Quest for the Original Unique Zi Wei Dou Shu

Our extensive research indicates that Zi Wei Dou Shu, the Chinese Purple or Emperor Star astrology, is a profound astrology system whose significance is far more than the common personal Fate calculations it has been used for.

For a long time before recent times Zi Wei Dou Shu was the sort of astrology used only by the imperial circle while the common people used the far more inferior and simpler Wu Xing (Five Elements), Tong Shu and Ba Zi methods. The historical records indicate that an astrology like Zi Wei Dou Shu was used by the emperors for nation building and not for merely casting a personal horoscope! The Chinese imperial circle was content to allow the common people to use systems like Ba Zi so long as they remained ignorant of the vastly superior potent Zi Wei Dou Shu. Then, much to the consternation of the imperial circle, Zi Wei Dou Shu began to filter to the public.

It has been long known that the Chinese Ba Zi was a simple system which can never rival the complicateness in Hindu and Western astrology. Zi Wei Dou Shu does have a complicateness which matches if not rivals those in Hindu and Western astrology. This is not surprising, as our research shows practitioners are unaware that Zi Wei Dou Shu is actually a transformation of Mesopotamian based Hindu and Western astrology.

However, like other schools in the Chinese geomancy, there are a few variants of Zi Wei Dou Shu, some of which include contradictions against each other. Which is the real Zi Wei Dou Shu?

What should be an alarm bell for the world of Chinese astrology and Feng Shui is the story that a thief broke into the imperial library and stole a text on Zi Wei Dou Shu. However, the thief missed a second smaller volume on the Si Hua stars. On discovery of the theft, the emperor ordered a fake copy to be made. With the fall of the Manchu Qing dynasty, the second text on the Si Hua stars became known.

It has been said that this could explain why there are two old text versions of Zi Wei Dou Shu widely printed today, one of them being likely the fake. Both versions are quite similar with only small rather inconsequential differences. If one is a fake, the other is likely also a fake, as the emperor would not have a fake so closely similar to the real one.

So, it is highly possible that both current versions of Zi Wei Dou Shu are falsifications by the Chinese emperor.

• Modern practitioners seem blissfully unaware of the adverse implications for Zi Wei Dou Shu. No one seems concerned about having a close look to unravel the truth, but all seem content to let a potentially massive fraud floats around.

Research Uncovering Key Falsifications

It will be thought that it will be difficult to unravel any imperial falsifications of Zi Wei Dou Shu. But this is not so difficult as thought, if one really researches out the matter.

• Research is undertaken into the actual and legendary history of Zi Wei Dou Shu, including to the Kang Hsi's Imperial Encyclopedia. This research also especially studies Hindu and Western astrology as there are rising evidence that of Zi Wei Dou Shu is actually a transformation of Hindu and Western astrology.

The research does indicate that the current common systems of Zi Wei Dou Shu have a number of falsifications, at least about a dozen of them. The study of the Kang Hsi's Imperial Encyclopedia and comparison of Zi Wei Dou Shu with Western and Hindu astrology are revealing, as they confirm where the current Zi Wei Dou Shu is likely falsified and is thus wrong. Some of these aspects falsified include:

• Falsification of the order of placement of the 12 Palaces, from the Ming Palace etc.
• Introducing dubious forward and reverse orders with respect to male or female born in Yang or Yin years.
• Altering the durations and nature of the so-called "10 years Great Limits".
• Minor jugglings of some stars.

This confirms the suspicion that at least one of the current versions of Zi Wei Dou Shu is a fake. But, the current two old text versions of Zi Wei Dou Shu widely printed today have similar falsifications and both are likely fabrications by the emperor. The emperor had made two fakes produced to throw red herrings into the astrology world. The wily emperor knew that whosoever stole the imperial copy would be selfish enough to hold to it secretly without spreading it - so very few would know what is the real original version. Once the fakes spread it would be difficult for any to believe the real version. For if a different version arises how is one going to know it is real?

Imperial Deception Facilitated by Faulty Calendars

Even without the above falsifications, the imperial ruling circle already had one great advantage. They knew that precision in astrological timing depends on direct observations of the planetary movements. The manual of planetary tables (stolen by Yang Yun Sung from the Tang imperial library) had long been forbidden to the ordinary people on penalty of death execution for the whole family. When the ordinary people had to use the imperial calendars to get astrological Time, the people had already walked into an age-old trap laid by the imperial families down the ages. The people will always get a much more inferior horoscope than the imperial members!

• Ssuma Chien in around 100 BC and, before him, Confucius, in around 600 BC, described direct observations of stars to get astrological portents. Lai Bu Yi, second generation student of Yang Yun Sung, circa AD 1000, also referred to actual star positions for astrology. They never used calendars.

  Use of calendars reflects inferior and often erratic astrology and divination.

The imperial deception was facilitated by that, as early as the Sui and Tang dynasties, many were slipping into something rare in Hindu and Western astrology, the convenient use of mathematical formulas to calculate Fate evaluation. These mathematical formulas look complicated and tedious but actually require little intelligence to master. Unfortunately, these fascinating mathematical formulas depend on calendar dates. As the calendar dates will deviate from astronomical Time in due time, the calendars, unless properly re-calibrated, will give erratic astrological Time.

• Both Yang Yun Sung in the Tang dynasty and Jiang Da Hong in the Ming dynasty warned against undue dependence on calendars. They saw what the imperial families had hoped for, that the people in using the calendars could never get accurate divination. The mysteries of certain verses in the ancient texts attributed to them become clear now as they referred to these misgivings about use of the calendars:
  • The great Tang master Yang Yun Sung was aware of the inaccuracies in the calendars and advised tracking Time through observation of the stars: "Once again you are advised to identify the constellation, so that the good and bad, disaster and prosperity would happened like a miracle." Qing Nang Aow Yi 3.85-86

    Later, the Ming master Jiang Da Hong also mentioned this doubt about the accuracy of the Na Jia, as indicated by the document, "Notes While I Studied With My Master, Part 3" by Jang Yao (another name is Ru-Kau). Jang Yao (Chang Iau, student of Jiang Da Hong) had recorded:

    I asked the way of Na Jia if it matches with the way of setting the stars? Master said: "One is one, two is two. Now, people who talk about Na Jia only use the base/body. Only Xuan Kong is the true Na Jia."

  
  
  

  Both Yang Yun Sung in the Tang dynasty and Jiang Da Hong in the Ming dynasty had seen the great danger in using the calendars for astrological Time and had urged that one should directly observe the stars to get the true astrological Time. It looks like practically all have ignored their warnings.

  Lai Bu Yi, second generation student of Yang Yun Sung, circa AD 1000, was probably aware of the danger of inaccurate Time in the calendar. He also referred to actual star positions for astrology in his Cui Guan Pian. He did not use the calendars.

A host of other Chinese divination systems like Ba Zi and Xuan Kong Feng Shui also suffer from being locked into the inaccuracies in the calendars and mathematical formulas. Read more in article on Dating Problems in Zi Wei Dou Shu

It is also likely that the imperial family had encouraged the mathematical formula methods like of Ba Zi to confuse the people so that they would not use the real potent Zi Wei Dou Shu. Tang imperial censor Li Hsu-chung was supposed to create Ba Zi divination. He was probably a pawn in the game of the emperor to lock the people into inferior divination systems.

• The common people used the mathematical but faulty Ba Zi all the time, while the emperors secretly used the far more potent Zi Wei Dou Shu.

  In probably a master stroke, the emperor had the astronomical observations converted to misleading mathematical calculations. The original Zi Wei Dou Shu likely was not in the mathematical form! To recover the original Zi Wei Dou Shu one has to find out which astronomical movements are meant in Zi Wei Dou Shu.

  The mathematical formulas calculations were said to originate in Tibet and spread to China. The emperors had encouraged the common people to indulge in the erratic calculations methods. But the emperors kept to themselves the much more potent methods of direct observations of the stars for their own astrology.

Through long restriction to usage of the mathematical formulas the links with actual astronomical movements became forgotten and lost.

Imperial Usage of Large Expensive Astronomy Instruments

People ignore that the imperial families even during the Tang dynasty had invested a lot of money in equipment and instruments to observe the stars. This is because the emperors knew that only direct observations of the stars produced accurate astrological Time. During some dynasties, there were even at least two separate centers of astronomical instruments to double check to ensure accuracy.

If the calendars were sufficient there would have no necessities for the expensive large astronomical instruments.

These instruments are a mute testimony of the need to consult the starry sky and warning against undue dependence on the calendars.

Call for More Research and Information

The lack of comprehension of the real history of Zi Wei Dou Shu contributes to the confusion which has created different versions of Zi Wei Dou Shu. Existence of different divisions within an astrology or Feng Shui school is too common a situation, reflecting confusing and often contradicting speculations.

When there is lack of concrete evidence, speculations will multiply throughout the Chinese astrology and Feng Shui world. As there is lack of information to develop objective criteria, any opinion is as bad as the other. Some masters prance about with arrogant beliefs. Many think they have "great secrets" which, on closer examination, are nothing to shout about. Contradicting concepts arise to confuse practitioners and students.

• The contradictions should sound alarm bells about the true depth of knowledge, and it is doubtful that any qualifies to be a master. The selfish lack of sharing prevents practitioners from comparing notes to help dig out and correct any errors.

Besides pulling together the historical and legendary testimony, we have also made scientific analysis of Zi Wei Dou Shu (see previous article). The scientific analysis has managed to identify the planetary movements underlying almost all the so-called "imaginary" stars of Zi Wei Dou Shu. This scientific analysis is also used to correct the currently faulty Zi Wei Dou Shu. Zi Wei Dou Shu is a highly scientific astronomical system!

What may be missed by current practitioners is that the emperors would have far greater usage for an astrology like Zi Wei Dou Shu than just for personal horoscopes. Zi Wei Dou Shu is a system highly usable for nation building!

All these will be difficult to convey thoroughly here. It is hoped that those really interested and dedicated would attend our course to learn.

The course is comprehensive as it covers practically all the so-called over 100 stars of Zi Wei Dou Shu, including details of the Si Hua Transforming stars. There will be many astonishing findings, especially as to the actual astronomical movements forming the basis of the stars.

• It is said that "The secrets of Heaven shall not be divulged." Actually, the saying should be modified to what was probably meant: "The secrets of Heaven shall not be divulged to the mundane."

Towards an Advance Scientific Zi Wei Dou Shu

Gui Management Centre is making available preliminary findings of our highly scientific research into Chinese astrology and Feng Shui, backed up by intensive analysis of the ancient texts. Many findings are new and may disturb current views, but practitioners should be proactive to advance further.

The series of articles on Zi Wei Dou Shu are listed in the beginning of this article.

Those who are really interested in genuine Chinese astrology should also read our articles exposing the myths in Mei Hua Plum Blossom divination:

• Mei Hua (Plum Blossom) Divination: Analysis of Fallacies. Part 1 of 4: The I Ching Perspective Ong, H.T. Aprl 2009.
• Mei Hua (Plum Blossom) Divination: Analysis of Fallacies. Part 2 of 4: Dubious Prediction Ability Ong, H.T. April 2009.
• Mei Hua (Plum Blossom) Divination: Analysis of Fallacies. Part 3 of 4: Scientific Evidence: Partial Cosmology of Chou Tun Yi Ong, H.T. April 2009.
• Mei Hua (Plum Blossom) Divination: Analysis of Fallacies. Part 4 of 4: Truths about Shao Yung's Flawed Philosophy Ong, H.T. April 2009.

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• 3. Riddle of Lai Bu Yi's Ren Pan: Towards Scientific Understanding of Luopan.
• 4. Southern Hemisphere and Magnetic North: Scientific Insights.
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