The Parents Palace in Zi Wei Dou Shu: You and the Generation Above
In the old texts the Parents Palace was about the two parents themselves: their fortunes and how close the bond would be. We do not make predictions of that kind. The modern reading is how you get on with the generation above you: parents, elders, bosses and teachers all count, and so does the way you meet rules, institutions and authority. The Parents Palace sits between the Life Palace and the Mind Palace; what your elders gave you often lies between "who you are" and "what you want deep down".
How to read the Parents Palace
- Start with the major star. The star here describes what your elders are like and how you get on with them: Zi Wei and Tian Liang lean towards authority and protection, Tian Tong and Tai Yin towards gentle care, Qi Sha and Wu Qu towards strictness and independence, Ju Men and Tian Ji towards reasoning and debate. Each of the fourteen is covered below.
- Compare with the Life Palace. The Parents Palace sits right next to the Life Palace, and who you are often contrasts with or complements the generation above.
- Look at the Mind Palace. On the other side is the Mind Palace. The upbringing and setting your elders gave you often leave a lasting tint on your inner life.
- Look at the trine. The Parents Palace forms a trine with the Children and Friends Palaces: the generation above, the generation below, and friends and team members, read as one group. Opposite is the Health Palace; we only read it as the star shining in and make no health readings.
- Look at transformations and malefic stars. Hua Lu here means an easy relationship with elders and bosses; Hua Ji means you care a lot about what elders think and friction comes easily; malefic stars usually mean more differing opinions and more adjusting to each other.
Fixed links to the Life, Mind and Children Palaces
The Life Palace is always one palace backward from the Parents Palace and the Mind Palace always one palace forward, and the fourteen major stars keep fixed positions relative to each other. So for 9 of the stars, the Life Palace star is settled once you know the Parents Palace star, and for 9 of them the Mind Palace star is settled. Zi Wei, Lian Zhen and Wu Qu, and Qi Sha, Po Jun and Tan Lang, always form trines, so with any of these six in the Parents Palace, the Children and Friends Palaces are fixed as well.
| Parents Palace star | Life Palace always holds | Mind Palace always holds | Children Palace always holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zi Wei | Tian Ji | varies | Wu Qu |
| Tian Ji | varies | Zi Wei | Tian Tong |
| Tai Yang | Wu Qu | varies | varies |
| Wu Qu | Tian Tong | Tai Yang | Lian Zhen |
| Tian Tong | varies | Wu Qu | varies |
| Lian Zhen | varies | varies | Zi Wei |
| Tian Fu | varies | Tai Yin | varies |
| Tai Yin | Tian Fu | Tan Lang | varies |
| Tan Lang | Tai Yin | Ju Men | Po Jun |
| Ju Men | Tan Lang | Tian Xiang | varies |
| Tian Xiang | Ju Men | Tian Liang | Tian Fu |
| Tian Liang | Tian Xiang | Qi Sha | Tai Yin |
| Qi Sha | Tian Liang | varies | Tan Lang |
| Po Jun | varies | varies | Qi Sha |
For example, with Tian Liang (the Shelter Star) in the Parents Palace, the Life Palace always holds Tian Xiang and the Mind Palace always holds Qi Sha: you value rules and are good at bringing people together, your elders are mature and love looking after others, and yet inside you there is a stubborn urge to strike out on your own.
The fourteen major stars in the Parents Palace
What our sample shows
How we counted: this site’s engine cast one Zi Wei chart for every day from 1960 to 2005 (birth hour drawn by a fixed-seed random sample), 16,802 charts in all. These figures describe how chart structures are distributed; they do not measure anyone’s parents' fortunes or family bonds.
Myth: a bad Parents Palace means you "harm" your parents.
"Harming the parents" is a phrase from the old texts, and this site does not use it. The Parents Palace describes how you relate to elders; it does not predict your parents' health, lifespan or fortunes.
Myth: Hua Ji in the Parents Palace means you will never get on with your parents.
Hua Ji stands for caring and fixation. With Hua Ji here, you tend to care a great deal about what elders think and there is more adjusting to do; what it calls for is communication, not worry.
Myth: an empty Parents Palace means no bond with your parents.
About 16.4% of charts have an empty Parents Palace. You read it through the major stars opposite and pay attention to Lu Cun, the transformations and the minor stars inside; it says nothing about how close you are to your parents.
A straight word: the Parents Palace is about how you get on with elders, not about your parents' health or lifespan
The Parents Palace describes how you relate to your parents, elders, bosses and teachers, and how you meet rules and authority. It cannot tell you anything about your parents' health, lifespan or fortunes. Classical phrases such as "harming the parents" or "a thin bond with the parents" are not used on this site. The palace opposite is the Health Palace, which tradition also used to judge the body; we do not make readings of that kind, and health questions belong with a medical professional. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment only.
Find out which star sits in your Parents Palace
Enter your date of birth and birth time to cast your chart, then tap the Parents Palace to see its major stars, transformations and four-way set.
Parents Palace: FAQ
What does the Parents Palace show in Zi Wei Dou Shu?
How you get on with parents, elders, bosses and teachers, and how you meet rules and authority. This site does not predict parents' health, lifespan or fortunes.
Does the Parents Palace cover bosses too?
Yes. The modern reading extends the Parents Palace to the whole "generation above": parents, elders, bosses and teachers, as well as the authority and institutions you have to deal with, such as a company or a school.
Which palaces make up the Parents Palace's four-way set?
The trine is the Children and Friends Palaces, and the opposite palace is the Health Palace. We make no health readings from it and only read it as the star shining into the Parents Palace. The Parents Palace also sits right next to the Life and Mind Palaces.
How do you read an empty Parents Palace?
Borrow the major stars of the opposite palace, and look closely at Lu Cun, the minor stars and the transformations inside the Parents Palace. In our sample about 16.4% of charts have an empty Parents Palace.