Qi Men Dun Jia Glossary: Doors, Stars, Deities and Patterns
Published
This is Qimena’s Qi Men Dun Jia glossary. It covers the four kinds of symbols on the board in five pages: the doors, the stars, the deities, the stem combinations and the whole-chart patterns. The names, elements and readings match what Qimena’s charting engine actually uses, so you can hold a chart next to the page and look things up.
Glossary contents
- The Eight Doors: Rest, Life, Harm, Block, Scenery, Death, Fright and Open, 8 in all;
- The Nine Stars: Tian Peng to Tian Ying, 9 in all;
- The Eight Deities: Chief, Soaring Serpent, Great Yin, Six Harmony, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, Nine Earth and Nine Heaven, 8 in all;
- Stem Combinations: 40 patterns of a Heaven stem on an Earth stem;
- Chart Patterns: Fu Yin, Fan Yin, the Five Non-Encounters Hour and three palace-level patterns.
The four layers of a chart
A complete hour-based Qi Men chart stacks four layers:
| Layer | Contents | Stands for |
|---|---|---|
| Earth Plate | Three wonders and six instruments | The fixed base and environment |
| Heaven Plate | Nine stars | The “qi” of the moment; rotates with the Chief Star |
| Human Plate | Eight doors | The state of human activity; rotates with the Chief Door |
| Spirit Plate | Eight deities | Hidden help and resistance |
To judge a palace, read its stems, star, door and deity together. If you are new, start with Qi Men Dun Jia for Beginners and How to Cast a Qi Men Chart; different questions use different focus symbols, covered in Focus Symbols.
About these readings
The good and bad fortune and the dos and don’ts here are the commonly accepted statements in traditional Qi Men books, adopted by Qimena’s engine. Schools differ in places; this site sets the ju with the Chai Bu method and lays out the chart with the rotating-plate method (why we chose them). The content is for study and as a reference for decisions and is no guarantee of any outcome. To see these symbols on your own chart, try the free AI charting tool.
FAQ
What symbols are on a Qi Men chart?
The Heaven Plate holds the nine stars, the Human Plate the eight doors, the Spirit Plate the eight deities and the Earth Plate the three wonders and six instruments. A palace is read by taking its stems, star, door and deity together.
How reliable are the readings in this glossary?
The entries follow the commonly accepted statements in traditional Qi Men books and match the readings Qimena's charting engine actually uses. Schools differ in places, and the content is for study and reference only.
Where should I start when reading a chart?
Pick the focus symbol for your question, find its palace, then read that palace's stems, star, door and deity. For a starting path, see Qi Men Dun Jia for Beginners and Focus Symbols.