Seal of State (Guoyin): The keeper of the seal: reliable, rule-abiding, the one others trust with things
The classics say the Seal of State brings authority and a post that carries the official seal: an honest, dependable person who handles matters fairly. With an Officer or Resource star as well, it points even more toward public office. This page lays out how to find it, what the old books say and a reading closer to modern life, with a lookup so you can check your own chart.
How to find the Seal of State
| Day stem | Seal of State branch |
|---|---|
| Jia 甲 | Xu 戌 |
| Yi 乙 | Hai 亥 |
| Bing 丙 | Chou 丑 |
| Ding 丁 | Yin 寅 |
| Wu 戊 | Chou 丑 |
| Ji 己 | Yin 寅 |
| Geng 庚 | Chen 辰 |
| Xin 辛 | Si 巳 |
| Ren 壬 | Wei 未 |
| Gui 癸 | Shen 申 |
The day stem is the main key; a hit from the year stem counts too.
How we counted: our engine cast one chart for every day from 1960 to 2005, with the birth hour drawn by a fixed-seed random sample, 16,802 charts in all, and checked each star by the formal method on this page.
What the classics say, and a closer modern reading
Traditional view: The classics say the Seal of State brings authority and a post that carries the official seal: an honest, dependable person who handles matters fairly. With an Officer or Resource star as well, it points even more toward public office.
Modern reading: The Seal of State is closer to trustworthiness: following the rules, respecting procedure, and being handed work that needs reliability, such as review, administration, finance or legal work.
Where it sits and how to read it
- On the same pillar as Direct Officer or Direct Resource: the classics say public office or management.
- On the day branch: a reliable partner who keeps their word.
- Clashed or in the Void: a dependable image is more easily disrupted by outside change.
Always read a star back through the Five Elements and the Ten Gods. On a favorable element, helper stars get better and even ominous stars can become assets; on an unfavorable one, helper stars lose value and an ominous star’s reminder deserves more attention. For what each pillar stands for, see the four pillar palaces; for how to tell favorable from unfavorable, see favorable elements.
Does your chart have the Seal of State?
Enter your birth date (Gregorian calendar) to check all 22 common stars at once: whether you have each one, which pillar it sits on, and how it was found. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Uses your Gregorian birth date; the day changes at 11 p.m. with the late Zi hour. Without a birth hour, the hour pillar cannot be read.
Two common misunderstandings
The Seal of State means you’ll become an official.
It is about reliability and being trusted, not a guaranteed post. Whether public service suits you depends on the Officer and Resource stars and on the luck pillars.
The Seal of State is the same as Direct Resource.
The Seal of State is a symbolic star; Direct Resource is one of the Ten Gods (the element that produces you, of opposite polarity). They are found differently and mean different things; see Direct Resource.
Other symbolic stars
A straight word: symbolic stars are footnotes, not fate
Symbolic stars are labels the ancients pinned onto a chart, some auspicious and some ominous, but what really decides a chart is the strength of the Five Elements and how the Ten Gods combine. A helper star on an unfavorable element loses value; an ominous star on a favorable element can become an asset. Whatever stars you find, treat them as a reminder or a small bonus. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment only.
Beyond the Seal of State, which other stars does your chart carry?
Symbolic stars are only footnotes. The in-depth reading starts from the Five Elements, the Ten Gods and what is favorable for you, and covers personality, career, love and money together.
Seal of State FAQ
How do I find the Seal of State?
From the day stem (the year stem also counts), look across the four branches: Jia Xu, Yi Hai, Bing and Wu Chou, Ding and Ji Yin, Geng Chen, Xin Si, Ren Wei, Gui Shen.
What does the Seal of State mean?
The classics say authority and the official seal, honesty and keeping the rules; a closer reading is reliability, the kind of person trusted with important things.