1. Check the input
Begin with the interpreted birth date, time, location, time zone, and the algorithm version. A different time or calendar rule can create a different arrangement, so the input summary belongs at the top of any responsible reading.
2. Find the Life and Body Palaces
The Life Palace (命宫) is traditionally used as a starting point for identity and temperament. The Body Palace (身宫) is often read as the way a person engages with lived experience. They are entry points, not complete personality tests.
3. Explore the twelve palaces
Each palace is an area of inquiry. Read the palace name, the stars placed there, and its opposite and supporting positions. Do not isolate a single star and treat it as a verdict; context is the point of the map.
4. Notice combinations
Traditional interpretation often looks at groups of stars and relationships between palaces. This is where traditions and calculation conventions differ. Our explanations label the convention being described and link to the relevant glossary entries.
5. Turn interpretations into questions
Instead of “Will I succeed?”, try “Where do I tend to seek recognition?” or “What kind of environment helps me use this strength well?” A good prompt gives you room to disagree and learn from experience.
Use the chart to generate questions you can test in life, not conclusions you must obey.
Common mistakes
- Reading one star as a complete personality.
- Ignoring the input and time-zone details.
- Treating an old metaphor as a modern diagnosis.
- Using a chart to make a high-stakes medical, legal, or financial decision.
Trace the ideas
These public references support the historical or technical context on this page. Interpretive language is AstroEW’s educational framing, and different traditions and calculation conventions may read the same symbol differently.
- iztro documentation · Open-source calculation reference used by AstroEW.
- AstroEW method notes · Our inputs, assumptions, and interpretive boundaries.