What Is the Post Horse?
Yi Ma (Post Horse) originally referred to the relay station horses in ancient times that delivered messages, constantly running without rest. In Destiny Analysis, the Post Horse star represents travel, relocation, and change — a chart containing the Post Horse indicates a life of frequent movement, job changes, or a tendency toward long-distance travel and development in distant places.
Calculating the Post Horse
Calculate the Post Horse Branch using the Year Branch (or Day Branch). The rule uses the clash of the Three Union's opposite element (Yin, Shen, Si, Hai):
| Year Branch (Three Union) | Post Horse Branch |
|---|---|
| Shen, Zi, Chen | Yin |
| Yin, Wu, Xu | Shen |
| Hai, Mao, Wei | Si |
| Si, You, Chou | Hai |
Formula: Shen-Zi-Chen: horse at Yin; Yin-Wu-Xu: horse at Shen; Hai-Mao-Wei: horse at Si; Si-You-Chou: horse at Hai.
Symbolism of the Post Horse
Positive effects:
- Suitable for careers involving travel, tourism, transportation, foreign trade, and other mobile industries
- Many development opportunities in distant places, able to seize new opportunities through relocation and change
- Flexible thinking and strong adaptability to change
Negative effects:
- Life is full of running around and toil, hard to settle down
- Marriage and relationships easily affected by travel and long-distance situations
- If the Post Horse is subjected to Punishment or Clash, travel may involve accidents or disrupted plans
Post Horse and Annual/Luck Cycles
When the Annual Luck or Luck Cycle encounters the Post Horse, it is often a signal for travel, relocation, or job change — if the chart's Post Horse is strong and triggered by the annual luck, the probability of change is higher.
Post Horse and Emptiness/Void
When the Post Horse falls into Emptiness/Void, travel and change tend to start strong but finish weak — plans may fail to materialize or changes lack substantive results.
Post Horse and Clash
When the Post Horse is clashed, it is called "Post Horse in motion" — this may actually activate travel opportunities, but it also brings turbulence and instability amid the changes.