The Twelve Life Stages and Other Stars
The twelve stages of the Day Master's energy as it grows and wanes (the Twelve Life Stages), and stars such as the Nobleman (천을귀인), the Blade (양인) and the Void (공망).
The Twelve Life Stages (12운성): the life of an energy
This sorts the stage that the Day Master's energy is at in each branch into twelve steps, likened to a human life. Taking the Day Master as the standard, Halmeoni looks at the lower character of each of the four pillars one at a time (bongbeop, 봉법), and uses the method in which the stages run in order for yang stems and in reverse for yin stems (eumpotae, 음포태). On the chart card they appear in the lower row of each pillar, together with the Ten God.
| Stage | Image | Common reading |
|---|---|---|
| Birth (장생) | Being born | Strength to start anew, learning |
| Bath (목욕) | Being washed | Curiosity, style, easily unsettled |
| Coming of age (관대) | A coming-of-age ceremony | Confidence, drive |
| Prime (건록) | Receiving an official post | Standing on one's own, stability |
| Peak (제왕) | The highest time | At the strongest, taking the lead |
| Decline (쇠) | Beginning to tilt | Experience, stepping back a pace |
| Sickness (병) | Falling ill | Delicacy, much thinking |
| Death (사) | Stopping | Stillness, depth |
| Tomb (묘) | Putting away | Gathering and storing |
| Severance (절) | Being cut off | Cutting off and starting afresh |
| Conception (태) | Conceiving | The seed of a new plan |
| Nurture (양) | Being raised | Growing under care |
Luck Cycles and years also have Twelve Life Stages. Looking at which stage the Day Master is at in the lower character of that Luck Cycle or year, you can gauge whether your energy is filling up or settling down in that period. For example, for a 庚 (gyeong) Day Master, 巳 (sa) is Birth, so the period when 巳 comes in is read as a time of fresh growth.
Even if the names of the stages (Sickness, Death, Tomb, Severance) sound frightening, they do not mean actual illness or death. They are only a figure of speech that likens the flow in which energy rests and is put away to the course of a life.
Other stars
There are also nicknames attached when a particular character is present. The Twelve Spirits (12신살), attached in turn to the twelve branches based on the zodiac animal, are covered separately in the next article, "The Twelve Spirits (12 Sinsal): Twelve Nicknames by Zodiac Animal"; here are the stars that are read from the Day Master or the day pillar.
| Star | Based on | Common reading |
|---|---|---|
| Nobleman (천을귀인) | Day Master | A person who helps in hard times |
| Blade (양인) | Day Master (yang stems) | Blade-like strong force, decisiveness |
| Void (공망) | Day pillar (일주) | An empty spot, what does not take hold as much as you intend |
| Peach Blossom, Travelling Horse and Canopy (도화·역마·화개) | Day branch (일지) | The Peach Blossom (년살), Travelling Horse (역마살) and Canopy (화개살) of the Twelve Spirits, read from the character of the birth day |
Stars are closer to a seasoning in a saju reading. Do not judge good or bad from a single star; read it together with the Day Master, the elements and the flow of the Luck Cycles.