The Zi Wei Dou Shu 12 Palaces: A Complete Guide to Life’s Core Areas for Western Astrology Fans

What Are the Zi Wei Dou Shu 12 Palaces?

If you’re familiar with Western astrology’s 12 houses, the Zi Wei Dou Shu 12 palaces will feel like a familiar framework—with a few key twists that center on timing, cycles, and the interconnectedness of every area of your life. Unlike Western astrology’s houses, which are tied to your birth location and exact time, Zi Wei palaces are ordered sequentially around a circular chart, each representing a distinct life domain.

Think of each palace as a room in your personal cosmic home: some rooms are where you work, some where you love, some where you heal and grow. Every palace interacts with the others, meaning a shift in your career palace can ripple out to affect your relationships or personal well-being. This guide will break down each palace, translate its core meaning for English-speaking audiences, and share how to reflect on its role in your life right now.

A Quick Note on Agency & Context

Zi Wei Dou Shu is not a tool for fixed fate: it is a map of potential energies and life themes, designed to help you lean into your strengths and navigate challenges with greater awareness. This framework aligns closely with modern self-reflection practices, so we’ll avoid deterministic language and focus on actionable insight instead.

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The 12 Zi Wei Palaces: Breakdown by Life Domain

Each palace has a fixed position on the chart, but its meaning shifts slightly based on the stars that occupy it. For this guide, we’ll focus on the core theme of each palace, no star additions included.

1. The Palace of Self (命宮 / Mìng Gōng)

Also called the Life Palace, this is the most important palace in your Zi Wei chart—it represents your core identity, your natural temperament, and the overarching theme of your life’s journey. This is the equivalent of your Western astrology Sun sign, but deeper: it reveals how you show up in the world, your core values, and the lens through which you interpret every experience.

For example, if your Self Palace is dominated by calm, nurturing energies, you may prioritize connection and stability in all areas of your life, even when faced with high-stakes career changes.

2. The Palace of Wealth (財帛宮 / Cái Bó Gōng)

This palace does not just map to how much money you make—it covers your relationship to resources, including time, energy, and emotional support, as well as financial abundance. It reveals your natural approach to earning, saving, and spending, and whether you tend to prioritize security, creativity, or adventure when it comes to providing for yourself and your loved ones.

If your Wealth Palace has adventurous leanings, you may thrive on side hustles, freelance work, or investing in high-growth opportunities, rather than a traditional 9-to-5 salary.

3. The Palace of Career & Advancement (官祿宮 / Guān Lù Gōng)

This palace covers your professional life, including your core career strengths, ideal work environments, and the types of projects that will leave you feeling fulfilled. It also speaks to your long-term trajectory, including promotions, career pivots, and moments of recognition.

Unlike Western astrology’s 10th house, which focuses solely on public status, the Career Palace also includes your relationship to your work ethic: do you thrive on routine, or do you need constant variety to stay engaged?

4. The Palace of Partnership & Marriage (夫妻宮 / Fū Qī Gōng)

This palace maps to all close, committed relationships, not just romantic marriage. It covers your platonic friendships, business partnerships, and romantic bonds, revealing your natural relationship style, what you need from a partner, and common patterns that show up in your connections.

One key difference from Western astrology’s 7th house: this palace also highlights how you show up as a partner, not just what you want from others. For example, a partnership palace with protective energies may mean you prioritize looking after your loved ones, even at the cost of your own needs.

5. The Palace of Family & Home (田宅宮 / Tián Zhái Gōng)

This palace covers your domestic life, including your family of origin, your current household, and your relationship to physical spaces like your home, neighborhood, or hometown. It also reveals your relationship to stability, security, and the sense of belonging that comes from a safe, familiar space.

If your Family Palace has creative leanings, you may thrive in a home that doubles as a creative studio, or you may prioritize hosting gatherings with loved ones as a core way to connect.

6. The Palace of Education & Growth (疾厄宮 / Jí È Gōng)

This palace maps to your physical and emotional well-being, your learning style, and the areas of personal growth you’re naturally drawn to. It reveals how you heal, what challenges you may face in caring for yourself, and the types of education or self-work that will support your long-term well-being.

For example, a growth palace with analytical energies may mean you thrive with structured self-care routines, like journaling or therapy, rather than spontaneous outdoor activities.

7. The Palace of Friendship & Social Circle (交友宮 / Jiāo Yǒu Gōng)

This palace covers your broader social network, including colleagues, acquaintances, and community groups, as well as your closest friends. It reveals how you connect with others outside of your immediate partnership and family circles, and the types of people who will support your goals.

This palace also highlights any patterns in your social life, such as whether you tend to attract mentors, peers, or people who challenge your worldview.

8. The Palace of Travel & New Beginnings (遷移宮 / Qiān Yí Gōng)

This palace maps to physical travel, but also to metaphorical new beginnings: career pivots, moving to a new city, or stepping outside of your comfort zone to try something new. It reveals your relationship to change: do you embrace travel and adventure, or do you prefer to stay within your familiar routine?

A travel palace with bold energies may mean you thrive on frequent international trips or frequent career moves, while a more reserved travel palace may mean you prefer slow, intentional travel closer to home.

9. The Palace of Creativity & Children (子女宮 / Zǐ Nǚ Gōng)

This covers creative projects, mentorship relationships, and any “offspring” of your work, such as a business you’ve built or a piece of art you’ve created. It also reveals your natural approach to nurturing others, whether that’s a child, a student, or a personal project.

A creativity palace with playful energies may mean you thrive on whimsical, low-stakes creative projects, rather than highly structured, high-pressure work.

10. The Palace of Luck & Blessings (福祿宮 / Fú Lù Gōng)

This palace maps to unexpected opportunities, lucky breaks, and moments of joy that fall outside of your direct control. It reveals when you’re likely to experience serendipity, and the types of situations where you’re most likely to receive support from the universe or from others.

This palace aligns closely with Western astrology’s 5th house of joy and luck, but with a stronger focus on unexpected, unplanned moments of good fortune.

11. The Palace of Hidden Things (僕役宮 / Pú Yì Gōng)

This palace covers the parts of yourself that you may not be fully aware of, including hidden fears, unspoken desires, and patterns that show up in your life without you realizing it. It also maps to behind-the-scenes work, such as behind-the-scenes projects at work, or private healing practices that you don’t share with others.

This is one of the most introspective palaces, as it invites you to look at the parts of yourself that you may be hiding from, or that you haven’t yet fully acknowledged.

12. The Palace of Finality & Closure (相貌宮 / Xiàng Mào Gōng)

The final palace covers endings, closure, and the legacy you leave behind. It maps to the end of cycles, such as a career, a relationship, or a phase of personal growth, and how you process those endings. It also reveals how others perceive you, and the legacy you want to leave for your loved ones or your community.

This palace aligns closely with Western astrology’s 8th house of transformation and endings, but with a stronger focus on legacy and how you integrate past experiences into your current life.

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Try This Week: Reflect on Your Palace Themes

To connect with these palaces in a practical way, set aside 10 minutes this week to journal through these prompts:

1. Pick one palace that feels most relevant to your current life (for example, if you’re in a career pivot, choose the Career Palace).
2. Write down 3 ways that palace’s theme shows up in your daily life right now.
3. Note one small action you can take this week to align with the strengths of that palace.

For example, if you chose the Wealth Palace and noticed you’re struggling with overspending, a small action could be to track your expenses for 3 days, or set a small savings goal for a non-essential purchase.

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How Palaces Interact: The Big Picture

One of the most powerful parts of Zi Wei Dou Shu is understanding how the palaces connect to one another. For example, a shift in your Career Palace may affect your Wealth Palace, as a new job may change your income. A conflict in your Partnership Palace may affect your Family Palace, as stress from a romantic relationship may spill over into your home life.

This interconnectedness means that you don’t have to look at each palace in isolation: every area of your life is linked, and making a small change in one palace can have a ripple effect across all of your domains.

Final Note for Western Astrology Fans

If you’re used to Western astrology, the Zi Wei palaces will feel like a complementary framework: while Western astrology focuses on planetary placements and transits, Zi Wei Dou Shu focuses on life domains and cycles. Together, the two systems can give you a more complete picture of your life’s journey, helping you lean into your strengths and navigate challenges with greater awareness.

Disclaimer

This content is for entertainment and self-reflection purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, legal, financial, or psychological advice. Always consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions related to your health, finances, or personal life. No specific outcome is guaranteed.