Did You Catch the Right Ghost?

This is the first time I'm writing a blog, so do pardon me if my blog looks novice and raw. Feedback on how to improve my blog is welcome.

I have always wanted to write my blog. Pen down my travel experiences with photos, my thoughts and idea, especially when I have written so many stuff through the years on my hobby in Chinese Metaphysics. They are everywhere in different forum. I should have one centralize place to keep all of them. They are my own thoughts. 

Anyway, better late than never. And I was wondering what to write. I don't want to start my blog for the sake of writing without inspiration. And so, my first writing own its fate to the seminar I attended today - Joey Yap's Feng Shui and Astrology 2013 Seminar.

Though I have seen his DVD, read his articles and books, I have never seen him in person. When we talk about Fengshui Master from Malaysia, many would often think of JY and LT. I have heard how their seminars were often filled with people, and they spoke with charismatic charm.

I was very fortunate to be invited by Fiona and Eileen to attend JY's seminar today and experienced it myself. 

I must say I am impressed with him throughout the seminar. JY knew what he was talking, he was not afraid to bitch at the audience for asking stupid questions in an unoffensive way, he was organized in his materials and delivery, and he offered more than what other Masters do for an unusual zodiac prediction towards a lunar new year.

Anyway, towards the last few hours of the seminar we were given a few auspicious dates and time. One of the dates was a 10 Feb 13, and that 5 ghost direction was in East. 

On my way home, thoughts started showering in my mind. I knew there were different variations/ applications of ghosts in Chinese Metaphysic:

1)    8 Mansion

2)    Tan Lang 9 Star (Water formula) – Five Ghost Transporting Wealth (FGTW)

3)    4P/ Zi Wei Symbolic Star

4)    Flying Star – I know there are people using 5 Yellow as a form of 5 FGTW

5)    Tong Shen Almanac

6)    Taoist Ritual – Ghost here indicate spirits from 5 directions (North, South, East, West, Central)

7)    Zhong Kuai 钟馗五鬼运财 Painting

 

In the Tong Shen Almanac, the 2013 symbolic stars 5 ghost is in the west. 

But is it using the same methodology as the 5 ghost on 10 Feb? What is it based on? Year, Month, Day, Hour pillar?

And so after I gone back I started flipping my books and searching the Internet for an answer. (I haven’t even showered or had my dinner!).
Internet results were based on month earthly branch, however based on 真本金吊桶秘笈 is it based on year. Both have the same methodology of:

四柱八字中“五鬼星”的查法如下。In Four pillars, method for finding 5 Ghost as follow:

以生月（月支）查其他地支，见者即是 Using Month earthly branch, check if appear in any other pillars：

子月支见辰支 Rat Month meet Dragon

丑月支见巳支 Ox Month meet Snake

寅月支见午支 Tiger Month meet Horse

卯月支见未支 Rabbit Month meet Goat

辰月支见申支 Dragon Month meet Monkey

巳月支见酉支 Snake Month meet rooster

午月支见戌支 Horse month meet Dog

未月支见亥支 Goat Month meet Pig

申月支见子支 Monkey Month meet Rat

酉月支见丑支 Rooster Month meet Ox

戌月支见寅支 Dog Month meet Tiger

亥月支见卯支 Pig Month meet Rabbit

五鬼星”的解释：主破财、人口不安、疾病、死亡。5 Ghost star is described as: loss of wealth, disharmony, illnesses and death. 

Okay, doesn’t matter that on the Internet others wrote that it is based on month, and the book is based on year, as long as the methods are the same. That is to calculate 5 Ghost Star it is based on the theory 5 ghost is at the same place as Yang Sword 阳刃 of the three combination. Based on the year EB, it is the next 3 combine element. Eg.

Year is Rat, so 5 Ghost at Dragon (Monkey+Rat+Dragon)

Year is Ox, so 5 ghost at Snake (Snake+Rooster+Ox)

Year is Tiger, so 5 ghost is at Horse (Tiger+Horse+Dog)

And so on.. Thus 2013 which is a 癸巳 (snake year), 5 ghost is at Rooster (West).

Okay, that explains the year symbolic star why 5 ghost is at west. But by applying to 10 Feb, given the day is 丁未 goat, why is the 5 ghost not at Hai Pig??? But in the East??

Could it be the printer’s error?

I looked at another book 通胜堂 － 标准万年历, and look at the list of symbolic stars there. The only “ghost” listed was 破败五鬼 based on year heavenly stem. But is this “ghost” the same “ghost” as the above?. But the Tong Shen almanc only said 五鬼 and not the full name 破败五鬼。（Destruct Failure 5 Ghost). And why is the methodology different??

And so the research continues. Thank goodness I have another book “协纪辩方书”. And this book was my saviour…almost…

  This was explained very clearly that there are two different ghost. One is the “5 ghost” and the other “Destruct Failure 5 Ghost”.

The “Destruct Failure 5 Ghost – DF5G” 破败五鬼 is based on that the DF5G is at the opposite direction of the Year Heavenly Stem, which is Na Jia 纳甲 to the Later Heaven Hexagram.

Na Jia is based on assigning the 12 Heavenly stems to the I-Ching Hexagram line. Without the technicality, Jia 甲 – Qian 乾, Yi 乙– Kun 坤, Bing 丙– Gen 艮, Ding 丁 – Dui兑, Wu 戊– Kan 坎, Ji己 – Li 离, Ren 壬– Jia 甲, Gui 癸 - Kun 坤.

So DF5G being at the opposite will be - E.g 10 Feb is 丁未 NaJia in 兑 Dui West － 震 Zhen East.

That explains why the “5 ghost” on 10 Feb is in the East as it is a different ghost.

Then came another problem…

The “5 ghost” in 协纪辩方书 methodology is different from the one in 真本金吊桶秘笈。Both are just named 五鬼 but the one in 协纪辩方书 is based on the methodology of starting the Rat Year in Dragon, and going in reversed cycle. That is Rat year – Dragon, Ox year – Rabbit, Tiger year – Tiger, Rabbit Year – Ox, and so forth.

The theory is that Dragon and Rat is Water’s essence, Ox and Rabbit is Wood’s essence, Goat and Rooster is Metal’s essence, Horse and Dog is Fire’s essence.

Tiger, Snake, Monkey and Pig is Earth’s essence that can grow all living things which is also the Birth 长生 of the 5 elements. Thus when Rat year goes against the dragon, it is natural that they will combine.

But why the reverse cycle? 5 ghost is based on one of the Chinese 28 constellation (the ecliptic), the aura of the Ghost Palace 鬼宿星团 (Cancer).  If we were to say Rat Year starts on Dragon, going forward is Yang and is Human, going backward is Yin and is Ghost. This aura is never in existence. As there are about 200- 350 constellation stars within this Ghost Palace, and that the distance is 600 light years to Earth. Due to the distance, it looks like an aura ball of white Qi looking from Earth.

And so this was the third “ghost”..

What about the Ghost in Lian Zhen (Purity) of Tan Lang 9 Star?

Lian Zhen is actually one of North Dipper star (北斗七星), Alioth in the Great Bear Palace. It is the brightest and is near to the Bear’s tail. In sea navigation history, it is often used by the seamen. 

In China’s recorded history (史记)  the heavenly official book (天官书) it is called 玉衡 (Jade Balance). During the Tang Dynasty a Buddhism book “Buddha talks on Dipper 7 star extending life sutra” 佛说北斗七星延命经 state this star as Lian Zhen (Literally meaning Justice and pure – Lian Zhen) is the Eastern world spreading logic Buddha. “南无廉贞星。是东方净住世界广达智辨如来佛。”

Lian Zhen is used in 八宅明镜 8 Mansion as the 5 ghost or Lai Po Yi’s Flipping the 9 star hexagram, of which derives the 5 ghost transporting wealth water formula (赖布衣) 九星翻卦之五鬼运财水法. As both uses Lian Zhen (the fifth dipper star) which is deemed to be inauspicious in this methology.

And so … have you caught the right ghost?...