The favorable and unfavorable lists are not written by hand for each day. They are derived from the day’s stem and branch through a fixed set of classical rules: the elements of the two characters, their position in the lunar month, and the standard tables of combinations, clashes and the day’s “spirits” (神煞). Given the same date, any competent almanac produces the same 宜/忌 list — which is why the system is called deterministic.
The main inputs
- The day’s elements — the stem and branch each carry an element; their relationship to the month’s element sets the day’s basic character (supporting, draining, clashing or neutral).
- Combinations — when the day’s branch allies with the month (the six combinations and the triads), the day is marked favorable for cooperative activities: marriage, partnership, signing.
- Clashes and breaks — when the day’s branch opposes the month or the year (the six clashes, the penal and break tables), the day is marked unfavorable for the activities those energies disrupt.
- The day’s officers (神煞) — the classical system names each day’s presiding influences — the “good” and “bad” stars — which sharpen the list: a day with the wealth star favors business; a day with the death star warns against medical procedures.
How to use the lists well
The healthiest reading of 宜/忌 is informative, not binding: the day’s character is a real, computable feature of the calendar, and knowing it adds a considered second opinion to scheduling — the way a sailor checks the tide. Use it for the movable decisions: the move, the launch, the signing, the journey. Do not let it override a professional’s advice or a fixed deadline.
The cultural point
The tradition itself presents 宜/忌 as guidance for harmony, not fate: the almanac’s classical preface says the calendar is for choosing the fitting moment — and that the wise use the day’s character rather than submit to it. That is the attitude OmniDraco’s almanac page carries: computed, explained, and left to your judgement.
Dig deeper: the feng shui compass — free, deterministic and in plain English.