What is Long De?

You're stuck halfway, and someone happens to pass you a contact; something you thought you'd have to carry alone ends up shared. Long De (Dragon Virtue) is about those times when someone catches you. It's one of the two most comfortable gods to read in the Twelve Year Gods (Sui Qian), the other being Tian De. To find which palace this year's Long De falls in, draw your chart.

What Long De is: eighth of the Twelve Year Gods

Long De comes eighth, seven palaces on from Sui Jian, after Da Hao and before Bai Hu. In a Zi year Long De is in Wei, in a Chou year in Shen, and so on; in 2027, a Ding Wei year, it's in Yin.

In the Annual Luck, Sui Jian sits in the Annual Life Palace, and seven palaces on is the Annual Health Palace. With Long De there, you can read it as: this year, when you're tired, someone looks out for you and there's somewhere to catch your breath. Long De forms one trine with Guan Suo and Bing Fu: the moments you feel tied down and worn out are often when helpers show up.

The Zi Wei Dou Shu Quan Shu (The Complete Book of Zi Wei Dou Shu) doesn't include Long De. It only gives the placement of four: Sang Men, Diao Ke, Bai Hu and Guan Fu. Long De was added later, when the full set was completed.

What Long De means, in plain words

Helpers often step in to get you out of a bind, and there's room to turn things around; keep goodwill in your heart, and good fortune comes back. Long De doesn't stop problems from happening. It means that when they do, someone or something is more likely to catch you. Its meaning is clearest when it meets the main stars, Hua Lu, or helper stars like Tian Kui and Tian Yue (Heavenly Halberd).

Long De in key palaces

• Life Palace: when you hit a hard spot this year, people often reach out unasked. There's no shame in asking for help.
• Wealth Palace: when money is briefly tight, there's often someone or some way to help. Talk it over with someone reliable first.
• Career Palace: when work stalls, someone speaks up for you or points the way. Talk more with mentors and managers.
• Spouse Palace: friction between you finds a way out more easily. When one of you steps back first, you make up.
• Health Palace: when you're tired, someone looks out for you, and it's easier to find the kind of rest that suits you.
• Travel Palace: when trouble comes up away from home, people often help. Make good connections when you're out.

The Long De minor star on Zhongzhou charts

If you switch on the Zhongzhou school in the chart settings, the chart gains a Long De minor star. It takes its position directly from the natal Year God Long De, so on the natal chart the two Long De always share a palace. The difference is in the Annual Luck: the Year God moves each year with the year's branch, while the minor star stays put on the natal chart. By default Xingge charts by the Quan Shu, so this minor star only appears with the Zhongzhou setting. Zhongzhou course notes say Long De governs benefits and protection from the government or public institutions, and sometimes commendations. That points the same way as Xingge's "someone catches you," just leaning more toward public bodies.

Natal and annual, read separately

The natal Long De is placed by your birth-year branch. Xingge treats it as background, and the palace readings don't cover it separately. The one read is the annual Long De: on the first day of each lunar year it moves one palace along with Tai Sui. Switch the chart to an Annual Luck, and the small label in the corner moves to that year's position.