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Xuannüjing 玄女經

Jun 12, 2013 © Ulrich Theobald

Xuannüjing 玄女經 "Classic of the Mysterious Maiden" is an ancient book on prognostication. It is also called with the voluminous title Huangdi shou sanzi xuannü jing 黃帝授三子玄女經. The imperial bibliography Jingji zhi 經籍志 in the official dynastic history Suishu 隋書 lists the book Xuannü shijing yaofa 玄女式經要法 among the master of the Five Agents (wuxing jia 五行家). This book is concerned with prognostication for the day of marriage.

The Huangdi shou sanzi xuannü jing is included in the series Daozang 道藏 (the Daoist Canon), Daozang juyao 道藏舉要, Xiao shisanjing 小十三經, Yimen guangdu 夷門廣牘, Jindai mishu 津逮秘書, Yihai zhuchen 藝海珠塵, Yingyin Yuan-Ming shanben congshu 景印元明善本叢書, Pingjinguan congshu 平津館叢書 and (with the short title) in the Shuofu 說郛 (Wanwei Shantang 宛委山堂 edition).

Quotation 1. Huangdi shou sanzi xuannü jing 黃帝授三子玄女經
天一所在甲戊,庚旦大吉,夕小吉。乙巳晝神後,夜傳送,丙丁旦登明,暮從魁,六辛晝勝先,夜功曹,壬癸晝太一,夜太衝。 When the Heavenly One is residing in Jia and Wu (see Celestial Stems and Terrestrial Branches), things are very auspicious in the morning of Geng [days], and slightly auspicious in the evening. On the day Yisi, the daytime spirit follows, and at night, it is transmitted and sent back. On the morning of Bing and Ding [days], light rises, and in the evening, it follows the leading star. During the six [days] Xin, there is a victory over the previous one, and at night, there is the function of a minister. On the [days] Ren and Gui, Tai Yi is prevalent during the day and Tai Chong at night.
占與人期會,天罡臨日辰者,會在日辰前為已過,在日辰後為未至。又神在門,會行人未,主人近行在外已至,主人遠行在內未至。 When divining for a meeting with someone, if the Celestial General (i.e., the Great Dipper) is near the day Chen, if it is before that day, it indicates that the meeting has already passed; if after that day, it indicates that it has not yet arrived. Additionally, if the spirit is at the door, if a traveller is near, the host will have arrived, but if the traveller is far away, the host has not yet arrived.
(罡加孟,神在內,加仲在門,加季在外。) (When the Celestial General is associated with the first month of a season, the spirit is inside; when it is associated with the middle month, it is at the door; and when it is associated with the last day of a season, it is outside.)
天罡、大吉加午未者,喚人必來。非此者,凶。時上見王相必來,相剋無氣來。 If the Celestial General and Great Auspice are associated with Wu and Wei, the summoned person is sure to come. If it is not this way, it will be inauspicious. If the time shows the king and minister, they are sure to arrive; if there is mutual conflict, there will be no energy present.

Other books with the alternative title Xuannüjing belong to medical texts dealing with the art of the bedchamber, like the texts Sunüjing 素女經, Yufang mijue 玉房秘訣 (Yufang bijue 玉房祕訣), Yufang zhiyao 玉房指要 or Dongfang xuanzi 洞房玄子.

Source:
Chen Yongzheng 陳永正, ed. 1991. Zhongguo fangshu da cidian 中國方術大辭典, 650. Guangzhou: Zhongshan daxue chubanshe.
Zhou Yimou 周貽謀. 2005. "Lun fangzhong jingdian Sunüjing yu Xuannüjing 論房中經典《素女經》與《玄女經》." Zhongguo xingkexue 中國性科學 2005 (1): 34-35.