At a glance
- Count
- Twelve domain palaces
- Two layers
- Domain name and branch position
Definition and terminology
Common domains are Life, Siblings, Spouse, Children, Wealth, Illness, Travel, Associates, Career, Property, Well-being and Parents. Historical terms such as concubines or servants often receive modern replacements. These labels organize topics, not established outcomes. They first indicate what kind of question a traditional interpretation is addressing.
Structure and rules
Locate Life Palace on a branch position, then arrange the other domains under the chosen sequence and place stars separately. Zi is not always Life Palace for every chart. Readings also consider stars, opposing and trine positions, transformations and cycles. An Illness Palace label is not a medical diagnosis or a specific disease finding.
Worked reading
In a teaching chart with Life at Zi, a common reverse domain sequence gives Siblings at Hai, Spouse at Xu, Children at You and Wealth at Shen. Label domains and fixed branches separately to see the distinction. No stars have been placed, so Wealth at Shen alone says nothing about actual assets.
Context and limits
Palace domains reflect historical family, property and status categories that do not map perfectly onto modern lives. Gendered and hierarchical judgments need historical context. Explain old and new names and positioning conventions. Reproducible domain placement is separate from evidence that it predicts experiences within those domains.
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.
- 《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.