Sanming Tonghui, Volume 3: Auspicious and Inauspicious Markers
三命通會·卷三
Sanming Tonghui, Volume 3: Auspicious and Inauspicious Markers
三命通會·卷三
On the Salary Positions of the Ten Stems
論十乾祿
祿，爵祿也，當得勢而享，乃謂之祿。自始分十乾十二支時，便以甲乙配同寅卯居東；丙丁配同巳午，居南；庚辛配同申酉，居酉；壬癸配同亥子，居北。
'Salary' (lu) means official emolument -- to gain power and enjoy it is what is called 'salary.' From the very beginning when the ten Stems and twelve Branches were divided, Jia and Yi were paired with Yin and Mao in the east; Bing and Ding paired with Si and Wu in the south; Geng and Xin paired with Shen and You in the west; Ren and Gui paired with Hai and Zi in the north. The ten Stems go to their Branch counterparts for their salary, meaning the salary follows the prosperous phase. Therefore: Jia's salary is at Yin, Yi's at Mao, Geng's at Shen, Xin's at You, Ren's at Hai, Gui's at Zi, Bing's at Si, Ding's at Wu. Wu lodges at Si and Ji lodges at Wu, because Si and Wu are where fire prospers -- the child follows the mother to obtain salary. The four positions Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei receive no salary: Chen and Xu are the 'frontier strongholds,' barren places where salary never lodges; Chou and Wei are the entry-exit gates of the Celestial Worthy, and salary avoids them. [The chapter then details each stem's salary variations -- e.g., 'Jia's salary at Yin: if Jia meets Bing-Yin, Jia-Earth overcomes Bing-Water as wealth, making this a Fortune Star Salary' -- followed by chapters on Golden Carriage, Post Horses, and the comprehensive discussion of salary and horse.]
祿 (lu, 'salary/emolument'): In Bazi terminology, a stem's 'salary' position is the Branch where that stem's associated element is in its peak 'official appointment' (臨官) stage. Finding one's natal day-stem's salary position in the chart indicates potential for government employment, stable income, and social standing. The various subtypes (Fortune Star Salary, Hidden Horse Salary, etc.) add nuance to this basic reading.
On the Celestial Worthy Noble Person and the Three Marvels
論天乙貴人與三奇
論天乙貴人、論三奇、論天月德、論太極貴、論學堂詞館
[This section covers the major auspicious markers (吉神) in Bazi analysis:] 'The Celestial Worthy Noble Person' (天乙貴人) -- the most important auspicious marker, derived from the day stem and located at specific Branches. Its presence in a chart indicates help from powerful patrons, graceful deportment, and the ability to turn danger into safety. 'The Three Marvels' (三奇) -- three sets of three consecutive stems (Jia-Wu-Geng for the Heavenly Three Marvels, Yi-Bing-Ding for the Earthly Three Marvels) whose appearance in a chart indicates exceptional talent and unusual fortune. 'Celestial and Monthly Virtue' (天月德) -- benevolent influences that can mitigate disasters and reduce punishments. 'The Supreme Ultimate Noble' (太極貴) -- an indicator of philosophical depth and spiritual attainment. 'The Academy Hall and Poetry Pavilion' (學堂詞館) -- markers of literary talent and examination success.
The spirit-marker (神煞) system is a vast overlay of auspicious and inauspicious indicators computed from the relationships between the four pillars. Volume 3 catalogs the major markers systematically: first the auspicious ones (noble persons, three marvels, virtues, academic markers), then the inauspicious ones (destructive markers, void, punishment). While some modern Bazi practitioners de-emphasize the spirit-marker system in favor of pure five-phase analysis, the Sanming Tonghui treats it as an essential interpretive layer.
On the Sheep Blade and Void-Extinction
論羊刃與空亡
論正印、論德秀、論劫煞亡神、論羊刃、論空亡、論元辰、論暗金的煞、論災煞、論六厄、論勾絞、論孤辰寡宿、論天羅地網、論十惡大敗、總論諸神煞
[The remainder of Volume 3 covers:] 'The Sheep Blade' (羊刃) -- one of the most feared inauspicious markers, indicating violent excess. It appears when a stem's element is already in its most prosperous position and pushes one step further into dangerous overabundance. The Sheep Blade is associated with military authority, surgical skill, and violent death depending on other chart factors. 'Void-Extinction' (空亡) -- when certain Branch positions fall outside the current ten-day cycle, they are considered 'void.' Lines or positions falling into void are weakened or their effects delayed. However, the text extensively discusses cases where void actually becomes beneficial. 'Lone Star and Widow Lodge' (孤辰寡宿) -- indicators of social isolation, late marriage, or monasticism. 'Heaven's Net and Earth's Snare' (天羅地網) -- positions indicating entanglement in legal troubles or institutional constraints. 'The Ten Evils and Great Defeats' (十惡大敗) -- specific day-pillars considered so inauspicious that they override positive indicators. 'General Discussion of All Spirit-Markers' -- a comprehensive summary arguing that while individual markers matter, the overall balance of the chart always takes precedence over any single indicator.
羊刃 (yang ren, 'Sheep Blade'): The name's origin is debated. One theory derives it from 'blade that cuts the sheep' (a sacrificial metaphor); another reads 刃 (ren, 'blade') as 忍 (ren, 'endurance'). In practice, the Sheep Blade represents the dangerous point where an element's prosperity has exceeded its natural peak by one step. It is particularly feared when associated with the day-master's element, as it suggests a personality prone to recklessness and extremity.
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