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Bushi Zhengzong · The Orthodox Tradition of Divination
Eighteen Discussions · Month Break, Cycle Void and Reversing Chant
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9. Discussion of Month Break
A line in Month Break in a hexagram is where the operative cause appears. If it moves, it can still generate or control other lines; if it is a changed line, it can still generate or control the original line. Though broken now, it is no longer broken after the month passes. Though broken today, it is no longer broken on its own day.
Month Break most welcomes combination and being filled. Its distant response is in years or months; its near response is in days or hours. If broken and still, and also in Cycle Void, declined and weak, it meets control or harm from moving lines, the Month Commander or day. Such Month Break is called true break: it remains broken to the end.
Reading note: “Operative cause” is a contextual rendering of the supplied 關因; the Chinese wording is unchanged.
10. Discussion of the Void of the Ten-Day Cycle
When a line in a hexagram encounters Cycle Void, this is where the numinous mechanism reveals itself. If it flourishes or is supported while empty, or rests or is imprisoned but moves, or the day generates and supports it, or a moving line generates and supports it, or a moving line changes into Void, or it is hidden yet flourishing or supported, such Cycle Void remains usable to the end.
One need only wait for it to leave the cycle, reach its own day, combine with the empty line, be stirred by Clash, be made substantial by Clash, or be filled. The later volumes explain these methods in tested divinations.
If resting or imprisoned and still, or controlled by the day or by a moving line, or hidden and under control, or still and meeting Month Break: encountering this Cycle Void is called true emptiness and remains empty to the end.
Reading note: The compressed control/hidden clause is read as separate conditions of day control, moving-line control, and a hidden line under control. The corresponding Chinese transcription supports this punctuation; the project's Chinese text is unchanged.
11. Fixed Examples of Reversing Chant Hexagrams
There are two kinds of Reversing Chant hexagram:
There is Reversing Chant of the hexagram, and Reversing Chant of the line. Reversing Chant of the hexagram means that the changed hexagram clashes with it. Reversing Chant of the line means that the changed line clashes with it.
(For lines changing into mutual Clash within one hexagram, there are only Kun changing into Xun and Xun changing into Kun.)
Qian occupies the northwest. To its right is Xu; to its left is Hai. Xun occupies the southeast. To its right is Chen; to its left is Si. The two hexagrams face one another, with Chen clashing with Xu and Si clashing with Hai.
Thus Qian as Heaven changing into Xun as Wind, Xun changing into Qian, Heaven over Wind, Gou, changing into Wind over Heaven, Xiao Xu, and Xiao Xu changing into Gou are Reversing Chant hexagrams in which Qian and Xun clash.
Kan occupies due north, with Zi seated beneath it. Li occupies due south, with Wu seated beneath it. The two hexagrams face one another, with Zi and Wu clashing.
Thus Kan as Water changing into Li, Li as Fire changing into Kan, Water over Fire, Ji Ji, changing into Wei Ji, and Fire over Water, Wei Ji, changing into Ji Ji are Reversing Chant hexagrams in which Kan and Li clash.
Gen occupies the northeast. To its right is Chou; to its left is Yin. Kun occupies the southwest. To its right is Wei; to its left is Shen. The two hexagrams face one another, with Chou clashing with Wei and Yin clashing with Shen.
Thus Gen as Mountain changing into Kun, Kun as Earth changing into Gen, Mountain over Earth, Bo, changing into Qian, and Earth over Mountain, Qian, changing into Bo are Reversing Chant hexagrams in which Gen and Kun clash.
Zhen occupies due east, with Mao seated beneath it. Dui occupies due west, with You seated beneath it. The two hexagrams face one another, with Mao and You clashing.
Thus Zhen changing into Dui, Dui changing into Zhen, Thunder over Lake, Gui Mei, changing into Sui, and Lake over Thunder, Sui, changing into Gui Mei are Reversing Chant hexagrams in which Zhen and Dui clash.
Zi changing into Wu, Wu into Zi, Chou into Wei, Wei into Chou, Yin into Shen, Shen into Yin, Mao into You, You into Mao, Chen into Xu, Xu into Chen, Si into Hai and Hai into Si likewise change forth into mutual Clash. These are Reversing Chant of the line.
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