The Eight Doors
The eight doors form the "people" layer: human affairs, action and method. They are the layer most often used to judge a matter. Open, Rest and Life are the three good doors; Harm, Death and Fear are bad; Closure and Scenery are mixed and have their uses. On the door plate the Envoy moves with the hour and the eight doors turn together around the outer palaces.
| Door | Home | Element | Nature | Meaning and uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rest | Kan 1 | Water | Favourable | Favourable. Rest, stability and goodwill; good for meeting patrons, recovering and handling relationships. |
| Death | Kun 2 | Earth | Unfavourable | Unfavourable. Stagnation and endings; poor for most things, suitable only for closing old matters. |
| Harm | Zhen 3 | Wood | Unfavourable | Unfavourable. Injury, conflict and loss; suited to collecting debts and competing, harmful for most else. |
| Closure | Xun 4 | Wood | Mixed | Mixed. Blockage, concealment and secrecy; good for hiding, avoiding and technical work, poor for anything done in the open. |
| Open | Qian 6 | Metal | Favourable | Favourable. Opening, career and public affairs; good for job seeking, starting a business, travel and official matters. |
| Fear | Dui 7 | Metal | Unfavourable | Unfavourable. Alarm, quarrels and lawsuits; useful for attacking in debate or litigation, unsettling for most else. |
| Life | Gen 8 | Earth | Favourable | Favourable. Growth, profit and new life; good for money, trade, property and seeking treatment. |
| Scenery | Li 9 | Fire | Mixed | Mixed. Documents, brilliance and information; good for exams, publicity and submissions, but also superficiality. |
Pressed doors
When a door's element controls the palace it sits in, the door is "pressed", for example the Open door (Metal) in Zhen 3 or Xun 4 (Wood). A pressed good door loses half its good; a pressed bad door grows worse. When the palace controls the door instead, the door is held down and weakened.
Each in detail
Rest door (休門)
- Work and money
- Good for rest, reorganising and harmony among people; requests to superiors or for help tend to meet goodwill. Not the time for major expansion.
- Love and people
- Relations are friendly: a good time to mend ties, gather and talk; love is stable and relaxed.
- What to do
- Restore your energy before pushing things forward; suited to people matters, coordination and asking for help.
Death door (死門)
- Work and money
- Stands for stagnation and endings, so most things should not be started now; it does suit closing old matters, settling disputes and clearing out what is no longer needed.
- Love and people
- Relations may be cool and stuck; in love it can signal that a chapter is ending.
- What to do
- Do not force new plans; close what needs closing so there is room for the next step.
Harm door (傷門)
- Work and money
- Stands for conflict and harm, so ordinary matters meet setbacks; it does suit collecting debts, recovering things and competition.
- Love and people
- Conflict comes easily; in love, words can wound.
- What to do
- When you must confront, keep to the issue and avoid personal attacks; otherwise slow down and stay safe.
Closure door (杜門)
- Work and money
- Stands for blockage and secrecy: good for research, technical development, quiet preparation and confidential work; poor for anything pushed in public.
- Love and people
- People are closed off and information does not flow; in love, things go unsaid.
- What to do
- Good for shutting the door and preparing; go public when the time is right, and watch for misunderstandings caused by poor communication.
Open door (開門)
- Work and money
- The door of opening and career: good for job hunting, starting a business, signing, travel and official matters; the door most often used for career questions.
- Love and people
- Open and sociable with people; love tends to become public and move forward.
- What to do
- Take the initiative and push plans in the open; good for partnerships, interviews and meeting important people.
Fear door (驚門)
- Work and money
- Stands for alarm and quarrels: ordinary matters may bring unexpected news, false alarms or disputes; in debate or litigation it can be used to pressure the other side.
- Love and people
- Rumours and misunderstandings disturb relationships; love may bring arguments and unease.
- What to do
- Verify sudden news before reacting; put important things in writing to avoid verbal disputes.
Life door (生門)
- Work and money
- The door of growth and profit: good for making money, trade, property and long-term growth; the main door for money questions.
- Love and people
- Relationships offer mutual benefit; love grows and can move forward.
- What to do
- A time to invest, plant seeds and expand, backed by a realistic plan so growth can last.
Scenery door (景門)
- Work and money
- The door of documents and information: good for exams, publicity, proposals, submissions and anything that needs exposure; also a reminder of surface glitter without substance.
- Love and people
- Image matters in relationships; love is passionate, but beware judging by appearances.
- What to do
- Prepare your documents and present clearly to win opportunities; do not get carried away by momentary excitement.
These are common readings and schools differ somewhat; in practice, read them together with the star, door, spirit and stems in the same palace.
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.