What is Zou Shu?

Zou Shu (Memorial) is the sixth of the Twelve Erudite Gods (Bo Shi). A memorial was originally a document submitted up to the throne, and this god is about documents and good news: what you put in writing works especially well, and black and white is more reliable than a verbal promise. Keeping records is the most useful habit for the palace where Zou Shu sits. To see which palace your Zou Shu is in, draw your chart.

How Zou Shu is placed

The Bo Shi set starts with Bo Shi in the Lu Cun palace, then Li Shi, Qing Long, Xiao Hao, Jiang Jun and Zou Shu. Men born in yang years and women born in yin years count forward, so Zou Shu is five palaces ahead of Lu Cun; men born in yin years and women born in yang years count backward, so it's five palaces behind.

The palace opposite Zou Shu always holds Guan Fu, and its trines hold Li Shi and Da Hao. Documents on one side and rules across from it: both are about writing things clearly and following the rules.

What the classics say, and how to read it now

The verse in volume two of the Zi Wei Dou Shu Quan Shu (The Complete Book of Zi Wei Dou Shu), in the An Shi Er Gong Tai Sui Sha Lu Jue section, says "Jiang Jun is martial, Zou Shu is blessing." Where volume two lists each star's element, it says:

Zou Shu is Metal and rules blessings and rank.

The Tai Wei Fu in volume one puts it first:

Zou Shu, Bo Shi and the transiting Lu are all auspicious.

The classics group Zou Shu, Bo Shi and the annual Lu Cun together as signs of good fortune. Bo Shi works through brains, Zou Shu through documents; both catch good fortune with thinking and records.

Read for today, Xingge takes Zou Shu to mean that in this palace what you write down helps you: contracts, proposals, certificates, notes, portfolios. Good news often arrives in writing too, such as an acceptance letter or an approval.

Zou Shu in key palaces

• Life Palace: you tend to write things down before you act; notes, lists and calendars are your tools. Put your ideas in writing and others understand you more easily too.
• Wealth Palace: money matters are steadier with paperwork, so keep contracts, receipts and accounts. Earning through writing, copy or planning also goes smoothly.
• Career Palace: suited to work involving documents, planning, publishing, administration or legal paperwork. Promotions, exams and certifications are often how you move up.
• Spouse Palace: when you agree on something together, write it down, such as shared expenses or important dates. A handwritten card sometimes says more than ten spoken sentences.
• Health Palace: writing down your routine and stresses is the easiest way to find what tires you out. A few lines before bed to clear your head suits you well too.

Natal chart and Annual Luck

Zou Shu is natal. It follows your birth-year Lu Cun and never changes. On the Xingge chart, the sets that change with the year are the Twelve General Gods (Jiang Qian) and the Twelve Year Gods (Sui Qian). When the Decade Luck or Annual Luck reaches the Zou Shu palace, paperwork, exams and applications in that area are more likely to bring good news, so it's a good time to send off what needs sending.