In Chinese mythology, Pangu (盘古) is a legendary figure associated with the creation of the universe and the world. Pangu is a central character in Chinese creation myths, and his story is often used to explain the origins of the cosmos. According to the myth, Pangu emerged from a cosmic egg and, with his efforts, separated the heavens from the earth, bringing order to the primordial chaos. This story is fundamental to understanding Chinese cosmology and the mythological origins of the universe.

Fuxi is a legendary figure in Chinese mythology and Chinese metaphysics. He is credited with several cultural and metaphysical contributions that have had a lasting impact on Chinese culture. These contributions include the invention of fishing, trapping, and hunting tools; the introduction of music, writing, and divination; and the establishment of early moral and social codes.

Born in the Hubei (湖北) region, Zhang Nan (张楠) is an accomplished astronomer and a scholar of the Eight Characters of Zi Ping (子平八字). He wrote several divinatory discourse books with strong references to Xu Zi Ping’s Eight Characters of Zi Ping system. His notable works include “Passing the Godly Peak”《神峰通考》. Zhang Nan’s contributions significantly enhanced the understanding and application of the Eight Characters system in Chinese metaphysics.

Yu Chun Tai (余春台) was a linguistic scholar who wrote “Alternative Calculation of 8 Characters”《穷通宝鉴》. This work was a distilled and reorganised compilation of knowledge from the manuscript “The Complete Guide of Lan Jiang”《栏江网》. His book significantly contributed to the completion stage of Chinese Metaphysics system development during the later Qing Dynasty period.

Born in the Northern Song region, Xu Zi Ping (徐子平), originally named Ju Yi (居易), was an accomplished astronomer well-versed in reading star signs and authoring many divinatory discourse books. Xu Zi Ping based his study of the Four Pillars of Fate calculations on “Li Xuzhong’s Book of Fate”《李虚中命书》. He developed his complete version of the Four Pillars of Fate system and wrote “Vastness of Zi Ping”《渊海子平》. The primary difference between the two Four Pillars of Fate calculation systems is their focus. Li Xuzhong emphasised the year’s Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (HsEb) as the main focus of a person’s fate, with the month and day HsEb as supporting elements. In contrast, Xu Zi Ping’s theory and system placed the person’s Day Master (HsEb) at the centre of Fate and character analysis, with the other three pillars’ HsEb combination serving as supporting elements. He renamed the Four Pillars of HsEb to “Eight Characters” (八字), a term that remains commonly used for the calculation system today. The book “Vastness of Zi Ping”《渊海子平》significantly contributed to the development of Chinese Metaphysics during the Northern Song Dynasty period. Many translated and illustrated copies of this title have been widely circulated among practitioners and enthusiasts alike.

Born in Ming’s Du Si (大明都司) county, which is today’s Hebei (河北) region, Wan Min Ying (万民英), born as Ru Hao (儒豪), was an accomplished astronomer, well-versed in reading star signs, and passionate about philanthropy and education. He wrote the “Comprehensive Guide of Three Fates”《三命通会》, which significantly contributed to the near completion stage of Chinese metaphysics system development in the early Ming Dynasty period.

Tao Hongjing (陶弘景) (456–536 AD), courtesy name Tongming (通明), was a Chinese alchemist, astronomer, calligrapher, military general, musician, physician, pharmacologist, and writer during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420–589). He authored the book “Review of the Three Fates”《三命抄略》, contributing significantly to the understanding and development of Chinese metaphysics and alchemical practices. Tao Hongjing’s diverse expertise and literary contributions have left a lasting impact on various fields of Chinese knowledge and culture.

Sun Seng Hua (孙僧化), born in the North Wei region, was a skilled astronomer and expert in reading star signs. He authored several divinatory discourse books, including “Book on One’s Lot in Life”《禄命书》, which contributed significantly to the development of the Chinese Metaphysics science system during the Sui Dynasty. Particularly noteworthy was his contribution to the conceptualisation of the prenatal stage of this system, enhancing the understanding of an individual’s fate from conception onwards.

Shen Xiao Zhan (沈孝瞻) authored the “Comprehensive Guide of Zi Ping”《子平真诠》after referencing many great literature such as “Comprehensive Guide of Three Fates”《三命通会》and “Vastness of Zi Ping”《渊海子平》. He published his book after he felt he had thoroughly understood Xu Zi Ping’s work. His book significantly contributed to the completion stage of the Chinese metaphysics system development during the Qing Dynasty period.

Luo Lu Zi (珞录子) was an accomplished scholar during the Warring States period, supposedly contemporaneous with the legendary Guiguzi Wang Yu (鬼谷子 王诩). His book “Luo Lu Zi’s Three Fate Messages”《珞录子三命消息赋》greatly contributed to the initiation of the Four Pillar calculation system study. This book was extensively referenced by subsequent scholars and practitioners in the study of the Four Pillars of Fate, making it a foundational work in Chinese metaphysics.

Lü Cai (吕才) was an accomplished scholar, naturalist, musician, and agnostic from Bozhou (now part of Shandong province). His work “Expressions of One’s Lot in Life” (叙禄命) criticised the idea of predestined fate based on appearance and bone structure. He rejected the mysterious interpretation of Qi energy in Yin-Yang theory, proposing instead that it is a natural phenomenon observable in living matter. Lü Cai’s ideas helped scholars recognise Qi energy as a natural material, subject to the laws of the world and open to scientific study. His contributions significantly advanced the understanding of Qi within the framework of natural science.

Born in today’s Zhejiang (浙江) region, Liu Ji (刘基), commonly known as Liu Bo Wen (刘伯温), was a highly accomplished astronomer and diviner. He became a national scholar after passing the central government final examination at the tender age of 19, and he was praised for being just and impartial by the people he served. Liu Bo Wen later rejected promotions and left his position as a government official to study and research in his hometown. Despite subsequent political troubles, he returned to his hometown to focus on his studies. At the age of 48, he accepted an invitation to assist the Ming Dynasty’s Hong Wu Emperor Zhu Yuan Zhang (朱元璋) in conquering the Song Dynasty and starting the new Ming era.

Liu Bo Wen wrote “Essence of Heaven” 《滴天髓》, which famously captured nearly the full completion of Traditional Chinese Metaphysics. This book is one of the five legendary works in the study of Traditional Chinese Metaphysics within the Eight Characters of Zi Ping system, contributing significantly to the development and near-completion of this system during the Ming Dynasty period.

Lee Xu Zhong (李虛中), also known as Changrong (常容), was a respected diviner and scholar from the Wei region. He wrote many divinatory discourse books and edited Sima Jizhu’s (司马季主) nine-chapter book of the obscure with his interpretations, resulting in “Li Xuzhong’s Book of Fate” (李虛中命书). This work made him the forefather of the Four Pillars of Fate study (四柱命理学), which added a fifth pillar element of Prenatal Spirit (胎元), Na-Yin (纳音), and Twelve Gods (神煞) to the previous Three Pillars model. He also introduced the concept of luck to the Four Pillars calculation model. His most famous work can be found in the “Four Depositories of Literature” (四库全书) compiled during the Qing dynasty.

Guo Pu (郭璞), also known as Jing Chun (景纯), was an accomplished astronomer, diviner, philologist, and scholar from East County (now part of Shanxi province). His book “Jade Refined Scripture” 《玉照定真经》was referenced by Xu Zi Ping (徐子平) and Zhang Yong (张顒) and was a significant inspiration for the development of the Four Pillar calculation system, which Xu Zi Ping completed in the 10th century. Guo Pu also wrote “Jade Refined Divinity Scripture” 《玉照神应真经》, which was also referenced by Xu Zi Ping. These books contributed significantly to the development of Traditional Life/Fate science in the Northern Song Dynasty. Guo Pu’s works, along with other books such as “Li Xuzhong’s Book of Fate” 《李虚中命书》, were instrumental in starting the study of the Four Pillar calculation system.

Guan Lu (管辂), a character in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, wrote several texts that are now lost to history. These texts included “A Method of Contacting Spirits using the Yi Jing” (周易通灵诀), “Summary of a Method of Contacting Spirits using the Yi Jing” (周易通灵要诀), “A Classic on Destroying Manias” (破躁经), “Winnowing Divination” (占箕), “Yang Water Spiritual Discourse” (大六壬管辂神书), and “Heavenly Yang Formula” (天阳诀). Although the texts themselves are lost, their titles have been recorded in historical accounts.