What is the Wen Qu star?

Two people can be equally smart: one is good at writing an argument clearly, the other at saying things so people want to listen. In Zi Wei Dou Shu, the second kind often has something to do with Wen Qu. Wen Qu is the star of artistry, eloquence and feeling. Later astrology books say it rules "success by an unconventional route": you may not take the standard exam path, and a single skill can still carry you a long way. To see which palace your Wen Qu is in, draw your chart.

What kind of star is Wen Qu

Wen Qu is one of the Six Auspicious Stars, paired with Wen Chang. Wen Chang values order and formal learning; Wen Qu values expression and talent. Music, art, the pull of good writing, a sense of timing and humor in conversation: all of these are Wen Qu territory.

How Wen Qu is placed

Wen Qu goes by your birth hour, in the opposite direction from Wen Chang. The placement verse in volume two of the Quan Shu reads:

Wen Qu begins its count at Chen, and moves forward to the birth hour, its home.

Count the Zi hour at Chen and move forward: Zi is Chen, Chou is Si, Yin is Wu, and so on to the Hai hour at Mao. Wen Chang counts backward from Xu, so the two stars sit symmetrically around the Chou–Wei axis, and only people born in the Mao hour (both in Wei) or the You hour (both in Chou) have them in the same palace.

What the classics say

The Zhu Xing Wen Da Lun chapter in volume one says:

Wen Qu belongs to water and is the fourth star of the Northern Dipper; it is a lodge of exams and literary distinction.

The same passage says that Wen Qu "in harmony with Wen Chang is most auspicious; in the Life or Body Palace it makes a successful candidate," and volume two says that "with Wen Chang and the auspicious stars, it rules exam success." The ancients also warned that when Wen Qu sits alone in the Life Palace and meets challenging stars, its eloquence can be spent on things that aren't sincere. Read for today: Wen Qu's way with words is a gift. Used well, it is charm; used badly, it becomes spin.

Wen Qu in the Life Palace

With Wen Qu in the Life Palace, the main star gains a layer of "articulate, talented, deeply feeling." Practitioners tend to read it like this:

• Expressive in a way that lands. Telling stories, giving presentations, writing copy: people tend to listen.
• Has at least one talent or passion. Not necessarily a career, but often an important part of life.
• Emotionally attuned. Sensitive to beauty, and more easily affected by the mood in a room.

If the main star is on the harder side, like Wu Qu or Qi Sha, Wen Qu softens it. If the main star is already sensitive, like Tan Lang or Tai Yin, Wen Qu makes talent and charm stand out even more, and a steady routine becomes all the more useful.

Wen Qu in the twelve palaces

• Career Palace: suited to work in expression, design, performance, media, sales or teaching. Volume two says Wen Qu "at Miao or Wang suits both civil and military or command roles."
• Wealth Palace: money often comes through talent, eloquence and connections. Volume two says Wen Qu "at Miao brings plenty; with the auspicious stars, money comes through helpers."
• Spouse Palace: drawn to people who are talented, expressive and romantic; in love, the feeling of romance and good communication matters a lot.
• Travel Palace: well liked away from home, and likely to meet people who appreciate your talent. Volume two says Wen Qu "away from home is near the noble; with the auspicious stars, it gains wealth."
• Fortune Palace: inner satisfaction comes from creating, music and art; your feelings need somewhere to flow.

Wen Qu and the four transformations

Xingge follows the four-transformations verse in volume two of the Quan Shu:

• Wen Qu Hua Ke in Xin years: talent and expression get noticed. Work, eloquence and creativity are especially likely to be recognized. The full reading is on the Wen Qu Hua Ke page.
• Wen Qu Hua Ji in Ji years: care and getting stuck land on Wen Qu. It often shows up as being unable to let go of something you said or of how your work was judged, or as misunderstandings over verbal promises. The full reading is on the Wen Qu Hua Ji page.

Hua Ji marks where you care the most; it is not a bad thing. If you were born in a Ji year with Wen Qu Hua Ji, writing important things down and saying them plainly often loosens most of the knot. To check your own birth-year transformations, use the birth-year transformations lookup.

Common combinations with Wen Qu

• Wen Chang and Wen Qu in the same palace: both order and artistry.
• Wen Chang and Wen Qu flanking a palace: the two stars sit on either side of a palace, which the ancients valued highly.
• Wen Qu and Tan Lang: volume two says Wen Qu "in the same palace or trine as Tan Lang and Huo Xing makes a general or minister," yet volume one warns that Wen Qu "dislikes meeting Tan Lang." Both are stars of talent and desire; together they bring a lot of talent, and a tendency to get distracted.

The conditions for these combinations are covered in the Six Auspicious Stars lesson. For how challenging stars weaken Wen Qu, compare with the Six Malefic Stars lesson.

Common questions

What does the Wen Qu star represent?

Wen Qu is one of the Six Auspicious Stars in Zi Wei Dou Shu. It rules artistry, eloquence and emotional expression, and later astrology books say it brings "success by an unconventional route," making your way through a particular skill. In whichever palace it sits, that palace's affairs are tied to expression and talent.

What is the difference between Wen Qu and Wen Chang?

Wen Chang leans toward formal learning, paperwork and exams; Wen Qu leans toward artistry, eloquence and feeling. Wen Qu counts forward from Chen by birth hour and Wen Chang counts backward from Xu, so the two share a palace for people born in the Mao or You hour.

What does Wen Qu Hua Ji mean?

In the four-transformations verse Xingge follows, people born in Ji years have Wen Qu Hua Ji. It means you care especially about what you have said and how your work is judged, and verbal promises are more likely to lead to misunderstandings. Writing important things down usually makes things run much more smoothly.

What work suits Wen Qu in the Life Palace?

Practitioners often read it as suited to expression, design, performance, media, sales or teaching. Wen Qu's strength is getting people to listen and look; the main star in the Life Palace and the Career Palace still shape the direction.