The Chart of Heaven and Earth as Your Mirror
Qi Men Dun Jia (奇門遁甲) is far more than a divination system. When cast from the moment of birth, the QMDJ chart becomes a detailed map of a person's character, destiny, relationships, and life potential — a living portrait encoded in stars, doors, stems, and deities.
Core Premise: The heavenly configuration at the hour of birth imprints itself on the individual. By reading that configuration through the QMDJ framework, the practitioner gains insight unavailable through any single system alone.
奇門遁甲不僅是占卜之學。以出生時間排出奇門命盤，可以推斷一個人的性格、命運、人際關係及人生潛力。
核心前提： 出生時刻的天地氣場印記於個人身上。透過奇門框架解讀，可獲得其他單一命理系統所無法揭示的洞見。
1. Introduction to QMDJ Destiny Analysis (奇門論命概論)
1.1 奇門論命 vs 奇門占卜
The QMDJ tradition encompasses two fundamentally different modes of application that share the same structural framework but differ in purpose, timing logic, and interpretive focus:
| Aspect | 奇門占卜 — Divination | 奇門論命 — Destiny Analysis |
|---|
| Chart Basis | Cast at the moment a question arises | Cast from the person's birth date and hour |
| Purpose | Predict a specific event or outcome | Reveal character, life themes, long-term patterns |
| Time Logic | Moment of enquiry is the Taiji pivot | Hour of birth is the fixed Taiji reference |
| Renewal | Each question generates a new chart | Natal chart is fixed; annual overlay refreshes it |
| Primary Focus | Events, outcomes, timing | Constitution, tendencies, relationships, potential |
| Comparable To | Liu Ren Zhan (六壬占), Da Liu Ren | BaZi (八字), Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗數) |
Practitioner Note: A skilled QMDJ analyst uses both modes. Destiny analysis establishes the baseline constitution; divination charts illuminate specific windows of opportunity or challenge within that constitution. Neither replaces the other.
1.2 The Natal QMDJ Chart Structure
The natal QMDJ chart is erected using the four pillars of the birth time — Year, Month, Day, and Hour in their Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch forms. The Hour Stem and Day Stem carry the primary weight in destiny analysis:
- Year Heavenly Stem — represents the parents and ancestral influence
- Month Heavenly Stem — represents siblings, peers, and the social environment
- Day Heavenly Stem — represents the person themselves ; their core character and inner thinking
- Hour Heavenly Stem — represents children, projects, and what is brought into the world
The palace that contains the Day Heavenly Stem reveals the person's core energetic signature. The spouse is identified as the Heavenly Stem that forms a Stem Combination (天干合) with the Day Stem — and the palace that stem occupies describes the character and nature of the spouse.
1.3 The Three Schools of QMDJ
The broader Qi Men Dun Jia tradition is traditionally divided into three branches, each emphasizing a different dimension of the same system:
| School | Chinese | Focus | Application |
|---|
| Fa Qimen | 法奇門 | Ritual, invocation, energy work | Ceremonial magic, Fa practice, deity activation |
| Shu Qimen | 術奇門 | Calculation, prediction, strategy | Divination, destiny analysis, military strategy |
| Jing Qimen | 景奇門 | Landscape, spatial, environmental | Feng Shui applications, site activation |
Destiny analysis (奇門論命) falls under Shu Qimen , the technical-calculative branch. However, advanced practitioners integrate all three — using the natal chart for insight (Shu), spatial alignment for empowerment (Jing), and invocation for activation (Fa).
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2. Setting the Natal Chart (排命盤)
2.1 Birth Time to QMDJ Chart Conversion
Unlike BaZi which anchors the chart to the solar calendar and ten-year luck pillars, the QMDJ destiny chart is erected from the precise birth hour and refreshed yearly. The procedure follows the standard QMDJ chart-setting protocol:
- Determine the Four Pillars (四柱): Convert the birth date and time to their Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch equivalents using the Chinese calendar. The Hour Branch (時支) determines the Hour Palace.
- Identify Yang Dun or Yin Dun (陽遁/陰遁): The birth date's solar term position determines whether the Yang cycle (Winter Solstice → Summer Solstice) or Yin cycle (Summer Solstice → Winter Solstice) applies.
- Calculate the Bureau Number (局數): Based on the solar term and the sexagenary day cycle, the bureau number (1–9) is determined. This sets the rotational arrangement of the nine stars across the nine palaces.
- Map the Nine Palaces: Arrange the eight doors, nine stars, ten heavenly stems, and eight deities according to the bureau. The result is the natal QMDJ grid.
- Locate the Day Stem Palace: Find which palace holds the Day Heavenly Stem. This is the primary self-palace (命宮 in the broader sense used in QMDJ destiny reading).
Annual vs. Natal Layer
In QMDJ destiny analysis, the natal chart is treated as the constitutional baseline — fixed and immutable. Each year, a new annual QMDJ chart is overlaid onto the natal grid. The interaction between the two charts reveals the timing of events, favorable periods, and cycles of challenge. This is analogous to BaZi's luck pillars and annual pillar overlay, but expressed through the nine-palace spatial model rather than a linear timeline.
2.2 Identifying the Life Palace (命宮)
The Life Palace (命宮) in QMDJ destiny analysis is the palace that holds the birth hour's natal star. It functions as the energetic home base — the palace whose star, door, stems, and deity collectively describe the person's core constitution.
Several methods exist across different QMDJ lineages for identifying the exact Life Palace:
- Hour Star Method: The palace to which the Hour Star (時家星) is assigned in the natal bureau determines the Life Palace. Most widely used in Shu Qimen analysis.
- Day Stem Tracking: The palace containing the Day Heavenly Stem (日干) is the primary self-reference. All relationship stems are read relative to this palace.
- Birth Hour Branch Method: Map the Earthly Branch of the birth hour directly to the corresponding palace direction (子 → Palace 1 Kan, etc.) for a fixed positional reading.
2.3 Annual, Monthly, and Hourly Overlays
QMDJ destiny analysis operates on multiple temporal layers simultaneously. Unlike BaZi which uses discrete ten-year luck pillars, QMDJ uses a continuous overlay structure:
| Layer | Scope | Role in Reading |
|---|
| Natal Chart | Lifetime | Constitutional baseline — character, innate tendencies, core life themes |
| Annual Chart | 1 year | Yearly cycle — major themes, Guardian Deity activation, yearly fortune direction |
| Monthly Chart | 1 month | Monthly rhythm — refined timing, monthly door and star influences |
| Daily Chart | 1 day | Day-level energy quality — tactical timing decisions |
| Hourly Chart | 2 hours | Moment-level precision — used when maximum tactical accuracy is needed |
Key Principle: In destiny analysis, the natal chart is the anchor . Annual charts do not replace it — they interact with it. When the annual star visits the natal Life Palace, the year carries special personal significance. When the annual door clashes with the natal door, friction and forced change are indicated.
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3. The Nine Life Palaces and Their Meaning (九宮命格)
The nine palaces of the QMDJ chart each correspond to a Bagua trigram, a direction, a Luo Shu number, and a natal star. When a person is born with their Life Palace falling in a particular palace, the energetic qualities of that palace permeate their constitution, life path, and fundamental tendencies.
| Palace | Direction | Trigram | Natal Star | Life Path Tendency | Symbolic Meaning |
|---|
| 1 — Kan (坎) | North | 坎 ☵ | Peng Xing (蓬星) | Independent, wandering, wisdom-seeking; life path involves deep study, travel, or hidden knowledge | Water, depth, hidden streams |
| 2 — Kun (坤) | Southwest | 坤 ☷ | Rui Xing (芮星) | Nurturing, patient, service-oriented; life themes of caregiving, land, and endurance through difficulty | Earth, receptivity, accumulation |
| 3 — Zhen (震) | East | 震 ☳ | Chong Xing (衝星) | Driven, competitive, entrepreneurial; early life movement and career ambition; prone to confrontation | Thunder, initiation, spring |
| 4 — Xun (巽) | Southeast | 巽 ☴ | Fu Xing (輔星) | Scholarly, communicative, advisory; excels in education, consulting, diplomacy, writing | Wind, penetration, refinement |
| 5 — Center (中宮) | Center | — (Luo Shu 5) | Qin Xing (禽星) | Complex destiny; central position creates both power and instability; requires mastery of balance | Axis, transformation, dual potential |
| 6 — Qian (乾) | Northwest | 乾 ☰ | Xin Xing (心星) | Leadership, authority, executive power; destined for positions of command and strategic oversight | Heaven, metal, governance |
| 7 — Dui (兌) | West | 兌 ☱ | Zhu Xing (柱星) | Practical, result-oriented, commercial; strong in finance, sales, public relations, harvest | Lake, satisfaction, completion |
| 8 — Gen (艮) | Northeast | 艮 ☶ | Ying Xing (英星) | Methodical, persistent, accumulating; strong in property, research, and long-term institutional work | Mountain, stillness, inheritance |
| 9 — Li (離) | South | 離 ☲ | Ying Xing (英星) | Visible, creative, influential; life path involves fame, media, culture, or spiritual illumination | Fire, clarity, reputation |
Palace 5 — The Special Case
Those born with their Life Palace in the central position (Palace 5) carry a unique destiny. The center has no fixed star or door of its own — it receives all energies and distributes them. Palace 5 individuals often occupy positions of central coordination but must work harder to establish a stable identity and direction. They may feel pulled between extremes before finding their axis. In annual charts, the Palace 5 star typically migrates to Palace 2 (Kun) for calculation purposes.
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4. The Eight Doors in Destiny Analysis (八門論命)
The eight doors (八門) are among the most expressive elements in QMDJ destiny reading. The door occupying the natal Life Palace — or more specifically, the door present in the palace of the Day Stem at birth — imprints a dominant life theme, vocational tendency, and characteristic mode of engaging with the world. Below each door is analyzed both as a natal life theme and as an expression of career and personal pattern.
| Door | Chinese | Element | Life Theme | Career Tendency |
|---|
| Xiu Men | 休門 | Water | Retirement, hidden life, preservation; drawn toward withdrawal, conservation, and inner cultivation | Research, archiving, behind-the-scenes roles, contemplative professions |
| Sheng Men | 生門 | Earth | Birth, creation, production; life oriented toward building, initiating, and generating abundance | Entrepreneurship, construction, agriculture, investment, business founding |
| Shang Men | 傷門 | Wood | Injury, career disruption, movement; life marked by frequent change, bold action, and breaking conventions | Sports, military, emergency medicine, demolition, radical innovation |
| Du Men | 杜門 | Wood | Obstruction, closure, deep study; life characterized by persistence through blockages and solitary mastery | Research, writing, philosophy, hermitic practice, intelligence analysis |
| Jing Men | 景門 | Fire | Fame, visibility, illumination; life drawn toward public recognition, creative expression, and influence | Media, arts, performance, spiritual teaching, public speaking, marketing |
| Si Men | 死門 | Earth | Endings, transformation, finality; life involves navigating major transitions, losses, and regeneration | Medicine (especially end-of-life), law, funeral services, history, deep healing work |
| Jing Men | 驚門 | Metal | Shock, surprise, legal matters; life punctuated by sudden events, volatility, and unexpected reversals | Law, litigation, journalism, crisis management, investigation |
| Kai Men | 開門 | Metal | Opening, success, leadership; life oriented toward achievement, recognition, and clearing of obstacles | Leadership, politics, sales, executive management, pioneering ventures |
Interpretation Note: The natal door indicates the predominant life theme , not a fixed fate. A person born with Si Men (死門) is not destined for tragedy — they are constituted to navigate endings and transformations with unusual depth. Similarly, Kai Men (開門) does not guarantee success without effort; it indicates a natural orientation toward leadership and open pathways. Context, star interaction, and stem relationships all modify the door's expression.
4.1 Door-Palace Interaction in Life Reading
The natal door's significance is always read in combination with the palace it occupies. The same door in different palaces produces very different life expressions:
- Sheng Men in Palace 1 (Kan/North): Business built on hidden knowledge, intellectual capital, or water-adjacent industries (shipping, media, technology).
- Sheng Men in Palace 6 (Qian/Northwest): Entrepreneurship in authoritative, governmental, or large institutional contexts. The person builds empires.
- Jing Men (景門) in Palace 9 (Li/South): Double fire — exceptional fame potential, but risk of burning too bright too fast without earth or water moderation.
- Si Men in Palace 8 (Gen/Northeast): Depth of transformation channeled through stillness and accumulation — powerful for healers, historians, or mountain retreat teachers.
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5. The Nine Stars in Personal Character Analysis (九星論性格)
The nine stars (九星) of the QMDJ system — each assigned to a palace in the natal chart — are among the most revealing indicators of personal character, psychological tendencies, and innate capabilities. The star present in the natal Life Palace (or in the palace containing the Day Stem) is called the Natal Star (命星) and functions as the core personality indicator.
| Star | Chinese | Number | Element | Core Personality Traits | Career Strength |
|---|
| Peng Xing | 蓬星 | 1 | Water | Intelligent, introspective, wandering spirit; deep thinker who resists confinement; drawn to hidden knowledge | Philosophy, travel, intelligence work, research, esoteric study |
| Ren Xing | 任星 | 2 | Earth | Steady, patient, reliable; carries burdens without complaint; rooted in practical reality and land-based thinking | Real estate, agriculture, administration, caregiving, logistics |
| Chong Xing | 衝星 | 3 | Wood | Ambitious, competitive, decisive; natural drive to initiate and overcome; prone to impatience and confrontation | Military, sports, entrepreneurship, surgery, engineering |
| Fu Xing | 輔星 | 4 | Wood | Scholarly, advisory, supportive; excellent communicator and problem-solver; thrives in collaborative roles | Academia, diplomacy, consulting, writing, law, education |
| Qin Xing | 禽星 | 5 | Earth (Center) | Complex, multi-talented, often pulled between extremes; holds central coordinating power but requires conscious self-alignment | Coordination, mediation, governance, multi-disciplinary roles |
| Xin Xing | 心星 | 6 | Metal | Authoritative, principled, commanding; natural leader who sets standards and expects compliance; can be inflexible | Government, military command, corporate leadership, law enforcement |
| Zhu Xing | 柱星 | 7 | Metal | Practical, commercially astute, persuasive; strong results-orientation; excellent negotiator and closer | Finance, commerce, marketing, public relations, entertainment |
| Ying Xing | 英星 | 8 | Earth | Methodical, persistent, accumulating; slow to start but builds exceptional depth and endurance over time | Architecture, engineering, property development, scientific research |
| Rui Xing | 芮星 | 9 | Fire | Sensitive, perceptive, prone to illness or emotional intensity; possesses rare depth of feeling and diagnostic capacity | Medicine, healing arts, psychology, spiritual practice, art therapy |
The Star in Context
The natal star's expression is always modulated by the conditions surrounding it — the door in its palace, the stems overlying it, the deity presiding, and whether it is in an auspicious or inauspicious relationship with the chart's overall configuration. A Chong Xing (衝星) person with a Kai Men (開門) and Jiu Tian deity in their Life Palace channels ambition into clear leadership paths. The same Chong Xing with Si Men (死門) and Teng She must navigate conflict, deception, and transformation before the ambition finds its proper vessel.
5.1 Natal Star and Health Tendencies
Each natal star also correlates with specific health vulnerabilities — a dimension of QMDJ destiny analysis that complements Five Arts medical astrology (醫科):
- Peng Xing (1/Water): Kidney, bladder, fluid systems; risks from cold and damp
- Ren Xing (2/Earth): Digestive system, spleen-stomach; risks from worry and overthinking
- Chong Xing (3/Wood): Liver, tendons, nervous system; risks from anger and excess movement
- Fu Xing (4/Wood): Liver-gallbladder axis, respiratory; risks from wind and unresolved grief
- Qin Xing (5/Earth Center): Multi-system vulnerability; tends toward chronic or complex conditions
- Xin Xing (6/Metal): Lungs, large intestine, bones; risks from dryness and over-control
- Zhu Xing (7/Metal): Respiratory, skin, oral health; risks from excess metal cutting wood
- Ying Xing (8/Earth): Joints, back, structural systems; risks from stagnation and dampness
- Rui Xing (9/Fire): Heart, small intestine, vision; risks from heat, inflammation, and emotional excess
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6. The Eight Deities Overlay in Destiny Analysis (八神論命)
The eight deities (八神, also called 八門神將 or simply the Eight Gods) add a relational and archetypal layer to the QMDJ destiny chart. Each deity governs specific domains of human experience — relationships, hidden support, adversity, communication, power, and transcendence. The deity occupying the natal Life Palace is known as the Guardian of Destiny (守命神) .
| Deity | Chinese | Domain | Destiny Influence |
|---|
| Zhi Fu | 值符 (Chief) | Authority, leadership, the highest power | Natural command presence; life supported by authority figures; can request anything from this guardian |
| Teng She | 螣蛇 (Snake) | Intuition, sixth sense, deception, transformation | Heightened intuition and psychic sensitivity; life marked by complexity, hidden currents, and transformative experiences |
| Tai Yin | 太陰 (Moon) | Secrets, knowledge, hidden support, feminine principle | Life supported by hidden alliances; strong in research, secrets, and behind-the-scenes influence; governs all knowledge and information |
| Liu He | 六合 (Six Harmony) | Relationships, alliances, communication, partnerships | Life enriched through collaboration; strong relational intelligence; career advances through networking and harmonious alliances |
| Gou Chen / Bai Hu | 勾陳/白虎 | Conflict, obstruction, power through struggle (Gou); ferocity, danger, strength (Bai Hu) | Life characterized by obstacles that forge strength; adversarial relationships may become powerful catalysts; White Tiger gives infinite energy and endurance |
| Zhu Que | 朱雀 (Vermillion Bird) | Communication, reputation, documents, fire energy | Life marked by verbal and written expression; strong in communication roles; reputation matters deeply; legal documents and official correspondence are themes |
| Jiu Di | 九地 (Nine Earth) | Wealth, land, hidden accumulation, material foundation | Life rooted in material security; strong wealth-accumulation potential especially through property and slow investment; governs money and hidden financial resources |
| Jiu Tian | 九天 (Nine Heaven) | Vision, transcendence, strategic overview, manifest destiny | Life oriented toward large-scale achievement; ability to shape reality through vision and strategic thinking; governs the expansion of consciousness and long-range possibility |
6.1 Working with the Guardian of Destiny
The annual QMDJ chart determines which deity currently occupies the natal Life Palace. This deity is the Guardian of Destiny for that year (年命守護神) . Working consciously with this guardian — through directional alignment, meditation, or ritual invocation — is a core practice in Fa Qimen:
- Identify the direction of the Life Palace in the annual chart. If the annual Life Palace is in the Northeast (Palace 8), the practitioner orients toward or away from Northeast depending on practice tradition.
- Enter a receptive state — breath regulation, stillness, descent into alpha brainwave range. The deity's energy is accessed through the subconscious mind, not through effortful concentration.
- Address the guardian directly within the scope of their domain. Jiu Di governs wealth; Tai Yin governs information; Liu He governs relationships. Requests outside a deity's domain are less effective.
- Maintain directional alignment during key activities — important meetings, negotiations, creative sessions — by facing or backing the guardian's direction.
The Four Allies (四貴人)
Beyond the Guardian of Destiny, each person's annual chart yields four directional allies — sometimes called the Green Dragon (青龍), Great Moon (太陰), Celestial Adviser (天輔), and Heavenly Noble (天乙). These directions support key activities and are especially valuable when the primary guardian's domain does not match the specific need. Moving toward a favorable direction before an important engagement — even briefly — activates the ally's supportive field.
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7. Stem Analysis — Heavenly Stems in QMDJ Destiny (天干論命)
The ten Heavenly Stems (十天干) distributed across the nine palaces of the natal QMDJ chart constitute the most precise layer of destiny analysis. Each stem carries a specific archetypal quality, and its position, relationships with other stems, and the palace it occupies all yield detailed information about the person's character, relationships, wealth, and obstacles.
7.1 The Master Stem: Yi (乙) — The Self
In QMDJ destiny analysis, Yi (乙) is designated as the Master Stem representing the querent or the person being analyzed. It functions similarly to the Day Master (日主) in BaZi. The palace holding Yi indicates the person's current position, their immediate environment, and the quality of their self-expression. Yi is associated with flexibility, subtle intelligence, and the capacity to navigate around obstacles — like a vine finding its way through a forest.
| Stem | Chinese | Element | Archetype | Destiny Significance |
|---|
| Jia (甲) | 甲 | Yang Wood | The Pillar / Pioneer | Leadership, strong growth drive, uprightness; in the natal chart indicates a pillar-figure in the family or field; father-archetype; represents original authority |
| Yi (乙) | 乙 | Yin Wood | The Self / Master Stem | The primary self-stem; flexibility, intelligence, navigating obstacles; the person's core identity in the QMDJ frame; often hidden within the chart — finding Yi reveals the self's position |
| Bing (丙) | 丙 | Yang Fire | Wealth and Opportunity | Indicates wealth sources, opportunities, and bright prospects; the palace Bing occupies describes where money and positive events emerge; highly auspicious in the Life Palace |
| Ding (丁) | 丁 | Yin Fire | Intelligence and Secrets | Governs strategic intelligence, hidden information, and psychic awareness; in the Life Palace, confers unusual insight and the ability to read between lines; associated with intelligence operations |
| Wu (戊) | 戊 | Yang Earth | The Center / Foundation | Stability, gravitas, the capacity to hold ground; represents the structure of the chart itself; when Wu appears prominently, the person has natural authority over spaces, institutions, or territory |
| Ji (己) | 己 | Yin Earth | Obstacles and Constraint | Represents obstacles, entanglements, and hidden constraints; the palace Ji occupies indicates where friction, bureaucracy, or self-imposed limitation arises; also governs rumination and worry |
| Geng (庚) | 庚 | Yang Metal | Adversity and Steel Will | The adversary stem — represents rivals, obstacles, cutting forces, and trials that forge character; when Geng combines with the Day Stem, a significant challenge or adversarial relationship is indicated |
| Xin (辛) | 辛 | Yin Metal | Refinement and Detail | Precision, elegance, craftsmanship; the palace Xin occupies reveals where the person excels through attention to detail; associated with artistry, fine work, and refined professional output |
| Ren (壬) | 壬 | Yang Water | Wisdom and Flow | Strategic intelligence, adaptability, deep wisdom; in the natal chart, Ren indicates where the person holds their deepest strategic resources; associated with hidden wealth and long-view thinking |
| Gui (癸) | 癸 | Yin Water | Hidden Wealth and Intuition | Concealed resources, intuition, underground streams of fortune; Gui's palace reveals hidden financial potential and psychic sensitivity; associated with inherited resources and invisible support |
7.2 Stem Combinations and Relationships
A critical layer of stem analysis involves the Heavenly Stem Combinations (天干合) . When two stems combine across palaces, they indicate relationships, alliances, or transformations:
- Jia + Ji → Earth: A pairing between leadership and constraint; indicates formalization, institutional alliances
- Yi + Geng → Metal: The self (Yi) in combination with adversity (Geng) — significant in identifying the spouse's nature or a major life challenge that transforms the person
- Bing + Xin → Water: Wealth (Bing) meeting refinement (Xin) — elegant prosperity, often through artistic or intellectual work
- Ding + Ren → Wood: Intelligence (Ding) meeting wisdom (Ren) — profound analytical capacity; indicates powerful mentors or intellectual partnerships
- Wu + Gui → Fire: Foundation (Wu) meeting hidden wealth (Gui) — material security through intuitive or unconventional means
Spouse Identification: In QMDJ destiny analysis, the spouse is indicated by the stem that combines with the Day Stem (Yi). Since Yi combines with Geng to form Metal, the palace holding Geng in the natal chart describes the character, qualities, and environmental background of the spouse. If Geng resides in Palace 9 (Li/South) with Jing Men, the spouse is likely visible, creative, and reputation-conscious. If Geng is in Palace 1 (Kan/North) with Xiu Men, the spouse may be private, intellectual, or working behind the scenes.
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8. Worked Case Example (命盤實例解析)
Case Study Format
The following example uses a sample natal configuration to demonstrate the layered reading process. This is a composite illustrative case — the practitioner should follow the same sequence when analyzing any natal QMDJ chart.
8.1 Sample Birth Profile
- Birth Hour Branch: 午 (Wu — Horse Hour, 11:00–13:00)
- Birth Day Stem: Yi (乙)
- Solar Term Period: Yang Dun, Bureau 7
- Resulting Natal Chart: Yang Dun 7th Bureau, Hour of Wu
8.2 Locating the Life Palace
In this Yang Dun Bureau 7 chart, the Hour Star for the Wu (午) hour falls in Palace 9 (Li — South) . The natal configuration in Palace 9 reads:
- Star: Ying Xing (英星) — fame, fire, visibility
- Door: Jing Men (景門) — illumination, reputation, media
- Deity: Jiu Tian (九天) — Nine Heaven, transcendent vision
- Stems: Bing (丙) over Wu (戊) — wealth over stable foundation
8.3 Layer-by-Layer Interpretation
Character Type (via star):
Ying Xing (英星) in the natal Life Palace indicates a person of natural brilliance and creative drive. There is fire energy, a flair for the dramatic, and a deep need to be recognized. The individual thinks in large patterns and communicates with force and color. The risk profile includes cardiovascular sensitivity and tendency to burn out when not regulated by water or earth elements.
Career Tendency (via door):
Jing Men (景門) as the natal door confirms an orientation toward public-facing work — media, teaching, performance, or spiritual transmission. The person is not content working behind closed doors; visibility and illumination are core drives. When the annual chart activates the Life Palace with favorable stems, career breakthroughs in public domains are indicated.
Wealth Pattern (via stem):
Bing (丙) overlying the natal palace indicates strong inherent wealth potential. Bing represents open, sunny opportunities — the person often finds that wealth flows relatively easily when they operate in visibility. The presence of Wu (戊) beneath Bing anchors this wealth in structural stability. The individual builds material security through their public identity rather than through hidden accumulation.
Health Concern (via star element):
Ying Xing is a fire star. The natal Life Palace in Palace 9 (also fire) creates a double-fire concentration. The health focus is on the cardiovascular system, the eyes, and emotional regulation. Cooling practices — meditation, water environments, reduction of excess stimulation — are protective.
Deity Influence (Guardian of Destiny):
Jiu Tian (九天) as the natal deity confers exceptional visionary capacity and long-range strategic thinking. The person may feel that their greatest inspiration comes from an almost inexplicable sense of larger destiny. Working consciously with this guardian — especially in the direction of Palace 9 (South) during the relevant annual cycle — amplifies the person's ability to manifest large-scale visions.
8.4 Spouse Analysis
Since the Day Stem is Yi (乙), the combining stem indicating the spouse is Geng (庚) . Locating Geng in the natal chart reveals the spouse's nature. Suppose Geng falls in Palace 4 (Xun/Southeast) with Du Men (杜門) and Tai Yin deity:
- Palace 4 (Xun): The spouse is communicative, scholarly, and detail-oriented
- Du Men: The spouse may work in research, writing, or an isolated-but-deep professional domain
- Tai Yin: The spouse has access to hidden knowledge and keeps aspects of their life private; may work in intelligence-adjacent or confidential domains
Annual Overlay Note: When the current year's QMDJ chart is overlaid on this natal chart, the practitioner examines which annual stems visit the natal Life Palace and which annual doors interact with the natal Jing Men. Years when the annual chart brings Bing or Jiu Tian to Palace 9 are peak years for career visibility and public breakthrough. Years when Geng or Si Men visit the natal Life Palace indicate confrontation with adversity or significant life restructuring.
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9. QMDJ Destiny vs BaZi (奇門論命與八字比較)
Both QMDJ destiny analysis and BaZi (八字命理) share a common goal — revealing the constitutional energetic blueprint of a person — but they approach this goal through fundamentally different frameworks, strengths, and analytical vocabularies. Skilled Five Arts practitioners use both, cross-referencing each system's outputs to achieve a depth of insight unavailable through either alone.
| Dimension | QMDJ Destiny Analysis (奇門論命) | BaZi (八字命理) |
|---|
| Structural Model | Nine-palace spatial grid; stars, doors, stems, deities in dynamic positions | Linear four-pillar chart; ten-year luck pillars extending the natal baseline |
| Temporal Logic | Annual chart overlaid on natal chart; renewed yearly | Ten-year luck pillars + annual pillar running on fixed chronological sequence |
| Character Analysis | Star archetype + door + deity in Life Palace; quick, vivid, spatially grounded | Day Master strength, favorable/unfavorable elements, ten-god relationships |
| Timing Strength | Excellent for yearly, monthly, and day-level timing; spatial activation | Excellent for decade-level life phases; constitutional lifecycle mapping |
| Spatial Dimension | Inherent — each palace maps to a compass direction; directional prescriptions natural | Absent — no spatial component in standard BaZi; requires Feng Shui integration |
| Relationship Analysis | Via stem combinations and deity positions; spouse identified through Yi-Geng combination | Via ten-gods (Spouse Star, Resource Star, Output Star, etc.) and compatibility charts |
| Health Analysis | Star element + palace element interaction; deity health correlations | Elemental excess/deficiency in natal chart; organ system mapping via five elements |
| Wealth Analysis | Bing stem position; Sheng Men location; Jiu Di deity placement | Wealth stars (正財/偏財) strength and activation timing in luck pillars |
| Strategic Prescription | Directional alignment, favorable hours/dates for action, guardian activation | Element remedies (colors, industries, environments), auspicious period identification |
9.1 Where QMDJ Excels
QMDJ destiny analysis holds unique advantages in several domains:
- Spatial and directional prescriptions: QMDJ naturally yields actionable directional guidance — favorable travel directions, home facing prescriptions, office seat positions, and meeting orientations. This spatial layer is absent from BaZi without Feng Shui integration.
- Short-cycle timing precision: While BaZi's ten-year luck pillars excel at decade-level mapping, QMDJ's annual-monthly-daily-hourly chart overlay system provides unmatched granularity for short-cycle timing. The practitioner can identify not just a favorable year, but the precise doors and hours within that year.
- Strategic windows for specific actions: QMDJ is the superior tool for identifying optimal timing for negotiations, travel, medical procedures, business launches, and relationship milestones. The eight doors offer a direct map of the quality of any given time period.
- Energy state diagnosis: The natal chart provides a quick, vivid portrait of a person's current energetic state and constitution. A practiced QMDJ analyst can often identify key character attributes, career orientation, and relational patterns within minutes of examining the natal configuration.
9.2 Where BaZi Excels
- Constitutional lifecycle mapping: BaZi's ten-year luck pillar sequence provides a structural map of the major phases of a life — which decade brings which type of energy — with a level of longitudinal clarity that QMDJ's annual renewal does not match.
- Elemental constitution depth: The Day Master strength analysis in BaZi, combined with favorable/unfavorable element assessment, provides an extremely precise elemental prescription for the person — which colors, industries, environments, and foods support or drain their vitality.
- Relationship compatibility: BaZi's clash, combination, and punishment analysis between two charts provides a detailed compatibility map for personal and professional relationships that QMDJ destiny analysis complements but does not replace.
- Career path specificity: The ten-god framework (正官, 七殺, 食神, 傷官, 偏財, 正財, etc.) provides a remarkably granular vocabulary for identifying not just career type but career style, authority relationships, and income source nature.
Integration Practice
The master Five Arts practitioner does not choose between QMDJ and BaZi — they integrate both. A recommended workflow: (1) Use BaZi to establish the constitutional baseline and decade-level life phase. (2) Use QMDJ to add spatial, short-cycle, and strategic timing layers. (3) When the two systems converge on a diagnosis or prediction, confidence increases dramatically. (4) When they diverge, the discrepancy itself is informative — it points to a tension in the person's constitution or circumstances that requires deeper investigation.
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Classical and Contemporary Sources (古典文獻與現代參考)
| Source | Chinese Title | Relevance |
|---|
| Yan Bo Jing | 煙波釣叟歌 | Classical QMDJ versified manual; foundational text for chart mechanics |
| Qi Men Dun Jia Da Quan | 奇門遁甲大全 | Comprehensive classical compilation; includes destiny analysis sections |
| Taiyi Shen Shu | 太乙神數 | Parallel tradition; demonstrates how palace-star-deity systems apply to individual destiny |
| Qi Men Destiny — Contemporary Practice | 現代奇門論命實踐 | Modern synthesis of classical QMDJ applied to destiny reading, including Guardian of Destiny methods |
| Yi Jing (Book of Changes) | 易經 | Foundational Bagua cosmology underlying the nine-palace palace-trigram correspondences |
| Huang Di Nei Jing | 黃帝內經 | Classical medicine; provides the five-element health correspondences referenced in star health analysis |
Study Sequence: Begin with the foundational mechanics of the QMDJ chart (stars, doors, deities, stems). Develop fluency in reading a divination chart before moving to destiny analysis — the structural vocabulary is identical; only the interpretive frame and temporal anchor differ. Destiny analysis builds on divination fluency. When both skills are present, the practitioner gains access to a uniquely integrated view of any person's life landscape.