Astralogy · Qi Men Dun Jia › Hour chart
A PRACTICAL FIRST CHART
Cast your first Qi Men Dun Jia hour chart
Start with a moment and a place. This free calculator turns them into a rotating-plate chart; the example below shows how to check the inputs before interpreting anything.
Open the free chart calculatorNo account needed to cast a chart. AI readings use credits.
Three steps to your own chart
- Choose the moment. The app opens with the current chart. Tap the time and location at the top left to change it. Check the date and the device’s local time zone when entering a past time.
- Check longitude and the time setting. Choose true solar time or clock time. You can enter longitude yourself without granting location access. True solar correction depends on longitude and date; it is not always about twenty minutes.
- Inspect one palace. Tap a cell to read its meanings. For a first walkthrough, follow the chart-reading guide; the glossary explains unfamiliar terms.
A worked example: ten minutes near a boundary
These are invented teaching inputs, with no question or claimed prediction. Keep the place and method fixed and compare two clock times.
FIXED TEACHING EXAMPLE · NOT YOUR CURRENT CHART
Taipei · 17 October 2026, 10:30 (UTC+8)
Longitude 121.5654° E · true solar time 10:51
Yin Dun 6 · Cold Dew (寒露) · Hour pillar 己巳
SE · 4HarmTian Rui+ Tian Qin壬 + 己 / 庚
S · 9BlockTian Zhu乙 / 丁
SW · 2ViewTian Xin戊 / 壬
E · 3LifeTian Ying丁 / 辛
CentreEarth stem 己
W · 7DeathTian Peng癸 / 乙
NE · 8RestTian Fu庚 / 丙
N · 1OpenTian Chong辛 / 癸
NW · 6ShockTian Ren丙 / 戊
| Clock time (UTC+8) | True solar time (rounded down to minute) | Hour pillar |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 | 10:51 | 己巳 · Si |
| 10:40 | 11:01 | 庚午 · Wu |
Here the corrected time crosses the 11:00 branch boundary, so the hour pillar changes. Away from a boundary, even questions an hour apart may share the same chart. “Hour chart” does not mean a new chart every sixty minutes.
Why two calculators may show different charts
Compare these in order: the same actual moment and time zone; the same longitude; clock time versus true solar time; and the same casting method. This site uses hour-based rotating-plate Qi Men with Chai-Bu. A day chart or another method is not an equivalent comparison.
If those settings match, compare the solar term, Yin/Yang Dun, structure number and individual palaces. A mismatch needs investigation; it is not automatically proof that either tool is wrong, or that both are right.
The chart consistency report explains the scope and limits of our checks. Matching chart layouts does not demonstrate predictive accuracy.
Turn a broad worry into a specific question
An invented question for practice:
“What should I prepare before discussing next week’s responsibilities with my manager?”
Keep the situation and time frame clear. Use the reading to reflect on your options, then check it against the actual conversation, your workload and what you can influence.
Any divination or reading reflects only where you are at the moment you ask, and that can always change. A result can't make your decisions for you, and it never replaces your own power to change your reality.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my birth time?
No. This hour chart uses the time of your question, rather than your birth time. You can cast and inspect it without entering a birth date.
Does an hour chart change every sixty minutes?
No. A traditional hour branch spans two clock hours. Two questions an hour apart can share a chart. Time correction and boundaries matter, so compare the actual input time and settings rather than assuming every clock hour creates a new chart.
Is an hour chart the same as a day chart?
No. They use different casting systems and time units. This calculator provides hour-based rotating-plate charts using Chai-Bu; it does not generate day, month or year charts.
Is the calculator free?
Casting and inspecting palace meanings are free and do not require an account or download. AI readings use reading credits and require sign-in. Any welcome credits and your available balance are shown after sign-in.
Open your own chartThe app opens at the current time; change it in the time panel.