The 《說卦傳》 (Shuōguà Zhuàn) served as a master key for narrative memory. By transforming abstract trigrams into a cosmic family (Father Heaven, Mother Earth, their children—Thunder, Water, Mountain, Wind, Fire, Lake) with rich sets of attributes (animals, body parts, virtues, natural forces), it allowed scholars to decode hexagram names as vivid, mini-stories. Remembering ䷂ 屯 Zhūn wasn’t memorizing a sound; it was visualizing the drama of “Water (the perilous abyss) beneath Thunder (the explosive birth)”—a perfect picture of “Birth Throes.” The Shuōguà didn’t just list meanings; it provided the symbolic vocabulary and relational logic to make every hexagram name a self-evident, unforgettable scene from the great epic of yin and yang.

In the beginning, there was ䷀ (1) 乾 (Qián), the Heaven, and ䷁ (2) 坤 (Kūn), the Earth. From their primal separation, the myriad things of existence burst forth into being. Deep in the dark soil, a single seed, ䷂ 水雷: (3) 屯 (Zhūn), stirred with a desperate desire to break through [trembling water]. When it finally sprouted, it beheld the vast, blooming world with the wide, dazed eyes of ䷃ 山水: (4) 蒙 (Méng), a dreamer awash in bewildering wonder [dreamscape of mountain behind clouds]. But dream gives way to need. Reality demanded nourishment, and so began a time of ䷄ 水天: (5) 需 (Xū), of waiting and longing [heavy dark cloud but rain yet to arrive] for sustenance. When resources proved scarce, conflict inevitably arose, leading to ䷅ 天水: (6) 訟 (Sòng), the strife of dispute [heavy downpour moving apart]. Yet such discord could not breed its own resolution. It required the structure of ䷆ 地水: (7) 師 (Shī), the discipline of a teacher, the order of law, to adjudicate and mend [using earth to channel water].

Yet, as the people multiplied, resources strained and a silent decay, ䷑ 山風: (18) 蠱 (Gǔ), festered beneath the surface [mountain above wind]. The community cried out for guidance, for one to oversee them, ䷒ 地澤: (19) 臨 (Lín) [earth above marsh]. The true leader, however, does not rush to act. First comes ䷓ 風地: (20) 觀 (Guān), the profound and patient observation that begins all wisdom [wind above earth]. Seeing the corruption clearly, the leader must then ䷔ 火雷: (21) 噬嗑 (Shì Hé), “bite through” the hard obstacles with unflinching justice [fire above thunder], yet clothe that justice in the graceful beauty of ䷕ 山火: (22) 賁 (Bì) [mountain above fire].

Now, to name a hexagram, you simply tell me: ‘Who is above? And who is below?’ The name is the story of their meeting.

Take ䷂ 屯 Zhūn, ‘Birth Throes.’ Look: ☵ Water (Kǎn, the Abyss) below, ☳ Thunder (Zhèn, the Arousal) above. The story writes itself: Below, the terrifying, enveloping waters of the womb or the flood. Above, the first, chaotic crack of thunder—the primal shock of life trying to burst forth. Of course it’s ‘Birth Throes’! Water-Thunder is the agony and hope of genesis.

Or ䷆ 師 Shī, ‘The Army.’ ☷ Earth (Kūn, the Mother) below, ☵ Water (Kǎn, the Abyss) above. See it? The water is hidden within the earth (地中有水). The earth is the populous land, the people. The water is danger, the collective peril. How does the earth channel and control this hidden danger? Through discipline and massed ranks—an army, a teacher. It’s not a name; it’s a portrait.

The Shuōguà gives every trigram a hundred faces. So when you see ䷈ 小畜 Xiǎo Xù, ‘Small Harvest,’ as ☴ Wind (Xùn) above ☰ Heaven (Qián), you don’t just see lines. You see: ‘The gentle wind (Xùn, the penetrating daughter) moves across the vast, powerful heaven (Qián, the father).’ The mighty force of heaven is being subtly gathered and tamed by the soft wind—a small accumulation, a gentle storing. The image is the name.

And for order, we have the ‘Later Heaven’ map, the seasonal story: Thunder (Zhèn) erupts in the East at Spring dawn. The Wind (Xùn) and gentle Fire (Lí) of summer follow in the South. The Mother Earth (Kūn) is harvested in late summer. The joyful Lake (Duì) speaks in the West at autumn. The creative Heaven (Qián) and deep Water (Kǎn) contend in the North’s winter. The still Mountain (Gèn) in the Northeast is where the year ends and prepares to begin again.

So when you hear ䷢ 晉 Jìn, ‘Radiance,’ as Fire (Lí) above Earth (Kūn), you see: The sun (Fire, Li) rising brilliantly over the receptive, flat earth (Kūn). It is the very picture of progressive advancement. When you hear ䷣ 明夷 Míng Yí, ‘Darkening of the Light,’ as Earth (Kūn) above Fire (Lí), the story flips: The earth has now buried the sun. The light is hidden, wounded. The name is the inevitable outcome of the image.

In the end, you do not memorize. You recognize. The Shuōguà taught us that every situation in heaven and earth is a meeting of these eight spirits. To name a hexagram is to describe, in the shorthand of family and element, a cosmic drama.

䷪ 夬 Guài, ‘Resolution,’ is ☱ Lake (Duì, the joyous daughter) above ☰ Heaven (Qián, the stern father)—joy decisively confronting power. ䷻ 節 Jié, ‘Restraint,’ is ☵ Water (Kǎn, the dangerous son) above ☱ Lake (Duì, the joyful daughter)—danger threatening to spill over the edges of joy, requiring a dam.

So tell me, apprentice: What is the story of ☲ Fire above ☳ Thunder?”

(The student thinks, using the trigram spirits: “Fire (Li, the clinging eye) above Thunder (Zhen, the shocking movement)… It is like lightning illumining the violent storm from within… It is ‘Biting Through’! ䷔ 噬嗑 Shì Hé!”)
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“Good. You are beginning to see. Now you are not just a diviner. You are a reader of the world’s oldest, continuous story.”

​This Chinese New Year eve, we would like to share with you the modus-operandi of a FengShui Master. Prior to an audit, he would have ‘spoken’ to the earth deity of the subject premises, be it using the QiMen oracles or simply by ‘knowing’ telepathically. He has already a framework, of what to do, who to help and most importantly, what the outcome would be. That is the homework, some called, remote sensing.

Upon arrival at the designated time, he don’t quite need to look at the QiMen oracle to tell him where the ShaQi or the ShengQi is. He is trained to recognise form. The foundation of all FengShui school vested upon ‘Cross Line Heavenly Heart’ or some contemporary called it ‘Naked Eye Method’, ‘Cross Road YinYang’ or even ‘Golden Lock Jade Portal’. He sums up everything by a look. He knows the history of the residents or occupants, when, where, how, who, why and which events happened and so forth, without the need to ask. He needs a LuoPan to do this? Nope.

He walks around the property, observing forms. He has the QiMap in his mind. By a glance, he knows what the formation, the rectification needed are and the balancing YinYang that is warranted. All these without the need for the LuoPan. He then decide if he has been paid enough to change the formation? Whether the occupants deserved to be helped?

He then suggest, he needs to set the meridians of such and such. Thus he opens his LuoPan. For short remedy, he uses quick fix employing perhaps, eight mansion the ‘correct version’ of ‘object placement’ with reference to the location of the door. There he measures from the ‘Heaven’s Heart’, to distribute the ‘stars’. Then he measures with his LuoPan above the navel and say, put a lamp there 24-hours, and the quarrelling will stop. Surprisingly, for whatever reason, the quarrelling stops …

For longer remedy, he sets the meridian by ‘butting’ the LuoPan. This he did below the navel. Why below and not above? He adjust the ‘golden line’ with almost both eyes closed. Thus, he does not need a tripod nor a spirit leveler. All he did was he pre-calculated the ‘line’ turn it to that and make sure the needle does the rest of the work. Crude as it may, but this is the tested application since time immemorial.

He satisfies himself that these were done correctly and paused for a second to ‘talk’ to the earth deity. Having confirmed, he speaks to the occupants that by when, they would ‘see’ the omen, event, and whatever name you ought to call, unfolding. He collects his token fee and called it a day.

Short, simple and sweet …

​Learnt that in Australia there is a revival of another form of SanYuan method. This is called YuanGua 元卦 method. Claimed to have been from the pedigree of GanZhou under the lineage of Liu JingDong, one of the first generation of disciple of Yang YunSong. For more historical account of him, read ‘here’. What is interesting of the claim from this lineage is, they are the only ‘family’ that is allowed to teach the ‘genuine YangGong’ FengShui method to outsiders. Very ‘fishy claim’. The other interesting part of the story is, the ‘transmission of knowledge’ was intact since the ‘cultural revolution’. A good point to ponder, as to how much has really left? Anyway, the ‘lineage holder’ is only allowed to teach the first of three parts within the entire knowledge for mass consumption.
It was said that YuanGua 元卦 provides:

1. Ten methods to acquired health 丁, wealth 財 and nobility 貴;
2. Six avoidance of poor 貧, lonesome 單 and extinct 絕;
3. The real and fake Eight Killing 八煞黃泉;and
4. Many more… i.e. landform prediction 形

In a nutshell, YuanGua 元卦 revert to the ‘basic’ thus the Yuan元, supposing minus the ‘complication’. Let’s look at two aspects:

​YuanGua 元卦 pays heavy emphasis on water mouth 水口, instead of dragon 龍.So far this is ‘agreeable’ compared to the ‘mass consumption knowledge’ of SanHe. When the period is ‘prosper’ and the prosperous ‘star’ is in the water mouth sector, the entire area will not be prosperous. This is because the prosperity is being ‘flushed out’. YuanGua 元卦 measures period based on the LoShu 洛書內丹盤. Quoting instances as in Melbourne, during period 2 there was a massive depression. In Sydney, during period 4 almost the same time the Sydney Opera House was built, another massive depression hit Sydney. Unfortunately this is not always true, for other cases. You can always do a ‘reverse engineering’ to proof this point.

YuanGua 元卦 pays heavy emphasis of immediate landform to Eight Killing 八煞黃泉. This method has been prescribed ‘here’. The only catch here is, YuanGua 元卦 defines, ‘fake’ and ‘real’ Eight Killing 八煞黃泉. This is ‘real’ Eight Killing 八煞黃泉 when conform will ‘screw up your FengShui’ big time, either in health 丁 via Eight Killing 八煞 or in wealth 財 via Yellow Spring 黃泉.There is an undisclosed way of determining this but in landform 形 itself it is very easy to strike this unlucky formation, especially in ‘terrace houses’.

To illustrate this point, Eight Killing 八煞黃泉 will be activated once water is incoming 45 degree of your main gate relative to your main door. In normal situation, it will always be either to the left 龍 or the right side 虎.  The chances are 50-50. If you strike the ‘real’, too bad. If you strike the ‘fake’, congratulations!
So, what are the ‘fake’ Eight Killing 八煞黃泉?

​YuanGua 元卦 borrows from SiMa the Monk Water Method 司马头陀水法:

Is kind of a cool, to belong to a lineage. There are plenty of lineages for sales in GanZhou, GuangXi. You take a stone and throw, almost anybody got hit is a lineage holder of GuangXi YangGong FengShui especially central within the descendants of Yang楊, Zheng曾, Liao廖 and Liu劉. This is where people says, abusing lineage rocks become lineage sucks!

The Liu劉 method has been largely available in the masses covering all the ‘popular theories’ from the Taiwanese styles SanHe to the HonKee styled QMDJ. The YangGong ‘old method’ school prescribed that these were watered down methodologies.
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The late LDX has a point, especially when you reworked the YangGong methods against the Eight Killing 八煞黃泉, one will notice that when YangGong methods are in place, Eight Killing has been automatically taken care of. SiMa Water Method 司马头陀水法 is only an extension to the YangGong methods.

​The YiGua 64 Hexagram is not only represented in 2D. Many ‘scholars’ of the YiJing had attempted to describe the 64 Hexagram of YiGua into 3D. But what exactly would you want to achieve by such permutation in 3D?

​For one, YiGlobe tends to prescribed, “If the hexagrams of the I Ching are arranged in the space between the Creative and the Receptive according to the laws of change – and following the principles of symmetry and balance – a sphere will be produced. This sphere represents the whole universe, similarly to other circular and spherical symbols found in the myths. This is the Yi-globe.” Well, in other words, “sphere represents the whole universe, similarly to other circular and spherical symbols found in the myths” is like telling you “I know nuts about what I talking about.”

​For another, Nassim attempted to give meaning to the YiGua into his model of the universe, torus by relying on ‘artificial assumption’ based on writings in the internet. He is close, but not yet there… The ‘torus’ model showing one, uplift motion corresponding to another downward motions can represent how Qi spiral, thus the figure ‘8’ of the Early Heaven BaGua. Truly, how was these derived?

For the proponent of SanYuan DaGua SYDG 三元大卦 (Not XuanKong DaGua XKDG, as they know nuts about these), this 3D models attempt to ‘categorise’ the family, its usage, its efficacy and last but not least, its ‘effect’ of how an application of the Early Heaven principle be represented in the Later Heaven arrangement to be applied via its Middle Heaven application.

Yes, you read it correctly, Early-Later-Middle. The magic is vested in the ‘Mid Heaven Gua’. That can be rationalise in this 3D model. Surprising, this is exactly how, olden day master teach this 3D of ‘hyperspace’ to their students, way way back before we have developed the branch of physics called, string an m-theories. Hey, who says our ancestors are human? They are alien…

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I will not go into ‘nitty gritty’ of illustrating how this 3D is assemble, but just give a teaser as to what the outlook is… You construct ‘A’ you get ‘B’ and you distil ‘C’… This again, is not ‘lineage secret’ but many schools did not know such fundamental. If only they know, they will ‘discard’ XKDG in favour of SYDG. This is also where your ‘application’ of BaZhai is derived from. Happy hunting…

This book ‘Stalk Divination’ presented to me from my student was said to contain the illusive LianShan GuiChang Gua, somewhere in 2018. While contemplating to pen my thought, my Hard Disk HDD busted. Using the high end computers, the HDD could not recovered, until quite recently in 2020. I managed to use a ‘docking station’ fixed to an old computer, running Win-7 to retrieve it. Thus, this ‘overdue’ writing.

​Was said to be an alternative to YiJing or ZhouYi. It was believed to be part of the ‘extinct’ LianShan GuiChang Yi. Is it true? The Eight Trigram arrangement similar to Later Heaven but the Li and Kan has been interchanged…, thus a new form of BaGua. Mid Heaven Gua? Why did the Li and Kan interchanged?

​It also shows how the BaGua is assigned to the human anatomy. Unlike the YiJing, the Gua assigned are all different. What is the rationale behind it? What is the actual application?

​Often when we audit a house FengShui, the ancestral tablet says a lot of thing about the household… just by looking at the inscription. The main inscription of the Ancestral Tablet usually follow the character arrangement of “Growth Prosper Script”生旺賦. This script differs from one place of origin (clans) to another.

For example, to the Cantonese community, the inscription spelt:

（姓）門堂上歷代祖先 (之) 神位

[Translated as] “(Surname) ‘door’ [meaning ancestral] hall upon generation lineage past ancestral this spiritual position”

Comprises of 11 words, following the order of “Growth, Old, Sick, Death, Extinct” 生老病死苦, whereby, Growth is the start taking the element of wood, producing fire, earth, metal, water in a producing cycle of 5 elemental interplay. The last character, must therefore sits on “growth” 生, wood.

Although the 11 words arrangement of the inscription is correct, the words within these arrangement have significant errors that not many people could understand. Foremost there are rules governing the grave and the ancestral tablets and these rules are not the same. Only true initiated practitioners would be able to discern the differences. That is why by looking at the ancestral tablet, one will understand the luck befallen the family.
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So, these arrangements, （姓）門堂上歷代祖先 (之) 神位, as far as the author is concerned, even though it was claimed to have been complying with the Cantonese clan, is unfortunately incorrectly worded.

The Hakkas, as being the “Guests”Clan has technically no “ancestral village” to return to. So, they are free to choose any clan to follow.
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The FuJian, subscribed to only 10 characters for the inscription, （姓）門堂上歷代祖先神位, [Translated as] “(Surname) ‘door’ [meaning ancestral] hall upon generation lineage past ancestral spiritual position”. The word, “this” (之) is not included. The reason is the “Growth Prosper Script”生旺賦 that Fujian people use is different namely, “興旺敗劣” where the last character “position” 位 is prosperous 旺.

​The Hainanese, adopted a 11 characters inscription such as （姓）氏堂上歷代高曾 ‘考妣’[兩字並列當成一字] 神位, translated as “(Surname) ‘clan’ [meaning ancestral] hall upon generation lineage high [“the late” patriarch/matriarch]-[to be read as a single character] spiritual position” with “Growth Prosper Script”生旺賦 of Growth, Old, Sick, Death, Extinct” 生老病死苦, being the last character “position” 位 is “old” 老.

​In summary, the last character “position” 位 for:
1.            the Cantonese must sits “growth” 生;
2.            the Fujian must sits “prosperous” 旺;
3.            the Hainanese must sits “old” 老 and
4.            the Hakka can choose other clans to follow.

​This article was written in response to some Chinese articles of the same subject. Again, there is very little consensus on these. What we had written is based on our own school of thought minus the “trade secrets” of making the FengShui works…

Dark Gold Divination暗金伏断 was derived from the book called Select in Seeking the Truth 选择求真.

The book state:

七曜禽星会者稀，日虚月鬼火从箕，水毕木氐金奎位，土宿还从翼上推。
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Translated as: ‘Seven governing start detailed explanation, when the sun enters Xu 虚 the moon enters Gui 鬼 fire is overwhelming, water star at Bi 毕 wood star at Di 氐 metal star at Kuei 奎 position, earth asterism pushed from the wings. Apparently, it is the spin-off study of the Seven Governors and the Four Remaining 七曜四餘.

To the practitioners of Dark Gold Divination暗金伏断, they understood that these verses referred to the asterism Kang 亢, Lou娄, Niu 牛 and Gui鬼, four metal elements that can divine matters, thus given the name Dark Gold Divination 暗金伏断. When the current annual star arrived at the Zi 子 such is the star attire.

Here, there 2 more considerations to be reckoned with:

1. 28 Asterism 廿八宿
2. Asterism Classifications 宿禽的順序

​Such as:

1. 角 (jiao) horn – wood Jiao 木蛟 – wood govern year 木值年
2. 亢 (kang) neck – metal dragon 金龍 – metal govern year 金值年
3. 氐 (di) root – earth  badger 土貉 – earth govern year 土值年
4. 房 (fang) house – sun rabbit 日兔 – fire govern year 火值年
5. 心 (xin) heart – moon fox 月狐 – water govern year 水值年
6. 尾 (wei) tail – fire tiger 火虎 – fire govern year 火值年
7. 箕 (ji) basket – water panther 水豹 – water govern year 水值年
8. 斗 (dou) dipper – wood Xie 木獬 – wood govern year 木值年
9. 牛 (niu) ox – metal ox 金牛 – metal govern year 金值年
10. 女 (nu) women – earth bat 土蝠 – earth govern year 土值年
11. 虛 (xu) empty – sun rat 日鼠 – fire govern year 火值年
12. 危 (wei) danger – moon swallow 月燕 – water govern year 水值年
13. 室 (shi) camp – fire pig 火豬 – fire govern year 火值年
14. 壁 (bi) wall – water armadillo 水狳 – water govern year 水值年
15. 奎 (kui) legs – wood wolf 木狼 – wood govern year 木值年
16. 婁 (lou) bond – metal dog 金狗 – metal govern year 金值年
17. 胃 (wei) stomach – earth 土雉 – earth govern year 土值年
18. 昴 (mao) Pleiades – sun rooster 日雞 – fire govern year 火值年
19. 畢 (bi) net – moon raven 月烏 – water govern year 水值年
20. 觜 (zi) beak – fire monkey 火猴 – fire govern year 火值年
21. 参 (can) reference – water ape 水猿 – water govern year 水值年
22. 井 (jing) well – wood An 木犴 – wood govern year 木值年
23. 鬼 (gui) ghost – metal goat 金羊 – metal govern year 金值年
24. 柳 (liu) willow – earth moose 土獐 – earth govern year 土值年
25. 星 (xing) star – sun horse 日馬 – fire govern year 火值年
26. 張 (zhang) extend – moon deer 月鹿 – water govern year 水值年
27. 翼 (yi) wings – fire snake 火蛇 – fire govern year 火值年
28. 軫 (zhen) chariot – water earth worm 水蚓 – water govern year 水值年

Seven governors’ governing year七政值年 are the sun, moon, fire, water, wood metal and earth classification based on the degree within the week as the starting point. In the:
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1. 23rd Year of the KangXi Reign the Upper Yuan JiaZi vested in the moon arriving in Bi 畢 of the Raven Year 乌值年;
2. 9th Year of the Emperor QianLong Reign the Middle Yuan JiaZi vested in the moon lodge of Gui 鬼metal of the Goat Year 羊值年;
3. 9th Year of the Emperor JiaQing Reign the Lower Yuan JiaZi vested in the moon lodge Yi 翼 fire of the Snake Year 蛇值年;
4. Arriving to Upper Yuan JiaZi vested in the moon lodge Di 氐 earth of the Monkey Year 貉值年.

Elemental governing year four asterisms grouping:

1. (Fang, Xu, Mao and Xing) 房虚昴星 – 火值年
2. (Xing, Wei, Bi and Zhang) 心危毕张 – 水值年
3. (Wei, Shi, Ji and Yi) 尾室觜翼 – 火值年
4. (Jiao, Dou, Kui and Jing) 角斗奎井 – 木值年
5. (Kang, Lou, Niu and Gui) 亢娄牛鬼 – 金值年
6. (Di, Nu, Wei and Liu) 氐女胃柳 – 土值年
7. (Ji, Bi, Can and Zhen) 箕壁参軫 – 水值年

​Sequence as the seven governors travel into each of the branches:

The Dark Gold Divination暗金伏断 7 governor rule states:
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1. The moon 月governs Wei hour 未时;
2. The water 水 governs ChenHai hours 辰亥时;
3. The metal 金 governs ChouShen hours 丑申时;
4. The sun 日 governs Si hour 巳时;
5. The fire 火 governs YinYou hours 寅酉时;
6. The wood 木 governs Wu hours 午时;
7. The earth 土 governs MaoXu hours 卯戌时;

​Turning over the pages of the peasant calendar, we often look at the peasant’s chronology. In the olden day, to know the outline of the year there are methodologies such as:

1. How many Dragons Govern Water幾龍治水、
2. How many Days of Happiness 幾日得辛、
3. How many Oxen Toils the Fields 幾牛耕地、
4. How many Maidens Manage the Silkworms 幾姑把蠶、
5. How many Leaves the Silkworm Eats 蠶食幾葉、
6. Heavenly Marshall Moves Lightning元帥行雷。

These are the way our Chinese ancestors recorded the influence and prediction of the solar terms given by the heavenly stems and earthly branches on the farming for the year. Their main functions are to estimate of rain and sun for agricultural works and harvests for the year.

According to the first Chen day 辰日of the first month of the year (Chen 辰 is the dragon), it is decided on the first few days. For example: –

1. On the fifth day of the first month, it is called “Five Dragons Water” 五龍治水;
2. On the fourth day of the first month of the 79th Year of the Republic of China 民國九十七年 is the GengChen Day 庚辰日 was classified as the “four dragons to control water” ;
3. It is said that the more the number of dragons, the less rainfall and
4. the less the number of dragons, the more rainfall;
5. the so-called dragon indicate it does not rain; there is a saying “Dragon does not rain” and “The chicken does not lay eggs” 龍多不下雨, 雞多不下蛋;
6. 6-7 dragons, rain is moderate;
7. 10 and above dragons, rain very little.

​According to the first few days of the Lunar New Year, the Chou 丑Day is used to determine Oxen Toils the Fields, which is the first Chou 丑Day of the year (the Chou 丑is the Ox). At the beginning of the first month, it is “a few Oxen Toils the Fields ” For example, in the first day of the first month of the Lunar New Year in the 97th Year of the  Republic of China, the first day of the lunar calendar was DingChou 丁丑日, so it was “one Oxen Toils the Fields.” The more number of Oxen Toils the Fields the much better it is for the year.

​It is based on the “Xin” day 辛日 of the first day of the peasant calendar. The meaning of “satisfaction” in Xin also represents the meaning of happiness. The closer the Xin Day to the Arrival of Spring is better. The sooner you get the Xin Day, the more the harvest will come earlier this year. The longer you get the Xin day, the more the harvest will come later.

According to the Qing Guangxu’s “Jiaxing Fuzhi” records:

1. The first maiden placed the silkworms with rotten leaves,
2. The second maiden placed the silkworms with quality leaves, and
3. The third maiden placed the silkworm leaves of both rotten and quality.

These maidens has these silkworms based on the year’s earthly branches to define:

1. Yin, Shen, Si and Hai (4 Growths) 寅申巳亥， as the 4 Big Maiden peeling silkworm大姑把蠶;
2. Zi, Wu,Mao and You (4 Cardinals) 子午卯酉，as the 4 Second Maiden peeling silkworm 二姑把蠶;
3. Chen, Xu, Chou and Wei (4 Graves) 辰戌丑未, as the 4 Third Maiden peeling silkworm三姑把蠶.

It is based on the first NaYin wood element 納音｢木｣ day of the New Year. To determine the number of leaves to eat. For example:

1. In 1997, the sixth day of the lunar calendar RenWu Day 壬午日is the NayYn wood, coincides with the sixth day from the Spring Festival.
2. It is said that when the leaves are eaten less, the silkworms are thin and small, and
3. When they are eaten with more leaves, the silkworms are large.

​The ThongShu has recorded this Heavenly Marshall Moves Lightning Method that is to use the twelve marshals to match the year’s earthly branches:

1. Zi Year (Xin Marshall) 子年( 辛元帥)，
2. Chou Year (Deng Marshall) 丑年( 鄧元帥)，
3. Yin Year (Zhao Marshall) 寅年( 趙元帥)，
4. Mao Year (Zhang Marshall) 卯年( 張元帥)，
5. Chen Year (Yang Marshall) 辰年( 楊元帥)，
6. Si Year (Ma Marshall) 巳年( 馬元帥)，
7. Wu Year (Wang Marshall) 午年( 王元帥)，
8. Wei Year (Yin Marshall) 未年( 殷元帥)，
9. Shen Year (Wen Marshall) 申年( 溫元帥)，
10. You Year (Kang Marshall) 酉年( 康元帥)，
11. Xu Year (Yue Marshall) 戍年( 岳元帥)，
12. Hai Year (Zhu Marshall) 亥年 (朱元帥) 。

Very little has been disclosed on to the usage of this Marshall. Does it portend when and where has more rains? More lightning? Or simply deities for the Daoist to pray?