On the Nominal Meanings of Seal, Food, Official, and Wealth Established by the Ancients

Original Text

徐子平论格局，独以印、食、官、财四者为纲。其立名之义云何？盖造化流行天地间，不过阴阳五行而已。阴阳五行，交相为用，不过生克制化而已。今指甲乙为例，以日乾论甲乙，在五行属木，甲阳而乙阴也。如人命得甲乙，生谓之日主属我，生我者壬癸水，我生者丙丁火，克我者庚辛金，我克者戊己土，而十干尽之矣。生我者，有父母之义，故立名印绶。印，荫也。绶，受也。譬父母有恩德荫庇子孙，子孙得受其福。朝廷设官分职，畀以印绶，使之掌管。官而无印，何所凭据？人无父母，何所怙恃？其理通一无二，故曰印绶。我生者，有子孙之义，故立名食神。食者，如虫之食物，盖伤之也。虫得食物则饱，人得食则益，被食则损造化。以子成而致养，即人子致养父母之道也。故曰食神。克我者，我受制于人之义，故立名官煞。官者，官也。煞者，害也。朝廷以官与人，以身属之公家，任其驱使，赴汤蹈火，不敢有违，至于盖棺而后已，是官害之也。凡人梦棺而得官，亦是此义，故曰官煞。我克者，是人受制于我之义，故立名妻财，如人成家立产，须得妻室内助，故曰妻财。是四者，术家立名之大义。然生近乎身，克隔乎位，造化喜生恶煞，乃自然之理也。中间阴阳从类，阴阳配合，各有至理存焉。生我，我生，如壬生甲、癸生乙，甲食丙、乙食丁，是阴生阴，阳生阳，阴食阴，阳食阳，为阴阳各从其类，故甲喜壬生死，木滋死水中则多年不坏；不喜癸生死，木被雨水淋漓不逾所则朽。甲喜食丙，以丙能制庚煞，而甲始得安其身；不喜食丁，以丁能伤官，而甲不得成其材。以其义也。克我、我克，如辛克甲，庚克乙，甲克己，乙克戊，是阴克阳，阳克阴，阴匹阳，阳匹阴，乃阴阳配合之理。故甲见辛为正官，见庚为偏官。官喜正，不喜偏，掌印佐贰，职有不同。甲见己为正妻，见戊为偏妻。妻贵正，不贵偏，敌体侍立，分则有别，此其理也。至若官怕伤，被伤则祸，财怕劫，被劫则分；印怕财，贪财则坏；食怕枭，逢枭则夺。其理与人事无二，学者明于人事，斯可以言造化矣。夫五行展转生克，皆子为父母复仇之义。故甲乙生丙丁为子，甲乙畏庚辛，赖丙丁克制之。丙丁生戊己为子，丙定畏壬癸，赖戊己克制之。戊己生庚辛为子，戊己畏甲乙，赖庚辛克制之。庚辛生壬癸为子，庚辛畏丙丁，赖壬癸克制之。壬癸生甲乙为子，壬癸畏戊己，赖甲乙克制之。

地支十二，其理亦同，虽动静不同，方圆有异，而生克一也。试言之：北方亥子水，生东方寅卯木，东方寅卯木，生南方巳午火，土寄旺于火，生西方申酉金，西方申酉金，生北方亥子水。然亥子间丑一位而后接寅卯，寅卯间辰一位而后接巳午，巳午间未一位而后接申酉，申酉间戌一位而后接亥子。土立四维，五行均赖。故巳酉合丑为金局，申子合辰为水局，亥卯合未为木局，寅午合戌为火局。金生水，水生木，木生火，火生土，土生金，相生而无间也。丑为金库，生亥子而克寅卯；辰为水库，生寅卯而克巳午；未为木库，生巳午而受金克；戌为火库，克申酉而受水制。东南主生，西北主杀，此天地之大机也。且辰戌丑未，奠安四维，金木水火，咸赖之以生藏。《易》曰：「成言乎艮，终言乎坤。」此土之功用在五行为尤大也。舍干支而总言之，甲生亥死午，乙生午死亥，就禄于寅卯，是甲乙、寅卯同也。丙生寅死酉，丁生酉死寅，就禄于巳午，是丙丁、巳午同也。庚生巳死子，辛生子死巳，就禄于申酉，是庚辛、申酉同也。壬生申死卯，癸生卯死申，就禄于亥子，是壬癸、亥子同也。戊生寅死酉，己生酉死寅，就禄于巳午，与火同位，子随母旺之义，而辰戌丑未，乃其正位也。由是天乾地支，相合配偶，生克制化，旺相休囚，其名为印、为枭、为食、为伤、为官、为煞、为财、为劫，刑冲破害，虚邀暗合，而变化无穷矣。徐子平识破此理，故只论财、官、印、食，分为六格，而人命之富贵、贫贱、寿夭，穷通举不外是其馀格局，不过自此而推之耳。

Interpretation

Xu Ziping discussed the patterns and regarded only the Seal, the Eating God, the Official, and the Wealth as the key elements. What's the meaning of these names? The operation of nature in the universe is nothing but the yin - yang and the five elements. The interaction of the yin - yang and the five elements is nothing but generation, restriction, transformation, and control. Now, taking Jia and Yi as examples, when we talk about Jia and Yi in terms of the day - stem, they belong to wood in the five - element system. Jia is yang and Yi is yin. If a person's horoscope has Jia or Yi as the day - master, it represents oneself. Those that generate me are Ren and Gui (water), those that are generated by me are Bing and Ding (fire), those that restrict me are Geng and Xin (metal), and those that are restricted by me are Wu and Ji (earth). Thus, the ten heavenly stems are covered. Those that generate me have the meaning of parents, so they are named the Seal. "Yin" in Seal means to shade, and "Shou" means to receive. Just as parents have kindness and protect their descendants, and descendants can enjoy their blessings. The court appoints officials and gives them seals to manage affairs. An official without a seal has no basis; a person without parents has no support. The principle is the same, so it is called the Seal. Those that are generated by me have the meaning of descendants, so they are named the Eating God. "Shi" (Eat) is like an insect eating food, which means to damage. When an insect gets food, it is full; when a person gets food, he benefits. But being eaten damages nature. It is like a son providing for his parents when he grows up. So it is called the Eating God. Those that restrict me have the meaning of being restricted by others, so they are named the Official and the Killing. "Guan" (Official) is an official, and "Sha" (Killing) is harmful. The court appoints an official, and the official belongs to the public. He is at the mercy of the public, willing to go through fire and water without disobedience until he dies. It is the official that brings harm. When a person dreams of a coffin and then gets an official position, it also has this meaning, so it is called the Official and the Killing. Those that are restricted by me have the meaning of others being restricted by me, so they are named the Wife and the Wealth. Just as a person needs the help of his wife when establishing a family and property, so it is called the Wife and the Wealth. These are the general meanings of the names given by fortune - tellers. However, generation is close to oneself, while restriction is at a distance. Nature prefers generation and dislikes killing, which is a natural principle. Among them, the combination of yin and yang according to their kinds and the matching of yin and yang each have their own profound principles. For generation and being generated, such as Ren generating Jia, Gui generating Yi, Jia consuming Bing, and Yi consuming Ding, which are cases of yin generating yin, yang generating yang, yin consuming yin, and yang consuming yang. It is the phenomenon of yin and yang following their own kinds. So Jia likes to be generated by Ren in death - state. Wood nourished in dead water can last for many years without decay; it doesn't like to be generated by Gui in death - state. Wood soaked by rain will rot if it is not properly placed. Jia likes to consume Bing because Bing can restrict Geng (the Killing), and then Jia can be safe; it doesn't like to consume Ding because Ding can damage the Official, and Jia cannot become useful. This is the principle. For restriction and being restricted, such as Xin restricting Jia, Geng restricting Yi, Jia restricting Ji, and Yi restricting Wu, which are cases of yin restricting yang, yang restricting yin, yin matching yang, and yang matching yin. It is the principle of the combination of yin and yang. So when Jia meets Xin, it is the Proper Official; when it meets Geng, it is the Partial Official. An official is better to be proper than partial, just as the chief official and the assistant official have different duties. When Jia meets Ji, it is the Proper Wife; when it meets Wu, it is the Partial Wife. A wife is better to be proper than partial, just as there are differences in status between the main wife and the concubines. This is the principle. As for the Official being afraid of being damaged, because once damaged, there will be disasters; the Wealth being afraid of being robbed, because once robbed, it will be divided; the Seal being afraid of the Wealth, because being greedy for wealth will damage the Seal; the Eating God being afraid of the Owl, because when meeting the Owl, it will be deprived. The principle is the same as that in human affairs. If a learner understands human affairs, he can then talk about nature. The continuous generation and restriction among the five elements all have the meaning of a son avenging his parents. So Jia and Yi generate Bing and Ding as their sons. Jia and Yi fear Geng and Xin, and rely on Bing and Ding to restrict them. Bing and Ding generate Wu and Ji as their sons. Bing and Ding fear Ren and Gui, and rely on Wu and Ji to restrict them. Wu and Ji generate Geng and Xin as their sons. Wu and Ji fear Jia and Yi, and rely on Geng and Xin to restrict them. Geng and Xin generate Ren and Gui as their sons. Geng and Xin fear Bing and Ding, and rely on Ren and Gui to restrict them. Ren and Gui generate Jia and Yi as their sons. Ren and Gui fear Wu and Ji, and rely on Jia and Yi to restrict them.

The twelve Earthly Branches follow the same principle. Although they differ in terms of movement and stillness, and in shape (round and square), the relationships of generation and restraint are the same. Let's explain it: In the north, the Branches Hai and Zi represent water, which generates the wood of the Branches Yin and Mao in the east. The wood of Yin and Mao in the east generates the fire of the Branches Si and Wu in the south. Earth finds its prosperous state within fire and generates the metal of the Branches Shen and You in the west. The metal of Shen and You in the west generates the water of Hai and Zi in the north. However, between Hai and Zi, there is the Branch Chou before reaching Yin and Mao; between Yin and Mao, there is the Branch Chen before reaching Si and Wu; between Si and Wu, there is the Branch Wei before reaching Shen and You; between Shen and You, there is the Branch Xu before reaching Hai and Zi. Earth is located in the four corners, and all the five elements rely on it. Therefore, the combination of Si, You, and Chou forms a metal combination; the combination of Shen, Zi, and Chen forms a water combination; the combination of Hai, Mao, and Wei forms a wood combination; the combination of Yin, Wu, and Xu forms a fire combination. Metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal, with continuous generation. Chou is the storehouse of metal, which generates Hai and Zi but restrains Yin and Mao; Chen is the storehouse of water, which generates Yin and Mao but restrains Si and Wu; Wei is the storehouse of wood, which generates Si and Wu but is restrained by metal; Xu is the storehouse of fire, which restrains Shen and You but is controlled by water. The southeast is the area of generation, and the northwest is the area of destruction. This is the great mechanism of heaven and earth. Moreover, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei stabilize the four corners, and metal, wood, water, and fire all rely on them for generation and storage. The Book of Changes says, "Completion is spoken of in relation to Gen, and ending is spoken of in relation to Kun." This shows that the function of earth is especially significant among the five elements. Generally speaking, excluding the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, Jia is born in Hai and dies in Wu, Yi is born in Wu and dies in Hai, and they obtain prosperity in Yin and Mao. So, Jia, Yi, Yin, and Mao are similar. Bing is born in Yin and dies in You, Ding is born in You and dies in Yin, and they obtain prosperity in Si and Wu. So, Bing, Ding, Si, and Wu are similar. Geng is born in Si and dies in Zi, Xin is born in Zi and dies in Si, and they obtain prosperity in Shen and You. So, Geng, Xin, Shen, and You are similar. Ren is born in Shen and dies in Mao, Gui is born in Mao and dies in Shen, and they obtain prosperity in Hai and Zi. So, Ren, Gui, Hai, and Zi are similar. Wu is born in Yin and dies in You, Ji is born in You and dies in Yin, and they obtain prosperity in Si and Wu, being in the same position as fire, following the principle that the child thrives with the mother. And Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are their proper positions. Thus, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are combined and paired, with relationships of generation, restraint, transformation, and the states of prosperity, decline, and dormancy. They are named as Seal, Owl, Food, Injury, Officer, Killing, Wealth, and Robbery. There are also punishments, breaks, conflicts, and hidden combinations, resulting in infinite changes. Xu Ziping understood this principle, so he only discussed Wealth, Officer, Seal, and Food, dividing them into six patterns. All the aspects of a person's life, such as wealth and poverty, longevity and short - life, and success and failure, can be analyzed through these. The remaining patterns are just further deductions from these.