A forward-moving decade cycle does not reverse the order of the twelve palace names. These are separate rules: one selects the position for each ten-year period; the other defines relationships among the life areas.
Locate the decade before naming its palaces
In a common method, decade cycles begin at the natal Life Palace. Their direction depends on the birth-year stem's yin-yang classification and the chart's sex setting, while the five-element bureau determines the starting age.
Follow the age ranges to locate the current decade. Do not use its direction as permission to rearrange palace names.
Keep one layer together
When using a full decade-palace overlay, identify the decade Life Palace and the other palaces in that same layer. Life remains opposite Travel; Spouse remains opposite Career. If those relationships appear broken, check whether natal and decade labels have been mixed.
A position can simultaneously be the natal Wealth Palace and the current decade Life Palace. Both labels can be valid, but neighboring natal labels should not silently become decade labels.
Start with the decade age range, then identify its Life Palace and opposite position. Forward and backward describe chart progression; they do not mean a successful life or a life moving in reverse.