Dancing with the Stars of Zi Wei Dou Shu

We know now that the twelve sectors of a Zi Wei Dou Shu ("ZWDS") chart can tell us something about our personalities. A person whose life sector is in pig is determined and works hard for a living. A person whose life sector is in rooster, one of the four "peach blossom" zodiac animals, tends to be more frivolous and carefree. However, life is not created equally as we can readily see in our daily lives. There are those who are lazy yet manage to acquire fortunes while others toil and struggle but see little gain. It is the pattern of the stars in the chart that ultimately determine our luck in life.

When determining the meaning of the stars in each sector astrologers look at the sector in question as well as three other sectors that influence it. For example if we are looking at the life sector of a person, we also need to look at its opposite sector, travel, as well as career and money. This method is called San Fan Si Zhen (三方四正).

Take look at the chart of Bill Gates. His life sector contains a Tai Ying ("Moon") star. The opposite of his life sector is the travel sector. Four squares to the left and right of his life sector are the wealth and career sectors. Notice that his wealth sector is empty. This would seem impossible since he is one of the richest people in the world. ZWDS practioners in this case would use the stars in the opposite sector (happiness) to determine how much liquid assets he has. In this case it isn't much and it's not surprising since all his wealth is tied up in tangible Microsoft products, which fall under the category of physical property. Physical property luck is governed by the property sector.

Before describing the 14 stas I should mention that these 'stars' are not based on any actual stars in the sky. They are conceptual representations of human traits, like greed, generosity, pride, charity, opportunism or aggression. The brightness of each star has 7 levels according to old texts. However, modern ZWDS practioners simply assign 3 grades to every star--dark, medium and bright. The brighter the star the more it displays the ideal qualities of that star. A dark star displays the negative traits of the star.

The 14 Stars
1. Zi Wei (紫微) - Emperor star: The eponymous star of this branch of astrology Zi Wei is like the emperor of old. Majestic, proud, generous, responsible, strong but not aggressive. He dictates to others and expects to be obeyed. Where this star falls in your chart is where you are likely to be demanding. If it falls in a relationship sector, like marriage, it means that your spouse is likely to be demanding and expects to be obeyed. You are also likely to demand an outstanding, successful partner. A dark Zi Wei is tyrannical, lonely and prejudiced.
2. Wu Qu (武曲) - Military Commander star: The star of power, wealth and military authority. This star is similar to a country's defense minister who formulates military strategies and wages wars. Those with Wu Qu in their life sector tend to be cold and highly efficient. This star represents money in your chart and should it be obstructed it could mean financial failure.
3. Lian Zhen (廉貞) - Passion star: A complicated star that at its best represents honesty and chastity. At its worst it represents a crafty individual who is immoral, gambles, drinks and carries on illicit affairs. It's also regarded as emotional, friendly and sociable. Because of Lian Zhen's extremes it is especially susceptible to the influence of negative stars.
4. Tan Lang (贪狼) - Opportunity star: An opportunistic star that enjoys the finer things in life. Tan Lang desires luxuries—good food, good wine, stylish clothing, love affairs and can show a reckless abandon in the pursuit of these things. Tan Lang is selfish and greedy but can hide these facts very well. A dark Tan Lang in the life sector indicates an extremely selfish individual.
5. Ju Men (巨门) - Orator star: To assess your aptitude for public speaking simply look at the quality of this star. A bright Ju Men with the Wealth catalyst attached to it indicates a talent for speaking as well as a smooth and lucky life. This star is the most rational, logical, as well as suspicious of all the major stars, making it difficult to win an argument with someone who has a good Ju Men star in their life sector.
6. Puo Jun (破军) - Demolisher star: Pou Jun is a rebellious fighter who is at the front lines of a war engaging in life and death struggle with the enemy. It's also like a demolition company that tears down structures before giving any thought of rebuilding, thus wasting resources. A person with this star in their life or happiness sector is aggressive and can be difficult to get along with. If this star is in the wealth sector one can easily lose money.
7. Tian Ji (天机) - Chief Advisor star: A changeable, somewhat unstable star that represents intelligence and wherever it falls it gives you a talent for long-range planning and strategy. This star represents a quick thinker who learns fast, thinks fast and is excellent at multi-tasking. However, Tian Ji is more of a follower than a leader. A dark Tian Ji is duplicitous and manipulative.
8. Tian Tong (天同) - Lucky star: Representing the easy life, Tian Tong enjoys luxury, relaxation and is happy-go-lucky. This star is not competitive, does not like conflict and followed by good luck. If this star is in your money sector it means that you don't work hard for the money but it just comes to you. Depending on other stars in the sector it could mean a little or a lot of money.
9. Tian Fu (天府) - Treasury star: A star representing leadership, conservatism, reliability, helpfulness, Tian Fu is not an innovative leader but an administrative leader. It is not keen on change and prefers tradition over new-fangled things. It is also a star of great wealth depending on where it falls. Billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has this star in his wealth sector.
10. Tian Xiang (天相) - Minister star: Classic texts liken this star to an imperial official who puts a stamp of approval on documents. Tian Xiang is viewed as being both powerful and powerless at the same time. Nothing happens without its seal of approval and yet it is able to do little beyond that. This star indicates passivity, administration, fairness and loyalty. One book refers to this star as "Mirror", which reflects whatever it sees, including any major stars in its sector.
11. Qi Sha (七杀) - Army General star: This star represents an army general who oversees the battle and lays out strategies on the field. Qi Sha differs from Wu Qu in that while Wu Qu is cool and detached, Qi Sha is aggressive and persevering.
12. Tian Liang (天梁) - Inspector star: A noble, scholarly, serious, and mature leader this star can be likened to an elder statesman of antiquity. This star shows discipline, self-control, and self-management. It is conscientious, academically talented, and idealistic. Tian Liang is above the pettiness of politics and is capable of staying in a position for a long period of time until its goal has been achieved or there is nothing more to be gained.
13. Tai Yang (太阳) - the Sun: A literal translation from Chinese to English, Tai Yang, or the Sun, is the star of fame, leadership and altruism. A bright Tai Yang in the career sector with only positive stars can make a person famous and outstanding at work. Many CEOs and billionaires, like Bill Gates, have a bright Tai Yang with many supportive stars in their career sector.
14. Tai Ying (太阴) - Moon: This star is gentle, beautiful, quiet and reserved. It also represents careful intelligence--taking time to formulate a well-thought out plan rather than devising ideas on the spot, like Tian Ji. It is also a star of wealth that, if found in the life sector with a bright rating, means the individual will invariably acquire a fortune in their life time.