Introduction to Qimen Dunjia Chart Setup

The chart setup of Qimen Dunjia may seem complex, but it follows a set of strict logical rules.

【Nine Palaces Grid】 The foundation of Qimen chart setup is a Nine Palaces grid, corresponding to the numbers of the Luoshu Nine Palaces: Xun 4 Palace Li 9 Palace Kun 2 Palace Zhen 3 Palace Center 5 Palace Dui 7 Palace Gen 8 Palace Kan 1 Palace Qian 6 Palace

【Time Parameters】 Chart setup first requires determining the time parameters, i.e., the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches of the year, month, day, and hour. The most commonly used is the Hour-based Qimen.

【Four Layers】 A complete Qimen chart consists of four layers: 1. Earth Plate (Nine Palaces) — Fixed and unchanging 2. Heaven Plate (Nine Stars) — Rotates with the Heavenly Stems 3. Human Plate (Eight Gates) — Rotates with the hour 4. Spirit Plate (Eight Spirits) — Rotates with the solar terms

【Yin and Yang Dun】 Yang Dun: From the Winter Solstice to the Summer Solstice, Yang energy rises, and the sequence of bureaus is arranged in forward order. Yin Dun: From the Summer Solstice to the Winter Solstice, Yin energy rises, and the sequence of bureaus is arranged in reverse order.

【Beginner Advice】 Learning Qimen Dunjia can be divided into three steps: Memorize the attributes of the Nine Palaces and Eight Gates → Master the Yin and Yang Dun and the bureaus of solar terms → Learn to analyze the relationships of generation and control in the chart.