A Study On The Five Planets "Fan" And Its Similar Phenomenon And Divining Statemengts In Ancient China

The Twenty-Four Histories and astrological books contain abundant astronomical records and terminology.The ancients employed various terms,including"Fan(Appulse)" "Ling(Transit)" "Dou(Fight)" "He(Conjunction)" "Yan(Occultation)""Guan(Penetration)" and "Gan(Interference)" to describe the positions of planets and the distances between planets and stars.As astronomy and astrology became increasingly refined,the number of celestial terms used to describe the five planets gradually increased.This resulted in repeated interpretations,different standards,and complex classifications,leading to the development of a highly intricate and detailed system of celestial concepts.Despite its complexity,this intricate system of celestial terms provides rich details on the evolution of concepts and reflects the attitudes and interests of astrologers and compilers of historical books towards these terms.In this study,we focued on these astronomical terms and examine their creation and evolution in the practice of astronomical observation and astrology.We also explored their interaction with ancient Shushu,politics,and society.The first chapter of this paper combined the style of astronomical records and astrological literature.It provided a comprehensive summary of numerous celestial signs and classified them according to their interpretations and astrological functions.This indicated that the "Fan" had been separated from its original connotation as a celestial sign and had become a collection of signs and symbols.Among these signs,the ancients classified "He" as "Fan".Therefore,this paper introduced the concept of"Fan" celestial signs.The second and third chapters of this paper explored the changes for the concept of celestial terms,focusing on the specific concepts of "Fan" and "He".In the second chapter,we discovered that the standard for "Fan" changed from "seven cun" to "ten cun".To verify the reliability of this change,we analyze the data of the official records of the Han,Tang,Song,and Ming dynasties using a simulated calculation method and statistical analysis.Our findings suggested that the celestial sign of "Fan" adopted"seven cun as Fan" during the Han Dynasty,and " ten cun as Fan for Venus,seven cun as Fan for other planets "during the Tang Dynasty.After the Song Dynasty,"ten cun"or "one du" became the new standard for "Fan".This transformation illustrated the progress and scientific advancements made by ancient people in the field of astronomical observation.The third chapter defined "He" and distinguished between two definitions:"Five planets in the same lunar mansion as conjunction" and "Five planets unite with the same longitude as conjunction".In the early descriptions of Shi Shen and Gan D e,there was a connection between the celestial signs of "He" and "Fan".Descendants also classified"He" as the same type of sign as "Fan",and considering that "Fan and He belong to the same category".Through analysising of the records of the Han,Tang,Song,and Ming dynasties,this paper argued that only a relatively small number of "He" celestial signs belonged to the same standard as the "Fan".The standard for "He" is "Five planets in the same lunar mansion".In Chapter Four of this paper,the astrological characteristics of the five planets are examined.Specifically,we focus on the cases of "Five Planets in the Temple" and"Five Planets Conjunction" to discuss the theoretical construction and political symbolism of astrological celestial signs.It is highlighted that the construction of the temple of the five planets was based on the concept of correspondence between heaven and human,which might be related to the practice of Shushu during that period.Moreover,the five planets were not originally considered as auspicious signs,but instead were military signs.Emperors often manipulated this association to enhance their prestige and glorify their political behavior.In the concluding section,the paper presents the conclusions from each chapter and briefly discusses the significance of the research on conceptual history and semiotics for understanding ancient Chinese astrology.