaking it mean 「偏房下賤」, a concubine and of low station. The verse adds brightness and the five elements: Chen and Si are its strong places, Wu is good, Mao and You are disliked; people of the fire element do badly and people of the metal element do well. The last line, 「太陽蔭福集，傳臚第一名」, means taking first place in the exams.
Scarlet and purple were the robe colours of high officials in old China; 傳臚 is the announcement of the results after the palace examination, when the names are called out in order.
1答曰：文昌主科甲，守身命主人幽閑儒雅，清秀魁梧，博文廣記，機變異常，一舉成名，披緋衣紫，福壽雙全。縱四殺沖破不為下賤。女人加吉得地，衣祿充足。四殺沖破，偏房下賤，僧道宜之。加權祿厚重有師號。
TranslationThe answer: Wen Chang governs success in the imperial exams. Guarding the Body or Life Palace, it makes the person quiet and at ease, cultivated and refined, handsome and well built, widely read with a strong memory, and unusually quick to adapt. He makes his name at one stroke, wears scarlet and purple, and has both blessings and long life. Even if the four malefic stars clash and break it, he is not base. For a woman, Wen Chang with lucky stars and in a good position gives plenty of food, clothing and income; with the four malefic stars clashing and breaking it, she is a concubine and base. It suits monks and Daoist priests; with Hua Quan or Hua Lu added, the person is substantial and weighty and holds a master's title.
- 科甲
- The imperial examinations; broadly, passing exams and winning an official degree.
- 披緋衣紫
- Wearing scarlet and purple robes, the colours of high officials: holding high office.
- 偏房
- A concubine.
Wen Chang's core is a single idea: the exam degree. In old China the imperial examination was the one proper road for a scholar into office, so Wen Chang guarding the Body or Life Palace means 「一舉成名，披緋衣紫」. The portrait of character, 「幽閑儒雅」 and 「博文廣記」, is the classic image of the scholar.
Note the line 「縱四殺沖破不為下賤」: the Quan Shu holds that Wen Chang's foundation is learning and reason, so even with malefic stars the person does not sink low, unlike many main stars that are judged base once malefic stars arrive. For a woman, though, the four malefic stars clashing and breaking it bring the verdict 「偏房下賤」; men and women are held to different standards, a trace of the old code of ritual. Wen Chang is placed by birth hour, so it appears on every Xingge chart. Today Wen Chang corresponds to exams, certificates, paperwork, scholarship and the path of formal education.
歌曰
3文昌主科甲，辰巳是旺地，利午嫌卯酉，火生人不利，眉目定分明，相貌極俊麗，
TranslationWen Chang governs success in the imperial exams. Chen and Si are its strong places; it is good in Wu and dislikes Mao and You. People born of fire do badly with it. The eyebrows and eyes are sure to be clear and well defined, and the looks extremely handsome.
- 火生人
- A person of the fire element, usually meaning a Fire Bureau or a fire na yin.
The brightness in this verse differs a great deal from the Miao and Wang table Xingge uses. The verse says 「辰巳是旺地，利午嫌卯酉」, but on the brightness table Wen Chang is Xian (Fallen) in Wu and Miao (Temple) in You, and Li in Mao. The Quan Shu's own Star Combinations chapter also says 「文昌 廟巳酉丑 地申子辰 陷寅午戌」 (see Star Combinations: Wen Chang and Wen Qu), which agrees with the table and is the opposite of this verse. So this is a contradiction inside the Quan Shu; when a reader sees Wen Chang marked Xian in Wu and Miao in You on the chart, that comes from the brightness table.
「火生人不利」: Wen Chang belongs to metal and fire overcomes metal, so people whose bureau or na yin is fire do badly; the next segment's 「喜於金生人」 is like helping like. Judging an assisting star by the element of the person's birth is little used today; read it as the original says.
4喜於金生人，富貴雙全美，先難而後易，中晚有聲名，太陽蔭福集，傳臚第一名。
TranslationIt favours people born of metal, who have wealth and rank both, and beauty. First hard and then easy, there is a name in middle and late life. With Tai Yang, Tian Liang (shade) and a star of blessing gathered, one is called first when the palace exam results are announced.
- 蔭福
- 蔭 (shade) is Tian Liang, whose transformed qi is shade; 福 (blessing) may mean Tian Tong, whose transformed qi is blessing, or lucky stars in general.
- 傳臚
- The calling out of names and ranks after the palace examination; first place in it is the top graduate of the empire.
「太陽蔭福集，傳臚第一名」 is what later writers call Yang Liang Chang Lu (Sun, Shade, Literary and Wealth): Tai Yang, Tian Liang, Wen Chang and a wealth star (Lu Cun or Hua Lu) all meeting in the Life Palace's San Fang Si Zheng, which means first place in the exams. The Star Combinations chapter also has 「天梁太陽昌祿會臚傳第一名」 (Star Combinations: Tian Liang). This is the Quan Shu's most famous exam pattern, and today it is often used to look at school entrance exams, civil service exams and professional certificates.
「先難而後易，中晚有聲名」 gives Wen Chang a time dimension: the results of study have to build up, so early years are hard and the name comes in middle and late life. On a Xingge chart, open the Life Palace and follow the San Fang Si Zheng lines to see whether Tai Yang, Tian Liang and Wen Chang are all there along with Lu Cun or a Hua Lu mark; that is how to check this pattern.
FAQ
What does Wen Chang govern in the Complete Book of Zi Wei Dou Shu?
The Quan Shu says Wen Chang governs success in the imperial exams. A person with it guarding the Body or Life Palace is quiet and refined, handsome and well built, widely read with a strong memory, and unusually quick to adapt; he makes his name at one stroke, wears the scarlet and purple robes of a high official, and has both blessings and long life. Even with the four malefic stars clashing and breaking it, he is not base.
In which palaces is Wen Chang best?
The verse says 「辰巳是旺地，利午嫌卯酉」: Wen Chang is strong in Chen and Si, good in Wu, and bad in Mao and You. It also says 「火生人不利」 and 「喜於金生人」: people of the fire element do badly with it, people of the metal element do well.
What does the Quan Shu say about Wen Chang in a woman's chart?
The answer says that for a woman, Wen Chang with lucky stars in a good position gives plenty of food, clothing and income; but with the four malefic stars clashing and breaking it, it means 「偏房下賤」, becoming a concubine and of low station. It suits monks and nuns.
Main stars in this section