Taiyi Golden Mirror Cosmic Board Classic: Volume 8 — Nine Province Field-Allocation
太乙金鏡式經·卷八
Taiyi Golden Mirror Cosmic Board Classic: Volume 8 — Nine Province Field-Allocation
太乙金鏡式經·卷八
Preface to the Nine Palace Field-Allocation and Stellar Lodge-Degree Assignments
九宮分野序與星次躔度
推九宫分野 昔者元始無象太素流形對越在天以為元首則記所謂冬居營窟夏居橧巢飲血茹毛未有麻絲者也及燧人鑚火庖犧出震風宗下武炎祚昌基晝夜無聞其規歸一揆也黄帝則東海江南登崆躡岱至於昆峰振蠻風山訪道存諸汗竹未可厚誣 九州分野躔次 角亢氐 鄭兖州 在天三十八度在地三十二度 房心 宋豫州 在天十度在地十四度 尾箕 幽燕州 在天二十七度地同 斗牽牛須女 吳越州 在天四十一度在地四十三度 虚危 齊青州 在天二十七度地三十四度 營室東壁 衛并州 在天二十七度地三十五度 奎婁胃 魯徐州 在天十五度地十八度 昴畢 趙兾州 在天二十九度地三十四度 觜參 魏益州 在天三十度地三十七度 東井輿鬼 秦雍州 在天三十三度地三十七度 栁七星張 周三輔 在天十四度地同 翼軫 楚荆州 在天三十七度地同
PREFACE TO THE NINE PALACE FIELD-ALLOCATION: In the primordial beginning there were no forms; Grand Simplicity flowed into shape. Facing and ascending to heaven established the first principle. The records tell of dwelling in cave-shelters in winter and nest-shelters in summer, drinking blood and eating raw fur, before hemp and silk existed. Then Suiren drilled fire; Pao Xi (Fu Xi) emerged with the Zhen trigram; the Wind Clan continued the legacy; the Fiery Mandate (Shennong) established foundations. Through day and night, unheard, their principles converged to a single standard. The Yellow Emperor traversed the eastern seas and the Jiangnan, ascended Kongtong and Mount Tai, reached the Kunlun peak, and traveled to Manfeng Mountain to seek the Way — preserving it on bamboo strips, which must not be lightly dismissed. NINE PROVINCE STELLAR LODGE-DEGREE ASSIGNMENTS: Horn, Gullet, Base (角亢氐) — Zheng state, Yan-zhou: 38 degrees in heaven, 32 degrees on earth. Chamber, Heart (房心) — Song state, Yu-zhou: 10 degrees in heaven, 14 on earth. Tail, Winnowing-Basket (尾箕) — You-Yan-zhou: 27 degrees in heaven and earth alike. Dipper, Ox, Girl (斗牛女) — Wu-Yue-zhou: 41 degrees in heaven, 43 on earth. Emptiness, Danger (虛危) — Qi state, Qing-zhou: 27 degrees in heaven, 34 on earth. Encampment, Eastern Wall (室壁) — Wei state, Bing-zhou: 27 degrees in heaven, 35 on earth. Strider, Bond, Stomach (奎婁胃) — Lu state, Xu-zhou: 15 degrees in heaven, 18 on earth. Pleiades, Net (昴畢) — Zhao state, Ji-zhou: 29 degrees in heaven, 34 on earth. Beak, Triaster (觜參) — Wei (魏) state, Yi-zhou: 30 degrees in heaven, 37 on earth. Well, Ghost (井鬼) — Qin state, Yong-zhou: 33 degrees in heaven, 37 on earth. Willow, Star, Extended Net (柳星張) — Zhou, the Three Adjuncts: 14 degrees in heaven and earth alike. Wings, Chariot-Board (翼軫) — Chu state, Jing-zhou: 37 degrees in heaven and earth alike.
陳卓 (Chén Zhuó): Chen Zhuo (陳卓): Wei dynasty Grand Astrologer who compiled the definitive field-allocation table by reconciling the work of Fei Zhi (費直) and Cai Yong's (蔡邕) Monthly Ordinances commentary. His compilation became the standard reference for all subsequent field-allocation systems in Chinese astrology.
The field-allocation system (分野) is the geographic infrastructure underlying the entire Taiyi system. By mapping 28 lunar lodges to 12 provinces (nine standard provinces plus three supplementary zones), it translates celestial events into terrestrial predictions. When a comet appears in the Horn lodge, for example, it portends trouble in Yan-zhou (corresponding to modern Shandong). Volume 8 provides the most detailed version of this mapping in the entire text.
The distinction between 'heavenly degrees' (在天X度) and 'earthly degrees' (在地X度) reflects the ancient Chinese understanding that celestial and terrestrial extents do not correspond one-to-one. A lodge may span 38 degrees of the sky but correspond to only 32 degrees of territory. This discrepancy was attributed to the irregular shape of the earth and the varying distances between the celestial sphere and the terrestrial surface.
Twelve Palace Field-Allocations: Palace 1 Ji-zhou through Palace 9 Yang-zhou
十二宮分野：一宮冀州至九宮揚州
一宫兾州 得保安定瀛兾深洺磁相西南盡河之地也 兾州按禹貢周禮并為河内之地舜置十二牧其一也春秋元命包曰𭥦畢散為兾州為趙國其地有險有易帝王所都亂則兾安弱則兾强荒則兾豐州南北濶大分衛以西為并州燕以北為幽州周人因焉 二宫荆州 得施黔黄郢信陽分與國及荆南以西之地也 荆州禹貢荆及衡陽之地 三宫青州 得齊青淄濰宻登莱及遼東之地也 青州按禹貢為海岱之地 四宫徐州 得宿全徐兖沂淮陽連海之地也 五宫豫州 得東京南京曹軍廣濟亳虢陜及京西信陽之地也 六宫雍州 得永興河西渭水岷山西北𤓰沙之地也 七宫梁州 得全疊石階成鳯商金房及泗州滁施黔之地 八宮兖州 得北京滑濮濟蘄澶恩徳博濵滄汾乾寧永凈之地也 九宫州 得潮福建江浙淮南徐宿亳黄連海之地
PALACE 1 — JI-ZHOU: Comprises Bao, Anding, Ying, Ji, Shen, Ming, Ci, and Xiang — all territory southwest to the Yellow River. According to the Tribute of Yu and the Rites of Zhou, this is the land within the River (河内). Shun established it as one of the twelve pastoral districts. The Spring and Autumn Apocryphal Mandate states: 'The Pleiades and Net lodges disperse to form Ji-zhou' — it was Zhao territory. The land has both fortified and accessible terrain. It is where emperors established their capitals. In times of disorder, Ji-zhou remains secure; when the realm weakens, Ji-zhou grows strong; in famine, Ji-zhou is abundant. PALACE 2 — JING-ZHOU: Comprises Shi, Qian, Huang, Ying, Xinyang, and Jingnan westward. According to the Tribute of Yu, this is the land of Jing and south of Mount Heng. PALACE 3 — QING-ZHOU: Comprises Qi, Qing, Zi, Wei, Mi, Deng, Lai, and Liaodong. According to the Tribute of Yu, this is the land between the sea and Mount Dai. PALACE 4 — XU-ZHOU: Comprises Su, Quan, Xu, Yan, Yi, and Huaiyang to the coast. PALACE 5 — YU-ZHOU: Comprises the Eastern Capital, Southern Capital, Cao, Jun, Guangji, Bo, Guo, Shan, and the Jingxi-Xinyang region. PALACE 6 — YONG-ZHOU: Comprises Yongxing, the Hexi corridor, the Wei River, Mount Min, and the Guasha region to the northwest. PALACE 7 — LIANG-ZHOU: Comprises Quan, Dieshi, Jie, Cheng, Feng, Shang, Jin, Fang, and the Si-Chu-Shi-Qian region. PALACE 8 — YAN-ZHOU: Comprises the Northern Capital, Hua, Pu, Ji, Qi, Chan, En, De, Bo, Bin, Cang, Fen, Qian, Ning, Yong, and Jing. PALACE 9 — YANG-ZHOU: Comprises Chao, Fujian, Jiangzhe, Huainan, Xu, Su, Bo, Huang, and the coastal regions.
Palace 5 (Yu-zhou/豫州) corresponds to the 'central fifth' palace that Taiyi never enters. This is because the center represents the imperial seat itself — the emperor's own domain is not subject to Taiyi's inspection. However, Yu-zhou is still listed for field-allocation purposes because other subsidiary deities (Four Spirits, Celestial Unity, etc.) can occupy the center.
The three supplementary palaces — Crimson Palace (絳宮), Bright Hall (明堂), and Jade Hall (玉堂) — extend the nine-palace system to twelve positions, matching the twelve earthly branches. These three zones represent border territories: Jiao-zhou (modern northern Vietnam and Guangxi), Yi-zhou (Sichuan basin), and You-zhou (the northeast frontier). They are only used by the subsidiary Taiyi deities that travel through twelve positions rather than eight.
The Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch assignments at the end of the section (甲齊, 乙東夷, etc.) provide an alternative geographic mapping using the ten stems and twelve branches. This allowed the system to predict events for non-Chinese peoples and border regions: 乙 = Eastern Barbarians, 丁 = Southern Barbarians, 辛 = Western Barbarians, 癸 = Northern Barbarians. This reflects the Sinocentric worldview in which the divination system claims universal geographic coverage.
Unlock Full Scholarly Text
Verify your email to access the complete bilingual translation. We'll send you a one-click verification link.
Free access. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.