What Is Heavenly Joy (Tian Xi)?
In a Nutshell
The clash branch of the Red Matchmaker, named together with it; note that the classical texts also record a different "Heavenly Joy Spirit" found from the season — a separate system.
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| How to find it | The Red Matchmaker's clash: Zi years → You; Chou → Shen; Yin → Wei; Mao → Wu; Chen → Si; Si → Chen; Wu → Mao; Wei → Yin; Shen → Chou; You → Zi; Xu → Hai; Hai → Xu |
| Reference | The year branch, paired with the Red Matchmaker |
| Other system | The *San Ming Tong Hui*'s "Heavenly Joy Spirit" is found from the season (spring → Xu, summer → Chou, autumn → Chen, winter → Wei) — do not mix the two |
What is Heavenly Joy?
Heavenly Joy (Tian Xi), also called the "Heavenly Joy Star," is a Symbolic Star in the Four Pillars found together with the Red Matchmaker (Hong Luan, Red Matchmaker): take the branch directly opposite the Red Matchmaker. Concretely: Zi years look for You, Chou for Shen, Yin for Wei, Mao for Wu, Chen for Si, Si for Chen, Wu for Mao, Wei for Yin, Shen for Chou, You for Zi, Xu for Hai, and Hai for Xu. Once you know where the Red Matchmaker sits, its clash gives you Heavenly Joy — the rule is refreshingly simple.
Traditional texts associate Heavenly Joy with celebration and reunion, and it is usually discussed with the Red Matchmaker in yearly fortunes. Two notes are in order. First, this year-branch method's classical source is [to be verified]; it is the standard used by modern chart software. Second, the *San Ming Tong Hui*, juan 3, "On Heavenly and Monthly Virtue" (Lùn Tiān Yuè Dé), records a different "Heavenly Joy Spirit" found from the season — spring looks for Xu, summer for Chou, autumn for Chen, winter for Wei — which is an entirely separate system and must not be confused with the year-branch method. This site uses the year-branch method and notes it on the tool's result page. The "Heavenly Joy Spirit" quotation has been checked against a public collated edition of the Ming Wan Mingying text.
MoZhu's Symbolic Stars lookup tool marks Heavenly Joy by the year-branch method; see our Red Matchmaker entry to compare the two positions. A Symbolic Star is only a reference. This page covers the finding rule and the two-system distinction; it draws no conclusions from the star.
Classical sources
"In addition there is the Heavenly Joy spirit: in spring Xu, in summer Chou, in autumn Chen, in winter Wei; meeting it brings rejoicing."
Plain words: A second, season-based Heavenly Joy: spring Xu, summer Chou, autumn Chen, winter Wei. It is a different system from the year-branch method above.
Source: *San Ming Tong Hui*, Book 3, "On Heavenly and Monthly Virtue" (Siku Quanshu edition; one modern edition misprints Xu as Wu) — original: 此外又有天喜神，春戌，夏丑，秋辰、冬未，遇者主欢欣。
*For entertainment purposes only.*