What is the Tian Ma star?

Tian Ma is the "post horse" of Zi Wei Dou Shu: the horse that once carried official documents from relay station to relay station. In the palace where it sits, things often have to do with movement, change and travel. Tian Ma is neither one of the Six Auspicious Stars nor one of the Six Malefic Stars; whether it helps depends on the company it keeps. With a wealth star, the more you move, the more you gain; with voidness, you run yourself ragged and never get anywhere. To see which palace your Tian Ma sits in, draw your chart.

What kind of star is Tian Ma

Tian Ma's nature is the traveling horse: travel, change and relocation, with opportunities that come once you get moving. In plain terms, Tian Ma is a star that needs to move. It doesn't do much standing still; changing environments, going away and crossing regions are its stage.

Tian Ma and Lu Cun are often discussed together, one governing movement and the other wealth; the Lu Cun and Tian Ma lesson is about this pair.

How Tian Ma is placed: by the birth-year branch alone

Tian Ma's position depends only on the branch of your birth year. Volume two of the Quan Shu says:

Born in Yin, Wu or Xu, the horse is in Shen; born in Shen, Zi or Chen, in Yin; born in Si, You or Chou, in Hai; born in Hai, Mao or Wei, in Si.

So Tian Ma only ever lands in Yin, Shen, Si or Hai, which the ancients called the four places of birth, or the four horse branches. People born in the same group of years, such as Yin, Wu and Xu years, all have Tian Ma in Shen. The year branch follows the lunar year, so if you were born before Lunar New Year, use the previous year. Tian Ma has no brightness.

What the classics say, and how we read it today

Volume two of the Quan Shu introduces Tian Ma, and the very first line sums up what it loves and what it fears:

Tian Ma, fire: it most loves meeting Lu Cun, and most dreads Jie Lu Kong Wang.

It loves Lu Cun most and fears the voidness of Jie Lu Kong Wang most. The Tai Wei Fu also says "Lu and Ma love most to gallop together": when a wealth star and the post horse meet, the more you move, the more you earn. On the other hand, when Tian Ma meets voidness such as Jie Kong or Xun Kong, it is like a horse running into a place with no road: plenty of rushing about, little to show for it.

After the placement verse, volume two specifically mentions Tian Ma in the Spouse Palace: with the Life Palace in Chen, Xu, Chou or Wei and Tian Ma in the Spouse Palace in Yin, Shen, Si or Hai, plus auspicious stars in the same palace or shining in from the trines, the ancients read a partner who will do well; Lu Ma Jiao Chi there also counts as good. Today it reads more like a partner who gets moving and looks outward, and two people who, moving together, often rise together.

Tian Ma in the Life Palace

People with Tian Ma in the Life Palace often can't sit still: they like new places and getting around, and feel cooped up staying anywhere too long. At work they often change locations and projects, and life tends to bring big moves: relocating, studying abroad, postings overseas.

This temperament pays off wherever movement is needed: sales, trade, travel, overseas postings, work that crosses countries or regions. Where it gets stuck is running around: always moving without building anything up; living in many places, each only for a short while.

One suggestion for people with Tian Ma in the Life Palace: before you move, decide what you'll take with you. Let every move leave behind something that accumulates, such as contacts, a body of work or skills, and the more you travel, the more you gain.

Tian Ma in the twelve palaces

Wherever Tian Ma sits, that palace's affairs have to do with movement and change:

• Life Palace: restless and fond of getting out, as above.
• Spouse Palace: your partner is often someone on the move, or you met through moving; there are often stretches of living apart.
• Wealth Palace: money comes with movement; income from travel, field sales and work across regions is especially favored. You earn by moving.
• Career Palace: work often changes location, with a lot of business travel; field roles, overseas postings and jobs that take you around suit you.
• Travel Palace: naturally suited to going away; you often do better after leaving home.
• Fortune Palace: your mind won't sit still either; travel and new experiences are your best way to recharge.
• Health Palace: this is about how stress shows up. With Tian Ma here, fatigue tends to build up from constant movement, so after a packed schedule, remember to leave gaps for rest.

What to read Tian Ma with

• Lu Cun and Hua Lu: Tian Ma in the same palace as Lu Cun, or meeting Hua Lu, is the well-known Lu Ma Jiao Chi: the more you move, the more you gain. Volume three also says "Wu Qu with Lu Ma Jiao Chi makes a fortune in distant lands"; Wu Qu meeting Lu and Ma was read by the ancients as making money far from home.
• Jie Kong and Xun Kong: Tian Ma falling into Jie Kong or Xun Kong in the Life or Body Palace is called Ma Feng Jie Kong or Ma Feng Xun Kong: a lot of running around for little return, so be clear about the goal before you set off. The Minor Stars lesson covers Xun Kong.
• Huo Xing: Tian Ma and Huo Xing in the same palace are called the war horse in the Quan Shu: moving fast and moving hard.
• The other horses: the Quan Shu gives Tian Ma a whole set of nicknames depending on who sits beside it, such as the carriage-supporting horse, the paired horse and the lame horse.
• The annual horse: each year there is also a Tian Ma that moves with the Annual Luck, showing which palace is more on the move that year. It is used when reading the Annual Luck.

Common questions

What does the Tian Ma star represent?

Tian Ma is the traveling horse of Zi Wei Dou Shu: travel, change and relocation. In the palace where it sits, things often have to do with movement and change, and opportunities come once you move. Tian Ma is neither auspicious nor malefic; it depends on the company it keeps, and it most loves meeting Lu Cun.

Why is Tian Ma only in Yin, Shen, Si and Hai?

Tian Ma depends only on the birth-year branch: in Shen for Yin, Wu and Xu years; in Yin for Shen, Zi and Chen years; in Hai for Si, You and Chou years; in Si for Hai, Mao and Wei years. So it only lands in Yin, Shen, Si or Hai, which the ancients called the four places of birth or the four horse branches.

What does Lu Ma Jiao Chi mean?

Lu Ma Jiao Chi is Tian Ma meeting Lu Cun or Hua Lu. The Quan Shu says Tian Ma "most loves meeting Lu Cun," and the Tai Wei Fu says "Lu and Ma love most to gallop together": when a wealth star and the post horse meet, the more you move, the more you gain, especially in matters away from home, field sales and work across regions.

What work suits people with Tian Ma in the Life Palace?

Work that involves movement, such as sales, trade, travel, overseas postings and roles that cross countries or regions. People with Tian Ma in the Life Palace tend to feel cooped up staying put and do better when they change environments. The thing to watch is not just moving for its own sake: let every move leave behind contacts or skills that accumulate.