Nine Flying Stars Guide
The Nine Flying Stars, or Zi Bai Jiu Xing, are the traditional feng shui method for describing how time changes the quality of space. The nine stars, from One White to Nine Purple, move through the centre and the eight directions in the order of the Lo Shu square, shifting every year and every month.
The flight order never changes: Centre → Northwest → West → Northeast → South → North → Southwest → East → Southeast. Once you know which star sits in the centre for a year, the other eight follow. Years turn at Start of Spring and months at the solar terms.
Three cycles and nine periods
Tradition divides 180 years into three cycles of three periods, each 20 years long. We are now in Period 9 (2024–2043), when Nine Purple is the timely star; Eight White has stepped back, while One White and Two Black are seen as the coming energies. The same star carries different weight in different periods.
The nine stars
- One White · Tan Lang (Greedy Wolf)Popularity, romance and promotion; also wisdom and new beginnings. The direction it visits traditionally favours networking, job seeking and relationships.
- Two Black · Ju Men (Illness Star)Traditionally the "illness star": wear on health and stamina, with older family members, especially women, needing more care.
- Three Jade · Lu Cun (Quarrel Star)Arguments, disputes and legal trouble; also impatience and conflict.
- Four Green · Wen Qu (Literary Star)Study, exams and scholarship; also writing, research and creative work.
- Five Yellow · Lian Zhen (Five Yellow)The most inauspicious of the nine, traditionally called the Five Yellow: accidents, illness and setbacks. The direction to watch most each year.
- Six White · Wu Qu (Military Star)Authority, helpful patrons and windfall wealth; favours promotion and decisiveness at work.
- Seven Red · Po Jun (Breaker Star)Loss of money, gossip and petty people; also theft and accidental loss. A waning star in Period 9.
- Eight White · Zuo Fu (Assistant Star)Steady wealth, property and reliable income; also the building of family assets. Still a growing star in Period 9.
- Nine Purple · You Bi (Celebration Star)Celebrations, marriage, fame and popularity. In Period 9 (2024–2043) it is the timely star and at its strongest.
Charts by year
More topics
This is fixed text compiled from general convention, not a reading of any individual and not a prediction. For important decisions, please consult qualified professionals.