Zi Wei Dou Shu Purple Star Astrology 紫微斗数

Author unknown.

It consists of three volumes and is included in the Supplementary Daozang, a continuation of The Daozang. This book explains the art of astrological fortune-telling. It is divided into ten sections: 1. Fixing the exact time; 2. Establishing the Eight Characters; 3. Determining the pattern; 4. Arranging the stars; 5. Establishing the native’s seat; 6. Calculating the Great Luck; 7. Determining the Great Limits; 8. Recording the transforming luminaries; 9. Marking favorable and unfavorable stars; 10. Judging good and bad fortune.

Zi Wei Dou Shu（Purple Star Astrology）

It also includes star charts of the Twelve Star Officials such as Zi Wei and Tian Zhang, with interpretive remarks attached to each star for divining good and bad fortune. In fortune-telling, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches of one’s birth year, month, day and hour are combined into the "Four Pillars and Eight Characters". The Zi Wei Star Palace is assigned by birth year, the Tian Zhang Star Palace by birth month, the Body Palace by birth day, and the Life Palace by birth hour.

It holds that a person’s body and life are linked to heavenly stars above and earthly timing below, and the Yin and Yang balance as well as the Five Elements interactions are taken as the basis. By arranging the fleeting years and defining the luck limits according to one’s Eight Characters, one can divine a person’s good or bad fortune, success or failure, longevity or early death.

Its specific calculation method is rather complicated.