Malevolent Spirit Taboos
List of malevolent spirits on duty for the day. When they coexist with auspicious deities, different schools have varying rules on which carries greater weight, which is the primary reason why different almanacs give opposite 'suitable' and 'avoid' advice.
Malevolent Spirit Taboos refer to the list of malevolent spirits on duty that govern disasters or misfortunes for the day. Common malevolent spirits include Sui Po (Year Breaker), Yue Po (Month Breaker), Jie Sha (Robbery Sha), Zai Sha (Calamity Sha), and others. These malevolent spirits coexist within the daily rotation system with auspicious deities. Different schools of thought have their own judgment rules and weighting calculations for determining the relative influence of auspicious deities versus malevolent spirits. This is the primary reason why different almanacs reach opposite conclusions regarding what is 'suitable' and what should be 'avoided' on the same day. Traditionally, when arranging affairs, people would try to avoid days when malevolent spirits are strong or in conflict, seeking to attract good fortune and avoid misfortune.