Free Zi Wei Dou Shu Chart: Twelve Palaces and Transformations

How the chart is cast

1. 1.Restore the birth instant

   Historical timezone offsets and daylight saving are restored first. A lunar date is converted together with its leap-month flag; an unmarked leap month is treated as an ordinary month.

2. 2.Fix the Life Palace and five-element bureau

   The birth hour fixes the Life Palace; 23:00 already begins the zi hour. The Body Palace is placed by its own rule. The five-element bureau is taken from the Life Palace stem and branch; it sets where Zi Wei starts and the decade-cycle ages.

3. 3.Place stars by the standard method

   Fourteen major stars, auxiliary stars and birth-year transformations are placed by the standard star-placement method. A different method puts the same hour’s stars in different palaces. This site uses this method only and does not mix schools in one chart.

4. 4.Charting and reading

   The chart first computes palaces, stars, brightness, transformations and decade cycles. The AI reading only explains those already-calculated fields: it does not invent a missing birth time or move the Life Palace.

Timezone: charts are cast in the birthplace timezone by default (Asia/Shanghai, UTC+8 for mainland China). For births elsewhere, set the birthplace so historical offsets and daylight saving are restored and the Life Palace does not shift.

What you see after casting

After you cast the chart, the page lists results you can check line by line. It does not add a luck grade.

• The twelve palace names and branches, and which branch holds the Life Palace and Body Palace.
• Fourteen major stars and auxiliary stars, with brightness marked after each major star.
• Where each birth-year transformation lands, and which star it rides.
• The five-element bureau, Life master and Body master.
• Decade-cycle age ranges, and which palace the annual cycle occupies.
• The birthplace timezone, lunar conversion including leap months, and the standard star-placement method used this time.

Common questions

What is Zi Wei Dou Shu good for?

Concrete situations: whether a relationship can last, whether a job is worth changing, whether a stage calls for pushing or holding. The question decides which palace you read — that beats asking a vague "how is my luck".

Can I make decisions from this chart?

For reference only — not a substitute for medical, legal or financial advice. It shows structure and options; it does not decide for you.

What if I do not know my exact birth time?

The birth hour fixes the Life Palace and shifts the other eleven with it. If the time is uncertain, cast two neighbouring hours and see which structure fits your experience better. Do not write an estimated hour as a confirmed birth time.

If the hour is wrong, does the Life Palace shift entirely?

Yes. The hour fixes the Life Palace; the other eleven palaces follow from it. One hour off moves every palace branch, and the stars move with them. 23:00 already begins the zi hour, which is not the same hour as 22:00.

How are lunar dates and leap months converted?

A lunar date is converted together with its leap-month flag before the Life Palace is fixed and stars are placed. An unmarked leap month is treated as an ordinary month, and the whole chart differs from that step. Use the calendar in the birth record, and mark a leap month when it is one.

If another program gives a different Life Palace, what should I check first?

Align the birth hour, the birthplace timezone, and whether a leap month was marked. If those match and the palaces still differ, check whether both used the standard star-placement method. Compare the reading text last.

What is the difference between the chart and the AI reading?

The chart computes palaces, stars, brightness, transformations and decade cycles by the standard star-placement method; the same input always matches. The AI reading only explains those already-calculated fields: it does not invent a missing birth time or move the Life Palace. If the palaces do not match, compare the chart first.