Lu, Transformation and Helper Patterns
The patterns on the earlier pages centre on major stars; these are built from minor stars and transformations: Lu Cun, Tian Ma, the birth-year Lu, Quan and Ke, Tian Kui and Tian Yue, Wen Chang and Wen Qu, Zuo Fu and You Bi. They work more like bonuses, and several have hard structural limits, such as birth years in which they cannot occur at all.
Lu and Horse Racing Together
Conditions: A Lu (Lu Cun or Hua Lu) and Tian Ma both in the trines and opposite.
What strengthens or breaks it: The Complete Book warns against Sha, Yang, Huo, blocked roads and emptiness; the Tai Wei Fu adds that “a horse meeting emptiness runs all its life”.
Sources: Tai Wei Fu: “Sun and Moon most dislike turning away; Lu and Horse most like racing together”; Zhu Xing Wen Da: Tian Ma: “with Lu Cun in the same palace it is called Lu and Horse racing together”
Lu is resources and the Horse movement: wealth found by moving. It suits travel, sales, cross-border work or anything that keeps you on the road.
The Complete Book’s own sense is Lu Cun and Tian Ma in the same palace, which is only possible in six birth years (Jia-Zi, Jia-Chen, Jia-Shen, Geng-Yin, Geng-Wu, Geng-Xu). One compilation widens it to Lu (Lu Cun or Hua Lu) and Tian Ma anywhere in the trines and opposite. We use the wide version and mark the same palace or a Life–Travel pairing as the full form (about 9.2%).
In our sample about 17.9% of charts meet Lu and Horse Racing Together.
Example chart: born 28 January 1960 in the Wu hour (a Geng-Zi year), Life Palace at Shen with Tian Tong and Tian Liang. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Zuo Fu, Wen Chang, Lu Cun, Tai Yin Hua Ke. Sha stars, Hua Ji and dim stars: Huo Xing, Ling Xing, Tian Tong Hua Ji, Tian Liang (dim).
Two Lu Attending
Conditions: Lu Cun and the birth-year Hua Lu both in the trines and opposite.
What strengthens or breaks it: Kong, Jie and Hua Ji lower it (see Lu Broken on the challenging-patterns page).
Sources: Gu Sui Fu: “joined Lu and embracing Lu: a pillar of the court”; Complete Book, vol. 3: “the two Lu meeting again: wealth and honor all life”
Lu Cun is steady income, Hua Lu flowing income; having both means more than one source and a better knack for managing and building savings.
One compilation needs Lu Cun and the birth-year Hua Lu both in the trines and opposite, and calls both in the Life Palace “mandarin-duck Lu”; another wants both in the Life Palace, or one in the Life Palace and one opposite. We use the trines and mark both in the Life Palace separately.
In our sample about 11.0% of charts meet Two Lu Attending.
Example chart: born 4 January 1960 in the Mao hour (a Ji-Hai year), Life Palace at Xu with Wu Qu. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Lu Cun, Wu Qu Hua Lu, Tan Lang Hua Quan. Sha stars, Hua Ji and dim stars: Di Jie.
Three Marvels
Conditions: Birth-year Hua Lu, Hua Quan and Hua Ke all in the trines and opposite.
What strengthens or breaks it: A dim Life Palace star, or Sha and Ji around it, lowers it.
Sources: Gu Sui Fu: “Ke, Quan and Lu embracing: a shining name”; Zhu Xing Wen Da: Hua Lu: “in the Life or Career palace meeting Ke and Quan: surely a minister”
The birth-year Lu, Quan and Ke all reach the Life Palace: plenty of chances and helpers, and large ambitions.
Some schools want the three in the Life, Wealth and Career palaces one each; others restrict where Hua Ji may fall. We accept all three anywhere in the trines and opposite. Structurally, by the placement rules, only Jia, Bing, Ding and Xin years can form it; people born in Yi, Wu, Ji, Geng, Ren or Gui years cannot, which matches the compilation’s note that those years “have no Three Marvels”.
In our sample about 5.0% of charts meet Three Marvels.
Example chart: born 16 February 1961 in the Wei hour (a Xin-Chou year), Life Palace at Wei, no major star. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Wen Chang, Wen Qu, Ju Men Hua Lu, Tai Yang Hua Quan, Wen Qu Hua Ke. Sha stars, Hua Ji and dim stars: Wen Chang Hua Ji.
Noble Seated, Noble Facing
Conditions: Tian Kui and Tian Yue, one in the Life Palace and one opposite.
Sources: Ding Gui Ju: “Noble seated, noble facing: Kui and Yue in the Life Palace, seated and facing in turn”; Tai Wei Fu: “Kui and Yue together: a seat among the chief ministers”
Tian Kui and Tian Yue are the noble helpers; one in the Life Palace and one opposite means a life full of patrons, often lifted by elders and superiors.
Tian Kui and Tian Yue only face each other across Chou and Wei in Jia, Wu and Geng years, so the strict form only occurs with the Life Palace at Chou or Wei in those years (about 5.1%). Where they only reach the Life Palace from the trines we mark the Tian Yi form (about 14.0%). One source adds day and night births; we do not judge those.
In our sample about 19.1% of charts meet Noble Seated, Noble Facing.
Example chart: born 2 February 1960 in the Chou hour (a Geng-Zi year), Life Palace at Chou with Tian Ji. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Wen Chang, Wen Qu, Tian Kui, Tian Yue. Sha stars, Hua Ji and dim stars: Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Tian Tong Hua Ji, Tian Ji (dim).
Literary Laurel
Conditions: Wen Chang and Wen Qu together in the Life Palace or opposite it (Chou or Wei only).
What strengthens or breaks it: Harmful stars in the same palace or around it lower it.
Sources: Gu Sui Fu: “literary laurel, literary flower: honored in the nine-fold palace”; Complete Book, vol. 3: “Chang and Qu at Chou or Wei, born at Mao or You: close to the throne”
Wen Chang is formal learning and writing, Wen Qu eloquence and the arts; together in or opposite the Life Palace they suggest refined manners, a love of learning and a gift for letters or scholarship.
Wen Chang and Wen Qu only share a palace at Chou (You-hour births) or Wei (Mao-hour births). The Complete Book’s note is actually the opposite-palace form; we accept both.
In our sample about 2.8% of charts meet Literary Laurel.
Example chart: born 30 March 1960 in the Mao hour (a Geng-Zi year), Life Palace at Chou with Tai Yang and Tai Yin. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Wen Chang, Wen Qu, Tian Kui, Tian Yue, Tai Yang Hua Lu, Tai Yin Hua Ke. Sha stars, Hua Ji and dim stars: Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing, Ling Xing, Tai Yang (dim).
Zuo Fu and You Bi Together
Conditions: Zuo Fu and You Bi together in the Life Palace (Chou or Wei only).
Sources: Gu Sui Fu: “Zuo and You in a tomb palace: honored among the eight seats”; Complete Book, vol. 3: “Zuo and You in the same palace: robed in purple”
Zuo Fu and You Bi are helper stars; together in the Life Palace they suggest good relationships, a readiness to help, strong planning and coordination, often in a key supporting role.
They only share a palace at Chou (10th lunar month) or Wei (4th lunar month). One compilation also wants other helpers alongside.
In our sample about 1.4% of charts meet Zuo Fu and You Bi Together.
Example chart: born 2 May 1960 in the Xu hour (a Geng-Zi year), Life Palace at Wei, no major star. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Zuo Fu, You Bi, Tian Kui, Tian Yue, Tai Yang Hua Lu, Tai Yin Hua Ke. Sha stars, Hua Ji and dim stars: Tuo Luo, Di Kong, Tian Tong Hua Ji.
Myth: anyone can have Three Marvels.
Structurally only Jia, Bing, Ding and Xin years can; people born in the other six stems cannot.
Myth: Lu and Horse Racing Together means getting rich.
It describes wealth found through movement, suiting work on the road; it is not a windfall.
Other patterns
A straight word: a pattern is a one-line summary, not the whole chart
The old books gave names to star combinations that are common and easy to spot; those names are the patterns. They help you grasp the outline of a chart quickly, but no chart is good or bad because of a pattern name. The same pattern with different helpers, Sha stars and transformations can lead to very different lives. This site gives the conditions, the classical sources and the personality tendencies only, never verdicts on wealth, status, health or lifespan. Everything here is for reference and entertainment.
Find the patterns in your chart
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Helper patterns: FAQ
What is Lu and Horse Racing Together?
Lu Cun or Hua Lu and Tian Ma both in the Life Palace’s trines and opposite; in the Complete Book, Lu Cun and Tian Ma in the same palace. It reads as wealth found through movement.
Which birth years can have Three Marvels?
The birth-year Hua Lu, Hua Quan and Hua Ke must all be in the trines and opposite; structurally only Jia, Bing, Ding and Xin years can manage it.
What are the conditions for Noble Seated and Facing?
Tian Kui and Tian Yue, one in the Life Palace and one opposite; structurally only a Life Palace at Chou or Wei in a Jia, Wu or Geng year.