TL;DR: Phi Liêm is the seventh of twelve stars in the Bác Sỹ ring, which starts from the palace containing Lộc Tồn rather than belonging to the Thái Tuế ring or the Tứ Linh set. Classical texts record Phi Liêm as Fire in element and governing solitude, while Tử Vi kinh nghiệm quyển hạ states "Phi meets Hổ: Hổ flies" when Phi Liêm shares a palace with Bạch Hổ. It is a secondary star, so its meaning must be read according to the palace and the main stars accompanying it, not isolated for conclusions.
What is Phi Liêm and which ring does it belong to?
Phi Liêm is the seventh star in the Bác Sỹ ring, one of the secondary star rings in tử vi. This ring consists of twelve stars in order: Bác Sỹ, Lực Sĩ, Thanh Long, Tiểu Hao, Tướng Quân, Tấu Thư, Phi Liêm, Hỷ Thần, Bệnh Phù, Đại Hao, Phục Binh, Quan Phủ. The book Tử Vi Đẩu Số Toàn Thư, volume two, section "An mười hai cung thái tuế sát lộc" states: "To know the fate of male or female, start from Lộc Tồn, yang male and yin female go forward, yin male and yang female go backward"[1]. This means the star ring starts at the palace containing Lộc Tồn, not from the Thái Tuế palace. The section title contains "thái tuế" but this is only an old naming convention; the ring is still placed according to Lộc Tồn.
According to Tử Vi Đẩu Số Toàn Thư, Phi Liêm belongs to the Fire element and governs solitude[1]. The same book also records "Phi Liêm governs solitude, Hỷ Thần governs joy" in the passage discussing the twelve stars of this ring[1].
How to place the Bác Sỹ ring
The placement of the Bác Sỹ ring depends on the position of Lộc Tồn and the yin-yang gender of the person:
- Bác Sỹ starts at the palace containing Lộc Tồn.
- Yang male and yin female go clockwise from Bác Sỹ.
- Yin male and yang female go counterclockwise.
Specific example: male born on 15/5/1990, Thìn hour. Lộc Tồn of the year Canh Ngọ 1990 is at the Thân palace, so Bác Sỹ is also at Thân. Since this is a yang male, the ring goes forward: Lực Sĩ at Dậu, Thanh Long at Tuất, Tiểu Hao at Hợi, Tướng Quân at Tý, Tấu Thư at Sửu, Phi Liêm at Dần. At the Dần palace, Phi Liêm shares the palace with Bạch Hổ of the Thái Tuế ring; this is the case of "Phi Liêm meets Bạch Hổ" that Tử Vi kinh nghiệm quyển hạ calls "Hổ bay" (Flying Tiger)[2].
Note: these are two stars from two different rings coincidentally sharing a palace, not a fixed star combination. Bạch Hổ belongs to the Thái Tuế ring, Phi Liêm belongs to the Bác Sỹ ring. Whether they meet depends entirely on the age and gender of each chart.
Table of the twelve stars of the Bác Sỹ ring
| Order | Star name | Element | Position (example: male born 15/5/1990, Thìn hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bác Sỹ | Water | Thân |
| 2 | Lực Sĩ | Fire | Dậu |
| 3 | Thanh Long | Wood | Tuất |
| 4 | Tiểu Hao | Fire | Hợi |
| 5 | Tướng Quân | Wood | Tý |
| 6 | Tấu Thư | Metal | Sửu |
| 7 | Phi Liêm | Fire | Dần |
| 8 | Hỷ Thần | Fire | Mão |
| 9 | Bệnh Phù | (not recorded) | Thìn |
| 10 | Đại Hao | Fire | Tỵ |
| 11 | Phục Binh | Fire | Ngọ |
| 12 | Quan Phủ | (not recorded) | Mùi |
Note the name of the tenth star. Tử Vi Đẩu Số Toàn Thư calls it Thiên Hao (天耗)[1], while Tử Vi kinh nghiệm quyển hạ uses the name Đại Hao[2]. These are two different names for the same position in the ring, not two separate stars. Readers should know this to avoid confusion when cross-referencing documents.
Regarding the five elements, Tử Vi Đẩu Số Toàn Thư clearly records Phi Liêm as Fire[1]. Tử Vi kinh nghiệm quyển hạ also records Phi Liêm as Fire[2].
Is Phi Liêm part of the Tứ Linh set?
Phi Liêm is not part of the Tứ Linh set. Tứ Linh is a set of four stars: Long Trì, Phượng Các, Bạch Hổ, and Hoa Cái, often referred to as "Long Phượng Hổ Cái". These four stars are placed according to their own rules, not within the Bác Sỹ ring.
Tử Vi kinh nghiệm quyển hạ states "Tứ Linh surround Mệnh (Long, Phượng, Cái, Hổ)"[2], confirming these four stars form the Tứ Linh set. The book also notes "Long meets Phượng, Hỷ is also good"[2], meaning when Long Trì meets Phượng Các and Hỷ Thần joins, it is auspicious. This is a combination of stars from the Tứ Linh set and stars from the Bác Sỹ ring, not Phi Liêm itself belonging to Tứ Linh.
Regarding placement, Long Trì and Phượng Các are placed according to birth year: "Long Trì starts from Thìn forward, Phượng Các starts from Tuất backward"[1]. Bạch Hổ and Hoa Cái are placed according to the Thái Tuế ring. None of these four stars relate to Lộc Tồn or the Bác Sỹ ring.
What does Phi Liêm meeting Bạch Hổ mean?
When Phi Liêm shares a palace with Bạch Hổ, Tử Vi kinh nghiệm quyển hạ calls this phenomenon "Hổ bay"[2]. The book states: "Phi meets Hổ: Hổ flies, Hỷ meets Phượng, Phượng dances"[2]. This is a figurative expression describing the combination of two stars.
Understanding the nature correctly: Phi Liêm belongs to the Bác Sỹ ring, Bạch Hổ belongs to the Thái Tuế ring. These two stars only meet when the placement positions of the two rings coincide at one palace. This is not a fixed star combination that can be looked up by age, but a coincidental result of star placement.
Regarding the meaning of "Hổ bay", Tử Vi kinh nghiệm quyển hạ does not explain in detail in this passage[2]. Different tử vi books may have different interpretations. Readers should consult multiple sources before drawing conclusions.
Why is Phi Liêm often misinterpreted?
Phi Liêm is often confused with Liêm Trinh, a main star in the tử vi system. These two stars have similar names but are completely different in nature and position in the chart.
Liêm Trinh is a main star, belonging to the Tử Vi star group, with an important role in interpretation. Tử Vi Đẩu Số Toàn Thư records Liêm Trinh as Fire, "transforms into prison punishment, at Quan Lộc is the Quan Lộc lord, at Thân Mệnh is secondary peach blossom"[1]. The book Vương Đình Chi đàm Đẩu Số has a passage about Liêm Trinh: "Touching it cannot resolve its disaster, meeting it cannot fathom its fortune", meaning encountering it cannot resolve disasters, meeting it cannot fully anticipate blessings[3]. This passage is about Liêm Trinh, not Phi Liêm.
Phi Liêm is a secondary star, belonging to the Bác Sỹ ring, playing only a supporting role in interpretation. Phi Liêm's meaning is much lighter than Liêm Trinh's and the two should not be equated.
How to interpret Phi Liêm correctly?
The general principle when interpreting a secondary star like Phi Liêm is to place it in the context of the whole chart, not isolate it for conclusions.
First, determine the palace where Phi Liêm resides. The same Phi Liêm star, when at Mệnh, Tật Ách, Tài Bạch, or Phu Thê, will have different meanings. Tử Vi kinh nghiệm quyển hạ records some interpretations related to Phi Liêm in specific palaces[2], but readers need to cross-reference with other stars in the palace for a complete conclusion.
Second, examine the main and secondary stars accompanying it. Phi Liêm belongs to the Fire element, governing solitude according to Tử Vi Đẩu Số Toàn Thư[1]. When accompanied by auspicious stars, the solitude quality may lessen. When accompanied by malefic stars, this quality may increase.
Third, examine the tam hợp palaces and the opposite palace. In tử vi, a palace is never interpreted alone but must be viewed with all three tam hợp palaces and the opposite palace.
Fourth, examine the major and minor periods. Phi Liêm may not be important at Mệnh but becomes notable when entering a period.
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestions
This section is Nhật Nguyệt's interpretation and suggestions, not the teachings of classical texts.
When consulting a tử vi chart and encountering Phi Liêm, you can follow these steps:
- Step one: determine Phi Liêm's position by placing the Bác Sỹ ring from Lộc Tồn. Check yin-yang gender to choose forward or backward direction.
- Step two: note the palace where Phi Liêm resides and the stars sharing the palace. Pay special attention if Phi Liêm shares the palace with Bạch Hổ, this is the "Hổ bay" case mentioned in Tử Vi kinh nghiệm quyển hạ[2].
- Step three: place Phi Liêm in the context of the whole palace, examine the main and secondary stars accompanying it before making judgments.
- Step four: consult multiple book sources because different tử vi schools may have different interpretations of the same star.
The most important thing is not to rely on a single secondary star to draw conclusions about a person's fate, personality, or finances. Phi Liêm is only a small piece in the overall picture of the chart.
