Treatise on Armament Technology

Calling the names of these deities refers to invoking the specific star positioned in the heavens above the gate through which one departs.
The "deities" refer to the Nine Stars, such as the Heavenly CanopyOriginal: Tianpeng. One of the nine celestial bodies in Dunjia divination, usually associated with the north and the element of water; in a military context, it represents the "Direct Symbol" or chief commander of the stars for certain cycles. and its companions.
Their specific names appear earlier in this text.

For example, consider the first Upper Cycle of the Yang EscapeOriginal: Yangdun. The half of the year following the Winter Solstice when the solar energy is increasing. This dictates the clockwise or "forward" movement of numbers in the divination charts. Arrangement 1 during the Winter Solstice. On a day designated by the stems Jia or Ji, at the dawn hour of Bingyin, the "Six Bing" stem is located in the 8th Palace. In the heavens, the "Six Jia" Direct SymbolOriginal: Zhifu. The primary guiding spirit or "chief" of the current time cycle in a Dunjia chart.—the Heavenly Canopy star—is also positioned over the 8th Palace. If you intend to travel toward the Northeast, you should call out the deity’s secret name, Ziqin. Walk sixty paces, turn to the left, and enter the Great YinOriginal: Taiyin. In Chinese metaphysics, this represents a position of extreme concealment, shadow, and divine protection, often used by generals to move troops without being detected by the enemy.. In this configuration, two "branches" ahead, the Great Yin overlooks the 4th Palace in the Southeast. In the heavens, the Six DingThe "Six Ding" are six female spirits (Jade Maidens) in Daoist lore who govern the "Yin" or hidden aspects of the sexagenary cycle and are frequently invoked for protection and invisibility. overlook the 6th Palace in the Northwest. Moving from the true Northwest and turning left toward the Southeast, all is within the protection of the Great Yin.

Calling the Names of the Deities of the Ten Heavenly Stems Associated with the Hour of Departure

The Classic of the Three Primes states: Whenever setting out, one may call the names of the deities associated with the Ten Heavenly StemsThe Ten Stems (Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, etc.) are the core cyclical characters used in the Chinese calendar. In this tradition, each stem is personified as a protective deity. for that specific hour. For instance, Jia is known as the deity Heavenly Blessing.