USEFUL ENERGY OF JIYOU'S BIRTH CARD:

[DiegoFS]

Hello Jiyou, best regards. Normally I charge for my services through my website, but don't worry, I'll give you my opinions regarding your question. Also, I see that you handle the BaZi and that helps a lot. Naturally I will do it in a superficial way (I will not do detailed analyzes here that already include the use of the Stars (Shén Shā 神煞) and the Heralds, Na Yin and Seasons.

Before getting into the subject, I tend to use terms a little more western (and not so much, Chinese), because I am on the other side of the world, in Bogotá, Colombia, South America. But the important thing is that we understand each other and speak the same BaZi language.

Now, I see that your main question: is that you are not clear where the Useful Energy is (Yòng Shén 用 神). And in this Natal Chart it is very easy to decipher: your Yòng Shén 用 神 is clearly an Indirect Officer (Guān Piān Guān 官 偏 官): Yin Wood (Yǐ 乙), it is clear that he becomes an Indirect Officer at the expense of Control K Qī Shā 七杀 due to the participation of the Nutrition Factor (Shí Shén 食神), in addition, you have the great advantage that a Liu He Meeting is formed (because the Rooster Yǒu 酉 and the Dragon Chén 辰 form an adjacent pair, and that harmonizes the Metal Yin (Xīn 辛).

My argument is based on two key aspects Tígāng 提纲: the most important is that the Yin Wood (Yǐ 乙) excels in the Branch of the Year and also, an is configured Structure Influence.

The Minister Star (Xiāng Shén 相 神) must be located over Indirect Wealth (Piān Cái 偏 财), that is, over Yin Water (Guǐ 癸). In that order of ideas, it is very important that you have an aquarium with clean and moving water in your room and placing the Piān Cái 偏 财 symbol on the front or if you prefer with the Khǎn 坎 Trigram. With this you will avoid having financial problems in your business and at the same time you balance your Natal Chart, it is very important to avoid at all costs that a very acute Xiè 洩 / 泄 Reduction Cycle is formed. The orientation depends on the Fēngshuǐ 风水 you know how to apply. Hopefully with Flying Stars.

When for Years (Xìng Nián 幸 年), Months, Days, Hours and Deanery (Yuàn Zhǎng 院長) periods are accumulated with the Element Yang Earth (Wù 戊), or with the Dry Earth of the Tiger Yín 寅 and the Dry Earth is much more complex of the Serpent Sì 巳 during the Summer, in all these cases you must take care of the Theft of Wealth (Jié Cái 劫财). Under such situations, the Decree of the Month Yuè Lìng 月 令, Rain of Grains becomes important. Let's say that the Yang Earth Wù 戊, would be a kind of a Second Useful Energy (at certain times of your existence), if the term may be allowed, and in such cases, you should weaken it with Yang Metal (Gēng 庚) or attack it with a bamboo flute that has the mandala Jiǎ 甲 installed, in your room. In all these cases, you must apply the parameters of Fēngshuǐ 风水. You always have to evaluate all the Energies of the Environment: Celestial Stems, Terrestrial Branches, Hidden Stems, and so on.

As is hardly logical, the Energies of Time always go in rotation so that the Adjustments must be made carefully according to these Cyclic Changes. And as I reiterated at the beginning of my answer, this is a Surface Rating of your Chart. The most important thing is that you are very clear that your Useful Energy is Yin Wood (Yǐ 乙).

Jiyou, a warm greeting from the other side of the world and I hope you apply these Energies so that your Life Projects go forward.

[Jiyou]

Thank you Diego for the reply despite me not subscribing to your paid service! Not only that, I’ve only asked for your opinion on is (Yòng Shén 用 神) but you’ve also gave insights on feng shui as well! Thank you very much for that! No worries as I can’t understand much Chinese too and can only understand some basic words.
Just to check if I’ve understood you correctly:
1. Given that Yong Shen is Yǐ 乙 wood as Indirect officer, would then the Xīn 辛 metal and rooster Yǒu 酉 as Shí Shén 食神 be very important to the chart given that you’ve mentioned that the Liu He Meeting of rooster Yǒu and dragon Chen is beneficial? (noted that you’ve translated it Shí Shén as Nutrition factor, some translations that I’ve come across includes food god and eating god)
2. Although Yong Shen is Yi wood, there are certain conditions where the Yuè Lìng 月 令of Wu earth (which is also Jié Cái 劫财) will be the focal point of the chart where you’ve given feng shui advice of utilizing Gēng 庚 metal or Jiǎ 甲 word. In terms of reading the chart under these conditions, is the Jiǎ 甲 wood in month pillar and the Xīn 辛 metal and rooster Yǒu 酉 (in absence of Geng metal in the chart) the beneficial factor that improves the chart quality?

Thank you again for your response and warm regards from this other side of the world!

[DiegoFS]

Don't worry about the payment, jajaja  jajaja  ….

Your approach is totally correct. In summary, the Indirect Officer must almost always take it as a Focus of Energy and to put it in some way it is the one that governs the Charter, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. The Liu He Reunion formed by Chen and You, make the Shí Shén 食神 Nutrition Factor protect your Natal Chart and prevent it from breaking. In Chinese terms: Food God is the same; I invented the term Nutrition Factor (jajaja  jajaja  ), the reason is that the term Eating God crashes in my culture, it sounds like nonsense, that's why I adopted the name Energy Nutrition Factor which here in the West sounds more technical, but actually is the same. Maybe in Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, it sounds wonderful, but not here. I try that people who do not know much about BaZi assimilate it and do not run away, or panic.

The same goes for Seven Qi Sha Killings, which sounds too cruel, I prefer to call it Control K.

It is true that the Rob Wealth sometimes takes over in times when the Earth Yang Wù 戊 accumulates. With the Chinese Energy Calendar and accompanied by the Deanery Yuàn Zhǎng 院長, you can make such assessments. That is why sometimes you must use a Bamboo Flute with the Wood Yang Jiǎ 甲 symbol to balance the Energy in your room.

Remember that the Minister Star is always the one that helps to balance your Letter, in this case, you have to add it through Feng Shui, that is, with an Aquarius that has the Chinese symbol incorporated: 癸 that is, a Yin Water 癸. With that you avoid losing money, failing in business. The Minister Star is always used to try not to get into serious trouble and it is good to rescue it and get it out of Feng Shui because it is a little absent in your Letter.

In Feng Shui it is very important to use the Favorable Orientations and avoid the Unfavorable ones. In the Favorable Sectors is where the Ministers Stars are incorporated. Flying Stars jump frequently, but those also serve as landmarks.

And to finish the symbol 癸 which is Yin Water, it must be painted in Blue on a White background; and himself, Wood Yang Jiǎ 甲 should go Light Green on a Brown background. In other words, when applying Feng Shui, the Colors of the Energies of the Elements must be adapted. If one day you need the Yang Bǐng 丙 Fire, its color is Red, and so on. The important thing here is to balance the Natal Chart, so it is not positive to use Feng Shui in untidy, or at random. We must use Common Sense and reason well about BaZi before applying Feng Shui.

It´s logical that we should use the Favorable Dates to start businesses and the like and avoid the Unfavorable ones.

Greetings to Jiyou, to the colleagues of the Forum and to JLim.

[Jiyou]

Thank you for your reply @DiegoFS ! I don’t think eating god sounds better, just that it’s probably a direct translation from the Chinese words.

Noted on your advice and thank you again for the clarification!

[DiegoFS]

I have been practicing Taoism for quite some time and I know something about Chinese Buddhism. By the way, in my country and in Latin American countries, very few people get involved with Chinese Philosophy, unless they practice it seriously. And I fully understand that in China and the countries of Southeast Asia a Polytheist Philosophy predominates (here in the West the opposite happens). Here they conquered us 500 years ago, the Spanish and the Portuguese in Brazil. France did it with Canada and in the United States the English. Therefore, monotheistic religions were imported by force and many indigenous communities disappeared de facto for not accepting the changes. Many indigenous people had to assimilate such knowledge to preserve their life. The massacres and violation of human rights in these regions, especially between the 16th and 17th centuries, were terrible. Here in my country, there is still evidence of all that cruelty. And today, it is very difficult to eradicate something that has prevailed for so long in family and social generations.

For example, I understand that the word God Food (and many more) are fully rooted in Eastern Polytheism. Now, the Chinese Masters who created the BaZi, the Fengshui and all the Metaphysical Arts, surely never thought that through time this knowledge would spread throughout the entire world (the current internet). So everything was adapted to the Culture of Imperial China.

In addition, Marco Polo and the Jesuit priests of the Catholic Church took a long time to arrive in China, nor did their Western ideas take root at first. I think that towards the end of the 19th century the culture of the West really began to land in the East and developed slowly. Information in letters or books was moved from one place to another on horses (riders). Slowly the trains and vehicles appeared.

In my personal case, at least from the place where I am and putting some creativity into it, I have been trying to Westernize this knowledge. Naturally, the Body of Doctrine must be respected, just as the Chinese Masters of old expressed them.

I have not been publishing here as often as I would like, but in these next few days I aspire to do a Publication on Chinese Face Reading, it is in a way, a variation of Chinese BaZi Astrology applied to the face of the person, and it is very useful, when the day or time of birth is not well known. Naturally the Five Arts can interact with each other and complement and support each other. The important thing is to have enough time to sit down and write.

Jiyou, I'm glad my information is useful to you. At least you already have a clearer idea of what you should implement.

[Jiyou]

Thank you for your sharing @DiegoFS! By the time I reply this would think you have already publish the book. All the best and success for your future publications!

[Jiyou]

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[DiegoFS]

Hello Jiyou, the publication of the Book will be pertinent to see that time allows me, I hope that next Year Yin Metal Buffalo will give me the opportunity to publish it.

Regarding your question, the Useful Energy of Yin Wood is formed due to the superiority in the Palaces adjacent to the Month, in this case the Year. Now, the Yang Wood takes on something of importance (despite its little presence that will surely prevent you from becoming famous) but it is part of a Structure of Influence.

The Yin Fire as a Nutrition Factor has as its main role to turn the Qi Sha into an Indirect Official and much more for the Rooster Dragon Meeting. The same would have happened if there had been a Direct Seal (Yang Fire), but this is not the case here.

The Yin Fire does not become the Owl Energy because there is a balance of forces with respect to the Nutrition Factor, unless over time when adding the Deanery, Years, Months, Days and Hours Calendar, many Yin Fire are added, that is why It is necessary to maintain an Aquarius that represents Yin Water to stop and avoid such danger.

Now, the Indirect Officer or Qi Sha (depending on the case) usually harmonizes and favors the Direct Wealth and likewise, the Direct Official usually harmonizes and favors the Indirect Wealth, and this is because the Polarities are contrary (Yin versus Yang, or Yang versus Yin). Jiyou, in any case everything is relative, a Natal Chart must be evaluated in an integral way and it must be qualified one by one, we must never take anything for granted. Sometimes the rules are not followed, note that in your Natal Chart you have an excess of Yin Wood that can at a given moment break and damage your graph and that is why you must reinforce with an Aquarius that acts as Yin Water and Become a Minister Star who can both curb Yin Wood and Yin Fire, for the reasons already explained.

That aquarium with moving water in your room and with the symbol of the Yin Water ideogram drawn above it, should become your Protective Shield.

It does not matter if you want to adopt fish as pets in the aquarium, or you want to put artificial fish, the important thing is to locate the aquarium with moving water (and change it when it gets dirty) in the best energy sector of your room.

[Jiyou]

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[DiegoFS]

Well, Jiyou, useful energy (Yòng Shén 用 神) is not always solved in such a simple way as is the case with your Natal Chart.

Since if the Element (Wǔxíng 五行) does not stand out in the adjacent Palaces of the Month (this happens more frequently when the Mixed Qi (Lùn Zá Gé 論 雜 格) of the Dragon Chén 辰, the Monkey Shēn 申 or the Dog Xū 戌 appears , because in these cases the Kindred also enter the game), we must observe if the Decree of the Month (Yuè Lìng 月 令) is transformed or mixed with other Elements (Wǔxíng 五行). This is the reason why some Charts have Doubled Useful Energies.

On certain occasions, and as long as the previous Rule is not fulfilled, the Yǒu Lì 有力 Force of the Master Day (Dominant Structures), happens to determine the Useful Energy and becomes the protagonist. It may also happen that the Useful Energy Yòng Shén 用 神 is transferred to the Celestial Stem of the Month, and other times, to the Celestial Stem of the Year.

If the previous Rules are not fulfilled, an atypical variable prevails, we must look for the Useful Energy Yòng Shén 用 神 in the Hour (and in such event, we detail said Structure), if that were to happen, we evaluate if the person was born at dawn, at noon, sunset or midnight (because in this case, the mixtures between elements Wǔxíng 五行 sometimes improve or harm the Chart). For example, it is not the same if we see a Dry Earth to a Humid Earth, a Loamy Wood is not the same to a Dry Wood, it is not the same if the Metal has Dry Earth or Wet Earth, as a support, and so on.

It is very rare that the Yòng Shén 用 神 Useful Energy appears in the Earthly Branch of the first Deanery (Yuàn Zhǎng 院長), I have not seen the first case so far, but it does not mean that it cannot happen.

In any case, and according to the Géjú Pài 格局 派 Theory of Structures, we also evaluate the Framework with the greatest predominance. And in the Reading the corresponding evaluations are executed.

We must also observe if the Palace where the Useful Energy is located is in Death and Empty and to a lesser degree, if it is in Sky in Empty (Tiān Kōng 天空), because in these cases it can benefit or harm or minimize the Effects and Consequences of the Graphic. When the Bao Tai Palaces appear in a Natal Theme, in that case the presence of the Officers (Yǐng Xiǎng 影响 Influence Patterns) become decisive and powerful.

And one last detail, the Yǒu Lì 有力 Force of the Palace of the Month is not that important (within Modern Schools for example, with which Joey Yap and other BaZi Astrologers work, it is). The Force can become much more relevant when you rate a Dynamic Chart (including Jìjié 季节 Seasons), but by itself it does not determine that the Static Chart is good or bad, at least within the BaZi 八字 Classic or Ancient Body of Doctrine, operates this way. That is the most marked difference between this Classical School of Master Xú Dà Shēng 徐 大 升 (with which we are working here) and the Modern School of Master Xú Lè Wú (徐乐吾) that was configured at the beginning of the last century.

In short, Useful Energy operates according to each Natal Chart. Therefore, this Energy varies from one Natal Chart to another; not all Charts are scored equally. That is why it is important to study the Natal Charts well in a comprehensive and professional way, before giving a hasty and wrong diagnosis (we end up configuring a false destiny and far from reality).

[Jiyou]

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[DiegoFS]

Hi Jiyou, excuse me for the delay, but I've been a bit busy.

Well, I see that you have some confusion regarding of the Useful Energy Yòng Shén 用 用 rating. I am going to give you two imaginary examples, I recommend that you make the annotations on a paper of these examples separately, so that you can visualize the method and clarify doubts (anyway, if something is not clear to you, do not worry you can ask me, at Sometimes I take time to answer, but I try to help you assimilate the technique).

In the two examples, we are going to see two specific cases in the nucleus of two Natals Charts. One will carry the Mixed Qi Zá Qì 杂 气 and the other will not carry the Miscellaneous Qi. But as we have already discussed, there are many different examples (I think they are like half a million different natal charts and it would be impossible to describe them all). As long as you are clear about the Body of Doctrine, you can practice and practice with various graphics, until you can detect the Useful Energy. We are not going to read any Natal Chart either, it is simply enough to obtain the Yòng Shén 用 Useful Energy, and the rest will come in addition.

EXAMPLE ONE: INCLUDES MIXED QI

Let's imagine that we have the Pillar of the Day is: Dog Xū 戌 of Yang Fire Bing 丙, that the Pillar of the Month is: Monkey Shēn 申 of Yin Water Gui 癸 and in the Pillar of the Year we have the Earthly Branch of the Dragon Chén 辰. At the moment, we would not take into account the Pillar of the Hour and the Celestial Stem of the Year, which we the add after finding the Useful Qi.

If we accommodate the Energies of these 2 Palaces (Day and Month) and of the Earthly Branch of the Year, and we organize them from greater quantity to less quantity, we will find the following eleven elements (for the moment we will not take into the yin polarities yang):

4 Waters (here we add the Celestial Stem of the Month)
3 Earths
2 Woods
2 Metals and
1 Fire

Here we say that the Water Excels, because 4 Waters outnumber the 3 Earths.

Now, we are going to discriminate the 4 Waters, and we see that we have: Three Yin Water Gui 癸 versus One Yang Water Rén 壬. In this case, the Yin Water Gui癸 outnumbers the Yang Water Rén 壬. In other words, it is a Frame of Yin Water Gui 癸, or better yet, it is a Direct Officer Structure and that Yin Water Gui 癸  will be the Yòng Shén 用 神 Useful Energy.

This will ensure that this person will be famous and smart. However, when we analyze the entire Charter in its Totality, we will see the prestige potential of that person.

Because we have 3 Waters in the Tomb or Storage Layer we say that the command of the Useful Energy is transferred to the Local Magistrate Dìfang Xíngzhèng Zhangguan (地方 行政 长官) and he will govern the Charter.

A detail that we should not overlook: when analyzing a Mixed Energy, the Celestial Stem of the Month Tiāngān 天干 will always have priority because it is a Dynamic Qi.

After that, we are going to look at which Gatherings are going to involve the Dìzhī 地支 Earth Branch of the Month. On the one hand, we see the Yang Metal Gēng 庚 Combination of the Dominant Qi exerting a Control with Balance on the Yin Wood Yi 乙 of the Residual Qi of the Year. And also in the Deep Layer of the Hidden Stem, another Interaction between the Yang Earth Wù 戊 of the Tomb of the Month is observed exerting another Control with Balance on the Yin Water Gui 癸 of the Marriage Palace. In both cases, the Tcheu Interdominance Cycle is very favorable. In the first reading, the Indirect Wealth Piān Cái 偏 财 balances the Seal Zhèng Yìn 正 印, and in the second instance, the Nutrition Factor Shí Shén 食神 harmonizes the Indirect Resource Piān Yìn 偏 印.

We could even include the Yin Wood Yi 乙 Meeting as a Shi Gàn Lù 干 祿.

Should the case arise, let the Heralds: 1. Cháng Shēng (长生) Birth; 5. Dì Wàng (帝 旺) Imperial Prosperity or 9. Mù (墓) Tomb, if any of them, were present in any of the Four Pillars, they would give greater power to the Master Element, since they would favor the Meeting Sān Hé 三合 (3 Units). Even more, they would be more positive when are presented in the Year Xìng Nián 幸 年 or in the Deanery Yuàn Zhang 院長: Rat Zi 子.

Here we would not say that Sān Hé 三合 (or the Seasonal Combination Sān Huì 三 会, or the Media Triangular Combination Bàn San Hé 合 if they were to appear), change or modify the essence of Useful Energy. Rather, we could define it as creating nuances when reading the graph.

As the Natal Chart really is divided like an onion, later we add the Pillar of the Hour and the Celestial Stem of the Year and that would be the appropriate technique to analyze the second layer of the onion.

In the Third Layer of the Onion we add, the Heralds. In the Fourth Layer of the Onion we will see the Seasons Jìjié 季节 and the Stars Shen Sha 神煞, etc. It's like when you're drawing an oil painting, you use a color palette to bring the painting to life, and in this case, the Natal Chart.

EXAMPLE TWO: DOES NOT INCLUDE MIXED QI

Well Jiyou, let's do an assessment of another imaginary Natal Chart.

Suppose that the Terrestrial Branch of the Day is Pig Hài 亥; In the Palace of the Month, we will draw a Horse Wu 午 of Yang Fire Bing 丙 and in the Earth Branch of the Year, a Chou Buffalo 丑 will appear. As in the previous example, for the moment we will not look at the Pillar of the Hour, nor the Celestial Stem of the Year, we include them a little later so as not to get confused. And the Decree of the Month Yuè Lìng 月 令 will be Rain Water Yu Shui 雨水: Yang Wood Jia 甲.

In this case, we see the following Elements without Polarities:

2 Fires (here we include the Celestial Stem of the Month)
2 Waters
2 Lands
1 Metal

As we see a balance of Energies (2 Fires, 2 Waters, 2 Earths), we say that the Qi: DOES NOT stick out. In that case, how do we solve the equation? We look for the Useful Qi, in the Yang Wood (Jia 甲), that is, in the Decree of the Month Yuè Lìng 月 令. As this Wood is not transformed then we can say that the Useful Qi will be the Yang Jia Wood 甲.

Here we could affirm that the Yang Jia Wood 甲 is softened with the Nián Tu 粘土 Moist Earth of the Chou Buffalo 丑 and with the Yin Fire Dīng 丁 of the Residual Qi of the Month. In this sense, this person will not be stubborn and will conform to the surrounding circumstances.

One detail, when Energetic Transformations are presented, that will cause duplications of the Useful Energy, the diagnosis will become a little more complex, and thus, we would have to be a little more careful when making any judgment.

After doing all this and we have already defined the Useful Energy, then we do add the Pillar of the Month and the Celestial Stem of the Year to read the Four Pillars, and we add everything else: Shocks, Damages, Meetings, Heralds, Stars, Seasons, Na Yin… Including the Empty Sky and Kong Wang, when they appear.

These are two examples, of the most frequent. Here I did a slow and step by step outline, so that you have an understand of the method. In my case, I make these same assessments in a direct and simplified way, because I already have practice.

By the way Jiyou, and just out of curiosity, what country and city do you live in?

[Jiyou]

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[DiegoFS]

No, I will not regret it, jajaja jajaja jaja

I see that you are living on some islands where there are several republics. Your capital is Kuala Lumpur, perhaps the only thing that makes me familiar with your country, is the Formula One Grand Prix that is run at the Sepang Circuit and that can be seen on my country's television, once a year. Not that I'm properly a fan of motorsports, but sports in general I like. The climate must be exactly the same as in Colombia, I guess.

And from my country you may know something about Shakira (the singer), James Rodríguez and Falcao García (the soccer players), or Egan Bernal or Nairo Quintana (the cyclists). Here I only met a boy many years ago who came to my hometown and was from Jakarta (Indonesia), a country close to where you are.

As soon as I have time I will read your comments of BaZi carefully, and I will give you my opinions.

[DiegoFS]

Jiyou, within your last comment, I will make some clarifications:

The summary of the Natal Chart of example One, you mention it well, except for the Celestial Stem of the Month which is Gui (not is Ren). The rest is perfect.

Regarding the Waters, we would have:

1 Water in Xu, 1 Water in Shen, 1 Water in Chen and 1 Water in the Celestial Stem of the Month.

That Celestial Stem of the Month is always counted because it is adjacent to the nucleus of the Chart, that is, to the Earthly Branch of the Month.

The references you make to Metals and Woods, for the Example One, are correct.

However, I must make it clear, that for the example one, the Yong Shen is Gui, because we see three Gui:

1 Gui in Xu, 1 Gui in Chen and 1 Gui in the Celestial Stem of the Month. We would only have, 1 Ren in Shen. Thus, Gui outnumbered Ren. Final result: 3 against 1.

In relation to the Heralds that I review, they can appear in any Pillar, but ideally, some of the aforementioned Attributes of Qi are found: under the Pillar of the Month or Day.

And as for Example Two, I deliberately ignored the Master Element (we would have been able to remove it from Example One as well without any problem).

Actually the Master Element is only important when we evaluate the Dominant Structure, or in the case that we qualify the Seasons, as well as when we value the Natal Chart as a whole. But the Master Element by itself has no connotation at the moment when we are going to determine exactly where the Useful Energy is located.

And one last reference, the Wood Jia is below Ren (within the Hidden Stem of Hai, that is, in the Earthly Branch of Day).

What is clear is that in the Classic BaZi, there are endless different examples to determine Yong Shen. But let's say that these two examples are the ones we see most regularly. At the end of accounts we must practice and practice, until we master the technique of identifying Useful Energy without making mistakes. In some very, very rare cases, it could be that we have to look for it in the first deanery (LP or Yuàn Zhang), personally I have not come across this type of example, because for that to happen, Yong Shen I should not be there nowhere in the Four Pillars.

A brotherly greeting, Jiyou.