Ziwei Concepts
What Are the Fourteen Main Stars in Ziwei Doushu?
Also called: Main Stars, Shi Si Zhu Xing
Plain Explanation
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.
A Ziwei chart contains main and secondary stars. Besides the fourteen main stars, auxiliary stars such as Wen Chang, Wen Qu, Zuo Fu, and You Bi, along with other minor stars, appear in the same palace boxes. Identify which stars are main stars before reading a palace.
Example
Suppose the Life box lists Zi Wei, Tian Fu, and Zuo Fu. The first two are main stars and Zuo Fu is an auxiliary star. The box can be described as Zi Wei and Tian Fu in the same palace. A palace with Zuo Fu but none of the fourteen main stars is usually called an empty palace.
An illustration of how to separate main and auxiliary stars, not a complete chart or a personality or life judgment.
The two groups of main stars
| Series | Main stars |
|---|---|
| Zi Wei (紫微) series | Zi Wei (紫微), Tian Ji (天机), Tai Yang (太阳), Wu Qu (武曲), Tian Tong (天同), Lian Zhen (廉贞) |
| Tian Fu (天府) series | Tian Fu (天府), Tai Yin (太阴), Tan Lang (贪狼), Ju Men (巨门), Tian Xiang (天相), Tian Liang (天梁), Qi Sha (七杀), Po Jun (破军) |
The traditional placement verse first fixes Zi Wei's position and then places the six stars of its series. Tian Fu's position follows from Zi Wei, and the eight stars of its series are then placed in forward order. The grouping describes placement relationships; it does not rank either group as better or worse.
What It Is Used For
The fourteen main stars are the first stars to identify when reading a palace. Note which main stars each palace contains and which share a palace, then read them with the palace topic, auxiliary stars, and Four Transformations. This explains why the same star receives different descriptions in different palaces and combinations.
Common Misunderstandings
One main star is not a complete personality
Stars have characteristic descriptions, but those descriptions are read within the palace, the stars sharing it, and the relationships among palaces. A statement such as "the Life Palace has a certain star" cannot by itself establish a person's character, abilities, or achievements.
Not every palace contains a main star
Fourteen main stars are distributed across twelve palaces. Some palaces contain two main stars, while others contain none. A palace without any of the fourteen main stars is usually called an empty palace. It may still contain auxiliary or other stars, and the word empty alone does not establish a favorable or unfavorable reading.
Main stars differ from Life Master and Body Master
Life Master and Body Master in the information panel are star indicators selected from the Life Palace Branch or the birth-year Branch. They are not shortened names for the main stars in the Life or Body Palace. The same star name may appear in both, but the labels mean different things.
Star names should not be read literally
Wu Qu, whose name contains the character for martial (武), does not mean a military career, and Qi Sha or Po Jun are not necessarily unfavorable because their names sound harsh. Star names are traditional labels; their meaning depends on the interpretive system and the whole configuration.
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Updated 2026-10-17 · Editorial Policy