General Discussion on Annual Movements
Original Text
夫太岁者，年中天子，一岁诸神煞之尊；统正方位，四送六气，迁运四时以成岁功，至尊无上，若人遇克冲压伏，皆为不详之兆。运者协和二十四气，般运一生休咎，扶持四柱，辅弼三元，运与流年二者相为表里，乃人命祸福死生所系，岁用天元，运用地支，凡行好运而日干伤流年天元，为福轻；若行不好运及脱财官运而日干伤岁干，为祸重，若是已发之命，祸患立至，凡行不好运，未可便言衰绝，大要知已发未发，其气数已过未过言之。行运以生月为运元，最怕行运与太岁冲克，若岁运冲月必祸；若岁运与日相对，谓之返吟，岁运压日，谓之伏吟，二者不利六亲，非横破财，不为吉兆。凡岁运吉凶，当生天元，或支中原无官星，天元有正官或原有偏官制伏太过，运遇天元官星，亦可发福；支无财而运乾是财，亦可发财；支无煞而运乾是煞，亦足为祸。
晦气者，乃不明之象，昏昧之道也，即甲已乙庚之例，以合则晦也，日干与时干不宜与太岁元天元合，合则名为晦气。又要分日干合太岁，如甲日已年之例，太岁合日干，如已日甲年之例。甲合已灾重，已合甲灾轻，岁位近者灾重，远者灾轻，如岁在日前五辰而遇合，谓之太岁入宅，晦气临门，主灾厄。
大运不宜与太岁相克相冲，尤忌运克岁，与日犯同，主破耗丧事，有贵人禄马解之稍吉，八字有救无虞。
Interpretation
The Grand Duke Jupiter is like the emperor of the year, the most respected among all the gods and evil spirits in a year. It governs and corrects the directions, distributes the six qi (vital energies) in four seasons, and regulates the four seasons to complete the cycle of a year. It is supreme. If a person encounters its suppression, conflict, or oppression, it is all an inauspicious sign. The fortune - cycle coordinates the twenty - four solar terms, determines a person's good and bad fortune throughout life, supports the Four Pillars (year, month, day, and hour in the Chinese zodiac) and assists the Three Elements. The fortune - cycle and the annual fortune are interrelated, which are crucial to a person's fortune, misfortune, life, and death. The annual fortune uses the Heavenly Stems, and the fortune - cycle uses the Earthly Branches. When one is having good fortune and the Heavenly Stem of the day harms the Heavenly Stem of the annual fortune, the blessing will be light. If one is having bad fortune or has lost the fortune of wealth and official position, and the Heavenly Stem of the day harms the Heavenly Stem of the annual fortune, the disaster will be serious. For those who have already achieved success, the disaster will come immediately. When one is having bad fortune, we cannot simply say that it is the end. Generally, we should know whether one has achieved success or not and whether the qi - number has passed or not. The birth - month is regarded as the origin of the fortune - cycle. It is most feared that the fortune - cycle conflicts with the Grand Duke Jupiter. If the annual fortune and the fortune - cycle conflict with the birth - month, there will surely be a disaster. If the annual fortune and the fortune - cycle are opposite to the birth - day, it is called "returning chant"; if the annual fortune and the fortune - cycle suppress the birth - day, it is called "lying chant". Both are unfavorable to one's relatives, causing unexpected financial losses and are not auspicious signs. Regarding the good and bad of the annual fortune and the fortune - cycle, for the Heavenly Stem of the birth - time, if there is no official star in the Earthly Branches originally, but there is a proper official star in the Heavenly Stem, or if the original partial official star is over - restricted, and the fortune - cycle encounters an official star in the Heavenly Stem, one can still gain blessings. If there is no wealth star in the Earthly Branches but the Heavenly Stem of the fortune - cycle represents wealth, one can also make a fortune. If there is no evil star in the Earthly Branches but the Heavenly Stem of the fortune - cycle represents an evil star, it will surely bring disasters.
Bad luck is an inauspicious sign and a murky path. It is like the examples of Jia and Ji, Yi and Geng. When they combine, it is inauspicious. The Heavenly Stem of the day and that of the hour should not combine with the Heavenly Stem of the Tai Sui (the celestial body representing the year in traditional Chinese astronomy). If they do, it is called bad luck. Moreover, it is necessary to distinguish between the Heavenly Stem of the day combining with that of the Tai Sui, such as on a Jia - day in a Ji - year, and the Heavenly Stem of the Tai Sui combining with that of the day, such as on a Ji - day in a Jia - year. When Jia combines with Ji, the disaster is severe; when Ji combines with Jia, the disaster is mild. If the position of the Tai Sui is close, the disaster is severe; if it is far, the disaster is mild. For example, if the Tai Sui is five celestial stems ahead of the day and a combination occurs, it is called the Tai Sui entering the house and bad luck arriving at the door, which indicates misfortune.
It is not advisable for the major fortune to be in conflict or opposition with the Tai Sui. In particular, it is most inauspicious when the fortune restrains the Tai Sui, which is the same as when the daily stem and branch are in conflict. This mainly indicates losses and funerals. If there are noble stars, salary stars, and horse stars to resolve the situation, it will be a bit more auspicious. If there are remedies in the eight - character horoscope, there will be no danger.