What is Diao Ke?

A friend going through a breakup keeps you talking past midnight, a family matter stays on your mind, a colleague's problem you can't help pitching in on, and after all that you find your own work still undone. For these times of worrying on someone else's behalf, the chart has Diao Ke (Mourning Guest) as a reminder. "Diao" means offering condolences and comfort; read for today, it's about how much of your energy flows outward. To find which palace this year's Diao Ke falls in, draw your chart.

What Diao Ke is: eleventh of the Twelve Year Gods

Diao Ke belongs to the Twelve Year Gods (Sui Qian) and comes eleventh, which is two palaces behind Tai Sui. Volume two of the Zi Wei Dou Shu Quan Shu (The Complete Book of Zi Wei Dou Shu), in its verse for placing the four flying stars Sang Men, Bai Hu, Diao Ke and Guan Fu, says:

Two places ahead of the annual Tai Sui is Sang Men; two places behind is Diao Ke. Opposite Sang Men place Bai Hu; opposite Diao Ke place Guan Fu.

Sang Men is two palaces ahead of Tai Sui and Diao Ke two behind, flanking Sui Jian front and back; the palace opposite Diao Ke is Guan Fu. In a Zi year Diao Ke is in Xu, in a Chou year in Hai, and so on; in 2027, a Ding Wei year, it's in Si. When volume two of the Quan Shu assigns elements, it gives Diao Ke fire.

In the Annual Luck, Diao Ke always sits in the Annual Spouse Palace

Sui Jian sits in the Annual Life Palace, and two palaces behind is exactly the Annual Spouse Palace. Your partner and the people closest to you are often what weighs on your mind most in a Diao Ke year. Diao Ke also forms one trine with Sang Men and Da Hao.

What Diao Ke means, in plain words

You tend to worry over other people's affairs, and your mood sinks with them; before looking after others, look after yourself. Diao Ke is about energy flowing outward: you care a lot about the people around you, so you easily take their worries on as well. It doesn't say anything will happen. It only reminds you that in that palace's affairs, caring is fine, but don't empty yourself out.

Diao Ke in key palaces

• Life Palace: this year people often come to you for help or to talk through their worries. Keep some time for yourself.
• Wealth Palace: more money goes on other people: gifts, loans, picking up the bill. Decide your own limit first.
• Career Palace: you often clean up after others or fill in for them at work. Check your own progress before you help.
• Spouse Palace: you tend to make your partner's worries your own. Being there is enough; you don't have to solve everything for them.
• Parents Palace: your elders' affairs need more of your attention. Call more often and visit home more.
• Fortune Palace: your mind easily fills up with other people's matters. Write them down before bed so your head can let go.

Natal and annual, read separately

The natal Diao Ke is placed by your birth-year branch; Xingge treats it as background and doesn't read it separately. The one read is the annual Diao Ke: on the first day of each lunar year it moves one palace along with Tai Sui, and you can see it when you switch the chart to an Annual Luck. There's no god of the same name in the Twelve Erudite Gods (Bo Shi) or the Twelve General Gods (Jiang Qian), so this is the only Diao Ke on the chart.