Canon of the Astral Observatory 灵台经

Author unknown.

It was roughly compiled between the Tang and Song dynasties.

The Secret Catalogue of the Southern Song Dynasty (in the calendar and calculation category) and Bibliographical Outline of General Records (in the calendar and numerology category) both list The Lingtai Compilation, one volume, which is presumed to be this work. The existing edition in The Daozang is one volume, included in the Divination category of the Dongzhen Section.

Canon of the Astral Observatory

The original scripture consisted of twelve chapters. The edition in The Daozang is missing the first eight chapters, preserving only the last four: Chapter Nine Determining the Three Rulers of the Directions, Chapter Ten Flying and Assigning the Palaces, Chapter Eleven Star Measuring and Calendar Division, and Chapter Twelve Calamity and Blessing in the Moving Year.

This book deals with the art of fortune-telling, belonging to the Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology) system. Generally, it determines the Three Rulers of the Directions according to one’s birth time, and applies the Twenty-Eight Mansions over the twelve months, assigning them to more than twenty palaces including the Body Palace, Life Palace, Virtue Palace, Wealth Palace, and Longevity Palace, to calculate a person’s wealth or poverty, longevity or early death, as well as the good and bad fortune in the fleeting years.