Four Plates Deep Analysis (天地人神四盘深度解析)

Part 4: Core Structure of Qimen Dunjia | 奇门遁甲核心结构

🎯 The Foundation of Chart Interpretation

The core structure of Qimen Dunjia is the "Heaven-Earth-Human-Spirit" four-plate synthesis. Understanding the four plates is the foundation of chart interpretation.

Each plate represents a different dimension of reality and must be examined both individually and in synthesis.

奇门遁甲的核心结构是"天地人神"四盘合参。理解四盘是解盘的基础。

每个盘代表不同的现实维度，必须单独检视并综合分析。

Plate 1: Earth Plate (地盘) - Nine Palaces & Eight Trigrams

Definition & Function

Definition:

  • Mother plate of the four plates
  • Combination of Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams + Luoshu Nine Palaces
  • Forever static and unmoving

Represents:

  • 地利 (Earth Advantage): Geographic benefit
  • 空间方位 (Spatial Direction): Physical location
  • 隐藏信息 (Hidden Information): Concealed matters
  • 暗地事情 (Behind-the-Scenes Affairs): Things happening secretly

Structure & Composition

Origin
  • Evolved from River Chart (河图) and Luo Writing (洛书)
  • Uses Post-Heaven King Wen Eight Trigrams
  • Pre-Heaven Trigrams (伏羲) = how all things are formed
  • Post-Heaven Trigrams (文王) = state after things are formed
Luoshu Nine Palace Numbers
4 巽
9 离
2 坤
3 震
5 中
7 兑
8 艮
1 坎
6 乾

Nine Palace Attributes

PalaceDirectionElementTrigramEarthly BranchNumber
坎一宫North 正北Water 水坎☵子1
坤二宫Southwest 西南Earth 土坤☷未申2
震三宫East 正东Wood 木震☳卯3
巽四宫Southeast 东南Wood 木巽☴辰巳4
中五宫Center 中央Earth 土--5
乾六宫Northwest 西北Metal 金乾☰戌亥6
兑七宫West 正西Metal 金兑☱酉7
艮八宫Northeast 东北Earth 土艮☶丑寅8
离九宫South 正南Fire 火离☲午9

Palace Symbolic Meanings Example: Qian Palace (乾宫)

Basic Attributes
  • Direction: Northwest
  • Element: Metal
  • Numbers: 6, 4, 9
People

Father, elderly, monarch, leader, wealthy person, famous person

Body Parts

Head, skull, lungs, bones

Character

Firm, decisive, dignified, autocratic

Animals

Horse, elephant, lion, swan

Objects

Metal objects, jade, jewelry, round objects, clocks, mirrors, automobiles

Places

Capital, major prefecture, advantageous terrain, elevated places

Weather

Clear sky, ice, hail, cold

Palace Coordinate Method: This detailed symbolic system forms the foundation of the "Palace Coordinate Method" which can precisely determine directional objects with 100% accuracy.
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Plate 2: Heaven Plate (天盘) - Nine Stars

Definition & Function

Definition:

  • Plate that changes with time
  • Rotates every hour (时辰)
  • Yang forward, Yin reverse

Represents:

  • 天时 (Heaven Timing): Celestial timing advantage
  • 天体运动影响 (Celestial Body Influence): Impact of celestial movements on Earth
  • 已显示信息 (Manifested Information): Already visible information
  • 思想意识 (Thought Consciousness): Mental and consciousness patterns
  • 性格特征 (Character Traits): Personality characteristics

Nine Stars Composition

StarElementOriginal PalaceCategoryPrimary Significance
天心星Metal 金乾宫Greatly AuspiciousOpen, positive, smooth, medical treatment, longevity
天任星Earth 土艮宫AuspiciousOpen, vitality, wealth, vigorous life
天禽星Earth 土中五宫Greatly AuspiciousUsually Fu Yin unmoving; lodges at Kun 2
天辅星Wood 木巽宫Greatly AuspiciousCulture, education, examinations, officials, civilization
天冲星Wood 木震宫Secondary AuspiciousImpulsive, brave, charging forward
天蓬星Water 水坎宫Greatly InauspiciousThieves, villains, greed, darkness
天芮星Earth 土坤宫Greatly InauspiciousIllness Star , plague, death, depression
天柱星Metal 金兑宫InauspiciousDestruction, alarm, strangeness, killing
天英星Fire 火离宫Neutral (lean inauspicious)Fierce fire, blood disaster, irritable, brightness in sky

Nine Stars Rotation Pattern

  • Tianqin Star lodges at Kun 2 Palace (rotation plate method)
  • Flying plate method uses all nine palaces
  • Clockwise rotation: Tianxin → Tianpeng → Tianren → Tianchong → Tianfu → Tianying → Tianrui → Tianzhu → Tianxin

Nine Stars Vigor & Seasonal Influence

Vigor Judgment Principles
  • Primary: Based on palace position
  • Secondary: Consider monthly order

Example:

  • Tianpeng Star (Water) in Kan Palace (Water) during Zi month (Water prospers): Extremely vigorous
  • Tianpeng Star in Li Palace (Fire) during Wu month (Fire prospers): Conquered and loses ground, extremely weak
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Plate 3: Human Plate (人盘) - Eight Gates

Definition & Function

Definition:

  • Product of Heaven and Earth
  • Middle layer plate
  • Represents human behavioral characteristics

Represents:

  • 人和 (Human Harmony): Interpersonal relations
  • 人事 (Human Affairs): Human matters and events
  • 人为要做的事 (Human Undertakings): Actions people want to take
  • 决定因素 (Deciding Factor): Key factor determining matter auspiciousness

Core Position: Value-Use Gate (值使门)

  • Chief of Human Plate
  • Main factor determining matter success/failure
  • One of Qimen Three Transmissions (Earth Value-Sign, Heaven Value-Sign, Human Value-Use)
  • Three Transmissions represent: Initial, Middle, Outcome

Application Scope: Extremely broad; almost all predictions must examine Eight Gates. All predictive studies focus on "human" as subject; Eight Gates are core element of Qimen prediction.

Eight Gates Classification

CategoryGateElementPalacePrimary Significance
Three Auspicious开门Metal 金乾宫Career, fame , smooth penetration, open, inauguration, founding marshal, work, business opening
休门Water 水坎宫Rest recuperation , leisure, lazy, repair, recuperation
生门Earth 土艮宫Vigorous life, wealth , property, growth development; first choice for wealth-seeking
Three Inauspicious死门Earth 土坤宫Death ending, land feng shui , tomb, scar, lock, deities/Buddhas, rigid
惊门Metal 金兑宫Lawsuits litigation, alarm , lawyer, teacher, singer, verbal disputes
伤门Wood 木震宫Harm loss, vehicles horses , decisive, active, debt collection
Neutral杜门Wood 木巽宫Hidden blockage, technology , blocked, concealment, stable and thorough
景门Fire 火离宫Bright documents, blood disaster , mobile phone, blood disaster, firearms, guns, vanity, impatient

Eight Gates & Five Element Interactions

Seven Gate-Palace Relationships
RelationshipDefinitionSignificance
门迫 (Gate Pressure)Gate conquers palaceExternal energy pressure; interpersonal problems; matter has obstacles
门制 (Gate Constraint)Palace conquers gateBeing constrained
门义 (Gate Righteousness)Palace generates gateGets assistance; auspicious
门和 (Gate Harmony)Gate generates palaceEnergy leaking
门比 (Gate Comparison)Palace same as gateNeutral
门伏吟 (Gate Fu Yin)Gate in original palaceSlow
门反吟 (Gate Fan Yin)Gate in opposite palaceFast
Gate-Palace Formula

吉门被克吉不就，
凶门被克凶不起。
吉门相生有大利，
凶门得生祸难避。
吉门克宫吉不就，
凶门克宫事更凶。

"Auspicious gate conquered, auspiciousness not achieved,
Inauspicious gate conquered, inauspiciousness not arisen.
Auspicious gate mutually generated, has great benefit,
Inauspicious gate gets generation, disaster hard to avoid.
Auspicious gate conquers palace, auspiciousness not achieved,
Inauspicious gate conquers palace, matter more inauspicious."

✦ ◆ ✦

Plate 4: Spirit Plate (神盘) - Eight Spirits

Definition & Function

Definition:

  • Connecting link between Heaven, Earth, Human three plates
  • Invisible force or state
  • Information waves and dark matter

Represents:

  • 神助 (Spirit Assistance): Divine help
  • 潜意识 (Subconscious): Below conscious awareness
  • 不由自主的行为习惯 (Involuntary Behavioral Habits): Unconscious patterns
  • 内心深处的自己 (Innermost Self): Deep inner being

Special Characteristics of Eight Spirits

1. No Fixed Palace Position

Changes according to Qimen bureau calculation; operation pattern: Yang forward, Yin reverse

2. No Five Element Attribute

"Jump outside Three Realms, not in Five Elements" (跳出三界外，不在五行中) — not affected by time-space; don't need to consider prosper-strength-rest-imprisoned

3. As Spirit Requires Ability Assessment

Example: Testing marriage, Liuhe falls Kun Palace not vigorous = marriage quality insufficient

Eight Spirits Detailed Explanation

SpiritSignificanceApplication
值符
(Tianyi Noble)		No specific symbolic meaning among Eight Spirits; does NOT represent "chief, leader, national flag" (post-heaven Qimen misunderstanding)Function: Power value, energy point
腾蛇Alarm, strangeness, deceit, dreams, entanglement, suspicion-
太阴Secret, darkness, noble person secret assistance , female, hiddenWith Three Wonders auspicious gates = "Three Frauds"
六合Marriage, cooperation, mediation , companion, harmonyPrimary spirit for marriage testing; good with women, good interpersonal relations
白虎 (勾陈)Disaster, blood disaster, separation , destruction, road, trafficDanger: injury, death, alarm
玄武 (朱雀)Thieves, fraud, darkness , thief, conspiracyTesting lost objects, testing thieves
九地Stable, solid, low , underground, concealment, generous, tolerant, stingyMaster ambush troops, hiding, encampment
九天Tall, aspiration, ideal , magnificent, solemn, goalMaster displaying troops, revealing, high places
Application Principles:
  • Eight Spirits' auspiciousness not absolute; depends on situation
  • Analyze if querent gets spirit assistance
  • Examine querent's mentality and personality
  • Judge matter's nature
✦ ◆ ✦

Four Plates Comprehensive Synthesis (四盘综合应用)

Judgment Principles for Auspiciousness/Inauspiciousness

1. Examine Patterns: Heaven Plate and Earth Plate fixed combinations (81 Heavenly Stem interactions); patterns with common characteristics

2. Examine Monthly Order Vigor: According to monthly order solar terms judge Five Elements prosper-strength-rest-imprisoned-death; Nine Stars and Eight Gates primarily judged by monthly order

3. Examine Palace Position State: Whether spirit palace position is advantageous; Twelve Growth Stages state

4. Examine Wonder-Gate Auspiciousness: Three Wonders (Yi, Bing, Ding) are auspicious; Six Ceremonies (Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui) vary in auspiciousness

5. Examine Nine Stars Auspiciousness: Four auspicious stars (Tianxin, Tianren, Tianqin, Tianfu); three inauspicious stars (Tianpeng, Tianrui, Tianzhu); secondary auspicious star (Tianchong); neutral star (Tianying)

6. Examine Palace Interior Heaven-Earth-Human-Spirit Interactions: Heaven Plate vs. Earth Plate relationship; Nine Stars vs. Earth Plate palace Five Element interactions; Eight Gates vs. Earth Plate palace Five Element interactions; Eight Spirits' influence

7. Examine Palace-to-Palace Interactions: Five Element generation-conquest relationships between spirit palace and matter palace

8. Examine Speed & Distance: Interior/exterior plate judgment; Fu Yin/Fan Yin influence

9. Examine Spirit Palace Position Vigor: Based on Twelve Growth Life-Death-Extinction table; consider monthly order

🎯 Critical Synthesis Principle

天地人神，四盘合参。

"Heaven, Earth, Human, Spirit—Four Plates synthesis."

Never examine only one plate in isolation. Comprehensive judgment requires examining all four plates together, understanding their mutual interactions, and synthesizing their combined message.

Each plate provides one dimension of reality:

  • Earth Plate: Where (location, direction, hidden factors)
  • Heaven Plate: When (timing, already manifested)
  • Human Plate: What (actions, human affairs, key deciding factors)
  • Spirit Plate: How (invisible assistance, subconscious influences)

Practical Application Summary

Understanding the four plates is not merely theoretical knowledge—it is the practical foundation for accurate chart interpretation. Master practitioners can instantly assess a chart by examining:

  1. Earth foundation: Palace positions and symbolic meanings
  2. Heaven timing: Nine Stars vigor and seasonal influence
  3. Human action: Eight Gates relationships and gate-palace interactions
  4. Spirit assistance: Eight Spirits influences on consciousness and invisible support

Then synthesize all four dimensions to produce comprehensive, accurate predictions.

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