Zi Wei Dou Shu(紫微斗數)
Purple Star Astrology (Jami Dusu, 紫微斗數) is an East Asian system that uses your birth year·month·day·hour to place the Purple Star and other stars in twelve palaces (Gung, 宮). The resulting “birth chart” is read palace by palace to explore personality·wealth·career·relationships and other areas of life.
Saju reads a person through the five elements and Ten Gods of eight characters. Jami Dusu takes the same birth information and translates it into star placements, offering another perspective on each area of life.
Basics
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 紫微斗數 |
| Inputs | Birth year · month · day · hour |
| Chart | Birth chart — stars, including the Purple Star, arranged in twelve palaces |
| Areas It Reads | Personality · wealth · career · relationships (by palace) |
| How It Differs from Saju | It reads areas of life through star placements instead of eight characters |
Traits
Jami Dusu is traditionally said to have been organized by Chen Xiyi (陳希夷) during the Song dynasty. It is known as the “Emperor's Star” system because it centers on the Purple Star, the leader of the stars. It is especially widely used in Taiwan·Hong Kong.
The birth chart is divided into twelve palaces — Life (the self), Siblings, Spouse (partner), Children, Wealth (money), Health (well-being), Travel (activities away from home), Friends (subordinates·friends), Career (work), Property (home·real estate), Well-Being (inner life·blessings), and Parents. The stars in each palace shape how that area is read.
At the center are the 14 Major Stars: Jami·Cheongi·Taeyang·Mugok·Cheondong·Yeomjeong in the Purple Star group, and Cheonbu·Taeeum·Tamrang·Geomun·Cheonsang·Cheonnyang·Chilsal·Pagun in the Heavenly Treasury group. Supporting and minor stars add detail. A separate “Body Palace” is also placed alongside the Life Palace to distinguish your inborn self from the self that emerges through life.
The Four Transformations (Sahwa, 四化) assign Prosperity (wealth·ease)·Authority (power)·Recognition (honor)·Obstruction (blockages·fixation) to four stars based on the heavenly stem of your birth year. Like a chemical reaction between stars, they change the dynamics of their palaces. Timing is read in ten-year major periods (Daehan, 大限), similar to saju's ten-year periods.
A common misconception
Some say “Jami Dusu is more accurate than saju”, while others say the reverse. The two systems simply read the same birth information through different frameworks. Birth time can greatly change palace placements in Jami Dusu, so an uncertain time may create more uncertainty than in saju. Reading both together is seen as a way for each to fill gaps in the other.
Check it in your chart
Enter your date of birth and we calculate it. No payment or sign-up to check.
Related entries
- Four Pillars StudiesFour Pillars studies (myeongri, 命理學) is an East Asian discipline that converts your birth year·month·day·hour into eight stem-and-branch characters, then reads their Yin-Yang and Five Elements relationships to interpret your innate temperament and changing patterns of fortune.
- Four Pillars and Eight CharactersThe Four Pillars and Eight Characters (Saju Palja, 四柱八字) arrange your birth year·month·day·hour into four pillars (四柱). Each has a heavenly stem on top and an earthly branch below, making eight characters (八字) in all.
- Ten-Year PeriodsTen-year periods (daeun, 大運) assign ten years each to successive stem-branch pairs, moving forward or backward from your birth month's pair, or month pillar. They describe the broader backdrop that shifts once every ten years.
- Five ElementsThe Five Elements (ohaeng, 五行) are an East Asian framework in which Wood·Fire·Earth·Metal·Water move through cycles of generating and controlling one another. Each of saju's eight characters belongs to one of these five elements.
- Day PillarYour day pillar (ilju, 日柱) consists of the heavenly stem and earthly branch of your birth day. Among your eight birth characters, its stem—the Day Master—represents you, while its branch is the ground beneath your feet.
- All of Saju Dictionary
Frequently asked questions
What do I need for Jami Dusu?
You need your birth date and birth time. The time changes the position of the Life Palace, making it especially important in Jami Dusu.
Can I use saju and Jami Dusu together?
Yes. Saju reads the balance of energy and the Ten Gods, while Jami Dusu reads star placements in each area of life, so they offer different perspectives. Seowoon's “Purple Star Map” by Cheonmun-gwan interprets your birth chart, with opening chapters you can read without paying.
Is the Obstruction transformation bad?
Hwa-gi signals obstacles and fixation, but it can also give you the drive to focus deeply on one area. Its meaning depends on its palace and the other stars around it.
Last updated