Date Selection, selecting an auspicious date, is an important consideration since ancient times; giving rise to the phrase “A good start is half the battle won”. From the common almanac, one may have noted the tasks or activities one should or shouldn’t do in a particular day, or how it has mentioned that the West and East direction is favourable whereas North direction is unfavourable for the year 2010. Is there a difference on Date Selection based on Almanac and Fengshui Date Selection?

Date Selection, being its aim is to select a date for one to use, has to consider the three factors of “Heaven” (Time), “Man” (Person in Question) and “Earth” (Location). These three factors interact and influence the date selection and its use. Use or purpose of date selection generally can be categorized as “避凶” or “Avoid Bad Influences” or “趋吉” or “Increase or Hasten Good Influences”. Almanac is an easy and simplified way for date selection, listing down each day’s auspicious and inauspicious stars and influences and is good enough where main purpose is to avoid bad consequences from undertaking daily general matters. Whereas for date selection where the purpose is for “趋吉” or “化煞” (curb or reduce bad influences at present), usage of almanac is insufficient. This is where Fengshui Date Selection’s main application is.

“趋吉”, the very act of increasing or hastening (催) good influences, includes wealth matters (催财), health matters (催健康), romance matters (催姻缘), marriage matters (催夫妻感情), academic matters (催文昌), benefactor matters (催贵) etc. Since it is the act of “催”, it carries the meaning of increasing pre-existing conditions. If one is very healthy, the effects of “催健康” may not be noticeable. Likewise, if one has no source of income, the effects of “催财” may not be evident. Fengshui is not a mystical knowledge, one should not believe in having a windfall through “催财”!

Date selection for “趋吉” beyond the basic date selection based on almanac, has many aspects to consider. Even if the almanac denotes a particular day to be auspicious for undertaking matters relating to wealth, one may not experience effects of “催”. Similarly, Date Selection for curbing or reducing bad influences at present, such as curbing “桃花” or bad romance, “流年凶星” or inauspicious annual star etc, requires a strong auspicious date, so as to increase the effectiveness of “化煞”.

As such, for Date Selection, one should know beforehand the purpose of the date, whether it is for general undertaking of matters or for “催” or “化”, and taking into consideration the three factors of “Heaven” (Time), “Man” (Person in Question) and “Earth” (Location) in choosing the date. Needless to say, for most daily general matters, one need not consult an expert for selection of dates where the Almanac may suffice.

择日、选良辰吉日，是历代以来一项重要的考虑。所谓有好的开始，是成功的一半。大家所常见的通胜里会看到某日宜什么，不宜什么，又例如2010庚寅年大利东西不利北方。通胜择日和阳宅择日有不同吗？

择日既然是取日为我用，那么就是要合天（时）、人（我）、地（方）。这三个因素互相影响了日的选择和取用。取用的目的能大致归类于“避凶”和“趋吉”以通胜来择日，是一种方便、简历的择日。通胜里有标出了每日的吉凶星、神煞。普通的避凶和一般性的事务是足够的。其余的择日目的，例如趋吉，化煞等，以通胜来择日是不足的。阳宅择日的应用里，以化煞、催吉的项目为主了。

趋吉，也就是“催吉”，包括了催财、催贵、姻缘、健康、文昌等，既然是“催”，就是有增强的意识。择日方面的选择就有许多需要考虑的方面和应用技巧了。即使某日通胜上写着“纳财”，用了这个日课不代表有催得效果。而化煞，包括了化桃花、流年凶星等，也一样，既然是化煞，最好能择强的吉日，以增强化煞的效果。所以如要择日，就先要知道取用目的，是要平安、一般性的事务应用，还是要催吉或化煞，在知事主是谁，后合天、人、地，而不是每样事务都需要请专人来择日的。