The Nine Stars

The nine stars form the "heaven" layer of the chart: the timing and nature of a matter. Each has a home palace. On the heaven plate the stars turn together around the eight outer palaces, led by the Chief star; Tian Qin, whose home is the centre, lodges in Kun 2 in the rotating plate and moves with Tian Rui.

Star	Home	Element	Nature	Symbolism
Tian Peng	Kan 1	Water	Unfavourable	Water, very unfavourable. Cunning and risk-taking, but also theft and hidden losses. Better for defence than advance; suits only covert or risky undertakings.
Tian Rui	Kun 2	Earth	Unfavourable	Earth, unfavourable. Illness and where the problem lies; also students, learning and what needs fixing. The illness star in health questions.
Tian Chong	Zhen 3	Wood	Favourable	Wood, favourable. Action, speed and courage; good for competing and decisive moves, though prone to haste.
Tian Fu	Xun 4	Wood	Favourable	Wood, very favourable. Culture, education and support; good for exams, study and seeking help from patrons.
Tian Qin	Centre 5	Earth	Favourable	Earth, very favourable. The centre: leadership, fairness and stability. In the rotating plate it lodges with Tian Rui in Kun.
Tian Xin	Qian 6	Metal	Favourable	Metal, very favourable. Strategy, management and medicine; good for treatment, business and decisions.
Tian Zhu	Dui 7	Metal	Unfavourable	Metal, unfavourable. Words, quarrels, damage and upheaval; good for speech and debate, obstructive for most else.
Tian Ren	Gen 8	Earth	Favourable	Earth, favourable. Steadiness, responsibility and accumulation; good for property and long-term undertakings.
Tian Ying	Li 9	Fire	Mixed	Fire, mixed. Fame, brightness and documents, but also impatience and injury. Good for publicity, poor for anything secret.

A favourable star with a good door and spirit is better still; an unfavourable star in season or with a good door is softened. Read stars together with doors, spirits and stems, never alone.

Each in detail

Tian Peng (天蓬)

Work and money: A daring, cunning star: suited to strategy, competition or work done out of sight; in ordinary money matters, watch for hidden losses and deception.
Love and people: Relationships may involve concealment or private agendas; in love, look at what is not being said.
What to do: Avoid making a show of it; protect what you have, and plan your exit before taking any necessary risk.

Tian Rui (天芮)

Work and money: Marks where the problem lies and what needs learning or fixing: at work it points to the bottleneck, and suits training, review and adjustment.
Love and people: In relationships it may be the one who needs care or is still learning; in love it can bring delay and stagnation.
What to do: Lay the problem out and deal with it item by item. In health questions it shows where to pay attention; rely on medical professionals for the actual situation.

Tian Chong (天沖)

Work and money: Fast and forceful: good for business development, competitions and anything that rewards getting there first; in money, suited to quick, clear decisions.
Love and people: Direct in dealings with people; love moves fast, but quarrels can flare just as quickly.
What to do: Seize the moment and act decisively, but check your direction once more first so haste does not cause mistakes.

Tian Fu (天輔)

Work and money: The star of culture, education and support: good for exams, study, writing, advisory work and asking patrons for help; wealth tends to come through expertise and reputation.
Love and people: You are likely to meet people willing to guide and promote you; love is gentle and mutually supportive.
What to do: Ask questions, find a teacher or seek expert advice; learning pays off most now.

Tian Qin (天禽)

Work and money: Sitting in the centre, it stands for leadership, fairness and stability: good for running the whole picture, coordinating people and long-term management.
Love and people: Measured and trustworthy with people; love is stable and suited to talking about commitment.
What to do: Handle things from a fair position; mediating from the middle works better than rushing to take sides.

Tian Xin (天心)

Work and money: The star of strategy and management: good for planning, running a business, decisions and problem-solving; in money, act after rational analysis.
Love and people: Often the one who offers solutions; in love, more reasoned than romantic.
What to do: Plan first and weigh the pros and cons, then act; when medical help is needed, this star also points to finding the right professional.

Tian Zhu (天柱)

Work and money: The star of words and upheaval: good for speeches, debate and arguing your case in negotiation; elsewhere it brings disputes, damage or plans that change.
Love and people: Watch how you speak, as words can easily cause misunderstanding; love may bring frequent arguments.
What to do: Say things clearly and keep a record, and avoid speaking in anger; when things change, steady yourself before responding.

Tian Ren (天任)

Work and money: The star of steadiness and accumulation: good for property, long-term investment and businesses that need patience; wealth comes slowly but solidly.
Love and people: Reliable and willing to carry responsibility; love moves slowly but is very solid once settled.
What to do: Trade time for results and build step by step, without rushing for returns.

Tian Ying (天英)

Work and money: The star of brightness and fame: good for publicity, performance, publishing and anything that needs to be seen, though the heat comes and goes quickly.
Love and people: Warm and noticed among people; love arrives quickly, but watch for impulsiveness and pride.
What to do: A good time to show results in public; be especially careful with confidential matters, and cool down before speaking when emotions run high.

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.