Why two calculators disagree

The same birth date on paper can still produce two different Zi Wei charts. Line up the year boundary, the leap month, true solar time, the transformation table, and the star-placement rule. Most disagreements are already explained there.

Editorial review: 2026-09-22 · Reviewed by fateshow · Editorial method

Line these five up first

The year boundary decides which day the stem changes. The leap month decides which side that month joins. True solar time decides whether the branch steps into the next cell. The transformation table decides whether one stem selects the same four stars. The placement rule decides which verse puts the majors in their palaces. If one of the five differs, the Life Palace or a star can move. No further mysterious cause is required.

Check the engine version only after the five match

If they still disagree, look at the software version and whether a setting was edited by hand. Different does not mean one chart is fake. Inferring the rule from which result sounds kinder turns a reaction into an algorithm.

How to set two charts side by side

Illustration: two reports share a birthday, and Life is on Wu in one and on Wei in the other. Copy both year boundaries, leap-month sides, true-solar-time switches, transformation-table names, and placement rules. If one uses Beginning of Spring and the other does not, stop at the year boundary. There is nothing left to argue about which Zi Wei is “more orthodox.” If all five match and the charts still differ, write down the version and ask the engine. Disagreement is also not evidence about whose life is more real.

Common mistakes

  • Calling one chart wrong before the five settings are compared.
  • Treating the kinder-sounding result as the correct rule.
  • Explaining a school difference as a reader’s private motive.

Use it in fateshow

Zi Wei chart

Cast a Zi Wei chart and read the palaces, stars, and transformations it prints.

Open tool →

Frequently asked questions

What are the five?

Year boundary, leap-month side, true solar time, transformation table, and star-placement rule. Copy them in that order when you compare two charts.

Can the placement rule differ while the transformation table stays the same?

Yes. They are separate items. If the stars move palaces, the same transformation names still land in different cells.

Which set does fateshow use?

The set written back onto that report. The wiki does not crown one school as the only valid reading.

Sources and editorial basis

  1. 1. iztro Zi Wei Dou Shu engine

    Supports only what the current fateshow configuration actually calculates: palace placement, major-star arrangements, and the recorded year-boundary, leap-month, and transformation settings. It does not prove that any traditional school is uniquely correct.

  2. 2. Ziwei Doushu Quanshu (received editions)

    Used to cross-check palace names, star lists, and traditional wording. A received text can record a tradition; it cannot prove scientific validity or guarantee an event.

  3. 3. fateshow chart rule snapshot

    Each generated report stores the engine settings that produced it. Compare those settings before treating two charts as the same calculation.