Sun and Moon Patterns: Bright and Dim
Tai Yang and Tai Yin are the two stars in Zi Wei most concerned with light: the sun by day, the moon by night, bright in some palaces and dim in others. Around their placements the classics built a whole family of patterns, from Sun over Thunder Gate to Sun and Moon Turned Away.
Sun over Thunder Gate
Conditions: Tai Yang with Tian Liang in the Life Palace at Mao.
What strengthens or breaks it: The classics want a daytime birth; one compilation names Yi, Xin and Ren years; Lu and helpers lift it, Sha stars lower it.
Sources: Gu Sui Fu: “Sun over Thunder Gate: wealth, honor and splendor”; Ding Gui Ju: “Sun rising from Fusang: the sun guarding the Life Palace at Mao”
Mao is the east, where the sun rises; Tai Yang there is the morning sun: energetic, glad to step forward, keen to look after others. At Mao Tai Yang always shares the palace with Tian Liang, the opposite palace is empty and Tai Yin sits in the Wealth Palace at Hai.
All sources agree on Mao and exclude You. We do not judge day or night births: the classics ask for a daytime birth, but sources do not agree on where day ends.
In our sample about 0.8% of charts meet Sun over Thunder Gate.
Example chart: born 27 March 1960 in the Chou hour (a Geng-Zi year), Life Palace at Mao with Tai Yang and Tian Liang. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Wen Chang, 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.
Bright Moon at Heaven’s Gate
Conditions: Tai Yin alone in the Life Palace at Hai.
What strengthens or breaks it: The classics want a night birth; Lu and helpers lift it; one compilation calls Wen Chang or Wen Qu in the same palace the finest; Sha in the Life Palace breaks it.
Sources: Gu Sui Fu: “Bright moon at Heaven’s Gate: promoted and ennobled”; Ding Gui Ju: “Moon setting at Hai: the moon guarding the Life Palace at Hai, also called Bright Moon at Heaven’s Gate”
Hai is one of Tai Yin’s brightest places, opposite Tian Ji, with Tai Yang and Tian Liang in the Career Palace. Gentle, perceptive and talented, steady with a warm touch.
All sources agree on the palace; only the favored birth years differ.
In our sample about 0.8% of charts meet Bright Moon at Heaven’s Gate.
Example chart: born 26 April 1960 in the Wu hour (a Geng-Zi year), Life Palace at Hai with Tai Yin. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Zuo Fu, You Bi, Tian Yue, Tai Yang Hua Lu, Tai Yin Hua Ke. Sha stars, Hua Ji and dim stars: Tuo Luo, Di Kong, Di Jie.
Sun and Moon Both Bright
Conditions: Tai Yang and Tai Yin both bright in the Life Palace’s trines and opposite.
What strengthens or breaks it: Lu, Chang and Qu, Zuo and You, Kui and Yue lift it; most sources treat Sha and Ji as a deduction only.
Sources: Gu Sui Fu: “Sun and Moon both bright: assisting the throne”; Complete Book, vol. 3: “Sun at Si, Moon at You, Life Palace at Chou”; Complete Book, vol. 3: “Sun at Chen and Moon at Xu vie in brightness”; Complete Book, vol. 3: “Sun and Moon in the Life Palace are not as good as shining on it together”
Both lights are bright: a regular, open outlook, concern for reputation, a readiness to help. The Complete Book adds that Sun and Moon shining on the Life Palace from the trines is better than sitting in it.
Forms vary a lot. The Complete Book has three (Sun Si, Moon You, Life Chou; Sun Mao, Moon Hai, Life Wei; Sun Chen, Moon Xu); one compilation has two, one of which (empty Life Palace at Wu) is not in the Complete Book; the broad reading only needs both bright in the trines and opposite, which we find in 10 layouts. We judge all three: the Chou and Wu forms are shown as “main form”, the rest as “broad form”; “Sun Mao, Moon Hai, Life Wei” is listed as Pearl Rising from the Sea instead.
In our sample the main forms cover about 1.4% of charts and the broad form about 5.1%.
In our sample about 6.5% of charts meet Sun and Moon Both Bright.
Example chart: born 9 May 1960 in the Chen hour (a Geng-Zi year), Life Palace at Chou with Tian Liang. 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: Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Di Kong.
Golden Radiance
Conditions: Tai Yang alone in the Life Palace at Wu.
What strengthens or breaks it: Lu/Quan/Ke, Chang and Qu, Zuo and You lift it; Sha or Ji in the trines, missing Chang, Qu, Fu or Bi, or Kong and Jie lower it a lot.
Sources: Tai Wei Fu: “Tai Yang at Wu is called the sun at midday”; Ding Fu Ju: “Golden Radiance: Tai Yang alone guarding the Life Palace at Wu”
Tai Yang is strongest at noon, opposite Tian Liang, with Ju Men in the Career Palace. A strong presence, forceful, used to setting direction for everyone, and prone to taking on too much.
The palace is agreed; also called the Sun at Midday. Some ask for Tai Yang Hua Lu, which most sources do not.
In our sample about 0.6% of charts meet Golden Radiance.
Example chart: born 16 August 1960 in the Yin hour (a Geng-Zi year), Life Palace at Wu with Tai Yang. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Zuo Fu, Wen Qu, Tai Yang Hua Lu. Sha stars, Hua Ji and dim stars: Ling Xing.
Clear Water, Laurel Blossom
Conditions: Tai Yin in the Life Palace at Zi (with Tian Tong).
Sources: Tai Wei Fu: “Tai Yin at Zi is called clear water and laurel blossom”
Tai Yin at Zi in the Life Palace, with Tian Tong. Quiet, refined and reasonable, willing to speak the truth but gently.
Many sites treat this and Moon over the Sea as one pattern. They are not: the Tai Wei Fu’s Clear Water is about the Life Palace, the Ding Gui Ju’s Moon over the Sea about the Property Palace.
In our sample about 0.7% of charts meet Clear Water, Laurel Blossom.
Example chart: born 7 March 1960 in the Mao hour (a Geng-Zi year), Life Palace at Zi with Tian Tong and Tai Yin. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Lu Cun, Tai Yin Hua Ke. Sha stars, Hua Ji and dim stars: Di Kong, Tian Tong Hua Ji.
Moon over the Sea
Conditions: Tai Yin at Zi in the Property Palace (the Complete Book’s original sense).
Sources: Ding Gui Ju: “Moon over the sea: the moon at Zi guarding the Property Palace”
Tai Yin rules home and property, and Zi is one of its bright places, so Tai Yin at Zi in the Property Palace was seen as good for home and savings. Read it as caring about home and surroundings and being able to put things by.
Some sources accept both the Life and Property palaces, others treat the two names as one Life Palace pattern. We follow the Complete Book: Moon over the Sea is the Property Palace only.
In our sample about 0.9% of charts meet Moon over the Sea.
Example chart: born 17 January 1960 in the Chen hour (a Ji-Hai year), Life Palace at You with Lian Zhen and Po Jun. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Zuo Fu, Wu Qu Hua Lu, Tan Lang Hua Quan. Sha stars, Hua Ji and dim stars: Tuo Luo, Huo Xing, Di Jie, Po Jun (dim).
Sun and Moon Turned Away
Conditions: Tai Yang alone at Xu facing Tai Yin at Chen, or the reverse.
What strengthens or breaks it: With Ju Men also in the trines, the Ding Pin Jian Ju calls it Sun and Moon Hidden. The Complete Book leaves a way out: leaving the family home to build one’s own turns it good.
Sources: Gu Sui Fu: “Sun and Moon most dislike being turned away: they lose their light”; Complete Book, vol. 3, note: “if turned away ... leaving home to build one’s own family is also good”
Tai Yang at Xu and Tai Yin at Chen, both where they lose their light, facing each other. It reads as hard-working and low-key, often working early and late, and also more understanding of others, building things step by step. The Complete Book itself says those who leave home and build their own family do well.
We use two layers: narrow (Tai Yang alone at Xu opposite Tai Yin at Chen, or the reverse), about 1.5%; broad (both dim anywhere in the trines and opposite), marked “both dim”, about 2.4%.
In our sample about 3.9% of charts meet Sun and Moon Turned Away.
Example chart: born 7 May 1960 in the Wei hour (a Geng-Zi year), Life Palace at Xu with Tai Yang. Helpers in the trines and opposite: Tai Yang Hua Lu, Tai Yin Hua Ke. Sha stars, Hua Ji and dim stars: Di Kong, Di Jie, Tai Yang (dim).
Myth: Sun or Moon in the Life Palace is better than shining on it.
The Complete Book says the opposite: “Sun and Moon in the Life Palace are not as good as shining on it together.”
Myth: Sun and Moon Turned Away means a hard life.
The Complete Book itself says those who leave home and build their own family do well. Hardship also depends on helpers, transformations and decades.
Myth: Clear Water and Moon over the Sea are the same pattern.
Different sources and different palaces: the Tai Wei Fu’s Clear Water is the Life Palace, the Ding Gui Ju’s Moon over the Sea the Property Palace.
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.
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Sun and Moon patterns: FAQ
What is Sun over Thunder Gate?
Tai Yang with Tian Liang in the Life Palace at Mao, also called the Sun Rising from Fusang. The opposite palace at You is empty and Tai Yin sits in the Wealth Palace at Hai.
What are the conditions for Sun and Moon Both Bright?
Sources differ. The Complete Book has three set forms; the broad reading only needs Tai Yang and Tai Yin both bright in the trines and opposite. We judge all three and say which form applies.
Is Sun and Moon Turned Away a bad pattern?
The classics dislike it, yet also say those who leave home and build their own family do well. We read it as hard-working, low-key and self-made.