What is Guan Fu?

A clause missing from a contract, a verbal promise never written down, a line in a group chat taken the wrong way: for this kind of "it wasn't said clearly" trouble, the chart has Guan Fu (Official Tally) as a reminder. Its name contains the word for "official," and the ancients thought of courts and disputes; today it's mostly about documents, rules, contracts and communication. To find which palace this year's Guan Fu falls in, draw your chart.

What Guan Fu is: fifth of the Twelve Year Gods

Guan Fu belongs to the Twelve Year Gods (Sui Qian) and comes fifth, four palaces on from Sui Jian. 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.

Two palaces behind Tai Sui is Diao Ke, and the palace opposite Diao Ke is this god. Here the Quan Shu writes Guan Fu with the character for "office"; today's charting software writes it with the character for "tally," to keep it apart from the Bo Shi Guan Fu. In a Zi year Guan Fu is in Chen, in a Chou year in Si, and so on; in 2027, a Ding Wei year, it's in Hai.

The supplemented Tai Wei Fu in volume one of the Quan Shu has this line:

One who loves lawsuits does so because Tai Sui meets Guan Fu.

The ancients said that someone whose Tai Sui meets Guan Fu is fond of disputes. In today's words: that year you tend to lock horns with people over who's right, and once words harden, they're hard to take back.

In the Annual Luck, Guan Fu always sits in the Annual Career Palace

Sui Jian sits in the Annual Life Palace, and four palaces on is exactly the Annual Career Palace. Rules, contracts, performance reviews and procedures at work are where Guan Fu shows up most often. Guan Fu also forms one trine with Sui Jian and Bai Hu, so it sits close to Tai Sui.

What Guan Fu means, in plain words

You tend to run into disputes over words or rules; put it in black and white and say things clearly. Guan Fu doesn't say what trouble you'll get into. It only reminds you that in that palace's affairs, verbal agreements should go into writing, rules should be read first, and when emotions rise, pause before you reply.

Guan Fu in key palaces

• Life Palace: this year you tend to speak bluntly, and people may pick at your words. Draft important messages first.
• Wealth Palace: money matters can lead to disputes over accounts or contracts. Keep receipts and transfer records.
• Career Palace: lots of rules and procedures; read reports, sign-offs and contracts closely. Ask about anything unclear on the spot.
• Spouse Palace: arguments over who's being reasonable come easily. Hear your partner out, then give your side.
• Travel Palace: check the rules before you travel: visas, car rentals, cancellation terms.
• Property Palace: leases, property documents, building rules and the like: read them through before you sign.

Not the same as Guan Fu in the Twelve Erudite Gods

The twelfth of the Twelve Erudite Gods (Bo Shi) is also Guan Fu, written with the character for "office." It is counted from Lu Cun, never moves for life, and says that palace is prone to rules and disputes by nature. The Year God Guan Fu follows Tai Sui and changes position each year; it's that year's reminder. The two mean similar things, and when they meet in the same palace, Xingge gives only the annual line. When volume two of the Quan Shu assigns elements to the stars, it likewise writes that the "office" Guan Fu "governs official disputes," while separately listing the "tally" Guan Fu as fire: the two are distinct.

Natal and annual, read separately

The natal Guan Fu is placed by your birth-year branch; Xingge treats it as background and doesn't read it separately. The one read is the annual Guan Fu: on the first day of each lunar year it moves one palace along with Tai Sui. Switch the chart to an Annual Luck to see it.