What is Zhi Bei?

Zhi Bei (Pointing at the Back) is the ninth of the Twelve General Gods (Jiang Qian). The name literally means people pointing at you behind your back: in the palace holding Zhi Bei, what you do is more likely to be talked about. Being talked about doesn't mean you did anything wrong; often it just means that part of your life is more visible. Act openly and keep a record, and gossip won't stick. To see which palace it's in for you, draw your chart.

How Zhi Bei is placed

Count eight palaces on from Jiang Xing:

• Yin, Wu and Xu years: Yin
• Shen, Zi and Chen years: Shen
• Si, You and Chou years: Si
• Hai, Mao and Wei years: Hai

So Zhi Bei only lands in Yin, Shen, Si or Hai. In 2026, a Bing Wu year, it is in Yin; in 2027, a Ding Wei year (from February 6, 2027), it is in Hai.

The table holds a coincidence: in Yin, Shen, Si and Hai years, Zhi Bei sits right on the year's own branch, which is the Annual Life Palace where Sui Jian sits. In those years you yourself are the center of conversation, and more people watch what you do.

What Zhi Bei means

Xingge reads it like this: people tend to talk about you behind your back; act openly, and gossip won't stick.

The palace directly opposite Zhi Bei always holds Sui Yi. On one side you're out and about; on the other, people back home are talking. In practice it often looks like this: while you're on a business trip, on leave or busy with something else, the people left behind have opinions about your arrangements. Hand things over clearly before you go and update people on your progress when you're back, and the talk usually stops.

Zhi Bei in key palaces

Using the annual set:

• Life Palace: you stand out more this year and get talked about more. You don't need to answer every remark; doing the work well is the most convincing reply.
• Career Palace: your decisions at work are more likely to be scrutinized. Keep written records of important matters and be clear about credit and who does what.
• Friends Palace: more people passing things along in your circle. When you hear something secondhand, ask the person directly before you judge.
• Spouse Palace: other people have plenty of opinions about your relationship. What's between the two of you is for the two of you to talk over; you don't need to follow the voices outside.
• Wealth Palace: your money matters invite comparison. As long as you know your own income and spending, you don't owe everyone an account.

Natal and annual, read separately

The natal Zhi Bei sits in the same palace for life; the annual set is placed again each year by the year's branch. Xingge's palace readings only use the annual set, in the "this year" part of the reading. If the same palace also holds Guan Fu (Official Tally) of the Twelve Year Gods (Sui Qian) that year, it's all the more worth saying things clearly and putting them in writing.

The Twelve General Gods as a set are not in the Zi Wei Dou Shu Quan Shu (The Complete Book of Zi Wei Dou Shu), and there is no Quan Shu text on Zhi Bei. Xingge follows the standard placement and reading.