ZPZQ 子平真诠 - (2) Discussing Change of Application God 论用神变化 (Part 1)

The Month Commander is the source but which hidden stems rule supreme will depends on what "protrudes" to the stem and what "gathers" in the branches.

Original Text

用神既主月令也，然月令所藏不一，而用神遂有变化。如十二支中，除子午卯酉外，余皆有藏，不必四库也。即以寅论，甲为本主，如郡之有府；丙其长生，如郡之有同知；戊亦长生，如郡之有通判。假使寅月为提，不透甲而透丙，则知府不临郡，而同知得以作主。此变化之由也。

Translation & Interpretation

Although the Application God 用神 (Yong Shen) is primarily determined by the Month Commander (Branch) 月令 (Yue Ling), the content of each Month Commander 月令 varies in terms of hidden stems 藏干, and this leads to potential changes 变化 (bian hua) of the Application God.

Among the Twelve Earthly Branches 十二支, except for Zi 子, Wu 午, Mao 卯, and You 酉 (which each contain only a single hidden stem), the rest all conceal multiple stems—even excluding the four storage branches 四库 (Chen 辰, Xu 戌, Chou 丑, Wei 未).

Take Yin 寅 as an example: it contains Jia 甲 (its principal Qi 本气), Bing 丙 (its Growth 长生), and Wu 戊 (also Growth).

• Jia 甲 is like the Prefect 知府 (Zhi Fu) of a district—properly in place and in command.

• Bing 丙 in Yin, being Growth (12 Longevity) , is like a Deputy Magistrate 同知 (Tong Zhi ).

• Wu 戊, though also Growth, is controlled by Yin wood and is like a Minor Official 通判 (Tong Pan).

If the chart is born in Yin month, but Jia 甲 is not revealed and Bing 丙 is, then the deputy acts in the prefect’s place—the Application God changes accordingly.

• This is how transformations of Application arise.