ONMYŌDŌ is the collective Japanese name for various methods of divination, originally based on the Chinese theories of yin and yang (Jpn., onmyō, on'yō, or in'yō, the complementary forces seen in all phenomena), the "five elements" (Chin., wuxing; Jpn. gogyō; i.e., fire, wood, earth, metal, and water), their cyclical interactions, and the influence thereof in the natural and human spheres. The art of advising individuals and governments in the planning of all manner of activities and projects according to the movements of the sun and moon (representing yang and yin, respectively) and the stars, and the predicting of auspicious and inauspicious conditions as determined by the shifting relationships of the five elements and the sexagenary cycle (Chin. shigan shier zhi; Jpn., jikkan jūnishi) were highly developed and extensively documented in China by the beginning of...