TL;DR: In Vietnamese Tử Vi (Vietnamese astrology), Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương is a configuration in which the four principal stars Celestial Mechanism, Moon, Celestial Blessing and Celestial Beam sit in the three palaces Mệnh (Destiny), Tài Bạch (Wealth) and Quan Lộc (Career), as defined in Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học. The verse "Cơ, Nguyệt Đồng Lương tác lại nhân" is explained by Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang in Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên as meaning the person is usually a civil servant; the same book ranks this configuration as a superior one when the stars are bright and enough supporting stars are present, and otherwise as a middling one, with occupations such as physician, teacher or newspaper writer.
What is the Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương formation?
Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương is the short name of a pattern in Tử Vi made up of the four main stars Thiên Cơ, Thái Âm (Nguyệt), Thiên Đồng and Thiên Lương. This article presents the reading taught in Vietnamese Tử Vi, based on Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học by Việt Viêm Tử, Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên by Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang and Tử Vi nghiệm lý by Thiên Lương. Việt Viêm Tử defines it thus: when the three palaces Mệnh, Tài and Quan hold the stars Thiên Cơ, Thái Âm, Thiên Đồng and Thiên Lương, it is called the Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương pattern[1]. The book lists it as one of four patterns, alongside Tử Phủ Vũ Tướng, Sát Phá Tham and Nhật Nguyệt.
By the placement rules for the main stars, these four fall within one tam hợp when Tử Vi is in a yin palace (Sửu, Mão, Tỵ, Mùi, Dậu, Hợi); the four never share one palace, though two of them sometimes do. Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên by Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang records the case of the Mệnh palace at Dần or Thân with Thiên Cơ and Thái Âm seated together[2], and the case of the Mệnh palace at Thìn or Tuất with Thiên Cơ and Thiên Lương seated together[2].
Why is it called "tác lại nhân"?
The line "Cơ, Nguyệt Đồng Lương tác lại nhân" is a verse recorded in both Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên and Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học. Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang glosses it: "A Mệnh palace where Cơ, Nguyệt, Đồng and Lương gather is usually a civil servant"[2]. The word "lại" (吏) means a clerk, a person doing paperwork in the offices of former times, so "tác lại nhân" means to be an office-holder of that kind.
Việt Viêm Tử does not treat this as a low pattern. The book says that each pattern has its own governing nature and that the noblest chart can be reached by any of the four patterns, depending on whether the main stars of that pattern are miếu địa and are well supported by the medium and minor stars; yet, by the same book, the Tử Phủ pattern remains the one that signals greater ease of large success than the others[1].
What role does each of the four stars play in the formation?
Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang lists Thiên Cơ as a star of goodness (thiện tinh), Thái Âm as a star of wealth (phú tinh), Thiên Đồng as a star of blessing (phúc tinh) and Thiên Lương as a star of longevity (thọ tinh)[2]. Thiên Lương writes: "The Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương set governs thought and spirit"[3]; in his account Thiên Cơ excels in tact and diplomacy, Thiên Đồng is weak in decision and so tends to change course, while Thiên Lương is tolerant and even-tempered.
Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên records specific combinations. A Mệnh palace at Dần or Thân with Cơ and Nguyệt seated together and joined by Xương and Riêu "is therefore given to writing verse and prose"[2]. Cơ, Nguyệt, Đồng and Lương at Dần, Thân, Thìn or Tuất meeting Xương, Khúc, Tả and Hữu "should specialise in medicine, and would also win a name in teaching"[2].
The table below summarises the commonly seen Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương combinations and their corresponding professions according to Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên:
| Combination | Condition | Reading in Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên |
|---|---|---|
| Cơ, Nguyệt in one palace at Dần or Thân | Joined by Xương, Riêu | Given to writing verse and prose |
| Cơ, Lương in one palace at Thìn or Tuất | No further condition | Widely learned, fond of discussing policy and strategy |
| Cơ, Lương in one palace at Thìn or Tuất | Joined by Kình, Đà, Hỏa, Linh, with Tướng opposite | Wandering fighter or monk |
| Cơ, Nguyệt, Đồng, Lương at Dần, Thân, Thìn, Tuất | Meeting Xương, Khúc, Tả, Hữu | Medicine as a profession; a name in teaching as well |
| Cơ, Nguyệt, Đồng, Lương | Joined by Tả, Hữu, Khoa, Quyền, Khôi, Việt, Xương, Khúc, Tấu | Teacher, newspaper writer |
| Cơ, Nguyệt, Đồng, Lương | Joined by Tả, Hữu, Xương, Khúc | Printing house, small craft industry or comfortable trade |
| Cơ, Nguyệt, Đồng, Lương | Joined by Tả, Hữu, Xương, Khúc, Thai, Cáo | Minor civil servant, village or canton head |
How does Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương differ from Tử Phủ Vũ Tướng and Sát Phá Tham?
Việt Viêm Tử sorts four patterns by the main stars in the three palaces Mệnh, Tài and Quan: Tử Phủ Vũ Tướng; Sát Phá Tham, made up of Thất Sát, Phá Quân and Tham Lang and still called by that short name when Liêm Trinh or Vũ Khúc is added; Nhật Nguyệt, made up of Thái Dương and Thái Âm; and Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương[1].
Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang places Cơ, Nguyệt, Đồng, Lương in the upper patterns (Thượng cách) when the stars are miếu, vượng or đắc địa and are joined by Tả, Hữu, Xương, Khúc, Khôi, Việt, Long, Phượng, Đào, Hồng, Khoa, Quyền, Lộc[2]. When that is not fully the case the chart falls into the middle patterns (Trung cách), which cover occupations and posts that are "comfortable, but not brilliant or illustrious"[2].
Why is Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương often tied to the civil service, physicians and teachers?
The link lies in what the books themselves record for each star combination, beginning with the verse "tác lại nhân".
Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên records that Cơ, Nguyệt, Đồng, Lương with Khoa, Tả, Hữu, Quang, Quý, Quan and Phúc are "eminent in the practice of medicine and respected by many"[2]. In its section on the middle patterns the same book has Cơ, Nguyệt, Đồng, Lương joined by Tả, Hữu, Quang, Quý, Quan and Phúc "become a physician of repute", and joined by Tả, Hữu, Khoa, Quyền, Khôi, Việt, Xương, Khúc and Tấu "become a teacher or write for newspapers"[2].
Is Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương always good?
Not necessarily. Việt Viêm Tử writes that each formation has a different presiding principle, so the sets of medium and minor stars that follow and support it also differ[1]. For instance, when accompanying the Tử Phủ Vũ Tướng formation, the Tả Hữu star set proves more compatible and effective than when accompanying the Nhật Nguyệt formation[1].
In addition, Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên records the verse "Cơ, Lương đồng chiếu Mệnh Thân Không, vi tăng đạo" and glosses it: when the Mệnh or Thân palace is covered by Tuần or Triệt and Cơ and Lương, in one palace, shine on it, the person "will surely be a monk"[2]. By the book this is no longer a reading about civil servants but about people who leave the household life.
Comparing the views of the books
Vietnamese Tử Vi books are relatively consistent on the general characteristics of Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương, but differ in the degree of detail. The book Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học by Việt Viêm Tử defines the formation on the basis of the three palaces Mệnh, Tài and Quan having all four stars[1]. The book Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên by Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang instead goes deep into each specific combination at each palace, with the corresponding professions[2].
Thiên Lương lists no occupations. He divides the fourteen main stars into two camps, Sát Phá Liêm Tham together with Tử Phủ Vũ Tướng in one, while "Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương and Cự Nhật form one camp"[3], and writes that these sets "must be assembled in the three-legged stance of a tam hợp for the pattern to be complete"[3].
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestions for looking up the Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương pattern
When looking up a chart with the Cơ Nguyệt Đồng Lương pattern, check whether all four stars are present in the three palaces Mệnh, Tài and Quan, whether each star is miếu, vượng, đắc or hãm, and which stars join them, since the readings in Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên change with each accompanying set of stars[2].
The occupations listed above are the readings a Tử Vi book printed in 1956 gives for each star combination; they are the understanding of one school, not a conclusion about anyone's career.
