A reliable Zi Wei Dou Shu reading begins with one clear question and one relevant palace. From there, use San Fang Si Zheng, transliterated as the Three Directions and Four Correct Positions: the focal palace, its opposite palace, and the two palaces that form valid trinal relationships with it. This four-palace frame prevents one dramatic star from taking over the entire interpretation.
Choose the Focal Palace First
Use the Life Palace for personal capacity and direction, Career for role and responsibility, Wealth for earning and retention, Spouse for partnership, and Travel for external settings and movement. The focal palace determines the topic. Its main stars, strength, and Four Transformations describe how that topic operates before any supporting palace is added.
Keep the Geometry Exact
Opposite palaces form six fixed pairs: Life-Travel, Siblings-Friends, Spouse-Career, Children-Property, Wealth-Fortune, and Health-Parents. The two trinal palaces are different from the opposite palace. For example, Life is trinally linked with Wealth and Career, while Travel is opposite Life. Treating the two trinal supports and the opposite palace as one undifferentiated group can reverse the reading order.
Two Conditional Examples
If the Life Palace is quiet but Wealth and Career contain strong, well-supported main stars, the person may still have a workable path for turning ability into income and responsibility. A stable Travel Palace across from Life can add an outside market or institutional platform. If Career is the focal palace, Life and Wealth are its two trinal supports, while Spouse is opposite Career. Hua Ji in Spouse may then show partnership or scheduling pressure affecting work; it should not be treated as a Career trine.
Chart-Reading Order
First name the question and select the focal palace. Second, judge that palace's stars, strength, and transformations. Third, read the exact opposite palace as counterweight or pressure point. Fourth, add the two true trinal palaces as resources and outlets. Only after the natal structure is clear should you compare the ten-year cycle and annual chart. Keep the focal palace, opposite palace, and two trinal palaces labeled separately throughout the reading.