Thursday, July 28, 2011

Zi Wei Dou Shu (8) - Life is a Stage

In an introductory paragraph of an ancient book "Zi Wei Dou Shu Fei Xing Mi Yi 紫微斗數飛星秘儀", it is said:

Heaven and Earth are images. They can be traced by the track of qi. Therefore, the images of heavenly bodies can be used to forecast human activities. The reason is because everything is subjected to the law of wax and wane.It is a pity that human beings throughout their lives cannot escape the cage of heavenly images. It is enough to conclude that everything returns to the destiny of qi. The beginning and the end of Zi Wei Dou Shu can only follow this pattern - limited by qi 止乎[氣], ruled by mathematical formulas 法乎[數], flourishing with reasoning 極乎[理] and originated from imagery 宗乎[象].

Unfortunately the way most people learn to use Zi Wei Dou Shu or Bazi today has departed from this guideline.

The natal chart from a person's birth time creates a stage on which the person is to play a part. The mathermatical part is like the script of the play. The qi pattern of the chart limits the quality and ability of the person. The image generated by the chart is the sketch based on which he writes up the story. With reasonable decision a person can choose to live a life in a permitted flourishing way. The value of astrology is the presentation to a person a picture of his life and the guidance to live the best way he can.

JY

3 comments:

joey said...

Something I found on the origin on ZWDS
The pole star is an astronomical incident. The Earth rotates around its own axis enabling one star (presently Polaris) to appear stationary in the sky while the other stars rotate around it. And what could that mean? What is the interpretation?

In the Erya, it is said: 北極謂之北辰。

北極: The North Pole, the Arctic Pole, the north magnetic pole
謂: to designate; meaning, sense
之: of
北辰: North Star


The Analects has: 為政以德,譬如北辰,居其所,而眾星拱之。

為: to be, to take something as
政: political, politics, government
以: to use, by means of
德: virtue, ethics, kindness, morality

譬如: for example
北辰: North Star

居: to reside, to be in a certain position
其所: its place

而: and
眾: many, numerous, crowd
星: star
拱: to surround, to cup one's hands in salute
之: it


During the Zhou Dynasty (Wen Wang (associated with Tian Tong) of the Zhou put together the 64 hexagrams), the Pole Star was referred to as 帝 dì, Emperor.

Chinese astronomy is vastly different to Western astronomy. There are for example the Three enclosures - Zi Wei Yuan (紫微垣), Tai Wei Yuan (太微垣), and Tian Shi Yuan (天市垣).

The 观象玩占 apparently has 北極星在紫微宮中,一曰北辰,天之最尊星也。其紐星天之樞也。天運無窮,三光迭耀,而極星不移。故曰:「居其所而眾星拱之。

北極星: Pole Star
在: in
紫微宮: Zi Wei palace [palace of Jade Emperor in Daoism]
中: within

一: entire, throughout
曰: to speak, to say
北辰: North Star

天: heaven, sky
之: of
最: the most
尊: senior, honorific, to honour, respect
星: star
也: !

其: it
紐: to turn
星: star
天: heaven, sky
之: of
樞: hinge, pivot
也: !

天: heaven, sky
運: to move
無窮: endless, boundless

三光: three lights [the sun, the moon, and the stars]
迭: repeatedly
耀: glorious

而: and
極星: Pole Star
不移: steadfast, fixed

故: therefore
曰: to say, to speak
居: reside
其所: its place
而: and
眾: crowd, many, numerous
星: star
拱: to surround
之: it


In Zi Wei Dou Shu Zi Wei signifies the Emperor (帝). Zi Wei is associated with the Pole Star. It isn't the Pole Star, but is related to it. The Pole Star is fixed in the heavens while the other stars revolve around it. In ZWDS Zi Wei is the premier star having the other stars crowding around it.

There is a Chinese idiom 溫故知新: 'to review the old and know the new (Analects); to recall the past to understand the future'. ZWDS was created centuries ago. In my experience whoever generated this horoscope tradition was certainly on to something. Most likely the seed to ZWDS was sown several hundred years (if not thousands) prior to its creation and development (in the Song Dynasty, etc.). The seed germinated in the unconscious and blossomed when it did and ZWDS came into existence.

One chengyu dictionary is found here. Language can also be used to find out what are the meanings of the star associations. Zi Wei is associated with 尊, Tian Ji with 善, etc.

I suppose there is one part astronomy and one part metaphysics, and you take the ingredients and create an astrology and a birth horoscope, etc.

Joseph Yu said...

Hi Paulo,

This is the right way to spend your time. Way to go!

JY

joey said...

http://www.chinese-tools.com/chinese/chengyu/dictionary/all.html

This helps a bit too