(1) Preferences and Taboos of the Ten Heavenly Stems - 1

After a woman gets married, although we say that the husband and children are the same in a general sense, in real life, there will be biases. Some women will lean towards their husbands, some towards their children, some towards their natal families, some like to go to the theater, and some like to engage in other things. Why is this the case? This is related to the preferences and dislikes of the Day Master. This is a different matter from the quality of the marriage, and it applies to both male and female horoscopes.

So, when it comes to general fortune - telling, we should have a clear idea in mind first. Perfect fates are very rare, while personality differences exist in everyone. Therefore, when talking about average fates, it actually comes from the preferences and taboos of the ten Heavenly Stems. I bet her husband won't become a county magistrate, and surely her family isn't so poor that they can't afford to eat. After ruling out these two extremes, what's left? Isn't it just people's living habits! Then we have to start with the preferences and taboos of the ten Heavenly Stems, which apply to both men and women and are determined by the nature of the five - elements.

Let's start with Jia. Jia is inseparable from Geng. When we do fortune - telling and see that the day master is Jia, we won't first look at whether your husband star is strong or something like that. Instead, we first check if there is Geng. If your husband star is strong and the wealth star is strong, it means your husband is very rich, but that's quite rare. However, Geng represents your likes and dislikes. If you have Geng, you can do what you like. If you don't have Geng, you'll do things you don't like all your life, but you might be very rich! So why is Jia inseparable from Geng? This is about the nature of the five - elements. Whether it's a big tree or a small tree, as long as it's a tree, it has to be pruned. Big trees need their branches trimmed, and small trees need their leaves cut. So Jia is inseparable from Geng. If a tree has never been pruned, it will be in a complete mess. Can you make a table or a chair from a piece of wood without a saw? Therefore, Jia is inseparable from Geng.

So, what about the character "Geng"? I'll further elaborate on it from the perspective of a female's fate in more detail. What does "Geng" represent in a female's fate? "Geng" represents the Seven Killings, while "Xin" represents the Direct Officer.

If the Heavenly Stem of the Jia Day Master reveals Geng, this is called using the Seven Kills as the husband. According to my previous way of explanation, for a female's destiny using the Seven Kills as the husband, you like to be controlled by others. You think that your husband should have two sets of abilities, then I'll admire you. I'll ask you about everything and live a passive life. If you are born in autumn, Geng's Prosperous Qi is in Shen, which means your husband has the ability. Now the way of explanation is different. You still use the Direct Officer or the Seven Kills as the husband. If you take Geng as your husband and it is what the Day Master likes, you'll like him. If you take Xin as your husband, it's not what you like. Now I'd like to ask a lady here. Would you be willing to marry a man whom you can hardly talk to just because he is rich? If she takes Xin as her husband, she might be willing. If there is no Xin but only Geng in this Bazi, she can't do it. If you can't talk to him, how could you let me be with him? It's impossible! Because of the likes and dislikes of the Day Master, then which one should be used as the husband, the Direct Officer or the Seven Kills? Once it touches on the likes and dislikes of the Day Master, it will be related to her personality issues. So, Jia cannot be separated from Geng.

The same goes for men's horoscopes. Geng is just a Seven Killings. If you are a Jia Day Master without Geng in your horoscope, you can do things you really dislike as long as there is money in it. If you are a Jia Day Master with Geng, you will definitely do things you like, even if the pay is meager. This is not about whether you are rich or not. In fact, when we are doing fortune - telling, people often ask us, "Which line of work do you think I should engage in?" It's not about getting rich. This is based on the likes and dislikes of the Day Master. If you are Jia with Geng, we'll advise you to do what you like! If there is no Geng, you can engage in any line of work. As for how much success you can achieve, it still depends on prosperity and decline, clashes and punishments! This is called the likes and dislikes of the Day Master - Jia cannot be separated from Geng.

What about Yi? It cannot be separated from Gui. Gui is the proper seal, but here we're not talking about the proper seal or the partial seal. A tree can survive without watering for three months. However, a blade of grass, an aquatic plant, or a flower in a vase will wither away if there's no water for three days. Therefore, for those with Yi as the day master, water is a must. Without water, they simply can't survive. So, how to interpret this sentence? In fortune - telling, water represents the external objective environment. Their success or failure depends on the environment. They don't have much pressure. If someone with Yi as the day master asks me what kind of job is suitable for him, I'll advise him to be a civil servant or work in a big company. He is like a potted flower or grass. Of course, this is also related to the partial seal. The partial seal is associated with art. Among the ten Heavenly Stems, those with Yi as the day master have relatively good artistic qualities. It not only affects your personality but also your living conditions. Jia cannot be separated from Geng, Yi cannot be separated from Gui. Then what about Bing?

Bing represents the sun fire. Jia is a big tree, and Yi is a flower or a small grass. Bing is the sun, which is out of reach on the horizon. So it is called the sun fire. To explain it, we can use the Book of Changes. There is a saying in the Book of Changes called "Water and Fire in Harmony". Bing fire needs Ren water. For a female's horoscope, when Bing meets Ren, it is the Seven Kills; when Bing meets Gui, it is the Direct Official. Just now, we had a horoscope with Bingzi as the Day Master, and Gui is on the Heavenly Stem. The Direct Official sits on its Prosperous Position, indicating that she has a good life. But this is not about the likes and dislikes of her Day Master, just that she has a good life. If the Bing Day Master takes Ren as the Husband Star, it will be even better. Not only are the conditions good, but they also get along very well with each other. Sometimes when I happen to pass by the vegetable market to buy groceries, I see a couple selling meat. One of them is holding a knife, which seems rather vulgar. I watch them from the side! They actually have quite a lot of family fun. They won't get rich, but they are very harmonious. So Bing cannot be separated from Ren.

Ding represents the human fire, just like the fireplace in the United States. What does the Ding fire rely on? It relies on burning wood. Therefore, those with Ding as the Day Master must have Jia. Jia is just the Zheng Yin (Regular Seal). If one with Ding as the Day Master has the Zheng Yin pattern, they can achieve great things, and it is also what they like to do. If it is not what your Day Master favors, you can only just get by in life. So, Jia cannot be without Geng, Yi cannot be without Gui, Bing cannot be without Ren, and Ding cannot be without Jia. Each Heavenly Stem has a character to match it. Therefore, life is not just about money; it should conform to your personality. I've also seen many couples who have good conditions but still get divorced because they can't get along. People may say that money comes first, but in reality, it's more important to get along well and have compatible Five - Elements with each other.

Wu represents the earth of city walls, which is metaphorically like a high mountain. How can there be no trees on a mountain? Therefore, Wu is also inseparable from Jia.

Then, if Ji is not separated from Bing and Gui. As I just said, for a female with Ji as the Day Master, there must be the sun shining and water nourishing. If these two elements are absent, her fortune won't be very high either.

Geng, Geng Metal. No piece of iron can be made without smelting. Gold rings need to be smelted, and all metals like gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin need to be refined by fire. So, if a person has Geng as their Day Master and there is no Ding in their Bazi, they will never amount to anything. They may have a prosperous fortune, but they won't achieve anything significant. Having a good life is different from achieving something. Let me give you an example. If you get to be a nominal director in a big company through connections, do nothing, and still get a lot of money every month, that's not an achievement; it's just having a good life!

Xin is different from Geng. Geng represents the ordinary kind of metal like a knife that we usually talk about. Xin metal is Chai Chuan Jin (ornamental gold), which is like the chains and jewelry that women wear on their bodies. This kind of metal cannot be burned with fire. So, what should be done? A special kind of potion is needed, like silver polish or silver water! Therefore, for Xin metal, it needs Ren water to be slowly washed. If there is no Ren water for Xin metal, one's life will be very dull.

So, in the end, there are still two characters left. Ren Water and Gui Water are different. Ren Water is the rushing water, like the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. It seems very magnificent. There is a fundamental reason for this: it has a source. For Ren Water to flow, it cannot do without Xin. Gui Water is still water, very calm water. All water emphasizes its source. It doesn't matter whether the water is large or small as long as there is a source. These are the preferences and taboos of the ten Heavenly Stems themselves. Then, combine them with the concepts of wealth, officialdom, offspring, resourcefulness, and seal that were mentioned earlier for analysis. In this way, it is much more interesting than the previous methods of analysis. Now, I'll give another example, bringing in the preferences and taboos of the ten Heavenly Stems and analyzing them together with what was mentioned before.

On page 246 of *Detailed Explanation of Female Horoscopes, A Combined Edition of General Principles of Female Horoscopes*, there is a Bazi (Eight Characters of Birth). Now, our interpretation of this Bazi is broader than before and more like a professional analysis of Bazi.

Ding Chou Ren Zi Xin Si Bing Shen The day master is Xin. This Bazi was analyzed by an ancient person, and the result was very bad. The person with this Bazi committed suicide. It wasn't because of poverty that they committed suicide; it was because their love life was in a complete mess. If we were to analyze this Bazi, we would consider aspects such as the positioning of the Ten Gods, the punishments, clashes, combinations, and meetings, as well as the preferences and taboos of the Ten Heavenly Stems. I'll explain them to you one by one.

The combination of Ding and Ren, and the combination of Zi and Chou belong to the category of clashes, punishments, combinations, and unions. They are the double six - combinations of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. The combination of Xin and Si, and Bing and Shen is also a form of combination. In a female's Bazi (Four Pillars of Destiny), it is originally taboo to have combinations in the Four Pillars. Too many combinations mean a lowly fate. From the time she becomes sensible until she dies, she can get along well with everyone and has extremely good popularity. Isn't it terrible for a female's fate? It's definitely not just about going grocery - shopping with a shopping cart. This is the first issue, the problem of clashes and combinations. For a female's fate, too many combinations are even worse than too many clashes. Males are afraid of clashes, while females are afraid of combinations.

Second, for Xin Metal. What represents her husband? Bing and Ding represent the husband. There is Ding in the Year Pillar and Bing in the Hour Stem. Although there is a mixture of official and seven - killing, it doesn't matter much because the time span between them is too long. Now, taking Bing as the husband, Bing and Xin combine. Originally, Xin Si and Bing Shen have double six - combinations. Even in old age, she is still very popular, and her husband also has a combination. So, this means her husband has a combination, and her man is not simple. Then, is this man suitable? That's another question. The main concern is whether he is rich or not. If you lead the husband star to the Month Pillar, in the Zi Month, Bing is in the state of extinction at Hai, which means the husband's conditions are not good. If you lead it to the Day Branch, on the Xin Si Day, the husband star is prosperous. Bing is prosperous at Si, but Si and Shen combine. So, the biggest drawback of this Bazi is that there are combinations in the four pillars, and the husband star sits in the state of extinction. For the Xin Day Master, Ren is mainly used, and water is needed to "polish". Xin Metal is what I call "Hairpin and Bracelet Metal", like the chains on a woman. It can't be burned by fire. Since there is a Ren character in her Bazi, she can still freely decide who to be with. So, according to the ancient Bazi analysis, this Bazi indicates that she will commit suicide due to a failed relationship. The year of her death is a matter of the flowing year. Now, let me give another Bazi example.

(Pages 248 of *Detailed Explanation of Female Horoscopes: A Combined Edition of Female Horoscope Compendium*) Wuzi Wuwu Jiugui Wuwu Whenever I talk about the eight characters of a birth horoscope, on the one hand, I present new theories. Because simply talking about theories randomly here and there is very confusing. It's easier to understand when the theories are presented along with the analysis of birth horoscopes. Each birth horoscope has its own characteristics. The most prominent characteristic of this birth horoscope is not about wealth, official rank, or seal. If you look at the Heavenly Stems hidden in the Earthly Branches, the five - element system is incomplete, lacking one element, which is wood. Wood represents the eating god and the hurting officer. If a woman's birth horoscope has no eating god or hurting officer, it means she won't have children, which is a very serious matter! This woman has no children. Then, looking at the birth horoscope itself, the Day Master is Gui, and there are three direct official stars (represented by Wu). Wu and Gui combine, and there is a situation of competing for combination. This is much more serious than the double - combination situation I mentioned earlier. The double - combination situation lasted for 45 years. With three competing combinations, it's a lifetime! Either her husband controls her, or she is vying for someone else's husband. She'll be in this situation of competing for combination all her life!

Then, another saying in fortune - telling: Having too many "official" elements doesn't lead to nobility, and having too much "wealth" doesn't result in richness. One doesn't like an excess of "official" and "wealth" elements, especially when they are all in the Heavenly Stems and all exposed on the surface, being too obvious.

The first key point is that there are no Output and Talent elements and no children. The second is the competition for a husband. And the third: the clash between Zi and Wu. From the age of one to thirty, everything goes wrong. The only advantage of this Bazi is that Gui Water is born in the Wu month. Water overcomes Fire, which represents wealth, so she has money and is not short of money. Her Hourly Branch is also related to the Zi or Wu hour, so she will also have money in her later years. This woman is not short of money, has no children, and keeps competing for her husband. Everyone knows that her family life is very poor. So for this woman, the only consolation in her otherwise bad fortune is having some money. Generally speaking, this is how to analyze a woman's fortune, apart from considering the annual luck.

What is covered in this session today is the favorable and unfavorable elements. Well, in the context of the Eight Characters (Bazi), the concept of favorable and unfavorable elements is a very important part in theory. For what was previously discussed, including the Day Master, the Pattern, and the Useful God, all have their own favorable and unfavorable elements, and each type is different. A Pattern with a Useful God is inherent in the Eight Characters. Once you are born, that kind of nature exists, which means there is an imbalance. It depends on the Major Cycles and Annual Pillars to balance it out, or sometimes over - balance it, emphasizing the doctrine of the mean. This is what the favorable and unfavorable elements are all about. It applies equally whether it concerns your relatives, career, or personality.

Well, the likes and dislikes within its own unit are also divided into three sub - units. The first type is the likes and dislikes of the Day Master, which refers to the Heavenly Stem of the day of birth. The most obvious manifestation of this is a person's character. Everyone has a character. As the saying goes, "It's easier to change rivers and mountains than one's nature!" One's character simply cannot be changed. There are only two ways - going with the flow or going against it. When things go with your character, you'll feel more comfortable; when they go against it, you'll feel uncomfortable. This is the character of the Day Master. The second type is the likes and dislikes of the Pattern. These are the patterns we've talked about before, such as the Proper Officer Pattern and the Seven - Killers Pattern. These are just names. In fact, the real meaning lies in the five - element attributes of the other seven characters in the Bazi chart apart from the Day Master. It's like in a meeting where the minority submits to the majority. Even the Day Master has to adapt to these likes and dislikes. For example, wear more clothes when it's cold and use the air - conditioner in summer. This is the likes and dislikes of the Pattern.

The third type of favorable and unfavorable factors is related to the adjustment for climatic conditions. This adjustment for climatic conditions concerns the influence of the natural timing. For example, nowadays we have air - conditioners and gas appliances. A hundred years ago, there was simply no such things, and it was impossible to predict these two industries through fortune - telling. For instance, in the Qing Dynasty, there were imperial examinations to become Jinshi, but now there are only national college entrance examinations. Therefore, when discussing fortune - telling, one must follow the innate objective factors and accurately recognize the differences among these three types. Now, what we are going to talk about first is the favorable and unfavorable factors for the Day Master.