Canopy華蓋

Canopy is the ornate parasol once held over a person of rank, and a star group shares the name. The four pillars tradition likens it to a cover that shelters one person apart, and from that comes a nature that keeps its distance from the noise and tends a world of its own. It is often mentioned with fields of long absorption such as art, scholarship, religion, and philosophy. Some English books call it Elegant Seal, though it is not a Resource group type. This service uses it for deep focus on one thing and a pull toward matters of the mind.

• 華splendid, shining (Korean reading: hwa)
• 蓋cover, lid (Korean reading: gae)

A splendid cover: the shade once held above an honoured head to keep off the sun.

The base is set as for Peach Blossom and Travelling Horse. Within the base branch's triple combination group, Canopy is the seat where that element's yang stem reaches Storing. So it is in every case the Dragon, Dog, Ox, or Goat branch, and unlike the other two it belongs to the base group itself. The base seat is not counted, so Canopy shows only when another seat holds the same character or another base picks it up.

Canopy points to someone who draws strength from study or work built up inwardly more than from busy outward activity. Even when company is enjoyable, time alone to sort things out is said to be what restores you afterwards. Without it, you may be more at ease turning thoughts straight into action and talk. Paired with Peach Blossom, it is sometimes read as bringing cultivated talent out before other people.

Take 乙卯 (Yi Mao) year, 乙酉 (Yi You) month, 己未 (Ji Wei) day, and 辛未 (Xin Wei) hour. The year branch 卯 (Mao) belongs to the 亥卯未 (Hai Mao Wei) group, so the Canopy branch is 未 (Wei). Both the day and hour branches hold 未, so it is marked in two seats.

• A common idea

  Canopy means a lonely life.

  How we read it

  Old readings that tied Canopy to religious retreat or a solitary life gave rise to this worry. This service does not use it to decide the shape of a life; it describes a nature that values time absorbed alone.

• A common idea

  Canopy means you should take up a religion.

  How we read it

  Religion, philosophy, and art are named only as examples of a pull toward matters of the mind. It is not a mark that tells anyone what to believe or study.

In the twelve-mark system, Canopy points to the same seat. Readings may differ on whether a base seat counts when it is itself the Canopy character; this service leaves it out. If the year branch is 戌 (Xu) and no other seat holds 戌, that base yields no Canopy.