Reading the chart
Each of the nine palaces holds three numbers. By convention they're written with the mountain star (山星) on the left, the water star (向星, facing star) on the right, and the base star (运星, period star) underneath.
- The base stars come from the period: the period number goes in the centre and flies forward around the Lo Shu path.
- The mountain stars start from the base star in the sitting palace. They are traditionally linked with people, health and relationships, and prefer "mountains" — solid, quiet, tall features.
- The water stars start from the base star in the facing palace. They are linked with money and opportunity, and prefer "water" — open space, movement, entrances.
Whether the mountain and water stars fly forward or backward depends on the yin or yang of the 24-mountain sub-sector involved, which is why the facing has to be measured to within a few degrees, not just "south".
The four chart types
The most-quoted feature of a natal chart is where the two current-period stars land:
- Prosperous Sitting and Facing (旺山旺向) — the period mountain star at the back and the period water star at the front. Considered the most favourable layout.
- Double Stars at Facing (双星到向) — both period stars at the front. Traditionally good for wealth, with relationships needing more support.
- Double Stars at Sitting (双星到坐) — both at the back. Traditionally good for people, harder for income.
- Reversed Stars (上山下水) — the mountain star at the front and the water star at the back. Practitioners usually respond with landscaping or layout changes rather than reading it as fixed bad luck.
Periods
| Period | Years (from the start of spring) |
|---|---|
| 5 | 1944–1963 |
| 6 | 1964–1983 |
| 7 | 1984–2003 |
| 8 | 2004–2023 |
| 9 | 2024–2043 |
| 1 | 2044–2063 |
Period 9 began on 4 February 2024. A house built before then keeps its original chart unless it has been substantially renovated — many teachers count a new roof or gutting the interior — in which case it may be "re-charted" to Period 9.
What this calculator leaves out
When a facing falls within about 3° of the line between two mountains, some schools use a replacement chart (替卦) instead of the standard one. The calculator warns you when your facing is close to a line, but always shows the standard chart. It also doesn't judge combinations of stars in each palace — that interpretation is where practitioners and books differ most.
Questions
Which year do I use for an apartment?
The year the building was completed. The facing is normally the facing of the whole building, not of your unit's door.
Why are the numbers different from another website?
Check the facing degree and the period first. A facing that crosses into the next mountain can change the whole chart, and some sites use true north instead of magnetic north.
How do the annual stars fit in?
They visit every house the same way and are added on top of the natal chart. Choose "+ 2027 stars" to see them on your plan, or see the 2027 annual chart.