Eight Mansion's Wandering Stars Part 5
by Master HC Hung
Conclusions
The reference list is by no means exhaustive, but I would think sufficient for us to form what the legal fraternity would call “a considered opinion”. The purists could well choose to follow the classics closely and disregard modern views that are ultra vires the old texts, for after all, are we not practicing classical fengshui?
My preferred approach is to take into account all views and evaluate them on a scale of logic and reasonability, even though such a scale is invariably subjective to an extent. Taking stock of what we have thus far, I would table the following inferences which appear logical and reasonable, at least to me:
- The positive Stars are strong if they are in Palaces of growth and support. Other than Bai heming, the other writers do not differentiate between Palace growing Star and Star growing Palace. They use the term “mutual growth” (相生), i.e. positive both ways. Hence I would disregard the issue of resource depletion in this context. (Support means both Palace and Star have the same element.)
- There is disagreement over which is more onerous: Palace countering Star, or Star countering Palace. On balance, I would take the view that Palace countering Star is worse. When the Star is countered, it is under attack. That would put it in dire straits. On the other hand, if the Star is attacking the Palace, it is the aggressor. To be aggressive, it must be fairly strong in the first place.
- Simple as it may sound, the concept that positive Stars can never become negative, and vice versa, is in fact quite profound. The classics only mention positive and negative (吉凶), implying that what is not positive is automatically negative. However, the laws of physics tell us that if a positively charged particle loses its positive charge, it becomes discharged, i.e. neutral. It does not take on a negative charge. For all their brilliance, the ancient Chinese did not invent the zero in mathematics, a discrete entity in between positive and negative numbers. (The all-important zero was a Middle Eastern import.) Perhaps that explains the rather intransigent mind set of the classical writers. If we follow through this line of logic, a positive Star if countered will be incapacitated partially or totally, but it should not turn negative.
- The classics do not say much about the negative Stars in this respect. Modern writers are divided on the question of whether a negative Star will behave better, or worse, when it is grown or supported by the Palace. (Like the positive Stars, we would not differentiate between growing and being grown.) In the old days, perhaps the question was of little practical significance as the important living quarters were not located in the negative Palaces. Maybe that’s why the classics ignored it. In a modern house, it is not uncommon to find an important room at a negative Star location. So the question becomes relevant. Drawing on the principles of Purple Star destiny analysis, a negative Star entering a harmonious Palace (mutual growth or support) is likely to behave less negatively, the rationale being that the Star is placated in its comfort zone. But of course it is still negative by nature and will not turn positive.
- Conversely, a negative Star being countered will turn even more malicious, not unlike a hoodlum showing his ugly side when ruffled or challenged. This is also in line with Purple Star principles. As to whether Palace countering negative Star is more onerous than the other way around, it hardly matters. Bad is bad enough.
- The view that only opposite polarities between Palace and Star will invoke elemental interplay is, to my mind, inadequately substantiated. I won’t buy it yet. It is interesting the 2 authors who mentioned “Palace and Star walking the same path” come from Taiwan. Perhaps this calls for more research using Taiwanese material.
- The classics go to some length in describing the individual family members who will be impacted by the arrival of certain Stars at certain Palaces, such as:
- Greedy Wolf affects the eldest son, positively when the Star is strong, negatively when it is countered;
- Hugh Door affects the middle son;
- Military Arts affects the youngest son;
- Broken Soldier and Chastity harm the eldest son;
- Literary Arts harms the middle son;
- Rewards harms the youngest son;
- A Star countering a Palace, or Palace countering the Star, will harm the family member associated with the Palace (qian = father, kun = mother, etc.). In interpreting a chart, do bear in mind that the chart merely indicates the potential for an event to happen. For the event to materialize, external features (luantou) must support it. Moreover, old texts tend to be alarmist in character. I would take the predictions of death and doom with a pinch of salt.
- The analysis also provides the expected timing of an event. The Wood, Fire, Metal and Water Stars are most active during the years and months associated with the respective elements (3-Harmonies Branches, also the Stems). There is a controversy over Earth Stars. I’m inclined to go along with the Earth frame Branches (chen, xu, chou, wei) and the Earth Stems (wu, ji).
Epilogue
Elemental interplay between Palace and Star is a useful analytical tool in advanced level 8 Mansions fengshui. 8-Mansions is often labeled as inadequate or old fashioned compared with newer techniques. That is grossly unfair. This time tested technique has many hidden jewels if only one cares to look for them.
(From the ramblings of one hhc, a fengshui crazee!)
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