some of the earliest written artifacts of Chinese civilization are found on the so-called
dragon bones, inscribed pieces of tortoise shell used by the ancients for divination. In
the contemporary period, one of the most widespread tools of divination is the I Ching
(The Book of Changes), a traditional Chinese work that has become popular in the
Western world. The I Ching,however, is much more than just a fortune-telling device.
Querents seek to know not only how the future will unfold but also how and when
they ought to act. Similar concerns manifest in traditional Chinese astrology, which is
more concerned with divining the future and determining the proper times to act
than with understanding personality characteristics.
The Chinese system contains three “Lucks”: Heaven Luck is one’s Fate or Des-
tiny. Astrology deciphers Destiny, which can sometimes be improved. Earth Luck is
tightly associated with the local characteristics of the specific spot in which one lives.
It is the domain of Feng Shui.One can improve one’s House, and thus improve Health
and Luck. Human Luck is what one does with one’s Life.
There are in fact several Chinese astrologies, which include two main tech-
niques. The Four Pillars of the Destiny or Ba Zideals with the 12 well-known ani-
mals of the Chinese zodiac (Rat, Buffalo, Tiger, etc.) but also with Yin and Yang and
with the five elements (Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and Fire). Zi Wei Dou Shuana-
lyzes the location and aspects of 109 stars (or energies). These stars are located in a
chart consisting of a rectangle divided into 12 boxes (these two techniques are
explained in the program Izi Wai, which can be downloaded and tested at
http://www.delemme.com/etelchin.htm.
Chinese astrology has nothing to do with the horoscopes found in some
magazines. Many people are familiar with Yin and Yang, elements, and the 12 ani-
mals of the Chinese zodiac. To be born in the year of the Rat or some other animal
year is like being born under a certain sun sign in Western astrology—it is only
the beginning. Zi Wei Dou Shu takes 109 energies into account (the main energy,
King of the Stars, as well as others such as Flying Dragon, Nullity, and Fate) locat-
ed in 12 boxes (or palaces), and considers the annual transit of eleven other
mobile bodies. This energy chart allows remarkable readings, revealing a person’s
whole life, decade after decade, year after year, moon after moon, and even hour
after hour. It is thus relatively easy to distinguish between a person’s periods of
success, of neutrality, or of failure. Chinese astrology is a remarkable tool for
obtaining precise knowledge of the nature and date of the events that take place
throughout one’s life.
Reading a Chinese chart is easy for the neophyte, because the person’s life
“program” is written practically and clearly in the houses of Destiny, Luck, Vocation.
The names speak for themselves and arouse a rich association of ideas: a twinkling
Fortune in the Finances box can be easily understood, while Thunder and Officer in
the Vocation box suggest a military career.
Zi Wei Dou Shuastrology analyzes the location and aspects of 109 stars (or
energies). A Zi Wei Dou Shuchart is therefore made up of a large rectangle (a paddy
field) divided into 12 boxes or Palaces (plots of land). The distribution of these 109
energies depends on the birth data (Chinese year, Chinese moon, Chinese day andChinese Astrology
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