The Nature of Wen Qu

Wen Qu belongs to water and the Northern Dipper and, like Wen Chang, is 'in charge of the examinations', but the two differ in temper: Wen Chang leans to orthodox learning and documents, Wen Qu to eloquence, the arts and success by unconventional routes. Wen Qu is placed by the birth hour counting forward from Chen for the Zi hour, Wen Chang counting backward from Xu, so the distance between them changes with the hour: they move as mirror images of each other across the Chou-Wei line and share a palace only in Chou and Wei.

For 「與文昌逢吉主科第」, Wen Chang and Wen Qu in the same palace or flanking the Life Palace are the later patterns Chang Qu Tong Gong (Wen Chang and Wen Qu in one palace) and Chang Qu Jia (Wen Chang and Wen Qu flanking). What Does Wen Qu Govern? says it is 「與文昌同協，吉數最為祥」.

The first half is Wen Qu's other face: alone in the Body or Life Palace with malefic stars, 「無名便佞」, eloquent but with no real reputation, living by the tongue. The Xing Xing Fu also says 「磊落文曲口舌便佞」.

The second half is the lucky condition: born in a Jia year, with Wen Qu in Si, You or Chou. Those are Wen Qu's temple palaces (Xingge marks them Miao too). Jia years transform nothing for Wen Qu; in the transformation table Wen Qu takes Hua Ke only in Xin years and Hua Ji only in Ji years, so the Quan Shu gives no reason for 'it likes the six Jia years'. The Xiyi passage in What Does Wen Qu Govern? writes only 「居巳酉丑宮居侯伯」, without the Jia-year limit; the two passages set looser and stricter conditions.

The first half says Wen Qu with Tan Lang and Huo Xing, in the same palace or the trine, is the chart of a general or minister; What Does Wen Qu Govern? has 「武貪三合同垣，將相之格」, with Wu Qu where this has Huo Xing, so the two passages use different stars. Huo Xing with Tan Lang is itself a pattern of sudden rise (Huo Tan pattern), and with Wen Qu's eloquence and strategy added it is said to make generals and ministers.

The second half turns: with Wu Qu, Lian Zhen, Qing Yang, Qi Sha, Po Jun and Tan Lang in a fallen position, loss of life and early death. The same Tan Lang means general or minister in the first half and early death in the second; the difference is the fallen position and the malefic stars. Wen Qu's fallen positions are Wu and Xu, and What Does Wen Qu Govern? also says 「午戌之地，巨門羊陀沖破，喪命夭折，水大驚險」.

Wen Qu meeting Tian Tong, Tian Liang and Wu Qu in a Wang palace: 'intelligent and decisive'. These are three stars of different temper, Tian Tong governing blessings, Tian Liang shelter and Wu Qu money, and paired with Wen Qu all lean to the practical. Star Combinations says 「二曲廟垣逢左右，將相之財」, the two Qu being Wen Qu and Wu Qu (see Star Combinations: Wen Chang and Wen Qu).

In the second half, clashed and broken by Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing and Ling Xing, only the gate of emptiness suits him: the Quan Shu's standard way out for 'talent without luck'. Such a person is talented and has good judgment, and with malefic stars better suited to paths away from the scramble for fame and gain, such as a profession, religion or scholarship.

This line is word for word the same as in the Wen Chang chapter, and the Xing Xing Fu says of Wen Chang and Wen Qu 「在廟定生異痣，失陷必有斑痕」. Star Combinations has 「昌曲左右會羊陀，當生異痣」 (see Star Combinations: Wen Chang and Wen Qu), with more complex conditions. The Quan Shu does not say where the mole or the scars are.

Verdicts on looks like this come from a tradition that mixed old face-reading with star lore; they can be read as cultural background but should not be used to test whether a chart is accurate. What can actually be checked against the chart is Wen Qu's brightness: Miao or Wang on Xingge corresponds to 'a hidden mole', Xian (Wu and Xu) to 'blemishes and scars'.

A woman's Wen Qu in its temple is refined and good-looking; fallen, meeting Ju Men, Huo Xing, Hua Ji and Tian Ji, or with Tan Lang and Po Jun in the same palace clashing and breaking it, she is lonely and poor, low and base, lustful. The conditions are many, much like the passage on women in the Wen Chang chapter. What Does Wen Qu Govern? says 「女命不宜於逢，水性楊花」, a more sweeping rejection than here.

The ancients saw Wen Qu as a star with a stronger touch of peach blossom (Wen Qu belongs to water, and water governs flow), so they were especially strict with it in women's charts. In modern terms: strong in eloquence, the arts and feeling, readily affectionate or much pursued in love, and with malefic stars prone to unsteady relationships.

This segment puts Yin, Wu and Xu together, but their brightness differs: moderate in Yin, fallen in Wu and Xu, and Xingge likewise marks Yin Ping and Wu and Xu Xian. In Jia years Lu Cun is in Yin; the Quan Shu gives no reason for Geng years.

Note that segment 3 of this chapter says Wen Qu fallen and meeting malefic stars means early death, while here fallen Wu and Xu still make a wealth and office pattern in Jia and Geng years. The two do not clash: this segment is about the case with no malefic stars, looking at the year stem alone. Wen Qu belongs to water and Yin-Wu-Xu is the fire trine; water and fire clash, so its strength is weak and it needs Lu from the year stem to make up for it.

Shen-Zi-Chen is the water trine and Wen Qu belongs to water, so by the five elements it should be strongest here, yet both the Quan Shu and Xingge mark it only De, with its temple instead in the metal trine Si-You-Chou (metal produces water). The reason is that the brightness tables for Wen Chang and Wen Qu are almost the same, both Miao in Si, You and Chou and Xian in Wu and Xu: the table looks as if it were drawn up for Wen Chang as a metal star, and Wen Qu, though water, shares it.

The stems: in Xin years Wen Qu takes Hua Ke; in Gui years Lu Cun is in Zi; the Quan Shu gives no reason for Ding years. Star Combinations says 「二曲旺宮威名赫奕」, with the note 「文曲子宮第一」 (see Star Combinations: Wen Chang and Wen Qu), which does not quite fit the mere 'has its place' here.

Si, You and Chou are Wen Qu's temple palaces, and two more conditions are added here: born in a Xin year (Wen Qu takes Hua Ke) and Zi Wei in the same palace. Zi Wei can be in Si, You or Chou, but pairing it with Wen Qu, which needs a particular birth hour, plus a Xin year, is rare on real charts, and hard to assemble even in sampled charts. The logic is complete: Wen Qu in its temple, taking Hua Ke itself, with the emperor star in the same palace, as if talent were noticed by the sovereign.

The picture is someone with both expertise and reputation, put to good use by people with power. In Xin years Wen Chang also takes Hua Ji, and if Wen Chang is in the San Fang too, Wen Chang's Hua Ji and Wen Qu's Hua Ke appear together: good fortune with a question mark.

Hai-Mao-Wei is the wood trine; water produces wood, so Wen Qu gives outward, and both the Quan Shu and Xingge mark it Wang. The stems: in Ren years Lu Cun is in Hai; the Quan Shu gives no reason for Bing and Wu years. In Bing years Wen Chang takes Hua Ke and in Wu years You Bi does, so perhaps the idea is a lucky star taking Hua Ke.

What Does Wen Qu Govern? says 「若亥卯未旺地，與天梁天相會主聰明博學」, praise from another angle. Reading the four trines through, Wen Qu is best in Si-You-Chou (Miao), next in Hai-Mao-Wei (Wang), then Shen-Zi-Chen (De), and worst in Yin-Wu-Xu.

For a man with Wen Qu guarding the Life Palace this verse is all praise: a dignified appearance, high spirit, rich blessings, the golden seal, which stands for office. Compared with the man's verse for Wen Chang, it sets no brightness condition; guarding the Life Palace is enough, a looser tone.

In modern terms: Wen Qu people express themselves well and have artistic talent, an advantage in work that calls for persuading, performing, teaching or marketing. But read it with the next verse: with Huo Xing, Hua Ji and malefic stars, eloquence becomes a source of trouble.

The conditions of this verse are Huo Xing and Hua Ji, with malefic stars massed in the San Fang. Wen Qu takes Hua Ji in Ji years, and to the ancients Wen Qu with Hua Ji meant 'words that invite disaster'. The conclusion, 「雖巧口能言，惟在空門可遇貴」, is interesting: eloquent, yet finding noble help only among the religious, meaning that in worldly settings speech easily brings trouble, while religious settings need people who speak well.

What Does Wen Qu Govern? says 「逢七殺刑忌囚及諸惡曜，詐偽莫逃」, harsher than this verse. Read today: speaking is both a skill and a risk, and contracts, public statements and taking positions online call for a second thought.

For a woman's Wen Qu, the first three lines are all praise: fine looks, many blessings, clever and quick. The last line, 「有殺偏房也淫欲」, is conditional and holds only with malefic stars. Star Combinations says 「女人昌曲聰明富貴只多淫」 (see Star Combinations: Wen Chang and Wen Qu) with no condition at all, harsher than this verse.

It shows the ancients' mixed feelings about women's talent: they admired cleverness and feared the independence in love that cleverness might bring. What remains useful is the picture of outstanding talent and many choices in love, and with malefic stars a tendency to end up in unacknowledged relationships.

A luck period meeting Wen Qu means prosperity, and with Zuo Fu and You Bi meeting Tian Tong, wealth pours in. Tian Tong governs blessings and Zuo Fu and You Bi help, so this is a combination of 'blessings with people to help'. When a luck-period verse gives only the good side, remember the next one brings the bad.

To read the Decade Luck or Annual Luck on Xingge, check whether that palace or its San Fang has Wen Qu. Wen Qu is placed by the birth hour and its natal position is fixed, while the Decade Luck moves every ten years, so whichever decade has Wen Qu in its San Fang is the decade this verse speaks of.

This is the heaviest verse: a Wen Qu luck period meeting Lian Zhen, Tuo Luo and Qing Yang in a fallen position brings unforeseen disaster, and if the natal stars are weak too, 「此歲入泉鄉」. The Quan Shu's logic for luck periods is spelled out clearly here: the harm of a luck period kills only when it meets a weak natal chart, and people with a strong natal chart can come through.

Star Combinations also has 「二曲貪狼午丑限防溺水之憂」 (see Star Combinations: Wen Chang and Wen Qu) and 「昌曲己辛壬生人限逢辰戌慮投河」 (a later line); Wen Qu belongs to water, and the ancients often linked its harm to danger from water. Verdicts of death like this keep their original meaning, and today read as a call for special care over safety and health during this period.