The Sixteen Palaces of Tai Yi (太乙十六宮)
The sixteen palaces (十六宮) are the core structural elements of Tai Yi Shen Shu. Unlike QMDJ's Nine Palaces or Da Liu Ren's twelve positions, Tai Yi uses sixteen positions to create a more nuanced grid for macroscopic prediction. Each palace has elemental associations, domain coverage, and a specific interpretive keyword.
The Sixteen Palaces
Palace 1 — Tai Yi (太乙): Water — Sovereignty. The Supreme One; ruler of the cycle; represents the state or nation. Palace 2 — She Pi (攝提): Wood — Military. Military affairs, aggression, conflicts. Palace 3 — Xuan Yuan (軒轅): Fire — Governance. Government, official matters, legal affairs. Palace 4 — Zhao Yao (招搖): Metal — Diplomacy. Communication, diplomacy, alliances. Palace 5 — Tian Fu (天符): Earth — Mandate. Heavenly mandate, fate patterns, cosmic timing. Palace 6 — Di Fu (地符): Earth — Land. Earth energies, agriculture, geography. Palace 7 — Xian Chi (咸池): Water — Floods. Water disasters, maritime affairs. Palace 8 — Tai Yin (太陰): Metal — Concealment. Hidden affairs, espionage. Palace 9 — Tian Yi (天乙): Fire — Benefactor. Assistance, auspicious intervention. Palace 10 — Tai Chang (太常): Earth — Culture. Ceremonies, traditions, social order. Palace 11 — Wu Gong (武功): Metal — Battle. Military achievement, battles. Palace 12 — Sheng Qi (勝氣): Wood — Victory. Conquest, triumph. Palace 13 — Si Ma (司馬): Fire — Logistics. Administration, supply chains. Palace 14 — San Wu (三五): Earth — Populace. Masses, demographics, public affairs. Palace 15 — Ling Ji (靈期): Water — Omen. Spiritual omens, prophetic timing. Palace 16 — Da Mao (大耗): Wood — Depletion. Loss, disasters, epidemics.
Reading the Palaces
Analysis identifies which palace the Tai Yi star (Primary star) occupies in the current configuration, what the Host Count and Guest Count positions reveal about primary and opposing forces, and how the elemental relationships between occupied palaces indicate the nature and outcome of the predicted events.