5. Level 100: Fear ("The Prison of the Word 'If'")
Fear does not always appear as extreme panic. Most of the time, it shows up as a familiar opening phrase: "What if…" "What if I fail? What if I’m judged? What if I lose everything?"
At level 100, the mind lives entirely in dark future scenarios, while the body lives in a prolonged state of hyper-vigilance. We have not yet fallen, but our legs already ache. We have not yet lost, but our heart already hurts.
Fear is the survival instinct that helped humankind avoid wild beasts. But when it becomes a permanent "climate," it no longer protects us—it keeps us under house arrest.
How to recognise it:
| Criterion | Expression at Level 100 |
|---|---|
| Dominant emotion | Anxiety, dread. Always feeling that the world is riddled with lurking dangers. |
| Typical thoughts | "What if...", "In case...", "I’m not safe enough / not good enough." |
| Behaviour | Avoiding risk, procrastination, micromanagement in search of a false sense of safety. |
| View of life | Frightening. Life is a minefield. |
| View of the cosmos | Punishment. Fear of retribution, fear of being reproached by the gods (a fear-based faith). |
🔍 The Tử Vi Tâm Thức view: the net of "Đà La" and the shadow of "Cự Kỵ"
In the Tử Vi (Purple Star astrology) chart, fear usually dwells in the following "caves":
Đà La (the net): This is the star of hesitation and creeping obsession. A person with debilitated Đà La (especially in Mệnh/Thân) tends to have thoughts that go round in circles, worrying over nothing. They want to move forward but feel as if an invisible thread holds their feet—Đà La means the net that is spread.
Cự Môn + Hóa Kỵ: A social fear (Social Anxiety). Fear of gossip, fear of misspeaking, fear of others’ judgment. They often build a wall of suspicion to protect the fragile self within.
Linh Tinh: A fear that erupts (Panic Attack). Easily startled, constantly worrying about sudden disasters.
Debilitated Thất Sát: A survival fear. The feeling of always having to fight to stay alive, never allowed to let one’s guard down.
🔬 Why do we get stuck here? (The avoidance loop)
Fear comes from the "reptilian brain" (Reptilian Brain / Amygdala). This mechanism cannot distinguish between a wild beast (a deadly danger) and a scolding boss / a failure (a psychological danger). It equates them all.
The Karmic Loop forms as follows: fear (Nghiệp) → avoid action → feel temporarily safe (reinforcement) → the belief "the world is frightening" is strengthened → next time, even more fear.
The more we avoid, the more the comfort zone shrinks, until there is no more room to breathe.
🔑 The way out: Fear means "Keep going"
Why does Hawkins rank Fear (100) above Grief (75)? Because Fear has Kinetic Energy. When afraid, you run; your heart races. You want to live. Grief lies still and waits to die; Fear is the energy of survival.
To transform Fear (Force) into Courage (Power):
Distinguish: danger vs. discomfort: Ask: "Is what I fear a threat to my life, or does it only make my ego uncomfortable?"
A wild beast = danger (need to run).
Speaking in front of a crowd = discomfort (need to do it). Most fears today are only discomfort.
Small action (Move to Desire/Anger — 125/150): Do not wait until the fear is gone to act. "Do it scared." Just one small action (sending an email, stepping outside) and the nervous system receives a new signal: "I did it and I didn’t die. Turns out it wasn’t as frightening as I thought." That is the moment Đà La (the net) is cut.
Dialogue with Hóa Kỵ: Instead of believing the scenario "What if…" (negative), practise writing the next line: "If that happens, what will I do to handle it?" Shift from a state of "passive worry" to "active preparation."
6. Level 125: Desire ("The Thirst of Salt Water")
Desire is an extremely powerful engine of the material world. It has the power to help us rise up after Fear (100), to pull us out of Apathy (50), to set the current of life moving again: we go to work, we earn money, we search for a partner.
However, at level 125, desire usually does not spring from creative joy (Inspiration). It springs from a quiet feeling: Lack. And when "lack" becomes the foundation of consciousness, we live under a hypnotic inner command: "I must have…" "I must have more money," "I must have a lover," "I must have that position."
Desire at this point is like drinking salt water: the more you drink, the thirstier you become.
How to recognise it:
| Criterion | Expression at Level 125 |
|---|---|
| Dominant emotion | Craving. A restless, uneasy feeling, always sensing that it is "not enough." |
| Typical thoughts | "If I get X, I’ll be happy forever," "Just a little bit more." |
| Behaviour | Addiction (shopping, sex, power, stimulants). Chasing external goals to fill an inner void. |
| View of life | Disappointing. Because once attained it soon bores, life is a series of days spent chasing shadows. |
| View of the cosmos | Denying. Feeling that the universe is stingy, refusing to give what one wants. |
🔍 The Tử Vi Tâm Thức view: Tham Lang and Song Hao
In the Tử Vi chart, this energy is represented by the "stars of pursuit":
Tham Lang (the greedy wolf): This is the major star (Chính Tinh) that governs desire (material, romantic, spiritual).
In the Force state (debilitated/weak): Tham Lang is boundless greed, sinking into wine and sex, gambling, carnal pleasures to escape reality.
In the Power state (well-placed/exalted): Tham Lang transforms into creative ambition, a thirst to learn, and skilful social grace.
Song Hao (Đại Hao – Tiểu Hao): Water forever flowing away.
A person with Song Hao in Mệnh/Tài usually has a "never enough" mentality. Even with mountains of money, they still feel a lack, still feel they must earn more or spend it. This is the "bottomless barrel" of consciousness.
Vũ Khúc + Không Kiếp: A craving for money taken to the extreme (triggered by Không Kiếp), treating material wealth as the sole measure of a person’s worth.
🔬 Why do we get stuck here? (The hedonic treadmill)
Desire is not wrong. The error lies in the core belief: "Happiness lies in what I do not yet have."
Science calls this the Hedonic Treadmill. When you reach a goal (buy a new car, get a promotion), the brain releases Dopamine. You are happy. But very soon after, the brain adapts and the level of happiness returns to the starting line. You feel empty again and set a higher goal. The loop: want → have → get used to it → grow bored → want something else.
In truth, Desire is a painkiller. We rush outward to search so as not to face the loneliness or the wounds within.
🔑 The way out: sacred anger
How do we escape this loop of addiction? Not by forcing ourselves to "extinguish desire" (the energy is not yet enough), but usually by growing angry with ourselves.
Step up to Level 150 (Anger): It sounds negative, but Anger has higher energy than Desire. When you cry out: "I’m sick of living this dependent life! I don’t want to chase money/affection like a dog anymore!" That anger (if aimed rightly) cuts the chain, helping you set boundaries and reclaim your autonomy.
Turn inward (Introspection): Instead of asking "How do I get that?", ask: "Why do I need that so much? What feeling does it represent that I am missing?" (Safety? Recognition? Love?). When you find the root, give yourself that feeling instead of begging for it outside.
Note: Desire is very cunning. It can disguise itself under the cover of "self-development" or "spiritual practice." If you go to learn meditation or study Tử Vi only to prove yourself "higher" than others, that is still Desire (Level 125)—only swapping the toy from the material to the spiritual.
7. Level 150: Anger ("The Two-Faced Flame")
Anger is a flame. It can burn down a whole forest of merit, but it can also be the engine that forges the sword of wisdom. At level 150, this flame flares up when we feel insulted, oppressed, or robbed of what we consider "deserved." The question bursts out as an automatic reflex: "How dare they do this to me?"
This level has one especially important trait: it is stronger than Fear (100) and Grief (75).
The fearful person shrinks back.
The angry person springs up. They have the energy to act. But without Ý Thức (Awareness / the Choice) holding the reins, this flame will burn both the torchbearer and the opponent.
How to recognise it:
| Criterion | Expression at Level 150 |
|---|---|
| Dominant emotion | Hate, fury. Feeling hot blood rush to the head, wanting to smash things or scream. |
| Typical thoughts | "This is so unfair," "They’re wrong," "I have to teach them a lesson." |
| Behaviour | Attack (verbal/physical), fierce argument, retaliation. Or quiet opposition (passive-aggressive). |
| View of life | Antagonistic. The world splits into two camps: Us (right) and Them (wrong/enemy). |
| View of the cosmos | Vengeful. Believing in punishment, taking pleasure in seeing the wicked meet immediate retribution. |
🔍 The Tử Vi Tâm Thức view: Thất Sát and Hỏa Linh
In the Tử Vi chart, this energy is clearly present through the Sát tinh (malefic stars) and the Hao tinh (stars of loss):
Thất Sát + Kình Dương (the dagger): The temperament of a warlord. In the Force state (debilitated), they are extremely hot-tempered, autocratic—"submit to me and live, defy me and die." They react very fast and mercilessly.
Hỏa Tinh (yang fire): Anger that erupts like a volcano. Coming and going quickly, but with great destructive force. Prone to misspeaking and causing harm (the karma of speech).
Linh Tinh (yin fire): A smouldering anger, long-held grudges, a long memory. This is a more dangerous form of Anger because it gnaws at the heart for years (often turning into illness in the body).
Hóa Kỵ (when accompanying a Sát tinh): Envy, resentment, the inability to accept another’s success.
🔬 Why do we get stuck here? (The mechanism of blocked Desire)
The nature of Anger (150) is Desire (125) that has been blocked.
You want to be respected → you are looked down on → anger.
You want quiet → you are disturbed by noise → anger.
The most dangerous thing at this level is the feeling of "Righteous Indignation." The ego feels a "high" from playing the role of the judge, the holder of truth. This sense of superiority makes a person addicted to anger and unwilling to let it go.
🔑 The way out: from "Destruction" to "Protection"
We do not "eliminate" anger (for it is a living energy); we transform it. We turn Thất Sát from a killer into a general guarding the frontier.
A 6-second pause: When Hỏa Tinh flares up, breathe deeply. Do not act at once. Give the brain a chance to shift control from the amygdala (emotion) to the prefrontal cortex (reason).
Ask the "protection" question: Instead of asking "How dare they do that?" (aimed outward, in attack). Ask: "What is this anger trying to protect within me?" (aimed inward, in understanding).
Is it protecting a wounded self-respect?
Is it protecting a personal boundary?
Set a boundary: Shift the energy from punishing others to protecting yourself. "I am angry, which means my boundary has been violated. I will speak clearly and firmly: I will not allow this to happen again." This is the moment you step up to the level of Courage (200) or Pride (175).
8. Level 175: Pride ("The Glittering but Brittle Armour")
Pride is a subtle level. It does not carry the discomfort of Fear or Anger. On the contrary, it usually comes with a feeling of satisfaction: I have made it through, I am better, I belong to the elite. Precisely because of this pleasant feeling, Hawkins likened Pride to the "opium" of the Ego. It is a comfortable chair—once you sit in it, it is very hard to stand up.
At level 175, the ego no longer fights headlong like Anger (150). It shifts to a higher strategy: standing above. Its inner mantra is: "I am more special than they are."
How to recognise it:
| Criterion | Expression at Level 175 |
|---|---|
| Dominant emotion | Scorn. A sense of self-satisfaction, looking down on those "less capable" or "less fortunate" than oneself. |
| Typical thoughts | "I’m right, they’re wrong," "How can they be so stupid/ignorant?", "Without me it all falls apart." |
| Behaviour | Boasting (subtle or blatant), refusing to admit fault, denying flaws, building a perfect image. |
| View of life | Demanding. Life must treat me specially because I am a special person. |
| View of the cosmos | Partial (indifferent). Believing oneself the "favoured child" of the universe, while others suffer because they deserve it. |
🔍 The Tử Vi Tâm Thức view: the trap of the "Emperor Stars" and "Hóa Quyền"
In the Tử Vi chart, this is usually the blind spot of those with grand configurations or stars of authority:
Tử Vi, Thiên Phủ (the Emperor Stars): The stars of leadership. Lacking cultivation, they easily catch the illness of "sitting on the golden throne," growing detached from reality, wanting only to hear flattery and allergic to criticism.
Hóa Quyền (power / the self): Hóa Quyền increases self-regard. In the Force state, it turns into autocracy, empty pride, "better a glorious death than a shameful life." They would rather strain and suffer than ask for help, for fear of losing face.
Thái Dương (the sun): Governing honour. A person with Thái Dương (especially when debilitated or meeting Kỵ) has an extremely high self-regard. Even a small piece of advice can feel to them like a slap in the face.
🔬 Why do we get stuck here? (A spiritual trap)
Pride is the final station of the Force zone. Why is it dangerous? Because it creates an illusion of safety. A person at the level of Pride feels they are already "fine." They have money, power, or knowledge. They use these things to build a wall separating themselves from the "weak" part within.
Especially in the world of the occult / the spiritual, this is where the Spiritual Ego is born:
"I am vegetarian, I practise, I understand cause and effect… so I am superior to those vulgar ordinary people."
"My chart is a supreme configuration; I cannot live an ordinary life." They use spirituality to feed the ego, instead of using it to let the ego go.
🔑 The way out: true humility
Hawkins said: Pride is hard but brittle. It can shatter over a single small failure. Power (200+), by contrast, is supple. To pass through the gate of 200, we need a single key: Humility.
Accept "the possibility of not knowing": Admit that: "However fine my chart, however much I have studied, I am still only a grain of sand in the universe. I can still be wrong." The words "I don’t know" do not make you lesser; they open you to receive the new.
Let go of the burden of "having to be right": Ask yourself: "Do I want Happiness (Power) or do I want to be Right (Force)?" Pride always wants to win every argument, but loses the war for inner peace.
Shift from "I am special" to "I am useful": Instead of using your talent (Mệnh) to prove yourself better than others, use it to serve others. Then Pride transforms into Courage and Willingness.
A message: If you find yourself at this level, do not hate it. Pride once did the service of helping you rise from the mud of Shame and Fear. It is the armour that protected you while you were still weak. But now, when you want to go further, iron armour has become too heavy. Take it off, so the wings of Ý Thức can spread wide.