At a glance
- Variants
- White Tiger/Gouchen; Dark Warrior/Zhuque
- Layers
- Distinguish Chief spirit and Chief star
Definition and terminology
A familiar modern roster uses Chief Talisman, Flying Serpent, Great Yin, Six Harmonies, White Tiger, Dark Warrior, Nine Earths and Nine Heavens. Received texts also show Gouchen and Zhuque variants. These names function as symbolic roles with religious and celestial backgrounds, not eight observed natural forces or proof of supernatural intervention.
Structure and rules
Spirit placement commonly starts at the Chief Talisman position and follows a declared route and direction. Chief can also name the acting star, so distinguish layers. Earth and Heaven receive concealment/display imagery, Yin and Harmony protection/cooperation. Roster, sequence and center passage may differ between chart methods and must be specified.
Worked reading
An imagery exercise may use Nine Earths to prompt consolidation and Nine Heavens presentation. A placement exercise instead needs a Chief starting position and direction before installing the sequence. Without those inputs, positions are undetermined. Neither exercise guarantees concealment or support for a real publication; it teaches distinct uses of the vocabulary.
Context and limits
Historical association lists contain period-specific judgments about gender, status and illness that should not label modern people. Variants show that there is no single immutable software standard. Publish the roster and source. Cultural interpretation explains symbolic organization, while alleged supernatural efficacy or real causation requires evidence beyond the names themselves.
References & further reading
Historical sources document ideas and rules of their time, not empirical proof of predictive accuracy. Source notes identify the nature and scope of each reference.
- 《奇门遁甲统宗》Primary / tradition source
Public-domain received Qimen manual; documents palace, star, door and spirit rules and variants, not modern validation.
- 《遁甲演义》（四库全书本）Primary / tradition source
Public-domain Qimen source; editorial account distinguishes legends from documentation and describes palaces, stems, doors and stars.