Nobleman stars, the two Virtues and the Three Marvels

In Four Pillars of Destiny (BaZi), the Heavenly Nobleman, the Heavenly and Monthly Virtues (together, the two Virtues) and the Three Marvels are the benefic stars the classical books weigh most. They tend to bring a chart blessings and to ease hard times. Like all symbolic stars, though, they cannot form a structure or break one.

The Heavenly Nobleman

Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates (三命通会; Ming dynasty, 16th century) takes the Heavenly Nobleman (天乙贵人) as the most honored of all the symbolic stars:

其神最尊贵，所至之处，一切凶煞隐然而避。

Our translation: This star is the most honored of all; wherever it arrives, every adverse star quietly steps aside.

To find it, take the day stem, or the year stem, and look for the branches in the table below among the four branches of the chart.

The Deep Sea of Ziping (渊海子平; Ming dynasty, 16th century) says that of the twelve branches, only the Dragon and the Dog have no Nobleman.

Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates · On the Heavenly Nobleman; The Deep Sea of Ziping · On Finding the Jade Hall Heavenly Nobleman

Its weight depends on conditions. Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates says the Nobleman welcomes birth and strength, and does not welcome being broken by a clash or falling in the Void. Having a Nobleman in the chart does not make it favorable on sight: look closely at where it falls.

Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates · On the Heavenly Nobleman

The Heavenly Virtue and the Monthly Virtue

The two Virtues are found from the birth month. Take the month branch and look in the four pillars for the characters in the table below.

The Monthly Virtue is always a stem. The Heavenly Virtue is mostly a stem, but in the Rabbit, Horse, Rooster and Rat months it is a branch, so look for it among the branches. The Deep Sea of Ziping says the Monthly Virtue should appear on the day pillar. Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates says both Virtues should appear on the day pillar, and are best when the hour pillar is not clashed, controlled, punished or broken.

The Deep Sea of Ziping · On the Heavenly Virtue Nobleman; The Deep Sea of Ziping · On the Monthly Virtue Nobleman; Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates · On the Heavenly and Monthly Virtues

The books say that when a chart carries stars to be mindful of, the support of the two Virtues makes hard times less heavy. The True Interpretation of Ziping (子平真诠; Qing dynasty, 18th century) agrees: when a chart’s pattern is perilous and its pillars hold the two Virtues, there is help in hardship and a way out of danger. The same passage goes on to say that the two Virtues still do not decide the quality of the structure.

Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates · On the Heavenly and Monthly Virtues; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Why the Stars Do Not Decide the Structure

The Three Marvels

The Three Marvels are three sets of stems:

To find them, look at the four stems. The three must run side by side in order through the year, month, day and hour, for example Yang Wood on the year, Yang Earth on the month and Yang Metal on the day. If the order is reversed or the three are scattered, they do not count. The Deep Sea of Ziping also sets conditions on the branches; for example, the Heavenly Three Marvels want the Dog and the Pig among the branches.

The Deep Sea of Ziping · On the Three Marvels Nobleman; Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates · On the Three Marvels

Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates explains why Yin Wood, Yang Fire and Yin Fire are called marvels. It lays the stems along the branches the way the Heavenly Nobleman does. Counted by the yang Nobleman, Yang Wood starts at the Rat, so Yin Wood, Yang Fire and Yin Fire fall in turn on the Ox, the Tiger and the Rabbit. Counted by the yin Nobleman, Yang Wood starts at the Monkey, so the three fall in turn on the Goat, the Horse and the Snake. Either way, the three stems sit side by side. Some editions read the first count differently; this series follows the reading “yang Nobleman”.

Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates · On the Three Marvels

Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates says people whose charts meet the Three Marvels tend to have outstanding spirit, a broad mind, wide learning and many abilities, and better still with the Heavenly Nobleman or the two Virtues as well. The Three Marvels have conditions too. If they are broken by a clash, or meet the Discordant Star, the Peach Blossom, or the Heavenly Net and Earthly Net, they have no effect. If the year pillar is not part of them and they fall only on the month, day and hour, the book says the person tends to be rather solitary.

Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates · On the Three Marvels

One name needs telling apart. When The True Interpretation of Ziping speaks of the Three Marvels, it means Wealth, the Officer and Resource, not the ordered stems of this lesson.

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Month Prosperity

Try it on your chart

1. Take the day stem and the year stem to the first table. Circle any Heavenly Nobleman among the branches, and see whether it is clashed or falls in the Void.
2. Take the month branch to the second table. Find the Heavenly Virtue and the Monthly Virtue in the four pillars, and note which pillar each is on, especially whether it is the day pillar.
3. See whether the four stems, from year to hour, run in order as Yang Wood, Yang Earth, Yang Metal; Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire; or Yang Water, Yin Water, Yin Metal.
4. Beside each star, note which of the ten relationships it falls on, then weigh it by the steps in the lesson on symbolic stars.

See also: Symbolic stars: color, not structure

See also: Prosperity, travel and flair stars

See also: Stars to be mindful of, and what balances them

See also: Chart structure starts from the month