The Blessing (Tian Tong, 天同) star
Ease and contentment. Honest, mild, hard to ruffle.
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.
What the classic Zi Wei Dou Shu Quan Shu (紫微斗数全书) says it is
Water, the fourth star of the south, and the ruler of the Wellbeing palace. It is also said: transformed to blessing, it most welcomes meeting benefics, which help the blessing and add good fortune. It makes a person upright and clean, with a clear and unusual look. It has a hinge and a pivot in it and nothing violent; it does not fear the General (七杀) pressing on it, nor the malefics winding round it. A limit meeting it gets its ground for a life, and in all twelve palaces it is called blessing — unbroken, it is certainly good fortune. Master Xiyi (希夷先生) says: The Blessing (天同) is the southern dipper's star of added reckoning and preserved life. Transformed to the Fortune transformation (化禄) it is good; meeting benefics it is fortunate. Falling in the Self it makes a person modest and mild in temper, certainly kind and plain-spoken, accomplished with the brush, with a rare will and nothing violent in it. It does not fear the General pressing on it or the ill stars sharing its degree, and in all twelve palaces it is read as blessing. Meeting the two Aides (左右), the Scholar (文昌) and the Elder (天梁) it is honoured and prominent. It likes those born under Yang Water (壬), Yin Wood (乙) or Yang Fire (丙), and gets its ground at Snake (巳) and Pig (亥). It does not suit one born under the six Yang Metal years (六庚) sitting at Rooster (酉), who keeps nothing for a lifetime. Meeting the four malefics at Snake or Pig it is badly placed: infirmity, solitude and harm. With the Elder and the Moon (太阴) breaking in, a religious life suits, and blessing is enjoyed.
答曰:天同星屬水,乃南方第四星也,為福德宮之主宰。復云:化福最喜遇吉曜,助福添祥,為人廉潔,貌稟清奇。有機樞無亢激,不怕七殺相侵,不怕諸殺同纏。限若逢之,一生得地,十二宮中皆曰福,無破定為祥。希夷先生曰:天同南斗益算保生之星,化祿為善,逢吉為祥,身命值之,主為人謙遜,稟性溫和。必慈鯁直,文墨精通,有奇志無凶激。不忌七殺相侵,不畏諸凶同度,十二宮中皆為福論。遇左右昌梁貴顯,喜壬乙丙生人,巳亥得地。不宜六庚生人居酉地,終身不守。會四殺居巳亥為陷,殘疾孤克。女人逢殺沖破,梁月沖破,僧道宜之,主享福。
One further clause here fixes a woman’s outcome by her sex. It is left out, in the Chinese as well as the English, as everywhere on this site.
The Blessing 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
Well placed, full-figured and clear-faced, kind and straight. Mild in temper, income and blessing unhurried, and long life. With benefics, quick-witted and capable at most things. In an idle palace with the Flare and the Ember (火铃) and malefics gathered, worse; with the Strategist (天机), the Elder (天梁) and the Moon (太阴) arriving, the text sends such a person to the cloister.
天同水,南斗化福,为福德主。天同入庙肥满清明,仁慈耿直。天同入男命吉凶诀:天同坐命性温良,福禄悠悠寿更长,若是福人居庙旺,定教食禄誉传扬。天同若与吉星逢,性格聪明百事通,男子定然食天禄,女人乐守绣房中。天同守命落闲宫,火铃杀凑更为凶,天机梁月来相会,只好空门度岁终。天同入女命吉凶诀:天同守命妇人身,性格聪明伶俐人,昌曲更来相会处,悠悠财禄自天伸。天同若与太阴同,衣禄虽丰终不美,天同入限吉凶诀:人生二限值天同,喜气盈门万事荣,财禄增添宜创造,从今家道得丰荣。
Part of this clause fixes a woman’s outcome by her sex; it is left out here, as everywhere on this site.
Siblings palace (Xiong Di, 兄弟)
siblings, and the people alongside you
Well placed, four or five. With the Elder (天梁), two or three; with the Voice (巨门) and no malefics, three; with the Moon (太阴), four or five. Badly placed, only two. With the six malefics and the Trouble transformation (化忌), better living apart, and discord.
天同入庙四五人,天梁同二三人,巨门同无杀三人,太阴同四五人,陷地,只二人,见羊陀火铃空劫忌,少宜分居不和。
Spouse palace (Fu Qi, 夫妻)
marriage and close partnership
Marry late and grow old together; an older husband and a younger wife. With the four malefics, discord and parting while both live. With the Voice (巨门) and the four malefics, harm too. With the Moon (太阴), a helpmeet and good-looking. With the Elder (天梁), an excellent match.
天同迟娶谐老,夫宜长妻宜少,加四杀欠和生离,巨门同加四杀亦克,太阴同助美容,天梁同极美夫妇。
Children palace (Zi Nü, the Children palace (子女))
children, and what you create
Well placed, five sons who do well. With the Voice (巨门), three; with the Moon (太阴), five — at Horse (午) badly placed, halve it. With the Elder (天梁), daughters first then sons, two in all; at Monkey (申), only one to see you out; at Tiger (寅) with benefics, three. With the six malefics, harm, and few at the end.
天同庙旺五子有贵,巨门同三人,太阴同五人,在午宫陷地减半,天梁同先女后男有二子,守在申宫只可留一子送终,在寅宫加吉星有三子,加羊陀火铃空劫见刑克,子少送终。
Wealth palace (Cai Bo, 财帛)
money coming in and going out
Made from nothing, and late. With the Voice (巨门), money comes and goes; with the Elder (天梁), strong. With the four malefics or the Void and the Plunder (空劫), a living made in one of the lesser trades.
天同白手生财晚发,巨门同财气进退,天梁同财大旺,加四杀空劫或九流人生财成家。
Health palace (Ji E, the Health palace (疾厄))
the body, and what wears it down
Well placed, few ailments. With the Voice (巨门), disorders of the heart; with the Moon (太阴) and the Blade (羊) and Fire (火), blood disorders; with the Elder (天梁) and the four malefics, the heart again.
天同入庙灾少,巨门同心气疾,太阴同加羊火血气疾,天梁同加四杀心气疾。
Travel palace (Qian Yi, 迁移)
going out — travel, moving, elsewhere
Patrons abroad who support you. With the Voice (巨门), worry; with the Moon (太阴), hardship; with the Elder (天梁), the well-placed are fond of you. With the six malefics, little goes as intended away from home.
天同出外遇贵人扶持,巨门同劳心,太阴同辛苦,天梁同贵人见爱,加羊陀火铃空劫在外少遂志。
Friends palace (Pu Yi, 仆役)
friends and the people you work with
Capable and prosperous. With the Voice (巨门), hard first and easier after; with the Moon (太阴), capable; with the Elder (天梁), they help you. With the Blade, Millstone, Flare and Ember (羊陀火铃), servants who turn on you; with the Void and the Plunder (空劫), resentment, and they leave.
天同得力旺相,巨门先难后易,太阴同得力,天梁同助主,加羊陀火铃有背主之奴,若见空劫怨主会走。
Career palace (Guan Lu, 官禄)
work and standing
Well placed, suited to civil or military; fortunate without the Blade, Millstone, Flare and Ember (羊陀火铃). With the Voice (巨门), small first and large after. With the Sun (太阳), the Scholar and the Artist (昌曲) and the Merit transformation (化科), the Power transformation (化权) or the Fortune transformation (化禄), fine natural gifts and authority. With the Moon (太阴) badly placed, judge it as a minor clerk.
天同入庙文武皆宜,无羊陀火铃吉,巨门同先小后大,太阳昌曲科权禄吉美天姿,同权贵太阴同,陷宫胥更论。
Property palace (Tian Zhai, 田宅)
home, property, what you keep
Little first and much after; what you acquire yourself prospers. With the Voice (巨门), little land; with the Moon (太阴) well placed, great wealth; with the Elder (天梁), receding first and advancing after. With the six malefics and the Trouble transformation (化忌), none at all.
天同先少后多,自置甚旺,巨门同田少,太阴同入庙大富,天梁同先退后进,加羊陀火铃空忌全无。
Wellbeing palace (Fu De, 福德)
peace of mind, and what you enjoy
Gladness, blessing and long life. With the Voice (巨门), much worry and little joy; with the Moon (太阴), blessing; with the Elder (天梁), leisure and gladness.
天同快乐有福有寿,巨门同多忧少喜,太阴同享福,天梁同清闲快乐。
Parents palace (Fu Mu, 父母)
parents, and anyone with authority over you
Alone and well placed, no harm. With the four malefics, a second set of parents. With the Voice (巨门), little harmony; with the Moon (太阴), both parents live; with the Elder (天梁), no harm, or the inheritance recedes. With the six malefics, the parents are not both kept.
天同独守庙旺无刑,加四杀重拜父母,巨门同欠和太阴同父母双全,天梁同无刑或退祖业,加羊陀火铃空劫父母不全。
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.
The other thirteen: The Emperor · The Strategist · The Sun · The Iron · The Mystic · The Treasury · The Moon · The Wolf · The Voice · The Minister · The Elder · The General · The Disruptor.