Then, I'll tell you what the "four elephants" are from the perspective of geomantic numerology. Let's have a look!
The word "four images" originated from the Book of Changes, which said: "Tai Chi gives birth to two instruments, and two instruments give birth to four images", namely, the sun, the moon, the shaoyin and the shaoyang.
Ancient philosophers also used the word "four images" in astronomy, but this is completely different from the concept in Yi. When the sages observed the stars, they chose 28 constellations near the equator of the ecliptic as coordinates. There are seven nights in the southeast and northwest, connecting each night like an animal. For example, in the east, the horn, sound, interaction, room, heart, tail and dustpan live for seven nights. The horn stays like a dragon's horn, like a dragon's body, and the tail stays like a dragon's tail. They are connected together like dragons, so the ancient philosophers call them the Oriental Black Dragon. The well, ghost, willow, star, Zhang, wing and beak in Vitamins, the star is the bird's neck, Zhang is wow, and the wing is the feather purlin in the south. They are connected like birds spreading their wings and flying, so the sages called them South Suzaku. In addition, there are seven nights in the north, such as fighting, cows, women, empty, dangerous, houses and walls, walking slowly like turtles. Because it is located in the north, it is called Xuan. Because of the scales, it is called martial arts. Collectively known as Xuanwu. There are seven nights in the west, such as Kui, Lou, Stomach, Zan, Bi, Gou and Shen, which are like tigers leaping forward. The white tiger is the length of an extinct caterpillar. Shan Hai Jing and Xi Shan Jing record that there are many white wolves and white tigers in Yushan. The images of these four animals are called four elephants and four spirits.
As the orientation of the "Four Elephants", it has been recorded in the Book of Rites Quli in the pre-Qin period: "Zhu bird goes forward and then Xuanwu, left Qinglong and right white tiger." "Sparse": "The front south and back north, the right west, the Zhu bird, the Xuanwu, the Qinglong and the White Tiger are also named." Here, Suzaku is Suzaku. The concept of "Zuo Dong is due west" is different from the map we see. The current maps are all up north and down south, left west and right east. The map of the ancients was upside down, with a north-south trend, thus becoming "Zuo Dong's right and west"
In geomantic omen, the application of "Four Elephants" to terrain and the analogy of terrain with the images and actions of "Four Elephants" will also bring good fortune and bad luck. "The History of the Three Kingdoms Guanju" records: "Going west with the army, passing Qiu Jian's tomb, leaning against the tree and mourning, the soul is not in the east, people ask why, saying: Although the tree is lush, it can last for a long time; Although the tablet looks good, there is nothing to keep. Xuanwu hides its head, the black dragon has no feet, the white tiger hugs its body, and the rosefinch cries sadly. It is necessary to prepare for the four dangers, so the law will be extinct. But after two years, it should be gone. " This is based on the fact that the four elephants are in a state of four dangers, and it is judged that Wu will be extinct within two years.
Guo Pu also preached this point in "Buried Scriptures", saying: "The earth has four potentials, and qi comes from all directions. So, there is a dragon on the left and a white tiger on the right. The former is Suzaku and the latter is Xuanwu. Xuanwu hangs its head, Suzaku dances, Qinglong winds and white tigers tame. The form is contrary to this and should be broken. Therefore, the tiger squat is called a corpse, and the dragon squat is called a jealous Lord. Those who don't hang down in Xuanwu refuse to die, and Suzaku doesn't dance. The earth is expensive to measure its position, and the jade measures its distance. Those who regard branches as dragons and tigers will stop at hills, such as elbows and arms, which is called embracing. Those who use water as a rosefinch are in line with the shape, and they are afraid of turmoil, which is called weeping. "