ENGLISH GUIDES

Learn Zi Wei Dou Shu

Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗数, Purple Star Astrology) is one of the most respected chart systems of Chinese astrology. These plain-English guides walk you from first principles to reading your own chart.

• Local Time or Beijing Time for Your Zi Wei Chart? The Centuries-Old Argument

  Should a Zi Wei Dou Shu chart use local clock time, true solar time, or Beijing time? Picking wrong can rebuild most of the chart. How the three conventions differ and how FateZiwei handles them.

• Same Birthday, Three Websites, Three Different Charts — Why Zi Wei Calculators Disagree

  Year stem vs month stem Si Hua, early vs late Zi hour, leap-month rules, school tables — the four legitimate reasons two correct calculators produce different charts, and how to check which convention you're looking at.

• Best Free Zi Wei Dou Shu Calculators — How to Choose (2026)

  Five concrete things to check before trusting a free Zi Wei Dou Shu calculator: Si Hua source, timezone handling, brightness tables, interpretation depth, and pricing model — with an honest scorecard.

• What Is Zi Wei Dou Shu? A Practical Introduction to Purple Star Astrology

  Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗数), often translated as Purple Star Astrology, is a classical Chinese system for reading a life chart. This primer explains what it is, how it differs from Western astrology, and what the chart actually shows.

• How to Read Your Ming Palace — the Self in a Zi Wei Dou Shu Chart

  The Ming Palace (命宫) is the first thing to read in any Zi Wei chart — it describes temperament, appearance, and core destiny. A practical guide to finding it and reading the triangle of palaces that reinforce it.

• Si Hua from the Month Stem — What Most Zi Wei Calculators Get Wrong

  The Four Transformations (Si Hua) are the dynamic heart of a Zi Wei Dou Shu chart. Most free calculators derive them from the year stem; some teachers — notably Kwok Man-Ho — use the month stem. Here is what the difference is and why it matters.

• Zi Wei Dou Shu vs BaZi vs Western Astrology — Three Systems, Three Lenses

  How Zi Wei Dou Shu compares with BaZi (Four Pillars) and Western astrology: inputs, structure, strengths, and what each is actually good for.

• The 12 Palaces Explained — the Map of a Zi Wei Dou Shu Chart

  Every Zi Wei Dou Shu chart is the same 4×4 map of twelve palaces: self, siblings, spouse, children, wealth, health, travel, friends, career, property, fortune, and parents. Here is what each one governs.

The 14 Major Stars

The 12 Palaces