What Is Kỳ Môn Độn Giáp?
Kỳ Môn Độn Giáp is a time-based charting system used to assess fortune and misfortune for undertakings, directions, travel, seeking wealth, and military matters. It is one of the three arts of Tam Thức (Three Styles), alongside Thái Ất and Lục Nhâm. According to the book Tuyển tập bài viết Tam Thức chọn lọc số 3, to learn Kỳ Môn Độn Giáp one must first master the Heavenly Stems (Thiên Can), Earthly Branches (Địa Chi), the Five Elements (Ngũ Hành), and the Later Heaven Bagua (Hậu Thiên Bát Quái) along with the principles of mutual generation and overcoming, then proceed to placing stars and establishing the configuration (cục), and finally to interpreting the meanings of the Eight Gates, Nine Stars, and Eight Spirits.
The fundamental difference between Kỳ Môn Độn Giáp and Bát Tự (Four Pillars) lies in this: Bát Tự casts a chart based on a person's birth year, month, day, and hour, whereas Kỳ Môn casts a chart for the moment under consideration. The same person asking about a matter at two different times will get two different charts. Therefore Kỳ Môn is closer to divination and time selection than to fate analysis.
Why Is It Called 'Độn Giáp'?
The word Giáp in 'Độn Giáp' refers to the Six Giáp: Giáp Tý, Giáp Tuất, Giáp Thân, Giáp Ngọ, Giáp Thìn, and Giáp Dần. These six Giáp are the six leading positions of the six cycles within the 60 Can Chi. As presented in Tuyển tập bài viết Tam Thức chọn lọc số 3, Giáp is the most honored of the ten Heavenly Stems, so the ancients did not let it appear openly on the chart but hid it beneath six stems called Lục Nghi. The remaining three stems, Ất, Bính and Đinh, are called Tam Kỳ. The word 'Độn' means to hide or conceal.
The same book also sets out the Six Rites (Lục Nghi): Mậu, Kỷ, Canh, Tân, Nhâm, and Quý. These six stems accompany the six Giáp in each cycle. A common mnemonic is: Giáp Tý hides under Mậu, Giáp Tuất under Kỷ, Giáp Thân under Canh, Giáp Ngọ under Tân, Giáp Thìn under Nhâm, and Giáp Dần under Quý. The Three Marvels and Six Rites together make nine stems, enough to place on the nine palaces.
How Many Plates Does a Kỳ Môn Chart Have?
A complete Kỳ Môn chart stacks four plates on the same base of nine Lạc Thư palaces. Those four plates are the Earth Plate, Heaven Plate, Human Plate, and Spirit Plate. The book Tuyển tập bài viết Bát Tự chọn lọc số 5 mentions ancient texts such as Tuần Thủ Kỳ Môn Độn Giáp, Địa Bàn Kỳ Môn Độn Giáp, Thiên Bàn Kỳ Môn Độn Giáp, and Nhân Bàn Kỳ Môn Độn Giáp, showing that this layered arrangement has long existed in the tradition.
The Common Base: The Nine Lạc Thư Palaces
The nine Lạc Thư palaces are the fixed frame on which every plate relies. The familiar layout: Khảm 1 in the North, Khôn 2 in the Southwest, Chấn 3 in the East, Tốn 4 in the Southeast, Trung 5 in the center, Càn 6 in the Northwest, Đoài 7 in the West, Cấn 8 in the Northeast, and Ly 9 in the South. Each palace is linked to a trigram, an element, a direction, and a set of Can and Chi. This is the anchor against which all other plates are compared.
The Earth Plate
The Earth Plate is the bottom layer. The practitioner lays Tam Kỳ Lục Nghi out over the nine palaces according to the configuration number (forward in yang dun, backward in yin dun), so the Earth Plate stays the same for the whole configuration instead of turning hour by hour like the plates above it. All other plates are placed on top of the Earth Plate, so when interpreting one must always compare the upper plate with the lower to know what is where.
The Heaven Plate
The Heaven Plate contains the Nine Stars and the Three Marvels and Six Rites, rotating by hour. The Nine Stars are: Thiên Bồng, Thiên Nhuế, Thiên Xung, Thiên Phụ, Thiên Cầm, Thiên Tâm, Thiên Trụ, Thiên Nhậm, and Thiên Anh. Among them Thiên Cầm is the central star, usually regarded as not interpreted by direction like the other eight. Tuyển tập bài viết Tam Thức chọn lọc số 3 devotes a separate section to interpreting the Nine Stars and another to discussing the star Thiên Nhậm, showing that each star has its own fortune or misfortune rather than being merely a label.
The Human Plate: The Eight Gates
The Human Plate is the layer of eight gates, called the Eight Gates (Bát Môn): Hưu Môn, Sinh Môn, Thương Môn, Đỗ Môn, Cảnh Môn, Tử Môn, Kinh Môn, and Khai Môn. There is no central gate, because the eight gates correspond to the eight directions. Tuyển tập bài viết Tam Thức chọn lọc số 3 has two separate sections on the Eight Gates, one explaining them and one interpreting their applications. According to that book, the method of placing the gates in Yang Dun and Yin Dun follows different rules, and this is one of the points that must be grasped well when casting a chart.
The Spirit Plate: The Eight Spirits
The Spirit Plate is the top layer, containing eight spirits. These eight are linked to the eight gates and eight stars in a fixed order, and also change with yin and yang dun. The book ki mon don giap dieu bi has a passage on placing the eight spirits: take the Trực Phù of the eight spirits, place it on Thiên Bồng, then move in reverse. This technical detail shows that the Spirit Plate does not stand still but always follows the Heaven Plate.
Distinguishing Yang Dun and Yin Dun
Kỳ Môn Độn Giáp divides into two types of configuration: Yang Dun and Yin Dun. According to Tuyển tập bài viết Tam Thức chọn lọc số 3, Yang Dun is the forward-moving configuration, with elements shifting in the yang direction, while Yin Dun is the reverse-moving configuration, operating in the yin direction. This distinction is not merely a matter of neat arrangement but reflects the principle of mutual yin and yang.
In terms of time, Yang Dun corresponds to the half of the year when yang energy prevails, and Yin Dun to the half when yin energy prevails. The book ki mon don giap dieu bi has a passage on annual Kỳ Môn, stating that the upper cycle (thượng nguyên) of Giáp Tý's sixty years uses Yin Dun first configuration, the middle cycle (trung nguyên) of Giáp Tý's sixty years uses Yin Dun fourth configuration, and the lower cycle (hạ nguyên) of Giáp Tý's sixty years uses Yin Dun seventh configuration, explaining that it uses reverse rather than forward because 'the way of heaven revolves to the left,' meaning heaven turns left and the sun and moon follow. This is that school's interpretation, not the only one.
The Three Cycles and the 18 Configurations
The Three Cycles (tam nguyên) divide time into three segments: upper, middle, and lower. Each cycle is linked to a configuration number. According to ki mon don giap dieu bi, the three cycles connect into a 180-year cycle. Tuyển tập bài viết Bát Tự chọn lọc số 6 discusses the Three Cycles in fate analysis, showing that the concept is not exclusive to Kỳ Môn but is a common foundation for many arts.
At the level of configuration, the 18 configurations result from doubling: Yang Dun has 9 configurations, Yin Dun has 9, totaling 18. The book KM chi quy Q1 lists each volume in order: Yang Dun first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth configuration, then Yin Dun ninth, eighth, seventh, sixth, fifth, fourth, third, second, first configuration. This numbering shows that Yang Dun goes from 1 up to 9 while Yin Dun goes from 9 down to 1.
| Plate | Components | Characteristics | Changes by hour? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Plate | Eight Spirits | Eight spirits, following the Heaven Plate | Yes |
| Human Plate | Eight Gates | Hưu, Sinh, Thương, Đỗ, Cảnh, Tử, Kinh, Khai | Yes |
| Heaven Plate | Nine Stars and Three Marvels Six Rites | Nine stars, nine stems | Yes |
| Earth Plate | Tam Kỳ Lục Nghi laid out by configuration | Unchanged within one configuration | No |
In What Order Is a Kỳ Môn Chart Cast?
According to the common sequence described in Tuyển tập bài viết Bát Tự chọn lọc số 5, the practitioner moves from foundational knowledge to placing stars and establishing the configuration, and only then to interpretation. Specifically, after determining the configuration (yang or yin, which number), one places the Earth Plate first, then sets Trực Phù and Trực Sử, then rotates the plate to place the Heaven Plate, Human Plate, and Spirit Plate.
Trực Phù is the leading star, Trực Sử the leading gate. The book ki mon don giap dieu bi says: take the gate of the cycle leader as Trực Sử, take the star of the cycle leader as Trực Phù. For example, with the upper cycle of Giáp Tý using Yin Dun first configuration, Giáp Tý is the cycle leader, Hưu Môn is Trực Sử, and Thiên Bồng is Trực Phù. Since Giáp Tý is in Khảm, one places Hưu Môn of the Heaven Plate into Khảm and Thiên Bồng also into Khảm. In the following year Ất Sửu, Ất is in Khôn 2 and Sửu in Ly 9, so one places Hưu Môn of the Heaven Plate into Ly 9, Thiên Bồng into Khôn 2, then places the Trực Phù of the eight spirits on Thiên Bồng and moves in reverse.
Where Schools Disagree: Chuyển Bàn and Phi Bàn
This is the greatest difference among Kỳ Môn Độn Giáp schools, and learners need to know which school they follow before casting a chart.
The chuyển bàn school treats the plates as whole rotating rings. When rotating, an entire ring of stars or gates turns together, preserving the relative order of the elements. This is close to how charts are cast in classical Kỳ Môn texts, and is also how the passage in ki mon don giap dieu bi describes it: place Trực Phù and Trực Sử in position, then arrange the remaining elements along the ring.
The phi bàn school instead has elements jump along the Lạc Thư trajectory, not preserving the ring. The book Nguyen Khong Phap Giam cu tri Tri has a passage on 'flying palace inversion' and criticizes the mechanical use of flying palaces, showing that even within the tradition there was debate over flying versus rotating. This book also states clearly: some theories say that for mountain dragons one starts Tham from the sitting mountain, for flat lands one starts Tham from the four directions, and there is another theory of 'original water and no water turning method,' and it holds that such approaches have not fully grasped the essence. This is a typical example of how the same system can be read by different masters as operating in two different ways.
Additionally, the book THUẬT SỐ LẠC THƯ KỲ MÔN ĐỘN GIÁP NGUYÊN THỦY BOOK raises the question of whether there are four types of Kỳ Môn: Hour Kỳ Môn, Day Kỳ Môn, Month Kỳ Môn, and Year Kỳ Môn. This book holds that later generations believe all four exist, but the book itself examines the reasonableness of each in turn. This is another point learners should know: not everything in Kỳ Môn has been agreed upon from the start.
Foundational Concepts to Master Before Casting a Chart
According to Tuyển tập bài viết Bát Tự chọn lọc số 5, beginners need to firmly grasp the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, Five Elements, and Later Heaven Bagua along with the principles of mutual generation and overcoming before touching star placement. The book also notes that analysis by Kỳ Môn Độn Giáp requires combining knowledge of Bát Tự, Bagua, and the operating rules of the elements in the chart, in order to better understand 'heavenly timing, earthly advantage, human harmony.'
On establishing the configuration, Tuyển tập bài viết Bát Tự chọn lọc số 5 says there are 10 main configurations divided into Yang Dun and Yin Dun, each with its own star placement rules based on day and hour. The number 10 here is that document's own presentation, different from the count of 18 configurations (9 yang plus 9 yin) commonly found in books listed volume by volume such as KM chi quy Q1. Readers should compare these two counts when consulting, because while both speak of configurations, the scope of counting may differ.
One more point to note: Tuyển tập bài viết Tam Thức chọn lọc số 3 mentions nine Dun names such as Địa Độn, Thiên Độn, Nhân Độn, Thần Độn, Quỷ Độn, Long Độn, Hổ Độn, Phong Độn, and Vân Độn, and remarks that applying these Dun names is not always correct in actual military practice, because one must also consider yin and yang, gate opening and closing, and the transformations of Thiên Cầm. This is a reminder that Kỳ Môn is not a closed set of formulas but a system that must be interpreted in context.
