Annie Pecheva 2

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2011
Osama Bin Laden and his Chinese horoscope

Here are the four pillars of Osama Bin Laden:
Born: 10 March 1957 05:55

Timezone: +3 (Baghdad Time)
Longitude: 46 E 45 Latitude: 24 N 45
Hour: Xin Mao (Yin Metal Rabbit)

Day: Xin Si (Yin Metal Snake)
Month: Gui Mao (Yin Water Rabbit)
Year: Ding You (Yin Fire Rooster)
10 Y Luck (13/8/1958)
Age 1 - 10 : Ren Yin (Yang Water Tiger)
Age 11 - 20 : Xin Chou (Yin Metal Ox)
Age 21 - 30 : Geng Zi (Yang Metal Rat)
Age 31 - 40 : Ji Hai (Yin Earth Pig)
Age 41 - 50 : Wu Xu (Yang Earth Dog)
Age 51 - 60 : Ding You (Yin Fire Rooster)
It's interesting to notice that Osama Bin Laden died when there was a Fu Yin
(duplication of pillars) in his current 10-year luck period and his year of birth - Ding You
(Fire Rooster) 丁酉. Also there is a duplicatoin of pillars in the current year and his hour
of birth - Xin Mao (Yin Metal Rabbit) 辛卯.
Besides, he died at the age of 54, which in China is considered as a time when there are
certain problems happening in one's life due to the double clash in the stems and
branches between the year of birth and the current year.
MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011
Sai Baba and his Chinese horoscope
On April 24th the famous Indian guru Sai Baba died at the age of 85. He himself
several times has predicted that his life will last 96 years, but as we see his predictions
went wrong.
Sai Baba was born on 23 November 1926, 6:22 AM in Puttaparthi, India. Here is his four
pillars chart:
Hour: Xin Mao (Yin Metal Rabbit)

Day: Bing Chen (Yang Fire Dragon)
Month: Ji Hai (Yin Earth Pig)
Year: Bing Yin (Yang Fire Tiger)
Conception: Geng Yin (Yang Metal Tiger)
Life: Xin Mao (Yin Metal Rabbit)
It's interesting to notice that this year's pillar (Xin Mao - Yin Metal Rabbit) is the same
as the pillars of his hour of birth and the Life Palace (Ming gong). In Chinese astrology
the hour pillar is pointing out the old age in life. In the case with Sai Baba this
duplication of pillars between the current year and the hour pillar can suggest that this is
a special year (2011), a turning point in his life course and even can mean death-
threatening conditions, especially if one is experiencing major health problems.
According to the classical texts of Four Pillars, for those who have Mao (Rabbit) branch in their
Life Palace it is very important to stay humble/rendah hati when they get power (" 得权时需
谦虚为上"). Obviously that is not the case with Sai Baba. He proclaimed himself a god and
attracted millions of followers during his life. "I am all deities in one"; "There was no one
to understand Me until I created this whole world" - Sai Baba says.
Sai Baba pleased to unveil a golden statue of himself.
Superstition/ketahayulan, indoctrination and self-delusion/delusi are some of the main

obstacles and traps in the path to spiritual growth.
* According to some sources Sai Baba lied about his birth date. "It is well known publicly
that Sri Aurobindo declared on November 24th 1926 that "Krishna consciousness had
descended into the physical," and proposed that this was the motivation for Sai Baba to
declare this date as his birth date."(http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Sai_Baba
%2C_Sri_Sathya)
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2011
The big earthquake in Japan and Tui Bei Tu

The earthquake in Japan of March 11th is a big disaster.
In the famous Chinese prophetic book “Tui Bei Tu” from 7th century, for the Metal
Rabbit Xin Mao chapter it’s written: “Water bellow, Thunder above”. 《推背图》“辛
卯”，坎下震上。Here the Thunder and Water are the two hexagrams representing the
main characteristics of the period of Xin Mao (Metal Rabbit). The Thunder hexagram is
associated with earthquakes. It could be a coincidence, but it somehow/bagaimanapun
juga reminds me the big earthquake in Japan.
Besides, this year the 5 Yellow star in feng shui lies in the East direction. Now is the
Metal Rabbit month (from March 6th to April 4th) and it is a duplication of the pillar of
the year. This means a strong influence of 5 Yellow disaster star in the East.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2011
Obsession for awards in Chinese Metaphysics

While browsing internet today, I found some funny pictures about different I Ching and
Feng shui awards and organizations in China. The Chinese obsession with receiving
special awards and being selected into "world", "famous people" and "leaders"-sort of
organizations sometimes reach amusing degrees. Of course, in a country with big
population there is a huge competition and strive to be above the masses/massa, to
"achieve success".
Here are some photos:

In this certificate "I Ching 易经" is translated in English as "Easy to learn", so it becomes
very funny: "China is easy to learn great master certificate". It should be "China I
Ching Great Master Certificate". ;-)
The Chinese I Ching specialist Li Chunliang from Shandong province has added in his
website a picture of a red banner with golden characters, in which it says that he has
been pronounced a "Feng Shui Immortal".
Wang Kun, a master from Yunnan province has obtained "2007 Most Popular Feng Shui
Figure" Award
"The most influencing famous feng shui master in Lin Nan" Award
"China Contemporary I Ching Feng Shui Famous Master"
中国当代易学风水名师
"Dean of China International I Ching Study" Award

泰斗!
This is the seal of the "World I Ching Study Leaders Association"!
Often it happens that many real masters and specialists are not interested in receiving or
showing their awards. They don't need them, because they have real merits. Usually
those who are showing the awards are people with complexes, who have to show their
credentials/surat rekonmendasi and certificates in order to get more clients and
followers. That's how it goes, China Easy to Learn Great Masters!
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2009
The importance of Symbolic Stars (Shen Sha) in Chinese

Astrology
In the history of Chinese astrology, and even nowadays, there are many people
who argue about the meaning and significance of the symbolic stars 神煞 (Shen Sha).
Some deny them, while others say that these stars have their own contribution to
Chinese astrology. Those who deny them completely, just don't have a good knowledge
of the symbolic stars and lack a flexible look on astrology.
In fact, the symbolic stars have a very important meaning. In the Four Pillars
method of Chinese Astrology there are several important aspects: Yin and Yang, the
relations among the 5 elements, the heavenly stems and earthly branches, the ten gods
(shi shen 十神), the 12 energy states (changshen shiеr shen 长生十二神) and the symbolic
stars.
The calculation of the symbolic stars is logically connected to the theory of Yin and Yang,
5 elements, 10 gods theory, Na Yin theory, 12 energy states, the 8th trigrams and I Ching,
etc. It is a further interpretation of all these theories and its use and development
through the centuries has proven what an exact information they can give. The
symbolic stars are like the “leaves” of the stems and branches in the big tree
of Chinese astrology.
The problem is that the symbolic stars should not be regarded separately from the whole
picture of the horoscope. If one only searches the symbolic stars and forgets about the
other information present in the chart (interrelations among the elements, 10 gods, etc.),
then one will have a very partial and sometimes even incorrect understanding of the
horoscope.
The symbolic stars have many nuances and conditions that should be taken into
consideration. For example:
- whether the element of the stem/branch of the particular star is a vulnerable/ needed
element (yong shen) or it is unneeded element (ji shen);
- whether the day master is strong or weak;
- what is the situation in the cycles;
- what kind of 10 gods present in the chart;
- what are the energy states in the pillars;
- what other symbolic stars are in the same pillar;
- what other symbolic stars are in the other pillars;
- what other symbolic stars are in the cycles;
- what are the interrelations between the different symbolic stars (they may neutralize
each other, etc.)
- what is the energy state of the pillar/cycle, in which lie the symbolic stars;
- etc.
At a first look the system of the symbolic stars may give a sense of an oversimplified and
unreliable method, but actually it might be very complicated and at the same time – very
precise. The issue is how good and experienced is the astrologer.
We know the importance of holistic, flexible and vivid reading and use of astrology. If
one has a dogmatic, wooden, numb approach, if one simply interprets the horoscope just
by directly citing the books without a flexible understanding and open-minded thinking,
then one will be prone to mistakes and he will not be able to see the whole picture. That's
why the astrology is very deep and exact science and at the same time is metaphysical
(xuan xue 玄学).
The use of symbolic stars is like drawing the eyes of a dragon. The symbolic
stars increase the transparency of the horoscope, so that many things
appear more obvious and clear. The symbolic stars can reveal to us very important
and precise information about the direction of one's interests, his character, the situation
of his family, the functions and use of things, the personal characteristics and
peculiarities.
Annie Pecheva
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
Moon, Mars and Spica shining around the Gate of Heaven
Gazing at the stars makes us feel overwhelmed/diliputi by the beauty and

vastness/keluasan of the sky. Look these several nights for the wonderful trio - Moon,
Mars and Spica - gathered together and spreading their light towards all of us!
Spica (角宿一 in Chinese) is the brightest star of Virgo. In Chinese astronomy it is the
major star of Horn constellation 角宿, located at the horn of the Azure Dragon in the
East. If you make a line connecting Spica (α Virginis) and Heze ( ζ Virginis), then you
will have the "Gate of Heaven" 天门, through which pass the ecliptic and the planets of
the solar system. It was just two days ago that the Daoist temples throughout/seluruh
East Asia celebrated the Opening of the Gate of Heaven day 天門開日. Now, these days
it's time for Mars to pass through the Gate of Heaven. Enjoy the view!
4700 years ago the Nobleman star 天乙贵人 has been a North
Pole star
The Nobleman star/kui jin 天乙贵人 (Celestial Great One 天乙星) is one of the most
auspicious stars in Chinese metaphysics. Generally it is believed that it brings good luck
and blessings and transforms all obstacles and negativity in life. The famous classic San
Ming Tong Hui 《三命通会》 says: "The Nobleman star is the spirit of Heaven... Its
spirit is the most respected and wherever it reaches, all evil hides away". The Nobleman
star is a real star on the sky and... surprise!... 4700 years ago it has been the North
Pole star! (together with another star - Thuban)
How is this possible? - one would ask. Well, it takes 25,800 years (one Platonic year) for
the Earth’s axis to complete one clockwise circle. This causes the line of the North Pole to
scribe/membentuk a circle, thus our North Pole star changes with the time.

The current North Pole star is Polaris 勾陳一, the next one will be Al Deramin (around
7500 A.D.). Then, as the precession continues, Deneb 天津四, Vega 织女星, Thuban
(Alpha Dragonis) 右樞 and Kochab 北極二 will also become North Pole stars, like they
have been already thousands of years ago.

Thuban (α Draconis) of constellation Draco was the North Pole star in and around
2700 BC. The red dot on the map below shows the current location of Thuban on the
sky:
Celestial Map showing the constellation Draco. Image credit: Torsten Bronger.
In Chinese astronomy Thuban star is known as 右樞 (You Shu "Right Pivot") and it is
located at Zi Wei Right Enclosure (Zi Wei You Heng 紫微右垣). Just next to it is the
Celestial Great One 天乙星 (Nobleman star 天乙贵人 Tian Yi Gui Ren).
In modern astronomy, both Thuban and Nobleman star (天乙贵人) are part of the
constellation Draco. Thuban is Alpha Dragonis; Nobleman star is 10 Dragonis (also
named CU Dragonis).
Prof. Jim Kaler, a respected astronomer and science writer from University of Illinois,
points out that during the time when Thuban was the pole star around 2700 BC, there
were actually TWO pole stars - Thuban and 10 Draconis(the Nobleman
star 天乙贵人):
"Indeed, there were not one, but TWO pole stars, though the other one, fifth magnitude
(4.64) 10 Draconis, which lies just 1.4 degrees to the west of Thuban, is never mentioned
alongside its far better known neighbor. And too bad, as of the two it may be the more
interesting. If not, it certainly is the more colorful, a red giant that through binoculars or
a wide field telescope contrasts very nicely with white Thuban... From a distance of 390
light years 10 Draconis shines with the light of 840 Suns, though the great majority of
the radiation lies in the invisible infrared part of the spectrum."
This is so amazing to have had one of the most auspicious stars as the North Pole star,
powerfully shining with the light of 840 suns! Even if its radiation is invisible, the
beneficial effect of the Nobleman (Celestial Great One) star still reaches all of us.
COMMENTS:
1.
Rand NoelApril 22, 2014 at 12:05 PM
Two things I'd like to mention regarding this. 1. I find it fascinating in

Western Astrology the (ages) correspond nicely with the same equinoctial
procession. 2. We make an assumption of the past and future that this has
been and will be again the way the North Star arrangement will be. But we
also know that the earth has not always tilted on it's axis at 23.5 degrees.
so should it change or when it was up right and not tilted, of course we
would have to re-work the math and astronomical maps to determine
which heavenly star will or were our 'North Star" In the future it could tilt
even more or less, we don't have that information or can we predict if and
when when it will happen again, but we do have the evidence that the
earth has been at different angles and that the poles have shifted from
north to south before. We actually only have about 5000 years of historical
evidence that the earth is in the position it is now with so good speculation
that during the last ice age that ended about 10 000 years ago that it was
different. this is all we have to work with. but I suggest one doesn't make
the assumption it's has always been or will be this way.
Reply
2.
Annie PechevaApril 22, 2014 at 2:10 PM

Thank you, Rand. Good insights!
Reply
3.
Arq. Leah ZeinstegerApril 23, 2014 at 12:02 AM
You´re right, Rand... This post of Annie is one of the most important
things that astrologers must watch carefully. Polaris have been in constant
displacement due to different causes, but especially the tilting of the Earth
is one of them, and the Hindus have called it as Ayamansa.It happened
many years ago.Geologists and other scientists have now proven this
displacement and the angle between the geomagnetic pole and the north
pole is about 24.5 degrees. Once the poles have been reversed and now we
ride towards the same situation, with the advancement of a new ice age.
Thanks for the post.
Reply
4.
SimonApril 26, 2014 at 7:24 AM
Wow, thank you Annie! For me, this article brought the plural in
NobleMEN into new light. Is it possible that 乙 Yi means two in the term
天乙 Tian Yi ?
Reply
5.

Thank you, Simon! For many years I was thinking that 乙 Yi here suggests
"second... But then, later I found out in some sources that 天乙 is also
written as 天一（"The Heavenly One", "Celestial Great One"). So, it was
also named 天一星.
However, very close to the Nobleman star is another important star - 太一
Tai Yi (The Great One).According to some scholars, during Zhou and
Shang dynasties the North Pole star was namely the Tai Yi star 太一.
Reply
Replies
1.
SimonApril 27, 2014 at 12:37 PM
Thank you, I was wondering about the same alternatives

regarding 太乙 Tai Yi (as one of the Three Styles, besides
QMDJ and Liu Ren) and 太一 Tai Yi (as the star you mention
here). Could there be connection? There is a Nobleman that
has an important/central role in Liu Ren method, probably it
has an origin as an actual star on the sky (i.e. Polaris, center of
the sky).
Reply
6.

Thank you for your comment, Leah Zeinsteger!
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2014
Visiting the Tibetan Astrology Institute in Lhasa
Last September I visited Tibet with a group of friends. Our program was quite full, but I
still managed to find some time in the last day in Lhasa to find and have a talk with the
scholars of the Tibetan Astrology Institute, just 2-3 hours before my flight back to
Shanghai.
The Tibetan Astrology Institute 西藏天文历算研究所 is part of Mentsekhang - the
famous Tibetan Medicine Hospital in Lhasa. Mentsekhang (sman rtsis khang)
literary means "Medicine and Astrology House", where 'sman' is medicine and 'rtsis'
stands for astrology and divination calculations. Astrology and medicine have always
been very close together, considered by some as one whole body of knowledge. As the
Tibetan saying goes, "‘In order to be a good physician, one has to be a minor astrologer,
and in order to be a good astrologer, one has to be a minor physician". No wonder some
of the greatest doctors in Tibetan history are born into families of astrologers.
There are twelve scholars working at the Tibetan Astrology Institute. Every month they
have to prepare a meteorology forecast report for the whole Tibet area, which is
then sent to the Meteorology Department of Tibet. This monthly report is highly prized
by the meteorologists, because it surpasses/melebihi in accuracy the modern scientific
methods of meteorology forecast. It gives valuable information for the weather forecast
for every day, including information for possible natural disasters that may occur in
certain direction during the certain time of the month.
The scholars of the Institute have predicted the Great 2008 Sichuan Earthquake

in Wenchuan well long before it happened. One year earlier they have already
sent their written report to the Meteorology Department, with all the specific
information of the scale, direction and most possible location of this devastating
earthquake.
Astrological manuscript from Potala Palace, Lhasa
One of the main current projects of the Institute is to collect all astrological
manuscripts from monasteries from all over Tibet. 260 astrological manuscripts
have been collected and scanned from Potala Palace for further research.
Every year the Tibetan Astrology Institute issues a Tibetan Almanac, which exceeds
200,000 copies annually. The Almanac is used in the Tibetan regions in China as well as
in many other countries. It provides a valuable information for the farmers and other
people of different spheres of life.
Last preparations and editing of he Tibetan almanac for 2014
Feeling thankful for the Tibetan almanac I got as a present

from the Tibetan Astrology Institute
Calculation of the sun eclypse of 26 April 2013 (in the Tibetan almanac)
Tibetan astrology originates more than 2000 years ago. It incorporates three main
astrological systems:
1. nagtsi 黑算 - "black calculations", based on the Chinese astrology and metaphysics
2. kartsi 白算 - "white calculations", based on the Indian astrological system Kalachakra
Tantra.
3. local Tibetan astrological methods.
The principles of Yin and Yang, five elements, 10 stems and 12 branches, the planets of
the Solar system, rahu & ketu, Yi Jing 易经, 9-star ki, 28 constellations all are used in
Tibetan astrology. A Tibetan system of symbolic stars 神煞 was developed as well. It is a
complex method, which deserves more attention and research.
Yi Jing trigrams used in the Tibetan astrological manuscipts
Zodiac information for every month and day in 2013 (in the Tibetan almanac)
Information of 'luck' in the different aspects of life for the 12 zodiac signs (in the
Tibetan almanac)
It was a honour to talk with Mr. Tsetop - la, deputy director of the Tibetan Astrology
Institute and a very kind and humble person.
Mr. Tsetop-la showing some old Tibetan manuscripts, which are using different
metaphysical methods.
Tibetan sand tray board used for astrological calculations.

The scholars of the Tibetan Astrology Institute are working on several interesting books,
which would be available in both Tibetan and Chinese language. It's important to
mention - they need financial support for their further publications, so any help in this
regard will be appreciated.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014
Location of the main 14 stars in Zi Wei Dou Shu 紫微斗数

In Pole Star Astrology (Zi Wei Dou Shu 紫微斗数) there are 14 major stars. It's very
interesting to see where is their location on the sky.
Here is a simple chart, which I have used for my Zi Wei Dou Shu class some years ago:

And here are the proper names and positions of the 14 stars:
The Little Dipper constellation
The Pole star 紫微 - Polaris (Alpha Ursae Minoris)
Big Dipper constellation
Tan Lan 贪狼 --- Dubhe (Alpha Ursae Majoris)
Ju Men 巨门 --- Merak (Beta Ursae Majoris)
Lian Zhen 廉贞 --- Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)
Po Jun 破军 --- Alkaid (Eta Ursae Majoris)
Wu Qu 武曲 --- Mizar and Alcor (Zeta Ursae Majoris)
Sagittarius constellation ♐
Qi Sha 七杀 --- Polis (13 Mu Sagittarii)
Tian Xiang 天相 --- Kaus Borealis (Lambda Sagittarii)
Tian Tong 天同 --- (Phi Sagittarii)
Tian Ji 天机 --- Nunki (Sigma Sagittarii)
Tian Liang 天梁 --- Hecatobolus (Tau Sagittarii)
Tian Fu 天府 --- Ascella (Zeta Sagittarii)
Tai Yang 太阳 --- Sun
Tai Yin 太阴 --- Moon
MONDAY, JULY 29, 2013
Is the right bank of the river more auspicious?
Recently I read in some Chinese books and articles that the right bank/tepi of the river is
better for living as it acummulates more auspicious energy (sheng qi 生气). Right side of
the river - this is the right from you when you look at the direction of the river flow. An
old feng shui saying goes: "The right bank of the river is auspicious, while the
left bank of the river is /tdk menyenangkan" 河右为吉，河左为凶.
Some relate this notion to the Earth rotation from west to east, which in the Northern
hemisphere creates an offset/mengimbangi force towards the right side of the flow of the
river. The opposite statement will be valid for the Southern hemisphere, where the
auspicious will be the left bank of the river.
It is considered that most of the cities situated on the right bank of a river prosper more.
Given examples of such cities are Ottawa in Canada, Cairo in Egypt, Seoul in South
Korea, Moscow in Russia, Hanoi in Vietnam, and also such cities in China as Nanjing,
Luoyang, Xian, Lanzhou, Suzhou, Zhenzhou, Kaifeng, Chongqing and many others. Of
course there are many cities that develop and prosper on the left bank of rivers as well
and there are different factors contributing for this.
In addition to this, in the old books of Tibetan medicine it is also pointed out that herbs
growing on the right bank of the river have more healing properties.
It's interesting to note that the Russian scientist Karl Ernst Ritter von Baer (1792 - 1876)
has examined that in the northern hemisphere, erosion occurs mostly on the right banks
of rivers, and in the southern hemisphere - on the left banks. In geology this is known
as Baer's law and Albert Einstain has explained this phenomenon in an article in 1926.
SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013
No demon can pass through a crooked/bengkok bridge

Who would believe that in the beginning of 19th century Shanghai county has been
surrounded by this beautiful round town wall with 10 gates!
The old stone bridges in Shanghai were accurately located by the principle of not
pointing at the door of any building, which in feng shui is considered as bringing bad
luck. There was only one exception, but soon the mistake was fixed: one of the bridges
was pointing at the town wall gate and the people started complaining that this will
invite Yin qi of the ghosts from the nearby graveyard to pass through the bridge and start
making problems. So the design of the bridge was changed and since then it is known as
the "Crooked Bridge". No demon can pass through a crooked bridge...
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012
Jade Box Records 玉匣记 and date selection in China

The Jade Box Records (Yu Xia Ji) 玉匣记 is an ancient Chinese book on date
selection, written by the famous Daoist monk Xu Xun in 3rd century.
The text provides information about the different days, which are suitable or not suitable
for doing almost everything you could imagine: most beneficial days for marriage,
starting a travel, opening a new business, etc.
Certain parts of the Jade Box Records, however, are very disturbing.
For example, the book tells which are the best days for binding the feet of the
small girls (chan zu ji ri 缠足吉日). Many Chinese women referred to the information
at the Jade Box Records to select a day for binding their daughter's feet. Foot binding
was a horrbale custom of applying tight binding to the feet of small girls to prevent
further growth, because the small feet were regarded as beautiful at that time.
It's also ridiculous/menggelikan that according to the book, the foot binding
should be done on days with Heavenly Virtue 天德 or Lunar Virtue 月德
stars . I wonder what kind of virtue is this to bind the feet?!
Another ridiculous dates are the "auspicious dates for stopping the
breastfeeding of the small child" 小儿断乳吉日, which should happen
somewhere in the 5th or 7th lunar month. It is sad to see how the date
selection dogma in China is controlling such a natural thing as the
breastfeeding. The breastfeeding is not related to this in any way. There are
no bad or good days for stopping breastfeeding, it's a natural process, which
should not be stopped artificially by date selection.

There are also such dates as: "auspicious dates for accepting the slaves" 纳奴
婢吉日 and "best days for entering the warehouse" 进仓库吉日... As you can
see, many of these are complete nonsense. Not everything in the classics is
good and reasonable.
THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012
The Yi Garden in Anyang city 安阳易园
In the recent years the Chinese cities are competing which one will build the most
extraordinary park. There is a play with traditional symbols, forms and ideas...
Let's look at the "Yi Garden" park in the center of Anyang city, Henan province.

In the middle of the park is the Yin-Yang taiji, where the Yin part is a lake and the Yang
part is made f grass. Around the taiji there are stones with the 64 hexagrams of Yi Jing
("The Book of Changes").
Anyang is known as the birthplace of Yi Jing. There are many people who do Yi Jing
divination in the city. Every year in Anyang is organized a big Yi Jing congress with
participants from all over China.
It's interesting to note that one of the main streets is 紫薇路 - "Ziwei" (suggesting the
Purple star in ancient Chinese astronomy and Ziwei astrology), and another big street is
named "Heavenly Noble" 天贵路, which has a specific meaning in Chinese metaphysics.
IDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012
The Dragon island

Liu Xi, a great poet from Tang Dynasty, once said that "any mountain can be
famous with the presence of an immortal, and any river can be holy with the
presence of a dragon" 山不在高，有仙则名；水不在深，有龙则灵.
In order to promote its new construction project, a big real estate corporation from
Liaoning province has changed this saying into: "any house can be famous with the
presence of a dragon" 房不在名，有“龙”则灵.
The idea of this new project is to build a new residential area in a dragon-like island,
which is in Jinzhou district of Dalian city in China. According to the plan, the
construction of the houses should be finished in 2012. See the map:
. It somehow reminds me of the Palm island in Dubai..Shapes, shapes, shapes... The

people like to go for shapes.

And, as a comparison, here is the "Dragon Island" - artwork by the 15-years old Irish-
Canadian artist Lee Neyrinck.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011
Wedding day selection letter from 170 years ago

Wedding day selection letter written by a divination master more than 170 years ago in
Kaifeng, China. In Qing Dynasty when the people wanted to get married it was common
that they first go to ask a bazi master to choose an auspicious date for their wedding.
After comparing the couple's dates and hours of birth, he assigned a date for the
marriage.
Here on the picture it is written that there is no clash between the two horoscopes, so the
relationship will be very successful.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011
The 28 lunar mansions and their corresponding points in

dumai meridian
Few years ago I bought a Chinese book on the interconnections between I Ching and
Chinese medicine - 《易医时间诊疗》, written by Ren Deze 任得泽 and Ming Yi 明易.
The book has some interesting ideas. It shows examples of diagnosis with Yi Jing (I
Ching); provides a detailed information on the 5 shu points of the meridians, zi wu liu
zhu and lin gui ba fa chrono-acupuncture, Zhang Jiabin's theory of I Ching medicine,
etc.
The authors of the book have composed songs for each of the 64 hexagrams and you
can learn these I Ching songs (there is also a CD with the songs).
One of the most interesting parts of this book is the idea that there is a connection
between the 28 lunar mansions and the 28 acupuncture points of Dumai meridian. One
lunar mansion corresponds to one point of the dumai meridian in the body. By checking
which lunar mansion corresponds to one's date of birth, one can find which is the
specific acupoint related to him. Then, one can press this point or apply acupuncture on
it, in order to strengthen the qi and stimulate the healing process.
After presenting this chart to my class of about 40~50 students, everyone started
pressing the specific acupoints. They all have pointed out that the place where "their"
acupoint is located is the only painful or sensibly more painful than the other acupoints
of dumai meridian. It could be simply a psychological effect, but the sensations were a
fact.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2011
He tu diagram and the M-theory

According to some Chinese authors, this old Chinese he tu ("River map") diagram in
Chinese metaphysics can serve as a symbolic representation of the modern M-theory.
It is named "Chart for calculating numbers according to the 10 positions in he
tu diagram".
In the inner triangle there are 9 white dots; in the middle triangle - 18 dots and in the
outer triangle - 27 dots.
Without the center (the 1 black dot), the total number of all dots is 54. And without
the inner triangle, the total number of the dots is 45.
The M-theory is also known as String theory. It implies 10 and more dimensions and
the mathematical formula goes like this:
SO (10) x 10 = 1 ⊕ 45 ⊕ 54
This he tu diagram was made by Li Guangdi 李光地 (1642－1718), a famous I Ching

expert, neo-confucianist and one of the most influential government officials during the
reign of emperor Kangxi in China.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011
Koreans attack the Academic star of a famous musician

While going through the pages of the last issue of Stanford magazine, I came upon an
article about the South Korean musician star Daniel Lee, also known by his stage name
Tablo. He is the frontman of premier Korean rap group Epik High and is one of the top
celebrities in Korea.
Although I am not a fan of rap and hip hop music, I found Tablo's story quite interesting.
Tablo graduated from Stanford University with both B.A. and M.A. degrees in English
and Creative Writing in just three and a half years. As a Stanford graduate myself, I know
very well that it's completely possible to obtain both of these degrees at the same time,
thanks to the flexible study program in Stanford.
However, a group of internet users in South Korea have launched a huge campaign
attacking Tablo's academic credentials. The campaign against him exploded in South
Korea in Spring, 2010 and became front-page news for several months. Many Koreans
refused to believe that Tablo obtained Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Stanford
and accused him for fraud. All this has caused Tablo and his family extreme distress.
They received numerous threat calls, all his concerts were canceled and he faced a big
challenge in his life.
Then, in August, 2010 Tablo visited Stanford University to clear himself by reprinting his
documents on camera, and the Stanford professors attested to the validity of his
academic background. Tablo filed suit against 20 of his most virulent attackers. By
October, the prosecutor in South Korea determined that Lee was who he said he was.
All the story you can read in Stanford Magazine:

http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2011/julaug/features/tablo.html
and in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablo
I checked Tablo's Chinese astrology chart and here is what I found:
Daniel Lee - Tablo

Male
Born: 22 July 1980
Hour Day Month Year
丙癸庚
Bing Gui Geng
Yang Fire Yin Water Yang Metal
申未申
Shen Wei Shen
Monkey Goat Monkey
甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸
Jia Yi Bing Ding Wu Ji Geng Xin Ren Gui
申酉戌亥子丑寅卯辰巳
Shen You Xu Hai Zi Chou Yin Mao Chen Si
5 - 14 15 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64 65 - 74 75 - 84 85 - 94 95 - 104
One of the most striking symbolic stars in Tablo's chart is Wen Chang 文昌- the star of
music, literature and academics. If the education-obsessed Korean society was aware
that Tablo is born with this lucky star, perhaps it will be able to better understand why
he got his academic degrees from Stanford. The Wen Chang star helps one much more
easily than the others to be accepted in a top university and achieve academic success. It
also facilitates the study process. Wen Chang indicates literature and music talents and
success.
We can easily see that Tablo has a weak day master - Bing Fire with 3 times Metal in the
natal chart. Last year, when he got all these problems, was the year of Metal Tiger (Geng
Yin). Thus, more Metal accumulated to reduce his Fire energy.
Besides this, the current year (Tiger) and the branches of his day & year pillars of birth
(Monkey) are in clash. This clash is very intense. Tablo's problems started in March,
when it was also the Tiger (Yin) month. So we have a double clash of Tiger (current
month and year) and 2 Monkey (from his natal chart). During such powerful clashes one
can experience turbulent/bergolak time and changes in life.
It's interesting to notice the direction of this clash in Tablo's chart: the Yin (Tiger) is
actually attacking the Shen (Monkey) branch that represents/melambangkan the Wen
Chang star. In other words, the attacks and the accusations/tuduhan were directed
toward Tablo's academic background.
Meanwhile, the Yin - Shen (Tiger-Monkey) clash also represents the Horse star (Yi
Ma). The Horse star often means movement, changes and traveling. In August, the same
year, during the month of Shen (Monkey) - when his Horse star was activated - Tablo
went to the States and visited Stanford where the professors justified in front of the
camera that he is a Stanford graduate. Here the Horse star played the necessarily role of
traveling that brings change in one's situation. And for Tablo this was a good visit with a
positive result.
UESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2011
Oscar Pistorius - the Metal Horse runner
Oscar Pistorius is a top sprint runner from South Africa. When he was 11 months old
baby, his legs where amputated. Now he is walking and racing on metal blades from the
knee down. Known as the "Blade Runner" and "the fastest man on no legs".
To me, he represents a good image of the Metal Horse - a Metal element day master
and born in a Horse day according to his Four Pillars Chinese astrology chart. Like a
horse with horseshoes/sepatu kuda!
Oscar has his own tigers, horses and dogs. That makes a triple Fire combo in Chinese
astrology. And goes well his Tiger year & Horse day of his birth.
FOUR PILLARS CHART OF OSCAR PISTORIUS

Oscar Pistorius
Male
Born: 22 November 1986 , 17:31 Timezone: 0 (Western Europ. Time)

Longitude: 0 E 0 Latitude: 0 N 0
Conception Hour Day Month Year Life
庚
乙庚己丙丁
Geng Yi Geng Ji Bing Ding

Yang Metal Yin Wood Yang Metal Yin Earth Yang Fire Yin Fire
寅
酉午亥寅酉
Yin You Wu Hai Yin You

Tiger Rooster Horse Pig Tiger Rooster
庚辛壬癸甲乙丙丁戊己
Geng Xin Ren Gui Jia Yi Bing Ding Wu Ji
子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉
Zi Chou Yin Mao Chen Si Wu Wei Shen You
4 - 13 14 - 23 24 - 33 34 - 43 44 - 53 54 - 63 64 - 73 74 - 83 84 - 93 94 - 103
chart from http://fourpillars.net
ПУБЛИКУВАНО ОТ ANNIE PECHEVA В TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2011
1 COMMENT:
1.
Laura MaldonadoMarch 4, 2013 at 7:07 AM
Annie I went to your blog, it is very good, congratulations! I saw Oscar's

chart and your comments on it. It is very interesting how the Snake this
year clashes with his Pig and damages his Tiger. Besides he has double
clash - yin water from the 2013 with the yin fire of his horse and the yang
fire of the snake with his day master. He is in a Ren Yin luck period that is
also damaged by Si. This kind of relationship between Si and Yin and Shen
has also drawn my attention cause it implies self-sabotage, and if besides
the clashes are present like in this case, then, yes, the man can go
nuts/gila, loose control, and his power can over ride/menunggangi him -
very sad......
Reply
TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2011
Wouter Weylandt and the pillars of his destiny

On May 9th the Belgian cyclist Wouter Weylandt died in serious crash during Giro
d'Itaila's stage three.
Here is his natal chart according to Chinese four pillars astrology:
Date of birth: 27.09.1984

Year: Wood Rat (Jia Zi)
Month: Water Rooster (Gui You)
Day: Wood Rat (Jia Zi)
Hour: ?
Current 10-year cycle: Fire Rat (Bing Zi) - 23-33
And here are the four pillars of his death:
Year: Metal Rabbit (Xin Mao)

Month: Water Snake (Gui Si)
Day: Wood Rat (Jia Zi)
Hour: Water Rooster (Gui You)
We can notice the repetition of pillars in his month and day of birth + the day and hour
of death:
In Four Pillars Astrology there is a symbolic star/shen sha "Confrontation with
Heaven". Its meaning is short life or vulnerability/rentan to more dangers in one's life.
This star can also happen in the horoscopes of enlightened/tercerahkan people.
Here is the calculation of Confrontation with Heaven star, which happens only
when there is a certain repetition/pengulangan of pillars in the natal chart/di pilar:
 Jia Zi (Wood Rat)

 Jia Xu (Wood Dog)
 Yi You (Wood Rooster)
 Bing Shen (Fire Monkey)
 Ding Wei (Fire Goat)
 Wu Wu (Earth Horse)
 Ji Si (Earth Snake)
 Geng Chen (Metal Dragon)
 Xin Chou (Metal Ox)
 Ren Yin (Water Tiger)
 Ren Zi (Water Rat)
 Gui Hai (Water Pig)
In the case of Wouter Weylandt we see repetition of Jia Zi (Wood Rat) in his year and
day pillars.
No matter how long or short life may be, naturally we all want to make the best of it.
Wouter Weylandt lost his life in the pursuit/mengejar of his passion/kegemarannya.
DJ Ötzi - Eine stern in the Austrian music

While watching the New Year concerts on the German tv, it was not a surprise to see DJ
Ötzi appearing live consequently on the shows of two tv channels. DJ Ötzi is one of the
most famous pop singers in the German-speaking part of the world. His song "Eine
stern...der deinen Namen trägt" ("One star...which bears your name") in 2007 became a
number one hit in Austria and Germany. Everybody knows and can sing this song.
Let's see DJ Ötzi's Four Pillars chart in Chinese astrology:
Born: 7 January 1971
Hour: ?
Day: Ren Chen (Yang Water Dragon)
Month: Ji Chou (Yin Earth Ox)
Year: Geng Xu (Yang Metal Dog)
10 Y Luck (16/5/1980)
Age 9 - 18 : Geng Yin (Yang Metal Tiger)
Age 19 - 28 : Xin Mao (Yin Metal Rabbit)
Age 29 - 38 : Ren Chen (Yang Water Dragon)
Age 39 - 48 : Gui Si (Yin Water Snake)
Age 49 - 58 : Jia Wu (Yang Wood Horse)
His 10-year luck cycle of the age 29 - 38 is Water Dragon (Ren Chen), which is exactly
the same as his day pillar.fu yin/ In Chinese astrology there is a principle that when the
signs of a 10-year cycle are the same with one of the four pillars in the natal chart, then
this is a very special period in one's life. It brings very intense energy and always it's one
of the most important and special periods in life. This kind of pillar dublication in the
horoscope suggest extremely powerful period, which can destroy or favor/memberkati
one's life to a certainly high degree.
In the case of DJ Ötzi, the pillar duplication brought him success and fame. His first
album was released in 2000 and immediately peaked some of the highest chart-positions
in Europe. Since the start of this special 10-year cycle, DJ Ötzi enjoys success after
success and has become one of the big stars of Austrian music.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2010
Coordination between Water and Fire 水火既济 in Four

Pillars Astrology
InFour Pillars astrology, the presence of lots of Fire and
Water elements in the horoscope often is considered to
suggest heavy disease, and sometimes even cancer. In Chinese
astrology this kind of clash between Fire and Water is called
"War between Water and Fire" (shui huo xiang zhan) 水火
相战 . /perang antara air dan api
If one has a weak Fire and too much Water in the chart, then
the Water will extinct/memadamkan the Fire. If the water is
weak and the Fire is too strong in the chart, then the Fire will
self-burn and cause different problems.
A balance between Water and Fire is needed in order to

achieve a harmony in the chart. In TCM and Chinese
astrology this is called: "Coordination between Water and
Fire" (shui huo ji ji) 水火既济.
How to achieve this coordination? In respect of Chinese

astrology, the Wood element is needed to smooth and
coordinate the relations between Water and Fire. In this way,
it is achieved a good flow of energy among the elements
(from the cycle of mutual creation of the five
elements): Water - Wood - Fire.
In a case that there is no Wood in the horoscope, then the

Wood element could be supplemented/dilengkapi by the
means of Feng Shui or through other ways - increasing the
presence of green color in the house, adding some green
plants, eating more food and herbs, which can supplement the
Wood element and balance the energy of Fire (Heart) and
Water (Kidneys). No wonder that green herbs like dandelion,
plantain and purslane have been proven to possess anti-cancer
properties.
MONDAY, MAY 31, 2010
A banquet held once in 60 years

In Xiaolan town, Guangzhou province, China, there is a very special tradition - to host
a Chrysanthemum Banquet only in the year of the Wood Dog. The Wood Dog
Year (Jia Xu 甲戌) happens once in 60 years, so you can imagine what a rare event it is!

The tradition of the Chrysanthemum Banquet started in 1814 (year of Wood Dog),
during the reign of emperor Jia Qing. Xiaolan town is famous for the cultivation of
chrysanthemum flowers. In 1814 several local chrysanthemum societies joined together
and in order to celebrate the event they organized a big chrysanthemum festival with a
banquet of various chrysanthemum dishes. The Chrysanthemum Banquet was held again
in 1874, 1934 and 1994 - four times altogether.
THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2010
The Eight Trigram Field in Hangzhou

The Eight Trigram Field is located in the beautiful Chinese city of Hangzhou. It is
maintained since Song dynasty, which means already about 1000 years.
In this field, different crops (soy, mung beans, aubergines...) are planted at the
corresponding directions of the eight trigrams.
ПУБЛИКУВАНО ОТ ANNIE PECHEVA В THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2010
WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2010
Astronomic explanation of stem & branches theory
What is the astronomic explanation of the stem & branch theory?
This question has been in my mind for long time... There are different sayings about it.
Some say that the stems and branches are the vertical and horizontal segments of
Heaven, the place between North celestial pole and South celestial pole. And some
people suggest that the stem & branches theory is very deep. It's so deep, that cannot be
explained (like Dao), as it surpasses the information not only in time, but also in space
and it goes beyond the knowledge of contemporary astronomy and science.
Liang Juchao 梁启超（1873—1929）points out that the 22 characters of the heavenly

stems and earthly branches have many similarities with the 22 letters of the Phoenician
alphabet.
According to Guo Moruo 郭沫若（1892—1978), the theory originates from Babylon and
was later applied in China.
Danny Van den Berghe also gives a good explanation of the arrangement of the stems
and branches on the world map. It is very helpful and you can see it here:
http://www.fourpillars.net/pdf/world.pdf
ПУБЛИКУВАНО ОТ ANNIE PECHEVA В WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2010
MONDAY, MAY 24, 2010
Triple Tigers in Chinese astrology

Julia Butterfly Hill is famous for her actions to protect nature. She has a very
interesting horoscope, which corresponds to her interesting life. To me, the most
striking/embentur feature in her horoscope is the presence of the triple Tiger branch.
She is a real tigress!/macan
Born: 18 February 1974
Day: Geng Yin (Yang Metal Tiger)

Month: Bing Yin (Yang Fire Tiger)
Year: Jia Yin (Yang Wood Tiger)
As Julia is born in the year of Wood Tiger (Jia Yin), I would call her the "Green Tigress".
She reminds me of the chart of Tang Yin 唐寅 - a famous Chinese painter, poet and
scholar from Ming Dynasty in China. You can read more about him in
wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Yin
Tang Yin was born in the year of Metal Tiger, the month of the Tiger, the day of the
Tiger and the hour of the Tiger... 4 times Yin (Tiger) branch in his natal chart! That's why
his name is Yin - Tiger. And he is better known by his courtesy name Tang Bohu 唐伯虎,
in which Bohu literally means "White Tiger", corresponding to his year pillar of birth -
Geng Yin (Metal Tiger, or white tiger) .
So, if Tang Bohu is the White Tiger, then Julia Butterfly Hill is the Green Tigress.
ПУБЛИКУВАНО ОТ ANNIE PECHEVA В MONDAY, MAY 24, 2010
FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010
The divination appears itself

心不动卜自来
If the heart/mind is not disturbed, the divination appears itself.

The Progress star of Hannu Manninen
Hannu Manninen is a famous nordic combined athlete from Finland.
While watching nordic combined event on Eurosport last year, the sports commentators
often mentioned his name - "Hannu Manninen... Hannu Manninen..." and to me it
sounded like "Hanuman" - one of the most popular gods in the Hindu pantheon, a
noble hero and great devotee of Lord Rama.
Hannu Manninen's date of birth is 17 April 1978. According to Chinese astrology, he is

born in the day of Earth Rooster (ji you 己酉) and he has the rare symbolic
star Progress star/apa itu di shen sha?. For people born in the day of Earth Rooster
the Progress star shows big progress in work - they may start from an ordinary level and
often unnoticeably for the others they make fast and big progress, which leads to great
success in the end.
The nordic combined sport consists of two parts - ski jumping and cross-country skiing.
It's interesting to see how the Progress star works nicely for Hannu Manninen: in the
first part, during the ski jumping, his results are not the best ones, but later, during the
cross-country skiing, he quickly comes from behind and often finishes first. That's the
Progress star in action.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2009
Feng Shui Humor

There was a person who trusted feng shui so much that before doing anything he first
asked a feng shui master for consultation. One day, as he was sitting, a wall collapsed
above him and he was pressed by it. He anxiously started to shout "Help! Help!" . When
his relatives saw him, they said: "Don't worry, be patient, we will now go to the feng shui
master to ask whether today is an auspicious day for ground braking."
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2009
Ox turns Heaven and Earth 牛转乾坤
As this is the year of Ox, a new expression appeared in the Chinese websites in the
beginning of the year:
"Ox turns Heaven and Earth" - "Niu zhuan qian kun" 牛转乾坤.
This sentence is a word play. It comes from the Chinese idiom: "Niu zhuan qian kun" 扭
转乾坤, which means "to bring about a radical change in the situation; reverse a bad
situation or unfavorable condition to one’s advantage". This phrase is also translated as
“to turn the tables”, because it derived from the ancient Chinese games. The player that
is in a disadvantaged and weak position, turns the situation around and wins the game.
So, now in Chinese there are many wishes such as: "Wish you good luck and let the ox
turn the Heaven and Earth!", "Ox turns the universe", etc. ;-)
This shows the hope of people for better changes and better times.
ПУБЛИКУВАНО ОТ ANNIE PECHEVA В FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2009
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2009
Emperor Yongzhen and Astrology
Emperor Yongzhen 雍正 (13.12.1678 – 8.10.1735) from Qing Dynasty in China had a

great passion in Four Pillars Chinese Astrology and I Ching divination.
He often checked the Four Pillars astrology chart of his officials and generals, analyzed
what is the of situation of their individual 10-year cycles, what was the strength of their
day master/personality. When his high officials were sick, the emperor did some
calculations to see how will their diseases develop, etc. He did all calculations and
horoscopes by himself.
When this emperor had to decide the appointment of new officials and generals to go for
important work at the boundaries of the country or do some other special mission, he
first checked not their merits/pahala, experience or level of knowledge, but their Ba Zi 八
字 (the Four Pillars): whether their four pillars chart is suitable for this kind of job, is
there a clash or combination of the branches between their chart and the geographical
direction of the mission; are there signs in their charts of turning against the emperor; is
there a combination and good harmony aspects between the his own horoscope chart
and that of the officials.
Emperor Yong Zhen in a Taoist
attire/mengenakan pakaian
Annie Pecheva
Hanlin Academy
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2009
Yarrow stalks and I Ching divination
There are legends about Fuxi, who in the beginning used turtles (according to some
stories, it must have been a sacred white turtle) for I Ching divination. So, in the end of
Shang Dynasty in China it was quite popular to use turtle shells for divination. Many
people killed the turtles in a very cruel way, for divination purposes. While the turtle was
still alive, the diviners pressed it above with a heavy stone, then they heated the turtle
from its tail in order to let her leave the shell. The heat caused some cracks on the shell
and the newly formed cracks and signs were interpreted (according to the direction of
the cracks, etc.).
In the next dynasty, Zhou dynasty, the people started replacing turtle shells for yarrow
stalks for I Ching divination. So this was a change for better, more humane way of
divination. The ancient people regarded the yarrow/tanaman bunga putih as a
supernatural herb, which can live for thousands of years. There are many records in the
ancient books about this. For example, in the treatise /risalah“Wan Xing Jing” 《万行
经》, it is said:
“The yarrow lives for thousand of years. When it is 100 years, it has 49 stems, which
completely corresponds to the numbers of Heaven and Earth.
When the yarrow achieves 500 years, it gradually starts to dry and solidify/keras.
When it achieves 700 years, it is without branches and leaves.
When the yarrow achieves 900 years, its color is purple as iron.
At the age of 1000 years, it attains a purple energy and below it there concedes/diakui a
sacred turtle”.
In another book, Xuan Yuan Mu Jing 《轩辕木经》, it is said:

“Under the purple yarrow, there are five dragons hiding. It has a naturally born
sensitivity. If gathered by the sages and 49 sticks are used, thus applying the numbers of
Heaven and Earth, it [connects to] all origins [of things]”.
Mentioning the numbers of Heaven and Earth, usually in yarrow divination there are
used 49 or 50 sticks. However, there was a Taoist who told me that 55 sticks of yarrow
should be used in the initial stage of the I Ching divination ritual. The Heaven numbers
(1+3+5+7+9) + the Earth numbers (2+4+6+8+10) = 55. From these 55 sticks you get
aside 6 sticks (as a part of the ritual). Those 6 stalks of yarrow represent the person (as
part of the connections Heaven-Man-Earth).
If the yarrow grows in spiritual and mountainous places, full of energy, then this yarrow
is regarded of best quality. If it grows next to the road or on a common field, it has lesser
properties.
In Records on the Yarrow Platform 《蓍草台记》, written by Yang Xun of Ming

Dynasty, it is written "the head (the stalk) of the yarrow is as strong as a dragon; its tail
(flowers) is like the wings of the phoenix”. This book actually describes a place in Henan
province, where there is a famous Yarrow Garden with a platform of the eight
trigrams. According to the legends, there live a rare species of white turtles…
ПУБЛИКУВАНО ОТ ANNIE PECHEVA В THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2009
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009
The Eight Trigrams Town

In the city of Tekesi, located in Xinjiang, the Uyghur autonomous region in the Western
part of China, there is a Eight Trigrams town 八卦城.
According to some scholars, its construction started 800 years ago, when the famous
taoist monk Qiu Chuji met with Genghis Khan. It was renovated in 1939 and is
promoted as the "biggest Eight Trigrams city in the world". It is completely built on the
principles of I Ching and fengshui.
In the middle of the town is the Yin Yang park. There are 8 main streets, which divide
the eight sides of the Bagua. Each street is 1.2 km long.Within the first ring road, there
are 8 streets;within the 2nd ring road - 16 streets;within the 3rd ring road - 32
streets;within the 4rd ring road - 64 streets.
No traffic lights in this city. They say that there is no need for traffic lights...
According to one Chinese travel site, "Tekesi Eight Trigram County is famous for its
radial circle layout which looks like a labyrinth. It is the biggest and the most well
preserved/cagar budaya eight trigram county in the world. And also it is a place where
the I ching culture is widely known. There is a strange thing in this county. That is no
traffic lights can be seen here. No matter which direction you choose to head for , you
can reach your destinations at last because the roads are closely linked to each other".
The town is enlisted/terdaftar in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest Bagua city
in the World.
You can see the town in Google Earth - 43° 13' 5.62" N 81° 49' 56.91" E
Here are more photos from this unique place:
The "Kun trigram" street

Swine/babi flu and Chinese medical astrology
The current swine flu outbreak can be explained with the theory of 5 periods and 6
energies in Chinese metaphysics.
According to the theory of 5 periods and 6 energies 五運六氣, the year of Earth Ox

(ji chou) is characterized with more humidity/lembab and cold patterns in the weather.
The first half of the year is more windy and humid, while the second half of the year is
expected to be a little bit colder than usually.
The year is divided into 6 energy phases with specific domination of the elements in the
“main energy” 主气 and ‘’guest energy” 客气 (this is related to the 24 solar seasons):
Period 1: January 21st – March 21st – wood (main qi) + wood (guest/tamu qi)
Period 2: March 21st – May 21st – fire (main qi) + fire (guest qi)
Period 3: May 21st – July 23rd – fire (main qi) + earth (guest qi)
Period 4: July 23rd – September 23rd – earth (main qi) + fire (guest qi)
Period 5: September 23rd – November 23rd – metal (main qi) + metal (guest qi)
Period 6: November 23rd – January 21st (2010) – water (main qi) + water (guest qi)
As a whole, the guest qi is distributed very well in 2009 and the weather is normal.
However, starting from the Spring Equinox (when Period 2 begins), the weather is
dominated by Fire (君火), which is seen both in the main energy and in the guest energy.
The two Fire patterns stimulate each other and initiate “great fire”. This fire is combined
with the humid climate tendency in the first half of the year. So, during this time (Period
2) febrile diseases and epidemics easily spread out. In this way, the cause of the epidemic
is due to pathogenic phlegm/dahak and heat entering the body. This leads to
accumulation of turbid energy 浊气. The viruses quickly spread out during the time of
pathogenic phlegm and heat.
The cure: herbs and foods that expel/mengeluarkan Phlegm-Heat from the body.
For example – honeysuckle flowers - Lonicera Japonica (金银花), Isatis root - ban lan
gen (板蓝根), dandelion (蒲公英), mung beans (绿豆), rice vinegar.
Annie Pecheva
FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013
"Moxibustion is your happiness"
《お福御灸図》
This Japanese painting from 18th century is named "Moxibustion is your happiness" and
shows moxa treatment for hemorrhoids.The moxibustion has anti-inflammatory and
detoxifying actions and is traditionally used in China and Japan for curing different
diseases, including hemorrhoids.
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2013
"Picking wormwood, if one day not seeing it is like three

years"
“彼采艾兮，一日不见，如三岁兮.”
- 《诗经·王风·采葛》
"Picking wormwood, if one day not seeing it is like three years".
- from Book of Songs (chapter "Wang Feng. Picking kudzu")
This shows how important was the use of wormwood in ancient China.
The sentence has become a Chinese idiom and means something, which you like and
miss a lot.
一日三岁 yī rì sān suì "One day is like three years".
SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2014
Chanterelle mushrooms and Yunnan medicine
The chanterelle is a nice forest mushroom with pleasant taste and nourishing qualities.
However, according to Dian Nan Ben Cao ("Yunnan Materia Medica") 《滇南本草》,
written by Lan Mao 兰茂 in 1436, the chanterelle has damp properties and that's why it is
important to be cooked with ginger to counteract the dampness.
I found this citation from Dian Nan Ben Cao worth noting:
"The common people mostly boil [chanterelle] with garlic, thinking that if there is a
poison, the garlic will turn black; they don't know that if there is a poison in the
mushroom, the garlic not necessarily will blacken. But when ginger encounters the
poison, it will surely turn black".
"世人多以大蒜同煮，以为有毒蒜黑，不知蒜见毒未必即黑，姜见毒则必黑。” 《滇南本
草》
jamur chanterelle
SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2012
Points opening and chrono-acupuncture (zi wu liu zhu)
Chrono-acupuncture (zi wu liu zhu 子午流注) is an ancient method in Chinese

medicine, by which the Five Shu Points and the Source Yuan Points are selected
according to the date and hour of Chinese calendar. Its theoretical basis can be traced
back two thousand years ago in “Huang Di Nei Jing”. Subsequently, many famous
physicians, such as Bian Que, Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, Dou Hanqing and others, have
contributed for the development of chrono-acupuncture.
The theory of chrono-acupuncture is used also by some tuina massage and qigong
specialists. They stimulate the opening point at the certain hour of the day either
manually or by slightly concentrating the mind at the point location.
In fact, even without the use of acupuncture or acupressure, the points naturally activate
at the specific hours and days. This is a periodical rhythm of qi in the body, which has
been proved in many experiments done by qigong practitioners and in clinical studies in
China.
Few years ago I have tried it myself. And it works! Just relax and feel how the energy in
the body is working nicely in cycles, opening the points in the meridians and balancing
the body. Of course, additional stimulation with acupuncture will be beneficial as well.
Here below are tables for point opening at the different days (according to the heavenly
stems of the day in Chinese calendar):
JIA (Yang Wood) day
hour opening point

Zi - Rat (23:00 - 1:00)
Chou - Ox (1:00 – 3:00) xing jian LR2
Yin - Tiger (3:00 – 5:00)
Mao - Rabbit (5:00 – 7:00) shen men HT7
tai yuan LU9
da ling PC7
Chen - Dragon (7:00 – 9:00)
Si - Snake (9:00 – 11:00) shang qiu SP5
Wu - Horse (11:00 – 13:00)
Wei - Goat (13:00 – 15:00) chi ze LU5
Shen - Monkey (15:00 – 17:00)
You - Rooster (17:00 – 19:00) zhong chong PC9
Xu - Dog (19:00 – 21:00) qiao yin GB44
Hai - Pig (21:00 – 23:00)
YI (Yin Wood) day
hour opening point

Zi - Rat (23:00 - 1:00) qian gu SI2
Chou - Ox (1:00 – 3:00)
Yin - Tiger (3:00 – 5:00) xian gu ST43
qiu xu GB40
Mao - Rabbit (5:00 – 7:00)
Chen - Dragon (7:00 – 9:00) yang xi LI5
Si - Snake (9:00 – 11:00)
Wu - Horse (11:00 – 13:00) wei zhong UB40
Wei - Goat (13:00 – 15:00)
Shen - Monkey (15:00 – 17:00) ye men SJ2
You - Rooster (17:00 – 19:00) da dun LV1
Xu - Dog (19:00 – 21:00)
Hai - Pig (21:00 – 23:00) shao fu HT8
BING (Yang Fire) day
hour opening point

Zi - Rat (23:00 - 1:00)
Chou - Ox (1:00 – 3:00) tai bai SP3
tai chong LV3
Yin - Tiger (3:00 – 5:00)
Mao - Rabbit (5:00 – 7:00) jing qu LU8
Chen - Dragon (7:00 – 9:00)
Si - Snake (9:00 – 11:00) yin gu KI10
Wu - Horse (11:00 – 13:00)
Wei - Goat (13:00 – 15:00) lao gong PC8
Shen - Monkey (15:00 – 17:00) shao ze SI1
You - Rooster (17:00 – 19:00)
Xu - Dog (19:00 – 21:00) nei ting ST44
Hai - Pig (21:00 – 23:00)
DING (Yin Fire) day
hour opening point

Zi - Rat (23:00 - 1:00) san jian LI3
wang gu SI4
Chou - Ox (1:00 – 3:00)
Yin - Tiger (3:00 – 5:00) kun lun BL60
Mao - Rabbit (5:00 – 7:00)
Chen - Dragon (7:00 – 9:00) yang ling quan GB34
Si - Snake (9:00 – 11:00)
Wu - Horse (11:00 – 13:00) zhong zhu SJ3
Wei - Goat (13:00 – 15:00) shao chong H9
Shen - Monkey (15:00 – 17:00)
You - Rooster (17:00 – 19:00) da du SP2
Xu - Dog (19:00 – 21:00)
Hai - Pig (21:00 – 23:00) tai yuan LU9
shen men HT7
WU (Yang Earth) day

hour opening point
Zi - Rat (23:00 - 1:00)
Chou - Ox (1:00 – 3:00) fu liu KI7
Yin - Tiger (3:00 – 5:00)
Mao - Rabbit (5:00 – 7:00) qu quan LV8
Chen - Dragon (7:00 – 9:00)
Si - Snake (9:00 – 11:00) da ling PC7
Wu - Horse (11:00 – 13:00) li dui ST45
Wei - Goat (13:00 – 15:00)
Shen - Monkey (15:00 – 17:00) er jian LI2
You - Rooster (17:00 – 19:00)
Xu - Dog (19:00 – 21:00) shu gu BL65
chong yang ST42
Hai - Pig (21:00 – 23:00)
JI (Yin Earth) day
hour opening point

Zi - Rat (23:00 - 1:00) yang fu GB38
Chou - Ox (1:00 – 3:00)
Yin - Tiger (3:00 – 5:00) xiao hai SI8
Mao - Rabbit (5:00 – 7:00)
Chen - Dragon (7:00 – 9:00) zhi gou SJ6
Si - Snake (9:00 – 11:00) yin bai SP1
Wu - Horse (11:00 – 13:00)
Wei - Goat (13:00 – 15:00) yu ji LU10
Shen - Monkey (15:00 – 17:00)
You - Rooster (17:00 – 19:00) tai xi KI3
tai bai SP3
Xu - Dog (19:00 – 21:00)
Hai - Pig (21:00 – 23:00) zhong feng LV4
GENG (Yang Metal) day
hour opening point

Zi - Rat (23:00 – 1:00)
Chou - Ox (1:00 – 3:00) shao hai HT3
Yin - Tiger (3:00 – 5:00)
Mao - Rabbit (5:00 – 7:00) jian shi PC5
Chen - Dragon (7:00 – 9:00) shang yang LI1
Si - Snake (9:00 – 11:00)
Wu - Horse (11:00 – 13:00) tong gu BL66
Wei - Goat (13:00 – 15:00)
Shen - Monkey (15:00 – 17:00) ling qi GB41
he gu LI4
You - Rooster (17:00 – 19:00)
Xu - Dog (19:00 – 21:00) yang gu SI5
Hai - Pig (21:00 – 23:00)
XIN (Yin Metal) day
hour opening point

Zi - Rat (23:00 – 1:00) zu san li ST36
Chou - Ox (1:00 – 3:00)
Yin - Tiger (3:00 – 5:00) tian jing SJ10
Mao - Rabbit (5:00 – 7:00) shao shan LU11
Chen - Dragon (7:00 – 9:00)
Si - Snake (9:00 – 11:00) ran gu KI2
Wu - Horse (11:00 – 13:00)
Wei - Goat (13:00 – 15:00) tai chong L3
tai yuan LU9
Shen - Monkey (15:00 – 17:00)
You - Rooster (17:00 – 19:00) lin dao HT4
Xu - Dog (19:00 – 21:00)
Hai - Pig (21:00 – 23:00) yin ling quan SP9
REN (Yang Water) day
hour opening point

Zi - Rat (23:00 - 1:00)
Chou - Ox (1:00 – 3:00) qu ze PC3
Yin - Tiger (3:00 – 5:00) zhi yin BL67
Mao - Rabbit (5:00 – 7:00)
Chen - Dragon (7:00 – 9:00) xia xi GB43
Si - Snake (9:00 – 11:00)
Wu - Horse (11:00 – 13:00) hou xi SI3
jing gu BL64
yang chi SJ4
Wei - Goat (13:00 – 15:00)
Shen - Monkey (15:00 – 17:00) jie xi ST41
You - Rooster (17:00 – 19:00)
Xu - Dog (19:00 – 21:00) qu chi LI11
Hai - Pig (21:00 – 23:00)
GUI (Yin Water) day

hour opening point
Zi - Rat (23:00 - 1:00) guan chong SJ1
Chou - Ox (1:00 – 3:00)
Yin - Tiger (3:00 – 5:00)
Mao - Rabbit (5:00 – 7:00)
Chen - Dragon (7:00 – 9:00)
Si - Snake (9:00 – 11:00)
Wu - Horse (11:00 – 13:00)
Wei - Goat (13:00 – 15:00)
Shen - Monkey (15:00 – 17:00)
You - Rooster (17:00 – 19:00)
Xu - Dog (19:00 – 21:00)
Hai - Pig (21:00 – 23:00) yong quan KI1
ПУБЛИКУВАНО ОТ ANNIE PECHEVA В SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2012
7 COMMENTS:
1.
‫גדעון רון‬November 28, 2013 at 7:23 AM
Hello Annie,
How can I figure out the Openning Point on Friday 19th April 2019 at
10:00 a.m ?
Thanks in advance
yours
Ron
Reply
Replies
1.
Annie PechevaDecember 4, 2013 at 10:21 PM

Hi Ron,
First you go to
http://www.fourpillars.net/online4p.php
and find the stem of the day.
For April 19th, 2019 it is Bing (Yang Fire) stem of the day.
Then you look in my article above for Bing day, 10:00 am - the
opening point is yin gu KI10.
Reply
2.
UnknownJuly 29, 2014 at 8:52 AM
Hi Annie,
Thank you for this wonderful article!

I was wondering if you knew why most of these active points lie on the
extremities - elbow to fingertip & knee to toetip. Are the other points not
activated in a similar manner?
Much appreciated,
Ian
Reply
3.
Gui LinOctober 30, 2014 at 10:34 PM
Hello Annie,
Thank you for the wonderful information.

I found a great FREE Android App "Chrono-Acupuncture" which can
figure out the Openning Point by some simple selections.
Folling is the introduction and down link(Google PlayStore).
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?
id=com.dnrstudio.zhiwulinggui
Reply
4.
Annie PechevaNovember 30, 2014 at 3:06 PM

Thank you, Gui Lin!
Reply
5.
Annie PechevaNovember 30, 2014 at 3:10 PM

Ian, yes, all points activate at certain periods of time. Thank you for your
insight!
Reply
6.
FisioPilatesSeptember 24, 2015 at 5:16 AM
Why points yin open in days yang? and points yang open in days yin? This
is contrary the rules?
Reply
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2014
The ice bucket challenge is not a healthy way to promote ALS

awareness
The internet these days is full with ice bucket challenge videos to promote ALS
(Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) disease awareness and encourage donations for research.
However, dumping a bucket with ice water on one's head is never a good idea.
According to the principles of Chinese medicine, the Yang energy of the whole body
gathers in the head. If we dump/melimpahkan ice water on the head, this may influence
the flow of qi in the body and the normal functions of the inner organs and systems.
Especially now, during the hot days of the Summer, when the Yang qi is very active on
the surface of the body, the cold ice on the head could have a damaging effect on
health. /jgn sekali2 minum es pd waktu hari terik panas berbahaya
In Chinese medicine, ALS is related to extreme weakness of Yang qi in the heart (心阳极
虛), spleen deficiency and excess of cold in the body. Of course, treatment will vary on
every individual situation. Acupuncture, moxibustion, proper diet and herbs will be
beneficial. Soaking/merendam feet in a basin with warm water will be helpful too. So
better warm up your feet than dump icy water on your head.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2013
Searching for the lost spirit of Chinese medicine

Searching for the Lost Original Spirit of Chinese Medicine 《寻回中医失落的元
神》 by Pan Yi 潘毅 is a new book, which I found during my recent visit in Beijing.
The book is in Chinese and has two parts: the first one is on Yi Jing 易经 and Dao 道, and
the second part - on symbols and phenomena 象 related to the concepts in Chinese
medicine.
Pan Yi is a professor at the University of Chinese Medicine in Guangzhou. When in the

1990s he started teaching Chinese medicine classes to his students, he wanted to add
more content beyond the textbooks, so he started reading Yi Jing (the Book of Changes)
and other classics, and then found that the standardized content in the textbooks is very
shallow and have lost the original way (Dao 道) and spirit of Chinese medicine. The
current textbooks are serving to accomodate the technical approach to modern science
and make it easy for the students to pass the exams, however they don't reach the level of
effective depth that is inherent to the classical Chinese medicine.
In this book Pan Yi has made a thorough study of how the Yi Jing hexagrams and the
principles of the five elements integrate with Chinese medicine, i.e. the characteristics of
the inner organs, the properties of herbs, the making of herbal formulas and many other
related topics, using examples and quotations from different classics.
I highly recommend Searching for the Lost Original Spirit of Chinese

Medicine to all who are interested in the topics of Chinese medicine and Yi Jing.
Here is a link to the author's blog with the table of contents of the book in Chinese:
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_9617bd9e0101ahdj.html
TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2014
A nice example of chrono-moxibustion
Chrono-moxibustion is part of chronomedicine - treatment based on the body clock

and natural cycles. If we understand the biological rhythms and apply the best time of
points opening in the body, then the treatment will be even more effective.
A good example of chrono-moxibustion can be found in Golden Mirror of Orthodox

Medicine 医宗金鉴 (Yi Zong Jin Jian) - a 90-volume medical book compiled in 1724 by
Wu Qian. It includes a special method for treating tuberculosis with moxa:
"For tuberculosis do moxa on gui yan "ghost eye" (yin bai SP1) points. Mark with black
ink the yao yan "waist eyes" points. Use moxa [at yao yan points] in hai hour of gui
hai day. It will be most effective if you don't let the person know about it."
鬼眼一穴灸癆蟲。黑點病人腰眼中。擇用癸亥亥時灸。勿令人知法最靈。
Here the idea is to use moxa on gui hai day (happening once in two months), at hai
hour, which is in the evening, 9:00 - 11:00 pm. Gui hai is the last day of the hexegenary
cycle and hai hour is the last double-hour of the day. According to chrono-acupuncture
and chrono-qigong therapy, this is the exact time when the qi in the kidney meridian is
naturally activated. Kidney corresponds to Water element, and gui hai hour of gui
hai day also represents Water (gui and hai both are Water elements). At this specific
time the qi is concentrated at yong quan point, the first point of the Kidney
meridian. Yong Quan 涌泉 means 'bubbling spring'. It acts like a gushing pure water that
stimulates the healing qi from the feet to go upward to the kidney area, where the yao
yan 腰眼 points are located.
It's fascinating to see that the text in Golden Mirror of Orthodox Medicine points out
the subtle connections between the spirits in the body and the treatment process.The
patient shoud stay unaware of the treatment method, so not to let the san hu 三户 spirits
in the body disturb the healing process. Gui hai hour of gui hai day is the moment when
the 6 spirits of the inner organs (the spirits of heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen and gall
bladder) 六神 are all gathered in the body and thus using moxibustion at this time will be
beneficial for the whole body.
the yao yan "waist eyes" points
SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2009
On green tea...
Li Rihua, famous scholar from Ming Dynasty in China, sugests:
„One needs to clear a room in his house and put there only a tea table, a
chair, a little bit boiling water and a fragrant tea. And then, to sit there alone
and let the spirit be calm, light and natural”.
SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2009
A happy child in Cambodia
a happy child in Cambodia, originally uploaded by Annie Pecheva.

In Cambodia many children sell souvenirs in Angkor Vat. This child was not selling
anything, just enjoying the life. Happy and carefree... When he saw our group passing by,
he joyfully said "Hello! Hi! Welcome to Cambodia!"
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2009
Hall full with gold and jade 金玉满堂

In Chapter 9 of "Dao De Jing" Lao Zi says:
"When gold and jade fill the hall,

nobody can keep them safe. "
However, one of the most used traditional wishes in China is namely to have "a hall full
with gold and jade"...
金玉满堂 (jīn yù mǎn táng)

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2009
Old man moving objects with energy
Today a friend sent me an interesting video about a Chinese man who can move objects
from a distance. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwnF_3ovmaw
The man is called Qiu Fuyi and he is from Sichuan province, China. 84-years old. He
states that he uses his inner energy and emits it to different object. As he says himself, he
is not a saint, but simply all his abilities are due to his inner strength and energy and
thanks to the many years of practice.
I searched in the Chinese google and found out that all he does is a trick. Journalists
from the Chinese tv channel CCTV-10 has visited him to repeat his demonstration. In
fact, all the miracles with moving and breaking of the objects are due to the special table.
Within the table, there is a special mechanism, which can shake and move the objects.
Inside the red towel there are 2 small metals that can break the glass under the
vibrations of the table. When the journalists used another, normal towel, the trick did
not work out... And the moving of the water is made possible due to the magnets put in
the bowl and under the table. So, when the journalists used a different bowl with water,
the trick didn't happen.
That's how it goes! There are genuine masters, but also fake ones. And this should not
disappoint the practitioners of qigong and other methods of energy cultivation. The
moving and transformation of objects with energy is a proven fact. The genuine and
serious qigong and yoga masters do posses all kinds of energy abilities and there is
nothing wondrous in it.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2009
Frankincense incence may cause abortion/keguguran
In the past in China, frankincense/kemenyan is know to cause abortion and it is avoided

during pregnancy. I remember there was a Chinese tv serial about Shunzhi Emperor 順
治 (the second emperor of the Manchurian Qing dynasty in China). In the movie, one of
the emperor's wives gave frankincense sticks as a present to another of his wives, who
was pregnant, with the hidden purpose to initiate abortion...
And here is a website, which also states to avoid frankincense during pregnancy:
http://www.1001herbs.com/frankincense/
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2009
To know the order of Nature...
"To know the order of Nature and regard the universe as orderly is the
highest function of the mind".
-- Baruch Spinoza, Dutch philosopher
ПУБЛИКУВАНО ОТ ANNIE PECHEVA В FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2009
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009
Yin Yang crop circle
Whoever has made this Yin Yang crop circle on 07.07.2007 in Stantonbury Hill, N.
Somerset, UK, probably knows Chinese:
the 12 ornaments around the Yin-Yang monad resemble the Chinese character 丰 feng,
which means "abundance".
Is this a wish for abundant harvest?
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2009

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2015
Mystic, Shaman, Oracle, Priest (MYSHOP) - a book review
A joint review with the Chinese medicine scholar & friend Dr. Phil

Garrison
about Dr. Michael Saso's newly released book
Mystic, Shaman, Oracle, Priest (MYSHOP)
Pecheva: Based on many years of in-depth study and profound/dalam experience of

several different spiritual traditions, the new book by Professor Michael Saso, Mystic,
Shaman, Oracle, Priest (MYSHOP), provides many high-level insights and
discloses/menyingkap some rare details about the spiritual practices described therein. It
is written sincerely/sungguh2, in a unique multi-layered style, with many interesting
personal anecdotes interspersed/diselingi between the various spiritual teachings.
Yamada Eitai Sama offering the Goma (Agni-hotra) fire rite
The author takes us on a sacred journey, where we encounter practicing Daoist

masters from China and Taiwan, Buddhist monks in Tibet and Japan, and an assortment
of other priests, mystics, mediums and spiritual healers from around the world. Readers
will experience a Piegan-Blackfoot medicine dance in Montana and
sacred Cham dances in Tibet, meet a charismatic mudang shaman in Korea
and danggi trance mediums in Taiwan, perform the Agni-Hotra fire rite in Japan, and
survey sacred heiau sites in Hawai'i with a Kahuna.
Garrison: Professor Saso's engaging narrative style brings the reader on a cross-
cultural pilgrimage. Beginning with the author's own experiences as a Jesuit novice in
California, we travel with him to different parts of the world to encounter masters from
different faiths and traditions.
Daoist Master Zhuang

I was particularly captivated/menarik hati by the section on Daoism, since I visited
Long Hu Shan several years ago while in China. Those who have read The Teachings of
Daoist Master Zhuang will feel right at home, as we are once again transported to
Zhuang's residence in Taiwan. In addition to containing transcriptions of the author's
conversations with Zhuang, this section also chronicles/catatan Professor Saso's quest
to return a number of sacred texts to their rightful monasteries. These texts were
smuggled/diseludupkan out of China and brought to Taiwan by Lin Rumei in 1868-1869.
The task was appointed to Lin by the 61st Celestial Master of Long Hu Shan monastery,
who had a prophetic/ramalan vision that the texts would be destroyed if they remained in
China. The texts eventually made their way to Master Zhuang's maternal/ibu
grandfather, and they were passed down to Zhuang, whose dying request was that
Professor Saso return them to their monastic homes in China. We travel with the author
on his historic quest, visiting the monasteries and monks at Mao Shan, Long Hu Shan,
and Wu Dang Shan.
Pecheva: To those who are interested in the Yijing (Book of

Changes), MYSHOP discloses details that are seldom found elsewhere. Professor Saso
provides a thorough explanation of how the principles of the Yijing are used in Daoist
meditation and ritual — from the sacred Daoist dance of the eight trigrams (the “steps of
Yu”), to the four coded mantic words in the Yijing (元亨利贞) and their relation to the four
stages of Daoist meditation, to the eight trigrams as the eight steps of cyclical change in
Nature.
Garrison: The four coded mantic words in the Yijing were fascinating to me. I was

particularly intrigued by this section, because all four words occur in the first two
hexagrams: Qian (pure yang) and Kun (pure yin). Moreover, the meanings of these four
words closely correspond to the four seasons which, themselves, are a tangible
expression of the ebb/surut and flow of yin and yang. Although many scholars have
written about the seasonal aspects of the Yijing, the explanation of the four coded mantic
words is unique to MYSHOP. The fact that the first two hexagrams contain all four
mantic code words is particularly significant...almost as though the hexagrams
themselves are speaking to us and revealing their secrets! In Professor Saso's words:
“The Yijing uses the 64 simple statements, written at the beginning of each hexagram,
as a coded way to respond to external change, and keep our hearts in harmony with
nature (p. 59).”
Ikkyu, the great 15th c. koan master
Pecheva: In addition to the Daoist tradition, Michael Saso's book explores the works of
Teresa de Avila, Juan de la Cruz, Ignatius of Loyola, Lao Zi, Farid ud-Din Attar, Moses
de Leon, and others. With deep respect to all sacred teachings, the author points out
that apophatic (no-word, no-judgement) prayer and meditation is shared by many faiths
and traditions, and represents the best path to inner—and world—peace. Professor
Saso defines “the basic structure of a universally valid apophatic path (p. 35),” as:
1. Cleansing all negative words and judgement/keputusan

2. Filling the mind with sacred images
3. Emptying the mind of all images
4. Union with Transcendent/amast sangat, absolute presence
Garrison: It is also noteworthy that the author includes a few caveats/keberatan for
potential travelers of the apophatic path. He acknowledges the commercialization of
certain spiritual practices in the West, and the rise of “meditation-for-profit” teachers. He
dispels/menghalau the myths surrounding popular Western ideas like “The Dao of Sex,”
and reminds would-be “shamans” that shamanic initiation traditionally comes in the form
of a near-death experience, or prolonged periods of intense suffering. In the world
of MYSHOP, spirituality cannot be bought, or learned from a weekend course—perhaps
the hardest lesson to accept in our modern society of instant gratification. In the author's
own words:
"Sometimes I think that China does much more to preserve its minority cultures and
languages than does the United States. The various ethnic cultures of Yunnan, the
Muosuo, Nakhi, Pumi, Aini, Miao-Hmong, Yao-Mien, and others, all maintain their own
unique languages and cultures. Their languages are taught in the universities of China.
In the Pacific Northwest of the United States, only the Crow and Kootenai languages
seem to be intact/utuh. Medicine and so-called shaman practices have survived better in
popular movies and fiction". (p. 158).
The climax of the "deer dance", celebrated at Ta-er-si monastery, Qinghai, north
Tibet
Let us hope that the experiences and wisdom of Professor Michael Saso will inspire
future generations to keep these practices alive in their authentic, non-commodified,
form.
Pecheva: On a deeper level, Mystic, Shaman, Oracle, Priest serves as a mantra that

brings wisdom, light and blessings to its readers. The deep wisdom it contains
encourages the reader to practice apophatic meditation and be at peace with oneself,
humanity, and the world.
Special thanks to Professor Michael Saso for providing the photos that appear alongside
this review.
The book can be ordered directly from the author and his website:
http://michaelsaso.org

About Guest Blogger Dr. Phil Garrison

Dr. Phil Garrison, DAOM, earned his master's degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine
from Five Branches University (Santa Cruz, CA), with a focus on the Han-dynasty
medical classics. In 2014, he completed his doctoral work at the Pacific College of
Oriental Medicine (San Diego, CA), where his doctoral research focused on the Huang
Di Nei Jing. Dr. Garrison is a former Herbal Consultant at K’an Herb Company (Santa
Cruz, CA) and a former Instructor of Chinese Herbalism at Five Branches University
(Santa Cruz, CA). He currently practices Chinese herbalism in the San Diego area, is
the Chief Science Officer at Immortality Alchemy, and teaches Chinese medical classics
in the doctoral program at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. You can read Dr. Phil
Garrison's blog with many unique articles and interviews at the link
here: https://chinesemedicalclassics.wordpress.com/
SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016
The secrets of Yueyang Tower

The Yueyang Tower 岳阳楼, located in Yueyang city, Hunan
province, is one of the three greattowers in south China, along with
Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan and the Pavilion of Prince Teng in
Nanchang.

The first time I visited Yueyang Tower was in the winter of 2000,
together with some qigong and Buddhist friends.
The managing director of the tower complex was a local friend, and
he showed us around, revealing some truly fascinating stories about the
ancient building. He said that not long ago the ‘needle’ on the top of the
roof started emitting strange smoke. The fire brigade was called, but
nothing that could cause the smoke was detected. A group
of scientists were asked to come as welland check the situation, but
they also could not find any explanation. The smoke was generated
bysomething invisible and miraculously/dgn ajaib disappeared few weeks
later.
Yueyang Tower was built 1700 years ago and had been damaged and
reconstructed a number of times.Since Tang dynasty it became a big
attraction and many poets, artists and scholars have visited this
impressive place. Great poets in the history of China, such as Li Bai, Du
Fu ， Meng Haoran, Bai Juyi, and Ouyang Xu left poems and articles on
Yueyang tower. Fan Zhongyan (989 - 1052) from Song dynasty wrote:
"On top of the tower the mind relaxes, the heart delights/senang;
All honors and disgrace/aib are forgotten.
What pleasure, what joy to sit here and drink in the breeze/angin sepoi2!"

I still remember very clear, as soon as we climbed the second floor of Yue
yang Tower, an energy cloud in bright orange color floated around
us. And the most amazing thing was that it had
an undescribeable sweet fragrance,
like nothing else on this world! When such phenomenon
happens in front of you,
there is nothing else you can do but just stay quiet and appreciate
it with great respect and joy. You cannot say even a word!
Next to Yueyang Tower is the Thrice/tiga kali Drunken Pavilion, dedicated

to Lü Dongbin, one of the legendary Eight Immortals in Daoism. It is said
that he often visited and still visits the Yueyang tower and its area.
The famous painting "Immortal Lü Dongbin Appearing over the Yueyang P
avilion"
(Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY) depicts Lü Dongbin (in the upper right c
orner)flying above Yueyang tower,
and the visitors looking at him with astonishment/keheranan.
Later the same day, after departing/berangkat Yueyang, already in the tra
in, I suddenly felt sleepy and
had a wondrous/menakjubkan dream. I was taken 1000 years back in tim
e, visiting Yueyang tower, which
then was brown wooden style building with different architecture and
blue roof tiles. Inside, the center of the tower was open empty space from
the bottom to the top. It was filled with orbs/bulatan –
spherical/berbentuk bola representation/menggambarkan of
souls - all shining with beautiful colors: pink, yellow, lavender,
light blue, red... Most of the orbs were floating at the first and
second floor, while only a
few could reach the top of the building. But if you
gently press the orbs with your hands,
they would bounce/melambung up to the 3rd floor.
What a delightful/menyenangkan way to play!
The ceiling of Yueyang Tower had the most amazing secrets. It had a hidd
en cabinet/lemari, locked with a
silver dragon padlock/kunci gantung (have never seen such before!).
The drawers contained ancient
scrolls with beautiful calligraphy and sacred writings. A true
blessing to be able to see and
read them! And, imagine, at this very special and sacred moment,
the train conductor opened
the door of our compartment and uttered/berucap
loudly: “show your tickets, please!”. That’s how
ended one of the most marvelous dream journeys I have ever had.
Yet, the subtle connection
with Yueyang tower continues till today. It teaches that all living beings
(and orbs) shine in their own beautiful way, and all need love,
gentle care and kind attitude, in order to
thrive/tumbuh vigorously/dgn penuh semangat and advance.
Yueyang Tower overlooking/pemandangan kebawah Lake Dongting

and Junshan 君山 island (one of the 72 Blissful/bahagaia Lands 福地 in
Daoism).
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015
Daoist advice on the refugee/pengungsi issues/persoalan around the

world
"Relieve/meringankan people in distress/sukar as speedily as you must rel
ease a fish from a dry rill/sungai kecil.
Save people from danger as quickly as you must free a sparrow/burung
pipit/gereja from a tight noose/jerat!
Compassionate/welas
asih and kind, the state government must be devoted to the salvation
of the people.Let your heart be impartial/tak berat
sebelah, tolerant and wide!"
济急如济涸辙之鱼，救危如救密罗之雀。慈祥为国救民。存平等心，扩宽大量。
-- excerpt from

"Scripture of Hidden Retributions by Imperial Lord Wen Chang"
《文昌帝君阴骘文》

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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2011

Osama Bin Laden and his Chinese horoscope

Born: 10 March 1957 05:55

Hour: Xin Mao (Yin Metal Rabbit)

MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011

Sai Baba and his Chinese horoscope

Hour: Xin Mao (Yin Metal Rabbit)

Sai Baba pleased to unveil a golden statue of himself.

Superstition/ketahayulan, indoctrination and self-delusion/delusi are some of the main

SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2011

The big earthquake in Japan and Tui Bei Tu

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2011

Obsession for awards in Chinese Metaphysics

Here are some photos:

"Dean of China International I Ching Study" Award

This is the seal of the "World I Ching Study Leaders Association"!

The importance of Symbolic Stars (Shen Sha) in Chinese

Moon, Mars and Spica shining around the Gate of Heaven

Gazing at the stars makes us feel overwhelmed/diliputi by the beauty and

Rand NoelApril 22, 2014 at 12:05 PM

Two things I'd like to mention regarding this. 1. I find it fascinating in

Annie PechevaApril 22, 2014 at 2:10 PM

Arq. Leah ZeinstegerApril 23, 2014 at 12:02 AM

SimonApril 26, 2014 at 7:24 AM

Annie PechevaApril 26, 2014 at 12:09 PM

SimonApril 27, 2014 at 12:37 PM

Thank you, I was wondering about the same alternatives

Annie PechevaApril 26, 2014 at 12:10 PM

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2014

Visiting the Tibetan Astrology Institute in Lhasa

The scholars of the Institute have predicted the Great 2008 Sichuan Earthquake

Feeling thankful for the Tibetan almanac I got as a present

Tibetan sand tray board used for astrological calculations.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

Location of the main 14 stars in Zi Wei Dou Shu 紫微斗数

MONDAY, JULY 29, 2013

Is the right bank of the river more auspicious?

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013

No demon can pass through a crooked/bengkok bridge

Jade Box Records 玉匣记 and date selection in China

Certain parts of the Jade Box Records, however, are very disturbing.

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

The Yi Garden in Anyang city 安阳易园

The Dragon island

. It somehow reminds me of the Palm island in Dubai..Shapes, shapes, shapes... The

Wedding day selection letter from 170 years ago

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011

The 28 lunar mansions and their corresponding points in

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2011

He tu diagram and the M-theory

This he tu diagram was made by Li Guangdi 李光地 (1642－1718), a famous I Ching

Koreans attack the Academic star of a famous musician

All the story you can read in Stanford Magazine:

Daniel Lee - Tablo

Hour Day Month Year

Oscar Pistorius - the Metal Horse runner

FOUR PILLARS CHART OF OSCAR PISTORIUS