Retrograde, Combustion & Special Conditions (逆行、燃燒與特殊狀態)
Beyond basic dignity and aspect analysis, QZSY recognizes several special planetary conditions that significantly modify a planet's expression. These conditions — retrograde motion, combustion, cazimi, and stationary state — represent extreme or unusual astronomical configurations with distinct interpretive meanings. They add crucial nuance to chart analysis and are often the key to understanding why a well-placed planet fails to deliver its promised results, or why a poorly-placed planet produces unexpected outcomes.
Retrograde Motion (逆行)
A planet appears to move backward through the zodiac when Earth overtakes it (for outer planets) or when it overtakes Earth (for inner planets). This apparent backward motion is called retrograde (逆行, Ni Xing). In QZSY, retrograde planets are interpreted as operating in a mode of internalization, review, and revisitation:
- Retrograde Jupiter: Wisdom is internalized rather than expressed publicly. Growth comes through inner development, not outward expansion. Financial gains may be delayed but eventually arrive through unconventional means.
- Retrograde Saturn: Karmic lessons are deeply internalized. The native may experience delayed recognition of their structural strengths. Authority comes from inner discipline rather than external position.
- Retrograde Mars: Aggression and drive are turned inward. The native may struggle with unexpressed anger or channel competitive energy into internal transformation rather than external conquest.
- Retrograde Mercury: Communication and thought processes are reflective rather than spontaneous. May indicate a tendency to revise, rethink, and reconsider. Often found in editors, researchers, and revisionary thinkers.
- Retrograde Venus: Relationship patterns involve revisitation — reconnecting with past partners, reconsidering aesthetic values, or developing an unconventional approach to love and beauty.
Combustion (燃燒)
Combustion occurs when a planet is within approximately 6-8 degrees of the Sun. The Sun's overwhelming brilliance 'burns' the planet, diminishing its power and obscuring its influence. A combust planet struggles to express its significations clearly — its energy is subsumed by the solar will. In a natal chart, combustion of a key planet (e.g., the Life Palace lord) indicates difficulty in manifesting that planet's gifts, often requiring conscious effort to recover the planet's function.
Cazimi (在日心)
Paradoxically, when a planet is exactly conjunct the Sun (within approximately 17 minutes of arc), it enters the condition known as cazimi (在日心, 'in the heart of the Sun'). Rather than being weakened, the planet is empowered — it sits on the throne, so to speak, receiving the full solar force directly. Cazimi is extremely rare and considered highly auspicious, transforming what would otherwise be a combustion into a position of supreme power.
Stationary Planets (留)
A planet is stationary (留, Liu) when it appears to pause before changing direction — either transitioning from direct to retrograde (stationary retrograde) or from retrograde to direct (stationary direct). Stationary planets are considered to be at maximum intensity because their energy is concentrated rather than diffused by motion. A stationary planet in a natal chart amplifies that planet's influence dramatically, for better or worse depending on its dignity and aspects.
Comparison with Western and Vedic Doctrines
Western astrology treats retrograde planets similarly — as internalized, revised, or delayed expressions. The combustion doctrine is shared across all three traditions (Western, Vedic, and Chinese), with similar orb allowances. The cazimi concept derives from medieval Western astrology (via Arabic transmission) and may have entered Chinese practice through similar transmission routes. Vedic astrology (Jyotish) treats combust planets (Asta) with particular severity, especially for Mercury's combustion.