二十八宿

What is the meaning of the 28 constellations?

It is very difficult to find books to explain the actual usage of the 28 constellations. There are many books which provide information on the 28 constellations but not on how to use it for Bazi or Feng Shui or Date Selection.

The 28 constellation is represented in space and can be found in some LouPans.

It is also represented in time.

Attached a LouPan from Joey Yap’s Compendium showing the location of the 28 constealltions.

From Ching Nan Jing. 青囊经

天分星宿，地列山川，气行於地，形丽於天，因形察气，以立人纪。

Heaven is filled with stars, earth composed of mountains and plains,

Qi flows according to the land form, the land formation in accordance to the heaven’s Qi, due to form follows Qi, it is possible to observe landform to understand the heaven’s Qi, thus the beginning of earth study.

Notes:

28 Xiu 二十八宿located in the heaven. Earth is filled with mountains, rivers, oceans, plains, etc. Heaven Qi creates the landform, the land formation is due to the Qi from heaven. The link between Qi and form.

紫微天极，太乙之御，君临四正，南面而治，天市春宫，少微西掖，太极南垣，旁照四极。

Zi Wei紫微 at the extreme north, located along the four cardinal position, looking from the extreme north towards the south, Tian Shi天市in the east spring palace, Shao Wei少微 in the west , Tai Ji 太极 in the south, shining in all four directions.

Notes:

In ancient Chinese astrology, the sky is divided into 4 sectors: North, South, East and West.

四七为经，五德为纬，运斡坤舆，垂光乾纪，七政枢机，流通终始。

Four seven as the sacred texts, five ethics as the application, the luck of earth and the way of heaven, seven cardinal categories, circulate endlessly.

Notes:

28 Xiu 二十八宿 is formed from 4 sectors each with 7 representations.

Each of the 4 sectors is represented with 7 stars.

Example for the East, there are:

东方苍龙

East Azure Dragon

01Horn角、 02Neck亢、 03Root氐、 04Room房、 05Heart心、 06Tail尾、 07Basket箕七宿.

Each of the stars are divided into the 5 elements plus a 日(day) and 月(night).

28 constellation is used together with Dragon Gate Eight Formations in Taiwan in combination with Taoism.

“若陽宅之明堂、天劫、地刑、曜殺方有高物、惡物、尖物高壓沖射，最佳的方法是除盡不利本宅之惡劫物最士口，可一勞永逸。”

After locating the Sha Qi based on Dragon Gate Eight Formation in the Heavenly Robber or Earthly Punishment or Court Yard Robber sectors, 28 constellations is a method employed to block the Sha Qi using Taoist Talisman method.

Each of the 28 constellation has their own likes and dislikes.

For example for

01 角木蛟

角Chen - the Horn (jiao, 1st lunar mansion),

木蛟legendary dragon like a snake dragon.

For date selection the following is observed.

角木蛟吉

Jiao The Horn Wood - Auspicious

角星造作主荣昌，外进田财及女郎。

Horn Star is proper for starting work, coming from outside property, wealth and women.

娶嫁婚姻生贵子，文人及第见君王。

For wedding and giving birth, the noble man will meet the King.

惟有葬埋不可用，三年之后主瘟癀。

Not suitable for burial, the owner will contract diseases after three years.

起工修筑坟墓地，堂前立见主人亡。

Starting construction work in burial ground, meeting at the Ming Tang the owner will die immediately.

A brief description:

1.角木蛟: 刀头斧柄之木。

The wooden handle of an axe.

角布的基本属性及喜忌

The likes and dislikes of the Horn.

【原文】

角木，坟者，乃是刀头斧柄之木也。

Horn wood, grave/tomb, represent the wooden handle of an axe.

自初至于，喜春生，见金，祸轻;

From beginning to the end, prefers spring, meeting metal, light disaster;

遇火、罗，祸甚。

Meeting fire, Rahu Star (inauspicious star), heavy disaster.

夏，忌火、罗，尤紧其木，喜亥、卵、未局。

In summer, inauspicious to meet fire, Rahu Star, especially important for the wood, prefers Hai, Mao, Wei formation.

【白话提要】

角宿度主为木，其兽名为歧，故称角木歧，是东方苍龙七宿之首。

Wood is the sector for The Horn, the animal name is legendary dragon, so it is called Horn Wood Legendary Dragon. It is the first sector of the 7 East Azure Dragon.

角宿之木，乃是刀头、斧柄之木。

The Horn constellation is wood, also the wood handle of an axe.

角宿初度至十度，喜春令出生之人，见金星，有祸亦轻;

The Horn Constellation for the first 10 degree prefers those born during spring, meeting metal star, will have light misfortune;

遇火星、罗睺星，则有大祸临头。

Meeting fire star, Rahu Star, will have heavy misfortune.

反时生人，忌见火星与罗睺星，

For those born in this hour, inauspicious to meet fire star and Rahu Star.

尤忌比二星紧随木星，喜亥, 卵、未结为木局。

Very inauspicious to have these 2 stars follow the wood star, likes to have Hai, Mao and Wei with wood formation.

In relation to other constellations:

01 角木蛟

Jiao The Horn Wood

合昂，顺参壁，交亢，食女虚危，畏井，怕毕牛，

Season:

春夏旺，秋冬凶。

合 Combination:

18昴日鸡

顺 Follow:

21参水猿

14壁水俞

交 Interact:

2亢金龙

食 Eat:

10女土蝠

11虚日鼠

12危月燕

畏 Feared:

22井木犴

怕 Afraid:

19毕月乌

09牛金牛

The symbols representing the constellations:

Each of the 28 Constellations has a symbol.

Examples of the first 7 constellations.

Example of a method using Bagua Mirror to block the Sha Qi.

制劫之八卦鏡宜用鏡寬長一尺二寸(應十二地支)，高一尺(應十天平)之木柄。並用昧砂加透明膠或清香水混均句畫之，於制劫日時安於門上，可保平安。制劫之擇日宜用寅日寅時或辰日辰時，因此二日時辰為龍虎神獸日時，最宜制煞之用。

The Mirror would have a symbol of the constellation drawn with certain material and with special chant and put up on a certain date.

So for 01 角木蛟 The Horn the following can be used:

22井木犴

井Wei - the Well (jing, 22nd lunar mansion),

木犴wood wolf

19毕月乌

毕the Net (bi, 19th lunar mansion)

月鸟moon bird

09牛金牛

牛the Ox-boy (niu, 9th lunar mansion)

金牛metal ox

IMHO it is not something for us not trained in the art of Taoism to practice.

We have no idea what we are dealing with.
Especially if we don't even know how to place the LouPan properly.
How to use the LouPan to take Facing, Sitting and to determine In-Coming and Out-Going.