We will now move on to a consideration of the Self in relation to the greater questions of Fate and Destiny.
All of the factors described in the previous section are shown at a glance in Four Pillars Report generated by the program. Now that we have a fuller understanding of what the Four Pillars represent, we can begin to examine them within the dynamics if the unfolding of a person’s life. We are, therefore, talking about a method of progressing the Pillars and seeing what energies are impacting upon a person at any time within their life – referred to as the Fate Cycle.
The Fate Cycle is actually a form of progression as understood by western astrologers, and the rate used is one month for ten years. For example, to determine the progressed pillars for someone at the age of 30 years, the pillar calculation would actually be based on a date 30 months since their birth. Note that the month here can refer to either a lunar month (about 29.5 days) or a solar month (about 30.4 days), depending on whether the user has chosen the option to calculate pillars using the lunar or solar months.
This method yields a derived (progressed) Pillar against which the natal Self [Day]
Pillar (or any other natal Pillar, for that matter) can be compared. The most common method for calculating this by hand is as follows:
1) Determine if the Year and Day Stems of the birth Pillars are of the same polarity (Yin or Yang)
2) Mark down the Month Pillar as the starting point (first Fate Cycle Pillar) of the Fate Cycle
3) Determine the lunar date of birth
4) If the polarities in step one are the same, the count goes forward, and vice-versa 5) Count the number of days, forward or backward, to the commencement of the
next or previous lunar month
6) Divide the result by three. The result is the number of years remaining in the first Fate Pillar.
7) Depending upon the direction of the count, mark down a series of pillars after the first Fate Pillar in order, depending upon how long you want you or your client to live. Ex: Month Pillar is 3/VII, count is backward, successive Pillars are as follows: 2/VII, 1/VI, 10/V, 9/IV, 8/III, etc.
8) Under each Pillar, mark down the ten-year period (Each Pillar represents a progression of ten years.) for each pillar. So, if the first Pillar is 0-3 years, the successive Pillars will be, in order: 4-13, 14-23, 24-33, 34-43, etc.
9) Under each Fate Pillar, write down the Stem element and the equivalent element(s) for the Branch of each of the Fate Pillars. Do the same with the Day Pillar of birth.
10) You are now ready to compare each of the Fate Pillars to the Day Pillar of birth (Self) to see what is/was needed for a balancing of the energies in one’s system during any ten-year period of life.
These ten-year cycles may be further broken down for more precision in forecasting.
Each Fate Pillar can be subdivided into 28-29 sectors, each representing approximately four months duration (3 days to a year from Steps 5 and 6 above).
These Sub-Pillars are numbered according to the Day Pillar of birth for the first Fate Pillar and for the first or last day of each month in the succeeding Pillars, depending upon the direction of the count. Furthermore, the Day Sub-Pillars can further be subdivided into twelve Sub-Pillars, starting with the hour of birth. These equate to periods of time equalling approximately 9-10 days. Then, if you are really ambitious (or masochistic), each hour can be broken down into sectors or Sub-Pillars of one hundred each (The Chinese divide their hours into one hundred minute intervals.), equalling approximately two-hour periods. Suffice it to say, this particular Fate Cycle can be quite precise in terms of its timing—if one knows how to read the signs.
From there it is a fairly simple matter to judge the trends of a person’s life or of an event. All one needs to do is to compare the Day Pillar to the derived progressed
Pillar that corresponds to the time period in question. Using the criteria outlined in the Five-Element and Four Pillars sections, one can get a fairly good idea if a person will be strong, weak, stressed or balanced in any period under examination. As always, a little practice yields results.
3 The Tetragrams
The Tetragram for the current date and time is displayed on the opening screen of the Imperial Astrologer, as well as within the Four Pillars Analysis report for any birth chart. They are a most interesting aspect of this program and are, in many ways, no less important to an understanding of Chinese astrology than are all the other systems outlined, for what follows introduces the concept of divination into Chinese Astrology. And, as we know, the Chinese had their own profound systems of divination and prognostication, just as the Western traditions do.
The following example is taken from a Four Pillars Analysis report for a chart dated 14th Nov.
TETRAGRAM 73
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Completion: Yin Chi forms all things into spirals of light. Yang Chi is stored in the luminosity. All things rotate back into the center.
14 Nov (Nighttime): Time is perfect. To be in good timing breeds perfection.