Methods and sources
How the tools work, and which books they follow.
Our rule
The classics decide. Where sources disagree, the page says which one we followed and why. Other software and websites are only leads, and our code is our own.
Tools and sources
Four Pillars: Yuan Hai Zi Ping and Di Tian Sui Chan Wei cases, with the calendar worked out from astronomy.
Purple Star: Zi Wei Dou Shu Quan Shu and published charts.
I Ching casting: The Zhou Yi text. Coin and yarrow odds follow the traditional methods.
Plum Blossom: Mei Hua Yi Shu.
Xiao Liu Ren: the Li Chunfeng hour method in Yu Xia Ji.
Moon Blocks: Yan Fan Lu for the good result; temple practice for the rest.
Daily Almanac: Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu, rebuilt from its written rules. Its day-by-day tables are not yet checked, so treat results as under review.
Chinese Zodiac: Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu vol. 1 and vol. 6.
Kua Number: Ba Zhai Ming Jing and Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu vol. 2.
Liu Yao: Zeng Shan Bu Yi. 253 charts in an online transcription are tested. Not yet checked against a printed edition.
Eight Mansions: Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu, vol. 2, and an online transcription of Ba Zhai Ming Jing, not yet checked against a printed edition.
Annual Flying Stars: Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu, vol. 8, tested against all sixty years of vols. 14 to 19.
Nine Star Ki: The same tables as Annual Flying Stars.
Flying Star Chart: Modern teaching, not a classic. The plain method only, tested against modern online lists for Periods 7 and 8.
Date Selection: The same rules as the Daily Almanac.
Compatibility: Xuan Ze Yao Lue. Shown as culture. Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu rejected this practice.
Fortune Sticks: The Guan Di lots, from a Chinese Wikisource transcription. Not yet checked against the Qing print.
Dream Dictionary: The folk book credited to the Duke of Zhou. Eleven lines are left out.
Spirit Chess: Ling Qi Jing, from a Chinese Wikisource transcription. Names are checked against the table of contents in the Siku edition.
Supreme Mystery: Tai Xuan Jing, with the stalk count as Huang Zongxi explains it.
What we still need to check
Several online transcriptions have not been compared with printed editions. Each tool’s guide lists its open points.
Calculation
Charts and readings run in your browser. Solar terms and calendar dates are calculated, not looked up from a website.