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Jiu Gong Ming Li: An Introduction To 9 Palace Fate Calculations
Personal and Universal Ki
The legendary Yellow Emperor started the 9 star cycle with the 1 White water star in the year we call 2637 BC. The years are separated by big cycles of 180 years, and the most recent one of these began in 1924. The current solar year, after February 4th, 2005, belongs to star Green Wood 4.
Like each year, each month (and day) is also assigned to one of the stars, according to the Chinese Solar calendar. This means that on the day you were born, there were 3 major types of Ki at play within and around you. Through the impact of the new Inochi joining the world, certain cycles are set into motion that guides your actions yet learns to respond to your intent. The 9 Star chart describes how your personal Ki interacts with the cyclically changing energy patterns of your environment. Since one does not live in a vacuum, the presence of other people and influences from the cultural and natural environment can modify these interaction patterns, resulting in cycles and sequences that may not suit your own flow of Ki. These temporal influences can impede your efforts or otherwise undermine your state of well being by introducing inappropriate pleasure or unnecessary pain.
This does not mean that you are controlled by these energies. You can disrupt negative energy flows or open up blocked energy flows and thereby change your state radically. The Ki of the universe controls your bio-physical and psychic destiny, yet it obeys your commands: you program it with the actions of body, speech and mind on a moment-by-moment basis. The actions and ideas that you link pain and pleasure to are the keys to the control of your destiny. The influence of social and physical environments may have thrown much of your energy out of balance, but the natural human gifts of understanding and reason enable you to realign yourself and bring these energies back into harmony. Almost any problem can be solved or any "fate" altered by the proper application of Yin and Yang and the Wuxing with the tools found in the 9 Palaces that belong to the 9 Stars.
9 Star Ki and the 12 animal signs
The famous 12 animal signs are known around the world, but are often misunderstood. The 12 signs are not constellations like the 12 zodiac signs were at the time of their origin. They represent the 12 terrestrial branches which are intervals of time during the day; phases of Ki going through transformations in time. These 12 branches represent Ki on Earth and how it is stored at different times, where the 10 Celestial Stems represent the Ki of heaven and which of the 5 phases is being generated in its Yin or Yang aspect at different times. The combination of Stem and Branch forms the all important 60 year calendar cycle, and is the root of the sciences of Acupuncture, Herbalism and Four Destiny Pillars Chinese Astrology, but most people do not know how 9 Star Ki is related to the 12 branches. Each of the Stars are related to 4 of the 12 animal signs as follows:
- Nine Star Ki years 1, 4 and 7 are always the animal signs of Rat, Rabbit, Horse and Rooster.
- Nine Star Ki years 2, 5 and 8 are always the animal signs years of Tiger, Snake, Monkey and Pig.
- Nine Star Ki years 3, 6 and 9 are always the animal signs years of Ox, Dragon, Sheep and Dog.
As you can see, a person born in the Jade 3 year will also be born in the year of the Ox, Dragon, Sheep or Dog, and these can be quite different. Because of the way the calendar is constructed, the Month Star does not match up in the same way, lending even more variety to the 9 star chart: in other words, the same 3 person could be influenced by Yellow Star 5 because of it being their month star, but not necessarily by any of the animal signs associated with 5 by way of the animal sign of the calendar month. This list also shows that when the year of a certain animal arrives, it may affect you although it is not the year of your number. For instance, if your root star is 9 Purple, you may experience certain effects during the year of the Ox, even if you are a Dragon year person.
What 9 Star Ki can do for you
9 Star Ki is not the most complex system of astro-numerology, but sometimes more details can mean more confusion than is needed when immediate advice and results matter. Lao Tzu said: "The highway is straight and broad, but people like the side paths" By not getting lost in the details, it is easier to get the big picture.
At the same time, 9 Star can be used when only the date and place of birth is known with accuracy. It can help with matters concerning prosperity, relationships and health. I have heard it said that while the Four Pillars chart actually maps the physical and psychic makeup of a person, 9 Star gives some insight into the workings of the personal Guardian Spirit. It may be that when we are faced with challenges or need to make a change in order to grow spiritually, that the "Heavenly Ki" can be read through this system, passing us a crib sheet, so to speak, that gives us the key to the promptings of the higher self, and the answers to the questions that life tests us with from time to time.
The job of the modern divination expert is to help guide a person in their quest to surmount life's difficulties. One of the best ways to do this is to chart the most likely times when problems can occur, and to provide some tools that can be used to bring balance to the relationship between personal and Universal Ki. Knowledge of Kigaku will not remove challenges from your life, but these negative energies cannot successfully overcome the power of intent that radiates from the human spirit. 9 Star is not designed to be a vehicle for mulling over problems: it is meant to provide solutions. It is not designed to replace your spiritual path in life, it is compatible with any path, having no religious doctrine that must be adhered to in order to make it work. It is designed to give advice, which can be accepted or rejected as you see fit. You should be aware, though, that the knowledge gained from the application of Kigaku to your daily life may boost both your self confidence and your gratitude for the beautiful world in which we live.
The ancient sages considered a human beings most valuable possession to be spiritual energy, which hinges on free will. Therefore Onmyodo does not believe in incontrovertible fate, or irrevocable destiny. What you choose do with your life today will become what you have in your life tomorrow. To understand this philosophy is to practice the way of freedom. To learn to practice this philosophy using the tools of the Lo Shu, the Taiji and the WuXing is to learn the essence of metaphysics and a path into the way of Onmyodo.