The Nature of Tian Tong

The general description of Tian Tong in the Life Palace is much shorter than for the other main stars: in its temple, 「肥滿清明，仁慈耿直」. Its transformed qi of blessings and its role as master of the Fortune Palace are the core of reading Tian Tong: it governs enjoyment, state of mind and one's share of good fortune, so a person with Tian Tong in the Life Palace is easygoing and content.

The chapter on what Tian Tong governs says Tian Tong 「不怕七殺相侵，不怕諸殺同纏」 and that 「十二宮中皆曰福」 (see the original); the Quan Shu's overall verdict on Tian Tong leans lucky. On a Xingge chart Tian Tong is Xian (Fallen) in Wu and Miao (Temple) in Si and Hai.

The condition here is Tian Tong in a fine meeting with Tian Liang, Zuo Fu and You Bi, and then the year stem and the palace. In Bing years Tian Tong takes Hua Lu and Lu Cun is in Si: with the Life Palace in Si, Lu Cun and Hua Lu sit together in it; in Hai, Lu Cun shines from opposite; in You, Lu Cun enters the trine. All three palaces get the help of a double Lu, hence 「財官雙美」. In Wei Tian Tong shares a palace with Ju Men, and comes next.

「午宮陷，丁生人宜之」 is interesting: in Wu Tian Tong shares a palace with Tai Yin, and in Ding years Tai Yin takes Hua Lu, Tian Tong takes Hua Quan and Lu Cun is in Wu, all three landing in the Life Palace, so even the fallen position is lifted. This is a good example of the Quan Shu's rule that a fallen position with a lucky transformation can still be used.

The condition is Tian Tong in the Life Palace in Hai, born in a Geng year. In Geng years Tian Tong takes Hua Ji, and that is why it is a 'low pattern': the star of blessings takes Hua Ji and its blessings get stuck. Meeting the four malefic stars and Hua Ji clashing or meeting as well, there is loneliness, a marred appearance and eye disease.

The chapter on what Tian Tong governs says elsewhere 「不宜六庚生人居酉地，終身不守」 (see the original); the palace differs but the year stem is the same, and both are about Tian Tong's Hua Ji in Geng years. Whether this line holds also depends on which version of the Geng-year transformations the Quan Shu follows; see the explanation in Placing the Four Transformations.

A woman with Tian Tong meeting lucky stars is a titled lady who helps her husband and benefits her children and is extremely capable, a very high rating. The second half says in Si or Hai she is 「雖美而淫」, yet segment 8 of this chapter says Tian Tong in Si and Hai is in its temple and a wealth and office pattern for three year stems: the same palaces get opposite verdicts for men and women.

The chapter on what Tian Tong governs says instead that Tian Tong 「會四殺居巳亥為陷」 (see the original), yet on the brightness table Tian Tong is Miao in Si and Hai. The Quan Shu's view of Tian Tong in Si and Hai is not consistent in itself, and when reading this line one should know it is only one view among several. The chart comparison marks only a woman with Tian Tong in the Life Palace; the Si and Hai part has to be checked by the reader.

Tian Tong in Zi or Wu always shares the palace with Tai Yin: in Zi Tian Tong is Wang and Tai Yin Miao; in Wu Tian Tong is Xian and Tai Yin Bu. In Ding years Tai Yin takes Hua Lu and Tian Tong Hua Quan, with Lu Cun in Wu; in Ji years Lu Cun is in Wu; in Gui years Lu Cun is in Zi and Tai Yin takes Hua Ke; in each case a lucky transformation or Lu Cun enters the Life-Travel axis. The grounds for Xin years are hard to see.

Compare segment 17 of this chapter: the same Tian Tong with Tai Yin in one palace is judged 「偏房侍妾與人通」 for a woman. Wealth and office for a man, lewdness and low station for a woman: the Quan Shu's double standard for the Tian Tong and Tai Yin combination.

In Mao and You Tian Tong stands alone, its brightness Ping, with Tai Yin opposite. In Yi years Lu Cun is in Mao and in Xin years in You, each sitting in one of the palaces; in Bing years Tian Tong's Hua Lu sits in the Life Palace; hence a wealth and office pattern.

The 「不宜六庚生人居酉地」 of the chapter on what Tian Tong governs is about this same position: in Geng years Tian Tong takes Hua Ji, and with the Life Palace in You, the Geng-year Qing Yang shares the palace too. Set against the lucky years in this segment, the ancients' grounds for telling good from bad can be seen.

In Yin and Shen Tian Tong shares a palace with Tian Liang, the most direct form of segment 2's 'fine meeting with Tian Liang'. In Jia years Lu Cun is in Yin; in Yi years Tian Liang takes Hua Quan; in Ding years Tian Tong takes Hua Quan and Lu Cun is in Wu, in the trine of Yin; hence deep blessings. Tian Tong is Li in Yin and Wang in Shen.

In the Quan Shu the pairing of Tian Tong and Tian Liang adds blessings to shelter; Stars in Strong Positions: Wealth and Rank says of Yin 「七殺天同梁文清」. Using 'deep blessings' here rather than 'wealth and office pattern' also fits the leaning of Tian Tong and Tian Liang toward blessings and long life.

In Si and Hai Tian Tong is in its temple, with Tian Liang opposite. In Ren years Lu Cun is in Hai and in Bing and Wu years in Si, all on the Life-Travel axis; in Bing years Tian Tong also takes Hua Lu; hence a wealth and office pattern.

Segment 4's 「若居巳亥雖美而淫」 for women is in these same two palaces, with opposite verdicts for men and women. A note in Star Combinations: Tian Tong likewise says a woman with Tian Tong 「己亥逢此化吉雖美必淫」 (己亥 here is most likely the base text's miswriting of 巳亥, Si and Hai), which shows the Quan Shu's standing reservation about women with Tian Tong in Si or Hai.

In Chen and Xu Tian Tong is Ping, with Ju Men opposite. In Bing years Tian Tong takes Hua Lu and in Ding years Hua Quan, so they do well; in Geng years Tian Tong takes Hua Ji, so the blessings do not last; in Gui years Ju Men takes Hua Quan in the opposite palace, and why that is listed as not lasting is unclear.

The Quan Shu also has the line 「天同戌宮為反背，丁人命遇反為佳」 (see the original), and The Nature of the Four Transformations also says 「天同在戌化忌，丁生人遇吉」. But by the Quan Shu's own table of transformations, Tian Tong takes Hua Quan, not Hua Ji, in Ding years; the 'Hua Ji' in these two places does not match the table, and the most one can read from them is that Tian Tong in Xu turns lucky for Ding years.

In Chou and Wei Tian Tong shares a palace with Ju Men, and both are Bu (not in a gaining position). This segment lists five year stems, Yi, Ren, Jia, Xin and Geng, as a wealth and office pattern, and there are two problems. First, in Geng years Tian Tong's Hua Ji sits in the Life Palace, yet Geng is listed as a wealth and office pattern. Second, The Nature of Ju Men writes the same combination as 「丑未宮不得地，癸辛丙生人財官格」, and the two chapters overlap only in Xin years.

In Xin years Ju Men's Hua Lu sits in the Life Palace, and both chapters list it, so that point is the most reliable. For the other year stems the same book says two different things, and readers should keep their doubts.

Tian Tong in the Life Palace means a gentle and good nature, lasting blessings and income and a long life; in Miao or Wang, 「食祿譽傳揚」. This verse paints Tian Tong's blessings and long life in full colours, the Quan Shu's most typical praise of the star.

The line 「若是福人居廟旺」 is a reminder of the brightness condition: Tian Tong is Miao in Si and Hai and Wang in Zi and Shen. Star Combinations: Tian Tong also says 「天同會吉壽元長」.

This verse makes no distinction between men and women; the condition is Tian Tong meeting lucky stars: clever, capable in everything, a man 「食天祿」 and a woman 「樂守繡房」. In old times a woman's good fortune was a settled life in her private quarters, a clear contrast with a man going into office.

Today 'happily keeping to the embroidery chamber' can be understood as a settled life without having to rush about. Tian Tong's blessing is an inner ease, and it applies to men and women alike.

The condition is Tian Tong in the Life Palace in an idle palace, with Huo Xing, Ling Xing and killing stars gathering, and Tian Ji, Tian Liang and Tai Yin meeting as well: 「只好空門度歲終」. It is worth noting that the list of idle palaces in Life Master, Body Master and Notes on Chart Setup does not include Tian Tong, so this verse's 'idle palace' has no basis within the Quan Shu and can only be read loosely as a palace where the star lacks strength.

The four stars Tian Ji, Tai Yin, Tian Tong and Tian Liang meeting is a common combination in itself; the harm in this verse comes from Huo Xing and Ling Xing. Read today, the issue for Tian Tong meeting malefic stars is often ease and avoidance, and such a person finds a place to settle through spiritual practice, religion or a specialist craft.

A woman with Tian Tong is clever and quick; meeting Wen Chang and Wen Qu as well, her wealth and income last long. The Quan Shu is positive about this side of Tian Tong in a woman's chart, in line with the first half of segment 4.

On your own chart, look for Wen Chang and Wen Qu in the San Fang Si Zheng of the Life Palace where Tian Tong sits; if they flank the Life Palace on either side, that is lucky too.

The condition is a woman with Tian Tong and Tai Yin in the same palace, the Tong Yin of Zi and Wu. The verdict follows the original: a lewd and artful look, plentiful food and income that in the end are not good, a secondary wife or concubine, illicit affairs. The Nature of Tian Ji uses almost the same lines for a woman with Tian Ji and Tai Yin, which shows this is the Quan Shu's stock phrase for combinations with Tai Yin in the same palace.

The old logic is that Tian Tong governs enjoyment and Tai Yin tender feeling, so the two together were read as rich in feeling but not constant. Read today, this is a verdict made under the old ideal of chastity; the same combination is a wealth and office pattern in a man's chart (segment 5 of this chapter), which shows how deeply ideas about gender shaped the verdicts.

The luck-period verse: when the Decade or Minor Luck meets Tian Tong, joy fills the house, wealth and income increase, it is a good time to found an enterprise, and the family prospers. Tian Tong governs blessings, and a Tian Tong period is a time of enjoying results and of life improving.

The chapter on what Tian Tong governs says 「限若逢之，一生得地」 (see the original). On a Xingge chart, find the Decade Luck ages shown in Tian Tong's palace; the keynote of those ten years is usually fairly smooth.

This verse is the dark side of Tian Tong in a luck period: in a fallen position beware of fierce killing stars clashing, things are good but never quite complete, and guard against trouble with officials and the ruin of the family. Tian Tong is fallen only in Wu, so the verse is mainly about a luck period reaching Tian Tong in Wu with malefic stars as well.

'Something lacking amid the good' captures Tian Tong's nature well: even when it is bad, a Tian Tong period rarely brings great rises and falls, and mostly things just fall short of complete. The Quan Shu holds that Tian Tong 「不怕諸殺同纏」, and this verse adds the exception of the fallen position.