Terminology
Ziwei Doushu Terminology
Look up Ziwei Doushu terms to understand their meanings, uses, and common distinctions.
Foundations and Chart
01 · Ziwei Concepts
Twelve Palaces
Shi Er Gong
The Twelve Palaces are the twelve divisions of a Ziwei Doushu chart used to organize themes such as the self, family, work, and resources. Each palace provides a topic for interpretation. Its name alone does not establish an outcome; read it together with its stars and relationships to other palaces.
02 · Ziwei Concepts
Life Palace
Ming Gong, Minggong
The Life Palace is the palace in Ziwei Doushu that focuses on the person whose chart is being read. It is used to consider personal characteristics, habitual approaches, and overall life orientation. Read it alongside its stars, the Body Palace, and the other palaces rather than using it to summarize an entire life.
03 · Ziwei Concepts
Body Palace
Shen Gong
The Body Palace is a marker in a Ziwei Doushu natal chart placed on one of the existing twelve palaces. Modern explanations often use it to consider the emphasis of later development. It is not a thirteenth palace, and, by birth hour, it falls only in the Life, Spirit, Career, Travel, Wealth, or Spouse palace.
04 · Ziwei Concepts
Fourteen Main Stars
Main Stars, Shi Si Zhu Xing
The Fourteen Main Stars are the principal stars of a Ziwei Doushu chart, also called principal stars (zheng yao). They form a group of six led by Zi Wei and a group of eight led by Tian Fu. They are central factors when reading a palace, but one main star's name alone does not describe a person or establish an outcome.
05 · Ziwei Concepts
Four Transformations
Si Hua, Hua Lu, Hua Quan, Hua Ke, Hua Ji
The Four Transformations are Hua Lu, Hua Quan, Hua Ke, and Hua Ji in Ziwei Doushu. They are not four independent stars. Each is attached to a particular star according to a Heavenly Stem; in the natal chart, the birth-year transformations follow the Heavenly Stem of the birth year. The names alone do not establish favorable or unfavorable outcomes.