Foundation

Nine Palaces九宮

The nine numbers of the Luo Writing, set on the eight trigrams and the centre.

四綠巽九紫離二黑坤三碧震五黃中七赤兌八白艮一白坎六白乾
South is at the top, as on old maps.

一白居坎，二黑居坤，三碧居震，四綠居巽，五黃居中，六白居乾，七赤居兌，八白居艮，九紫居離，是為九宮。

Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu, vol. 8

靜則隨方而定，動則依數而行。

Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu, vol. 8

What it is

The nine palaces lay the Luo Writing out as a square of directions. Each number has a colour, running from One White to Nine Purple.

Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu quotes an almanac saying that Zhang Heng of the Eastern Han turned the nine sections into the nine palaces. That is the book’s account, and we report it as such.

Still and moving

The book says the palaces stay fixed by direction when still and follow the numbers when moving. The fixed layout is the Earth Plate, and the moving one is the Heaven Plate.

This moving count is the basis of the Purple and White stars used to choose directions for each year.

The nine palaces

Each palace with its trigram, direction, element, Qi Men gate and star.

  1. 一白坎・北・水・休門・貪狼One White: Kan, north, water. Gate of Rest. Star Tan Lang.
  2. 二黑坤・西南・土・死門・巨門Two Black: Kun, southwest, earth. Gate of Death. Star Ju Men.
  3. 三碧震・東・木・傷門・祿存Three Jade: Zhen, east, wood. Gate of Harm. Star Lu Cun.
  4. 四綠巽・東南・木・杜門・文曲Four Green: Xun, southeast, wood. Gate of Closure. Star Wen Qu.
  5. 五黃中・中央・土・中宮・廉貞Five Yellow: Centre, centre, earth. Star Lian Zhen.
  6. 六白乾・西北・金・開門・武曲Six White: Qian, northwest, metal. Gate of Opening. Star Wu Qu.
  7. 七赤兌・西・金・驚門・破軍Seven Red: Dui, west, metal. Gate of Fright. Star Po Jun.
  8. 八白艮・東北・土・生門・左輔Eight White: Gen, northeast, earth. Gate of Life. Star Zuo Fu.
  9. 九紫離・南・火・景門・右弼Nine Purple: Li, south, fire. Gate of View. Star You Bi.

Sources Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu, vols. 1, 2 and 8; Yi Zhuan.