The Moon (Tai Yin, 太阴) star

Quiet wealth that builds up; home and property. Clever and even-tempered.

One of the fourteen main stars of Purple Star Astrology (Zi Wei Dou Shu, 紫微斗数). They are not stars in the sky: they are fourteen named markers that your birth date and hour place around a ring of twelve palaces, and each palace stands for one part of life. What this star means depends on which palace it lands in.

When this site works out a chart’s type, it counts this star with the Ji Yue Tong Liang family (机月同梁): The Steward, built for structure — steady, capable, works best inside a system.

How the translations are made

What the classic Zi Wei Dou Shu Quan Shu (紫微斗数全书) says it is

The essence of water, ruler of the Property palace, transformed to wealth, and the consort of the sun. In the heavenly instrument it has its waxing and waning use, and the division of light and dark is what settles how well it is placed. In a person it is clever and fine-featured, and in nature upright, refined, pure and auspicious. Waxing, it is the hinge of what matters; waning, its force is judged less. What it falls on need not be seen to do harm. If it sits in production with the Sun (太阳) — the sun at Rabbit (卯) and the moon at Rooster (酉), both strong — that is the ground of wealth and rank. The Self seated in the silver-lit palace with the benefics gathered is read as blessing enjoyed. Badly placed, it takes the name of the weak and fallen. Waxing or waning, it is best not meeting the Voice (巨门). The Body sitting there means being raised by a second mother, or leaving home and being adopted. If the Self meets harsh malefics clashing across, it must be read as injury; unless it is a religious life, which turns it to good fortune instead. Deciding fortune here matters most and must not be muddled. And sharing the Self with the Artist (文曲), it is certainly one of the nine schools of practitioner. For a man it is the wife star, and also the mother. Master Xiyi (希夷先生) says: The Moon (太阴) with the Fortune transformation (化禄) is the sun's consort. Rabbit, Dragon (辰), Snake (巳), Horse (午) and Goat (未) are its badly-placed ground and Rooster, Dog (戌), Pig (亥), Rat (子) and Ox (丑) its own wall. Rooster is the gate of the western hill and the place of sinking in the east. It dislikes the Voice winding round it and fears the Blade (擎羊) and the Millstone (陀罗) sharing its degree; with the incorruptible (廉) trapped (囚) offending it and the General (七杀) clashing, the wall is not one it is content in and injury must be read. This star is Water and rules the Property palace: with light it is blessing, and out of light it is certainly ill. For men and women alike it is the mother star and also the wife. Well placed in the Self with benefics gathered, wealth and rank. In Health meeting the Millstone or darkness, eye trouble; meeting the Flare (火星) or the Ember (铃星), calamity; falling on the Wolf (贪狼) or a malefic, injury to the eyes. In Parents, badly placed and out of light, meeting the year's White Tiger (白虎) or the year’s ruling star (Tai Sui, 太岁), the mother has trouble. Pure and mild as this star is, out of light and held down it is not favourable. Meeting the White Tiger, the Mourning Gate (丧门) or the wife should take care as well (弔客).

答曰:太陰乃水之精,為田宅主,化富,與日為配。天儀表有上弦下弦之用,黃到黑到分勢尚好,虧數定廟樂。其為人也聰明俊秀,其稟性也端雅純祥。上弦為要之機,下弦減威之論。所值不以所見無妨,若相生坐於太陽,日在卯,月在酉,俱為旺地,為富貴之基。命坐銀輝之宮,諸吉咸集,為享福之論。若居陷地,則落弱之名。若上弦下弦,仍以不逢巨門為佳。身若居之,則有隨娘繼拜,或離祖過房。身命若見惡殺交沖,必作傷殘之論。除非僧道,反獲禎祥。決禍福最為要緊,不可參差。又或與文曲同居身命,定是九流術士。男為妻宿,又作母星。希夷先生曰:太陰化祿與日為配,以卯辰巳午未為陷地,以酉戌亥子丑為得垣。酉為西山之門,為東潛之所。嫌巨曜以來纏,怕羊陀以同度,廉囚相犯,七殺相沖,恐非得意之垣,定作傷殘之論。此星屬水,為田宅宮主,有輝為福,失陷必凶。男女得之,皆為母星,又作妻宿。若在身命廟樂,吉集主富貴。在疾厄遇陀暗為目疾,遇火鈴為災,值貪殺損目。在父母,如陷地失輝,遇流年白虎太歲,主母有災。此雖純和之星,但失輝受制則不吉。若逢白虎、喪門、弔客,妻亦慎之。

The Moon in each of the twelve palaces

Volume two of the classic goes palace by palace and says what each star does there. Each line below is its sentence for this star, translated. “Well placed” and “badly placed” refer to the star’s brightness in that branch.

Self palace (Ming Gong, 命宫)

who you are at core

The essence of water: a round face, a mild temper, clear-featured and clever, drawn to wine, writing and study, and able to make a name sideways. At Rooster (酉), Dog (戌) or Pig (亥) it has its ground and the name carries. Well placed with the Power transformation (化权), clear-minded and honoured — mild, respectful, thrifty, and clean in office. Badly placed among harsh stars, with the Millstone (陀罗) and the Flare (火星) met, hard straits.

太阴水,南北斗化富,为母宿,又为妻星,为田宅主。太阴居命面方圆,心性温和,清秀耿直聪明,花酒文章,博学横立功名。太阴入男命吉凶诀:太阴原是水之精,身命逢之福自生,酉戌亥垣为得地,光辉扬显姓名亨。太阴入庙化权星,清秀聪明贵无伦,禀性温良恭俭让,为官清显列朝纲。太阴陷地恶星中,陀火相逢定困穷,此命只宜僧与道,空门出入得从容。太阴入女命吉凶诀:月会同阳在命宫,三方吉拱必盈丰,不见凶杀来冲会,富贵双全保到终。太阴陷在命和身,不喜三方恶杀侵,克害夫君又夭寿,更虚血气少精神。太阴入限吉凶诀:太阴星曜限中逢,财禄丰盈百事通,嫁娶迎亲添嗣续,常人得此旺门风。

Siblings palace (Xiong Di, 兄弟)

siblings, and the people alongside you

Well placed, five siblings. With the Sun (太阳), five or six; with the Strategist (天机), two; with the Merit transformation (化科) or the Power transformation (化权), four or five. With the six malefics, halved and harmed; better living apart, at odds.

太阴入庙兄弟五人,太阳同亦五六人,天机同二人,科权同四五人,见羊陀火铃空劫减半,且克宜分居相背。

Spouse palace (Fu Qi, 夫妻)

marriage and close partnership

Well placed, both partners fine and well matched. With the Scholar and the Artist (昌曲), better still. With the six malefics, drain (化耗) or the Trouble transformation (化忌), if not harm then parting while both live. With the Sun (太阳), growing old together; with the Blessing (天同), a helpmeet; with the Strategist (天机), good-looking and suited to marrying young.

太阴入庙男女皆贵美夫妇,加昌曲极美,加羊陀火铃空劫耗忌,不克主生离,太阳同谐老,夫同同内助,天机同美好宜少年。

Children palace (Zi Nü, the Children palace (子女))

children, and what you create

Three daughters and two sons, daughters first. Well placed, children who do well; badly placed, halve it, and children who are frail or whose promise comes to nothing. With the Sun (太阳), five; with the Strategist (天机), two; with the Blessing (天同), five. Well placed no harm, badly placed harm. With the six malefics, few.

太阴女三男二先女后男,庙旺有贵子,陷地减半,招软弱之子,或虚花不成器,太阳同五人,天机同二人,天同同五人,庙地无克,陷宫有克,加羊陀火铃空劫子少。

Wealth palace (Cai Bo, 财帛)

money coming in and going out

Well placed, granaries full; badly placed, gains and losses that do not gather. With the Sun (太阳), little first and more after; with the Strategist (天机), made from nothing; with the Blessing (天同), money that feeds the person. With the Hoard (禄存) and the two Aides (左右), great wealth.

太阴入庙富足仓箱,陷宫成败不聚,太阳同先少后多,天机同白手生财成家,天同同财旺生身,禄存兼左右同主大富。

Health palace (Ji E, the Health palace (疾厄))

the body, and what wears it down

Well placed, no illness. Badly placed, much, and complaints from overwork. With the Sun (太阳) and benefics, few ailments lifelong. With the Blade, Millstone, Flare and Ember (羊陀火铃), eye trouble; with the Void and the Plunder (空劫), wasting illness. With the Blessing (天同) and the Blade and the Millstone (羊陀) badly placed, symptoms compound; with the Flare and the Ember (火铃), much illness.

太阴庙旺无灾,陷地灾多主劳伤之症,女人主大伤残,若太阳同加吉美一生灾少,羊陀火铃眼目疾,加空劫有疯疾,天同同加羊陀,陷宫主加症同火铃多灾。

Travel palace (Qian Yi, 迁移)

going out — travel, moving, elsewhere

Well placed, patrons abroad and money made; badly placed, disputes. With the Sun (太阳), excellent; with the Blessing (天同) well placed, a fortune built from nothing away from home.

太阴入庙出外遇贵发财,陷宫招是非,太阳同极美,太阴同欠宁静,天同同在庙旺地出外白手生财成家。

Friends palace (Pu Yi, 仆役)

friends and the people you work with

Well placed, capable and a full household. With the Sun (太阳), many servants; with the Strategist (天机), they fall short; with the Blessing (天同), they prosper you. With the six malefics, they are there and they leave; badly placed, none at all.

太阴庙地得力成行,太阳同多奴多婢,天机同欠力,天同同旺主,加羊陀火铃空劫,虽有而走,陷地全无。

Career palace (Guan Lu, 官禄)

work and standing

Well placed, much standing; badly placed, high-spirited but suddenly broken, and hard to become prominent. Meeting the Sun (太阳), the Scholar and the Artist (昌曲) and the two Aides (左右), rank of the third order. With the Blessing (天同), suited to civil or military; with the Strategist (天机), advancement in the thick of things, a clerk's footing.

太阴入庙多贵,陷地气高横破难显达,会太阳昌曲左右三品之贵,天同同文武皆宜,天机同闹中进身吏员立脚。

Property palace (Tian Zhai, 田宅)

home, property, what you keep

Well placed, much land. Badly placed and with the Trouble transformation (化忌) or the six malefics, no land at all. With the Strategist (天机), built by your own hand; with the Blessing (天同), built from nothing. With the two Aides (左右), the Power transformation (化权), the Fortune transformation (化禄) or the Hoard (禄存), much property.

太阴入庙田多,陷地加忌及羊陀火铃空劫田全无,天机同自创置,天同同白手自置,同左右权禄及禄存主多田产。

Wellbeing palace (Fu De, 福德)

peace of mind, and what you enjoy

Well placed, blessing and gladness. With the Sun (太阳), excellent; for a monk or recluse, a clean and blessed life. With the Strategist (天机), a busy mind; with the Blessing (天同), quiet and free of care. With the six malefics, sorrows and joys both, and no stillness.

太阴入庙享福快乐,太阳同极美,僧道亦清洁享福,天机同心忙,天同同安静无忧,加羊陀火铃空劫,有忧有喜,不得安静。

Parents palace (Fu Mu, 父母)

parents, and anyone with authority over you

Well placed, no harm. With the Blade, Millstone, Flare and Ember (羊陀火铃), harm to the mother — or else adopted out and the ancestral line left. With the Sun (太阳) and none of the four malefics, both parents live; with the Strategist (天机), no harm; with the Blessing (天同), excellent.

太阴入庙无克,加羊陀火铃克母,不然过房弃祖,太阳同无四杀父母双全,天机同无刑天同同极美。

Which star is in your Self palace?

That needs your birth hour and place. The chart corrects the hour to true solar time, using the timezone actually in force in your birth year.

Get your Purple Star chart

The other thirteen: The Emperor · The Strategist · The Sun · The Iron · The Blessing · The Mystic · The Treasury · The Wolf · The Voice · The Minister · The Elder · The General · The Disruptor.