Liuren Magic Sanctuary
Technical Deep Dive: The 'Tiny Bit' Secret of Qi Transformation
In the high-level San Yuan tradition, Xie Zi (些子) represents the most subtle and surgical layer of energy calculation. Attributed to the master Jiang Dahong (蔣大鴻) , the 'Bit Method' suggests that the difference between a graveyard of bones and a palace of kings lies in a 'tiny bit' of directional alignment.
As the primary axiom states: "If the Bit does not match, even bright mountains and beautiful water are useless" (些子不合，即便山明水秀也無益).
The Xie Zi Fa oral lineage traces a direct master-to-disciple chain spanning over three centuries:
The critical divergence point is Shen Zhuren: Fei Xing practitioners revere him as the one who "opened the gate" of Xuan Kong to the public, while Xie Zi Fa purists view his simplification as a loss of the original art's surgical precision.
些子法口傳一脈，師徒相承逾三百年：
關鍵分歧點在沈竹礽：飛星派尊其為「開玄空之門」者，而些子法正統視其簡化為原始技藝的精度損失。
| Text | Author / Period | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Qing Nang Jing (青囊經) | Attributed to Huang Shi Gong (黃石公), Han Dynasty | The oldest Xuan Kong classic; establishes the Yin-Yang framework of space-time Qi |
| Tian Yu Jing (天玉經) | Attributed to Yang Yunsong (楊筠松), Tang Dynasty | Contains the most important Xie Zi verses; the source of the "Ling Zheng" concept |
| Di Li Bian Zheng (地理辨正) | Jiang Dahong, Qing Dynasty | Jiang's commentary on the above classics; the "Rosetta Stone" of Xie Zi Fa |
| Di Li Bian Zheng Zhi Jie (地理辨正直解) | Zhang Zhongshu, Qing Dynasty | First systematic attempt to decode Jiang's veiled commentary into operational methods |
"Once the Bit changes, misfortune immediately turns to auspiciousness."
Technical Essence: This refers to the practitioner's ability to 'flip' the energetic polarity of a property by adjusting the Sitting and Facing relationship to the current Period Qi.
些子一變，即反凶為吉。
"The myriad forms are the body; the Bit is the spirit."
Technical Essence: Landforms (Luan Tou) provide the physical capacity, but only the correct Xie Zi activation allows that capacity to manifest into actual wealth, health, and status.
萬水千山皆是體，些子不合總歸虛。
"Zero Spirit sees Water, prosperity flows; Correct Spirit sees Mountain, the lineage endures."
Technical Essence: This is the central operational verse. The "Zero Spirit" (零神) is the star position opposite to the current Period number (their sum equals 10). It must face open terrain, water, roads, or low ground to activate wealth Qi. The "Correct Spirit" (正神) is the current Period star itself, which must be backed by mountains, high ground, or solid structures to anchor health and lineage continuity. Violating this — placing water at the Correct Spirit or mountains at the Zero Spirit — triggers the classical disasters of "Mountain falling into Water" (上山下水).
零神見水旺財祿，正神見山人丁興。
"The forward dragon needs water, from birth to flourishing; the reverse dragon needs mountains, from decline to renewal."
Technical Essence: "Forward Dragon" (順龍) refers to periods where Qi flows in the natural ascending sequence (e.g., 1→2→3). During such periods, the environment favors the Yang principle — open water, movement, and expansion. "Reverse Dragon" (逆龍) refers to periods of descending sequence (e.g., 9→8→7), when the environment favors the Yin principle — still mountains, conservation, and consolidation. The practitioner must determine whether the current Period produces a Forward or Reverse Dragon for the specific facing direction, then match the landform accordingly.
順龍須見水，生旺迎之；逆龍須見山，衰而復振。
"When Sitting and Facing combine to form Ten, the household enjoys three generations of peace."
Technical Essence: The "Combination of Ten" (合十) is the supreme configuration in Xie Zi Fa. When the numeral value of the Sitting star plus the Facing star equals 10 (e.g., Sitting 3 + Facing 7, or Sitting 1 + Facing 9), perfect Yin-Yang equilibrium is achieved. This configuration provides long-term stability because the mutual fulfillment of opposites creates a self-sustaining energetic circuit. In Period 9 (current), a Facing of Li-9 with a Sitting of Kan-1 produces the most direct Combination of Ten — making South-facing, North-sitting properties exceptionally advantageous.
坐向合十，家門三代平安。
The core operation involves synchronizing three factors: the Mountain Star , the Facing Star , and the Period Star (Yun Xing) .
The Zheng Ling (正零) Theory is the engine that powers all of Xie Zi Fa. It governs the relationship between physical landforms and temporal Qi . The principle is deceptively simple: Zheng Shen (正神, Correct Spirit) must see Mountain, and Ling Shen (零神, Zero Spirit) must see Water.
The term "些子" (Xie Zi, "tiny bit") itself refers to this razor-thin distinction — the precise point where Zheng and Ling divide. A property whose Zheng/Ling alignment is correct by even a fraction of a degree thrives; one that misses it — by the same fraction — fails catastrophically.
正零理論 是些子法的核心驅動力。它支配著 物質地形 與 時間氣場 的關係。原則看似簡單： 正神見山，零神見水。
「些子」一詞本身即指這一極細微的分界——正與零劃分的精確點。正零對齊正確哪怕只差分毫便興旺；偏離同樣分毫則災禍連連。
Zheng Shen is always the current Period number . Ling Shen is always its Combination-of-Ten complement (10 minus the Period number). The following table shows the Zheng/Ling pair for each Period:
| Period (運) | Zheng Shen (正神) | Direction | Ling Shen (零神) | Direction | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Star 1 (Kan) | North | Star 9 (Li) | South | Mountain at North, Water at South |
| 2 | Star 2 (Kun) | Southwest | Star 8 (Gen) | Northeast | Mountain at SW, Water at NE |
| 3 | Star 3 (Zhen) | East | Star 7 (Dui) | West | Mountain at East, Water at West |
| 4 | Star 4 (Xun) | Southeast | Star 6 (Qian) | Northwest | Mountain at SE, Water at NW |
| 6 | Star 6 (Qian) | Northwest | Star 4 (Xun) | Southeast | Mountain at NW, Water at SE |
| 7 | Star 7 (Dui) | West | Star 3 (Zhen) | East | Mountain at West, Water at East |
| 8 | Star 8 (Gen) | Northeast | Star 2 (Kun) | Southwest | Mountain at NE, Water at SW |
| 9 ★ | Star 9 (Li) | South | Star 1 (Kan) | North | Mountain at South, Water at North |
Period 9 (2024–2043): The South sector (Li) is the Zheng Shen — it must have high ground, tall buildings, or solid backing. The North sector (Kan) is the Ling Shen — it must have open water, roads, low terrain, or open views to activate wealth.
Condition: When the Facing Mountain's Ai Xing star number is less than the current Period number, the Qi flows forward (ascending, 1→2→3→...→9).
Landscape requirement: Water in the Facing direction, Mountain behind. The Forward Dragon favors the Yang principle — expansion, outward movement, and visibility.
Example: In Period 9, a Facing direction whose Ai Xing number is 3 (less than 9) creates a Forward Dragon. The property benefits from water features, open plazas, or roads in front.
Condition: When the Facing Mountain's Ai Xing star number is greater than the current Period number, the Qi flows backward (descending, 9→8→7→...→1).
Landscape requirement: Mountain in the Facing direction, Water behind. The Reverse Dragon favors the Yin principle — conservation, inward gathering, and protection.
Example: In Period 9, if the Facing direction's Ai Xing number wraps past the peak in a descending cycle, the property requires tall structures or hills in front instead of open space.
In modern architecture, where we cannot move mountains, the master uses these internal methods to fix a 'Flipped Bit' (反些子):
| Method | Operational Action | Energetic Result |
|---|---|---|
| Chou Yao (抽爻) | Shifting the door axis by 1-2 degrees. | Engages a different Hexagram Line (Yao) to trigger prosperity. |
| Huan Xiang (換向) | Changing the internal 'Mouth of Qi'. | Realigns the internal flow to match the external 'Wang' (Prosperous) Qi. |
| An Shen (安神) | Strategic placement of Yang/Fire elements. | Manually 'pumps' Qi into a stagnant sector to force a transformation. |
The character 挨 (Āi) is the single most important and most debated character in all of San Yuan Feng Shui. It appears in the term 挨星 (Āi Xīng, "Star Shuffling") — the secret method by which the Nine Stars are mapped onto the 24 Mountains of the Luopan compass.
The standard meaning of 挨 is "to push next to" or "to be adjacent to." In the Xie Zi Fa context, it carries the technical meaning of "sequential proximity" — the process of deriving each star's position by stepping methodically through the hexagram sequence rather than by arithmetic flying (as in standard Fei Xing).
Jiang Dahong deliberately obscured this method in his writings. He declared: "The method of Ai Xing — I dare not speak it plainly, for if the uninitiated hear it, heaven and earth would be shocked" (挨星之法，不敢明言，若為不肖者聞之，天地為之驚駭). This secrecy spawned centuries of competing interpretations.
「挨」 字是整個三元風水中最重要、也最具爭議的一個字。它出現在「挨星」一詞中——即九星映射到羅盤二十四山的秘密方法。
挨的基本含義是「推近」或「相鄰」。在些子法語境中，其技術含義為 「序列推移」 ——不用算術飛行（如標準飛星），而是按卦序逐步推導各星位置。
蔣大鴻在著作中故意隱晦此法。他聲稱：「挨星之法，不敢明言，若為不肖者聞之，天地為之驚駭。」此秘密引發了數百年的爭論。
| School | Interpretation | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Shen Shi (沈氏) / Flying Star | 挨 = to "fly" sequentially along the Luo Shu path | Stars move 1→2→3→...→9 through the nine palaces via the standard flight pattern |
| Jiang Shi (蔣氏) / Xie Zi Fa | 挨 = to "push adjacently" through hexagram lines | Stars are derived by changing individual Yao (爻) lines of hexagrams — each tiny shift produces a different star quality |
The operational core of Xie Zi Fa is character proximity — the idea that the difference between auspicious and inauspicious lies within the smallest measurable unit of compass direction. Where standard Flying Stars divides the compass into 24 Mountains (each 15°), Xie Zi Fa further divides into 64 hexagram sectors (each 5.625°), and then into 384 line (Yao) positions (each less than 1°).
| System | Divisions | Precision |
|---|---|---|
| Ba Zhai (八宅) | 8 sectors | 45° per sector |
| Flying Stars (飛星) | 24 mountains | 15° per mountain |
| Da Gua (大卦) | 64 hexagrams | 5.625° per hexagram |
| Xie Zi Fa (些子法) | 384 lines | 0.9375° per line |
At the Xie Zi level, moving the Facing of a building by just 1–2 degrees can shift the hexagram line from a "prosperity" Yao to a "destruction" Yao. This is why Jiang Dahong insisted that a master's compass reading must be accurate to within a fraction of a degree — and why a Xie Zi Fa practitioner's Luopan is far more critical than their theoretical knowledge.
Jiang Dahong (蔣大鴻, c. 1616–1714) is the acknowledged originator of the Xie Zi concept. His masterwork Di Li Bian Zheng (地理辨正, "Correcting Geographical Errors") contains veiled references to the Xie Zi method throughout its commentary on the Five Great Classics.
Jiang's system is the parent trunk from which three major branches grew:
Xie Zi Fa practitioners claim their method is closest to Jiang's original teaching because it preserves the hexagram-line methodology that Jiang deliberately concealed from the written record, transmitting it only through direct master-to-disciple initiation (口傳心授, kǒu chuán xīn shòu).
蔣大鴻 （約1616–1714）是些子概念的公認始創者。其巨著《地理辨正》在對五大經典的註解中處處暗含些子法。
蔣氏體系是三大分支的 母幹 ：
些子法傳人聲稱其法最接近蔣氏原傳，因為它保存了蔣氏故意隱而不書的卦爻方法，僅通過「口傳心授」代代相傳。
In Xie Zi Fa, the outermost ring of the Luopan displays the 64 hexagrams arranged in Shao Yong's Circular Arrangement (邵雍圓圖). Each hexagram occupies 5.625° of arc. The hexagram's upper trigram (外卦) represents the Heaven/time quality, and the lower trigram (內卦) represents the Earth/space quality.
A property that thrives in one Period may decline in the next. This is the temporal dimension of Xie Zi Fa — the "tiny bit" is not only spatial (compass degrees) but also temporal (Period transitions). Every 20 years, when the Period star shifts, the entire Zheng/Ling framework reconfigures.
When a new Period begins, what was the Zheng Shen (Correct Spirit) becomes a retreating star, and the new Period star assumes Zheng Shen status. For properties built in earlier Periods, this means:
| Star | Status in Period 9 | Direction | Xie Zi Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 (Li) | Wang Qi (旺氣) — Zheng Shen | South | Must see Mountain (high ground, solid backing) |
| 1 (Kan) | Sheng Qi (生氣) — Ling Shen | North | Must see Water (roads, open space, water features) |
| 2 (Kun) | Sheng Qi (approaching) | Southwest | Moderately beneficial — activity here supports growth |
| 8 (Gen) | Tui Qi (退氣, recently expired) | Northeast | Declining — was prosperous in Period 8, now fading |
| 7 (Dui) | Tui Qi (further expired) | West | Declining — has been losing Qi since end of Period 7 |
| 5 (Center) | Sha Qi (煤氣) | Center | Destructive if activated — keep quiet and undisturbed |
| 3 (Zhen) | Si Qi (死氣) | East | Stagnant — avoid as primary activity zone |
Properties built during Period 7 (1984–2003) or Period 8 (2004–2023) that were "perfectly configured" for their original Period may now have inverted Zheng/Ling alignment. A property that had Water at what was the Ling Shen position may now have Water at the new Zheng Shen position — creating the dreaded "Mountain falling into Water" (上山下水) condition.
Xie Zi Fa practitioners recommend a full re-audit of any property at every Period transition. The classic remedies include:
A practitioner from the Jiang Dahong lineage was consulted for the renovation of a Qing-dynasty ancestral hall. The hall sat on a Di Yuan Long (地元龍) entering from the Northwest (乾, Qián). The existing Facing was Zi (子, due North) — a Tian Yuan direction.
Xie Zi Diagnosis: The Dragon (Di Yuan) and Facing (Tian Yuan) were in different Yuan categories — a fundamental violation of the "One Gua Pureness" (一卦純清) principle. At the hexagram-line level, the Facing fell on a Yao that was in direct conflict with the Dragon's hexagram parent.
Correction: The practitioner recommended rotating the main door axis by 7.5° to align with Gui (癸), which falls in the Di Yuan sector of the North — restoring Yuan purity. This tiny angular shift moved the Facing from one hexagram line to another, fundamentally changing the Xie Zi configuration.
Outcome (post-2008): Three family members passed civil service exams within four years. A real estate investment returned 400% gains. The clan elders attributed the turnaround entirely to the 7.5° door rotation — a perfect demonstration of Xie Zi Fa's principle that "the difference between a graveyard of bones and a palace of kings lies in a tiny bit."
Source: Tan Yangwu lineage practitioner case notes, Fujian province.
Xie Zi Fa's extreme precision makes it equally susceptible to extreme errors. The following are the most frequent mistakes made by practitioners who confuse Xie Zi Fa with standard methods:
| Error | Description | Correct Xie Zi Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Confusing Fei Xing with Xie Zi | Using standard Flying Star arithmetic (stars move 1→2→3 through the Luo Shu grid) and calling it "Xie Zi." Fei Xing operates at the 24-Mountain level (15° precision), not the hexagram-line level (sub-1° precision). | Xie Zi Fa derives star positions by stepping through hexagram Yao lines, not by arithmetic flying through a grid. The two methods can produce different star assignments for the same facing direction. |
| Ignoring Yao-Level Precision | Taking a compass reading at the 24-Mountain level (e.g., "facing Zi/子") and applying Xie Zi Fa. At the Xie Zi level, there are 16 different hexagram Yao positions within the Zi mountain — each with different energetic qualities. | A Xie Zi Fa reading requires compass accuracy to within 1° or better. The practitioner must identify the exact hexagram and the exact Yao line within that hexagram. |
| Misapplying Zheng/Ling Without Form Verification | Calculating the Zheng and Ling positions on paper and assuming the result is valid — without verifying that actual mountains and water exist at those positions in the physical landscape. | Xie Zi Fa is never a purely mathematical exercise. After determining the Zheng/Ling positions, the practitioner must conduct a physical site survey (Luan Tou 巒頭) to confirm that the landforms match the theoretical requirements. |
| Neglecting Period Changes | Applying a Xie Zi Fa audit from one Period without updating when the Period changes (every 20 years). A configuration perfectly aligned in Period 8 may have an inverted Zheng/Ling in Period 9. | Every property must be re-audited at each Period transition. The practitioner rechecks Zheng/Ling alignment, recalculates hexagram activations, and recommends adjustments if the new Period creates conflicts. |
| Using Xie Zi Fa for Interior Layout | Attempting to apply hexagram-line precision to internal room arrangements. Xie Zi Fa was designed for the macro-scale relationship between structure and landscape. | For interior layout, standard Fei Xing or Ba Zhai methods are more appropriate. Xie Zi Fa governs the siting and facing of the building, the door axis , and the relationship to external water . |
Standard Fei Xing (飛星):
Xie Zi Fa (些子法):
Master the Subtle. Xie Zi Fa is the highest level of San Yuan expertise. Inquire for advanced masterclass enrollment.