On Years, Months, Days, and Hours

Original Text

凡论人命，年月日时排成四柱，遁月从年，则以年为本，遁时从日，则以日为主。古法以年看，子平以日看，本此。如人本木而得卯月以乘之，主金而得酉时以乘子，谓之本，主乘旺气；如本水而得甲申、丙子、壬戌、癸亥月；主火而得丙寅、戊午、甲辰、乙已时；本木而得己亥、辛卯、甲寅、庚寅月，主金而得辛已、癸酉、庚申、壬申时，谓之本，主还家；本木而得癸未月，主金而得乙丑时；木水而得壬辰月，主火而得甲戌时，谓之本，主持印。四位如此，更吉神往来，凶煞回避，谓之本主得位，本胜于主者多得祖荫，主胜于本者当自卓立，本主两强，富贵双全。四柱中更抑扬归中，无太过不及，方作好命，有一位不及，必主蹇滞，然诸家命术皆云好年不如好月，好月不如好日，好日不如好时，大率以年则统乎一岁，月则该乎三十，而时日为得之。独不知得日时之吉而月不应，反为无用，况用神多取诸月，是月又可轻乎？唐李虚中独以日干为主，却以年月时合看生克制化，旺相休囚，取立格局。此发前贤所未发，故今术家宗之。

又曰年为太岁，主人一生祸福，如当生太岁，是金是木，要日月相生相应，造化和顺，则根基牢固，一生卓立成就。众支干五行不顺反克，冲破为伤，本主无寿，被形带煞。及生，月日时者主损木气，破伤祖业，六亲冷淡蹇滞之命也。月为运元，行运从月逮起，若日时是本生年之福，宜归运元生旺处以扶助之，故官印贵人，禄马财星宜在运元生旺处为佳；若日时是本生年之祸，宜归运元剥克处以潜济之。故土多窒塞，宜归运元疏通处；水多泛滥，宜归运元归宿处；火多暴露，宜归运元晦息处；金木太强，宜归运元沈潜处。或运元集生时之福，或运元发福于生时，日者三阳之会，帝皇之象，时者近侍之臣，以亲帝座，而时日有君臣庆会，天地德合。或年月日时四位纳音生旺之气，或四位禄与福贵气聚于时上，谓之四位集福于帝座；或时倒揭，旺气秀气散在诸位，而诸位乘吉会之气者，谓之帝座发福于四位。夫集福于帝座则以纯厚忠信为心，发福于四位则以聪明端直自进。若近侍之臣切忌土火金气太旺，不能久住，水木清奇多是翰林。年月发福处，不要生时破坏，败坏处仍要生时解释。

由是论之，年月日时均重，而时为尤重。人命贵贱、寿夭、穷通、得丧只在生时之辨。时有八刻，有初正末气不同，须细察之。

《定真论》曰：伤年不利父，伤月不利兄弟，亦主初年艰辛，伤日不利己身，名折腰煞，伤时不利子孙，亦无结果。若年生日月时三位谓之上生下，主损本气，兼破祖业；时上生日月年谓之下生上，主增福德。若上生下得丑行相逢，乘生福气，亦作好命看，若相乘生祸，则不佳。四柱纯粹，无刑冲破害，空亡死绝，更有福神互为之助方为吉命，反此则凶。

Interpretation

In general, when analyzing a person's fate, the year, month, day, and hour of birth are arranged into the Four Pillars. To determine the month based on the year, the year is taken as the root; to determine the hour based on the day, the day is taken as the main reference. According to the ancient method, the year is emphasized, while in the Ziping method, the day is emphasized, and it is based on this principle. For example, if a person's fundamental element is wood and is born in the Mao month, or if the main element is metal and is born in the You hour, it means that the root and the main element are in a prosperous state. If the fundamental element is water and the person is born in the Jiashen, Bingzi, Renxu, or Guihai months; if the main element is fire and is born in the Bingyin, Wuwu, Jiachen, or Yisi hours; if the fundamental element is wood and is born in the Jihai, Xinmao, Jiayin, or Gengyin months; if the main element is metal and is born in the Xinsi, Guiyou, Gengshen, or Renshen hours, it is called the root and the main element returning home. If the fundamental element is wood and the person is born in the Guiwei month, or if the main element is metal and is born in the Yichou hour; if the fundamental element is wood - water and is born in the Renchen month, or if the main element is fire and is born in the Jiaxu hour, it is called the root and the main element holding the seal. When the Four Pillars are in such a situation, and there are auspicious deities interacting while inauspicious ones are avoided, it is called the root and the main element being in the right position. If the root is stronger than the main element, the person is likely to receive the blessings from ancestors; if the main element is stronger than the root, the person should stand on their own feet. When both the root and the main element are strong, the person will enjoy both wealth and honor. In the Four Pillars, there should be a balance, without being excessive or insufficient, to be considered a good fate. If there is one aspect that is insufficient, it will surely lead to setbacks. However, all the various fortune - telling methods say that a good year is not as good as a good month, a good month is not as good as a good day, and a good day is not as good as a good hour. Generally speaking, the year represents a whole year, the month represents about thirty days, and the day and hour are more crucial. But people don't realize that even if the day and hour are auspicious, if the month does not match, it will be useless. Moreover, the favorable element is often determined by the month. So, how can the month be underestimated? In the Tang Dynasty, Li Xuzhong only took the Heavenly Stem of the day as the main reference, but also considered the year, month, and hour comprehensively, looking at the generation, restraint, transformation, and the states of prosperity, decline, and dormancy to establish the pattern. This was an idea that previous sages had never put forward, so today's fortune - tellers follow this method.

It is also said that the year represents the Grand Duke Jupiter, which determines a person's fortune and misfortune throughout life. For example, if the Grand Duke Jupiter of one's birth year is associated with the element of metal or wood, the sun and moon should generate and correspond to each other. If the natural creation is harmonious, then the foundation will be firm, and one will achieve remarkable success in life. If the various heavenly stems and earthly branches and the five - elements are in disharmony, with counter - generation and breaking through, it will cause harm. The person will not have a long life and will be accompanied by inauspicious omens. If this occurs in the year, month, day, or hour of birth, it will damage the vital energy related to wood, break and damage the ancestral property, and the person will have a life of being cold - shouldered by relatives and experiencing setbacks. The month is the origin of fortune - making. The fortune - making process starts from the month. If the day and hour bring good fortune in the birth year, they should be placed in the prosperous position of the fortune - making origin to support them. Therefore, it is better for the official seals, noble people, emoluments, horses, and wealth stars to be in the prosperous position of the fortune - making origin. If the day and hour bring misfortune in the birth year, they should be placed in the position where the fortune - making origin can weaken and counteract them. For example, if there is too much earth causing blockage, it should be placed in the position where the fortune - making origin can dredge it; if there is too much water causing flooding, it should be placed in the position where the fortune - making origin can provide a destination; if there is too much fire being exposed, it should be placed in the position where the fortune - making origin can make it dim and rest; if metal and wood are too strong, it should be placed in the position where the fortune - making origin can make them submerge and be hidden. Sometimes, the fortune - making origin gathers the good fortune of the birth hour, or the fortune - making origin brings good fortune at the birth hour. The day represents the meeting of the three yangs and the image of an emperor. The hour represents the close - attendant officials who are close to the imperial throne. When there is a harmonious meeting between the day and hour like the relationship between the monarch and his ministers, and a combination of the virtues of heaven and earth. Or when the prosperous qi of the four - note tonality of the year, month, day, and hour, or the emoluments and the qi of good fortune and nobility gather at the hour, it is called "the four positions gathering good fortune at the imperial throne". Or when the prosperous and elegant qi of the hour is scattered among the various positions, and these positions are blessed with auspicious qi, it is called "the imperial throne bringing good fortune to the four positions". When good fortune gathers at the imperial throne, one should have a pure, honest, and trustworthy heart. When good fortune is spread to the four positions, one should be intelligent, upright, and self - motivated. For the close - attendant officials, it is important to avoid the qi of earth, fire, and metal being too strong, otherwise, they cannot stay in a high position for long. Those with clear and unique qi of water and wood are often scholars in the Imperial Academy. The places where good fortune is brought by the year and month should not be damaged by the birth hour, and the damaged places should be remedied by the birth hour.

Based on this, it can be concluded that the year, month, day, and hour are all important, with the hour being the most crucial. A person's nobility or lowliness, longevity or early death, prosperity or adversity, gain or loss can be discerned solely from the time of birth. There are eight quarters in an hour, and the qi at the beginning, middle, and end of the hour varies, so it must be carefully examined.

According to "The Theory of Determining Authenticity": If the Heavenly Stem of the Year Pillar is damaged, it is unfavorable to the father. If the Heavenly Stem of the Month Pillar is damaged, it is unfavorable to brothers, and it also indicates hardships in the early years. If the Heavenly Stem of the Day Pillar is damaged, it is unfavorable to oneself, which is called the "Waist - Breaking Omen". If the Heavenly Stem of the Hour Pillar is damaged, it is unfavorable to descendants, and things will end up fruitless. If the Heavenly Stem of the Year Pillar generates those of the Month, Day, and Hour Pillars, which is called "the upper generating the lower", it will damage one's own vital energy and also lead to the destruction of the ancestral property. If the Heavenly Stem of the Hour Pillar generates those of the Month, Day, and Year Pillars, which is called "the lower generating the upper", it will increase one's fortune and virtue. If the situation of "the upper generating the lower" coincides with a good combination, and there is the support of the generating force bringing good fortune, it can also be regarded as a good fate. However, if the generating force brings misfortune, it is not good. If the Four Pillars are pure, without punishment, conflict, breakage, harm, emptiness, death, or extinction, and there are auspicious gods mutually assisting each other, it is a lucky fate. Otherwise, it is an unlucky one.