What Is Thai At Than So and Why Is It Ranked First in Tam Thuc?
Thai At Than So, also called Thai At Than Kinh, is an ancient Eastern divination art that, together with Ky Mon Don Giap and Luc Nham, forms Tam Thuc. Within Tam Thuc, Thai At is considered the leading art, directed at macro-level matters: national fortunes, disasters, warfare, and the times. Unlike many numerology arts that lean toward individual life, the traditional focus of Thai At is national affairs.
According to old texts cited in the Tuyen Tap Bai Viet Tam Thuc collection, Thai At Than Kinh is a system for studying the movement of the universe and its influence on human life. This approach is model-based reasoning, not scientific measurement. It must be said from the start: this is ancient divination, not used to predict real events, and not a substitute for scientific forecasting or practical decisions.
What Are the Main Components of a Thai At Board?
A Thai At board is where Thai At is placed along with a series of gods, generals, stars, and palace positions. Old documents list many layers of factors, including key layers such as Thai At, Chu, Khach, Dai Tuong Chu, Dai Tuong Khach, Tham Tuong, Ke Than, Van Xuong, Thuy Kich, Tu Than, Thai Tue, Truc Phu, and Phi Phu. Each factor carries its own element, direction, and palace position, and the difficulty of this art lies in examining their interactions.
| Component | Main Role According to Old Documents |
|---|---|
| Thai At | Central subject, placed into a palace according to the calculated number |
| Chu | Inside, family, local officials, the position of staying in place |
| Khach | Outside, envoys, merchants, travelers, the position of going far |
| Dai Tuong Chu, Dai Tuong Khach | Two great generals representing the two sides, examined for Phat or Tu |
| Tham Tuong | Auxiliary general, examined in combination with the great general |
| Ke Than | Auxiliary factor, placed by earthly branch |
| Van Xuong | Literary star, can block Thai At, causing disadvantage if in the same palace |
| Thuy Kich | Sign of upheaval, disaster, invasion |
| Thai Tue | Deity governing the year, calculated by the 60-year cycle |
| Tu Than | Group of stars placed in sequence from the Kien palace to the Hoi palace |
The table above is only a listing framework, not a formula for interpretation. In ancient practice, one also had to consider numerical calculations, good and bad palace positions, and the generating and overcoming relationships among factors.
The Accumulated Years Number and How to Place Thai At into a Palace
The accumulated years number is the calculation foundation of Thai At. Old documents record methods of reducing by 360, or multiplying 12 by the accumulated number and then reducing, to find the remainder used for placement. For example, in one old document, 12 is multiplied by the accumulated number and reduced by 360, leaving a remainder of 192, and this number is further analyzed to determine position. Another example for the Ky Ty year, after calculations, yields 34 remainder 3, and this remainder is used to place gods such as Thai Am, Thien Hoang, and Thai Nhat in sequence from the Kien palace to the Hoi palace.
The calculation of Thai Tue follows a similar method: take the accumulated years number up to the year in question, subtract 60 repeatedly according to the Luc Thap Hoa Giap cycle, and the remainder determines which earthly branch Thai Tue occupies, starting from Giap Ty. For example, to find Thai Tue for the Nham Ty year (1972), one takes the corresponding accumulated years number and subtracts 60; if the remainder is 1, Thai Tue is at Giap Ty, remainder 2 is At Suu, and so on. This is a way of referencing time to a fixed origin, creating this art's own counting system.
It should be noted that old texts are not entirely consistent about the origin of the accumulated years and the reduction method. Modern students often have to compare multiple versions, and this very difference is one reason Thai At is hard to popularize.
How Are Chu and Khach Understood in Thai At?
Chu and Khach are the central pair of concepts when interpreting a Thai At chart. Chu represents the inside, family, local officials, the position of staying in place. Khach represents the outside, envoys, merchants, travelers, the position of going far. Old documents emphasize that Chu and Khach are not just positions but the interaction of time and space, meaning both the timing and the palace position and the relationships among factors are considered.
When both Chu and Khach are Phat, both sides benefit. When one side is Tu, that side is bound and disadvantaged. For instance, for someone leaving home to trade far away, if the chart has Khach Dai Tuong Phat while Chu Dai Tuong is Tu, the one who leaves will meet more favorable conditions than the one who stays. Conversely, if Chu is Phat while Khach is Tu, then doing business at home is better than going far. This method of interpretation shows that Thai At, though tied to great affairs, can still be applied to specific personal matters through the Chu and Khach reference.
One notable point is that the Chu and Khach relationship is also tied to yin and yang. Old documents have a section discussing the harmony of Chu and Khach Yin and Yang, showing that balance between the two sides is considered a favorable condition. When unbalanced, the interpretation tends toward disadvantage.
Van Xuong, Thuy Kich, and Other Key Stars
Van Xuong is an important star, often mentioned in the classic texts. Its characteristic is the ability to block Thai At: when Van is in the same palace as Thai At, old documents hold that this blockage spreads to many aspects. In the parents' palace, there is disaster and mourning for elders; in the house and land palace, much damage; in the wife and concubines palace, the wife is unsettled. This is interpretation by palace position, linking stars to each area of life.
Thuy Kich, also recorded as Moi Kich in some versions, is a star carrying the meaning of upheaval and disaster. In the book TINH QUE AT within the Thai At Than Kinh collection, Thuy Kich is explained as a state of Kich, with meanings of provocation, deceit, or being attacked from outside. When Thuy Kich appears to the left or right of Thai At, it is a sign of instability. Position determines nature: if Kich is outside, it may imply a great minister rebelling or a foreign country invading deeply; if Kich is behind, the meaning is instead trouble arising internally, tied to plots of usurpation within the palace.
Old documents also distinguish inner Kich and outer Kich. Outer Kich relates to a friendly country invading, while inner Kich relates to internal matters. The concept of Bach Kich goes further: according to section 47 of one classic, in a season of Bach Kich, weapons and war are not auspicious, meaning a state of extreme conflict, serious calamity of a military nature or invasion from outside. It must be emphasized that this is a description within an ancient divination system, not a judgment about real events.
Why Do Fewer People Study Thai At Than Ky Mon and Luc Nham?
First, Thai At is closely tied to national affairs. Its traditional focus is national fortunes, disasters, and warfare, things modern students have little need to look up. Ky Mon Don Giap and Luc Nham can be applied to more specific, closer matters, so they more easily find students.
Second, the calculation system of Thai At is heavy on the accumulated years number, reduction by 360, the 60 cycle, and placement by palace sequence. The calculation steps are long, error-prone, and require comparing many old texts. Meanwhile, materials on Thai At are fewer and more scattered than those on Ky Mon or Luc Nham.
Third, old texts are not entirely consistent about the origin of the accumulated years and some placement conventions. Students must choose a reference system and state clearly which one they follow. This is common to many ancient divination arts, but in Thai At the degree of disagreement is higher, making study harder.
Thai At in Relation to Ky Mon and Luc Nham
Within Tam Thuc, the three arts have relatively clear divisions. Thai At leans toward great affairs, national fortunes, disasters, and warfare. Ky Mon Don Giap leans toward military strategy, directions, choosing headings, used in strategy and also specific matters. Luc Nham leans toward specific matters, close to daily life. This division is a traditional convention, not an absolute boundary, since the arts can still be used crosswise.
The book Tuyen Tap Bai Viet Tam Thuc number 3 has a section discussing Dan Cap, a concept related to Nhi Muc, Van Xuong, or Thuy Kich being to the left or right of or in the same palace as Thai At, creating a pincer, holding, or blocking position. This concept also appears in Ky Mon Don Giap, showing that the arts in Tam Thuc overlap in terminology. However, the application in each art differs, so students need to distinguish the context clearly.
Reading Thai At Today: How Should It Be Understood Correctly?
Thai At Than So is an ancient system of thought about the movement of time and space, recorded over many generations. Its value lies in the history of thought and culture, not in practical predictive ability. Old texts give examples such as the Ky Dau year in the Tran Hau Chu era, or the Ky Ty year under the Chinh Thong reign of the Ming, to illustrate interpretation methods, but these are illustrations within the system, not scientific evidence.
Students should approach Thai At as an ancient divination art, reading it to understand how people of old modeled the times, not using it to decide business, health, or investment. Conclusions such as Chu wins or Khach wins, Phat or Tu, only have meaning within the system, not practical advice. Maintaining an objective attitude and avoiding extreme superstition is the most appropriate approach to a subject with a long history but lacking verifiable foundation.
