At a glance
- First record
- Time, place and method version
- Two stages
- Construction and interpretation separate
Definition and terminology
First specify moment, location, civil offset and any solar-time convention, then derive calendrical signs and solar term. Hourly Qimen differs from annual, monthly and daily methods. The chart commonly includes lower and upper stems, stars, doors and spirits. Constructing one layer does not complete the chart, and construction differs from interpretation.
Structure and rules
A common workflow determines polarity and number, installs base stems, identifies the hour’s Jia decade, and selects Chief Star and Chief Envoy from its original position. Timing rules then move layers, with optional annotations added afterward. Keep intermediate inputs, especially the full hour pair: the stem alone does not identify its decade.
Worked reading
Assume a teaching yang-one chart at Jia-Zi hour. Wu is in palace 1 and represents the Jia-Zi leader, so Kan’s Tianpeng and Rest supply the initial Chief Star and Envoy. Further placement follows the declared method. This illustrates selection, not a complete auspicious-time chart or a travel recommendation from one star and door.
Context and limits
Web charts can disagree through term transitions, intercalation, time scales and center handling. Compare conventions before declaring error. Historical manuals document rules, not proof that software foresees events. Label fictional inputs and preserve real boundary uncertainty. Correct construction establishes symbolic procedure, while predictive effectiveness requires separate investigation.
References & further reading
Historical sources document ideas and rules of their time, not empirical proof of predictive accuracy. Source notes identify the nature and scope of each reference.
- 《遁甲演义》卷一Primary / tradition source
Public-domain text for yin/yang arrangements, solar terms and eighteen arrangements; legendary origins remain legends.
- 《奇门遁甲统宗》Primary / tradition source
Public-domain received Qimen manual; documents palace, star, door and spirit rules and variants, not modern validation.
- Hong Kong Observatory: Heavenly Stems and Earthly BranchesInstitutional / reference source
Official calendar reference for sequences and double hours; does not validate natal divination.