Small stars of talent and distinction

How to read minor stars

Minor stars are lighter still than the Six Auspicious and Six Malefic Stars. One alone can't carry a cell's personality; what they fill in is detail: what you're especially sensitive to, what comes especially easily, where you're easily noticed. The reading order is main stars, transformations, auxiliary stars, and only last the minor stars.

The placement reveals the character

Many of these small stars are "counted from another star's position", and the starting point itself says something about their flavor.

• San Tai and Ba Zuo: the *Quan Shu* says San Tai starts the first day at Zuo Fu's cell and counts forward to your birth day, and Ba Zuo starts the first day at You Bi's cell and counts backward. Their starting points are the two assistants, so they carry a sense of "someone giving you a push".
• En Guang and Tian Gui: En Guang starts the first day at Wen Chang's cell and Tian Gui at Wen Qu's, both counting forward to the birth day and then stepping back one cell. Their starting points are the literary stars, so they're tied to documents, exams and being appreciated.
• Tai Fu and Feng Gao: by birth hour. The *Quan Shu* says Tai Fu "starts the Zi hour at Wu and counts forward to the birth hour", and Feng Gao starts the Zi hour at Yin and counts forward to the birth hour.
• Long Chi and Feng Ge: by birth-year branch, with the rhyme "Long Chi: Zi forward from Chen; Feng Ge: Zi backward from Xu". Long Chi counts forward from Chen as the Zi year, Feng Ge backward from Xu, the two mirroring each other, which is why they're usually discussed together.
• Tian Cai: starts the Zi year at the Life Palace and counts forward to your birth year.
• Tian Chu: by birth-year stem, for example in Si for Jia years and in Zi for Bing years.

Which are in the Quan Shu

San Tai and Ba Zuo, Tai Fu and Feng Gao, and Long Chi and Feng Ge all have placement rhymes in volume two. Tian Cai, Tian Chu, En Guang and Tian Gui can't be found in the *Quan Shu*'s rhymes; later texts added them, and Xingge places them by today's common method.

"Tai Fu" was originally an official title for a high minister assisting the emperor. The "Tai Wei Fu" says "Tian Kui and Tian Yue together: a seat among the high ministers", meaning that with Tian Kui and Tian Yue appearing together, one can rise very high. Later people named small stars after official titles, which is why Tai Fu and Feng Gao read as titles and standing; today, think job titles, certifications and getting your name on the list.

Three common misunderstandings

• Having Tian Cai makes you a genius. It's more like learning fast and picking things up quickly. Fast learners easily dabble in everything; only by building the fundamentals does it become real skill.
• With En Guang and Tian Gui, you'll meet benefactors. It says what you do is easily noticed. You say one more thing in a meeting, and your manager happens to take it in. When the chance comes, you still have to reach out and take it.
• The more small stars, the better. Many small stars in a cell only mean that cell has lots of detail. What matters is still whether the main stars are bright and whether there are transformations.

Company amplifies them

When Long Chi and Feng Ge meet Wen Chang and Wen Qu, practitioners say your talents are more easily seen; when En Guang and Tian Gui meet Tian Kui and Tian Yue, the sense of being promoted is stronger; when San Tai and Ba Zuo share a San Fang Si Zheng with Zuo Fu and You Bi, the sense of nomination and appointment is strongest. A small star sitting alone in an Empty Palace is just a faint background color.

Using this lesson

Find which cells your talent and distinction stars fall in. With Long Chi and Feng Ge in the Career Palace, you may care especially about whether your work looks good; with San Tai and Ba Zuo in the Wealth Palace, earning opportunities often come through others' recommendations; with Tian Chu in the Fortune Palace, a good meal can bring your mood right back. These are tendencies, not guarantees: talent needs practice, and opportunities still need taking.