What is Zi Wei Dou Shu?
Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗數), Purple Star astrology, arranges 14 major stars, their auxiliaries, and four transformations across 12 palaces, one for each domain of life: the Life palace, Wealth, Career, Marriage, Health, and more. Reading which stars sit in which palace, and how the current decade (大限) and year (流年) light them up, gives a detailed, palace-by-palace map of a life.
Common questions about Zi Wei Dou Shu
What is Zi Wei Dou Shu?
Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗數), or Purple Star astrology, is a Chinese system that places 14 main stars and their auxiliaries across 12 life palaces built from your birth date and hour. Each palace covers a life area, so the chart reads like a detailed map of career, wealth, relationships, health, and more.
How is Zi Wei different from BaZi?
BaZi is an elemental blueprint of four pillars and eight characters, giving the core pattern of who you are. Zi Wei Dou Shu is a star map of over a hundred symbolic stars across twelve palaces, adding palace-by-palace detail on specific life areas. Many practitioners read them together.
Do I need my exact birth time for Zi Wei?
Yes. The hour sets the Life palace and the whole 12-palace layout, so an accurate birth time matters for a Zi Wei Dou Shu chart.
What are the four transformations (四化)?
The four transformations (四化) are qualities, refinement, power, and difficulty, attached to certain stars. They mark where a chart's energy is amplified or strained, and they shift each decade and year, which is how timing is read.
Cast a chart: Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗數) reading. Other systems: BaZi (八字), Qi Men Dun Jia (奇门遁甲), Western astrology (西洋占星), Horary astrology. Learn hub, glossary.