Song Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin)

This year, Zhao Kuangyin was under the Xin Chou Major Luck Cycle of Partial Wealth. The heavenly stem of the major luck, Xin Metal (Partial Wealth), clashes with the heavenly stems of the Year and Day Pillars, Ding Fire (Peer), representing the Wealth Star clashing with the self, indicating a year of toil and travel in pursuit of wealth and opportunities. Simultaneously, the earthly branch of the major luck, Chou, forms a Three-Harmony Water Formation with the Year Pillar's Hai and the Hour Pillar's Zi (Life Palace: Ren Zi). Water represents his Officer and Kill Stars, symbolizing career, power, and constraints. The power of the unfavorable Officer and Kill Stars is activated and intensified to its peak by the major luck, signifying immense career pressure and challenges, yet also a strong signal to join the military and establish achievements. The fleeting year is Wu Shen. The heavenly stem Wu Earth (Hurting Officer) emerges, representing the exercise of initiative and talent. The earthly branch Shen Metal is Geng Metal (Proper Wealth) and is the Seasonal Adjustment Favorable Element Geng Metal in a favorable position, helping him turn ideas into action. The combination of Hurting Officer and Officer/Kill Stars is a classic configuration for military service and achieving merit. Therefore, his decision to join the army this year aligns with the strong Officer/Kill energy in his destiny chart, seeking a breakthrough in life amidst pressure and challenges.

This year is Xin Hai, during the Xin Chou Major Luck Cycle. The fleeting year's heavenly stem Xin Metal (Partial Wealth) emerges. Although it is an unfavorable element, it activates the energy of the Officer/Kill Stars (career, power) in the destiny chart. The earthly branch Hai Water forms a powerful Hai-Zi-Chou Three-Harmony Water Formation with the Hour Pillar's Zi Water and the major luck's Chou Earth, pushing the power of the Officer/Kill Stars (Water) to its peak. Officer/Kill Stars represent career, authority, and pressure; the Three-Harmony Formation signifies immense forces of historical change and collective action. The fleeting year's Hai Water also forms a self-clash with the Year Pillar's Hai Water, bringing internal competition and pressure but also stimulating a desire for change. The appearance of the Heavenly Virtue Nobleman and Fortune Star Nobleman indicates crucial support from influential people at key moments. Although the Ding Fire Day Master in the chart is weak, and the strong Officer/Kill Stars are unfavorable, the energy of the unfavorable elements (Metal, Water) in the major luck and fleeting year is extremely potent, making it a year of immense pressure and constraint. However, in times of turmoil, powerful Officer/Kill Stars can become a stage for achieving merit. The historical event of Guo Wei proclaiming himself emperor (a drastic change in external circumstances) precisely provided the chart owner with an opportunity to align with this powerful 'Officer/Kill' energy, transforming its pressure into a ladder for promotion and formally entering the power structure.

This year, Zhao Kuangyin was under the Geng Zi Major Luck Cycle, with the fleeting year Gui Chou. The major luck and fleeting year form a Zi-Chou combination into Earth. The fleeting year's heavenly stem Gui Water (7 Kill) emerges, echoing the 7 Kill in the Month Pillar's heavenly stem, creating a situation of mixed Officer and Kill Stars. This indicates a complex and changeable career environment with pressure and opportunities coexisting. More crucially, the fleeting year's earthly branch Chou forms a Hai-Zi-Chou Three-Harmony Water Formation with the Year Branch Hai and the Hour Branch Zi (major luck), creating a powerful water current. Water is the unfavorable element in his Bazi, representing the Officer/Kill (power, pressure) energy reaching its peak. This strong water formation, on one hand, brings immense career pressure and a sense of constraint; on the other hand, it symbolizes the opportunity to be drawn into the center of power and face major tests. The Day Pillar Ding You and the fleeting year form a You-Chou half-combination into Metal, activating the Wealth Star. This also hints that this transfer was related to the appreciation of his superior (Chai Rong) and practical considerations of benefit. In a year where unfavorable elements are extremely strong, he was able to gain promotion to a key position with the help of influential people, reflecting the characteristic of his Bazi pattern, 'Seal relies on Kill for growth', which signifies the ability to transform pressure into achievement.

This fleeting year is Jia Yin. The heavenly stem Jia Wood (Proper Seal) is the Seasonal Adjustment Favorable Element for the destiny chart, emerging with force, representing opportunities, influential supporters, and official recognition. The fleeting year's earthly branch Yin Wood combines with the Year Pillar's Hai Water (Proper Officer) (Hai-Yin combination into Wood), directly activating the Officer Star representing career and official honors in the destiny chart. This forms a powerful pattern of fleeting year combining with the Officer Star, indicating the emergence of career opportunities and ease in gaining official appreciation and promotion. Simultaneously, the fleeting year's auspicious stars include Seal of State and Virtue of the Moon, enhancing authority and the luck of influential supporters. Although the Geng Zi major luck cycle is unfavorable, this year the Jia Wood favorable element emerges, restraining the unfavorable Geng Metal, and the strong Wood energy generates and supports the Day Master Ding Fire. This enabled him to seize the opportunity at the critical moment and achieve a key promotion through military merit.

This year, the chart owner was under the Geng Zi Major Luck Cycle. The major luck's heavenly stem Geng Metal (Proper Wealth) emerges, and the earthly branch Zi Water (7 Kill) is in a favorable position. An emerged Wealth Star can easily lead to a desire for comfort, while a 7 Kill in a favorable position signifies pressure, challenges, and strict discipline requirements. The fleeting year is Bing Chen. The heavenly stem Bing Fire (Rob Wealth) resonates with the Year Stem's Peer and the Day Master Ding Fire, enhancing the chart owner's initiative and decisiveness. The earthly branch Chen Earth combines with the Day Branch You Metal, You-Chen combination into Metal, activating the Wealth Star in the Day Pillar. This means there were important resources (such as troops, territory) that needed to be defended and consolidated this year. The combination of the fleeting year with the Day Pillar also indicates the chart owner was deeply involved with the events faced. The major luck and fleeting year's earthly branches form a Zi-Chen half-combination into Water, further strengthening the Officer/Kill (Water) energy, corresponding to strict military orders, external military pressure, and duties that must be upheld. As a Fire element self, facing layers of Water energy (Officer/Kill), he responded to the pressure in his destiny chart with action through strict orders and holding firm, transforming the constraint of the 7 Kill into authority and execution, thereby stabilizing the battle situation.

This year, Zhao Kuangyin was under the Geng Zi Major Luck Cycle (Proper Wealth/7 Kill). The major luck's earthly branch Zi Water is the 7 Kill in a favorable position, representing pressure and challenges, and also governing military affairs and authority. The fleeting year is Bing Chen. The heavenly stem Bing Fire is Rob Wealth, and the earthly branch Chen Earth is Hurting Officer. The fleeting year's earthly branch Chen Earth combines with the Day Pillar's earthly branch You Metal (You-Chen combination into Metal), activating the Partial Wealth (You Metal) in the destiny chart. The Wealth Star represents resources and spoils of war; combination signifies acquisition. Meanwhile, Chen Earth is the Hurting Officer, representing strategy, tactics, and sudden explosive force, which is the metaphysical reflection of the 'ambush' tactic. The major luck and fleeting year's earthly branches form a Zi-Chen half-combination into Water, further strengthening the 7 Kill (Officer/Kill) energy, transforming pressure into immense motivation for achieving merit. The Month Pillar of the destiny chart carries the General Star, which is activated in this fleeting year and major luck cycle with strong Kill energy, signifying command of troops and the display of leadership talent. Although the unfavorable element Water (Officer/Kill) is strong, it is restrained by the fleeting year's Hurting Officer (Earth), and the Hurting Officer generates Wealth, creating a favorable situation of 'acquiring enemy resources through strategy,' thus enabling victory and rich spoils.

This year, the chart owner was under the Geng Zi Major Luck Cycle, with Proper Wealth emerging and 7 Kill seated, a cycle intertwining pressure and desire. The fleeting year is Ding Si. The heavenly stem Ding Fire is a Peer, and the earthly branch Si Fire is Rob Wealth. The Fire energy suddenly strengthens, providing powerful support for the weak Day Master Ding Fire. The fleeting year's earthly branch Si Fire contains Geng Metal (Proper Wealth), which happens to be the Seasonal Adjustment Favorable Element. This means he could transform strategy (Wood Seal) into actual military achievements and resources (Metal Wealth). Particularly crucial is that the fleeting year's Si Fire clashes with the Year Pillar's Hai Water (Traveling Horse), forming a clash with the Year Branch. This signifies drastic changes and movement. This clash activates the Traveling Horse Star in the Year Pillar, channeling the potential turbulent energy in the destiny chart into proactive attacks and rapid mobility on the battlefield. Simultaneously, the fleeting year's Si Fire and the Day Branch You Metal form a half-combination into Metal, closely linking the Partial Wealth (spoils, resources) of the Day Pillar with the fleeting year's action power. Hence, he was able to successively capture enemy forts, cut off supply routes, and achieve merit in one fell swoop.

This year saw the convergence of the Geng Zi Major Luck Cycle (Proper Wealth/7 Kill) and the Ding Si Fleeting Year (Peer/Rob Wealth). The fleeting year's earthly branch Si Fire is the Traveling Horse and clashes with the Year Pillar's Hai Water (clash with Year Branch). This indicates that the year was marked by significant, rapid changes and military campaigns, mostly involving proactive attacks. The Day Master is Ding Fire, weak and favoring Wood and Fire. The fleeting year Ding Si has both stems and branches as Fire, providing powerful Peer and Rob Wealth support, greatly enhancing his own energy and action power, enabling him to be brave, fearless, and lead from the front. Simultaneously, the fleeting year's earthly branch Si and the Day Branch You form a half-combination into Metal. Metal is the Wealth Star, representing the objective and spoils of this battle (naval base, warships). The Bing Fire Rob Wealth within Si clashes and combines with the Xin Metal Partial Wealth within You, symbolizing the forceful seizure of enemy resources. The Geng Metal within Si of the fleeting year is the Seasonal Adjustment Favorable Element in a favorable position, meaning he could transform strategic planning (Geng Metal splitting Jia to guide Ding) into decisive action, achieving merit in one stroke.

This year, Zhao Kuangyin was under the Geng Zi Major Luck Cycle. The major luck's heavenly stem Geng Metal (Proper Wealth) is an unfavorable element, signifying material desires and pressure. However, the fleeting year is Ji Wei. The heavenly stem Ji Earth (Eating God) emerges, capable of restraining the overly strong Gui Water 7 Kill in the destiny chart, transforming pressure into strategy and action power. This is 'Eating God controlling the Kill,' a typical signal for wielding authority. In terms of earthly branches, the fleeting year's Wei forms a Hai-Mao-Wei Three-Combination Wood Formation with the destiny chart's Hai and Mao. Wood is the Seal Star, his favorable element. This Three-Combination Formation is powerful, representing the acquisition of strong team support, promotion by influential people, and official authorization. It gathers the originally scattered Seal Star power to form a powerful backing and reputation, serving as the key metaphysical driver for reaching the pinnacle of power.

This fleeting year is Geng Shen, and the major luck is Geng Zi. The fleeting year's heavenly stem Geng Metal is Proper Wealth, and the earthly branch Shen Metal is also Proper Wealth, with Shen containing Ren Water Proper Officer. The destiny chart's Ding Fire Day Master is weak, favoring Wood and Fire, with Metal and Water as unfavorable elements. This year, the energy of the unfavorable elements Metal and Water is extremely strong, seemingly disadvantageous. However, the key point is that the Seasonal Adjustment Favorable Element for the destiny chart is Geng Metal. The fleeting year's earthly branch Shen Metal's primary element is Geng, which is Seasonal Adjustment in a favorable position. This removes the coldness from the damp Wood (Mao month), allowing the destiny chart's pattern to unfold, representing the ability to turn grand ambitions into action. The fleeting year, major luck, and Hour Pillar form a Zi-Shen half-combination into Water, intensifying the power of the Officer/Kill (Water), creating immense pressure and constraint, but also catalyzing an extreme opportunity for transformation. Officer/Kill represent power and responsibility. When forcefully activated by unfavorable major luck and fleeting year cycles, it paradoxically, in the form of 'rebellion under official pressure,' facilitated the astonishing leap from subject to sovereign. The fleeting year's auspicious stars include Virtue of Heaven and Golden Chariot, signifying invisible protection and major opportunities, corresponding to the 'mandate of heaven' implied by the 'Yellow Robe' incident.

This year was near the end of the Geng Zi Major Luck Cycle (953-962). The major luck's heavenly stem Geng Metal (Proper Wealth) emerges as an unfavorable element, and the earthly branch Zi Water (7 Kill) is also an unfavorable element in a favorable position. The Officer/Kill power is extremely strong, indicating immense pressure and a heavy sense of constraint—a time requiring wisdom to resolve crises. The fleeting year is Xin You. Both the heavenly stem and earthly branch are Partial Wealth Metal. The energy of the unfavorable Metal and Water elements reaches its peak, exacerbating the pressure of Wealth and Officer attacking the self. The fleeting year's earthly branch You Metal clashes with the destiny chart's Month Pillar Mao Wood (Seal Star, representing the foundation of power), forming a Mao-You clash. This agitates the Seal Star and also impacts the General Star, signifying that the power structure faces drastic changes and reorganization. Simultaneously, the fleeting year's heavenly stem Xin Metal clashes with the Year and Day Pillars' heavenly stems Ding Fire (Peer, representing comrades, brothers-in-arms), hinting at a fundamental shift in relations with old comrades. However, the fleeting year gathers numerous auspicious stars like the Heavenly Virtue Nobleman, Official Nobleman, and General Star, indicating that with extremely high political wisdom and the luck of influential supporters, he could, amidst intense conflict, complete a smooth transition and centralization of power in a manner that appeared gentle (Ding Fire Day Master, nature soft) yet decisive (using 7 Kill). This perfectly illustrates the pattern trait of his Bazi's Partial Seal structure: 'turning foes into friends, turning danger into safety.'

This year saw the convergence of the Ji Hai Major Luck Cycle and the Ji Si Fleeting Year. The major luck's heavenly stem Ji Earth (Eating God) emerges. The Eating God represents wisdom, methods, and the power to resolve. The fleeting year's earthly branch Si Fire is the Peak Power strong root for the Day Master Ding Fire and is also Rob Wealth, representing colleagues and subordinates, also enhancing the chart owner's own action power and control. Most crucially, the fleeting year's Si Fire clashes with the Year Pillar and major luck's Hai Water Proper Officer. Hai Water Proper Officer in the destiny chart represents power, official positions, and the constraints of the old system. This Si-Hai clash is a Traveling Horse encountering a clash, signifying drastic, proactive change. The wisdom and methods of the Eating God (Ji Earth), combined with the action power of Peak Power (Si Fire), precisely strike and restrain the Officer Star (Hai Water) representing the old regional warlord forces. This is an excellent manifestation of the Eating God controlling the Kill (controlling the Officer) pattern, thoroughly resolving the potential threat (pressure from mixed 7 Kill and Officer Stars) through non-military, skillful means (Eating God), completing the historic step of centralizing power.