Complete Compendium of Five-Star and Three-Fate Astrology, Volume 1 (1657) - Page 20

The Five Elements in Self-Failure original: 五行自敗 (Wǔxíng zì bài). Pillars where the inherent element is naturally in the 'Bath' or 'Failure' stage, indicating inherent vulnerability.		Fixed Rules for Self-Sickness original: 自病定例 (Zì bìng dìnglì). Standard combinations where the element is naturally in a state of decline or 'Sickness'.					The Five Elements Not Being Born original: 五行不生 (Wǔxíng bù shēng). Cases where the expected generative energy of an element is absent.		Fixed Rules for Not Prospering original: 不旺定例 (Bù wàng dìnglì). Pillars that fail to reach their full energetic peak.
Yi-You Water	Ren-Zi Wood	Ding-Mao Fire	Si-You original: 巳酉. Likely a woodblock error for Ji-You (己酉). Earth	Not Born	Not Failing	Wu-Shen Water	Jia-Yin Fire	Yi-Si Metal	Xin-Hhai Wood	Geng-Shen Earth
Jia-Yin Water	Ji-Si Wood	Bing-Shen Fire	Wu-Yin Earth	Not Prospering	Not Sick	Geng-Zhi Water	Bing-Wu Fire	Ding-You Metal	Gui-Mao Wood	Ren-Zi Earth
Yi-Mao Water	Ren-Wu Wood	Ding-You Fire	Ji-Mao Earth	Not in Repository original: 不墓 (Bù mù). Indicates the element is not 'stored' or 'buried' in the usual branch.	Not Dying	Bing-Chen Water	Ren-Xu Fire	Si-Chou original: 巳丑. Likely a woodblock error for Ji-Chou (己丑). Metal	Yi-Wei Wood	Wu-Chen Earth
Gui-Si Water	Geng-Shen Wood	Yi-Hai Fire	Ding-Si Earth	Not at Official Career Stage original: 不臨官 (Bù lín guān). Missing the stage associated with peak maturity and employment.	Not Exhausted	Ding-Hai Water	Gui-Si Fire	Bing-Shen Metal	Ren-Yin Wood	Si-Hai original: 巳亥. Likely a woodblock error for Ji-Hai (己亥). Earth

The Twelve Stages of Life (長生十二神) represent the metaphorical cycle of an element's strength, moving from 'Birth' through 'Prosperity' to 'Sickness', 'Death', and eventually 'Exhaustion' before being reborn. This table identifies specific astrological combinations (pillars) that naturally reside in these weakened states.

The term "Melodic Elements" (納音, Nayin) refers to a complex system where a pair of celestial stems and earthly branches is assigned a specific element that may differ from its component parts. For example, Yi (Wood) and You (Metal) combined are read as Water.