Eating God (Shi Shen, 食神)

What the classic Yuan Hai Zi Ping (渊海子平) says

Its section On Eating God (论食神), whole.

Eating God (食神) is the star that produces the Wealth (财) that is mine. Yang Wood (甲) is Wood and Yang Fire (丙) is Fire, and this is called the leaking of qi — so why is it called the eating god? Because Yang Fire can produce the Yang Earth (戊) that is Yang Wood's wealth, and it is named for that. A chart carrying it is read as thick in wealth and ample in food, generous in capacity, full in body, at ease and self-sufficient, with children and with length of years. It steadily dislikes meeting the Officer star (官星) and avoids the Overturned Meal (倒食), which would injure it, and it welcomes a Wealth to be produced into. One of it alone makes a person of blessing, though even then not entirely clean. It likes the self strong and does not like Direct Resource (印綬), which would injure it as well. When a period reaches suitable ground, blessing can come out; broadly it behaves like the Wealth star. Take [Earth Goat, Earth Snake, Fire Goat, Metal Ox (己未 己巳 丁未 辛丑)]: a Yin Fire (丁) meeting Yin Earth (己) is Eating God, and an Ox (丑) and Snake (巳) raise a Metal frame that becomes the Wealth; the self is not weak either, so there is office and long life both. Take [Wood Snake, Wood Rooster, Water Rooster, Wood Rabbit (乙巳 乙酉 癸酉 乙卯)]: three Yin Wood (乙) as Eating God, a Snake-Rooster-Ox (巳酉丑) frame forming Direct Resource, and the three Yin Wood turning into Hurting Officer (伤官). Yin Water (癸) uses Yin Wood as its Eating God, but the Metal frame controls the Yin Wood, and the three Yin Wood with a strong Rabbit (卯) control the officer star. So neither name nor profit came to anything. In verse: Eating God with force behind it beats Wealth and Officer (官) both, but the stem itself must be strong first; if instead it is injured and the food seized away, there is nothing but hurry, toil and trouble. In verse: Eating God undamaged makes a lofty pattern; Yang Wood, Yang Fire, Yang Metal (庚) and Yang Water (壬) hold that honour firmly, Yin Fire, Yin Earth, Yin Wood and Yin Metal (辛) have blessing and income in plenty, and heroes come out of that gate. In verse: a Yang Wood person meeting Yang Fire is leaking qi at root, but the Yang Fire goes on to produce wealth and is called Eating God — broad in mind and easy in body, thick in clothing and income; though facing Direct Resource it means solitude and poverty. In verse: a Yang Earth day at a Monkey (申) hour makes a rare Eating God, and only in autumn and winter are blessing and income even; Yang Wood and Yang Fire at Rabbit and Tiger (寅) come to break it, and then it is met and yet not met, and the person is left alone. In verse: the star of long life joining it is rarest of all, and then why fear a Seven Killings (七杀) in the year or hour; hold down the ill and check the Killings (杀) with a strong stem above, and here is a rich and honoured child of the world. In verse: Eating God standing before and the Killings behind means clothing and income undiminished, wealth and rank thick; Eating God close up against the Killings becomes calamity instead, and a life spent hurrying about the dusty world.

食神者，生我财神之谓也；如甲属木，丙属火，名盗气，故谓之『食神』。何也？殊不知丙能生我戊土中食丙之戊财，故以此名之也。 命中带此者，主人财厚食丰、腹量宽洪、肌体肥大、优游自足、有子息、有寿考。 恒不喜见官星，忌倒食，恐伤其食神；喜财神相生。 独一位见之，则为福人；然终亦不清。 却喜身旺，不喜印綬，亦恐伤其食神也。 如运得地，方可发福；大概与财神相似。 如【己未，己巳，丁未，辛丑】：丁见己为食神，有一丑巳合起金局得之为财；又喜身不弱，所以有官亦有寿也。 如【乙巳，乙酉，癸酉，乙卯】：此命见三乙为食神，见巳酉丑合局为印綬，又有三乙化为伤官。癸用乙为食神，被金局来剋乙木，再被三乙木并卯旺剋我官；所以名利都无成也。 《诗诀》食神有气胜财官，先要他强旺本干；若是反伤来夺食，忙忙辛苦祸千般。 《诗诀》食神无损格崇高，甲丙庚壬贵气牢；丁己乙辛多福禄，门阑弧矢出英豪。 《诗诀》甲人见丙本盗气，丙去生财号食神；心广体胖衣禄厚，若临印綬主孤贫。 《诗诀》申时戊日食神奇，惟在秋冬福禄齐；甲丙卯寅来剋破，遇而不遇主孤悽。 《诗诀》寿元合起最为奇，七杀何忧在岁时；禁凶制杀干头旺，此是人间富贵儿。 《诗诀》食神居先杀居后，衣禄无亏富贵厚；食神近杀却为殃，终日尘寰慢奔走。