The Eighteen Discourses and Commentary on the Golden Strategy

For divining about grandparents, parents' close friends, walls/cities/houses/boats/carriages/clothing/rain gear, relatives of parents' generation, household heads, uncles/aunts, parents' colleagues or teachers, memorials/essays, or lodgings — all use the Parent line as the Useful Spirit. For divining about rank and fame, government offices, thunder and lightning, ghosts and spirits, or natural disasters — use the Official-Ghost line. For divining about brothers and sisters, wife's siblings, sworn brothers, peers, or close friends — use the Sibling line. For divining about sisters-in-law, wives and concubines, servants, commodity prices, money, treasures, granaries, utensils — or asking about fair weather — use the Wife-Wealth line. For divining about sons, daughters, grandchildren, nephews, sons-in-law, birds, favorable winds, relief from worry — or asking about sun, moon, and stars — use the Offspring line.

To know the Origin Spirit in any divination, first identify the Useful Spirit. The line whose phase generates the Useful Spirit is the Origin Spirit. If the Useful Spirit is in Decadal Emptiness, Monthly Destruction, weak, or hidden — and the Origin Spirit moves to generate it, or the day-stem or month-establishment acts as Origin Spirit to generate it — the Useful Spirit will eventually emerge. To know the Aversion Spirit, again start from the Useful Spirit. The line whose phase overcomes the Useful Spirit is the Aversion Spirit. If it moves to attack the Useful Spirit, the Useful Spirit is injured. But if another line in the hexagram also moves to generate the Useful Spirit, its roots are deeply established, and the fortune is doubly good. To know the Enemy Spirit, look for the line that overcomes the Origin Spirit and supports the Aversion Spirit. If the Enemy Spirit activates, the Origin Spirit is damaged and the Useful Spirit loses its foundation.

When a line in the hexagram meets Decadal Emptiness: if it is moving, it is not considered empty. If it is hidden but in a prosperous or prime phase, the emptiness does not apply. However, if a moving line transforms into emptiness, or a hidden line is overcome, or a static line meets Monthly Destruction — these types of emptiness, especially when the day-stem also overcomes the line, constitute True Emptiness. It will be empty to the end.

In spring, Wood is Prosperous and Fire is Prime. In summer, Fire is Prosperous and Earth is Prime. In autumn, Metal is Prosperous and Water is Prime. In winter, Water is Prosperous and Wood is Prime. In the four inter-seasonal months, Earth is Prosperous and Metal is Prime. Lines in the hexagram that are Prosperous or Prime, even if temporarily unable to act, will activate when they meet the right combination or timing. Lines that are Resting or Imprisoned, if they receive generation and support from the day-stem or moving lines, can still be useful.

When lines in the hexagram transform: Hai to Zi, Chou to Chen, Yin to Mao, Mao to Chen, Si to Wu, Wei to Shen — these are Advancing Spirits. Advancing means fortune doubles in force. When lines transform: Wu to Si, Chen to Mao, Yin to Chou, Zi to Hai, Xu to You, Shen to Wei — these are Retreating Spirits. Retreating means fortune or misfortune gradually diminishes in power.

When people consult the oracle, they should fast and observe reverence, address one matter specifically, announce it before the spirits, and only then cast. The principles involved are: Origin Spirit, Aversion Spirit, movement and stillness, generation and overcoming, combination and clash, transformation, Decadal Emptiness, Monthly Destruction, and day-stem relationships — with the Useful Spirit clearly identified. This is why one must approach divination with solemn respect. Without sincerity, there is no resonance, and verification fails. Also know that when divining on behalf of another, one must first state the person's name and their relationship to the matter, properly distinguishing the Useful Spirit, so that the verification has no discrepancy.