Starpath · Reading a chart
Four Transformations: Lu, Quan, Ke, Ji and the Ten Stems
In every chart, four stars are “transformed”: tinted with flow, drive, recognition or a knot to work through. They show where life tends to move.
What 化 means
化 (hua) means to change, or to turn into. Every chart singles out four of its stars and gives each one a special colour: 禄 (lu), flow and prosperity; 权 (quan), authority and drive; 科 (ke), recognition and clarity; and 忌 (ji), obstruction, something to work through.
Picture four highlighters passed over your chart. The stars themselves stay the same; the highlight shows which ones, and so which palaces, become especially active.
Prosperity
Like water reaching dry ground.
Prosperity (Hua Lu) marks where things flow easily: opportunity, goodwill and resources.
Keywords: resources · goodwill · openings · enjoyment
In a palace: Where it lands, that area tends to give: chances, support, income or simple enjoyment.
Not to be confused with: It is not a promise of money. It is ease and goodwill, and too much ease can make us careless.
Authority
Like taking the wheel.
Authority (Hua Quan) marks where you take charge: responsibility, drive and influence.
Keywords: drive · responsibility · control · decisiveness
In a palace: Where it lands, you tend to take charge: more drive, more responsibility, more say, and more pressure.
Not to be confused with: Power is not always comfortable; it can feel like a heavy load.
Recognition
Like a lamp in a window.
Recognition (Hua Ke) marks where grace and reputation gather: learning, credibility, helpful people.
Keywords: recognition · learning · reputation · timely help
In a palace: Where it lands, things become clear and visible: learning, a good name, sound advice, help that arrives in time.
Not to be confused with: It is quieter than the other two; it often works as reassurance rather than gain.
Obstruction
Like a knot in a thread.
Obstruction (Hua Ji) marks a recurring point of friction, not a misfortune: where patience and practice turn it into depth.
Keywords: focus · worry · repetition · lessons
In a palace: Where it lands, you care, worry or keep coming back; it asks for patience, boundaries and steady effort.
Not to be confused with: It is not a curse. It shows where attention is needed, which is often where growth happens.
Where they come from
Your birth year has a heavenly stem: the first character of its stem-branch name. 1993, for example, was a 癸酉 year, so its stem is 癸.
Each of the ten stems transforms the same four stars in every chart. The table below is the one this app uses; it matches iztro and most charting software.
| Stem | Years ending in | Prosperity | Authority | Recognition | Obstruction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 甲 | …4 | The Judge | Army Breaker | The Warrior | The Sun |
| 乙 | …5 | Celestial Strategist | Heavenly Protector | The Emperor | The Moon |
| 丙 | …6 | Heavenly Harmony | Celestial Strategist | Scholar | The Judge |
| 丁 | …7 | The Moon | Heavenly Harmony | Celestial Strategist | Great Gate |
| 戊 | …8 | Greedy Wolf | The Moon | Right Aide | Celestial Strategist |
| 己 | …9 | The Warrior | Greedy Wolf | Heavenly Protector | Artist |
| 庚 | …0 | The Sun | The Warrior | The Moon | Heavenly Harmony |
| 辛 | …1 | Great Gate | The Sun | Artist | Scholar |
| 壬 | …2 | Heavenly Protector | The Emperor | Left Aide | The Warrior |
| 癸 | …3 | Army Breaker | Great Gate | The Moon | Greedy Wolf |
The year changes at the lunar new year: someone born in January 1994 still belongs to the 1993 (癸) year. Schools disagree on a few stems, above all 庚; for 庚 this app uses The Sun, The Warrior, The Moon, & Heavenly Harmony.
How to read one
- Find the star that carries the transformation.
- See which palace it sits in: that is the area of life it speaks about.
- Put them together: the star says how, the palace says where, and the transformation says in what way.
- For 忌, also glance at the palace opposite: tradition says a knot pulls on what faces it.
Birth year and this year
Your birth-year transformations belong to your chart for life. They describe lasting tendencies.
Every year has its own stem and its own four transformations. They show what a particular year lights up and are read on top of your chart; “Your years” does this for you.
Why 忌 is not bad luck
忌 is often translated as “obstruction” or “taboo”, and old books can sound ominous. A better reading: it marks where you care a great deal, where things repeat until you deal with them, and where effort is needed.
Plenty of accomplished people have 忌 in their Career or Life palace; it can be the very thing they work on hardest. Treat it as an address for patience and attention, never as a verdict.