The Minister (Tian Xiang, 天相) star

Trusted with authority — the seal of office. Plain-spoken; does not fake things.

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 Fu Xiang Chao Yuan family (府相朝垣): The Custodian, built to hold — stable, managerial, keeps what others build.

How the translations are made

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

Water, the fifth star of the southern dipper. It is the star in charge of rank, and is blessing and goodness; its transformed nature is called the seal, and it is the literary star of the Career palace, seated at the emperor's side. A person meeting it in the Self speaks honestly and does nothing false; seeing another in difficulty it has a pitying heart, and seeing another do wrong it holds the anger of injustice. Career getting it is honoured and prominent; the emperor's seat joining it contends for authority. It assists the light of the sun and moon and transforms the ill of the Mystic (廉贞). The Self getting it is glorious; Children getting it, the line flourishes. In all twelve palaces it is good fortune: it does not change its will with ill company, nor shift because of a malefic. A limit reaching it, the wealth is past measuring. If this star comes to living, strong ground, then even without the emperor's seat, getting the two Aides (左右) it holds authority; and sitting in an idle, weak place it is still favourable — either limit meeting it means wealth and rank. Master Xiyi (希夷先生) says: The Minister (天相) is the southern dipper's star in charge of rank, its transformed nature the seal. It makes a person full in clothing and food; with the Scholar and the Artist (昌曲) and the two Aides meeting, the rank of a minister of state. Badly placed with the Wolf (贪狼), the Mystic, the Iron (武曲), the Disruptor (破军), the Blade (擎羊) and the Millstone (陀罗) gathered, a life kept by a craft. The Flare (火星) and the Ember (铃星) breaking in, infirmity. A woman it makes clever and dignified, with a will beyond her husband's; with benefics in trine, judged a title. For a monk, high-minded. The song runs: The Minister is Water by nature, transformed to the seal and ruling office and income. Meeting it in the Self or the Body, there is certainly much money and blessing; the body is full besides, and the speech is not lightly profane. Going out to serve it means rising; keeping house it means grain and money. When the two limits meet it, everything is looked at with enough in hand.

答曰:天相屬水,南斗第五星也。為司爵之宿,為福善,化氣曰印,是為官祿文星,佐帝之位。若人命逢之,言語誠實,事不虛偽。見人難,有惻隱之心;見人惡,抱不平之氣。官祿得之則顯榮,帝座合之則爭權。佐日月之光,兼化廉貞之惡。身命得之而榮耀;子息得之而嗣續昌,十二宮中皆為祥福,不隨惡而變志,不因殺而改移。限步逢之,富不可量。此星若臨生旺之鄉,雖不逢帝座,若得左右,則職掌威權。或居閑弱之地,也作吉利,二限逢之主富貴。希夷先生曰:天相南斗司爵之星,化氣為印。主人衣食豐足,昌曲左右相會,位至公卿。陷地貪廉武破羊陀殺湊,巧藝安身。火鈴沖破殘疾,女人主聰明端莊,志過丈夫。三方吉拱封贈論,在僧道主清高。歌曰天相原屬水,化印主官祿,身命二宮逢,定主多財福,形體又肥滿,語言不輕瀆,出仕主飛騰,居家主財穀,二限若逢之,百事看充足。

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 Minister 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 seal (化印), and a ruler of office. Shining on the self or the body palace, honoured; as the ruling star it makes a person exacting with themselves, and with the Wealth palace (财帛) and the Career palace (官禄) palaces strong the household prospers. With the Iron (武曲) and the Disruptor (破军) together, and the Blade, Millstone, Flare and Ember (羊陀火铃) as well, worse — a craft or a trade, or peace found in religion. In a woman's chart, quick-witted and settled, means enough, good for husband and children.

天相水,南斗化印,为官禄主。天相入男命吉凶诀:天相星辰贵等伦,照守身命喜无垠,为官必主居元宰,三合相逢福不轻。天相吉星为命主,必定斯人多克己,财官禄主旺家资,权压当时谁不美。天相之星武破同,羊陀火铃更为凶,或作技术经商辈,若在空门享福隆。天相入女命吉凶诀:女人之命天相星,性格聪明百事宁,衣禄丰盈财帛足,旺夫贵子显门庭。天相入限吉凶诀:天相之星敢主财,照临二限悉无灾,动作谋为皆遂意,悠游享福自然来。天相之星有几般,三方不喜恶星缠,羊陀空劫重相会,口舌官灾祸亦连。

Siblings palace (Xiong Di, 兄弟)

siblings, and the people alongside you

Even-tempered, two or three. With malefics present, none at all. With the Emperor star (紫微), three or four; with the Iron (武曲), two; with the Mystic (廉贞), two. With the six malefics, solitary.

天相和平有二三人,见杀全无紫微同有三四人,武曲同二人,廉贞同二人,见羊陀火铃空劫孤单。

Spouse palace (Fu Qi, 夫妻)

marriage and close partnership

A handsome and virtuous partner; an older one suits. Marriage between families already close. With the Emperor star (紫微), growing old together; with the Iron (武曲), little harmony; with the Mystic (廉贞) well placed, harm is spared. With the six malefics, harm.

天相貌美贤淑夫宜年长,亲上成亲,紫微同谐老,武曲少和,廉贞同入庙免刑,加羊陀火铃空劫刑克。

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

children, and what you create

Without the Blade, Millstone, Flare and Ember (羊陀火铃), two who make something of themselves. With malefics, an adopted heir as the eldest and then one or two of your own. With the Emperor star (紫微) and the Scholar and the Artist and the two Aides (昌曲左右), three or four; with the Iron (武曲), three. With the six malefics, harm is certain.

天相无羊陀火铃同有二子成器,有杀先招祀子居长,亲生一二子,紫微同如昌曲左右有三四人,武曲同有三人,见羊陀火铃空劫必克,宜偏室生。

Wealth palace (Cai Bo, 财帛)

money coming in and going out

Well off. With the Emperor star (紫微), money arrives suddenly; with the Iron (武曲) and the four malefics, a living from the crafts; with the Mystic (廉贞), from trade. With the six malefics, drain (化耗) or the Trouble transformation (化忌), gains and losses and nothing accumulated.

天相富足,紫微同财气横进,武曲同加四杀百工生财,廉贞同商贾生财,加羊陀火铃空劫耗忌,成败无积聚。

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

the body, and what wears it down

Few ailments; a sallow, swollen complexion, and disorders of blood and breath. With the Emperor star (紫微), few. With the Iron (武曲) and the four malefics, disfigurement; with the Mystic (廉贞) and the Void and the Plunder (空劫), injury to hands and feet.

天相灾少面皮黄肿血气之疾,紫微同灾少,武曲同加四杀破相,廉贞同加空劫手足伤。

Travel palace (Qian Yi, 迁移)

going out — travel, moving, elsewhere

Patrons abroad who bring you on. With the Emperor star (紫微), favourable; with the Iron (武曲), money made away. With the Mystic (廉贞) and the Blade, Millstone, Flare and Ember (羊陀火铃), disputes, and the small-minded fall short.

天相出外贵人提撕,紫微同吉利,武曲同在外发财,廉贞同加羊陀火铃招是非小人不足。

Friends palace (Pu Yi, 仆役)

friends and the people you work with

They come in later years. With the Emperor star (紫微), many servants; with the Iron (武曲), resentment; with the Mystic (廉贞), they can be had late. With the six malefics, they fall short and run.

天相末年招得,紫微同多奴多婢,武曲同怨主,廉贞同末年可招加羊陀火铃空劫欠力逃走。

Career palace (Guan Lu, 官禄)

work and standing

Well placed, suited to civil or military, and a thousand measures of salary. Badly placed, gains and losses. With the Emperor star (紫微), authority and standing; with the Scholar and the Artist (昌曲) or the two Aides (左右), prominent and honoured. With the Iron (武曲), a frontier post; with the Mystic (廉贞), distinguished authority. With the six malefics, demotion.

天相入庙文武皆宜食禄千钟,陷地成败,紫微同权贵,昌曲左右同权显荣贵,武曲同边夷之职,廉贞同峥嵘权贵,加羊陀火铃空劫有贬谪。

Property palace (Tian Zhai, 田宅)

home, property, what you keep

Well placed, a share. With the Emperor star (紫微), acquired by your own hand; with the Iron (武曲), no share. With the Mystic (廉贞) and the six malefics, the inheritance is scattered.

天相庙旺有分,紫微同自置,武曲同无分,廉贞加羊陀火铃空劫飘零祖业。

Wellbeing palace (Fu De, 福德)

peace of mind, and what you enjoy

Ease, blessing and long life. With the Emperor star (紫微), gladness; with the Strategist (天机), fortune in busyness; with the Sun (太阳), blessing and long life together. With the six malefics, the mind does not settle.

天相安逸享福有寿,紫微同快乐,天机同忙中吉,太阳同福寿双全加羊陀火铃空劫不得心静。

Parents palace (Fu Mu, 父母)

parents, and anyone with authority over you

Well placed, no harm. With the Emperor star (紫微), no harm; with the Mystic (廉贞), harm. With the six malefics, harm early.

天相庙旺无刑,紫微同无刑克,廉贞同亦刑,加羊陀火铃空劫早刑。

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 Moon · The Wolf · The Voice · The Elder · The General · The Disruptor.