Nine Palaces and Eight Winds

Taiyi usually enters the Ye Zhi Palace on the winter solstice and stays there for forty-six days; the next day, it enters the Tian Liu Palace and stays for forty-six days; the next day, it enters the Cang Men Palace and stays for forty-six days; the next day, it enters the Yin Luo Palace and stays for forty-five days; the next day, it enters the Tian Gong Palace and stays for forty-six days; the next day, it enters the Xuan Wei Palace and stays for forty-six days; the next day, it enters the Cang Guo Palace and stays for forty-six days; the next day, it enters the Xin Luo Palace and stays for forty-five days; the next day, it returns again to the Ye Zhi Palace, and this is called the winter solstice. Taiyi travels daily, starting from the day of the winter solstice, entering the Ye Zhi Palace, counting the days of its location, moving from one position to the ninth day, then returning to the first position. This goes on without end, ending and beginning again.

On the day Taiyi changes palaces, heaven must respond with wind and rain. If there is wind and rain on that day, it is auspicious, the harvest is good, the people are at peace, and there are few diseases. If the wind and rain arrive early, there will be much rain; if they arrive late, there will be much drought. If Taiyi has an abnormal change on the winter solstice, divination corresponds to the ruler; if Taiyi has an abnormal change on the spring equinox, divination corresponds to the prime minister; if Taiyi has an abnormal change on the day it is in the central palace, divination corresponds to the officials; if Taiyi has an abnormal change on the autumn equinox, divination corresponds to the generals; if Taiyi has an abnormal change on the summer solstice, divination corresponds to the common people. What is meant by an abnormal change is that when Taiyi resides in the five palaces, strong winds arise that break trees and raise sand and stones, and each is used to divine nobility or lowliness according to the direction it governs. Then observe the direction from which the wind comes to divine. Wind blowing from the direction where Taiyi resides is called solid wind, which governs growth and nourishes all things; wind blowing from the opposite direction is called empty wind, which harms people, governs killing and damage. Carefully observe the empty wind and avoid it. Therefore, the sage says that avoiding empty evil is like avoiding arrows and stones, and evil qi cannot harm, which is the meaning of this.

Thus, when Taiyi enters and moves to the central palace, it faces the eight directional winds to divine good or ill fortune. Wind blowing from the south is called the Great Weak Wind. When it harms people, internally it settles in the heart, externally it manifests in the blood vessels, and its qi primarily brings heat. Wind blowing from the southwest is called the Scheme Wind. When it harms people, internally it settles in the spleen, externally it manifests in the muscles, and its qi primarily brings weakness. Wind blowing from the west is called the Hard Wind. When it harms people, internally it settles in the lungs, externally it manifests in the skin, and its qi primarily brings dryness. Wind blowing from the northwest is called the Breaking Wind. When it harms people, internally it settles in the small intestine, externally it manifests in the hand taiyang channel. If the channel is severed, qi and blood will overflow and dissipate; if the channel is blocked, it will congeal and accumulate, leading to sudden death. Wind blowing from the north is called the Great Hard Wind. When it harms people, internally it settles in the kidneys, externally it manifests in the bones and the sinews of the shoulders and back, and its qi primarily brings cold. Wind blowing from the northeast is called the Fierce Wind. When it harms people, internally it settles in the large intestine, externally it manifests in the two flanks, the area below the armpit bones, and the joints of the four limbs. Wind blowing from the east is called the Infant Wind. When it harms people, internally it settles in the liver, externally it manifests at the attachments of the sinews, and its qi primarily brings dampness and heaviness to the body. Wind blowing from the southeast is called the Weak Wind. When it harms people, internally it settles in the stomach, externally it manifests in the muscles, and its qi primarily brings heaviness to the body. These eight winds all come from their corresponding empty directions to cause disease. When three empty conditions combine, it leads to sudden onset of illness and sudden death. Two solid and one empty condition results in illness from rain and cold, with alternating chills and fever. If one encounters two damp places, it leads to wilting disease. Therefore, the sage avoids wind evil like avoiding arrows and stones. If three empty conditions are present and one is further struck by evil wind, it leads to sudden collapse and hemiplegia.