Lu is like planting a seed, Ji like the final fruit; what was planted and where it fruits is traced from Lu to Ji.
What This Question Is Really Asking
Some see only Lu and assume investment returns; others see only Ji and do not know where the sticking point comes from; trace both ends.
The Underlying Logic
Lu governs opportunity, investment and connection, the cause.
Ji governs attachment, debt and result, the conclusion.
Lu-turns-to-Ji: from the Lu landing trace its stem Ji to see the final result.
The investment area (Lu) and result area (Ji) often differ.
A Step-by-Step Way to Read It
- First set Tai Ji and the matter to trace
- Find where the starting stem Lu lands, the investment direction
- Then find where Ji lands, the result direction
- Use Lu-turns-to-Ji one more step for the final landing
- Read the landing stars for the concrete return or sticking point
- Combine decade background to judge when cause-effect materializes
Three Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Seeing only Lu and assuming investment returns
Mistake 2: Seeing only Ji without knowing the sticking point source
Mistake 3: Not tracing Lu-turns-to-Ji, missing the final result
Back to Your Own Chart
Lu as cause and Ji as effect read the chain from investment to result. Trace Lu to Ji and Lu-turns-to-Ji, and you know where effort returns and where it stalls.
Reading Order
- Cast the natal chart first and locate the palaces and major stars tied to Lu as cause and Ji as effect before judging anything
- Open the triple-direction of those palaces and count the auspicious, malefic and assistant stars separately
- Check where the natal Four Transformations land to set the chart's baseline tone
- Read the decade-limit transformations to see whether the Lu as cause and Ji as effect line is activated in this stage
- Then read the annual transformations and the year's palace to pin down this year's trigger and timing
- Layer natal, decade and year before concluding, then decide how to act rather than labeling good or bad