1 Definition
Qi Men Dun Jia (奇門遁甲) is the art of prediction held to be the highest of the 3 classical systems (the “Three Rites 三式”: Qi Men 奇門, Tai Yi 太乙 and Liu Ren 六壬). It joins astronomy, geography, human affairs and number in order to foretell fortune and misfortune and to choose the moment and the direction.
- “Kỳ” (奇): the 3 Marvels, Ất 乙, Bính 丙 and Đinh 丁 (3 noble stars)
- “Môn” (門): the 8 Gates 八門, the states of action
- “Độn” (遁): to hide, to conceal
- “Giáp” (甲): Giáp 甲 (the first Heavenly Stem 天干, the Commander, hidden within the Six Standards 六儀)
Qi Men Dun Jia 奇門遁甲 = “the art of hiding Giáp 甲 and using the 3 Marvels 三奇 and the 8 Gates 八門 to seize the mechanism of Heaven and change one's fate.”
2 History & Transmission
- Tradition holds that it was created by the Yellow Emperor (黃帝) and Cửu Thiên Huyền Nữ 九天玄女, the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens .
- Khương Tử Nha, Jiang Ziya (姜子牙) of the Zhou used it in the campaign against Zhou Xin.
- Trương Lương, Zhang Liang (張良) of the Han used it to aid Liu Bang.
- Gia Cát Lượng, Zhuge Liang (諸葛亮) of the Three Kingdoms was renowned for applying it.
- Lưu Bá Ôn, Liu Bowen (劉伯溫) of the Ming used it to aid Zhu Yuanzhang.
- It is regarded as “the learning of emperors” (帝王之學), the learning of those who rule.
3 The Structure of the Board
A Qi Men 奇門 board has 4 layers laid over the 9 palaces of the Luo Shu 洛書:
| Layer | Chinese name | Message | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| the Earth Board 地盤 | 地盤 | the Three Marvels and Six Standards 三奇六儀 (9 stems) | Fixed by the Configuration number; it stands for the ground of all things |
| the Heaven Board 天盤 | 天盤 | the Nine Stars 九星 (9 stars) | Turns with the Duty Chief 值符; it stands for the mechanism of Heaven |
| the Man Board 人盤 | 人盤 | the Eight Gates 八門 (8 gates) | Turns with the Duty Messenger 值使; it stands for the action of men |
| the Spirit Board 神盤 | 神盤 | the Eight Spirits 八神 (8 spirits) | Follows the palace of the Duty Chief 值符; it stands for the help of the spirits |
Over the ground of the 9 palaces of the Luo Shu 洛書:
| Tốn 巽 4 | Ly 離 9 | Khôn 坤 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Chấn 震 3 | Trung 中 5 | Đoài 兌 7 |
| Cấn 艮 8 | Khảm 坎 1 | Càn 乾 6 |
4 The Three Marvels & the Six Standards
- The Three Marvels 三奇: Ất (乙, the Sun Marvel 日奇, the Sun), Bính (丙, the Moon Marvel 月奇, the Moon), Đinh (丁, the Star Marvel 星奇, the stars). These are the 3 noble stars, auspicious and favourable.
- The Six Standards 六儀: Mậu 戊, Kỷ 己, Canh 庚, Tân 辛, Nhâm 壬 and Quý 癸, the 6 Heavenly Stems 天干 used to CONCEAL the 6 Giáp 甲:
- Giáp Tý 甲子 hidden beneath Mậu 戊
- Giáp Tuất 甲戌 hidden beneath Kỷ 己
- Giáp Thân 甲申 hidden beneath Canh 庚
- Giáp Ngọ 甲午 hidden beneath Tân 辛
- Giáp Thìn 甲辰 hidden beneath Nhâm 壬
- Giáp Dần 甲寅 hidden beneath Quý 癸
5 The Eight Gates 八門 (the Man Board 人盤)
| Gate | Auspicious or inauspicious | Direction | Meaning & use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khai Môn, the Open Gate (開) | ★ Greatly auspicious | Northwest | Opening, career, leadership, the opening of a business |
| Hưu Môn, the Rest Gate (休) | ★ Greatly auspicious | North | Rest, meeting a benefactor, recovering strength, social dealings |
| Sinh Môn, the Life Gate (生) | ★ Greatly auspicious | Northeast | Growth, wealth, business, investment |
| Đỗ Môn, the Blocking Gate (杜) | Moderate | Southeast | Secrecy, concealment, technical work, research |
| Cảnh Môn, the Scenery Gate (景) | Moderate | Male | Publicity, creation, examinations, feasting |
| Tử Môn, the Death Gate (死) | Greatly inauspicious | Southwest | Death, endings, burial, danger |
| Kinh Môn, the Fright Gate (驚) | Inauspicious | West | Alarm, litigation, upheaval, gossip and strife |
| Thương Môn, the Harm Gate (傷) | Inauspicious | East | Conflict, injury, competition |
6 The Nine Stars 九星 (the Heaven Board 天盤)
| Star | Auspicious or inauspicious | Home palace | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thiên Bồng (天蓬) | Greatly inauspicious | Khảm 坎 1 | Theft, stratagem, concealment (Tham Lang 貪狼) |
| Thiên Nhuế (天芮) | Greatly inauspicious | Khôn 坤 2 | Illness, the study of the Way (Cự Môn 巨門) |
| Thiên Xung (天沖) | Auspicious | Chấn 震 3 | Action, boldness (Lộc Tồn 祿存) |
| Thiên Phụ (天輔) | ★ Greatly auspicious | Tốn 巽 4 | Culture, education (Văn Khúc 文曲) |
| Thiên Cầm (天禽) | ★ Greatly auspicious | Trung 中 5 | The centre, stability (Liêm Trinh 廉貞) |
| Thiên Tâm (天心) | ★ Greatly auspicious | Càn 乾 6 | Medicine, leadership (Vũ Khúc 武曲) |
| Thiên Trụ (天柱) | Inauspicious | Đoài 兌 7 | Destruction, reform (Phá Quân 破軍) |
| Thiên Nhậm (天任) | Auspicious | Cấn 艮 8 | Diligence, property (Tả Phụ 左輔) |
| Thiên Anh (天英) | Moderate | Ly 離 9 | Light, civilisation (Hữu Bật 右弼) |
7 The Eight Spirits 八神 (the Spirit Board 神盤)
| Gods | Auspicious or inauspicious | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Trực Phù, the Duty Chief (值符) | Greatly auspicious | The foremost benefactor, who dissolves what is inauspicious |
| Đằng Xà, the Soaring Serpent (螣蛇) | Inauspicious | Panic, deceit, transformation, illusion |
| Thái Âm, the Great Yin (太陰) | Neutral (favours secret schemes) | Shelter, secret schemes, women, secrets |
| Lục Hợp, the Six Harmonies (六合) | Auspicious | Co-operation, marriage, dealings, unity |
| Bạch Hổ, the White Tiger (白虎) / Câu Trận, the Hooked Array (勾陳) | Inauspicious | Violence, accident (Bạch Hổ 白虎 in Yang Dun 陽遁 / Câu Trận 勾陳 in Yin Dun 陰遁) |
| Huyền Vũ, the Dark Warrior (玄武) / Chu Tước, the Vermilion Bird (朱雀) | Inauspicious | Theft, quarrels of the tongue (Huyền Vũ 玄武 in Yang 陽 / Chu Tước 朱雀 in Yin 陰) |
| Cửu Địa, the Nine Earths (九地) | Neutral (favours defence) | Stability, concealment, patience, land |
| Cửu Thiên, the Nine Heavens (九天) | Neutral (favours attack) | Rising high, expansion, ambition |
8 The Algorithm for Casting a Board, in 11 Steps
- Convert the Gregorian date → the lunar date + the Four Pillars 八字 of stem and branch (year, month, day, hour).
- Determine the current solar term (of the 24 solar terms 二十四節氣).
- Determine Yang Dun 陽遁 or Yin Dun 陰遁 (the 12 terms from the Winter Solstice 冬至 to Grain in Ear 芒種 = Yang; the 12 terms from the Summer Solstice 夏至 to Great Snow 大雪 = Yin).
- Determine the Three Origins 三元 (Upper, Middle, Lower) by the Sách Bổ 拆補 method.
- Look up the Configuration number (1-9) from the solar term + the Three Origins 三元.
- Lay out the Earth Board 地盤, the Three Marvels and Six Standards 三奇六儀 (Mậu 戊 Kỷ 己 Canh 庚 Tân 辛 Nhâm 壬 Quý 癸 Đinh 丁 Bính 丙 Ất 乙).
- Determine the Duty Chief 值符 & the Duty Messenger 值使 by the Giáp 甲 decade.
- Lay out the Heaven Board 天盤, the Nine Stars 九星 turning with the Duty Chief 值符.
- Lay out the Man Board 人盤, the Eight Gates 八門 turning with the Duty Messenger 值使.
- Lay out the Spirit Board 神盤, the Eight Spirits 八神.
- Work out the Void 空亡, the Horse Star 馬星, Phục Ngâm 伏吟 / Phản Ngâm 反吟, and the configurations.
The methods this tool applies
The site at present supports all 5 principal methods of casting + the Eight Gates Dun Method 八門遁法:
- By the Hour 時家, by the hour; the most widely used, for a pressing matter (12 boards a day)
- By the Day 日家, by the day; the exact hour is not needed, for a general view of one day
- By the Month 月家, by the month (the month stem worked out by the solar term), for the long-term fortune of a month
- By the Year 年家, by the year (the year stem counted from the Beginning of Spring 立春), for the fortune of a year
- By the Quarter-Hour 刻家, by the quarter-hour of 15 minutes; the most detailed, for a matter pressing within a few tens of minutes
- The Eight Gates Dun Method 八門遁法, a simple method after Đỗ Quân, using only the 8 gates and not requiring the full 4-layer board. It suits a beginner, or a quick judgement on everyday matters.
All 5 principal methods use the Sách Bổ 拆補 method and Rotating Board 轉盤 (traditional in Vietnam & on the mainland).
9 Special Configurations
A Qi Men 奇門 board has more than 50 special auspicious and inauspicious configurations. Some typical auspicious ones:
- Phi Điểu Điệt Huyệt, the Bird Falling into the Cave (飛鳥跌穴), greatly auspicious: Bính 丙 over Mậu 戊, and every scheme is brought to completion.
- Thanh Long Phản Thủ, the Azure Dragon Turning its Head (青龍返首), greatly auspicious: Mậu 戊 over Bính 丙, and everything is much to one's advantage.
- Thiên Độn 天遁 / Địa Độn 地遁 / Nhân Độn 人遁, auspicious configurations of the Nine Dun 九遁: Heaven, Earth or Man affords shelter.
- Tam Kỳ Đắc Sử 三奇得使, the Three Marvels 三奇 gathered with the Three Auspicious Gates 三吉門.
Typical inauspicious configurations:
- Lục Nghi Kích Hình 六儀擊刑, 6 cases in which a Standard of the Six 六儀 falls in a palace that punishes it.
- Phục Ngâm 伏吟 / Phản Ngâm 反吟, a Star or Gate sitting in its home palace or in the palace directly opposite.
- Tam Kỳ Nhập Mộ 三奇入墓, a Marvel of the Three falls into a Tomb 墓 palace → the auspicious turns inauspicious.
- Đại Cách 大格 (Canh 庚 + Quý 癸), gravely inauspicious; do not begin anything.
10 Practical Application
- Auspicious timing: Choosing a good day and hour to open a business, to hold a wedding, to set out, or to sign a contract.
- Direction: Go towards a direction holding an auspicious Gate + an auspicious Star + an auspicious Spirit, and draw on that good energy.
- Planning an undertaking: Judging what is auspicious or inauspicious before deciding on something important.
- Feng shui 風水: Laying out a board and choosing an auspicious position for a house or an office.
- Business strategy: “Arraying the forces” on the basis of the board, in business and in negotiation.
- 23 areas of reading: wealth, renown, marriage, health, litigation, travel, the dwelling, pregnancy and birth, military affairs, buying and selling, borrowing and lending, partnership, opening a business, taking office, news, the reading of dreams, length of life, seeking a person, seeking an object, planning an undertaking and more.