Starpath · Reading a chart
The twelve palaces
Twelve rooms of a life. Each is a point of view, not a verdict.
Yourself and your inner life: Life (who you are and where you are heading), Wellbeing (inner joy and peace of mind) and Health (your body and its rhythm).
People: Siblings (peers and partners in work), Spouse (close partnership), Children (children, students and what you create), Friends (networks and teams) and Parents (elders, mentors and institutions).
Work and the world: Career (roles and calling), Wealth (how resources come and go), Property (home and foundations) and Travel (the world outside, moves and chances away from home).
Go deeper
Older texts name some palaces differently. Friends is also called the palace of servants (仆役 or 奴仆), and Wellbeing is 福德, literally “fortune and virtue”. The modern names describe the same areas in today’s terms.