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THE SHORT ANSWER
Lu, Quan, Ke and Ji are transformation labels attached to stars. They are not four new objects placed independently, nor scores to add and subtract. Identify the chart layer, the heavenly stem, the star and its palace before interpreting a marker. A natal label alone does not describe an event in the current year.
- Natal, decadal, annual and palace-stem transformations use different references. A label such as Ji must travel with the layer that produced it.
- The current default iztro table maps Jia to Lian Zhen–Lu, Po Jun–Quan, Wu Qu–Ke and Tai Yang–Ji. This is a rule, not a shared life outcome for everyone born in a Jia year.
- Wenbu’s compact result preserves transformation fields for major stars, but only names for supporting stars. A missing marker for a supporting star does not establish that the full chart lacks it.
Jia links to Lian Zhen–Lu, Po Jun–Quan, Wu Qu–Ke and Tai Yang–Ji, with equal visual weight. The diagram shows the default table mapping, not a person’s palace placements or a fortune score.
Find the star before reading the label
The Four Transformations are 化禄 (Hua Lu), 化权 (Hua Quan), 化科 (Hua Ke) and 化忌 (Hua Ji). In Zi Wei Dou Shu, these labels attach to particular stars. Start by identifying the star, its palace and its transformation rather than rating the whole chart from one word.
Natal transformations follow a table keyed to the birth year’s heavenly stem. Other readings may discuss decade, year or palace-stem transformations. Identify the chart layer before interpreting a label; a natal Ji marker is not itself a claim about an event this year.
Recognize the usual discussion themes
These brief descriptions are starting points for terminology. Their interpretation depends on the star, palace and school.
- Lu 禄: often discussed in terms of increase, gain or an area of willing involvement.
- Quan 权: control, initiative, responsibility or taking the lead.
- Ke 科: reputation, expression, order or visibility.
- Ji 忌: attachment, difficulty, a preoccupation or something requiring attention.
Keep the star and chart layer with each transformation
| Label | Introductory traditional themes | Jia example | Do not jump to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lu 禄 | Increase, gain, willing involvement | Lian Zhen 廉贞 → Lu | Guaranteed income or only benefits |
| Quan 权 | Control, initiative, responsibility | Po Jun 破军 → Quan | A guaranteed promotion |
| Ke 科 | Expression, reputation, order | Wu Qu 武曲 → Ke | Certain exam success or fame |
| Ji 忌 | Preoccupation, friction, an unresolved concern | Tai Yang 太阳 → Ji | A guaranteed disaster or failed relationship |
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways.
A rule you can check
In the default iztro table used by Wenbu, a Jia year maps Lu to Lian Zhen 廉贞, Quan to Po Jun 破军, Ke to Wu Qu 武曲 and Ji to Tai Yang 太阳. This is a rule-based mapping. Tables can differ between schools, so compare the convention before comparing results.
The label “Tai Yang transforms to Ji” alone is not evidence that a particular event will occur. If a reading makes a claim about a relationship or a specific year, ask which additional chart conditions it uses and where it moves from a rule into inference.
What the current Wenbu chart displays
Select a palace to inspect its listed major stars, brightness labels and available transformation markers. The current compact result preserves transformation fields for major stars; the supporting-star list contains names only. An absent marker on this screen does not establish that the full chart lacks that transformation.
Likewise, a displayed decadal age range is not a completed annual reading. Choose one marked major star and ask the Agent to explain the label’s calculation basis, then its traditional palace context. Keep any connection to your own experience separate and open to checking.
What does “Tai Yang transforms to Ji” actually establish?
Suppose a reading says, “Tai Yang carries Ji in this chart.” Before accepting a prediction attached to that sentence, request the missing context. This example does not assign you a birth year or palace.
Identify the layer: is the reader discussing a natal, annual or palace-stem transformation? The label alone is incomplete.
Suppose the answer is “natal Jia stem.” Check the table: Tai Yang maps to Ji. Record the table and engine version; do not infer the stem from a Gregorian year without checking the year-boundary convention.
Find Tai Yang in the actual calculated chart and record its palace and transformation field. The table supplies the star’s label; the birth chart supplies its palace placement. These are separate checks.
Put the traditional interpretation in another column. If a source discusses attention or friction, name that source. Put the user’s circumstances alongside it without inventing a relationship history they have not supplied.
If the reader then predicts an event this year, ask whether an annual chart was calculated and which additional relationships were used. Natal fields and a displayed age range are not a complete annual analysis.
A traceable statement names the default table, the natal Jia input, the Tai Yang–Ji mapping and the verified palace field. Any further meaning belongs to a stated interpretive tradition, not to an observed event.
Key terms
- Natal transformations
- Transformations keyed to the birth year’s heavenly stem, subject to the engine’s stated year-boundary convention.
- Palace-stem transformations
- Transformations discussed with a particular palace’s heavenly stem as the reference, a different layer from the natal year.
- mutagen
- The field used for a transformation label in iztro and Wenbu’s major-star result; it is categorical, not a strength value.
Common questions
Can I combine the four labels into a total score?
Wenbu provides no basis for that scoring method. Lu and Ji can involve different stars and layers; adding one point and subtracting another erases those distinctions. Keep the relationships instead of inventing a numerical balance.
Why might fewer than four markers appear?
The current compact response retains mutagen only for major stars. Supporting stars return names. For example, the default Bing table includes Wen Chang–Ke, a supporting-star transformation, which this view does not preserve as a marker.
How should I compare different results from two tools?
Match the birth inputs, year boundary and transformation layer first. Then compare the heavenly-stem tables and school settings. Identify the exact stem and star where they differ rather than calling one entire tool more accurate.
Sources and their scope
Supports attached labels, reference layers and traditional themes; interpretive claims are not treated as validated predictions.
Versioned source for the Jia mapping and the Bing–Wen Chang–Ke example.
Documents the preserved major-star labels, name-only supporting stars and lack of an annual-chart calculation in this result.
Further reading; not validation of real-world predictions.
Traditional interpretations are not established predictions. See the source notes for context.
Read this guide with your agent
Get the complete text, diagram descriptions and sources in an open format. These files contain public knowledge only.
ADDITIONAL PRACTICE · 2026-11-12
Do changed Zi Wei age ranges mean the star markers changed?
Connect the four transformations to their chart context
The current guide already establishes that transformations attach to stars and must travel with their chart layer. The next step is to connect a marker to a palace so there is a relationship to discuss. Record one chain: layer and heavenly stem, star, palace, that palace's san fang si zheng group, and the real-world material you actually supplied. Label each link as rule, traditional interpretation or personal inference. Where a link is missing, mark it pending rather than filling it with imagination. That yields a located traditional relationship, not a life conclusion drawn from the word Ji alone.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗
- Read a transformation along a chain: layer and stem, star, palace, san fang si zheng, then real-world material; mark missing links pending instead of guessing.
- San fang si zheng supplies a traditional relationship frame—reference palace, two trine partners and the opposite—not a score to add or subtract.
- Before comparing two charts, align inputs, time-zone handling and school settings; a difference may come from calculation premises rather than one tool being more accurate.
A checking flow from a transformation word to a palace relationship
- 01Confirm layer and stem
Ask whether this is a natal, decadal, annual or palace-stem transformation, and record the stem table and school settings used.
- 02Locate the star and label
Use the stated table to confirm which star carries which transformation; this is a rule mapping, not a judgment about a person.
- 03Move to palace and san fang si zheng
On the actual chart, record the star's palace name and branch, then list the reference palace, its two trine partners and its opposite.
- 04Record real-world material separately
Give traditional interpretation, calculation rules and supplied experience separate columns, and write pending where one is missing.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗
Put the marker back into a palace: a checkable context chain
A single transformation word only answers which star carries which label. To read a relationship, you also need the palace holding that star and the palaces traditionally grouped with it. Zi Wei's twelve palaces are traditional categories, and palace names and earthly branches are two separate labels; the same palace name can sit on different branches in different charts, so record the pair rather than identifying a palace by screen position.
Tradition often groups a reference palace, its two trine partners and its opposite as san fang si zheng. For the Life Palace, that group includes Wealth, Career and Travel. It supplies a frame for which palaces to read together, not a total fortune score made by adding four markers. Writing the group into your notes lets another reader check which palaces an interpretation cites.
Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗
Missing-input checklist: blanks you should not fill by guessing
Before discussing any relationship meaning, confirm each item: whether the birth date and known clock time are complete, which time-zone and day-boundary convention applies, which layer the transformation belongs to, and which heavenly-stem table and school settings are in use. Wenbu's Zi Wei calculation uses iztro 2.6.1 defaults, does not automatically convert time zones or correct solar time, and handles early and late Zi separately; different premises can produce different charts.
The checklist also needs a column for real-world material: which relationship background the other person actually supplied and which parts are your assumptions. Keep traditional interpretation, calculation rules and personal history in three columns, and write pending where one is absent. A blank is information; filling it with imagination removes the basis for later checking.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗
When two charts differ, align the premises first
If two tools show different transformation markers, align the birth inputs, time-zone and day-boundary handling, leap-month convention and transformation table, then locate the difference by stem, star and layer. The current guide already warns against calling one whole tool more accurate; the operational order added here is that a marker difference is not a conflict of conclusions until the premises match.
Also separate “not displayed” from “not in the rules.” The current guide states that the compact result preserves transformations only for major stars while supporting stars return names. An absent supporting-star marker therefore shows only that this view does not preserve it, not that the full chart lacks it. Keep “not displayed” as its own category when comparing.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗
| Link | What to record | If it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Layer and stem | Natal, decadal, annual or palace-stem, plus the stem table used | Mark “layer undetermined” and postpone meaning |
| Star and label | Which star carries which transformation, and from which table | Mark “mapping unchecked” and avoid citing conclusions |
| Palace | Palace name and earthly branch recorded as a pair | Mark “position unchecked” and do not identify by screen position |
| San fang si zheng | Reference palace, two trine partners and opposite | Mark “group not listed” and do not add palaces freely |
| Real-world material | Relationship background the other person actually supplied | Mark pending and do not substitute assumptions |
Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗
Hypothetical case: connecting “Ji in the Spouse Palace” back to its palace
This is a hypothetical example, not a real reader and not a specified birth year or chart. Suppose someone repeats the sentence “there is Ji in the Spouse Palace” and asks what it means for a relationship.
- Ask for the layer: is this Ji produced by the natal year, an annual chart or a palace stem? If the answer is unavailable, mark “layer undetermined” and postpone relationship meaning.
- Suppose the answer is the natal layer with a stated stem table. Check which star carries Ji in that table and record the table source and engine version; do not infer the stem from the last digit of a Gregorian year.
- Find that star on the actual chart and record its palace name and earthly branch, confirming whether it really sits in the Spouse Palace; write the name and branch as a pair.
- List that palace's san fang si zheng group—reference palace, two trine partners and opposite—and record the related palace names as a traditional frame, not a score.
- Put traditional interpretation in one column with its source, and the relationship background the person actually supplied in another. Write pending for anything not supplied rather than inventing a history.
- If the person then predicts a breakup this year, ask whether an annual chart was calculated and which premises were used; natal fields and palace relationships do not support a specific event for that year.
A checkable statement reads: “Under the stated stem table, the natal layer gives a certain star the Ji label; on this chart that star sits in a verified palace, and the san fang si zheng group is the listed set of palace names. Further meaning belongs to a stated interpretive tradition.” That is a located traditional relationship, not a conclusion from one word.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗
Questions you may have
Does san fang si zheng mean adding up the weight of four palaces?
No. It groups a reference palace, its two trine partners and its opposite as a traditional relationship frame for deciding which palaces to read together. The available sources do not define it as a score to add, so record palace names and relationships rather than a sum.
Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗
Two charts share palace positions but differ on transformations—what should I check first?
Align the input date and time, time-zone and day-boundary handling, leap-month convention and transformation table, then locate the difference by stem, star and layer. Wenbu uses iztro 2.6.1 defaults without automatic solar-time correction; until premises match, a difference is not a conflict of conclusions.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗
If a supporting star's transformation is not shown, does that mean the chart lacks it?
No such inference follows. The current guide states that the compact result preserves transformations only for major stars while supporting stars return names; absence shows only that this view does not preserve the marker. Keep “not displayed” as a separate category when comparing.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗
Terms in this guide
- Context chain
- The record order for reading a transformation back into its palace: layer and stem, star and label, palace, san fang si zheng, then real-world material; any missing link is marked pending.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗
- Missing-input checklist
- The items confirmed before interpretation: birth inputs, time-zone and day-boundary conventions, transformation layer, table and school settings, and the real-world background actually supplied.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗
See the claim and source notes
The current guide already treats transformations as attached to stars and requires checking the rule mapping before discussing traditional meaning.
compare the convention before comparing results
San fang si zheng is a traditional grouping of a reference palace, its two trine partners and its opposite, not four independent scores.
not four independent scores
Wenbu's Zi Wei calculation uses iztro 2.6.1 defaults with fixLeap=true and does not automatically convert time zones or correct solar time.
fixLeap=true
Sources and review scope
Wenbu drafted and checked this article in Codex. The source list records the scope of the review.
- Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current public original and earlier additions; add substantial coverage without repeating or replacing them. · 2026-11-06 · Fetched text
- Current complete en canonical article ↗Current public original and earlier additions; add substantial coverage without repeating or replacing them. · 2026-11-06 · Fetched text
- Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Existing editorial; traditional interpretation · 2026-11-06 · Read excerpt
- iztro · official documentation ↗Calculation library documentation · 2026-11-06 · Read excerpt
- Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗First-party implementation; not evidence of predictive accuracy · 2026-11-06 · Fetched text
Open the Zi Wei chart and select one marked major star
In Wenbu's Zi Wei tool, select that palace and note its name, branch and visible transformation, then list its san fang si zheng palace names; mark gaps pending before asking the Agent to explain the chain.
Open the Zi Wei chart and select one marked major star ↗An age range can change while a displayed natal transformation marker stays put. Match the palace name, its branch and the same star before comparing. In the practice pair below, both charts put the Wealth Palace (财帛) at Zi (子) and mark Ju Men (巨门) with Lu (禄). Its displayed age range changes from 82–91 to 42–51. Record the marker and the range separately.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗
- Match the palace, branch and star first.
- Put the marker and the age range in separate columns.
- The range alone does not describe a particular year.
Keep the two outputs in separate columns
- 01Match palace and branch
Find 财帛 at 子 in each chart.
- 02Check the star marker
Find 巨门 and record the adjacent 禄.
- 03Copy the age range separately
Record 82–91 and 42–51. The range is the changed field.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗
Match the star before you read the age range
Find 财帛 in both charts and confirm the branch is 子. Locate 巨门 in each. Copy the character beside that star, then record the age range on a separate line. This makes it clear which field changed and prevents a marker from a neighbouring star getting into your notes.
If you have Wenbu’s calculation JSON, match the palace by name and branch. In stars, find the same star name and read mutagen. The palace has a separate ageRange field. When a copy leaves one of them out, check the original chart before comparing.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗
Change just one chart input
Use September 19, 2021, at 10:30 local civil time. Use the default calculation rules. Set the traditional chart parameter to Female for A and Male for B. Keep the date and time fixed. This example does not calculate a chart for a later year.
Both charts put 财帛 at 子 and show 巨门 with 禄. The ranges are 82–91 and 42–51. Check the Life Palace as a control: both show 命宫 at 辰 with 太阳 marked 权 and the range 2–11. These are the outputs for this pair, not a rule for what every chart will display.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗
| Field in the result | A: Female | B: Male |
|---|---|---|
| 财帛 at 子, marker on 巨门 | 禄 Lu | 禄 Lu |
| 财帛 at 子, decadal age range | 82–91 | 42–51 |
| 命宫 at 辰, marker on 太阳 | 权 Quan | 权 Quan |
| 命宫 at 辰, decadal age range | 2–11 | 2–11 |
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗
Try it: rewrite an ambiguous chart note
A note says, “The range changed, so Ju Men must have a different marker.” Check the fictional charts.
- Match 财帛 at 子, then find 巨门 in each chart.
- Read the marker next to the star. Both show 禄.
- Rewrite: “Ju Men still carries Lu in the same palace. The displayed age range differs.”
If your copy only contains the range, go back to the chart before commenting on a marker.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗
Questions you may have
Can I read a specific year from the 42–51 range?
No. It is an age range shown under the engine’s conventions. If you want to study a particular annual layer, identify its rules separately. The displayed range does not provide that annual result.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗
Is a note saying “Lu in the Wealth Palace” enough?
Check which chart it describes, the branch of that palace and the marked star. Until those match, you cannot tell whether the note refers to the same marker. The age range does not fill in the missing fields.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗
Terms in this guide
- Star marker
- In this check, the transformation label shown beside a named major star, such as 禄 beside 巨门.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗
- Decadal age range
- The age interval displayed for a palace under the calculation engine’s convention.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗
See the claim and source notes
Natal transformations use a reference table for the birth-year stem.
生年四化根据出生年的天干对应表产生
Wenbu uses the traditional male/female input in the chart calculation.
传统男女参数用于排盘规则
Wenbu displays selected star markers and age ranges as separate information.
selected transformation markers and decadal age ranges
Sources and review scope
Wenbu drafted and checked this article in Codex. The source list records the scope of the review.
- Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current public original and earlier additions; add substantial coverage without repeating or replacing them. · 2026-11-12 · Fetched text
- Current complete en canonical article ↗Current public original and earlier additions; add substantial coverage without repeating or replacing them. · 2026-11-12 · Fetched text
- Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗First-party implementation; not evidence of predictive accuracy · 2026-11-12 · Fetched text
- iztro · official documentation ↗Calculation library documentation · 2026-11-12 · Read excerpt
- Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗First-party current tool, convention and privacy contract; not external endorsement or predictive validation · 2026-11-12 · Fetched text
- Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Existing editorial; traditional interpretation · 2026-11-12 · Read excerpt
Compare the same palace in both practice charts
Use the Zi Wei tool with the same fictional date and time. Change only “Traditional chart parameter,” then open 财帛 and copy both fields.
Compare the same palace in both practice charts ↗