How to Read Wealth Luck in Zi Wei Dou Shu: Natal Chart, Decades, Years and Months

The Wealth Palace describes how you earn and how you think about money over a lifetime. But "which ten years go smoothly" or "is money tight this year" cannot be read from the natal chart alone; you have to stack the decade, the year and the month on top of it. This page walks through natal → decade → year → month: which palaces, stars and transformations to check at each layer, followed by a worked example on a real chart and a tool that runs the same steps automatically.

Zi Wei wealth report: the decade, the year, every month and every day, and where the money comes from

Enter your Gregorian birth date, birth time, sex and the year you want to read. The tool follows the steps on this page: it finds the Wealth Palace on the natal, decade and annual layers, its major stars, the Lu, Quan, Ke and Ji in its four-way set, wealth stars, malefic stars and each layer's Property Palace. The report covers this decade, the next one, the year and each month, with good days, days to be careful and a day-by-day table for every month, and it judges where money mainly comes from: your main job, a company bonus, freelance work, or referrals, partnerships, family, subsidies or windfalls (see "How the income source is decided" below). Decades run forward or backward depending on sex, so enter it correctly. Everything is calculated in your browser.

The annual chart changes on Lunar New Year's Day. Months are counted from the Dou Jun; for a leap month, days 1–15 count as that month and day 16 onward as the next. If you were born close to the boundary of a two-hour period (for example 12:55), first enter your birthplace in the Zi Wei chart to get true solar time and confirm the hour.

Three ground rules

1. The upper layer governs the lower one. The natal chart is your lifelong framework, the decade is the stage for ten years, and the year shows that year's ups and downs. In a difficult decade, a Hua Lu entering the annual Wealth Palace usually means a small inflow that soon goes out again; in a strong decade, an annual Hua Ji is more like a temporary cash-flow squeeze. So always read from the top down rather than starting with this year. Some teachers put the weighting as "the natal chart counts for sixty percent, the periods for forty". That is a rule of thumb, not a figure from the classics: however good a period is, it moves within the natal framework.

2. Every layer has its own twelve palaces. In a given decade, that decade's palace becomes the "decade Life Palace" and the other eleven are renamed around it, overlaid on the natal palaces. That is why your natal Career Palace can also be your decade Wealth Palace for ten years. The year works the same way, starting from the palace of that year's earthly branch; the month is counted from the Dou Jun (see step 4).

3. Count this layer's transformations plus the layer above. The birth-year transformations stay with you for life, the decade ones change every ten years and the annual ones every year (how the stems produce them is explained under the Four Transformations). For the decade, count birth-year plus decade; for the year, decade plus annual; for the month, annual plus monthly. The layer above comes due in the layer below, and the birth-year transformations have already been weighed in the natal and decade layers, so they are not counted again every time.

Which stars count as wealth stars

The stars most directly tied to money are often called wealth stars. This page and the tool use these:

StarNatureWhat it says about money
Wu Quthe main wealth starmoney earned through skill and execution; solid but hard-won
Tian Futhe treasury starkeeping and saving; a sense of financial security
Tai Yinaccumulated wealthplanning, saving and property; good at saving when bright, prone to money worries when fallen
Lu Cunthe stipend starsteady but conservative income; it is always flanked by Qing Yang and Tuo Luo, so its money takes effort
Hua Luthe Lu transformationwhichever star receives it brings income, openings and things going your way

What about Tan Lang? Tan Lang is often called a "windfall" star, but it is really about desire and socializing. Sudden gains are only discussed when it pairs with Huo Xing or Ling Xing, and such money comes and goes quickly. We do not count it as a wealth star, so that "having Tan Lang" is not taken to mean "unexpected money is coming".

Which palaces: Wealth, Mind and Property

Step 1: the natal chart, your lifelong money pattern

The natal chart shows capacity and pattern, not the result of any particular year. People with a fine natal Wealth Palace still have tight decades, and people with an ordinary one still get smooth ones.

Step 2: the decade, the ten-year theme

First find which natal palace this decade's decade Wealth Palace sits on, then read it as in step 1, adding the decade transformations.

Decades move one palace every ten years, forward or backward by the yang-male / yin-female rule. This table shows which natal palace the decade Life, Wealth and Property Palaces fall on in the first seven decades:

DecadeForward: decade LifeForward: decade WealthForward: decade PropertyBackward: decade LifeBackward: decade WealthBackward: decade Property
Decade 1Life PalaceWealth PalaceProperty PalaceLife PalaceWealth PalaceProperty Palace
Decade 2Parents PalaceChildren PalaceCareer PalaceSiblings PalaceHealth PalaceMind Palace
Decade 3Mind PalaceSpouse PalaceFriends PalaceSpouse PalaceTravel PalaceParents Palace
Decade 4Property PalaceSiblings PalaceTravel PalaceChildren PalaceFriends PalaceLife Palace
Decade 5Career PalaceLife PalaceHealth PalaceWealth PalaceCareer PalaceSiblings Palace
Decade 6Friends PalaceParents PalaceWealth PalaceHealth PalaceProperty PalaceSpouse Palace
Decade 7Travel PalaceMind PalaceChildren PalaceTravel PalaceMind PalaceChildren Palace

Derived from this site's chart engine and checked one by one against 1,372 decades from 196 sample charts.

A few things stand out. In the first decade (the Life Palace decade) the decade Wealth Palace is the natal Wealth Palace itself, so money in early life follows the natal chart most closely. For people moving backward, decade 5 puts the decade Life Palace on the natal Wealth Palace, ten years that tend to revolve around money; people moving forward never reach the natal Wealth Palace in seven decades, and their decade 5 lands on the natal Career Palace instead, putting more weight on career.

Step 3: the year, the ups and downs of one year

"The annual Wealth Palace overlays the natal Wealth Palace exactly when the annual Life Palace returns to the natal Life Palace" was checked on 2,352 annual charts.

Step 4: the months, the rhythm of each month

To find the monthly Life Palace you first need the Dou Jun, the palace where the 1st month of the year falls. This site uses the method common to the Complete Book of Zi Wei Dou Shu lineage: from the annual Life Palace, count backward to your lunar birth month, then forward from there to your birth hour. The palace you stop on is the 1st month, and each month after moves one palace forward. The month stem comes from the year stem by the "five tigers" rule (for example, the 1st month of a Bing year is Geng-Yin), and the monthly transformations follow that stem.

Schools differ on the Dou Jun: some ignore the birth hour, some start from the Yin palace, and a different method shifts the whole year's months together. This site's method matches the open-source charting library iztro, and we have checked the monthly Life Palace, month stem and monthly transformations against it case by case. Days work the same way below months: the monthly transformations come due in the daily chart, as the next step shows. This site does not use the minor period (xiao xian), which some schools read alongside the year.

Step 5: the days, picking good days to talk money

The daily Life Palace starts from the monthly Life Palace on day 1 of the lunar month and moves one palace forward each day, so day 1's Life Palace is the monthly Life Palace, day 2 is one palace on, and so on. The daily transformations use that day's stem. This site's method matches iztro, checked case by case for the daily Life Palace, day stem and daily transformations.

In the example chart below, the highest-scoring days in the 5th month of 2027, the month with the most favorable transformations, are 6/9 (Ji-Wei), 6/13 (Gui-Hai) and 6/17 (Ding-Mao). Money matters such as collecting payments, sending quotes or negotiating pay can go on these days first.

A daily reading covers the rhythm of the whole day, not individual hours. A good day is not "a day when anything you do makes money"; it is simply a relatively smooth point within the month.

Signs of a smooth or tight period

Every layer is read the same way, only with that layer's palaces and transformations. Here are the signs in one table:

What to checkSigns of a smooth periodSigns of a tight period
Transformations in the Wealth Palace's four-way setplenty of Lu, Quan and Keseveral Ji, especially on a wealth star
Wealth starsWu Qu, Tian Fu, Tai Yin and Lu Cun gathered in the four-way set and brighta wealth star with Hua Ji, or fallen and next to malefic stars
Malefic starsfewmany of Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing, Ling Xing, Di Kong and Di Jie
Property Palace (the vault)Hua Lu or Hua Ke, no Hua JiHua Ji in the Property Palace: money leaks out and is hard to keep
Where the period's Life Palace landson the natal Wealth–Mind line or Children–Property line, with Luon the same lines, but with Ji and malefic stars
The layer abovethe decade itself is smoothin a tight decade, even a good year is only a small boost

How the income source is decided: main job, bonus, freelance or something else

The report in the tool labels where the money mainly comes from for each year and month, in eight types: Main job, Company bonus, Freelance & clients, Referrals, Partnerships, Family & partner, Subsidies & refunds and Windfall. It is not written by AI. It is a fixed set of rules, so the same chart and the same year always give the same result, whoever runs it. Here are all the rules.

1. Each transformation becomes a score. Hua Lu +3, Hua Quan +2, Hua Ke +1, Hua Ji −3. A Hua Lu in the palace that holds Lu Cun (a "double Lu") is multiplied by 1.5.

2. How close it is to money. In this layer's Wealth Palace four-way set ×1; in the natal Wealth Palace four-way set ×0.8; in this layer's Life or Property Palace ×0.7; anywhere else ×0.6. Transformations from the layer above get another 20% off, because this layer's own transformations act most directly.

3. Split it among the sources. Which source a transformation counts toward depends on three things: the role of the natal palace (50%), the role of this layer's palace (20%) and the nature of the star itself (30%). The natal Life and Wealth Palaces have no fixed role, so there the star counts 70% and this layer's palace 30%: the star decides what kind of money it is.

PalaceWhat money it stands forCounted as
Life Palacedepends on the star—
Siblings Palacepartners, peers, short-term cash flowPartnerships 60%, Referrals 40%
Spouse Palacefamily and partnerFamily & partner
Children Palacepartnerships, investments, outside collaborationPartnerships
Wealth Palacedepends on the star—
Health Palaceno income source—
Travel Palaceoutside clients, field work, other citiesFreelance & clients
Friends Palacereferrals from colleagues, friends and clientsReferrals 70%, Partnerships 30%
Career Palaceyour main job and positionMain job
Property Palacefamily assets, property, savingsFamily & partner
Mind Palacewindfalls, money from elders and insuranceWindfall 60%, Subsidies & refunds 40%
Parents Palacethe company, your boss, rules and paperworkCompany bonus
StarWith Hua Lu, Quan or KeWith Hua JiLeans toward
Tian Tongperks and allowances, the easier kind of moneylow drive, with perks or allowances delayedMain job 50%, Company bonus 50%
Tian Jimoney earned by brains, skill and planningmistakes in quotes and judgment, overthinkingFreelance & clients 60%, Main job 40%
Wen Changmoney from paperwork, certificates, proposals and contractserrors in contracts, quotes and invoicesFreelance & clients 50%, Company bonus 50%
Wen Qumoney earned by speaking, talent and performanceerrors in verbal agreements and document detailsFreelance & clients 60%, Referrals 40%
Tai Yangmoney from visibility, effort and legworkworking hard without being noticed, running aroundFreelance & clients 60%, Company bonus 40%
Wu Qusolid earned incomestuck money flows, so be conservative with financial decisionsMain job 60%, Partnerships 40%
Tai Yinsalary, savings, and money tied to family or propertypressure from savings, household costs or a mortgageFamily & partner 60%, Main job 40%
Tian Liangprotective money: elders, insurance, subsidiesspending on elders or insuranceSubsidies & refunds
Lian Zhenmoney from relationships, PR and a boss who likes youfriction with your boss, systems and rulesCompany bonus 50%, Referrals 50%
Ju Menmoney from speaking, teaching, consulting and expert advicegossip, disputes and misunderstandingsFreelance & clients
Tan Langopenings that come from socializing and networkingspending on social life, favors and funReferrals 60%, Windfall 40%
Po Junmoney from new ventures or a change of tracksudden expenses and costly upheavalFreelance & clients 70%, Main job 30%
Zi Weimoney that comes with a promotion or a management rolestruggles over face and controlCompany bonus
Zuo Fuopenings brought by helpers and allieshelpers who let you downReferrals
You Biopenings brought by helpers and allieshelpers who let you downReferrals

4. A Hua Ji marks a source as stuck. This layer's own Hua Ji, or any Hua Ji in this layer's Wealth Palace four-way set, marks its main source (50% or more) as "stuck" outright, without being offset by positive scores. For example, an annual Lian Zhen Hua Ji in the Parents Palace marks the company bonus as stuck for that year.

5. Windfalls need a structure. Only Tan Lang together with Huo Xing or Ling Xing in the natal chart (same palace or opposite) gets normal windfall stars. Without that structure, the only exception is one star when this layer has Tan Lang Hua Lu. Lottery and prize-draw wins are chance, a chart cannot change that, and the report always says so.

6. Scores become stars. 4 or more ★★★, 2 or more ★★, 0.8 or more ★, −1.5 or less "stuck".

The report also looks for a few special patterns every month and writes them out: the month stem matching the year stem (the annual transformations repeat), one star carrying both Lu and Ji, one star with Ji on two or more layers, the monthly Life Palace landing on the annual Wealth–Mind or Children–Property line, the monthly Life Palace on the palace with the annual Hua Ji, four or more malefic stars in the Wealth Palace four-way set, and which month holds the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the year-end and the May tax season (Taiwan's calendar).

The income types are traditional symbolism, not a precise classification: a Lu on your main job could mean a raise, or a move to a better job. If the rules change, the tables in this section update together with the tool.

Worked example: one chart from natal to months

Example: a man born on November 2, 1979 at 2 p.m., reading 2027

He was born in a Ji-Wei year, a yin male, so his decades run backward; his chart is a Fire-6 bureau. 2027 is a Ding-Wei year, and he is 49 in Chinese reckoning.

Step 1, the natal chart: his Wealth Palace holds Zi Wei (strong) and Qi Sha (neutral), and its four-way set is the Wealth Palace, Life Palace, Career Palace, Mind Palace. The birth-year Wu Qu Hua Lu and Tan Lang Hua Quan both sit in the Career Palace, and the wealth stars are Wu Qu (Career Palace) and Tian Fu (Mind Palace). On the other hand, the birth-year Wen Qu Hua Ji is in the Wealth Palace, and the four-way set also holds Qing Yang, Tuo Luo and Ling Xing. The overall pattern: a strong base for earning through work, but money is a frequent worry and it is hard-won.

Step 2, the decade: ages 46–55 are his 5th decade, running backward, and the decade Life Palace lands on his natal Wealth Palace (the Wealth–Mind line). The decade Wealth Palace sits on his natal Career Palace. That Career Palace already holds the birth-year Wu Qu Hua Lu and Tan Lang Hua Quan, and now it is also the decade Wealth Palace, so for these ten years income is tightly tied to work: when the work goes well, the money follows. The decade stem is Yi, giving the decade transformations Tian Ji Hua Lu, Tian Liang Hua Quan, Zi Wei Hua Ke, Tai Yin Hua Ji; the Zi Wei Hua Ke lands in the Wealth Palace, which is also in the decade Wealth Palace's four-way set. The thing to watch is that the decade Tai Yin Hua Ji hits the natal Property Palace. Tai Yin is itself a wealth star, and the Property Palace is the lifelong vault, so saving and buying property are under more pressure this decade.

Step 3, the year: in 2027 the annual Life Palace is his natal Career Palace, and the annual Wealth Palace sits on his natal Life Palace. The annual transformations are Tai Yin Hua Lu, Tian Tong Hua Quan, Tian Ji Hua Ke, Ju Men Hua Ji, and the annual Tai Yin Hua Lu also reaches the natal Property Palace, on the same star as the decade Tai Yin Hua Ji.

How to read it: a decade Ji and an annual Lu on the same wealth star can be read as "a chance for money to flow into the vault, or to deal with property, this year, while the decade's pressure is still there". Since the upper layer governs the lower one, the Lu in 2027 is more a breather than a turnaround for the whole decade. Extra money this year is best used to top up the vault, such as paying down a loan or adding to savings, not to take on more leverage because cash feels loose for a while.

Step 4, the months: he was born in lunar month 9 in the Wei hour, so in 2027 the Dou Jun (1st month) falls on his natal Property Palace, moving one palace forward each month. The month with the most favorable transformations is the 5th month (from 6/5): the monthly Wealth Palace is on the natal Property Palace, with the annual Tai Yin Hua Lu, Tian Tong Hua Quan and Tian Ji Hua Ke plus the monthly Tian Tong Hua Lu and Tian Ji Hua Quan all in its four-way set, and the monthly Life Palace reaches the annual Children–Property line. It is the best month for vault matters, such as saving, paying down a loan or dealing with property. The tight months are the 3rd month (from 4/7), the 7th month (from 8/2) and the 10th month (from 10/29) and the 12th month (from 12/28), which has only the monthly Tan Lang Hua Ji and no favorable transformation, so big year-end spending can wait. The 6th month and 8th month have no transformation in the monthly Wealth Palace's four-way set at all, so they are quiet months.

All palace positions and transformations above are calculated by this site's chart engine. In this chart the decade Property Palace is on the natal Siblings Palace and the annual Property Palace on the natal Health Palace, both different from the natal Property Palace; when you read the vault, look at each layer's Property Palace as well as the natal one.

This chart's monthly table for 2027 ("Y·" and "M·" are annual and monthly transformations; only those in the monthly Wealth Palace's four-way set are listed):

Lunar month (starts)Monthly Wealth Palace on natalLu, Quan, KeJiTrend
1st month (2/6)Siblings PalaceY·Tai Yin Lu, Y·Tian Tong Quan, Y·Tian Ji Ke, M·Tian Liang LuY·Ju Men JiMixed
2nd month (3/8)Life PalaceM·Po Jun LuM·Tan Lang JiMixed
3rd month (4/7)Parents PalaceY·Tian Ji KeY·Ju Men Ji, M·Tai Yang JiTight
4th month (5/6)Mind PalaceM·Zi Wei Ke—Smooth
5th month (6/5)Property PalaceY·Tai Yin Lu, Y·Tian Tong Quan, Y·Tian Ji Ke, M·Tian Tong Lu, M·Tian Ji Quan—Smooth
6th month (7/4)Career Palace——Quiet
7th month (8/2)Friends PalaceM·You Bi KeY·Ju Men JiTight
8th month (9/1)Travel Palace——Quiet
9th month (9/30)Health PalaceY·Tai Yin Lu, Y·Tian Tong Quan, Y·Tian Ji Ke, M·Tai Yin KeM·Tian Tong JiMixed
10th month (10/29)Wealth PalaceM·Wen Qu KeM·Wen Chang JiTight
11th month (11/28)Children PalaceY·Tai Yin Lu, Y·Tian Tong Quan, M·Zuo Fu KeY·Ju Men JiMixed
12th month (12/28)Spouse Palace—M·Tan Lang JiTight

Myth: a Hua Ji in the Wealth Palace means losing money that year.

Ji stands for concern, pressure and cash-flow knots. The usual result is higher spending or money tied up somewhere, not ruin. Look for Lu in the same place and at how the decade is going before drawing conclusions.

Myth: an annual Hua Lu in the Wealth Palace means a windfall, so buy a lottery ticket.

Lu means income and openings, usually through work or business. We do not cover gambling and do not recommend using a chart to pick numbers or place bets.

Myth: reading this year alone is enough.

A year always sits inside its decade. In a tight decade even a good year is often only a small boost; reading the year alone makes it easy to over- or underestimate it.

Myth: in a smooth month, whatever you do will make money.

A smooth month only marks a relatively easy stretch within the year. It suits pushing ahead with what you are already doing, such as negotiating pay, collecting payments or saving; it does not mean any investment will pay off.

Myth: Di Kong or Di Jie in the Wealth Palace means you will never save money.

Di Kong and Di Jie point to unconventional ideas and money that moves fast, so heavy bets on one thing are a bad idea. Steady, spread-out saving that protects the vault first works just as well.

An honest note: a chart shows rhythm, not a bank balance

Zi Wei Dou Shu can suggest which years to push and which to hold, but how much you earn still depends on your work and how you manage money. This page is not investment, financial or any other professional advice. For major financial decisions, talk to a qualified professional. This site is for reference and entertainment only.

Keep reading

Wealth PalaceHow each of the 14 major stars earns Property PalaceThe vault, home and property Mind PalaceThe Wealth–Mind line and how you spend Four TransformationsHow birth-year, decade, annual and monthly layers stack

Stack the decade, year and month on your own chart

In the Zi Wei chart, turn on the decade, annual and monthly layers: every palace shows each layer's palace name (for example "D·Wea" is the decade Wealth Palace and "M·Wea" the monthly one), and the transformations are shown by layer. For every single day, use the wealth report above.

Zi Wei Wealth Reading: FAQ

Which palace shows wealth in Zi Wei Dou Shu?

Mainly the Wealth Palace, read together with its four-way set (Life, Career and the opposite Mind Palace) and the Property Palace as the vault. For periods, check which natal palaces the decade, annual and monthly Wealth and Property Palaces fall on.

Which stars are wealth stars in Zi Wei Dou Shu?

Commonly Wu Qu (the main wealth star), Tian Fu (the treasury), Tai Yin (accumulated wealth), plus Lu Cun and Hua Lu. Tan Lang is often called a windfall star, but sudden gains are only discussed when it pairs with Huo Xing or Ling Xing, so this site does not count it.

How do I find the decade Wealth Palace?

Treat the decade's palace as the decade Life Palace and count Life, Siblings, Spouse, Children, Wealth in reverse order; the fifth palace is the decade Wealth Palace. The table on this page lists it for the first seven decades, and the Zi Wei chart tool marks it on every palace when you turn on the decade layer.

Does an annual Hua Ji in the Wealth Palace mean losing money?

Not necessarily. Hua Ji stands for concern and pressure, usually higher spending or a cash-flow squeeze. Check for Lu in the same place, whether a wealth star carries the Ji, and whether the decade itself is going well; in a smooth decade an annual Ji is often only temporary pressure.

How are the daily charts calculated in Zi Wei Dou Shu?

The daily Life Palace starts from the monthly Life Palace on day 1 of the lunar month and moves one palace forward each day; the daily transformations use that day's stem. For wealth, count monthly plus daily transformations: days with more favorable ones and fewer Ji are smoother. The tool on this page lists good days, days to be careful and a day-by-day table for every month.

How are the monthly charts calculated?

First find the Dou Jun: from the annual Life Palace, count backward to your lunar birth month, then forward to your birth hour; that palace is the 1st month, and each month moves one palace forward. The monthly transformations use the month stem, derived from the year stem. Schools differ on the Dou Jun; this site uses the method common to the Complete Book lineage.

How can I tell whether money comes from my job, a bonus or freelance work?

Look at which palace each transformation lands in and which star it is on: a Lu in the Career Palace usually points to your main job, the Parents Palace stands for the company and your boss, the Travel Palace for outside clients and freelance work, the Friends Palace for referrals from colleagues and friends. Stars lean one way too: Tian Ji is technical work and planning, Tian Liang is elders, insurance and subsidies. The tool applies a published set of rules, so the same chart always gives the same answer.

Can Zi Wei Dou Shu tell whether I will win the lottery?

No. Traditionally windfalls are read from Tan Lang with Huo Xing or Ling Xing, but even with that structure, lotteries are chance and a chart cannot change it. The report only rates the strength of "windfall luck" and does not suggest treating it as income.

How should the months be read with the year?

Count annual plus monthly transformations in the monthly Wealth Palace's four-way set: months with more favorable ones and fewer Ji are smoother. But months rise and fall within the year; in a tight year, even a smooth month is usually only a small boost.