How to read a Tử Vi (Zi Wei) chart for beginners

A Zi Wei Dou Shu (Tử Vi) chart looks daunting at first, but read in order it is very logical. First, cast your chart from your birth date, time and gender.

1. Understand the 12 palaces

The chart has 12 palaces, each for a life area: Self (Mệnh), Parents, Fortune, Property, Career, Friends, Travel, Health, Wealth, Children, Marriage, Siblings.

2. Start with the Life and Body palaces

The Life palace (Mệnh) is the most important — your nature and core destiny. The Body palace (Thân) shows later life and where you invest yourself. Read these two first. See what the Life palace reveals.

3. Read main and minor stars

• Main stars (14, such as Tử Vi, Thiên Cơ, Thái Dương…) set a palace's core character.
• Minor stars support, amplify or soften them.

Read the combination of stars, not each one in isolation.

4. The Four Transformations

They show which star is "activated": Lộc (wealth), Quyền (power), Khoa (fame/mentors), Kỵ (obstruction) — the dynamic key of the chart. See the Four Transformations.

5. Luck cycles

Finally, read the 10-year luck and annual luck to see favourable and cautious phases. See the 10-year luck cycle.

Tips for beginners

Don't try to grasp everything at once. Read Life palace → main stars → Four Transformations → current luck cycle, then expand. The AI reading in the Tử Vi tool explains it in plain language.

Tử Vi is a tool for reflection — not a rigid fate.