How to Cast a Qi Men Dun Jia Chart: The Nine Palaces Step by Step

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坎一艮八震三巽四离九坤二兑七乾六 休生伤杜景死惊开 蓬任冲辅英芮柱心 符蛇阴合虎玄地天 中五
  • Eight doors
  • Nine stars
  • Eight deities
  • Nine palaces (fixed)
The rotating plate: the nine palaces (outer grey band) never move. With each new two-hour period, the nine stars (cyan) and eight deities (purple) turn together to new palaces, and the eight doors (gold) turn as a ring too; the order within each ring never changes. The Tian Qin star of the center palace is not placed on its own but lodged in another palace. The number of steps shown per period is illustrative; in a real chart it is set by the Chief Star and Chief Door of that moment.

The Six-Step Casting Process

The standard Hour-based Qi Men casting flow:

1. Set the Four Pillars

Convert the consultation moment (always using True Solar Time) into the four Stem-Branch pairs for year, month, day and hour.

2. Determine the Cycle and Ju Number

From Winter Solstice to Summer Solstice is the Yang cycle (Ju numbers ascend); from Summer Solstice to Winter Solstice is the Yin cycle (Ju numbers descend). The solar term and the upper/middle/lower period then fix the Ju number from 1 to 9.

3. Arrange the Earth Plate (Three Nobles, Six Yi)

Place Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui, Ding, Bing, Yi into the Nine Palaces in sequence according to the Ju number — forward in the Yang cycle, reverse in the Yin cycle.

4. Arrange the Heaven Plate (Nine Stars) and the Chief

Locate the palace of the hour stem to determine the Chief Star, then rotate the Nine Stars with the hour stem.

5. Rotate the Human Plate (Eight Gates) and the Envoy

The Envoy Gate rotates with the palace of the hour branch, and the Eight Gates follow in order.

6. Arrange the Deity Plate (Eight Deities)

Chief, Serpent, Moon, Harmony, Tiger, Tortoise, Earth, Sky — forward in the Yang cycle, reverse in the Yin cycle.

What to Look at First

A three-step method for beginners:

  1. Find the focus symbol (Yong Shen): career questions look at the Open Gate; wealth at the Life Gate and Wu; relationships at Harmony, Yi and Geng…
  2. Check palace interactions: does the Five-Element relationship between the focus symbol and its palace generate (auspicious) or overcome (inauspicious)?
  3. Check formations: classic auspicious or fearsome patterns such as “Azure Dragon Turns Its Head” or “White Tiger Rampant.”

Casting one chart by hand takes at least ten minutes and is highly error-prone. An online AI charting tool completes every step above in one second and explains each palace’s formation in plain language — ideal for learning while doing.

FAQ

How do I tell Yin Dun from Yang Dun?

From the winter solstice to the summer solstice is Yang Dun, counted forward. From the summer solstice to the winter solstice is Yin Dun, counted backward.

How long does it take to draw a chart by hand?

Even experienced practitioners need ten minutes or more, and mistakes are common. An online tool does it in a second, which makes it handy for checking your work while you learn.

What should I look at first?

Find the focus symbol for your question, check the five-element relation between it and its palace, then see whether a classic favorable or unfavorable pattern appears.