Four Transformations (Si Hua) in Zi Wei Dou Shu: Lu, Quan, Ke, Ji

Hua Lu: ease, opportunity and goodwill

Hua Lu stands for smooth progress and reward. Think of water: wherever it flows, things grow. The palace that holds Hua Lu is usually an area of life where things go more easily for you, opportunities come more readily, and you tend to feel happier.

Hua Lu also stands for connection and goodwill. In the Spouse Palace it points to good fortune in love; in the Friends Palace, friends who help you; in the Wealth Palace, money that flows smoothly. One thing to watch: where things come too easily, it is easy to relax and take them for granted.

Hua Quan: leadership, ability and control

Hua Quan stands for strength and the power to lead. It makes a star more capable and more active. The palace that holds Hua Quan is an area where you want control and also have the ability to take it.

In the Career Palace, Hua Quan points to strong ambition and a fit for management; in the Life Palace, firm opinions and decisiveness. Used well, Hua Quan is leadership; pushed too far, it turns into stubbornness and control. Learning to share the lead is the lesson of Hua Quan.

Hua Ke: reputation, order and helpful people

Hua Ke stands for reputation, refinement and order, a bit like a good business card. The palace that holds Hua Ke is where you are easily recognized and where you go about things methodically.

Hua Ke also carries the sense of "easing trouble": when difficulties come, help or a solution tends to turn up. In the Parents Palace it points to smoother study and exams; in the Travel Palace, a good name away from home. Its effect is gentle and less obvious than Hua Lu or Hua Quan.

Hua Ji: care, life lessons and attachment

Hua Ji is often treated as a "bad" sign, but a better way to understand it is this: it marks what you care about most, what you invest in deeply, and where you are most likely to get stuck. The palace that holds Hua Ji is often a theme you return to again and again in life.

In the Wealth Palace, Hua Ji means you pay special attention to money; in the Spouse Palace, you invest deeply in love; in the Life Palace, you hold yourself to high standards. The point of understanding Hua Ji is not to fear it, but to see where your attachments lie so you can adjust your mindset and approach early.

How to find your birth-year Si Hua

The Four Transformations are set by the Heavenly Stem. The set people look at most is the birth-year Si Hua: take the stem of your birth year (Jia (甲), Yi (乙), Bing (丙) … Gui (癸)), look it up in the Si Hua table, and you will see which four stars take Hua Lu, Hua Quan, Hua Ke and Hua Ji. For example, if you were born in a Jia (甲) year, Lian Zhen takes Hua Lu, Po Jun takes Hua Quan, Wu Qu takes Hua Ke, and Tai Yang takes Hua Ji.

Note that the year stem follows the Chinese lunisolar year, and most methods change the year at Li Chun (立春, the Start of Spring) or at Chinese New Year. When you make a chart on this site, the year stem and the Four Transformations are worked out automatically from your birth details and marked next to the stars on your chart.

Which palace a transformation falls in matters

Once you know the four transformed stars, look at which palace each one sits in. Hua Lu in the Wealth Palace means something completely different from Hua Lu in the Spouse Palace. Further down this page you will find the basic meaning of each transformation in each of the 12 palaces, so you can compare it with your own chart.

Beyond the birth-year Si Hua, more advanced methods use palace-stem Si Hua (宮干四化, also called Flying Star Si Hua, 飛星四化) and the Si Hua of the ten-year period (大限) and of each year (流年), to read how your luck changes and how the palaces affect one another. If you are just starting out, understanding the birth-year Si Hua is already enough to pick out the key points of a chart.

Different versions of the Si Hua table

Si Hua tables are mostly the same across schools. The main differences are in a few stems: for example, whether Hua Ke in a Geng (庚) year goes to Tai Yin or Tian Tong, and whether Hua Ke in a Ren (壬) year goes to Zuo Fu or Tian Fu. This site uses a common version and applies the same table on the chart and on this page, so your readings always stay consistent.

Four Transformations by heavenly stem

The Si Hua mnemonic

Students of Zi Wei Dou Shu often memorize the Four Transformations with a short Chinese rhyme. Each line starts with a year stem, followed by short forms of four star names: in order, the stars that take Hua Lu, Hua Quan, Hua Ke and Hua Ji for that stem. For example, 甲廉破武陽 means that in a Jia (甲) year, Lian Zhen takes Hua Lu, Po Jun takes Hua Quan, Wu Qu takes Hua Ke, and Tai Yang takes Hua Ji.

• 甲廉破武陽
• 乙機梁紫陰
• 丙同機昌廉
• 丁陰同機巨
• 戊貪陰右機
• 己武貪梁曲
• 庚陽武陰同
• 辛巨陽曲昌
• 壬梁紫左武
• 癸破巨陰貪

What each of the ten stems brings

Your birth-year Si Hua depends on the Heavenly Stem of your birth year. Below is the general direction of the transformations for each stem. Which palace they fall in, and which stars share it, depends on your own chart.

Jia (甲) yearLian Zhen Hua Lu, Po Jun Hua Quan, Wu Qu Hua Ke and Tai Yang Hua Ji

Warmth and charm tend to bring opportunities, you are willing to make changes, and you handle money on the basis of trust; the palace holding Tai Yang Hua Ji is often where you most want to give, and where you tire most easily.

Yi (乙) yearTian Ji Hua Lu, Tian Liang Hua Quan, Zi Wei Hua Ke and Tai Yin Hua Ji

Opportunities come through brainpower and planning, your words carry weight, and your reputation is steady; Tai Yin Hua Ji is a reminder about moods and about worries over family and money.

Bing (丙) yearTian Tong Hua Lu, Tian Ji Hua Quan, Wen Chang Hua Ke and Lian Zhen Hua Ji

Good fortune and goodwill come easily, you think for yourself, and study and exams tend to go smoothly; Lian Zhen Hua Ji is a reminder to keep boundaries around emotions, romance and disputes.

Ding (丁) yearTai Yin Hua Lu, Tian Tong Hua Quan, Tian Ji Hua Ke and Ju Men Hua Ji

Family fortune and wealth build up slowly, you enjoy life and also take the lead, and your intelligence is recognized; Ju Men Hua Ji is a reminder to watch for arguments and misunderstandings.

Wu (戊) yearTan Lang Hua Lu, Tai Yin Hua Quan, You Bi Hua Ke and Tian Ji Hua Ji

Goodwill and opportunities are plentiful, you run your home and finances with a clear mind of your own, and help often turns up; Tian Ji Hua Ji is a reminder not to overthink or keep changing plans.

Ji (己) yearWu Qu Hua Lu, Tan Lang Hua Quan, Tian Liang Hua Ke and Wen Qu Hua Ji

Earning power and follow-through are strong, ambition runs high, and support from elders and a good reputation come readily; Wen Qu Hua Ji is a reminder to avoid slips in paperwork, contracts and how you express yourself.

Geng (庚) yearTai Yang Hua Lu, Wu Qu Hua Quan, Tai Yin Hua Ke and Tian Tong Hua Ji

Effort tends to pay off, you carry things through with energy, and your care for detail is recognized; Tian Tong Hua Ji is a reminder to watch for stalling when you feel low or get too comfortable.

Xin (辛) yearJu Men Hua Lu, Tai Yang Hua Quan, Wen Qu Hua Ke and Wen Chang Hua Ji

Your way with words brings income, the way you present yourself carries influence, and your talents are recognized; Wen Chang Hua Ji is a reminder to take care with exams, documents and details.

Ren (壬) yearTian Liang Hua Lu, Zi Wei Hua Quan, Zuo Fu Hua Ke and Wu Qu Hua Ji

Looking after others brings blessings back, your leadership is strong, and you have helpers in your work; Wu Qu Hua Ji is a reminder about cash flow and about being too rigid.

Gui (癸) yearPo Jun Hua Lu, Ju Men Hua Quan, Tai Yin Hua Ke and Tan Lang Hua Ji

Change brings opportunities, your words carry weight, and your attention to detail earns praise; Tan Lang Hua Ji is a reminder to keep desire and pleasure in check.

Which main stars transform

Zi Wei

Hua Quan (Ren (壬)); Hua Ke (Yi (乙))

Tian Ji

Hua Lu (Yi (乙)); Hua Quan (Bing (丙)); Hua Ke (Ding (丁)); Hua Ji (Wu (戊))

Tai Yang

Hua Lu (Geng (庚)); Hua Quan (Xin (辛)); Hua Ji (Jia (甲))

Wu Qu

Hua Lu (Ji (己)); Hua Quan (Geng (庚)); Hua Ke (Jia (甲)); Hua Ji (Ren (壬))

Tian Tong

Hua Lu (Bing (丙)); Hua Quan (Ding (丁)); Hua Ji (Geng (庚))

Lian Zhen

Hua Lu (Jia (甲)); Hua Ji (Bing (丙))

Tian Fu

No transformations

Tai Yin

Hua Lu (Ding (丁)); Hua Quan (Wu (戊)); Hua Ke (Geng (庚) and Gui (癸)); Hua Ji (Yi (乙))

Tan Lang

Hua Lu (Wu (戊)); Hua Quan (Ji (己)); Hua Ji (Gui (癸))

Ju Men

Hua Lu (Xin (辛)); Hua Quan (Gui (癸)); Hua Ji (Ding (丁))

Tian Xiang

No transformations

Tian Liang

Hua Lu (Ren (壬)); Hua Quan (Yi (乙)); Hua Ke (Ji (己))

Qi Sha

No transformations

Po Jun

Hua Lu (Gui (癸)); Hua Quan (Jia (甲))

The Four Transformations in each palace

• The Four Transformations in the Life Palace
• The Four Transformations in the Siblings Palace
• The Four Transformations in the Spouse Palace
• The Four Transformations in the Children Palace
• The Four Transformations in the Wealth Palace
• The Four Transformations in the Health Palace
• The Four Transformations in the Travel Palace
• The Four Transformations in the Friends Palace
• The Four Transformations in the Career Palace
• The Four Transformations in the Property Palace
• The Four Transformations in the Inner Life Palace
• The Four Transformations in the Parents Palace

Frequently asked questions