In discussing the destiny of individuals, the arrangement of years, months, days, and hours forms the four pillars. By selecting the lunar month from the year, the focus is on the year, while selecting the day from the hour emphasizes the day. Ancient practices prioritize the year, while Zi Ping emphasizes the day, adhering to this principle. For instance, if one’s inherent element is wood and it aligns with the month of Mao, it is multiplied; if it harmonizes with the hour of You, it is considered the root, multiplying auspicious energies. Similarly, if one’s inherent element is water and aligns with the months of Jia Shen, Bing Zi, Ren Xu, or Gui Hai, it signifies homecoming; if it’s fire and corresponds with Bing Yin, Wu Wu, Jia Chen, or Yi Ji, it signifies standing out. For wood aligned with Ji Hai, Xin Mao, Jia Yin, or Geng Yin months, or for metal aligned with Xin Ji, Gui You, Geng Shen, or Ren Shen hours, it denotes hosting seals. The interplay of these four positions, with auspicious energies circulating and malevolent forces avoided, constitutes the root and master positions. Dominance of the root over the master implies ancestral blessings, while the mastery over the root signifies self-elevation. When both root and master are strong, wealth and honor abound. Striking a balance among the four pillars, without excess or deficiency, ensures a favorable destiny. A deficiency in any one pillar leads to obstacles and stagnation. However, most schools of destiny agree that a good year is inferior to a good month, a good month to a good day, and a good day to a good hour. Although a year encompasses a full cycle, a month spans thirty days, and the hour is the finest unit. Neglecting the auspiciousness of the day and hour while focusing solely on the month renders the practice futile, especially when the choice of auspicious elements often depends on the month. Tang Li Xuzhong uniquely prioritized the heavenly stems of the day while considering the interaction of year, month, and hour to determine the vitality, opposition, combination, and transformation, thus establishing a systematic approach previously unexplored by scholars, now inherited by contemporary practitioners.
Furthermore, the concept of “Tai Sui” corresponds to the annual deity governing an individual’s fortune throughout their life. When encountering one’s “Tai Sui” year, whether it be of metal or wood, harmony between the day and month, and alignment with the natural flow of life, signifies a solid foundation and eventual success. The alignment of the branches often counteracts the harmony, breaking through into harm, diminishing the lifespan, and carrying ominous influences. For those born during such times, where the month, day, and hour weaken the wood element, ancestral fortunes are disrupted, and familial relationships become distant and strained. The month signifies the root of one’s destiny, with life’s trajectory set from the month of birth onwards. If the day and hour bring fortune to one’s birth year, it is advisable to align with the flourishing energy of the birth month to bolster prosperity. Therefore, auspicious stars such as officials, seals, nobility, fortune, and wealth should be positioned in harmony with the thriving energy of the birth month. Conversely, if the day and hour bring misfortune, it is prudent to align with the declining energy of the birth month to mitigate adversity. Thus, when earth overwhelms, it is wise to seek alignment with the clearing energy of the birth month; when water inundates, alignment with the resting energy of the birth month is favorable; when fire blazes, alignment with the dimming energy of the birth month is beneficial; and when metal and wood exert dominance, alignment with the submerged energy of the birth month is advisable. Whether the birth month gathers fortune during the auspicious hour or prospers at the time of birth, the convergence of three solar yang energies symbolizes imperial prosperity, with the hour representing close attendants to the throne, intimately connected to the monarch’s seat, resulting in a harmonious alignment of celestial and terrestrial virtues. Alternatively, when the four pillars of year, month, day, and hour resonate with prosperous energies, or when the four pillars converge with auspicious stars, it signifies the gathering of fortune at the imperial seat or the dispersal of auspicious energies across the four pillars. To thrive at the imperial seat, one must uphold integrity and loyalty, while prospering across the four pillars requires intelligence, honesty, and self-improvement. However, it is crucial to avoid excessive earth, fire, or metal energies, as they hinder longevity, and instead cultivate the clear and refined energies of water and wood, symbolized by scholarly pursuits. Therefore, while seeking prosperous locations based on the year and month, one must avoid disrupting the auspicious energies of the birth hour and mitigate adverse influences where they occur. In conclusion, the year, month, day, and hour all hold significance, with the hour being particularly crucial. The distinction between the eight temporal segments—beginning, middle, and end—requires careful consideration. “The Treatise on Fate” states: Injured years bring no benefit to the father; injured months bring no benefit to siblings. It also signifies the hardships of early years. Injured days bring no benefit to oneself, representing a bending of fate. Injured hours bring no benefit to descendants, leading to fruitless endeavors. When the year, day, and hour clash, it denotes an upper conflict with the lower, indicating a loss of intrinsic energy and a disruption of ancestral heritage. Conversely, when the upper clashes with the lower in terms of time, it signifies an augmentation of blessings and virtues. If the clash between upper and lower elements aligns with the earthly branch Chou, it symbolizes the convergence of propitious energies, heralding a favorable destiny. However, if it multiplies misfortune instead, it portends an unfavorable outcome. A birth chart devoid of conflicts, clashes, and afflictions, with auspicious stars aiding one another, constitutes a felicitous destiny. Contrarily, adverse configurations augur misfortune.”
