Six Spirits
The Six Spirits add imagery to a line: Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Gou Chen, Teng She, White Tiger, and Xuan Wu.
Classical Sources
The classical passages below are kept short. The point is not to copy old manuals, but to show how a rule enters an actual Liuyao chart.
Bushi Zhengzong
“甲乙起青龙，丙丁起朱雀。”
Read the spirit after the line and the useful role are known. It colors the line; it does not replace the line.
How It Works In A Chart
| Role | How to read it |
|---|---|
| Azure Dragon | joy, food, grace |
| Vermilion Bird | speech, message, documents |
| White Tiger | injury, urgency, force |
| Xuan Wu | hidden matters, theft, ambiguity |
Chart Layer Example
A Liuyao line is read through several layers at once. This small sketch is not a full chart, but it shows why a term cannot be judged as a loose word.
| Layer | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Line position | first through sixth line | position gives near or far, early or late, inner or outer clues |
| Na Jia branch | Zi, Chou, Yin and the other branches | branch decides phase, clash, void, and possible timing |
| Six Relative | Parents, Brothers, Children, Wealth, Officer/Ghost | this tells what the line represents in the question |
| Shi-Ying | self side and responding side | this shows whether the matter reaches the asker or stays outside |
| Month and day | support, clash, void, break | this tells whether the sign has power now |
| Movement | moving line and changed line | this shows where the chart is changing |
Reading Sequence
A useful habit is to separate role, strength, and action. Role tells what the line represents. Strength tells whether it can act. Action tells whether it helps, harms, hides, or delays the matter.
- State the question in one sentence.
- Cast and set up the chart before choosing meanings.
- Choose the useful line from the question type.
- Check Shi and Ying so the reading has a self side and an outside side.
- Judge month, day, void, break, and moving lines only after the structure is clear.
Reading Notes
Read the spirit after the line and the useful role are known. It colors the line; it does not replace the line.
Common Mistakes
White Tiger is not automatically bad and Azure Dragon is not automatically good. Their meaning depends on where they land.
Small Example
For a simple reading, identify whether Six Spirits affects the useful line or Shi. If it does not touch the main question, keep it as background.
FAQ
What is Six Spirits in Liuyao?
Six Spirits is a specific layer of the Six Lines chart. It should be read inside the full structure of palace, Six Relatives, Shi-Ying, month, day, and moving lines.
When should I read Six Spirits?
Read it after the chart is properly cast. It is useful only when the question, useful line, and time forces are already clear.
Does Six Spirits decide good or bad by itself?
No. It gives important information, but Liuyao judgment depends on how that information acts on the useful line and on Shi.
What is the common beginner mistake?
White Tiger is not automatically bad and Azure Dragon is not automatically good. Their meaning depends on where they land.
Which pages should I read next?
Read the terms index, Yong Shen, and Month And Day together. They keep the judgment from becoming a single-label answer.