On What Is Stored in the Branches Coming Clear Through the Luck (Zhi Zhong Xi Ji Feng Yun Tou Qing)

When the Luck Calls Out What the Branch Stores

A branch keeps its gods hidden, so their like and dislike only take effect when something calls them out. Shen's term for this is 'coming clear': chen and wei store wealth, and a luck showing wu brings that wealth into play. The chapter then widens into his general working method — read every stem against every branch, since branches are where stems are born and stems are what branches put to use, and the same character can serve quite different gods.