On the Ten Celestial Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches - 8
Original Text
八字用神既专主月令，何以又有外格乎？外格者，盖因月令无用，权而用之，故曰外格也。
如春木冬水、土生四季之类，日与月同，难以作用，类象、属象、冲财、会禄、刑合、遥迎、井栏、朝阳诸格，皆可用也。若月令自有用神，岂可另寻外格？又或春木冬水，干头已有财官七煞，而弃之以就外格，亦太谬矣。是故乾头有财，何用冲财？乾头有官，何用合禄？书云"提纲有用提纲重"，又曰"有官莫寻格局"，不易之论也。
然所谓月令无用者，原是月令本无用神，而今人不知，往往以财被劫官被伤之类。用神已破，皆以为月令无取，而弃之以就外格，则谬之又谬矣。
人有六亲，配之八字，亦存于命。
其由宫分配之者，则年月日时，自上而下，祖父妻子，亦自上而下。以地相配，适得其宜，不易之位也。
其由用神配之者，则正印也母，身所自出，取其生我也。若偏财受我克制，何反为父？偏财者，母之正夫也，正印为母，则偏财为父矣。正财为妻，受我克制，夫为妻纲，妻则从夫。若官煞则克制乎我，何以反为子女也？官煞者，财所生也，财为妻妾，则官煞为子女矣。至于比肩为兄弟，又理之显然者。
其间有无得力，或吉或凶，则以四柱所存或年月或日时财官伤刃，系是何物，然后以六亲配之用神。局中作何喜忌，参而配之，可以了然矣。
大凡命中吉凶，于人愈近，其验益灵。富贵贫贱，本身之事，无论矣，至于六亲，妻以配身，子为后嗣，亦是切身之事。故看命者，妻财子提纲得力，或年乾有用，皆主父母身所自出，亦自有验。所以提纲得力，或年乾有用，皆主父母双全得力。至于祖宗兄弟，不甚验矣。
以妻论之，坐下财官，妻当贤贵；然亦有坐财官而妻不利，逢伤刃而妻反吉者，何也？此盖月令用神，配成喜忌。如妻宫坐财，吉也，而印格逢之，反为不美。妻坐官，吉也，而伤官逢之，岂能顺意？妻坐伤官，凶也，而财格逢之，可以生财，煞格逢之，可以制煞，反主妻能内助。妻坐阳刃，凶也，而或财官煞伤等格，四柱已成格局，而日主无气，全凭日刃帮身，则妻必能相关。其理不可执一。
既看妻宫，又看妻星。妻星者，干头之财也。妻透而成局，若官格透财、印多逢财、食伤透财为用之类，即坐下无用，亦主内助。妻透而破格，若印轻财露、食神伤官、透煞逢财之类，即坐下有用，亦防刑克。又有妻透成格，或妻宫有用而坐下刑冲，未免得美妻而难偕老。又若妻星两透，偏正杂出，何一夫而多妻？亦防刑克之道也。
至于子息，其看宫分与星所透喜忌，理与论妻略同。但看子息，长生沐浴之歌，亦当熟读，如"长生四子中旬半，沐浴一双保吉祥，冠带临官三子位，旺中五子自成行，衰中二子病中一，死中至老没儿郞，除非养取他之子，入墓之时命夭亡，受气为绝一个子，胎中头产养姑娘，养中三子只留一，男子宫中子细详"是也。
然长生论法，用阳而不用阴。如甲乙日只用庚金长生，巳酉丑顺数之局，而不用辛金逆数之子申辰。虽书有官为女煞为男之说，然终不可以甲用庚男而用阳局，乙用辛男而阴局。盖木为日主，不问甲乙，总以庚为男辛为女，其理为然，拘于官煞，其能验乎？
所以八字到手，要看子息，先看时支。如甲乙生日，其时果系庚金何宫？或生旺，或死绝，其多寡已有定数，然后以时干子星配之。如财格而时乾透食，官格而时乾透财之类，皆谓时干有用，即使时逢死绝，亦主子贵，但不甚繁耳。若又逢生旺，则麟儿绕膝，岂可量乎？若时干不好，子透破局，即逢生旺，难为子息。若又死绝，无所望矣。此论妻子之大略也。
论运与看命无二法也。看命以四柱干支，配月令之喜忌，而取运则又以运之乾，配八字之喜忌。故运中每运行一字，即必以此一字，配命中干支而统观之，为喜为忌，吉凶判然矣。
何为喜？命中所喜之神，我得而助之者是也。如官用印以制伤，而运助印；财生官而身轻，而运助身；印带财以为忌，而运劫财；食带煞以成格，身轻而运逢印，煞重而运助食；伤官佩印，而运行官煞；阳刃用官，而运助财乡；月劫用财，而运行伤食。如此之类，皆美运也。
何谓忌？命中所忌，我逆而施之者是也。如正官无印，而运行伤；财不透食，而运行煞；印绶用官，而运合官；食神带煞，而运行财；七煞食制，而运逢枭；伤官佩印，而运行财；阳刃用煞，而运逢食；建禄用官，而运逢伤。如此之类，皆败运也。
Interpretation
If the favorable element in the eight characters is mainly determined by the month branch, why are there external patterns? The so - called external patterns are used because there is no useful element in the month branch, so they are used as a temporary substitute. Therefore, they are called external patterns.
Like the wood in spring and the water in winter, and the earth giving birth to the four seasons, etc., the sun and the moon are the same, which are difficult to be utilized. All the patterns such as the analogy pattern, the belonging - image pattern, the pattern of clashing for wealth, the pattern of gathering for emolument, the pattern of punishment and combination, the pattern of remote greeting, the well - railing pattern, and the rising - sun pattern can be used. If there is already a useful deity in the monthly order, how can one look for other external patterns? Moreover, in the case of wood in spring and water in winter, if there are already wealth, official, and seven - killing elements on the heavenly stems, and one abandons them to pursue external patterns, it is also extremely absurd. Therefore, if there is wealth on the heavenly stems, why use the method of clashing for wealth? If there is an official on the heavenly stems, why use the method of combining for emolument? As the book says, "If the monthly order has a useful element, the monthly order is of great importance", and also says, "If there is an official, don't look for patterns", which are unchangeable theories.
However, when it is said that the monthly pillar has no useful element, it originally means that there is actually no favorable god in the monthly pillar. But nowadays, people don't understand this. They often think that when the wealth is being robbed or the official is being damaged, etc., and the favorable god has been broken, it means there is nothing to be taken from the monthly pillar, and then they abandon it to focus on the external patterns. This is extremely wrong.
People have six kinds of relatives. When matched with the eight characters (in Chinese fortune - telling, referring to the year, month, day, and hour of one's birth), they are also determined by one's fate.
For those allocated by the "Gong" (a concept in relevant systems), it is based on the year, month, day, and hour, from top to bottom, and also includes the grandfather, father, wife, and children, also from top to bottom. When matched with the "land" (another relevant concept), it fits perfectly and is an unchangeable position.
When it comes to the relationships determined by the use of the "gods" in fortune - telling: the "right seal" represents the mother. Since one is born from the mother, it is chosen to symbolize the one who gives birth to me. If the "partial wealth" is what I can control, why does it represent the father instead? The "partial wealth" is the legitimate husband of the mother. Since the "right seal" represents the mother, then the "partial wealth" represents the father. The "right wealth" represents the wife because it is under my control. As the husband is the leader of the wife, the wife follows the husband. If the "officials and killers" can control me, why do they represent the children instead? The "officials and killers" are generated by the wealth. Since the wealth represents the wives and concubines, the "officials and killers" represent the children. As for the "shoulder - to - shoulder" representing the brothers, it is an obvious truth.
Whether there is effectiveness in between, and whether it is auspicious or inauspicious, depends on what kind of things the wealth, official, injury, and blade stored in the four pillars (year, month, day, and hour) are. Then match them with the six relatives and use them as the favorable elements. Analyze the likes and dislikes in the overall situation and make the matching, and then it will be clear.
Generally speaking, the closer the good or bad fortune in one's fate is related to a person, the more accurate the prediction will be. Matters such as wealth, poverty, high or low social status that directly concern oneself need no further discussion. As for one's six close relatives, a wife is a life - partner, and children are one's descendants, which are also matters closely related to oneself. Therefore, when fortune - tellers find that the key factors related to wife, wealth and children in the birth chart are strong, or the Heavenly Stem of the Year Pillar is auspicious, it indicates that one's parents, from whom one is born, will also have corresponding good signs. So, if the key factors in the birth chart are strong or the Heavenly Stem of the Year Pillar is auspicious, it usually means that one's parents are both alive and capable. However, when it comes to ancestors and brothers, the predictions are not as accurate.
Judging from the wife's aspect, if there are wealth and official stars sitting in the relevant position, the wife should be virtuous and noble. However, there are also cases where having wealth and official stars sitting there is not beneficial to the wife, and when there are the damage star and the yang blade, the wife turns out to be in a good situation. Why is this so? This is because the favorable and unfavorable factors are determined by the useful god in the monthly order. For example, it is auspicious if the wife's palace sits on wealth, but for those with the seal pattern, it turns out to be inauspicious. It is auspicious if the wife sits on the official star, but for those with the damage - officer pattern, how can things go smoothly? It is inauspicious if the wife sits on the damage - officer star, but for those with the wealth pattern, it can generate wealth; for those with the killing pattern, it can control the killing, and it actually means that the wife can offer internal support. It is inauspicious if the wife sits on the yang blade, but for those with patterns such as wealth, official, killing, or damage - officer in the four pillars and the pattern is already formed, while the day master lacks qi and completely relies on the day yang blade to support the body, then the wife must be able to have a positive influence. The principle cannot be applied rigidly.
First, examine the position of the wife in the Bazi (Eight Characters of Birth), and also look at the star representing the wife. The star representing the wife refers to the wealth element in the Heavenly Stems. If the star representing the wife is revealed and forms a favorable configuration, such as when the official star pattern has the wealth element revealed, or when there is a lot of the seal element and the wealth element appears, or when the food - injury element reveals the wealth element for use, even if the element sitting under the day stem is not favorable, it still indicates good support from one's wife. If the star representing the wife is revealed but breaks the pattern, such as when the seal element is weak and the wealth element is exposed, or when there is the food - injury element and the wealth element, or when the killing element is revealed and meets the wealth element, even if the element sitting under the day stem is favorable, there is still a risk of conflicts and harm in the marital relationship. There are also cases where the star representing the wife is revealed and forms a good pattern, or the position of the wife is favorable, but the element sitting under the day stem is in conflict or punishment. In such cases, although one may get a beautiful wife, it is difficult to have a long - lasting marriage. Moreover, if the stars representing the wife are revealed twice, with both the proper and the partial wealth elements appearing, how can one husband have multiple wives? This is also a situation that may lead to conflicts and harm in the marital relationship.
As for children, one should examine the astrological houses and the auspicious or inauspicious signs revealed by the stars. The principle is quite similar to that of analyzing one's wife. However, when it comes to examining children, one should also be familiar with the song about the twelve stages of life in Chinese astrology, such as "At the stage of Longsheng (Growth), there are four children, half of them born in the middle of the cycle; at the stage of Muyu (Bathing), there are a pair of children, ensuring good fortune; at the stage of Guandai (Crowning), and Linguan (Officialdom), there are three children; at the stage of Wang (Prosperity), there are five children in a row; at the stage of Shuai (Decline), there are two children, and at the stage of Bing (Illness), there is one; at the stage of Si (Death), one will be childless until old age, unless one adopts someone else's child; at the stage of Ru Mu (Entering the Tomb), the child's life will be short; at the stage of Shou Qi (Receiving Qi), there is one child; at the stage of Tai (Fetus), the first - born is a girl; at the stage of Yang (Nurturing), there are three children but only one will survive. Men should carefully study these in the astrological chart."
However, in the theory of the twelve states of the five - elements' life cycle for determining longevity, the yang aspect is used rather than the yin aspect. For example, on the days of Jia and Yi, only the longevity state of Geng Metal is used. That is, the sequence of Si, You, and Chou in the forward order is applied, while the sequence of Zi, Shen, and Chen in the reverse order of Xin Metal is not used. Although there is a saying in the books that the official star represents daughters and the seven - killing star represents sons, it is still not advisable to use the yang sequence for Jia with Geng regarded as the male star and the yin sequence for Yi with Xin regarded as the male star. When the Day Master is Wood, regardless of whether it is Jia or Yi, generally Geng is regarded as the male and Xin as the female. This is the correct principle. If one is restricted by the concepts of the official star and the seven - killing star, can the predictions be accurate?
Therefore, once you get the eight characters of one's birth date and time and want to predict one's offspring, you should first look at the earthly branch of the birth - hour. For example, if the day - stem is Jia or Yi, you need to check which palace the Metal element (Geng) of the birth - hour belongs to. Whether it is in a prosperous or a dying state, the number of offspring is already determined to some extent. Then, match it with the heavenly stem of the birth - hour which represents the offspring star. For instance, in a wealth - dominated chart where the heavenly stem of the birth - hour reveals the eating - god element, or in an official - dominated chart where the heavenly stem of the birth - hour reveals the wealth element. All these are cases where the heavenly stem of the birth - hour is useful. Even if the birth - hour is in a dying state, it still indicates that the offspring will be noble, but not in large numbers. If it is in a prosperous state, there will be numerous children around, and the number is beyond measure. If the heavenly stem of the birth - hour is unfavorable and it breaks the overall chart pattern, even if it is in a prosperous state, it is difficult to have offspring. If it is in a dying state, there is no hope at all. This is a general discussion about predicting one's wife and children.
The principle of analyzing luck cycles is the same as that of fortune - telling. In fortune - telling, we match the four pillars (year, month, day, and hour) of the heavenly stems and earthly branches with the favorable and unfavorable factors of the month in the lunar calendar. When it comes to analyzing luck cycles, we match the heavenly stems of the luck cycles with the favorable and unfavorable factors of the eight - character birth chart. Therefore, for each character in the luck cycle, we must match this character with the stems and branches in the birth chart and make an overall assessment. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, the good and bad fortune can be clearly judged.
What is considered a favorable circumstance? It refers to obtaining assistance for the auspicious elements in one's fate. For example, when an official element is supported by a seal element to counteract the harm element, and the fortune aids the seal; when wealth generates the official element but one has a weak body, and the fortune aids the body; when the seal is accompanied by wealth which is inauspicious, and the fortune brings the robbery of wealth; when the eating - god is combined with the killing element to form a favorable pattern, with a weak body and the fortune brings the seal, or with a strong killing element and the fortune aids the eating - god; when the hurting - official is paired with the seal, and the fortune moves towards the official and killing elements; when the yang blade uses the official element, and the fortune aids the wealth sector; when the monthly robbery uses wealth, and the fortune moves towards the hurting - god and the eating - god. All such cases are regarded as favorable fortunes.
What are the taboos? They refer to the things that are tabooed in one's horoscope and yet one acts against them. For example, when there is no seal in the case of the proper official, but the luck cycle encounters the damage star; when the wealth doesn't show the food star, but the luck cycle encounters the killing star; when using the official with the seal, but the luck cycle combines with the official; when the eating god is accompanied by the killing star, but the luck cycle encounters the wealth star; when the seven - killing star is controlled by the eating god, but the luck cycle encounters the owl star; when the damage official is paired with the seal, but the luck cycle encounters the wealth star; when using the killing star with the yang blade, but the luck cycle encounters the eating god; when using the official with the built - up salary, but the luck cycle encounters the damage star. All such cases are bad luck cycles.