Jin Kou Jue: A Four-Position Chart for Quick Judgement
Jin Kou Jue is often called a lighter Da Liu Ren: it still reads time and spirits, but only four positions are laid out, and one branch, one number or one moment is enough to cast. Fewer steps, shorter conclusions.
What This Method Looks At
The casting moment fixes the monthly general; adding it to the hour gives the general position. The day stem's five-zi yuan-dun supplies the human origin, the day or night noble spirit is laid out forwards or backwards, and the earth position completes a four-position board. Generating, controlling or same-phase relations among the four are read, the used position is chosen by yin-yang order and moving lines by those relations, and the reading is tied back to the matter asked about.
What You Need to Prepare
- One specific question.
- A casting method: the current moment, a chosen earthly branch, a reported number or a random gesture — pick one of the four.
- The matching input: a branch for the earth-position method, or a number for the reported-number method.
What It Is Good For
- The present shape of an immediate matter: where the resistance is and which side is ahead.
- Short, concrete small matters: do it now or not, whom to approach first, which direction to try.
- Casting in a lighter way than Da Liu Ren.
- A clear question already in hand, with no birth data to prepare.
What It Is Not Good For
- Long-term life structure: that belongs to destiny methods, not to one lesson.
- Casting repeatedly for the same matter: one matter per lesson, and repeated casts give different lessons, not new evidence.
- Follow-ups that need an exact amount or a fixed date: the board only shows directions of influence inside the chart.
- Medical, legal or investment decisions.
What the Result Looks Like
- Casting details: the four pillars, day or night, monthly general, earth position, noble branch and void branches.
- The four-position board: the stems, branches, elements, yin-yang, seasonal strength and void status of the earth position, general, noble and human origin.
- The relations among the four: generating, controlling or same-phase for each pair.
- The used position and moving lines: the yin-yang order, the chosen position and the moving lines with their triggers.
- A board explanation and a one-line summary.
Its Limits
Jin Kou Jue is a simplified branch of Da Liu Ren, traditionally attributed to Sun Bin and widely circulated among practitioners since the Ming and Qing dynasties. A four-position board is lighter than Da Liu Ren and carries fewer layers. It shows the directions of influence inside the chart, which is not a guarantee of real-world success or failure.
Where to Start
If you have a short-term matter to ask about, go into the process here: state the question, then choose a casting method; the earth-position and reported-number methods need a branch or a number from you. In the Zhanbu Mizhi process the casting basis and the relations among the four positions are listed together.
Disclaimer: This article covers traditional culture and folk custom. It is for entertainment and self-reflection only, and does not constitute medical, psychological, investment, legal or marital decision advice. Please do not submit sensitive personal information such as ID numbers or detailed addresses. If you experience persistent insomnia, anxiety or physical discomfort, please consult a doctor or a qualified professional.
Sources
- Liuren Da Quan (Complete Compendium of the Six Ren), Wikisource: https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/六壬大全 (accessed 2026-10-25)
- Siku Quanshu Zongmu Tiyao (Annotated General Catalogue of the Complete Library in Four Branches), juan 109 (Masters section, divination category), Wikisource: https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/四庫全書總目提要/卷109 (accessed 2026-10-25)