Canon of Residential Divination 黄帝宅经

Author unknown.

Judging from its content and wording, it was presumably compiled between the Tang and Song dynasties.

It consists of two volumes and is included in the Divination category of the The Dongzhen Section within The Daozang.

Canon of Residential Divination

This book expounds on the methods of dwelling divination, stating that a family home "is the pivot of Yin and Yang and the model of human relations". A peaceful home brings prosperity and good fortune to the clan, while a troubled one leads to the decline of the family line. Thus, it is essential to examine the auspicious and inauspicious signs of Yin and Yang in a dwelling. Its methods divide the four sides of a house and courtyard into twenty-four directions, which are matched with the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, the Eight Trigrams and the Nine Palaces to judge good and bad fortune. The key to dwelling divination lies in the balance of Yin and Yang: harmony between Yin and Yang brings good fortune and prosperity, while an imbalance of either leads to misfortune.

Anyone intending to move must choose an auspicious and blessed direction; anyone planning to build a house must follow the vital energy of the twelve months. If the earth energy is offended during construction, disasters and misfortunes will follow. The book contains two dwelling divination diagrams that detail the auspicious omens and taboos for the twenty-four directions and construction in the twelve months. It also sets forth the method of the Five Vacuities and Five Substances, stating that the Five Vacuities—such as a large house with few inhabitants, a large gate with a small interior, and other such imbalances—bring poverty and depletion, while the Five Substances bring wealth and nobility to the household.