What is Ri Zhao Lei Men (Sun Over the Thunder Gate)?

Mao is the east, where the sun rises. The ancients matched the eight trigrams to the directions; the east is the Zhen trigram, and Zhen is thunder, so the Mao palace is also called the "thunder gate." Ri Zhao Lei Men (the sun shining on the thunder gate) is Tai Yang in the Life Palace in Mao: the light just coming up, at Miao, the highest brightness there is. To see whether you have it, draw your chart.

The conditions for Ri Zhao Lei Men

Xingge's condition is: the Life Palace is in Mao, and its main stars are Tai Yang and Tian Liang.

Tai Yang and Tian Liang always share a palace in Mao and You, so this condition is really "Tai Yang in the Life Palace in Mao." Both stars are at Miao in Mao, the best position for this pair. About 1 chart in 110 has it.

Because the main stars move together, people with Ri Zhao Lei Men always have Tai Yin in Hai, shining into the Life Palace from the trine, and also at Miao. So Ri Zhao Lei Men is always Ri Yue Bing Ming as well: both the sun and the moon are bright.

Volume three of the Quan Shu adds one more condition:

The sun shining on the thunder gate, in Zi, Chen or Mao, born by day: wealth, standing and a name that spreads.

"Born by day" means born in the daytime. Tai Yang is the daytime star, and people born by day connect best with its light. Xingge's detection doesn't depend on the birth time, so people born at night are marked too; by the classics, the full strength belongs to those born by day. The line also mentions Zi and Chen, but the standard later reading takes only Tai Yang in the Life Palace in Mao.

What the classics say, and how we read it today

The Gu Sui Fu says:

The sun shining on the thunder gate: wealth, standing and glory. The moon bright at the heavenly gate: rank and a lordship.

The two lines are a pair: Tai Yang in Mao is Ri Zhao Lei Men, and Tai Yin in Hai is Yue Lang Tian Men. The section on noble patterns in volume one gives it another name:

The sun rising from Fusang: the sun in Mao guarding the Life Palace; guarding the Career Palace is the same.

Fusang is the mythical place where the sun rises. The ancients gave the same position two names, which shows how highly they rated it.

Today, a closer reading of Ri Zhao Lei Men:

• Reputation and standing are your strengths. With Tai Yang at its brightest, what you do is easily seen and easily remembered.
• Suited to standing in public and looking after people. Tian Liang is the sheltering star, the elder star, caring and principled. Tai Yang with Tian Liang often finds its stage in education, charity, healthcare, public affairs, media and consulting: roles where everyone is watching you and you have to think of everyone.
• A sense of justice. Tai Yang is open and Tian Liang reasons things out; when something is unfair, it's hard for you to stay quiet.

Where Ri Zhao Lei Men tends to get stuck

First, giving too much. Tai Yang lights others up first, and Tian Liang loves to look after people. Together, it is easy to put yourself last.

Second, lecturing. Tian Liang's sense of principle plus Tai Yang's openness can sometimes turn into telling others what to do, and goodwill becomes pressure.

Third, the weight of reputation. Being seen is a strength and also a burden. When you care too much about your image, your decisions become cautious.

What weakens it

• Tai Yang taking Hua Ji. In Jia years Tai Yang takes Hua Ji, and the brightest star gains a layer of worry: what you give and what you get back may not match.
• Qing Yang, Tuo Luo, Huo Xing or Ling Xing in the Life Palace. The light is still there, with more collisions and dragging.
• Being born at night. By the classics, the strength is somewhat less than for people born by day.

Tai Yang and Tian Liang also share a palace in You, but that is where the sun sets, and Tai Yang is only at Ping there; the classics don't call it Ri Zhao Lei Men.

If the San Fang also meets Wen Chang and a Lu star, you also have another well-known pattern, Yang Liang Chang Lu, which especially favors study and exams.

How to check whether you have Ri Zhao Lei Men

1. Draw your chart and see whether your Life Palace is in Mao.
2. Check whether its main stars are Tai Yang and Tian Liang.
3. Then see whether you were born by day (from the Mao hour to the Shen hour) to know whether it is the classics' full version.

For the personalities of Tai Yang and Tian Liang, see each star's introduction, or read the lessons on Tian Ji and Tian Liang and Tai Yang and Tai Yin.

Common questions

What does Ri Zhao Lei Men mean?

The Mao palace lies in the east, which belongs to the Zhen trigram, and Zhen is thunder, so it is called the thunder gate. Tai Yang in the Life Palace in Mao is like the sun just rising in the east, its brightest position. The Quan Shu says "the sun shining on the thunder gate: wealth, standing and glory"; today it reads as reputation and standing being your strengths, and suiting a public role looking after people.

Do you have to be born in the daytime?

Volume three of the Quan Shu says "born by day: wealth, standing and a name that spreads," so the classical full version is born by day. Xingge doesn't restrict the birth time and marks night births too, but by the classics, daytime births have the fullest strength.

How common is Ri Zhao Lei Men?

Not common: about 1 chart in 110, because it needs Tai Yang and Tian Liang exactly in the Life Palace in Mao.

Does Tai Yang with Tian Liang in the Life Palace in You count?

No. You lies in the west, where the sun sets, and Tai Yang is only at Ping there. Tai Yang and Tian Liang together in the Life Palace in You read differently from Mao, and the classics don't give it this name.