玄ZenTellATLAS OF WISDOM TRADITIONS

Zi Wei Dou Shu / ENCYCLOPEDIA

Fourteen principal stars

十四主星

The fourteen principal stars are central symbolic chart signs. Calendrical placement and traditional attributes distinguish them from a table of fourteen observed planets.

Introductory article2 min readUpdated 2026-09-30AI-assisted · Editorially checked

At a glance

Core set
Fourteen principal stars
Placement
Calendrical rules, not observed positions

Definition and terminology

The list is Ziwei, Tianji, Taiyang, Wuqu, Tiantong, Lianzhen, Tianfu, Taiyin, Tanlang, Jumen, Tianxiang, Tianliang, Qisha and Pojun. Other signs, including assisting and literary stars, are added in many charts. Principal marks interpretive importance; it does not establish one astronomical category or make a single sign sufficient for reading.

Structure and rules

Common methods locate Ziwei first and then arrange Ziwei and Tianfu groups using birth-date and bureau conventions. Stars receive positional dignity labels and combination relationships. Such dignity is not measured optical brightness. Even signs called Sun and Moon cannot substitute for an astronomical ephemeris of the physical luminaries.

Worked reading

A symbolic exercise may contrast Tianji’s conventional planning imagery with Tianliang’s protection or principles. Applied to research, they prompt questions about revising methods and preserving standards. This teaches a vocabulary, not fixed abilities. A full traditional reading would still examine domains, other stars and positional conditions.

Context and limits

The received manual preserves judgments about status, appearance and fortune that document historical star meanings. They should not become evidence-based labels for modern people. Contemporary schools vary in auxiliary signs and dignity tables. Present the core list and placement logic while identifying character descriptions as traditional interpretation rather than modern personality measurement.

References & further reading

Historical sources document ideas and rules of their time, not empirical proof of predictive accuracy. Source notes identify the nature and scope of each reference.

  1. 《紫微斗数全书》全览Primary / tradition source

    Public-domain received text for palaces, stars and cycles; modern school names and some transformation tables require separate checking.