FOUNDATIONS
ZIHENG FIELD NOTES · PURPLE STAR ASTROLOGY
Make the chart
less mysterious.
Start with the question you actually have. These short guides explain the symbolic map first, then return you to a free 12-palace chart for personal context.
Cast my free chart →01 · START WITH THE MAP
Calculation and chart basics.
Learn what the tool is showing before you interpret a star or timing label.
READING ORDER
How to read a whole chart
Start with Life, then connect Career, Wealth, Travel, and the active cycle.UNCERTAINTY
What if birth time is unknown?
Compare plausible windows without pretending that a guess is exact.TIME ZONES
Birth time, time zones, and daylight saving
Use birthplace clock time and state the calculation assumptions clearly.02 · PALACES AND STARS
Read the symbolic building blocks.
Palaces name the domain; stars add a vocabulary. Neither should be read alone.
12 PALACES
The 12 palaces in plain English
Understand the chart’s life domains without turning them into a scorecard.14 MAJOR STARS
The 14 major stars
Why placement and whole-chart context matter more than a standalone label.LIFE PALACE
What does the Life Palace mean?
Use the chart’s starting point without reducing yourself to a fixed type.TRAVEL PALACE
What does the Travel Palace mean?
Explore external environments, clients, movement, and wider opportunity.03 · START WITH A STAR
Four high-curiosity star meanings.
These pages translate common star searches into a whole-chart reading question. A star is the starting vocabulary, never the verdict.
ZI WEI · 紫微
Zi Wei / Purple Star meaning
Explore stewardship, standards, and the centre of a chart without turning it into a status label.TIAN JI · 天機
Tian Ji / Strategist meaning
Use a planning and adaptability theme to design a better next experiment.TAI YANG · 太陽
Tai Yang / Sun meaning
Consider visibility, contribution, and the boundaries that keep them sustainable.WU QU · 武曲
Wu Qu / General meaning
Frame resources, standards, and execution without making a wealth promise.04 · REAL-LIFE QUESTIONS
Work, resources, relationships, and recovery.
Use the chart to frame a useful question, then bring real evidence to the answer.
CAREER
Career Palace meaning
Reflect on contribution and work environment, not a guaranteed job title.WEALTH
Wealth Palace meaning
Resource habits and money stewardship, never an income forecast.PARTNERSHIP
Spouse Palace meaning
A grounded way to consider expectations and commitment without relationship promises.RECOVERY
Health Palace meaning
A wellbeing and recovery prompt, never medical advice or a diagnosis.05 · TIME AND COMPARISON
Put the chart beside a real horizon.
Use timing as a planning layer and compare traditions without forcing them to agree.
10-YEAR CYCLE
How to read a 10-year luck cycle
Use decade context as a season of attention, not a sentence.2026 LAYER
How to read a 2026 annual cycle
Bring a yearly prompt back to the natal chart and your actual plans.BAZI
Zi Wei Dou Shu vs BaZi
Two Chinese metaphysics systems with different calculation and reading grammar.WESTERN ASTROLOGY
Zi Wei Dou Shu vs Western astrology
Compare a palace board with zodiac and planetary approaches without a contest.START WITH YOUR OWN MAP