What layers make up a Qimen chart and how each turns, how yin and yang dun and the three yuan are set, the ju table for the 24 solar terms, and the conventions used on this site.
| Plate | Contents | Answers | Rotates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth plate | Three wonders and six ceremonies (nine stems) | Underlying conditions / the nature of the matter | Fixed |
| Heaven plate | Nine stars + nine stems | Objective timing / the wider environment | Rotates |
| Human plate | Eight gates | Actions a person can take | Rotates |
| Deity plate | Eight deities | Hidden drivers / mindset and subtle forces | Rotates |
The nine palaces are the fixed stage; the earth plate is fixed by the ju number, while the heaven, human and deity plates turn with the hour.
The three moving layers travel along three different rings; do not mix them:
| Element | Ring | Positions | Center 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth-plate stems | Numeric ring 1→2→3→4→5→6→7→8→9 | 9 | Occupies a place |
| Gates / stars | Eight-node ring 1→8→3→4→9→2→7→6 | 8 | Not on the ring (Tian Qin attaches to Tian Rui) |
| Deities | Numeric ring skipping 5: 1→2→3→4→6→7→8→9 | 8 | Lodges in Kun 2 |
Patterns: middle and lower yuan follow from the upper one, minus 3 each step (mod 9) in yang dun and plus 3 in yin dun. The upper-yuan numbers of mirrored terms sum to 10 (Winter Solstice 1 / Summer Solstice 9, Start of Spring 8 / Start of Autumn 2, and so on). Yang-dun upper-yuan numbers rise in groups of three: [1,2,3] [8,9,1] [3,4,5] [4,5,6]; yin dun descends. In practice only four starting numbers need remembering: 1, 8, 3, 4.
| Solar term | Dun | Upper yuan | Middle yuan | Lower yuan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Solstice | Yang dun | 1 | 7 | 4 |
| Minor Cold | Yang dun | 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Major Cold | Yang dun | 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Start of Spring | Yang dun | 8 | 5 | 2 |
| Rain Water | Yang dun | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| Awakening of Insects | Yang dun | 1 | 7 | 4 |
| Spring Equinox | Yang dun | 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Clear and Bright | Yang dun | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Grain Rain | Yang dun | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| Start of Summer | Yang dun | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Grain Buds | Yang dun | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| Grain in Ear | Yang dun | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| Summer Solstice | Yin dun | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| Minor Heat | Yin dun | 8 | 2 | 5 |
| Major Heat | Yin dun | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Start of Autumn | Yin dun | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| End of Heat | Yin dun | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| White Dew | Yin dun | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| Autumn Equinox | Yin dun | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Cold Dew | Yin dun | 6 | 9 | 3 |
| Frost's Descent | Yin dun | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| Start of Winter | Yin dun | 6 | 9 | 3 |
| Minor Snow | Yin dun | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| Major Snow | Yin dun | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| Item | Used here |
|---|---|
| Type | Hour-based Qimen (时家) |
| Plate style | Rotating plate (Tian Qin lodges in Kun 2) |
| Method of fixing the ju | Chai Bu |
| Zi hour and the day change | The day pillar changes after 23:00 |
| Counting for Zhi Shi | Center 5 counts as one step |
| Deities | Along the eight-palace numeric ring, same names in both duns |
Other schools differ on the points below, which helps when comparing charts:
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