Zi Wei Dou Shu Stars and Deities: Whom to Pray To When a Star Is Weak

In Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology), every star stands for a kind of energy: the Sun is confidence and goodwill, the Moon is tenderness and savings, Wen Chang is study and exams, Tan Lang is romance. When one kind of energy feels short, you pray to the deity whose nature matches it: the Sun God for the Sun star, Mazu or another goddess for the Moon star, Wenchang Dijun for Wen Chang. Check which stars are weak in your chart first, then use the table.

Sixteen stars and their deities

The 14 major stars plus Wen Chang and Wen Qu, the two stars people ask about most. The second column is a self-check: no chart needed. Whichever line sounds most like you lately, start with that deity.

How do I know which star I am missing?

1. By how you feel. The second column above describes each star running low. If your work goes unnoticed and you have no drive, you are short on the Sun; if nothing sticks when you study, you are short on Wen Chang. This needs no chart at all.

2. By your chart. A star's strength depends on the palace it sits in. In a bright position its energy flows; in a fallen position (the "fallen" and "weak" grades of this site's brightness table) its qualities struggle to come through. The birth-year Ji transformation also marks a star whose energy tends to get knotted. The lookup above lists both kinds.

Should I pray to my life-palace star's deity? Your life-palace star is your baseline, so its deity can be your everyday guardian. When one area feels weak, add the deity for that star.

Star by star

Zi Wei (Emperor): Jade Emperor (Tian Gong)

Nature: the emperor star: leadership, standing, presence. When it is weak: you cannot make up your mind, cannot hold a room, and your words carry little weight.

Zi Wei rules all the stars, so it pairs with the Jade Emperor, who rules all the gods. Where: Jade Emperor temples such as the Tainan Tian Tan; the Heaven incense burner at almost any temple also works.

Tian Ji (Wisdom): Manjushri Bodhisattva

Nature: the wisdom star: thinking, planning, adapting. When it is weak: you overthink without reaching a conclusion and keep changing your mind.

Manjushri embodies wisdom in Buddhism, and a clear head is exactly what Tian Ji needs. Where: Buddhist temples with a Manjushri shrine.

Tai Yang (Sun): Sun God (Taiyang Xingjun)

Nature: light and warmth: reputation, generosity, drive. When it is weak: low confidence, few people on your side, no energy, and your work goes unnoticed.

The star is the Sun, so you pray to the Sun God. In Taiwan his festival falls on the 19th day of the third lunar month. Where: often enshrined in Jade Emperor temples; you can also face east and pray on his festival day.

Wu Qu (Martial Wealth): Guan Yu (Guan Sheng Di Jun)

Nature: the wealth star: execution, decisiveness, grit. When it is weak: money slips away, you procrastinate, and you cannot cut losses.

Wu Qu is both martial and financial, and Guan Yu is the martial god of wealth most Taiwanese businesses pray to. You can also pray to any martial god of wealth. Where: Xingtian Temple in Taipei, or any Guan Di temple.

Tian Tong (Blessings): Earth God (Tudi Gong)

Nature: the blessing star: contentment, harmony, enjoyment. When it is weak: life feels tense, you have no sense of good fortune, and you cannot relax.

Tian Tong is the star of blessings, and the Earth God is the closest, most neighborly keeper of local fortune. Where: Honglu Di in Zhonghe, or the small Earth God shrine down your street.

Lian Zhen (Discipline): City God (Cheng Huang)

Nature: the prisoner star: discipline, limits, right and wrong. When it is weak: you get pulled into disputes, lose your boundaries, and misjudge limits.

Lian Zhen is about rules and restraint; the City God is the underworld magistrate who judges right from wrong. Where: Taipei Xia-Hai City God Temple, or any City God temple.

Tian Fu (Treasury): Gods of Wealth of the Five Directions

Nature: the treasury star: keeping, stability, saving. When it is weak: money comes and goes, you feel insecure, and you cannot hold on to what you built.

Tian Fu is the vault. It wants steady income that stays put, which is what the gods of wealth are asked for. You can also pray to Earth God (Tudi Gong). Where: temples of the gods of wealth, or a wealth shrine inside a larger temple.

Tai Yin (Moon): Mazu (Tian Shang Sheng Mu)

Nature: the Moon: gentleness, motherhood, home, savings. When it is weak: home feels unsettled, relationships lack tenderness, savings do not grow, or you feel distant from your mother or older women in your life.

Tai Yin is the feminine, maternal star, so a goddess is the natural match. Mazu is the "mother" Taiwanese people feel closest to. You can also pray to the Moon Goddess (Taiyin Niangniang) or Zhusheng Niangniang. Where: Dajia Jenn Lann Temple, Beigang Chaotian Temple, or any Mazu temple; at Mid-Autumn you can pray to the Moon.

Tan Lang (Desire): Yue Lao, the Matchmaker

Nature: the romance star: charm, desire, talent. When it is weak: no romance, thin social circle, and nothing excites you.

Tan Lang is the chief romance star of Zi Wei Dou Shu; for love and popularity you go to the Matchmaker. Where: the Yue Lao shrines at Taipei Xia-Hai City God Temple or Longshan Temple.

Ju Men (Speech): Confucius (Zhi Sheng Xian Shi)

Nature: the dark star: eloquence, reasoning, research. When it is weak: nobody listens when you speak, you are often misunderstood, and gossip follows you.

Ju Men lives by the spoken word: arguing, teaching, persuading. Confucius is the great teacher who taught by speech. Where: the Confucius Temples in Taipei and Tainan.

Tian Xiang (Minister): The Three Officials (San Guan Da Di)

Nature: the seal star: support, fairness, patrons. When it is weak: no one helps you up, your position is stuck, and partnerships stall.

Tian Xiang is the minister who holds the seal; the Heaven Official of the Three Officials is the one who "bestows fortune" and rank. Where: Three Officials temples (San Jie Gong temples).

Tian Liang (Shelter): Guanyin Bodhisattva

Nature: the shelter star: protection, elders, turning bad into good. When it is weak: no one has your back, elders feel distant, and you carry everything alone.

Tian Liang is the star that shields others; Guanyin hears every cry for help and is the most widely worshipped protector in Taiwan. Where: Longshan Temple in Wanhua, Taipei, or any Guanyin temple.

Qi Sha (General): Xuantian Shangdi (Emperor of the Dark Heaven)

Nature: the general star: drive, nerve, standing alone. When it is weak: you hesitate to push, back off at the key moment, and cannot take command.

Qi Sha is the general who leads troops; Xuantian Shangdi is the martial god who commands the heavenly armies. Where: Songbailing Shoutian Temple in Nantou, or any Shangdi Gong temple.

Po Jun (Breaker): Nezha, the Third Prince

Nature: the breaker star: tearing down, starting over, change. When it is weak: you want change but cannot take the first step and stay stuck in old patterns.

Po Jun breaks the old order and dares to change, just like the young hero Nezha. Where: Xinying Taizi Temple, or any Third Prince temple.

Wen Chang (Scholarship): Wenchang Dijun, god of literature and exams

Nature: the scholar star: exams, paperwork, study. When it is weak: nothing sticks when you study, you choke in exams, and documents keep going wrong.

The star shares its name with Wenchang Dijun, the god who governs learning and exam success. Where: Wenchang temples; large temples such as Longshan Temple also enshrine him.

Wen Qu (Talent): Kui Xing, the star of top scores

Nature: the talent star: eloquence, artistry, performance. When it is weak: your talent does not show, you stumble when you speak, and you underperform on stage.

Wen Qu leans toward talent and performance; Kui Xing, one of the five gods of literature, is prayed to for "coming out on top". Where: often enshrined in Wenchang temples and Confucius Temples.

How to pray

• Offerings: incense, flowers and fruit are enough. People asking Wenchang for exam luck often bring a copy of their admission ticket, and people visiting Yue Lao often bring candy. These are customs, not requirements.
• Introduce yourself: silently say your name, your lunar birthday and your address, so the deity knows who is asking.
• Be specific: instead of "please give me energy", say where you are stuck and what you hope for, for example "I have an interview next month and I want to explain my ideas clearly." Saying it out loud also helps you sort out what you want.
• Give thanks: when things go well, go back and say thank you. No big donation is needed.