Bronze mirror, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st–2nd century. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Learn
Articles on Da Liu Ren, arranged by subject. In preparation.
The Asking Hour is an English-language platform for traditional Chinese astrology, dedicated to providing knowledge of the subject and tools for its practice, as well as chart judgments by AI and by human practitioners.
The Da Liu Ren Cosmic Board
The chart of this hour
14:16
Tuesday, 20 October 2026
- YearBing 丙Horse 午
- MonthWu 戊Dog 戌
- DayDing 丁Rabbit 卯
- HourDing 丁Goat 未
- GeneralDragon 辰
- VoidDog 戌Pig 亥
Three Transmissions 三传
| Stem | Branch | General | Relation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Transmission 初传 | Jia 甲 | Rat 子 | Fright 螣蛇 | Affliction 官鬼 |
| Middle Transmission 中传 | Gui 癸 | Rooster 酉 | Intriguer 太阴 | Wealth 妻财 |
| Final Transmission 末传 | Geng 庚 | Horse 午 | Calamity 白虎 | Sibling 兄弟 |
| Method | Straw Arrow |
|---|
Four Lessons 四课
- Fortune 青龙Dragon 辰Ding 丁Lesson 1
- Herald 朱雀Ox 丑Dragon 辰Lesson 2
- Fright 螣蛇Rat 子Rabbit 卯Lesson 3
- Intriguer 太阴Rooster 酉Rat 子Lesson 4
Latest articles
Explanations of each part of the chart, based on the classical sources. In preparation.
Twelve zodiac animals, Tang dynasty, 8th century. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The glossary
Standard English names for the terms of the chart, with the Chinese alongside.
An introduction to Da Liu Ren and its scope
Da Liu Ren, one of the Three Styles of Chinese divination: how its chart is built, where it came from, and the kinds of questions it answers.
Latest articles
Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, and the Five Elements
The ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches, their elements and yin or yang, and how the Five Elements generate and control each other.
The Heaven Plate, the Earth Plate, and the Monthly General
Learn how the Earth Plate, Heaven Plate, and Monthly General establish the spatiotemporal model used to cast a chart in Da Liu Ren.
The Twelve Earthly Branches
Each branch corresponds to a double hour, a direction, and an element. The zodiac animal is one of the images associated with the branch.
The glossary
Each term is given one standard English name, with the Chinese alongside. Terms without a link do not yet have a page of their own.
Twelve Heavenly Generals
- Patron 贵人
- Fright 螣蛇
- Herald 朱雀
- Go-Between 六合
- Bailiff 勾陈
- Fortune 青龙
- Cipher 天空
- Calamity 白虎
- Steward 太常
- Thief 玄武
- Intriguer 太阴
- Matron 天后