Four Pillars of Destiny has its origin in the Shang dynasty which
was in ancient China from B.C. 1600 to 1050. The Shang dynasty transferred
the capital to Yin of a Yellow River down-stream region in the last
stage, therefore this dynasty is often called the Yin dynasty. The
Yin was the agricultural society based on slavery, and the king
reigned over the land and people using the divination as heavenly
will. It was at the beginning of the 20th century that many shells
of tortoises and bones of animals were unearthed from the ruins
in Anyang. Various inscriptions in archaic Chinese language can
be seen on these flat cattle bones and tortoise carapaces. And various
records of prediction made by the fortune-tellers of those days
regarding this Yin dynasty were also included in these fragments.
It seems that moreover, in those days, there were the Yin Yang principle
similar to dualism, the Five Elements as physical properties, and
the Ten Stems and Twelve Branches as numerals of Chinese calendar.
All these prove that there was already the origin of the thought
and calendar of the Chinese horoscope in the last stage of this
ancient dynasty.
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Ancient China from B.C. 771 to 221 is called the Spring Autumn and
Warring tates period. This era can be divided into the Spring and
Autumn period from B.C. 771 to 403 when the control power of the
ruler by slavery was gradually lost, and the Warring States period
from B.C. 403 to 221 when some small countries fought mutually and
were vying in hegemony. In this time, science and technology greatly
progressed and the foundation of the Chinese philosophy was also
built. In the field of technology, ironware began to be produced,
farm implements were therefore improved, and astronomical research
also progressed. Moreover, the accurate calendar based on the movement
of the sun was made mainly for the agricultural purpose. In the
field of thought or philosophy, change of things became the main
theme. Circulation of the four seasons symbolized by the winter
solstice and summer solstice, or causal relationship between nature
and man. These things attracted the interest of people of those
days. Furthermore, the prosperity and decline of dynasties were
explained using the Five Elements, Wood, Fire, Soil, Metal, and
Water. And Ying Yang and the Five Elements which have both the origins
in the Ying dynasty were united in this time of war, were combined
with the solar calendar, and became the basic principles of this
Chinese astrology.
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