Da Liu Ren month general: Zhongqi boundaries versus lunar month
Learn how the Da Liu Ren month general changes at Zhongqi boundaries, why it differs from the lunar month branch, and how to reproduce one Great Fortune Chou example in the tool.
The Da Liu Ren month general follows the Sun's Zhongqi interval, not the numbered lunar month or its month branch. Fix the question time first, then compare it with the exact Zhongqi boundary before placing the month general over the hour.
Open the Lingtai Da Liu Ren tool with the fixed example and compare its month general, hour branch, heaven plate and four lessons.
Open toolMonth general and lunar month are different fields
The lunar month is organized by new moons and calendar month numbering. The Da Liu Ren month general follows a solar Zhongqi interval. Their branch names are related historically, but one cannot be copied directly into the other field.
A calendar can therefore remain in the same lunar month while the month general changes at an exact Zhongqi time. On a boundary date, the hour and minute matter more than the date label alone.
| Field | Boundary | Role in the chart |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar month | New-moon calendar and month numbering | Calendar date and month branch context |
| Month general 月将 | Exact Zhongqi interval | Placed over the divination hour to establish the heaven plate |
| Divination hour 占时 | Adjusted question time | Anchor over which the month general is placed |
Use the twelve Zhongqi intervals
Each row begins at the named Zhongqi and continues until the next Zhongqi. The intermediate Jie date does not switch the month general. For example, the Great Fortune Chou interval begins at Winter Solstice and continues through Moderate Cold until Great Cold.
The English names are reading aids. Keep the Chinese branch and formal general name when comparing the Lingtai output or a traditional table.
| Zhongqi starting the interval | Month general | Branch |
|---|---|---|
| Rain Water 雨水 | Deng Ming 登明 | Hai 亥 |
| Vernal Equinox 春分 | He Kui 河魁 | Xu 戌 |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 | Cong Kui 从魁 | You 酉 |
| Lesser Fullness 小满 | Chuan Song 传送 | Shen 申 |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 | Xiao Ji 小吉 | Wei 未 |
| Great Heat 大暑 | Sheng Guang 胜光 | Wu 午 |
| End of Heat 处暑 | Tai Yi 太乙 | Si 巳 |
| Autumnal Equinox 秋分 | Tian Gang 天罡 | Chen 辰 |
| Frost Descent 霜降 | Tai Chong 太冲 | Mao 卯 |
| Lesser Snow 小雪 | Gong Cao 功曹 | Yin 寅 |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 | Da Ji 大吉 | Chou 丑 |
| Great Cold 大寒 | Shen Hou 神后 | Zi 子 |
If another lineage or tool publishes a different boundary table, record that method before comparing charts.
Reproduce Great Fortune Chou on 1 January 2026
Use the demonstration question “Can this project collaboration move forward?”, 1 January 2026 at 08:00, longitude 120°E and UTC+8. At the 120° reference longitude the Lingtai Da Liu Ren summary applies zero minutes of longitude correction and keeps Chen hour.
HKO places Winter Solstice at 23:03 on 21 December 2025 and Great Cold at 09:45 on 20 January 2026, both UTC+8. The fixed input lies between them, so the tool returns the Chou branch and the formal name Great Fortune Chou, 大吉丑.
| Checkpoint | Value |
|---|---|
| Question time | 2026-01-01 08:00 · UTC+8 |
| Longitude | 120°E · zero-minute longitude correction |
| Previous Zhongqi | Winter Solstice · 2025-12-21 23:03 |
| Next Zhongqi | Great Cold · 2026-01-20 09:45 |
| Engine branch | Chou 丑 |
| Displayed month general | Great Fortune Chou 大吉丑 |
| Divination hour | Chen 辰 |
This is a reproducible calculation example, not a customer divination.
Check the boundary minute before placing the heaven plate
A time just before Great Cold remains in the Great Fortune Chou interval; a time just after it enters the Divine Ruler Zi interval. The boundary must be converted to the same time zone and time convention as the question input before comparison.
Lingtai's current Da Liu Ren time summary applies longitude correction relative to 120°E but does not add the equation of time or historical daylight-saving rules. Keep that limitation visible when using an overseas or boundary example.
| Question time in UTC+8 | Interval | Month general |
|---|---|---|
| Before 2026-01-20 09:45 | Winter Solstice → Great Cold | 大吉丑 |
| At or after 2026-01-20 09:45 | Great Cold → Rain Water | 神后子 |
The table explains the documented boundary; always verify the exact engine output at the transition minute.
Continue from month general to four lessons and transmissions
Once the month general and divination hour are fixed, verify the heaven plate and four lessons generated by the same chart. Do not swap the month-general value without recalculating the downstream structure.
The month general is a chart-construction input, not a good-or-bad score. Read the four lessons and three transmissions as separate structural fields, and do not use traditional divination as a guarantee for legal, financial, health or safety outcomes.
Open the Lingtai Da Liu Ren tool with the fixed example and compare its month general, hour branch, heaven plate and four lessons.
References used for verification
- 《六壬大全》公开文本
- 大连市图书馆《大六壬大全》馆藏资料
- liuren-ts-lib calculation engine
- Hong Kong Observatory Almanac 2025
- Hong Kong Observatory Almanac 2026
This guide was checked against the public references above and the fields available in the matching tool. Traditional interpretations are cultural references, not professional advice.
Short answers
Is the Da Liu Ren month general the lunar month branch?
No. The month general follows a Zhongqi interval; the lunar month is organized by new moons and calendar month numbering.
Why does 1 January 2026 use Great Fortune Chou?
It falls after Winter Solstice and before Great Cold in the stated UTC+8 example, so the interval uses 大吉丑.
Does the month general change at every solar term?
No. In this method it changes at the twelve Zhongqi boundaries, not at the intermediate Jie dates.