Frequently asked
Zi Wei Dou Shu, answered
Common questions about Chinese Purple Star Astrology and how Astralume casts and reads your chart. New to the system? Start with What Is Zi Wei Dou Shu?
The basics
- What is Zi Wei Dou Shu?
- Zi Wei Dou Shu — Purple Star Astrology — is a 1,000-year-old Chinese astrology system that maps your birth date, time, and place into 12 life palaces covering career, wealth, relationships, health, family, and more. It was historically the astrology of the Chinese imperial court.
- How is Astralume different from Western astrology?
- Western astrology reads 12 houses through the planets. Zi Wei Dou Shu reads 12 palaces through 14 main stars and dozens of supporting stars — a finer-grained system with explicit life-domain coverage and built-in year-by-year forecasting.
- What are the 14 main stars?
- The 14 main stars are the core archetypes of Zi Wei Dou Shu, each describing a distinct temperament — such as The Sovereign, The Wolf, and The Warrior. The main star in your Self Palace is the closest thing the system has to a headline sign. You can browse all 14 in the star dictionary.
Accuracy & birth time
- Why does true solar time matter?
- Zi Wei Dou Shu places stars into 12 palaces based on the hour of birth, and the hour boundary is defined by the position of the sun, not the clock. Two people born minutes apart in cities at different longitudes can fall into different hour palaces and read out as different archetypes. Astralume corrects your clock time to true solar time automatically.
- What if I don't know my exact birth time?
- An exact birth time gives the most reliable chart, but Astralume can still produce a meaningful reading from an approximate time. If your time is uncertain, use the closest estimate you have; the most important palaces are often stable across a window of an hour or two.
Using Astralume
- What do I need to cast a chart?
- Your date of birth, time of birth (as exact as possible), and birthplace city. Astralume converts your clock time to true solar time using the longitude of your birthplace, switches to the lunar calendar, and casts your chart in seconds — the way classical Chinese astrologers always have.
- How does Astralume write my reading?
- Astralume casts your chart with its own engine, then uses AI to translate the result into a clear, modern reading of your 12 palaces in English. Every star and palace is rendered with a consistent archetype name, so the language stays approachable without losing the structure of the classical system.
Pricing
- Do I have to pay to see anything?
- No. You can preview your chart for free. Payment unlocks the full written interpretation of all 12 life palaces. The core birth-chart reading is a one-time $39, with optional add-ons for an annual forecast, compatibility, and moment readings.
Ready to read your own chart?
Cast your full Imperial Chart from your birth details, or find your headline archetype with the free quiz.