Criticisim of Two Cycles & Eight Periods AND Xuan Kong Liu Fa (9)

7. What is the auspicious and inauspicious based on the 2 cycles and 8 periods (二元八運)

Let's make a discussion about auspicious and inauspicious of time and direction by using the 2 cycles and 8 periods. For early palace, the Zhen Gua is starting from 0° to 45°. If the time now is in the 8th period, Zhen Gua would be auspicious; therefore 0° to 45° would be auspicious. This is easy to understand. However, if we fit this model into the traditional 24-mountains in luopan, the direction would be from half of the mountain-Zi (子山) to half of the mountain-Gen (癸山). In another word, half of the north direction and half of the northeast direction would also be auspicious while half of the north direction and northeast direction, inauspicious.

Table 7. Auspicious and inauspicious of time and direction for 2 cycles & 8 periods should follow the below in order to make their standard.

Cycle	Period	Year	Year Period	60 years cycle (六十甲子)	Early Trigram Palace	Auspicious
						Degree	24-mountains
Upper	1	18	1864 – 1881	Jia Zi – Xin Si 甲子­­−辛巳	Kun	315°-360°	½Qian – ½Zi ½乾 − ½子
	2	24	1882 –1905	Ren Wu – Yi Si 壬午−乙巳	Xun	180°-225°	½Wu – ½Kun ½午 − ½坤
	3	24	1906 – 1926	Bing Wu – Ji Si 丙午−己巳	Li	45°-  90°	½Gen –½Mao ½艮 − ½卯
	4	24	1930 – 1953	Geng Wu – Gui Si 庚午−癸巳	Dui	90°-135°	½Mao –½Xun ½卯 − ½巽
The time and direction are in doubt
Lower	6	21	1954 – 1974	Jia Wu – Jia Yin 甲午−甲寅	Gen	270°-315°	½You –½Qian ½酉 − ½乾
	7	21	1975 – 1995	Yi Mao – Yi Hai 乙卯−乙亥	Kan	225°-270°	½Kun – ½You ½坤 − ½酉
	8	21	1996 – 2016	Bing Zi – Bing Shen 丙子−丙申	Zhen	0°-    45°	½Zi – ½Gen ½子 − ½艮
	9	21	2017 – 2043	Ding You – Gui Hai 丁酉−癸亥	Qian	135°-180°	½Xun –½Wu ½巽 − ½午

There is one kind of compass school called “Xuan Kong Liu Fa” (玄空六法). This school is also based on the principle of 2 cycles and 8 periods. Nevertheless, by their law of “Yang-clockwise; Yin-anti-clockwise” (陽順陰逆), such practitioners would find out where is the Five Yellow Star (五黃星) located to be an inauspicious direction (Their calculation would be mentioned later). By Xuan Kong Liu Fa, palace-Zhen would be said to be inauspicious since the Five Yellow Star (or in their word: Ji Long 金龍 Golden Dragon) is now flying on this palace but by the core theory of 2 cycles and 8 periods, palace-Zhen would be asked to be auspicious. This is rather a paradox.

In Chinese Feng Shui, there are much principle, school, theory etc. needed to be clarified, eliminated and rationalized by Feng Shui practitioners with heart. No one wants Feng Shui under the shadow of superstition, so try your best to study Feng Shui in scientific approach.