秋分: The Autumn Equinox 2025

"In the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the beginning of fall. 

The bright, outward energy of summer gives way to the slower, 

more introspective energy of autumn and winter. 

The warmth and extroversion of the past months 

make way for a time of solitude, rest, and reflection. 

As the Earth turns inward, so do we.

The equinox is often seen as a bridge between two distinct energies. 

Spring and summer, with their long days and abundant sunlight, 

are seasons of growth, play, and connection. 

These are the "Sun Seasons", when everything is in bloom, 

and our energy is more expansive. 

Fall and winter, on the other hand, are considered the "Moon Seasons". 

As daylight fades, the moon takes center stage, 

and we begin to spend more time in darkness. 

This period of extended night symbolises a time for 

rest, introspection, and quiet connection."

~~ Tree Moon World

The Solstices & Equinoxes hold importance in all ancient civilisations, regardless of whether one is from the East or West. For the ancient Chinese, as the Moon takes centre stage, you may want to take note of its position in your 紫微斗数 (ZWDS) & 奇门遁甲 (QMDJ) chart.

For ZWDS, the Sun & Moon are represented as 太阳 Tai Yang & 太阴 Tai Yin. One quick way to see whether the Sun or Moon holds greater importance in your chart is to check its level of brightness, its interaction with other stars and the nature of the palace itself. Then you need to check your hour of birth manually. The reason is, the level of brightness does not take into consideration your hour of birth. If you are born closer to noon, the Sun will have more energy. If you are born closer to midnight, the Moon will have more energy. Example: let's say that the Moon in your ZWDS chart is in 陷 Xian (Dim), but you are born at midnight. Then it will not be as dim as indicated. More positive qualities of the Moon will manifest than expected in your chart. However, if you are born at noon, then the Moon will be even darker than expected. 

The autumn equinox is another indication. As the Moon begins to take precedence, you might want to keep a lower profile if your Moon is weak. Conversely, you might also notice the palace where your Moon resides gaining strength. Sometimes, in a weird sort of way, both positive & negative effects are strengthened.

Some ZWDS practitioners believe that the Moon is in 化忌 Hua Ji this entire year 乙巳 Yi Si. They base this opinion on the Heavenly Stem 乙 Yi which afflicts the Moon. In addition, some also use the current month stem of 乙酉月 and see this as a double whammy on the Moon. 

While I generally agree that Yi has some bad effect on the Moon this year, I have reservations about the double whammy caused by the month. This does not mean that I think it's wrong. 

ZWDS runs on the Lunar calendar. The transition from one decade, year or month to another is based on the new moon which is the 1st day of the lunar month. When it comes to the analysis of annual luck, the 太岁 Tai Sui (Jupiter) stem is consistently 乙 Yi. But there is also the annual palace stem, which is different from individual to individual. It is the same for the calculation of monthly palaces. The palace stems of monthly palaces vary from individual to individual, even though they are the same for the solar calendar.

Simply put: ZWDS is a tool that is evolving. Yes, a lot of books have been written about ZWDS in both Chinese & English. But once you read them, you will also realise that a lot of knowledge has been lost & destroyed. In the olden days, many secrets were passed down by word of mouth but never written down. There is some confusion about which stem is more important or whether both should be used equally. Some prefer the solar stems. Some insist that the palace stems are important too. So ZWDS masters accumulate as many charts as possible to experiment & verify if their methods work. 

The same can be said about QMDJ, perhaps even more so. 

There is no 太阳 Tai Yang in a QMDJ chart. There is only 太阴 Tai Yin with 9 other deities. But the nature of 太阴 Tai Yin in QMDJ is different from ZWDS. In ZWDS, the Moon is Yin water Gui. In QMDJ, the Moon is Yin metal Xin. Its attributes / qualities are also slightly different. 

Water is a lot more passive. Metal is a lot more aggressive.

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Consultation is Free Until 20 Oct 25

I gave out a batch of name cards on 2 Sept 25. 

But the QR code on this batch of cards has expired.

Initially I wanted to begin consultation in the 7th lunar month

but there were some hiccups.

I intend to print another set of name cards as well as flyers.

Welcome to my blog.

 

[Note: Free Consultation has been extended until 20th October 2025.]

Please read the Guidelines before consultation.

Thank you. 🙏

PS: A partial solar eclipse happened today. 

It also signifies the end of the 7th month.

I didn't feel physically well these few days.

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七杀: The 7 Killing Star

According to some Bazi schools of thought, the 7 Killing Star is the most important 'power' star that one must look for in order to achieve success. Yes, all 8 characters must be considered in a chart. But once the 7K star exists in a chart, all other stars must be evaluated with this 7K star as the singular point of reference. If the Day Master is weak, elements that suppress / mitigate the 7K star are Useful Gods. If the Day Master is strong, elements that support the 7K star are Useful Gods. 

In fact, some Bazi schools of thought do not consider the seasonal strength of a Day Master at all. What is most important is whether the chart gets the job done, and whether the work done is efficient & effective. 7K uses the shortest time to achieve the greatest result, but may resort to unconventional / unscrupulous means to get it, ignoring proper protocol. Some people might get hurt. Its level of aggression is arguably the highest, with Hurting Officer at a close second. 

 

七杀 is associated with death, but it also represents swift aggressive execution of plans. If you need to use it, do so with care. Proceed with caution.

 

In 奇门遁甲 (QMDJ), as mentioned, we have 天柱 (Heavenly Pillar), also known as 破军. We have 天蓬 (Heavenly Grass), also known as 贪狼. But there is no 7K star. However, the 'Star level' is only one of the 5 levels that QMDJ operates at. There are: Palaces, Stems, Deities, Doors & Stars. The first 3 relate to Earth. The Doors relate to Man. The Stars relate to Heaven. (This is my own simplified version. No offence to other QMDJ schools of thought.) Also as mentioned, 死门 (Death Door) is associated with 坤 (Kun) which is synonymous to the lunar 7th month as well as the 7K star. Doors represent the most practical way to win a battle, but the fast results come and go easily. The Death Door is the last door we consider because it is the most inauspicious & least practical of all doors. We do not conventionally use this door except for anything associated with death: funeral processions, worship of ancestors & spiritual pursuits.

In 紫微斗数 (ZWDS), 7K is one of the stars that form the 杀破狼 (Sha-Po-Lang) formation. This formation is, like Bazi's 7K, the most aggressive of all formations in ZWDS. 杀破狼 (Sha-Po-Lang) is made up of 3 stars that are previously mentioned: 七杀 Qi Sha (7K), 破军 Po Jun (Broken Soldier) & 贪狼 Tan Lang (Greedy Wolf). Here, the meaning of 7K reverts back to the Bazi system of fast & effective results. But do use Sha-Po-Lang with discretion. Minimise aggression.

There are quite a few youtube videos that have both positive & negative remarks about Sha-Po-Lang. It is traditionally seen as an inauspicious formation. But in these modern times where change is the only constant, we may have to see this formation a bit differently. This is a video that has a more positive view of SPL:

That being said, the criteria for success does not only depend on the presence of SPL in one's ZWDS chart. Other compatible stars must be present in the 4 main palaces in order to enhance the SPL formation. The best star is arguably 紫微 Zi Wei (The Emperor) as it brings mental foresight & balances the aggression. The 4 Transformations are also key.

There are also many other auspicious formations that can indicate success as well, but the process is slower & steadier. SPL's success is a lot more turbulent.

A few things to add about 7K. In ZWDS, 7K is the 2nd most turbulent among all 14 stars. (The most turbulent is Broken Soldier.) Also, 7K likes to stand alone in its palace without the presence of other main / assistant stars. Any other star(s) present in the same palace would have little effect on 7K as their qualities would be suppressed & overwhelmed by it. Kind stars won't help much. Fierce stars won't threaten much. At its brightest, 7K can still succeed even with Hua Ji, but only after much effort. 

(Note 1: 7K does not undergo transformation whatsoever. However, it encounters Hua Ji only when another star is present with 7K and is indirectly afflicted.)

(Note 2: According to the classics, the worst star that can pair up with 7K is arguably 廉貞 Lian Zhen. Lian Zhen is translated as 'Purity' or 'Chastity' - which is an irony as it is arguably the most 'evil' main star among the 14 main stars. Both combine to form 杀拱廉贞格 or 贞杀同宫格. There is another name given to this formation: 路上埋尸, translated as 'Roadside Buries the Corpse'. However, there is some controversy over this name as modern practitioners do not think this formation is as inauspicious as it sounds.)

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'The 5th Season' by Mark Nepo

I’m currently reading ‘The Fifth Season’ by Mark Nepo. It’s a book about ageing. The author is in his 70s. It’s actually a great book for people of all ages, especially my age. I highly recommend it. 

These are some of my favourite quotes:

“The more a meteor burns up, the brighter it gets. 

More of it burns away & flakes off until all is light. 

As we hurtle through the years, 

we are worn off by all that doesn’t matter. 

As experience wears us down, we grow brighter. 

At death, we are all light. 

The 2nd half of life is integrative in a way 

that discards all that isn't essential – if we don’t resist it.”

Page 1: 

“The highest reward for our toil is not what we get for it, 

but what we become.” – John Ruskin

Page 11: 

“Hard as it is, every catastrophe requires us to build again. 

No one is exempt from mysterious emergent cycle of build, repair & rebuild. 

And we are changed, renewed & reshaped for the rebuilding. 

Whenever we build, we build something in us. 

Whenever we repair, we repair something in us. 

Whenever we rebuild, we resurrect something in us.” 

Page 41: 

"The pain of not playing is greater 

than the pain encountered when playing. 

The pain of not being fully alive is greater 

than the pain encountered while living. 

The commitment to live a creative life, 

whatever that means to you, is essential."

Page 153: 

“A common feature of spirituality is a loss of self, 

a letting go, a willingness to embrace something outside of ourselves, 

a willingness to listen rather than talk, 

a recognition that we are small and the cosmos is large.”

– Alan Lightman

The title of his book, according to him, is based on Chinese folklore that references the ‘Heavenly Pivot’ as the 5th season in the Chinese calendar, associated with late summer. 

 

From a TCM viewpoint, there is a correlation between Heavenly Pivot & late summer. Heavenly Pivot or 天枢 (Tiān Shū) is seen as ‘Stomach 25’, referring to 2 acupuncture points to the left & right of the navel. It represents transformation from fire to earth (late summer).

From an astrological viewpoint, there is no direct correlation between Heavenly Pivot & the 5th season. There are 4 seasons which are divided into 12 earthly branches and 24 solar terms. Three earthly branches – 巳午未 Si Wu Wei – correspond to early, middle & late summer. 午 (Wu), the 5th earthly branch, is middle summer. 未 (Wei), which is late summer & a homophone for ‘stomach’, is actually the 6th earthly branch, not the 5th.  

In Chinese astrology, Heavenly Pivot – also known as the Celestial Pivot – is part of an asterism of 7 stars called 北斗七星 (Běi Dǒu Qī Xīng) or The Northern Dipper. It is considered the first star among all 7 because it is closest to Polaris, the North Star. Its Arabic name is Dubhe, and is the 2nd brightest star among all 7 despite being the furthest (123 light years) from our planet. In 奇门遁甲 (Qi Men Dun Jia), Pivot is 天蓬 Tian Peng (Heavenly Grass) & is associated with water, not earth. In 紫微斗数 (Zi Wei Dou Shu), Pivot is 贪狼 Tan Lang (Greedy Wolf) & has a dual nature of water & wood, unlike Heavenly Grass. So these 2 stars have slightly different meanings in different contexts, even though they are derived from the same star.

Heavenly Grass in a QMDJ chart has its ‘Fu Yin’ natal position at 'Kan' which represents the winter season. Greedy Wolf in a ZWDS chart does not have a natal position, but based on its elemental constitution, it corresponds to both winter & spring. 

In the olden days, at a certain fixed time, the Northern Dipper would have an ‘arm’ (or 柄 bǐng ‘handle’) which pointed towards the corresponding season of the year. The extreme end of this handle is the 7th star of the Northern Dipper, named 破军 Po Jun (Broken Soldier) for ZWDS or 天柱 Tian Zhu (Heavenly Pillar) for QMDJ. The ancient Chinese used this pointer as one of the ways to measure times & seasons, but due to precession and modern time-keeping devices, this is no longer relevant unless you are calculating a birth chart or doing divination. Its original Chinese name is 瑤光 Yao Guang (Bright Precious Jade). Its Arabic name is Alkaid.

Question: Why do the Chinese make things so complicated? They have 3 different Chinese names to refer to the same star. The Arabs only have one. The answer is, the ancient Chinese court astrologers did this deliberately to make things too complicated for people to understand, not just foreigners but even their own fellow citizens (who could understand the Chinese language). QMDJ was not transmitted to the masses because the military used it to win battles. If both foreign or local enemies knew its secrets, the battle could not be won. 紫微斗数, literally translated, actually means “Purple Emperor Dipper Calculation”. This system was exclusively meant to calculate the emperor’s fortune & help him overcome his fate. If everyone else knew how to improve their fate, the emperor’s position could be jeopardised.

It was rumoured that Chairman Mao either secretly knew 奇门遁甲 (QMDJ), or employed someone who secretly knew it to help him gain power, or both. So even though he publicly banned it, he privately used it to 'disarm' his opponents. Obviously we don’t really know if he knew, since it’s a secret. It’s up to you, the reader, to come to your own conclusion.

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Lunar Eclipse on 7th September 2025

The Chinese almanac states that the full moon was on 6th September, while according to the Western chart of the moment, 7th September more accurately reflects the exact degree of the Sun-Moon opposition. 

I am one day late. Better late than never.

Bazi alone does not indicate lunar or solar eclipses. Many online / physical Chinese almanacs, including the 28 lunar mansions, do not indicate them either. But some Chinese almanacs do. The ancient Chinese definitely knew about them. Western astrology, which is based on Hellenistic and ultimately Babylonian traditions, pays attention to them too.

The term 'Blood Moon' refers to lunar eclipses. For those of you who have just come across this term for the first time, yes, blood moons are largely inauspicious.

Aliza Kelly explains this well:

"Astrologically, eclipses are turning points. Unlike a typical new moon or full moon, eclipses activate ... the lunar nodes — karmic markers tied to fate, destiny, and other high-stakes spiritual consequences. If you’ve strayed too far from course, eclipses shove you back on your path. They accelerate timelines, perpetuate the inevitable, rearrange reality, and drag the deepest, darkest secrets out into the open."

Her advice not to do anything during eclipses actually runs through all branches of astrology, regardless of whether you have an Eastern or Western persuasion. Actual positions of lunar mansions can be controversial. Precession can be controversial. But the timings of all eclipses, new moons and full moons are never controversial.   

Derek Walters, a popular author on Chinese astrology, had this to say about eclipses:

"Towards the end of 1988, I was interviewed by a Hong Kong television company who asked me if I had any advice concerning the coming year. I said that anyone living in the San Andreas area should move. Shortly afterwards, there was a devastating earthquake in that region. In 1999, I was frequently asked what was the implication of the forthcoming total solar eclipse. I said, according to Chinese astrology, it meant the destruction of bridges. Later that year, because of the unrest in former Yugoslavia, bridges across the Danube, which lay in the path of the eclipse, were bombed by NATO forces, and a few days after the eclipse there was a mighty earthquake in Istanbul, which, astride the Bosporus, is traditionally regarded as the bridge between Europe and Asia."

Eclipses are not only karmic for individuals. It reflects karmic debt for countries as well as the entire human race. Our relationships with one another, the environment as well as our planet are all karmic in nature.

The best thing to "do" during this karmic period is shadow work. Do deep reflection. Re-evaluate your past. Realise your shortcomings. Be better.

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女宿: Girl Lunar Mansion

I previously mentioned that the Summer Triangle always takes centre stage in August which usually coincides with the 7th lunar month. What I didn't mention is that, according to 万年历 (Chinese 10,000 Year Calendar), the 7th day of 7th lunar month is always 房宿 (Room). Today is the 12th day and is always 女宿 (Girl), the constellation where 天津四 (Deneb) is located.

When you read the Chinese 10,000 Year calendar, do be careful. In the olden days, ancient people don't have the luxury of sophisticated calculators, computer software and internet technology that can churn out the exact locations of stars at the click of a few buttons. So they constructed a table that roughly matches a lunar mansion to an entire day:

You will notice that even though 牛宿 (Ox) is mentioned as one of the 7 lunar mansions belonging to '北方玄武' (Northern Tortoise), it does not represent any particular day in the above table. The reason is because certain constellations are larger than others. 'Ox' is a very small / narrow constellation and the Moon transits there only for a few hours. Hence it is integrated into 'Girl' and not considered as equally important. But we know that 河鼓二 (Altair) & 织女一 (Vega) are important bright stars, albeit inauspicious. Personally, I think at least a few hours should be dedicated to Ox in 万年历, if not an entire day.

[The above table is not the only version. There is at least one other version that includes Ox inside its calendar].

For manual tropical & sidereal calculations, the Moon's position is NOT fixed for any day in any lunar month. [It varies greatly in the lunar calendar due to leap months. It varies slightly in the solar calendar due to leap days / years.] For this year, it is @ 16 Capricorn for tropical & corresponds to 牛宿 (Ox). It's @ 21 Sagittarius for sidereal & corresponds to 箕宿 (Winnowing Basket).

Let's see what the 4 mansions mean:

Room: Auspicious day of the Rabbit, bringing prosperity to land. Wealth would fill the hills. Land and property bring happiness and health.

Girl: Auspicious day for celebration. Constructions would flourish. Suitable for marriages and burials. Land & property should be acquired.

Ox: Ox day brings few benefits. All construction and building activities would bring disaster. Use this day for burials and construction. Sell property & assets.

Winnowing Basket: Brings harm to both men and women. Official disputes and gossip would arise. All construction would be unprofitable. Marriage could lead to loneliness and an empty house.

[There are many different versions online regarding the actual current positions of the lunar mansions due to the precession of the equinoxes these few centuries. I personally use the Tropical version. This does not mean that other versions are not valid. Feel free to use whichever works for you.]

I am not suggesting that we don't follow 万年历. I think we should, but I also feel that in this internet age, we can afford to be more accurate. We must evolve.

That being said, the meaning behind these mansions and learning how to work with them are more important than locating their technical positions. 

A lot of research is done when it comes to the Sun signs along the solar ecliptic path, but I feel that not enough emphasis is given to the Lunar signs.

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