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卷十二 志第二 天文中

Volume 12 Treatises 2: Astronomy Part Two

Chapter 12 of 晉書 · Book of Jin
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Chapter 12
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Astronomy, Part Two. 〈The Seven Luminaries, Miscellaneous Stars, Qi Phenomena, Historical Traditions, and Recorded Correlations〉
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The Seven Luminaries
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The sun embodies the essence of great yang: it governs life-giving grace and marks the sovereign’s presence in heaven. When the ruler errs, heaven lays bare his concealed faults as a warning. Thus over a realm that follows the Way, sun and moon shine clear; the sovereign thrives and the people live at ease. When an earth-phase sovereign reigns in perfect peace, the sun may display five hues with none predominating. A change in the sun’s color: if armies are in the field, they will be shattered; if none are mobilized, great nobles or rulers will perish. When the ruler is without virtue and ministers throw the realm into chaos, the sun turns blood-red and loses its radiance. If the sun fades, the territory it casts its light upon will not prosper. Daylight dim as dusk and travelers without shadows until nightfall mean cruel punishments above and desperate subjects below; within a year come catastrophic floods. Daylong gloom with crows clamoring together signals a breakdown of governance. The crow visible within the sun means the ruler lacks clarity; administration falls into disorder; the realm sees mourning gatherings; generals march and banners rise. Black spots, murky shrouds, or clouds within the sun—appearing in threes or fives—foretell ministers overturning their sovereign. A solar eclipse represents yin overwhelming yang—the ministers eclipsing the throne—and may herald the fall of a kingdom.
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退
The moon is great yin’s essence, paired with the sun—emblem of the empress and palace women; it analogizes moral virtue and embodies penal justice; set amid the court, it corresponds to feudal lords and chief ministers. When the ruler is discerning, the moon keeps to its proper course; when ministers seize authority, the moon strays from its track; if powerful ministers rule while military justice fails, the moon veers erratically north and south; when empresses’ kin dominate, the moon surges forward or falls back. A shift in the moon’s hue foretells disaster. Daylight brilliance of the moon brings villains forth in droves, pits sovereign against minister for supremacy, marks wayward conduct by palace women, strengthens frontier armies while the heartland starves, and spreads rebellion across the empire. Multiple moons appearing together doom the realm to chaos and collapse.
5
退
Jupiter is eastern spring-wood; among the five virtues it stands for benevolence; among the five deportments it governs bearing and appearance. When benevolence fails and demeanor collapses—spring edicts flouted and wood-phase qi injured—the punitive sign manifests as Jupiter. Jupiter’s speeding and slowing, read from the lodge it occupies, pronounce fate upon kingdoms. A prolonged stay means deep virtue there, bumper harvests, and an army should not strike that land. The sign opposite its station faces disaster that year. When Jupiter moves calmly along mid-course, the omen is favorable. Erratic motion spells trouble for the realm it watches; neither campaigns nor major initiatives should proceed. It also embodies the sovereign: hue should shine clear and lustrous, matching harmony with virtue. Steady motion true to the calendar curbs treachery; but shifting color and erratic track deny the ruler fortune. It governs prosperity, the Minister of Agriculture, the Qi and Wu regions, audits the faults of feudal rulers, and sets the year’s grain harvests. Red with rays means that kingdom will thrive; a deep orange-yellow glow promises extraordinary abundance in its fields.
6
使
Mars is southern summer-fire; among virtues it is ritual; among the five faculties it is sight. When ritual breaks down and clear sight fails—summer’s mandate spurned and fire-phase qi wounded—the portent appears as Mars. Mars moves by no fixed rule: its appearance brings war; its disappearance disperses armies. From its lodge it pronounces fate—rebellion, robbery, plague, bereavement, famine, and arms—and the realm beneath it suffers. Looping paths, hook-shaped retrogrades, trembling rays, shifting hues, lurching ahead or astern, port or starboard—the worse its antics, the graver the disaster. South of its station men die; north of it, women. When it circles and halts, death follows; raiders ravage the countryside and territory is lost. Erratic swift motion masses soldiers below; whoever aligns with its vector wins the field. It also governs the Chief Herald, funerals, and the Minister of Works. As Marshal of State it oversees Chu, Wu, Yue, and all lands southward; it audits officials’ faults, pride, waste, ruin, chaos, and strange omens, and decrees whether the year brings triumph or collapse. When Mars stands still, armies clash nowhere—but a general faces execution. If it rises crimson and furious, loops backward in a hook, battle turns lethal and armies lay siege; hooks ending in blade-like rays forbid the ruler to leave the palace—ambush waits below; great beams mean popular fury. It is heaven’s magistrate: abroad it judges armies; at home it judges policy—the emperor’s arbiter. Hence even under a sage king one watches where Mars stands. Ingress, occupation, or trespass upon the Supreme Palace, Xuanyuan, Encampment, Room, or Heart bodes ill for the sovereign’s life.
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宿 宿 宿
Saturn is late-summer earth at the center; among virtues it is trust; among faculties it is centered thought. The four virtues hinge on good faith; bearing, words, sight, and inward power hinge on the heart—so when Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury all stray, Saturn stirs on their behalf. When it surges forward in swell, rulers cannot rest easy. When it shrinks back, armies march away and never come home. The mansion it occupies favors that kingdom—new lands, advantageous marriages, blessings; do not attack it; if it leaves, expect lost ground and women’s troubles. A long stay deepens a state’s good fortune; a quick shift thins it. Skipping ahead two or three mansions is ‘swelling’: the sovereign’s mandate founders—or vast floods follow. Dropping back is ‘fading’: the empress’s kin suffer, the year’s harvest never comes, or heaven seems to split and the earth shudders. Some say Saturn embodies the Yellow Emperor’s virtue and the empress: it holds the balance of security and ruin, and judges palace women’s conduct. Others call it the monarch’s own star. When the emperor breaks faith, Saturn shudders violently.
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西 退 西
Venus is western autumn-metal; it is righteousness and measured speech. Righteousness squandered and counsel twisted—autumn’s orders spurned, metal-phase qi injured—bring Venus as heaven’s reproof. Watch Venus’s motion for war: altitude, speed, calm or frenzy, visibility—all mirror campaign choices when read rightly. Erratic motion after western emergence defeats frontier peoples; after eastern emergence it destroys the heartland. If before its allotted span it crests Orion, the realm astride it falls ill with calamity. A sky-spanning Venus overturns dynasties, swaps rulers, unravels cosmic order, and sends masses fleeing. Daylight Venus rivaling the sun inverts power—empires ebb, minor states surge, and empresses rise. It commands chief ministers—styled Supreme Duke—and the Grand Marshal reads it with care.
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Mercury is northern winter-water; it stands for wisdom and keen hearing. When wisdom fails and judgment dulls—winter’s rule broken and water-phase qi hurt—Mercury appears as reproof. Mercury governs penal law and the Commandant of Justice, marks Yan, Zhao, and lands north beyond Dai; and symbolizes the chief counselor. It also carries killing qi and the augury of battle. In wartime it marks deputy commanders; in peace it signals criminal cases. When yin and yang fail to align and heaven’s responses misfire, the seasons turn discordant. Untimely appearance scrambles winter and summer—the realm faces famine. If it stays hidden when due, ‘striking the ranks’—major war erupts. Between the Room and Heart mansions it foretells earthquakes. Swift, jittery motion usually concerns frontier peoples. Some call it the star of outer tribes and the integrity of penal codes. A small yellow Mercury shakes the earth severely. Brightness rivaling the moon brings inundation to its kingdom.
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The five planets vary in hue and size; each should move in step with the seasons. Colors fall into classes: green matches Betelgeuse, red Antares, yellow Bellatrix, white Sirius, black the brightest star in Legs. Keeping true tint through the four seasons is auspicious; when color clashes with motion, ill fortune follows.
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Whatever celestial seat the five planets occupy at emergence or station—that kingdom holds the advantage. A kingdom that holds the celestial seat finds Jupiter favoring virtue, Mars honoring ritual, Saturn granting fortune, Venus strengthening arms, and Mercury harmonizing yin and yang. At the lodge a planet crosses or strikes, victory goes to those whose aspect matches its hue and shows rays; defeat to those the color ill suits. Occupying a full lodge signals virtue; an empty lodge means virtue has fled. Color can outweigh station, motion can outweigh color, and perfect motion prevails over everything. The Encampment mansion is Jupiter’s ritual shrine. The Heart mansion is the Bright Hall where Mars is worshiped. The Southern Dipper is Saturn’s grand ceremonial chamber. The Neck constellation serves as Venus’s open shrine. The seven stars of the Dipper’s handle form Mercury’s round palace. Watch closely each planet’s oracle when it enters its tutelary mansion.
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When the five wanderers slip their stations, their essences may fall to earth in human form. Jupiter’s fall becomes eminent ministers; Mars becomes children singing and at play; Saturn becomes aged men and women; Venus becomes brawny men in woods and glens; Mercury becomes women. Good or ill omens follow the shapes heaven sends.
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When Jupiter meets Saturn, expect civil strife and famine; with Mercury, plots twist and policies reverse; with Mars come drought and empty granaries; with Venus come mourning gatherings, joined battle, rebellion within, shattered hosts without, and floodlike ruin. Venus south and Jupiter north form the yin-yang pairing and promise bumper harvests. Venus north and Jupiter south make harvests unreliable. Mars joined with Venus flashes fire and grief—suspend campaigns and arms. Armies that march with them face calamity; breaking away brings retreat. Emerging on Venus’s dark flank splits households; on the bright flank, lieutenant generals clash. Joined with Saturn comes peril and doomed ministers. With Mercury it signals northern hosts and crushing defeat for any campaign. Another tradition: Mars with Mercury means hard tempering—no mobilization. Saturn with Mercury clogs and dams action—armies sink and hosts founder. Some read it as intrigue and policy shifts ending in drought. With Venus come plague, mourning dress, civil arms, and lost territory. With Jupiter the realm starves. Mercury with Venus breeds shifting plots and military anxiety. Entering Venus and bursting upward shatters armies and beheads generals—the invader wins; exiting downward strips the guest of land. Read the pennant’s aim to know how the army will break. Circling Venus as if in combat means pitched battle and victory for the challenger. Whenever wood, fire, earth, or metal contends with water, war follows. If no army faces outward, strife stirs within. Sharing a lodge is conjunction; crowding one another is combat. Two bodies drawn tight spell greater disaster; far apart, little harm—within seven cun the omen bites.
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Whenever the moon occults a planet, that kingdom is doomed. Jupiter brings famine, Mars rebellion, Saturn executions, Venus wars among great powers, Mercury turmoil stirred by women.
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When a planet slips behind the moon, Jupiter means a dismissed chief minister; Venus means a general put to death.
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滿
Where all five cluster, that land becomes hegemon and the world submits. The gathered planets sway the age—Jupiter by righteousness, Mars by ritual, Saturn by gravitas, Venus by arms, Mercury by law—each shaping the empire in its own way. Three bodies joining mean alarm: armies clash within and without, mourners fill the roads, the people starve, and feudal lords are replaced. Four together form the ‘great yang’ pattern—war and mourning together, nobles in dread, commoners adrift. All five united signal changing fortunes: virtue earns blessing, dynasts rise to rule all quarters, and descendants flourish; without virtue comes calamity—throne lost, shrines razed, people scattered to the four winds. Brilliant planets foretell great events; dim ones, lesser omens.
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Round haloes on the five planets: white means mourning and drought; red cores that flicker unevenly mean war; azure brings anxiety and flood; black signals plague and mass death; yellow is auspicious. Red rays assault our ramparts; yellow marks quarrels over territory; white carries the sound of lament; green warns of arms; black brings inundation. When all five share one hue, weapons rest, people rejoice in song and dance, pestilence stays away, and grain overflows the bins.
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For Jupiter, lax rule stalls motion, harsh rule overshoots, retrograde motion demands divination. Mars tardy never rises; rushed, never sets; deviate from course and read the omen. Saturn slow fails to return; swift, overshoots its lodge; contrary motion calls for judgment. Venus likewise: sluggish rise, hasty failure to set, retrograde—each requires reading. Mercury: slow to appear, swift to vanish, untimely—interpret each case. When every wanderer keeps its course, harvests thrive.
19
西
When the five cluster east of celestial midline, the heartland profits; massed westward, border powers gain by arms. If Mercury stays hidden, Venus acts as invader; when it appears, Venus defends as lord of the field. If they rise out of step or from opposite quarters, they ‘counter’ one another—troops may mass yet never clash.
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Appearance, disappearance, station, direct or retrograde motion matching the calendar means orderly rule; deviating from computed degrees is ‘disordered motion.’ Erratic paths breed meteors, comets, and broom stars—fallen dynasties, coups, war, famine, and plague follow.
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Miscellaneous Stars and Atmospheric Omens
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Older chart-and-weft traditions survive; at the end of Han, Governor Liu Biao ordered Prefect Liu Rui of Wuling to compile astrological readings into the Jingzhou Prognostications. Those texts catalog auspicious stars, baleful stars, guest stars, meteors, lucky and unlucky vapors, and solar-lunar halos; here we sketch their forms and record how they were read.
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Auspicious Stars
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The first is the ‘spectral star,’ shaped like a half-moon at new moon, lending the moon extra light. Some describe it as a large star hollow at its core. Others speak of three stars amid red and green qi with a yellow star embedded—also named the Virtue Star.
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Second is Zhou Bo’s star—golden and blazing—under which whichever kingdom lies thrives.
26
耀
Third is ‘Gathered Praise,’ shining like a comet; in times of joy it shoots forth.
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Fourth is Geze—like leaping flame, broad below and sharp above, pale gold, mounting from the horizon. Its appearance promises harvest without sowing, great public works, and eminent visitors.
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Baleful Stars
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西
The first is the comet—the ‘sweeping star.’ Its head looks stellar, its tail like a broom—tiny ones span inches, great ones sweep the whole sky. When it appears, war follows and floods rage. It sweeps away the old to clear space for the new. Its five colors align with the ruling forces of the five phases. The historians note that a comet is dark until sunlight strikes it—at dusk its tail points east, at dawn west. North or south of the solar disk, the tail always points away from the sun. When the beam stutters, long or short, disaster follows the glow.
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The second type is the “bushy” star, a cometary form. A single slanted tail is a comet; bristling on every side is bushy. “Bushy” implies bristling chaos bred by foul vapors. Without civil turmoil come foreign hosts; the realm conspires in shadow until harm strikes. Yan Ying warned: “Unless you mend your ways, the bushy star will appear—then comets will be the least of your worries.” Thus the bushy star portends worse than an ordinary comet.
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西
Third is the celestial cudgel, also called the Awakening Star. It appears stellar at the head and needle-sharp at the tip, about forty yards long. Rising in northeast or west, it marks violent struggle.
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Fourth is the celestial lance. Within three months expect a fallen kingdom and a guilty ruler dead in hiding. If the curse lingers, drought, starvation, and plague ensue.
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西
Fifth is the celestial spear-shaft. Shi Shen describes a cloud shaped like an ox. Gan De says the nucleus is stellar and the tip tapers. Wu Xian records a western comet three zhang long auguring seizure and control.
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Sixth is Chiyou’s banner—comet-like but hooked like a curling standard. Some report an isolated crimson cloud. Others describe yellow aloft and pale beneath. Another likens it to a tall reed—the same “Chiyou banner.” Some compare it to a dustpan two zhang long ending in a star. It punishes sedition and confusion; beneath its quarter armies surge; otherwise mourning follows.
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Seventh is the sky-strider: a motionless figure in azure robes with a crimson head. Its sight brings ministerial plots, mobilized troops, and the emperor’s doom.
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Eighth is the State Glory—great and red, resembling Canopus. Some place it one or two zhang high like a bonfire, auguring civil brigandage. Others say armies rise beneath it in strength. Still others read war and mourning both within and without.
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Ninth is Radiant Brightness—Venus-like brilliance that hangs still. Some describe a hornless white globe bobbing up and down. One tradition splits a red comet into Radiant Brightness; its fading light signals new hegemons and shifting hosts. Another warns that magnates fall and armies march.
38
西西
Tenth is the Overseer of Peril—Venus-like but eyed. Some fix it due west, six zhang high, huge and pale. Others note fur and twin horns. Observers liken it to restless Venus; seen clearly it turns red—a portent of mutiny against hardened troops. Its appearance means collapsed justice, heroes rising, unjust rulers overthrown, and famed ministers embodying virtue.
39
西
Eleventh is celestial calumny—a northwest comet like a four- or five-zhang sword. Some shape it as a hook four zhang long. Others describe a small pale jittering star marking executions. Emergence brings civil feuding, famine and war, scorched lands for leagues, and whitening bones.
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Twelfth is Five Ruins, alias Five Blades, rising due east. It looks like Mercury some sixty or seventy feet high. Some trace it to a cerulean comet bursting from the Horn like Mercury. Others note a halo of gossamer around it. Some report a large red flickering body that turns blue on scrutiny. It marks rebel ruin; split five ways it augurs collapse and emergency mobilization. Its sight brings regicide, baronial rule, countryside chaos, sudden war, mourning—ill for frontal assault.
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Thirteen is Six Bandits, appearing due south. Roughly sixty feet up—great, red, and pulsing with light. Some liken it to a comet; when Five Ruins and Six Bandits appear together, catastrophe grips the pivot; war gathers beneath—ill for meeting the foe head-on.
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Fourteenth is Prison Han, alias Total Han—northern field star six zhang high, huge and red, turning blue when studied. Some describe a red veil with three crossing tails beneath. It hunts kings and strikes them down. Emergence throws yin forces into turmoil and raises armies below. It also augurs mourning; motion alarms every prince.
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Fifteenth is Ten-Day Inception beside the Dipper—shaped like a cock. Wrathful, it shows blue-black like a turtle shell. Some read wrath as feminine—presiding over warfare. Others split a yellow comet into Ten-Day Inception—the omen of enthronements, turmoil, and summoned disaster. It brings ministerial revolt, cruel lords, a decade of crisis, sages rising to chastise, and rogues running wild. Some say border lords strut like crowing roosters.
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Sixteenth is the sky spear-point—a comet shaped like a lance tip. When the realm churns in turmoil, the sky-edge star shines.
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Seventeenth is the candle star—like Venus. It does not drift; when seen it quickly fades. Some report three tails above the ruler star—chaos in those districts, thwarted brigandage, with five-color readings.
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西
Eighteenth is the fleecy star—white as two dou measures—also called the King Star. Like campfires at night—often four or five, sometimes only one or two. One places it southwest several zhang long, flanked by the Dui quarter. It appears and changes station. Within three years of its sight, traitorous ministers die by the blade. Others read vast flood or drought, crop failure, and cannibalism.
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Nineteenth is long Venus—a bolt of silk across the sky. Its sight brings war.
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Twentieth is Four Pillars—corner stars six zhang up, some say four. Some describe a huge red globe two zhang high appearing at midnight. War follows within ten months wherever it stands.
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Twenty-first is earth-warp hidden radiance at the corners. Some paint it large and red two or three zhang high like a new moon. It marks rebellion below; rebels fall and the worthy thrive.
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The Hetu states:
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Jupiter’s essence becomes the club, spear, trickster, collision, State Glory, Fan Deng, and cerulean comets.
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Mars breaks into bright dawn, Chiyou’s banner, Radiant Brightness, Overseer of Peril, spear-shaft, and red comets.
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Saturn scatters into Five Ruins, Prison Han, Great Ben, shining star, Chu flow, Ten-Day Inception, Chiyou, rainbows, strike-omen, and yellow comets.
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Venus fragments into pestle, prop, hidden spirit, rout, traitory overseer, sky dog, sky cripple, sudden flare, and white comets.
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Mercury splits into bent arrow, breaker woman, brushing pivot, ruin treasure, circling girdle, startling justice, great rite, and black comets.
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Five-colored comets vary in length; their twists match omens.
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Han scholar Jing Fang’s Wind-Apex text lists prodigies beside the moon with five-colored clouds on the five yín stem-days—each tied to a planet:
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Spear, root, thorns, True Ruo, garden, tower, wall—all Jupiter’s spawn. They appear on jiayin with paired green squares alongside.
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Shade, Jin Ruo, official stretch, delusion, precipice, Red Ruo, Chiyou—all Mars-born. They rise on bingyin flanked by crimson squares.
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Above, strike, follower, pivot, pheasant, boil, Jing comet—all Saturn’s issue. It appears on the fifth stem-day wùyín, flanked by yellow squares.
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Brush stars, wall stars, garden stars, white reed—all Venus-born prodigies. On gēngyín it rises with paired white squares at its side.
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Beauty, lance, cork-tree, hemp, forest, mugwort, duan-xia—all Mercury’s offspring. On rényín it shows twin black squares beside it.
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Those thirty-five stars, effusions of the five phases, issue from the clouds flanking the moon; each is watched for the day its parent star should appear. A premature sighting brings flood or drought, war, bereavement, and turmoil; its vector marks fallen kingdoms, lost soil, regicide, routed hosts, and slain generals.
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Guest Stars
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西 西
Zhang Heng wrote: “The four Laozi stars, Zhou Bo, Wang’s fleecy star, and Rui each wander among the five wanderers. None keeps a regular season. None follows a fixed path.” The Jingzhou text says: “The Laozi star is pure white; in the state beneath it one reads famine, ill luck, good or evil, joy or anger. Zhou Bo shines golden and splendid—the realm it visits thrives. The fleecy Pengxu glows green: rains fail, drought scorches fields, nothing sprouts, grain fails, locusts swarm.” It adds: “Three stars in the southeast are Bandits—great outlawry stirs below. Three in the southwest are Grain-Mound—grain prices soar tenfold. Three white giants in the northwest are Sky Dog—cannibal famine follows. Three in the northeast are Women’s Silk—great mourning.”
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Shooting Stars
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使 使使
Meteors are heaven’s messengers. Downward streaks are “flows”; upward sparks are “flies.” Great strokes are bolides—still meteors. Large messengers mean great business; small ones, petty business. A rumbling trail signals wrath. Quick paths bring quick ends; slow arches delay them. A large dark meteor concerns the common people; a small bright one touches nobles; large and luminous—many nobles are involved. Flashing on and off means robbers lose then win. Large ahead and small behind—dread; small ahead and large behind—joy. Serpentine tracks mean intrigue; swift departure never returns. Long arcs mean long crises; short bursts end quickly. Where a bolide strikes, armies gather. On a clear night a lingering meteor heralds gales that rip roofs and snap trees. Scores of little streaks racing outward augur mass migration.
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Some meteors boom like brands striking soil while pheasants call—a blessing; the struck land stays calm and joyful. A cyan-red spark named Earth Goose mobilizes troops below. A crimson-cyan trail two or three zhang long is Sky Goose—the army’s finest energy; that kingdom raises arms and the general should march toward its landing. A white blaze spanning the sky is the sovereign’s star; chancellor and marshal follow its bearing.
69
祿
A jar-sized flyer, pale aft and tilted low fore and high aft, is “stubborn stumble”—many who pursue it die. Jar-sized, pale behind—after it vanishes rings of white coil like wheels—“bit slipped”: rivals butcher each other for titles. Another jar-sized bolt leaves white vapor pouring earthward—“great slip”: rivers of blood and mountains of bone below.
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The crooked arrow: meteor-like, bluish-black, serpentine, fringed, yards of tail—auguring mutiny and punishing fools. It gathers rebel spears at the point of execution—using chaos to quell chaos.
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Sky Dog looks like a giant bolide—yellow, roaring—and where it lands resembles a hound. Its impact glows like flame—sharp above, round below—like a tract of burning farmland. Some describe fur, a stub tail, and a canine footprint. Others say any red-white meteor touching earth becomes Sky Dog. Another: luminous meteor with a human visage, silent landing, feet-like trail—that is Sky Dog. White outside, yellow within—like dying embers. It signals punitive expeditions against rebels. Where it appears crossbows trade volleys for leagues—armies broken, generals slain. Some read five marshals at odds, cannibalism, and blood along its path. The ruler forfeits land, war erupts, regimes turn over—fortify every pass.
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“Camp crest”: cloud like a shattered peak—where it crashes armies perish and blood floods a thousand li. Daytime meteor falls are also called camp crest.
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Cloud Omens
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Lucky vapors: first, the celebration cloud. Neither mist nor cloud yet both—lush, billowy, curling rings—the auspicious “celebration” or spectral cloud. It is joy-inspiring vapor—the sign of universal peace. Second is “returning prodigy.” Neither stellar nor nebulous— some describe twin red tails capped above and anchored to a star below. Its sight means exiles return home. Third is blazing glory—red dragon-form—seen when sages rise and sovereigns receive Heaven’s charge.
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Baleful vapors: first, solar rainbows—the duel’s corrupt gleam. They confuse hearts, breed palace lust, spur ministerial plots, humble the throne, empower consorts, and divide households. Second is the Zang cloud, dog-shaped, red, and long-tailed; it marks tyrants and martial mourning.
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The Ten Halo Types
77
觿觿 西
The Rites assign the Jin observers ten halo patterns to read omens and sort fortune from doom. First, “infusion”: five-colored yin-yang mist soaking together. Some count arcs, earrings, and counter-glows—short rainbows fall here. Second, “likeness”: vapors shaped like red crows flanking the sun. Third, “picker”: side vapor piercing the sun like a boy’s jade earpick. Fourth, “overshadow”: mist resting on the disk. Fifth, “eclipse”: lunar-solar occultation—some say stolen light. Sixth, “murk”: hazy, dull radiance. Seventh, “span”: pale arc bridging sky through the sun. Eighth, “peak”: vapor like a summit astride the sun. Some bundle crowns, arcs, and layered rings flanking the orb. Ninth, “stair”: solar halo rings. Some identify it with the rainbow—“morning stair westward” in the Songs. Tenth, “semblance”: colored shapes—green hunger, red war, white death, black grief, yellow plenty. Some gloss semblance as meditation—red forms like huntsmen whose meaning you ponder.
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西 西 西
Drifting mist that dims both luminaries foretells storms; prolonged dusk with neither sun nor stars means clouds trap light—two armies stalk in shadow. A murky sun means mutiny in the ranks. Several suns brawling herald empire-wide war. When suns clash, cities fall below. “Cap” looks like a vertical shaft with a knob atop the solar disk. A cap means accrued virtue and celebration in the realm. Another tradition says that an upright formation above the sun is called a cap. Greenish-red vapor cupping the sun in a small “cap” brings celebration to the realm. Tiny arcs crossing beneath the disk are “tassels”; pea-sized rounds flanking it are “buttons.” A rooftop parasol of russet-green atop the sun is a “parasol”; whoever gains ground rejoices. Some call a long slanting russet band beside the sun a “halberd.” Small round russet ears dangling left or right are “earrings”; pale gold ones augur glad news. During campaigns a single earring on the disk is auspicious. When it sits west of the sun the western host wins. East of the orb, the eastern army prevails. South and north follow the same rule. If no war is brewing, earrings mean a general’s promotion. A semicircle hugging the solar face is an “embrace.” Crescent russet turned away from the sun is “counter-glow”; outward-curving red-green arcs signal revolt and besieged towns. Jeweled arcs ring the orb like girdles on every side. Vertical russet pillars: one rival seeks autonomy—attack along the upright wins. Two uprights with triple embraces block self-rule; strike along the embrace and kill the commander. Triangles west of the sun are “lifting”; horizontal bands top and bottom are “blocking.” A half-ring beneath the disk is “bearing.” “Bearing” shows ministers supporting the throne. Triple yellow layers beneath like cushions—“bearing blessing”: the ruler gains joy and territory. Pale boots under the sun mean “treading.” Five stacked embraces: victory goes to whoever aligns with the cushion. One embrace versus one counter-glow means shattered retreat. Embrace is favorable vapor; counter-glow is hostile vapor. When hosts face off, attack down the embrace against the counter-glow—“routed flight.” Embrace plus twin earrings pierced by one rainbow: ride the rainbow’s vector to victory and slay the general. Add straight stones and twin rainbows—still strike with the rainbow’s path. Double cushion with inner arcs: the embrace-aligned side wins. Some read mutiny brewing inside the camp. Twin earrings with white rainbow through the embrace yields two captured commanders. Three rainbows net three generals. A glossy yellow-white embrace, red within and green without, brings imperial gladness and surrendering allies; troops stand down and foes capitulate. Yellow-green tints delight commanders; red spells quarrel among officers, white mourning, black death. Double embrace plus counter-glow: embrace-side wins ground or forces demobilize. Double embrace with arcs inside and out plus earrings means victory but mutinous, mistrustful ranks. A round collar red inside, green outside is the solar halo. The halo pictures an encampment. Even thickness shows evenly matched foes. No hostile army without means the emperor loses grip and subjects rebel. Five-colored haloes bring joy; fewer hues bring anxiety.
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Diviners must note haloes’ origins, duration, distance, response, speed, size, thickness, length, embraces versus backs, presence, substance, endurance, density, and sheen. Matching omens mean matched strength. Near beats far, fast beats slow, thick beats thin, long beats short, embrace beats counter-glow, plenty beats absence, solid beats hollow, endurance beats haste, dense beats sparse, lustrous beats dull. Double counter-glows mean crushing defeat; double embraces promise alliance; more embraces mean broader coalition. Counter-glows mean estrangement: inward backs split the court, outward backs sunder allies.
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Miscellaneous Vapors
81
西
Imperial vapor is red within, gold without; wherever it rises a king will arise. Wherever the sovereign plans to tour, that region shows the glow first. Some see gate-like silhouettes in fog shot through with baleful chill. Forests report canopies in mist, armless cyan figures west of the sun, dragon-horses, or many-colored plumes—each marks imperial aura.
82
Champion’s vapor resembles dragons or beasts; or rolling smoke; or pale froth seething; or firelight glancing on men at night; or white veined with red, wooded ridges, or violet-black keeps; black banners hoisted crimson below; crossbows bent to shoot; dust plumes narrow below and broad aloft. All betoken fierce captains. Vapor rising like clouds into peaks means careful stratagems.
83
Triumph looks like levees or slopes planing the ground. Sheens like rippling water; bold generals, savage troops. Ridges crowned with forest; stalwart hosts. Yellow-white dust devils; axe-wielding silhouettes; serpents striking foes, capsized boats, ox-led clouds; cockfighting clouds crimson and white within the aura; yellowish wisps mean crack troops.
84
退
Yellow over white is “virtuous vapor”; foes beneath it sue for truce and retreat.
85
鹿
Defeat looks liver-toned or corpse-gray; upturned umbrellas or belly-up fish; black cliffs collapsing on camps—“camp crest” vapor; herds of oxen or swine inside the mist. Such decay dooms an army. Laundry lines or bobbing figures; tumbling thistledown or blown ash; rolled mats or frayed bolts—all defeat omens. Ox-tethers, sleepers, twin snakes, birds, burst banks, ruined roofs, deer herds, cock sparring—all losing army signs.
86
Surrender looks like scattered folk with folded hands and bowed heads; others see clasped hands squared off. Black masses edged in gold mean capitulation.
87
Stubborn citadels show starlike black shrouds—“army essence.” White pennant vapors or azure and gold over the walls spell grand celebration. Emerald ox-heads butting people or smoky fires along the ramparts. Twin serpents, outward pestles, or forked comets—do not storm such towns.
88
Cities doomed to sack show red birds, wrecked carts, speckled pelts, or tower-like pileups spilling past walls; crimson human-headed clouds over camps mark them for slaughter. A cock-pheasant silhouette atop walls means surrender below.
89
Ambush reads as long black tufts with red cores, or foaming white pillars like towers; or banner poles jutting from storm clouds; Red clubs in storm clouds or shadowy figures in crimson mist mark ambush.
90
Sudden-host vapors look white and vine-linked, columns chasing in pulses; or immortal shapes in linked ranks that fade and surge—hosts march from a thousand li away. Red human silhouettes with blade and shield mean sudden strikes on the town below. Crimson envoys with tallies mean relentless marching armies. Squared rainbows across the sky. Each augurs surprise attacks.
91
War-mist looks pale green like grease; headless silhouettes; corpses lying flat; vermilion snakes with trailing red vapor promise pitched battle and executed commanders. Dog-shaped red wisps diving into camp precede bloodshed.
92
西
Ten sunless days with whirlwinds but no rain—“obscuration”: ministers intrigue. Twilight fog yellow-green, merging and breaking, reads the same. Five-colored thunderheads shelter hidden worthies below. Moist azure clouds veiling the sun in the northwest promote worthy officials. Chaff-like clouds signal gales—watch their bearing. Dense, slick thunderheads burst into storms. On seasonal inception days black stacked clouds bring prolonged rain. Vapor neither mist nor dew that leaves garments dry means mobilization. Bands crossing sunrise or sunset: white for mourning, crow-black for panic—rain within three days lifts them. Dragon-shaped clouds drive generals mad where they loom. Swan-tail clouds shading the capital doom it within three days. Ochre clouds sealing the vault day and night mean licentious ministers. Murky gloom lets villains replace worthies.
93
Pale bows are the root of every evil and rebellion. Fog is cumulative malign yin veiling yang.
94
Pale arcs and fog accompany ministerial plotters seizing authority. Daytime fog and nightly clarity mean ministers achieve their aims.
95
Night fog with pale bows alarms ministers; daytime fog with pale bows alarms the sovereign. Rainbows touching earth signal rivers of blood.
96
Fog out of season with drizzle means cosmic imbalance. Unbroken gloom presages partition of the realm.
97
Weeks of ash-dark sky with muddy rain speckling robes is “haze.” Hence haze in heaven and earth goes with estranged ruler and ministers.
98
西
Sea-mist castles, inland palace shapes, northern herds on felt, southern sails and banners—regional omens. South of Mount Hua vapor runs black below, red aloft; Mount Song and three rivers glow true crimson; north of Mount Heng reads azure; from Bohai to Haixi every vapor is ink-black; between Yangtze and Huai they shine white; Eastern Sea mist resembles round hats; Han waters trail like pulled linen; Yangtze-Han looks like shuttles, Ji like black swine, Wei like pale-tailed wolves, Huai goats, Shaoshi white hares, Mount Heng dark oxen—each river named by totemic vapor. Eastern tribes smoke like trees, western like halls, southern like towers or ships.
99
Battle clouds rise sheer as ramparts. Shuttle-clouds resemble axles or beams with sharpened ends. Ladle-trails span half the firmament like ropes; their qie shapes mimic fortress pennants. Hook-clouds curl like sickles. Read each form by its five-color palette. Moist, tight curls that stagger observers forecast pitched battle along their axis. Three silk ribbons—wide leading edge tapering aft—mark marching hosts.
100
Each ancient state had signature clouds—from Han’s bolt of cloth to Shu’s granary dome.
101
Chariot vapor bobs and clusters unevenly. Horseman mist hugs the horizon in sheets. Infantry signs form tight globes. Low leading edge and lofty stern mean swift advance. Squared crest tapering aft signals pullback. Even vapor moves leisurely. High prow and low stern bring abrupt reversal. Scout clouds stretch hundreds of zhang in slate blue. Skirmisher streaks are tailless comets hundreds of zhang long. Joy glows yellow above crimson; rage burns solid red; grief stacks black. Fortification labor reads pale yellow. Relocation haze is chalk-white.
102
仿 西
Fresh vapors hover between cloud and mist—barely visible at first. Pillars five or six feet over treetops mark foes fifteen hundred li off. Eye-level sight reaches a thousand li; squinting upward reveals enemies within a hundred. Panning between horizons scans two thousand li; hilltop vistas grasp three thousand li. Watch eastern skies at dawn for eastern foes; noon for southern, dusk for western enemies; northern foes show at midnight. Above camps compare altitude, density, substance, length, and sheen—taller, thicker, fuller, longer, damper wins. Sudden storms may erase ill omens before they ripen.
103
Historical Records and Omens Fulfilled
104
Portents in the Sky
105
西
In the second month of 292 the northwest sky tore open. Liu Xiang explained, "A riven sky means yang is insufficient; an earthquake means yin is excessive." At that time the ruler was benighted, and consorts and empresses controlled power.
106
In 303 the zenith split with triple thunderclaps. It mirrored feeble sovereignty and ministerial presumption. That day the Prince of Changsha defended the throne against Chengdu and Hejian—later those lines seized power in turn—precisely the reading.
107
西
At midnight in 361 the sky split several yards wide with thunder and crying pheasants. Afterward Ai fell ill, Haixi erred, the empress ruled, Taizong governed, Huan Wen dominated—yin swelled while yang faded.
108
In 319 the southeast sky roared like wind lashing waves. Jing Fang’s Changes gloss: “Heaven’s voice alarms the throne.” Thunder returned in 321 on renchen and ceased on jiawu. Wang Dun then seized Stone Fort and shattered the court army. The emperor suffered mighty ministers, died shamed, unredeemed.
109
In 401 the southeastern heavens groaned. It repeated in 402 on wuzi. Huan Xuan seized the throne and sent An fleeing—no deeper sorrow. The southeast thunder tracked the court’s exile south of the river.
110
In 405 the southeast roared again—Jing Fang: “When the people toil, heaven wails.” Though An returned, war never ceased and the folk wore themselves out.
111
Solar Eclipses
112
使
Under Emperor Wen of Wei, on the final day of the sixth month of Huangchu 2 (221), the sun was eclipsed. The responsible offices memorialized to remove the Grand Commandant, but the edict said, "When disasters and anomalies arise, they reprimand the head of state. To assign the fault to the arms and legs--is this the meaning of Yu and Tang blaming themselves? He ordered every officer to fulfill his charge faithfully. In future, when there are prodigies in Heaven and Earth, do not hastily impeach the Three Dukes." On the new moon of the first month of Huangchu 3, another eclipse occurred. It happened again on the last day of the eleventh month. Huangchu 5 saw yet another eclipse on the last day of the eleventh month. Early in the Taihe era, Xu Zhi predicted an eclipse and joined the grand commandant at the Spirit Terrace for exorcism. The emperor answered: “Heaven warns wicked rule through omens so the sovereign may reform. Thus eclipses expose faults in statecraft. Since my accession I have failed to broadcast my predecessors’ virtue; my edicts displease the gods—hence heaven’s reproof. I must mend policy and answer the spirits. Heaven is to the people as a father to children—no father punishes a child who brings only rich offerings to escape blame. Blaming the grand duke and chief astrologer jointly is unheard-of propriety. Let every minister instead perfect his office. Whoever can remedy my faults should memorialize them sealed.” On the last day of the eleventh month of Taihe 5 (231), an eclipse darkened the sun. The new moon of the first month of Taihe 6 brought another. The Wu chronicle records the same.
113
An eclipse fell on the intercalary new moon of Qinglong 1 (233).
114
The seventh-month new moon of Zhengshi 1 (240) was eclipsed. Zhengshi 3: eclipse at the fourth-month new moon. Zhengshi 4: eclipse at the fifth-month new moon. Zhengshi 5: eclipse at the fourth-month new moon. Zhengshi 6: eclipse at the fourth-month new moon. That sixth year also saw an eclipse on the tenth-month new moon. Zhengshi 8: eclipse at the second-month new moon. Cao Shuang dominated the court while Ding Mi and Deng Yang rewrote the laws. The eclipse prompted an edict asking ministers for honest critique. Jiang Ji urged: “Shun warned against cliques; the Duke of Zhou feared partisan circles. When Qi asked about disaster, Yan Ying answered with mercy; when Lu asked, Zangsun urged lighter corvée. Blocking anomalies and answering Heaven truly lies in human affairs." Jiang Ji’s meaning and comparisons were very forceful, but ruler and ministers did not understand, and in the end they reached defeat and ruin. The first-month new moon of Zhengshi 9 saw an eclipse.
115
Jiaping 1 recorded an eclipse on the second-month new moon (text corrupt).
116
An eclipse marked the seventh-month new moon of Gannu 4 (259). Gannu 5: eclipse at the first-month new moon. Jing Fang wrote: “An eclipse on yiyou means a feeble throne and mighty ministers; the Sima marshal marches against his sovereign.” That fifth month brought Cheng Ji’s coup.
117
Jingyuan 2 (261): eclipse on the fifth-month new moon. Jingyuan 3: eclipse on the eleventh-month new moon.
118
the second year of Taishi (266): eclipse on the seventh-month last day. Another fell on the tenth-month new moon that year. the seventh year of Taishi: eclipse on the tenth-month new moon. the eighth year of Taishi: eclipse on the tenth-month new moon. the ninth year of Taishi: eclipse on the fourth-month new moon. the ninth year of Taishi also recorded a seventh-month eclipse. the tenth year of Taishi saw paired eclipses in the first and third months.
119
Xianning 1 (275): eclipse on the seventh-month last day. Xianning 3: eclipse at the first-month new moon. Xianning 4: eclipse at the first-month new moon.
120
Taikang 4 (283): eclipse at the third-month new moon. Taikang 7: eclipse at the first-month new moon. Taikang 8: eclipse at the first-month new moon. Taikang 9 paired first- and sixth-month eclipses. On yǒngxī 1’s fourth-month gēngshēn day the emperor died.
121
Yuankang 9 (299): eclipse on the eleventh-month new moon. The next month the heir was demoted to commoner status and murdered.
122
Yongkang 1 paired eclipses in spring.
123
Yongning 1 (301): intercalary-month eclipse.
124
Guangxi 1 saw spring and summer eclipses. Emperor Hui died that winter. Another eclipse closed the year on the twelfth-month new moon.
125
Yongjia 1 (307): eleventh-month eclipse. Yongjia 2: first-month eclipse. Yongjia 6: second-month eclipse.
126
Jianxing 4 paired sixth- and twelfth-month eclipses. Jianxing 5 repeated eclipses on fifth- and eleventh-month bingzi days. The emperor was a captive in Pingyang.
127
Daxing 1 (318): fourth-month eclipse.
128
Taining 3: eclipse spanning mao to the Dipper. The Dipper zone mapped onto Wu. Su Jun’s revolt followed.
129
Xianhe 2: eclipse in the Well mansion. The Well governs drink and food—the empress’s token. The empress dowager died of sorrow the next year. Xianhe 6: third-month eclipse. Though adult, the emperor still visited Wang Dao’s home and honored Lady Cao like kin. A sovereign bowing to a subject’s wife bespoke flawed dignity. Xianhe 9: tenth-month eclipse. After capping he still abandoned rule to ministers—another moral lapse.
130
Xiankang 1 (335): tenth-month eclipse. Xiankang 7: second-month eclipse. Empress Du died that spring. Xiankang 8: first-month eclipse. The capital endured storms while provinces filed reports. Rain during the three court mornings—sovereigns dread this pairing. The emperor died within six months.
131
Emperor Mu recorded triple eclipses across Yonghe 2, 7, and 8. Yonghe 12: eclipse in the Tail mansion. Tail stood for Yan—northern barbarians. Frontier rivals Yao Xiang and Fu Sheng devoured each other while the court warred endlessly.
132
Shengping 4: near-total eclipse at the Horn. Shallow bites mean lighter woes; deep bites, heavier doom. The Horn gate alarms every ruler. The emperor died the following year.
133
Longhe 1 paired third- and twelfth-month eclipses. The following year the emperor fell ill and neglected governance.
134
西 西
Haixi duke’s reign saw paired eclipses in Taihe 3 and 5. They foretold his deposition from Haixi.
135
Ningkang 3 (375): tenth-month eclipse.
136
Taiyuan 4 (379): intercalary eclipse. Fu Jian had seized Xiangyang and Zhu Xu. Taiyuan 6: sixth-month eclipse. Taiyuan 9: tenth-month eclipse. Taiyuan 17: fifth-month eclipse. Taiyuan 20: third-month eclipse. The emperor died the next year.
137
the fourth year of Longan (400): sixth-month eclipse. Yuan Xian dominated policy.
138
Yuanxing 2 (403): fourth-month eclipse. That winter Huan Xuan seized the throne.
139
Yixi 3 (407): seventh-month eclipse. Yixi 10: ninth-month eclipse. Yixi 11: seventh-month eclipse. Yixi 13: first-month eclipse. The emperor died the next year.
140
Yuanxi 1 (419): eleventh-month eclipse. Since Yixi 1 every eclipse began at the top—tokens of dynastic change.
141
The Rites list ten halo types—jin, image, drill, oversight, obscurity, murk, span, sequence, stair, semblance—for reading omens. Later ages renamed them inconsistently. Below follow cases that matched those readings.
142
In 248 Sun Quan’s realm saw a white arc slash the solar disk. Sun Quan issued an anxious edict.
143
In 269 a double halo yielded to a white bow.
144
Taikang 1 dawn-to-dusk five-colored coronae crowned the sun. Readers said: “The sovereign misrules; chǒu ties to Wu-Yue.” Sun Hao’s cruelty ended in fourth-month surrender.
145
Yuankang 1: doubled haloes with green-red fire. Yuankang 9: swallow-shaped silhouettes inside the sun for days. Wang Yin called it the heir’s doom.
146
Yongkang 1: triple haloes on the new moon. Yellow fog strangled the light on yiwei. The prognostication said, "In less than three years below there will be a great battle in which cities are taken." Black vapor stained the sun that winter. Jing Fang’s Yi zhuan said, "If sacrificing to Heaven is not reverent, this is called defiance; its anomaly is black vapor in the sun."
147
Black flecks appeared on the moon in Yongning 1. Jing Fang’s Yi prognostication said, "Black is yin. If ministers do not cover the ruler’s faults and let them be seen below, and the people hate the ruler, then this anomaly appears." It also said, "There are ministers who obscure the ruler’s brightness."
148
Tai’an 1: solar black vapor.
149
Yongxing 1: black belt splitting the disk.
150
Guangxi 1: sunlight shattered into bloody streaks painting earth red. It repeated on jiǎwǔ. The prognostication said, "The ruler’s way has lost its brightness."
151
宿
Yongjia 1: ochre-black veils yellowed every vista. The Hetu calls this “sun thinning.” Its explanation said, "All solar eclipses occur at new moon or month end; those not at month end or new moon are solar thinning. Though the sun and moon are not lodged together, at that time yin vapor is strong and covers the sun’s light." Readers treat it like an eclipse. Yongjia 2 paired white bows with five-ringed haloes. The prognostication said, "When a white rainbow pierces the sun, close ministers make disorder; if not, there will be feudal lords who rebel. If the halo has five layers, the holder of a state receives its omen; there will be war under Heaven, and that land will be destroyed and lost." Next year Sima Yue bullied the emperor. Liu Cong sacked Luoyang and captured the sovereign. Solar threads dripped crimson like blood that spring. Swallow-shaped globs returned inside the orb.
152
西
Jianxing 2: observers recorded the sun “falling.” Three stacked suns rose in the west and drifted east. Jianxing 5: triple suns and bows spanning the sky. Double rings flanked by earrings encircled the sun. The prognostication said, "A white rainbow is military vapor. When three, four, five, or six suns all appear together and contend, war arises under Heaven; the ding and si days likewise correspond to their number." It also said, "When three suns appear together, within no more than thirty days the feudal lords contend to become emperor. Double haloes raise rival sovereigns. When the sun has a halo with earrings, under Heaven there will be the establishment of marquises." Therefore Chen Zhuo said, "There should be great celebration; will the world be divided into three?" Within months Jiangdong renamed its reign while Liu Cong and Li Xiong carved rival realms—war dragged on for generations.
153
Daxing 1: a night sun rose three feet high with russet-green ears. Daxing 4: competing solar disks. Black flecks preceded the emperor’s personal jail review.
154
Yongchang 1: fresh solar spots. Liu Wei’s favor triggered Wang Dun’s march on the capital.
155
Taining 1: haloes drained of light. Yellow fog followed on guǐsì. The prognostication said, "The ruler’s way loses brightness, yin and yang are dim, and ministers have hidden plots." Jing Fang said, "When those below monopolize punishment, this is called dividing authority; there is dim obscurity and the sun is not bright." It matched Wang Dun’s murders of Ding Xie, Zhou Yi, and Dai Yuan. Wang Dun died for his treason. A white arc returned in winter. Archives missed it—Prefect Hua Bao memorialized.
156
Xianhe 9: solar pierced by pale bow.
157
Xiankang 1 repeated the sign. Xiankang 2 repeated again. Yu clan rule through consorts explains yearly arcs. Xiankang 8 solar flecks faded after bǐngzǐ. The emperor died that summer.
158
Yonghe 8: Zhang Chonghua saw a scarlet sun bearing a three-legged crow for five days. Yonghe 10: egg-sized spots. Yonghe 11: twin peach-sized flecks. The boy emperor stayed away from affairs.
159
Shengping 3: egg-dark blotches again. The emperor fell ill and died soon after.
160
西
Haixi saw twin bows in the east one night. Taihe 4: dense halo pierced by arc. Solar spots followed that autumn. Taihe 5: plum-sized umbra. Taihe 6 closed with arc and quintuple halo. Huan Wen’s coup in the eleventh month began Emperor Jianwen’s Xian’an reign.
161
Xian’an 2: solar spots on dīngchǒu.
162
Ningkang 1: plum-sized sunspots. Ningkang 2: twin egg-sized spots. The eleventh month on jǐsì. Chicken-egg flecks marred the disk. Though mature, the emperor let Consort Kang rule—injuring sovereignty—hence solar blemishes.
163
Taiyuan 13: twin plum-sized flecks. Taiyuan 14: plum shadows returned. Taiyuan 20: recurrent blotches. The Prince of Kuaiji and his full brother meddled in state affairs.
164
the first year of Longan: haloes with counter-arc. The sovereign withdrew while Yuan Xian ruled by terror. the fourth year of Longan: another sunspot.
165
Yuanxing 1: bow through the solar heart. A second white arc in third month. Huan Xuan seized Luoyang and crushed the host. He usurped the crown next year.
166
Yixi 1, fifth month, gēngwǔ. The sun sprouted colored “earrings.” Yixi 6: haloes with straight stones. Lu Xun’s rebellion put the capital on war footing. Lu Xun retreated in the seventh month. Yixi 7: five bows in the east. Soothsayers said: “The throne will fall.” Liu Yu then supplanted the Jin. Yixi 10: a southern arc stroked the sun in Eastern Well. It foretold Qin’s end.
167
西
Yuanxi 2: white shafts crossed the disk with east-west ears.
168
Lunar Anomalies
169
Huangchu 4: lunar halo over the Dipper. The prognostication said, "There will be great mourning, and amnesty will be granted under Heaven." Emperor Wen died Huangchu 7; Mingdi ascended with blanket amnesty.
170
Yongjia 5: total lunar eclipse deep in the night. Totality returned fourth watch. The prognostication said, "When the moon is completely eclipsed, great men will be anxious." It also said, "The eminent men of that state will die."
171
西
Haixi reign: chained haloes through Chariot Shaft and Dipper handle. The prognostication said, "Kings hate it." Huan Wen deposed him two years later.
172
the fifth year of Longan: “lunar teeth” appeared. The prognostication said, "When the moon grows teeth, the Son of Heaven has traitorous ministers, and all below mutually destroy one another." It augured Huan Xuan’s coup.
173
輿
Yixi 9 new moon lingered east— “Parhelion moon”: princes must humble themselves. Liu Yu’s dictatorship matched the parhelion moon. Yixi 11: moon entered Ghost with halo. The prognostication said, "The ruler will have anxiety, and treasure and wealth will go out." One reading said, "When the moon has a halo, there will be an amnesty."
174
The Moon Occults the Five Wanderers
175
Whenever the moon occults a planet, that kingdom is doomed. Planetary ingress into the moon ousts chief ministers below.
176
Taihe 5: the moon crossed Saturn.
177
Qinglong 2 repeated the occultation. Interpret as above. On wuyin, the moon trespassed against Venus; the prognostication said, "The ruler of men will die, and there will also be war." Gongsun Yuan rebelled Jingchu 1. Sima Yi marched in Jingchu 2. The emperor died Jingchu 3. Jingchu 4: Venus and moon visible by day with occultation. Interpret as above.
178
Moon crossed Mars. The prognostication said, "Eminent men will die." Minister Han Ji died that spring.
179
Jiaping 1: Venus struck the moon. Sima Yi secured edicts deposing Cao Shuang.
180
輿
Tai’an 2: Jupiter slid behind the moon. The prognostication said, "The state will have an expelled minister." Venus trespassed the lunar disk. The prognostication said, "There will be war under Heaven." Moon-Venus contact echoed Qinglong omens. Chen Zhen’s loyal army lost to the Prince of Chengdu; rebels threatened the emperor. The emperor died within two years.
181
Daxing 2: lunar-Mars conjunction. The prognostication said, "There will be disorderly ministers." Daxing 3: Venus entered the moon in the Dipper. Guo Pu said, "The moon belongs to Kan and is the legal image of the yin office. When Venus, the metal phase, trespasses against it, Heaven’s intent is as if to say that punishments and judgments have lost the mean and are destroying their own law." Daxing 4: moon crossed Jupiter in Room. The prognostication said, "That state will have war and famine, and the people will flee and go into exile." Wang Dun’s coup slaughtered courtiers. Liu Wei fled north; farmers fled their plots. All suffered war. More executions followed.
182
Xiankang 1: Venus occulted by moon. Fourth month jiǎwǔ. Lunar-Venus contact recurred. Xiankang 4: twin occultations summer and autumn. The prognostication said, "The ruler of men will die. There will also be war, and the ruler of men hates it." Shi Hu invaded south of the Han; alerts sounded empire-wide. Xiankang 5: moon crossed Jupiter in Stomach (corrupt day stem in text). The prognostication said, "The state will have famine, and the people will wander." Moon-Jupiter contact in Hairy Head. Winter brought defeat at Zhucheng and myriad displaced families. Xiankang 6: Venus swallowed by moon. The prognostication said, "The ruler of men will die." Moon-Venus clash in fourth month. The prognostication said, "The ruler of men hates it."
183
輿 退
Yonghe 8: moon crossed Jupiter in Eastern Well. Soothsayers warned of Qin’s famine and exodus. War flared without pause. Yonghe 10: lunar occultation of Saturn in Ghost. The prognostication said, "Qin will have war." Huan Wen besieged Fu Jian at Chang’an, then withdrew. Huan crushed Yao Xiang in summer.
184
宿 退
Shengping 1: moon occulted Jupiter in Room. The prognostication said, "The people will be hungry." One reading said, "Yuzhou will have disaster." Shengping 2: another Jupiter contact. Interpret as above. Xie Wan’s army collapsed. Moon crossed Venus in Hairy Head. The prognostication said, "The ruler of men will die." One reading said, "The land of Zhao will have war, and the Hu will be unsettled." Murong Jun died that winter. Moon swallowed Venus in Rooftop. The prognostication said, "All under Heaven will scatter and disperse." Moon crossed Saturn in Shaft. The prognostication said, "It will become great mourning." Emperor Mu died that summer. Murong Ke seized Yewang and routed Lü Hu. Huan Wen halted at Nanyang on news of Hu’s defeat.
185
西
Xingning 1: lunar occultation of Venus at Weaver Maid. The prognostication said, "All under Heaven will scatter and disperse." One reading said, "The disaster is in Yangzhou." Luoyang fell in the third year. Huan Wen’s northern drive bled the army. Yuan Zhen’s war ravaged Huainan. Murong Wei and Fu Jian raided the frontiers. Moon occulted Jupiter in Triaster. The prognostication said, "Shen is the allotment of Yizhou." Zhou Fu died in summer. Sima Xun rebelled in Liangzhou. Zhu Xu helped Zhou Chu restore order.
186
西
Haixi: moon crossed Mars in Triaster. The prognostication said, "It means internal disorder, a sign that the emperor will not complete his end." One reading said, "Shen is Wei territory." Murong Wei fell to Fu Jian.
187
殿
Taiyuan 12: Mars entered the moon. The prognostication said, "There will be disorderly ministers who die, or there will be mutual slaughter." One reading said, "Female relatives will take charge of government, and all under Heaven will be in disorder." Wang Guobao, the prince’s in-law, held favor. Yuan Yue bribed his way into both camps. The emperor executed Yue publicly. The court then split into factions. Mercury occulted in Rooftop. The prognostication said, "Traitorous ministers want to kill the ruler; within no more than three years, there will certainly be internal evil." Northern rivals warred in succession. Taiyuan 14: moon crossed Jupiter. Same interpretations apply. Di Liao held Yanzhou while Murong raided Bing-Ji. Drought scorched summer fields. Floods and locusts followed. Taiyuan 18: Mars entered the moon. The prognostication said, "Anxiety is in the palace; if it is not a traitor, then it is a thief." One reading said, "There will be disorderly ministers, or there will be those who are executed." Emperor Xiaowu died mysteriously; rumor blamed Lady Zhang. Wang Guobao later paid for his crimes. Taiyuan 19: moon occulted Jupiter in Tail. The prognostication said, "It means famine, and the state of Yan will perish." Murong Bao’s Wei campaign ended in slaughter. Murong Chui’s death doomed Yan.
188
the first year of Longan: moon crossed Venus at the Supreme Palace gate. The prognostication said, "The state will suffer war." Moon occulted Jupiter in Eastern Wall. The prognostication said, "It means famine, and Wei territory will have war." Deng Qifang lost to Murong Bao. Huan Xuan’s coalition mobilized the empire. Moon crossed Saturn in Oxherd. The prognostication said, "Wu-Yue will have war and mourning, and a female ruler will be anxious." Second Saturn conjunction that summer. Moon occulted Jupiter at North River. The prognostication said, "It means famine, and the Hu will have war." Sun En stormed Kuaiji and slew Xie Yan. His next victory slaughtered Gao Yaji’s men. The grand empress dowager died. Sun En’s raids starved the coast.
189
Mercury disappeared behind the moon. Cannibal famine followed. Moon crossed Mars. Same readings. Huan Xuan moved the court to exile. Liu Yu extirpated the Huans. Moon occulted Jupiter at the Horn’s eastern tip. The prognostication said, "War will arise under Heaven." Liu Yu’s uprising slew Huan Xiu. Huan Zhen fell the next spring.
190
Yixi 1: moon crossed Saturn in Eastern Wall. The prognostication said, "That land will lose its state." One reading said, "Eminent men will die." July repeated Saturn occultation. The prognostication said, "That state will use force against itself." One reading said, "The people will wander." October Saturn eclipse in Encampment. Interpret as above. Wei Yongzhi died. Rebels seized Yiyang. Wang Mi died. Prince Sima Zun died. Grand Mentor Kong Anguo died that spring. Moon occulted Venus in Rooftop. The prognostication said, "Qi will lose its state." One reading said, "The ruler of a strong state will die." Liu Yu crushed Southern Yan. Moon crossed Jupiter in Net. The prognostication said, "There will be frontier war, and also famine." Second Jupiter contact that autumn. The prognostication said, "Yizhou will have war and famine." Zhu Lingshi took Sichuan, then quelled a revolt. Another Net conjunction. Interpret as above. In the seventh month of the ninth year, Zhu Lingshi destroyed Shu. Text duplicates “fifth month”—moon crossed Jupiter at the Horn. The prognostication said, "It means famine." Saturn contact in Extended Net. The prognostication said, "All under Heaven will have great mourning." The emperor died the next year.
191
Yuanxi 1: moon crossed Jupiter. Same readings. Moon crossed Venus in Feathered Forest guard. The Jin abdicated to Liu Yu.
192
When the Five Planets Share One Lodge
193
退
Venus crossed Jupiter. The gloss reads: “Venus trespassing planets brings war.” Zhuge Liang marched on Tianshui. Sima Yi drove him back.
194
西
Venus crossed Mars. The prognostication said, "Great war will arise, and there will be a great battle." Wu joined Shu’s assault; Wei scrambled on both fronts.
195
Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus clustered in Net and Hairy Head. The prognostication said, "It means war and mourning. Bi and Mao are Zhao territory." The coup chain—Jia Nanfeng, Sima Lun, Zhang Hua’s execution—ended in chaos.
196
Mars and Venus closed in Empty and Rooftop. The prognostication said, "Great war will arise, armies will be broken, and generals will be killed. Xu and Wei are also the allotment of Qi." Mars assaulted Venus in Encampment. The gloss reads: “Realm-wide war warns of fallen sovereigns.” One reading said, "The minister will be changed." Sima Jiong seized Luoyang and bullied the throne. The princes’ civil war burned the palace and destroyed Jiong. Two thousand kinsmen died with him. Renewed war starved the realm.
197
Mars crossed Jupiter. The prognostication said, "There will be battle." In the seventh month Chen Zhen’s loyal army lost again.
198
Saturn crossed Jupiter. The prognostication said, "When Saturn joins Jupiter, it means internal disorder." Sima Yue’s tyranny fulfilled the omen. Venus crossed Saturn. The prognostication said, "It means internal war, and there will be a great battle." The Prince of Hejian fell to Sima Yue. Sima Yue purged rivals. Ji Sang slew Prince Sima Teng. Gou Xi crushed Ji Sang.
199
退
Mars, Jupiter, and Venus hovered between Ox and Girl. Examining the prognostication, it said, "Ox and Girl are the allotment of Yangzhou"; after this the two capitals collapsed, while Emperor Yuan revived the realm on that ground.
200
Venus and Mars conjoined in Eastern Well. The prognostication said, "When Metal and Fire join, it is called burning glare, and means mourning." Emperor Min died in captivity.
201
Jupiter met Mars in Eastern Well. Venus crossed Jupiter in Wings. The prognostication said, "It means war and famine." Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Room. Interpret as above. Wang Dun’s coup smashed the loyalists. Wang Dun died shortly after.
202
Venus crossed Jupiter in Encampment. The prognostication said, "It means war and famine." Shi Hu ravaged Youzhou and dragged captives south. Another fifty-thousand raid stole settlers. Cavalry took Zhucheng with heavy slaughter. Venus crossed Saturn in Basket. The prognostication said, "The king will lose territory." Murong Huang claimed the Yan title. Venus and Mars met inside Taiwei at the left officer. Emperor Ming died the following year. Venus crossed Mars in Stomach. The prognostication said, "Great war will arise." Yu Yi mobilized against Shi Hu from the middle Yangtze.
203
Venus crossed Saturn in Shaft. The prognostication said, "There will be great war." Liu Ning seized Didao for Zhao.
204
退
Mars entered Bond and crossed Saturn. The prognostication said, "War will greatly arise, there will be mourning, and the disaster is in Zhao." Shi Hu’s death unleashed Ran Min’s slaughter and Chu Pou’s failed expedition. Mars crossed Jupiter. The prognostication said, "It means battle." Jupiter and Mars conjoined in Legs. Liu Xian’s coup plunged the north into chaos. Text may read “twelfth year”—Venus crossed Saturn in Willow. The prognostication said, "The land of Zhou will have great war." Huan Wen’s withdrawal still yielded victory over Yao Xiang at the Yi.
205
Mars crossed Saturn in Extended Net. The prognostication said, "War will greatly arise." Venus crossed Saturn inside Taiwei. The prognostication said, "Kings hate it." Shengping 5: Mars crossed Jupiter in Encampment. The prognostication said, "Great ministers have hidden plots." One reading said, "Wei territory will have war." Huan Wen aimed to usurp the Jin.
206
西 西
Venus crossed Jupiter inside Taiwei. Venus occulted Mars at the palace gate. The Haixi emperor was deposed.
207
Jupiter crossed Saturn at Weaver Maid. The prognostication said, "It means internal disorder." Emperor Jianwen died; Huan Wen purged Wang Tanzhi—fulfilling the omen.
208
Venus occulted Mars in Encampment. The prognostication said, "When Metal and Fire join, it is burning glare, and means war and mourning." Fu Jian conquered Former Liang.
209
Taiyuan 11: Venus crossed Jupiter. The prognostication said, "It means war and famine." Hebei still burned while winter famine struck. Three planets shared Neck and Foundation. Saturn left while Mars and Jupiter stayed conjoined. The prognostication said, "When three stars join, this is called startling establishment and severed movement; within and without there will be war, mourning, and famine, and kings and dukes will be changed and established." Four planets met in Foundation. Venus crossed Jupiter in Dipper. The prognostication said, "It means disorder and famine, and it means internal war. Dipper is the allotment of Wu-Yue." Wang Gong and allies executed Wang Guobao. Years of flood, drought, and scarcity followed.
210
Jupiter and Mars entered Feathered Forest guard. The prognostication said, "The central army will rise in arms." Wang Gong marched on the capital.
211
Venus crossed Jupiter near the Upper General star. The prognostication said, "Chu will have war and famine." One reading said, "The disaster is in the supreme general." Huan Xuan seized the throne. Liu Yu annihilated the Huans. Venus crossed Saturn in Bond. Interpret as above. Venus and Mars met in Feathered Forest. Text year labels conflict—Huan Xuan exiled the court. Liu Yu rose while Huan Xuan fled east with the emperor.
212
西 西西
Mars and Venus entered Feathered Forest and Wall. Murong Chao struck toward Xuzhou. Liu Jingxuan marched on Shu. Four planets clustered in Legs-Bond—Saturn leading—Xuzhou sector. War engulfed Xu-Yan, Huai-Si, Shu, and the coast. Liu Yu crushed Southern Yan in year five. Mars crossed Mercury in Wings. The prognostication said, "War will arise under Heaven." Venus occulted Mars. The prognostication said, "There will be great war." Yao Xing sent armies against Helian Bobo and suffered crushing defeat. Mars crossed Mercury in Eastern Well. The prognostication said, "All of them mean war." Venus crossed Jupiter in Legs. The prognostication said, "Great war will arise, and Lu will have war." Liu Yu attacked Murong Chao that spring. Southern Yan fell in Shandong. Jupiter crossed Saturn in Triaster. The prognostication said, "When Jupiter and Saturn join, it means internal disorder." One reading said, "Yizhou will fight, will not prevail, and will lose territory." Zhu Lingshi conquered Shu. Xie Hun and Liu Yi died the next year. Venus crossed Saturn in Eastern Well. The prognostication said, "Qin will have great war." Mars and Saturn both trespassed Eastern Well. The prognostication said, "Qin will have war." Four planets stacked in Eastern Well led by Jupiter. Eastern Well maps to the Qin region. Liu Yu took Chang’an before ending the Jin. Mars entered Taiwei, grazed generals, lingered, then reversed. By 419 Mars exited Taiwei then re-entered. Saturn stayed in Taiwei while Mars hooked around it—then Mars left the gate. The prognostication said, "Mars and Saturn hook one another in the Heavenly Court, and all under Heaven will change its order." Prince Sima Dewen succeeded as Emperor Gong. The following year he abdicated to Liu Yu of Song.
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