Wu Cheng'en

This year coincides with the Ding Hai Year Pillar. The Year Pillar Heavenly Stem Ding Fire (Proper Seal) combines with the Time Pillar Heavenly Stem Ren Water (Partial Wealth, Spouse Star), known as "Wealth comes to combine with me," a strong signal for marriage activation. The Year Pillar Earthly Branch Hai Water forms a hidden combination with the Day Branch Wu Fire. The Day Branch represents the Spouse Palace, and hidden combination indicates private affection and relationship establishment, aligning with the joy of marriage. Simultaneously, the Year Pillar Hai Water forms a Triple Meeting of the Northern Water Bureau (Wealth Bureau) with Zi and Chou from the natal chart, concentrating Wealth Star energy. Wealth also represents wife and family, foretelling integration and elevation at the family level through marriage. Although the Bing Xu Major Cycle clashes with the Time Pillar Ren Water, hinting at emotional turbulence over the decade, the powerful combining and meeting forces of the Year Pillar temporarily resolve the clash, facilitating this favorable union.

This year, Wu Cheng'en was in the Bing Xu Major Cycle of Partial Seal. The Major Cycle Heavenly Stem Bing Fire is the favorable regulating element, signifying wisdom awakening and noble support. The Year Pillar Ji Chou, though an unfavorable Rob Wealth element, gathered the auspicious stars Heavenly Virtue Nobleman, Tai Chi Nobleman, State Seal, and Fortune Star Nobleman. The Heavenly Virtue Nobleman, in particular, indicates gaining appreciation from influential figures, corresponding to Prefect Ge Mu's recognition. The Year Pillar Earthly Branch Chou repeats the Month Pillar, activating the Month Pillar's Canopy Star, which governs solitude, talent, and unique thought, beneficial for consolidating knowledge and inspiring creativity in the academic environment. Simultaneously, the Major Cycle Earthly Branch Xu half-combines with the Day Branch Wu to form a Fire configuration, strengthening the Seal element. The Seal governs studies, culture, and protection, allowing him to thrive in the academy and sow the earliest seeds for his future creation of *Journey to the West*.

This year reached the Bing Xu Major Cycle and Ren Chen Year Pillar, forming a Heavenly Clash and Earthly Clash (Bing-Ren clash, Xu-Chen clash), a significant year of change and breakthrough. The Major Cycle's Bing Fire Partial Seal appears, a favorable regulating element for wisdom and noble support. The Year Pillar's Ren Water Partial Wealth clashes with the Seal, activating the Time Pillar, indicating leaving a fixed environment for distant travel. Breaking the Year's Ruler (Chou-Chen break) combined with the double clash shattered the stubbornness and isolation caused by the overly strong Rob Wealth (Earth) in the chart, forcing him out of his study to engage with the wider world. Simultaneously, encountering the Tai Chi Nobleman and Heavenly Official Nobleman during travels provided an excellent opportunity to increase wisdom and understand worldly affairs, foreshadowing the future eruption of his literary inspiration.

The failure in the examinations this year has profound astrological reasons. The Year Pillar Jia Wu brings out the Heavenly Stem Jia Wood (Seven Killings), originally a favorable element representing opportunities for fame. However, the natal chart's Year Stem Yi Wood (Proper Official) appears alongside the Year Pillar's Jia Wood Seven Killings, forming "Mixed Officials and Killings," indicating repeated setbacks and unclear goals. More crucially, the natal Time Pillar's Hurt Officer Xin Metal inherently clashes with the Year Stem Proper Official Yi Wood (Hurt Officer meets Official). The Year Pillar's Jia Wood Seven Killings intensify this "Hurt Officer meets Official" conflict, causing a fierce collision between his sharp talent and official rules, making recognition difficult. The Earthly Branch Wu Fire is the Day Master's peak position. The Year Pillar Wu Fire activates the Day Branch Wu Fire, forming "Wu-Wu self-punishment," leading to inner turmoil, self-torment, and poor condition. Simultaneously, the Year Pillar Wu Fire "harms" the Year and Month Pillar's Chou Earth (Chou-Wu harm), i.e., "Harming the Year's Ruler," prone to encountering detractors, increased competition, and obstacles. The Major Cycle Bing Xu strengthens the unfavorable Fire and Earth elements, exacerbating the natal chart's tendency of heavy Earth burying Metal and Rob Wealth seizing resources. Although Bing Fire provides some regulation, the overall Earth dominance is excessive. The favorable Wood (Official Star) struggles to loosen the Earth, and Water (Wealth Star) struggles to moisten the configuration, hence the path to fame is fraught with obstacles.

This year, Wu Cheng'en entered the Yi You Major Cycle, with the Year Pillar Ding You. The Major Cycle Heavenly Stem Yi Wood (Proper Official) appears, originally a sign of official prominence. However, the natal Time Pillar's Xin Metal Hurt Officer inherently clashes with the Year Pillar's Yi Wood Proper Official (Hurt Officer meets Official). The Year Pillar Earthly Branch You Metal further intensifies the Hurt Officer's power, forming You-You self-punishment. Hurt Officer meeting Official brings various troubles, representing a fierce conflict between talent (Hurt Officer) and systemic rules (Proper Official). His proud and unconstrained personality was particularly disadvantageous in the examination setting. Although the Year Pillar Heavenly Stem Ding Fire Proper Seal is favorable, its power is weak and insufficient to fully resolve the Metal-Wood conflict. Therefore, despite having talent and opportunity (General Star), the internal defiance and external rule conflict led to another examination failure.

This year, Wu Cheng'en was in the Yi You Major Cycle (1537-1546). The Major Cycle Heavenly Stem Yi Wood Proper Official appears, favored by the chart, representing career opportunities and official recognition. The Year Pillar Ren Yin sees the Heavenly Stem Ren Water Partial Wealth nourishing the Major Cycle's Yi Wood Official Star, forming a beneficial Wealth-producing-Official combination, nurturing and propelling his career. More crucially, the Year Pillar Earthly Branch Yin Wood is the chart's most needed favorable element (Wood). Yin contains Jia Wood Seven Killings and Bing Fire Partial Seal; Seven Killings represent drive and initiative, Partial Seal represents inspiration and creativity. Yin Wood half-combines with the Day Branch Wu Fire to form a Fire configuration. Fire is the Seal element, strengthening the Hurt Officer adorned by Seal pattern, allowing his abundant talent (Hurt Officer) to be systematically expressed and channeled through profound knowledge and thought (Seal). The Major Cycle Earthly Branch You Metal Hurt Officer repeats the Time Pillar, already indicating surging talent. The Year Pillar Yin Wood favorable element activates and directs this energy towards creation, ultimately crystallizing into the first draft of *Journey to the West*.

This year, Wu Cheng'en was in the Jia Shen Major Cycle of Seven Killings. The Major Cycle Heavenly Stem Jia Wood is a favorable element, originally indicating career breakthroughs. However, the Year Pillar Heavenly Stem Ji Earth (Rob Wealth) appears and combines with the Cycle Stem Jia Wood, transforming into the unfavorable element Earth, forming "Jia-Ji combination into Earth." This transforms the favorable element's power into an unfavorable one, leading to opportunities being seized and half the result for double the effort. The Year Pillar Earthly Branch You Metal is the Hurt Officer, repeating the natal Time Pillar's You Metal, strengthening the Hurt Officer's power. While this indicates talent display, it also intensifies the chart's inherent "Hurt Officer meets Official" pattern, making the conflict between talent and the official system (examinations) more apparent. Hence, despite pursuing advanced studies, gaining fame was difficult. The Major Cycle Earthly Branch Shen Metal is the Eating God, sharing the Metal element with the Year Pillar's You Metal, activating the natal Hurt Officer and Eating God, beneficial for study and creation. Coupled with encountering the Literary Star Nobleman in the Major Cycle, it corresponds to entering the highest institution for advanced studies this year.

This year, Wu Cheng'en was in the Jia Shen Major Cycle, with the Heavenly Stem revealing Seven Killings (Jia Wood), representing career opportunities and pressure, originally a favorable element indicating a breakthrough. The Year Pillar Geng Xu sees the Heavenly Stem Geng Metal Eating God clashing with the Major Cycle's Jia Wood Seven Killings, forming a "Eating God controls Killings" situation. This represents talent (Eating God) attempting to master and strive for career (Seven Killings), aligning with his journey to the capital to await selection. The Year Pillar Earthly Branch Xu Earth clashes with the Year and Month Pillars' Chou Earth, the Chou-Xu clash intensifying the power of the unfavorable Rob Wealth (Earth) element in the chart. Excessive Rob Wealth indicates fierce competition and numerous obstacles, also hinting at interpersonal troubles. Simultaneously, the Year Pillar Heavenly Stem Geng Metal combines with and activates the Year Pillar's Yi Wood Proper Official, triggering the Official Star—an astrological signal for gaining official status (becoming a tribute student). However, the Major Cycle Earthly Branch Shen Metal half-combines with the Time Pillar Zi Water to form a Water configuration. Water is the Wealth Star, but the chart's Earth is heavy and Water weak, making the Wealth Star unable to effectively nourish the Official and Killing Stars. Moreover, the overall unfavorable Earth element is excessively strong. The favorable Wood element (Official/Killing) is drained by the strong Earth and clashed by the strong Metal, its power impaired. Consequently, despite having an opportunity, substantial official appointment proved difficult, ultimately resulting in an unfruitful "awaiting assignment."

This year marked Wu Cheng'en's entry into officialdom, with multiple auspicious signs converging astrologically. Firstly, he was in the Jia Shen Major Cycle of Seven Killings. Seven Killings represent career, official position, and pressure. The Major Cycle Heavenly Stem Jia Wood is the regulating favorable element, capable of loosening the strong Earth and revealing noble aura, providing a decade-long environment for career breakthrough. The Year Pillar Bing Chen brings Bing Fire as another regulating favorable element, Partial Seal, representing noblemen, documents, and reputation, corresponding to a friend's (Li Chunfang) help in obtaining the position. The Year Pillar Earthly Branch Chen forms a Triple Water configuration (Wealth Bureau) with the Time Pillar Zi and Major Cycle Shen, signifying obtaining an official position due to practical needs (supporting the family). Simultaneously, the Year Pillar brings the Heavenly Official Nobleman, indicating ease of gaining appreciation in the workplace. Although the chart's strong Rob Wealth suggests competition, this year saw the favorable Wood and Fire elements arrive together, activated by a nobleman, enabling him to overcome difficulties and obtain his first formal official position.

This year coincided with the Gui Wei Major Cycle. The Major Cycle Earthly Branch Wei clashes with the Month Pillar's foundation Chou, forming a Chou-Wei clash. This is "Clashing with the Foundation," indicating动摇 of life's foundation, prone to drastic changes in career and living environment. The Year Pillar 戊午 repeats the Day Pillar 戊午, forming repetition, and involves Wu-Wu self-punishment. This means old issues resurface, inner torment, self-contradiction, and susceptibility to disputes and legal troubles. Simultaneously, the Year Pillar clashes with the Time Pillar 壬子 in a Heavenly Clash and Earthly Clash. The Time Pillar represents the归宿 and later years; this clash加剧了动荡 and separation. The Major Cycle Heavenly Stem Gui Water Proper Wealth combines with the Day Master 戊土, originally indicating opportunities for wealth gain. However, the Year Pillar's 戊土 Rob Wealth appears, intensifying the unfavorable power of the chart's inherent heavy Earth, leading to Rob Wealth seizing resources and scheming colleagues. Overall, Clashing with the Foundation动摇根基, Repetition and self-punishment引发官非口舌, and excessive Rob Wealth causing colleague rivalry. Under multiple pressures, resigning and retiring became an inevitable choice.

This year, Wu Cheng'en was in the Ren Wu Major Cycle of Partial Wealth, but the Year Pillar Ding Mao had a more direct impact on his chart. The Year Pillar Heavenly Stem Ding Fire is the Proper Seal, combining with the natal Time Stem Ren Water (Partial Wealth) to form the image of "Wealth comes to combine with Seal". This means talent (Seal) is manifested and recognized through a certain form (Wealth, which can represent works, achievements). The Year Pillar Earthly Branch Mao Wood is the Proper Official, his chart's favorable element "Wood" gaining strength in the Year Pillar, enhancing his sense of responsibility and execution in career matters. Simultaneously, his natal chart inherently contains the Literary Star Nobleman, activated by the Year Pillar, indicating literary brilliance beneficial for writing and creation. The Major Cycle and Year Pillar Earthly Branches Wu and Mao clash, though indicating change, also break the沉闷 of the original chart's heavy Earth burying Metal,激发 his Hurt Officer (talent) and Proper Seal (knowledge) energy. Ultimately, through the enduring form of "stone inscription," he accomplished an elegant deed in his literary career.

This year, Wu Cheng'en was in the Ren Wu Major Cycle of Partial Wealth, with the Year Pillar Gui You. The astrological core lies in the 戊癸 combination into Fire. The Day Master Wu Earth combines with the Year Pillar Heavenly Stem Gui Water Proper Wealth, transforming into Fire as the Proper Seal. The Seal Star represents documents, knowledge, and reputation. This combination transforms the energy of the Wealth Star (practical matters) into the成果 of the Seal Star (cultural creation), a strong signal for the work's finalization and recognition. The Year Pillar Earthly Branch You Metal is the Hurt Officer, activating the chart's strong Hurt Officer Star in the Time Pillar. The Hurt Officer governs talent, imagination, and writing, half-combining with the Year and Month Pillars' Chou Earth to form a Metal configuration, enhancing artistic conception and expression. The Major Cycle Earthly Branch Wu Fire repeats the Day Pillar, carries the Literary Star Nobleman, strengthening literary thought and creative fortune. The Year Pillar brings the General Star, also indicating the ability to shoulder major responsibilities and achieve success in a specific field (literature). Although the Major Cycle's unfavorable Earth element is strong, indicating a life of many hardships and inner solitude, it is precisely this "thick Earth" representing heavy reality and the巨大反差 with his inner world that nourished the bizarre, profound supernatural realm in his writing.