Beginning of the Journey

The Chinese Fortune Calendar has three travel queries, and people often mix them up. "Beginning of the journey" is the most popular. It answers the question: "On which day should I set off so that the whole trip goes well?" In Chinese tradition the departure day sets the tone for the entire journey, so that is the day you choose, not the return or the legs in between.

What the query covers:

• leaving for a holiday, a vacation or a sightseeing trip;
• the start of a long business trip;
• leaving to study, for an internship or for seasonal work;
• a pilgrimage or a trip to sacred places;
• a road trip, a hike or a cruise, as an overall rating of the departure day;
• figuratively, the start of a "path": a new life stage that involves travel.

When to use a different query:

• a flight or a trip by water, such as a ferry, a yacht or a sea cruise: also check "water and air trips". It is a narrower query that rates the safety of the transport itself;
• a trip of a day or two, a business meeting in a nearby town, visiting relatives: "short trips";
• relocating to a new home: "moving to a new house".

How the Calendar rates the day. For the beginning of a journey the favourable Day Officers are Full, Open, Balance, Success and Establish. The unfavourable ones are Control, Collect, Stable and Remove. The lunar mansions House, Astride, Orion, Horn and Heart support travel, while the Danger mansion does not. The key travel star is the Travelling Horse, and the Noble Man helps too. The day is weakened by Robbery Sha, the Death Angel, the Ungrateful Penalty Day and the Extinction Day.

Tip. If you are flying, it is best when the day suits both "beginning of the journey" and "water and air trips". If you cannot get both, give priority to "beginning of the journey" and pick an auspicious hour for the flight itself. With the Personal Calendar connected, your Bazi chart is taken into account too, including your Personal Robbery Sha, which matters especially on the road.