灵枢经·九宫八风 Nine Palaces and Eight Winds

Taiyi (the Grand One — the cosmic pivot whose movements through nine mystical palaces were tracked for divination, akin to a wandering pole star) always begins, on the day of the winter solstice, by dwelling in the Palace of Yezhe (Leaf-Fall and Hibernation) for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in the Palace of Tianliu (Celestial Retention) for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in the Palace of Cangmen (Granary Gate) for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in the Palace of Yinluo for forty-five days. The next day it dwells in the Palace of Tiangong (Celestial Palace) for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in the Palace of Xuanwei (Mysterious Repose) for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in the Palace of Cangguo (Granary Fruit) for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in the Palace of Xinluo (New Luo) for forty-five days. The next day it returns once more to dwell in the Palace of Yezhe — and this marks the return of the winter solstice.

Taiyi wanders daily. On the day of the winter solstice it takes up residence in the Palace of Yezhe; one counts the days spent in each location, proceeding from the first palace through to the ninth, and then returning again to the first. It is always thus, without cease, ending only to begin anew.

On the day Taiyi shifts its residence, Heaven invariably responds with wind and rain. If the wind and rain arrive precisely on that day, it is auspicious — the year will be bountiful, the people at peace, and illness scarce. If the wind and rain come before that day, there will be excessive rain; if they come after, there will be drought. Should Taiyi undergo change on the day of the winter solstice, the omen concerns the ruler; should it undergo change on the day of the spring equinox, the omen concerns the ministers; should it undergo change on the day it resides in the central palace, the omen concerns the officials; should it undergo change on the day of the autumn equinox, the omen concerns the generals; should it undergo change on the day of the summer solstice, the omen concerns the common people. What is meant by 'undergoing change' is this: on the days when Taiyi dwells in these five palaces, if disease-bearing winds snap trees and scatter sand and stones, then, according to what each palace governs, one may divine matters of noble and base rank. One divines according to the direction from which the wind arises: wind arising from the direction in which Taiyi currently dwells is called a replete wind; it governs life, and nourishes and rears the myriad things. Wind arising from the direction opposite Taiyi's dwelling is called a vacuous wind; it injures people, governing death and harm. One must carefully watch for vacuous winds and avoid them. Hence the sage's daily practice of avoiding vacuous evil follows this same principle — avoiding it as one would avoid arrows and stones, so that evil cannot cause harm. This is what is meant.

Accordingly, when Taiyi enters and takes its stand in the central palace, it holds court over the eight winds, and by this one divines fortune and misfortune. When the wind comes from the south, it is called the Great Weak Wind; when it injures a person, it lodges within in the heart and appears without in the vessels, and its qi governs heat. When the wind comes from the southwest, it is called the Scheming Wind; when it injures a person, it lodges within in the spleen and appears without in the flesh, and its qi governs weakness. When the wind comes from the west, it is called the Rigid Wind; when it injures a person, it lodges within in the lung and appears without in the skin, and its qi governs dryness. When the wind comes from the northwest, it is called the Breaking Wind; when it injures a person, it lodges within in the small intestine and appears without in the Hand Taiyang vessel; when the vessel is severed there is overflow, and when the vessel is blocked there is binding and non-communication, so that sudden death readily follows. When the wind comes from the north, it is called the Great Rigid Wind; when it injures a person, it lodges within in the kidney and appears without in the bones and in the sinews of the shoulders and back, and its qi governs cold. When the wind comes from the northeast, it is called the Baleful Wind; when it injures a person, it lodges within in the large intestine and appears without at the two flanks, beneath the armpit bones, and at the joints of the limbs. When the wind comes from the east, it is called the Ying-wu Wind; when it injures a person, it lodges within in the liver and appears without at the sinew-knots, and its qi governs bodily dampness. When the wind comes from the southeast, it is called the Weak Wind; when it injures a person, it lodges within in the stomach and appears without in the flesh, and its qi governs heaviness of the body. These eight winds all come from the direction of vacuity, and it is only then that they can cause illness in a person. When three vacuities strike together, this brings about sudden, fulminant disease and abrupt death. When two are replete and one vacuous, illness manifests as painful stranguria and exposure to cold and heat. If one is exposed to a place doubly damp, this brings about wilting weakness. Hence the sage avoids wind as one avoids arrows and stones. When a person has three vacuities and is struck squarely by evil wind, this results in collapse and hemiplegia.