Hi Jenny,
the 24 mountains in level 3 are the traditional name for the facing direction of your front door, e.g. Southwest 1, West 3, North 2 and so on. Based on the direction of the front door and the period of your home the charts are created ("flying the stars").
The mountain and water stars of level 4 are not mentioned in level 3 even though they are the basis for the stars which are called "Power Star", "Abundance Star", "Relationship Star" or "Conflict Star" and "Disaster Star". These names have been invented by Marie Diamond and you won't find them anywhere in literature. But when you look at the individual charts of level 4 you'll see that usually a water star 1 or 8 is activated as abundance star. The mountain star in level 4 is the left star in each sector. (Some schools call it sitting star.) The water star is the right star in each sector, other schools call it facing star and can be activated with a fountain or a door. She left out the information that there are several stars in each sector. In general, abundance stars are the stars 8 and 1 and if they appear as water stars they can be activated with water, as a general rule (other schools also use the water star 9 as abundance star). She calls the stars 8 and 4 and sometimes 1 relationship stars, particularly if they appear as mountain stars (or sitting stars) and can be activated by high land or quiet space. Sometimes number 8 is also called Power Star, especially when it appears as a mountain star.
Star number 5 is usually a disaster star and number 2 an illness star. Marie calls star number 3 a conflict star.
But there are some star combinations which cause either disaster or illness or abundance - but this fact is not explained - you'll only find the name "illness star" or "disaster star" or "conflict star" or "abundance star" but none of the stars I mentioned above can be found in this sector - in this case the star combination triggers this effect.
I remember an example from my own chart which drove me nuts: I had a power star, an abundance star and a relationship star in my living room, but I didn't understand why. The star combination was 6-4 and in this case it's the star combination that does the trick but activation with water is not recommended because it's not the water star that triggers the abundance but the star combination. Star 4 is the relationship star.
I think that there is also a lack of information how the stars interact and how a mountain star or a water star is triggered by the landscape and what the star combinations might mean. Each star is also associated with an element and the elements of the stars interact as well (see Level 1 page 50 Three cycles of Elements).
Actually, Level 4 shows the background of the "pre-chewed" information in level 3, it takes you back to the roots but does not cover all information on "Flying Star" - after level 4 you are able to draw the chart for a period 6 home - but you are unable to interpret the chart. The important piece of information is missing. You can only search the charts for the star combination and look up what is suggested there without getting an explanation.
I hope I was able to answer your questions and haven't triggered even more. If my explanation is too complicated please tell me, I'll do my best...
Have fun,
Astrid
