Every cell on the chart carries five symbols. This page goes through them one group at a time — the eight gates, the nine stars, the eight deities and the ten heavenly stems — with a plain one-line meaning, then the places, people and matters each one usually stands for. Every entry comes from the imagery tables of this site's casting engine: it is the same data you see when you tap a cell in the app.
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Gates are about the road — whether a matter can move forward, and how. Open, Rest and Life are favourable; Death, Shock and Harm unfavourable; Block and View sit in between.
Time to rest — calm and steady
Often shows up inwater's edge, rivers, lakes, ponds, and wells, lounges, bedrooms, hotels and inns, teahouses
Associated peopleelder, old man, benefactor, monks and priests, hermit, idler
Associated mattersseeking peace, recuperation, stepping aside, reconciliation, harmonious marriage
Alive with growth — good for making money
Often shows up innortheast, hilly land, country fields, markets and shops, banks, graveyards and hillocks
Associated peoplebenefactor, wealthy man, merchant, doctor, someone raising a family, young person
Associated mattersseeking money, doing business, starting a venture, buying property, fertility
Prone to bumps and losses
Often shows up ineast, broad avenues, bridges, stations, busy streets, wooded areas
Associated peoplesoldiers and police, hunter, butcher, thug, injured person, brawler
Associated mattersfavorable for hunting, collecting debts, competition, and gambling, unlucky for travel, seeking money, marriage, or lawsuits (a bad omen)
Blocked — no way through
Often shows up insoutheast, closed-off, hidden spots, dark rooms and secret chambers, warehouses, caves, deep in the woods
Associated peopleartisan, technician, person in hiding, recluse, monks and priests, guard
Associated mattersfavorable for evading, hiding, defending, keeping secrets, and taking refuge, unlucky for opening a business, seeking money, awaited travelers, or lawsuits (things stall)
Lively — plenty of news
Often shows up insouth, royal court, schools, libraries, cultural venues, bright places
Associated peopleman of letters, official, exam candidate, performer, gifted talent, beautiful woman
Associated mattersfavorable for seeking fame, exams, petitions, paperwork, planning, publicity, and celebrations
Stalled — the end of the line
Often shows up insouthwest, graves, graveyards, funeral homes, morgues, ruins
Associated peopleold woman, mourner, gravely ill person, monks and priests, butcher, gravedigger
Associated mattersfavorable for mourning, hunting, closing cases, and wrapping up old business, everything is ill-omened — bad for marriage, seeking money, awaited travelers, or seeing a doctor (very unlucky)
Disturbance — quarrels flare up
Often shows up inwest, courts and courtrooms, loud, crowded places, performance venues, trouble spots, dangerous, alarming places
Associated peoplewitch doctor, lawyer, persuader, good talker, performing singer, frightened person
Associated mattersfavorable for lawsuits, debate, filing complaints, persuasion, and planning, unlucky for marriage, awaited travelers, or seeking money (unsettling)
Wide open — clear to go
Often shows up innorthwest, government offices, main gates, city avenues, open ground, government offices
Associated peoplebenefactor, ranking official, leader, old man, elder of the parents' generation, government employee
Associated mattersfavorable for opening a business, seeking office, meeting patrons, trade, travel, marriage, ventures, and winning lawsuits — everything is very lucky
Stars are the weather of a cell — how strong its state is, how hasty its temper. Each star has an element; Tian Qin lodges in the centre and travels with Tian Rui.
A touch of danger — deep and scheming
Often shows up inrivers, lakes, and seas, wells, toilets, brothels, casinos, dark, damp places
Associated peoplethief, fisherman, sailor, butcher, bandit, underworld
Associated matterstheft, looting, water accidents, legal trouble, sexual misconduct
Steady — slow, careful work
Often shows up infarmsteads, hilly land, warehouses, rich families, northeast, grave hills
Associated peoplewealthy people, farmer, landlord, honest, kind people, young boy, money-keepers
Associated mattersbuying property, holding onto money, diligent farming, taking on responsibility, accumulation
Hot-tempered — acts on the spot
Often shows up inarmy barracks, battlefields, roads, stations, forests, places of thunder
Associated peoplemilitary generals, soldier, knights-errant, brave warriors, athlete, driver
Associated matterswaging war, travel, breaking ground, fighting, fright
Gentle — help is at hand
Often shows up inschools, Confucian temples, studies, gardens, southeast, monasteries
Associated peopleman of letters, teachers, official, lawyer, adviser, benefactor
Associated matterspursuing studies, exams, paperwork, promotions, pursuing an undertaking
Eye-catching — but restless and edgy
Often shows up incultured places, royal court, assembly halls, south, cookstoves, beautiful places
Associated peoplebeauty, gifted talent, man of letters, painter, shamans, frivolous people
Associated matterspaperwork, exams, celebrations, ceremony, empty fame
Heavy with illness — slow and dragging
Often shows up infields, graves, hospitals, apothecaries, old houses, low-lying land
Associated peopleold woman, patient, farmer, witch doctor, lazy people, ignorant people
Associated mattersillness, seeking a teacher, making friends, inviting trouble, getting stuck
Head-on — loves a fight
Often shows up inarmy barracks, temples, ruins, west, steep, rugged places, prisons
Associated peoplesoldier, lawyer, warriors, shaman, argumentative people, destroyers
Associated mattersdisputes and lawsuits, quarrels and gossip, destruction, breakage, conquest
Resourceful — full of ideas
Often shows up inhospitals, pharmacies, temples and monasteries, high places, northwest, authorities
Associated peopledoctor, Taoist priests, adviser, leaders, high officials, elder
Associated matterstreating illness, planning, giving out medicine, doing good, making decisions
Solid and steady
Often shows up incenter, cells, temples, city center, plains, wealthy districts
Associated peoplerulers, powerful figures, go-betweens, steady, mature people, wealthy households, shaman
Associated mattersmediation, taking charge, coordinating between sides, buying property, holding steady
Deities are help and caution — who is quietly on your side, what to watch out for. The Chief leads the eight and moves with the lead star.
A benefactor is watching over you
Often shows up inauthorities, government offices, royal court, main hall, seat of power, seats of honor
Associated peopleleader, benefactor, elders, respected seniors, bosses, top boss
Associated mattersmatters of rank and office, promotions, seeking a post or job, top-level decisions, main affairs
False alarms and entanglements
Often shows up inwinding roads, kilns, dark, gloomy places, strange places, hearths, spiraling places
Associated peoplepetty people, smooth talkers, rumor-mongers, high-strung people, fickle people, sinister people
Associated mattersfalse alarms and trickery, fright and strange dreams, being caught up in disputes, blowing hot and cold, lies and half-truths
Working quietly, out of sight
Often shows up inhidden spots, dark rooms, west, behind the scenes, backstage, inner rooms
Associated peoplewomen, people who operate in the shadows, young woman, someone working behind the scenes, quiet helpers, adviser
Associated mattersprivate matters, planning in secret, pulling strings from behind, hiding the truth, helping behind the scenes
Good chemistry — someone makes the connection
Often shows up inmarkets, agencies, matchmaking agencies, trading venues, sheltered spots, doorway
Associated peoplematchmaker, brokers, peacemakers, lovers, spouses, business partners
Associated mattersmarriage and weddings, teaming up, buying and selling, settling and mediating, brokering a deal
Big commotion — prone to collisions
Often shows up inroads, streets, dangerous places, army barracks, police headquarters, slaughterhouses
Associated peoplesoldiers and police, military men, vicious person, villains, butcher, surgeons
Associated mattersbloody accident, illness and death, car-crash disasters, lawsuits and fights, blocked roads
Cagey and evasive — don't take it at face value
Often shows up inmurky places, water's edge, gutters, toilets, filthy places, thieves' dens
Associated peoplethief, petty people, con artists, crafty people, shady people, wicked people
Associated matterstheft and losses, fraud and getting cheated, secret plots, running off and going missing, secret affairs
Lie low and hold — best to stay put
Often shows up inland, fields, plains, underground, graves, warehouses
Associated peoplefarmers, womenfolk, honest, simple folk, old mother, kind, decent people, rank-and-file workers
Associated mattershiding and lying in wait, holding the line, pulling back and staying put, collecting and saving, better to stay put
Bold and far-reaching — you can go far
Often shows up inhigh places, high-rises, sky, airports, faraway places, high mountains
Associated peoplebenefactor, military officers, pilots, those in authority, military generals, top brass
Associated mattersrising to fame, long journeys, going on the offensive, getting ahead, forging ahead
The heaven stem is what is in motion on the surface; the earth stem is the base underneath. Each stem has yin or yang and an element; the six yi (Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui) and three qi (Yi, Bing, Ding) are all here.
The leader — big, weighty things
Often shows up inforests, under big trees, high-rises, east, government bureaus, office buildings
Associated peopleleader, elders, eldest son, rank and office, wealthy merchants, pillars of society
Associated mattersstarting a venture, rising to power, being one's own boss, stepping into the spotlight, getting things started
Soft, delicate matters
Often shows up incountry fields, flower beds, thickets, parks, flower shops, Chinese-medicine clinics
Associated peoplewomenfolk, young woman, wives, younger siblings, man of letters, secretaries
Associated matterspapers and contracts, seeking medical help, arranging a marriage, fine, delicate work, slow, painstaking work
Bright, showy matters
Often shows up inplayhouses, movie theaters, busy streets, famous landmarks, public squares, stages
Associated peoplerank and office, leader, celebrity, actors, hosts, soldiers and police
Associated matterschasing fame and recognition, official, public-facing matters, urgent matters, documents and licenses, watch for burns and quarrels
Documents and news
Often shows up inancestral shrines, places of worship, under lamplight, studies, post offices, telecom rooms
Associated peoplebeautiful woman, young married women, man of letters, gifted talent, teachers, customer-service reps
Associated mattersdocuments and word from afar, exam credentials, matchmaking and passing word, quietly lending a hand, small slip-ups
Money and capital — steady
Often shows up inhigh mountains, city walls, fields, storerooms, banks, pawnshops
Associated peoplewealthy people, merchant, bosses, middle-aged men, real-estate developers, bank clerks
Associated mattersmoney and land, buying a home, saving and holding steady, mortgages and collateral, safe, steady dealings
Things done behind the scenes
Often shows up infields, plains, burial plots, low ground, vegetable gardens, kitchens
Associated peoplefarmer, village woman, ordinary people, matchmaker, nannies, earth laborers
Associated mattersthings kept hidden, arrangements made in secret, petty chores, fields and graves, having a hidden agenda
Head-on resistance
Often shows up inroads, highways, mines, barracks, machine factories, metalworking plants
Associated peoplesoldier, police officer, tough fighters, burly men, ruthless types, adversaries
Associated mattersthings that get stuck, lawsuits and fights, debt standoffs, matters of roads and vehicles, head-to-head standoff
Slip-ups and small metal
Often shows up ingem shops, gold shops, mines, prisons, west, jewelry workshops
Associated peoplegem dealers, jewelry-makers, watchmakers, dentists, wrongdoers, convicts
Associated mattersmistakes and do-overs, punishment and wrongdoing, jewelry and money, fixing mistakes, out with the old, in with the new
Flow and movement
Often shows up inrivers, lakes, and seas, docks, harbors, water's edge, bathrooms, swimming pools
Associated peopleboatman, fishermen, sailor, driver, thief, drifters
Associated mattersbeing away from home, shipping by water, hustling for money, pregnancy and childbirth, messy, drawn-out lawsuits
Hidden, secret matters
Often shows up inwells and springs, ditches, basements, dark rooms, back doors, north
Associated peoplelittle girls, small children, shaman, secret agents, soft, gentle people, shadowy people
Associated mattersthings that can't see daylight, talking it over in private, quietly looking into things, being held up and delayed, rainy, overcast weather
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