TL;DR: The three most cited 20th-century Vietnamese Tử Vi books are Tử Vi khảo luận (Hoàng Thường, Hàm Chương), Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên (Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang) and Tử Vi tổng hợp (Nguyễn Phát Lộc). They differ in purpose, in how they present stars and palaces, and in their views on how many stars a chart uses. None is the single standard edition; readers should compare them and state which convention they follow.
Which works make up the 20th-century Vietnamese Tử Vi books?
Tử Vi khảo luận by Hoàng Thường and Hàm Chương is one of the Vietnamese Tử Vi books most often mentioned. Each appeared in a different setting and addressed a different readership, so their main content and presentation differ.
Tử Vi khảo luận, compiled by Hoàng Thường and Hàm Chương, sets out how to draw a chart, the meanings of the stars and palaces, đại vận, tiểu vận and nguyệt vận, with sample charts; the examples in the book run to the year 2003[1]. From the outset the book argues that the stars in Tử Vi are only personified images used to express the ideas of Dịch lý, not real stars that govern a person's fate[1].
Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên by Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang presents the system of placing stars and judging by each palace, with tables for placing Triệt, tam chiếu, xung chiếu and nhị hợp, then works through individual palaces such as Tật Ách and Huynh Đệ. The writing is practical: it gives lookup tables, chart-placement examples, then lists star combinations with the corresponding judgements.
Tử Vi tổng hợp by Nguyễn Phát Lộc presents itself as a work continuing and expanding Tử Vi Hàm Số, published in 1972, to meet the needs of readers who want deeper study rather than an introduction. The book aims to gather existing knowledge, from Vietnamese books to the Chinese books collected, and to reorganize it into a new structure.
What is the main content of Tử Vi khảo luận by Hoàng Thường and Hàm Chương?
Tử Vi khảo luận is a systematic introductory book, moving from drawing a chart to judging by palace and by period. Its notable point is that it places Tử Vi within a Dịch lý framework rather than an astronomical one, and devotes most of its length to explaining star and palace meanings and the layers of vận hạn.
The introduction explains that people often call Tử Vi a science of astrology, but Tử Vi practitioners do not look at the stars to draw a chart; the stars are only images personified by the Daoist Trần Đoàn[1]. The book also stresses that each star may indicate a temperament, a circumstance, or a way of being treated, and that Trần Đoàn's arrangement is very flexible, so the reader needs a rich imagination to open the situations packed into a chart[1].
This reading centres on images and Dịch lý, unlike the approach that treats Tử Vi as a fixed star lookup table. For beginners it is a support that keeps a chart from becoming a loose list of stars.
How does Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên by Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang differ?
Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên leans toward the practice of placing stars and looking up star combinations. The book provides a table for placing Triệt by the Can of the birth year, tables for tam chiếu, xung chiếu and nhị hợp, then goes into each palace with specific star combinations and judgements.
The book sets out the principle that to read one palace you must also read the two tam hợp palaces, the xung chiếu palace and the nhị hợp palace, and stresses that the positions of the hợp and chiếu palaces on the twelve-palace map never change. This is the school's foundational rule, giving learners a fixed frame for judgement.
When judging the Tật Ách palace, the book advises careful judgement of the Mệnh, Thân and Phúc Đức palaces first, because these often increase or reduce the good or bad of Tật Ách. This shows the book values the links between palaces over reading each in isolation.
The Huynh Đệ section is typical of the book's style: for each ruling main star it gives an estimated number of siblings and the nature of the relationship, for example Thiên Đồng alone at Mão means four or more, at Dậu at most three and usually early separation. This is quantitative judgement by the book's convention, not a statistical measurement.
What is special about Tử Vi tổng hợp by Nguyễn Phát Lộc?
Tử Vi tổng hợp is a book that aspires to synthesize and systematize all the Tử Vi knowledge the author gathered, from both Vietnamese and Chinese books. It targets readers with a foundation who want depth, not beginners.
In the preface, Nguyễn Phát Lộc writes that Tử Vi Hàm Số, published in 1972, was a primer, and for those who want deeper study it was too simplified, so Tử Vi tổng hợp was written to continue and expand it. The author also states the aim is synthesis and creation, not merely patching together current understandings.
The book discusses the number of stars used in a chart, a point on which authors often disagree. This is where Tử Vi tổng hợp contributes most clearly in theory.
How do the books differ on the number of stars in a chart?
This is where the books and traditions differ most clearly. Tử Vi tổng hợp cites two views: the Vietnamese view uses 111 stars, 14 chính tinh and 97 phụ tinh, on which Vietnamese authors are almost unanimous; the Chinese view generally has a different number, and even among Chinese authors there is no agreement.
| Content | Tử Vi khảo luận (Hoàng Thường, Hàm Chương) | Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên (Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang) | Tử Vi tổng hợp (Nguyễn Phát Lộc) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Systematic introduction, placing Tử Vi in a Dịch lý framework[1] | Practical star placement and judgement by palace | Deep study, synthesis and systematization of knowledge |
| Presentation of stars | Stars are personified images, not real stars[1] | Star placement tables, star combinations, specific judgements | Discusses the number of stars, Vietnamese and Chinese origins |
| Palace judgement | Star and palace meanings, đại vận, tiểu vận, nguyệt vận[1] | Reading a palace requires tam chiếu, xung chiếu, nhị hợp | Systematized in a new structure |
| View on star count | Not a central issue | Uses the star system of Vietnamese tradition | Cites the Vietnamese 111-star view and different Chinese views |
On the number of stars, the book cites three origins: one Chinese text lists only 82 stars, said to be set by Trần Đoàn; another origin adds 16 new stars; and a third origin has 13 tạ stars of unclear origin. The author follows the Vietnamese view, using 111 stars, and states he excludes 29 stars, the 16 new stars of the second origin and the 13 tạ stars of the third. Note that this is the book's own figure and reasoning, not a sum verifiable from other sources in this article.
The book also observes that Vietnamese Tử Vi both borrowed and adapted, and may not accurately reflect the orthodox and original Chinese view, and that Vietnamese Tử Vi books do not list which stars are originally Chinese and which were added in Vietnam. This is the author's assessment of the state of the sources, not an independently verified conclusion.
Why do Vietnamese Tử Vi books differ?
The books differ first in purpose: some are for beginners, some for practical lookup, some for deep study and synthesis. Second, they differ in sources: some rely mainly on Vietnamese tradition, some compare with Chinese books. Third, they differ in their view of what a star is: a Dịch lý image, or a fixed lookup unit.
Tử Vi tổng hợp by Nguyễn Phát Lộc states that Tử Vi study in Vietnam was not organized and so remained individual, without a pedagogical method, compounded by a shortage of books, of Hán learning and of translations. That historical reason is why the books do not agree even on fundamentals.
In what order should learners read these books?
There is no required order, but a suggestion by purpose. Beginners should start with a systematic introduction such as Tử Vi khảo luận to grasp chart drawing and star and palace meanings. Those with a foundation who want quick lookup should use Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên, which has many tables and star combinations. Those who want to go deeper into theory and compare sources should read Tử Vi tổng hợp, remembering that its figures and assessments are the author's, not universal truth.
Gợi ý của Nhật Nguyệt: when reading any Tử Vi book, note which book's conventions you are following on star count, star placement and palace judgement, because mixing conventions gives unverifiable results. Tử Vi is a system of interpretation, not a measurement; the books only provide a reference frame, they do not decide anyone's fate.
Frequently asked questions
How do Tử Vi khảo luận and Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên differ?
Tử Vi khảo luận places Tử Vi in a Dịch lý framework, explains stars as personified images, and presents in the order of chart drawing, star and palace meanings, and the layers of vận hạn[1]. Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên leans toward practice, with a Triệt placement table, tables for tam chiếu, xung chiếu and nhị hợp, and goes into each palace with specific star combinations.
Is Tử Vi tổng hợp by Nguyễn Phát Lộc the standard edition?
No. Tử Vi tổng hợp presents itself as continuing Tử Vi Hàm Số and synthesizing knowledge from Vietnamese and Chinese books. It is a systematic reference work, not the single standard, and its figures on the number of stars are the author's view.
How many stars do Vietnamese Tử Vi books use?
According to Tử Vi tổng hợp, the Vietnamese view uses 111 stars, 14 chính tinh and 97 phụ tinh, on which Vietnamese authors are almost unanimous. However, the book also cites Chinese origins with different star counts, showing this is not an absolute figure shared by all traditions.
