【KO's Insights】
〈 What is ZiweiDoushu? 〉
I believe many of you have heard of ZiweiDoushu to some extent! But is it just a way of “fortune telling”? Honestly, a lot of people may not really understand what it is. Don’t worry, today I’m here to chat with you about it.
Traditionally, ZiweiDoushu is classified as ancient Chinese astrology and a part of metaphysics. It works by analyzing the movement of celestial bodies and the position of stars, along with your birth time (some schools of thought may also take the birth location into account), to calculate a person’s life chart. The chart contains 14 main stars, and, together with other stars, there are over 100 stars on the life chart! These stars aren’t just randomly placed—they are distributed across 12 palaces, with each palace representing different aspects of your life, such as the Life Palace (which represents overall fortune), Wealth Palace (wealth luck), Career Palace (career development), Spouse Palace (marital and emotional life), and so on. By analyzing the relationships between these stars and the palaces, ZiweiDoushu can predict various aspects of your life, such as personality, career, marriage, and more.The palaces of the life chart may be ordered clockwise (like the one below), or anti-clockwise. However, the order of the palaces will be the same, e.g. Life Palace is followed by Parents Palace, with each palace housing some stars.
The name ZiweiDoushu is actually quite interesting and can be broken down into three parts: Ziwei, Dou, and Shu. Let’s start with “Ziwei.” Ziwei is the ancient Chinese name for the North Star, which was believed to represent the authority and fate of the emperor. In ZiweiDoushu, the position of the Ziwei star is extremely important—it is like the “soul” and “core” of the life chart, determining the arrangement and structure of other stars. So, the position of the Ziwei star really does determine everything. It’s super important!
Next, let’s talk about “Dou,” which refers to the Big Dipper (the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper). The Big Dipper looks like a spoon (in Taiwanese, we’d call it “匙羹”), with four stars forming the “body” and three stars forming the “handle.” The two outermost stars are called Tiānshū (the Pivot) and Tiānxuán (the Circle). If you extend a line from Tiānxuán to Tiānshū five times, you will find the North Star! The Big Dipper revolves around the North Star. Although the Earth rotates, the position of the Big Dipper changes over time, while the North Star remains almost fixed. Ancient Chinese believed that the Big Dipper acted as a compass in the sky, closely linked with destiny and the changing of seasons, symbolizing guidance and direction.
Finally, “Shu” refers to a method of prediction and deduction through analysis and calculation, or simply, an algorithm.
So, ZiweiDoushu can be understood as an algorithm named after the Ziwei star to provide guidance and direction about your fortune.
However, to be honest, I’m not entirely comfortable calling ZiweiDoushu simply “astrology.” This is a topic we can dive into later. In short, I think ZiweiDoushu is more like an algorithm. You just input your birth time, and it will generate your life chart. Then, by analyzing the stars, palaces, and their interactions in the chart, it can predict the course of your life.
Instead of seeing the stars in ZiweiDoushu as “heavenly stars,” it’s better to view them as symbols representing different symbolic meanings. The meaning and energy behind each star also change over time. ZiweiDoushu helps us better understand our life potential and predict future development by analyzing these symbols and their changing positions.
Therefore, ZiweiDoushu is not a mysterious thing. By analyzing the life chart and making calculations, it allows you to see potential possibilities and find the right timing to seize opportunities. It’s like using a map—it can help you avoid detours, or at least prepare you so that when problems arise, you will be in a better position to deal with them. ZiweiDoushu can tell you the path ahead, but how you walk it ultimately depends on your own efforts!