The Nine Palaces, Wonders and Instruments
A Qimen chart is laid on the nine palaces of the Lo Shu. Traditional diagrams put south at the top and east on the left: the top row is Xun 4, Li 9 and Kun 2; the middle row Zhen 3, Centre 5 and Dui 7; the bottom row Gen 8, Kan 1 and Qian 6. Each palace has a fixed direction and element.
| Xun 4 Southeast · Wood | Li 9 South · Fire | Kun 2 Southwest · Earth |
| Zhen 3 East · Wood | Centre 5 Centre · Earth | Dui 7 West · Metal |
| Gen 8 Northeast · Earth | Kan 1 North · Water | Qian 6 Northwest · Metal |
Three wonders and six instruments
Of the ten stems, Jia is the most honoured and never appears directly. The other nine split into the three wonders, Yi (Sun), Bing (Moon) and Ding (Star), and the six instruments Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren and Gui. The earth plate always places them in the order Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui, Ding, Bing, Yi.
| Stem | Group | Symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| 乙 (Yi) | Wonder | Yi, the Sun wonder: gentleness, women, medicine and the arts; the wife in marriage questions. |
| 丙 (Bing) | Wonder | Bing, the Moon wonder: brightness, authority and passion; also sudden events. |
| 丁 (Ding) | Wonder | Ding, the Star wonder: documents, hope, insight and quiet guidance; key for exams. |
| 戊 (Wu) | Instrument | Wu, hiding Jia-Zi: capital, wealth and foundations; key for money. |
| 己 (Ji) | Instrument | Ji, hiding Jia-Xu: privacy, schemes, traps and land. |
| 庚 (Geng) | Instrument | Geng, hiding Jia-Shen: obstacles, opponents, force; the husband in marriage questions. |
| 辛 (Xin) | Instrument | Xin, hiding Jia-Wu: mistakes, blame, punishment and renewal. |
| 壬 (Ren) | Instrument | Ren, hiding Jia-Chen: movement, travel, confinement and change. |
| 癸 (Gui) | Instrument | Gui, hiding Jia-Yin: closure, nets, obscurity and endings. |
Where each Jia hides
The sixty stem-branch pairs fall into six decades of ten, each led by a "decade head". The Jia of each head hides beneath a fixed instrument; this is the "hidden Jia":
| Decade head | Hides in |
|---|---|
| Jia-Zi 甲子 | 戊 (Wu) |
| Jia-Xu 甲戌 | 己 (Ji) |
| Jia-Shen 甲申 | 庚 (Geng) |
| Jia-Wu 甲午 | 辛 (Xin) |
| Jia-Chen 甲辰 | 壬 (Ren) |
| Jia-Yin 甲寅 | 癸 (Gui) |
When casting, find the decade of the hour pillar, then the palace where its instrument sits on the earth plate: that palace's own star and door become the Chief and the Envoy.
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.