Leo in Zi Wei Dou Shu: a sign that loves the spotlight can have a low-key Life Palace
Leo birthdays fall in the sixth or seventh lunar month, with the sixth slightly ahead. The table below pairs each birth hour with the two palaces Leo Life Palaces fall in most.
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Leo: where your Life Palace sits by birth hour
| Birth hour | Life Palace usually in |
|---|---|
| Zi (23–01) | Wei 52%, Shen 48% |
| Chou (01–03) | Wu 52%, Wei 48% |
| Yin (03–05) | Si 52%, Wu 48% |
| Mao (05–07) | Chen 52%, Si 48% |
| Chen (07–09) | Mao 52%, Chen 48% |
| Si (09–11) | Yin 52%, Mao 48% |
| Wu (11–13) | Chou 52%, Yin 48% |
| Wei (13–15) | Zi 52%, Chou 48% |
| Shen (15–17) | Hai 52%, Zi 48% |
| You (17–19) | Xu 52%, Hai 48% |
| Xu (19–21) | You 52%, Xu 48% |
| Hai (21–23) | Shen 52%, You 48% |
Counted from one chart for every day and double-hour, 1950–2009; not population data. Life Palace stars are spread almost the same for Leo as for every other sign: about 8% for each of the 14 main stars and 16% empty (see all twelve signs).
Which of these is yours? Draw your chart to find out.
Leo has a reputation for confidence, generosity and a liking for the middle of the room, the person you notice as soon as they walk in. In Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology), that picture doesn't carry over. One Leo can have Tian Xiang in the Life Palace and prefer arranging things from behind the scenes, another sensitive Tai Yin, a third easygoing Tian Tong. The difference comes from your birth hour and your lunar birth day.
The short version:
- Leo starts at the solar term Major Heat, so Leo birthdays fall in the sixth or seventh lunar month, about 52% and 48%.
- Across one chart for every day and every double-hour from 1950 to 2009, each of the fourteen main stars sits in a Leo's Life Palace 8.28–8.39% of the time, and the palace is empty about 16.4% of the time. Every other sign shows the same spread.
- The sixth or seventh month and your double-hour place the Life Palace; the lunar day and your Five Elements Bureau set the star in it.
- One chart from the form above shows your Life Palace star, or use the Life Palace star lookup for a quick answer.
What Leo is in Zi Wei Dou Shu
Leo starts at Major Heat, the hottest stretch of the year and the "middle" solar term of the sixth lunar month. The next term, End of Heat, falls in the seventh month, and there Virgo takes over. So Leo birthdays fall in the sixth and seventh months, with the sixth at about 52%.
The sixth month sits in the Wei palace and the seventh in Shen, side by side, so when a birthday crosses the first of a lunar month, the Life Palace shifts one palace. July 23, 1984, the first day of Leo that year, was the 25th of the sixth lunar month; five days later, July 28 was already the 1st of the seventh. Born in the Zi hour, the first would have the Life Palace in Wei and the second in Shen: same sign, one palace apart. August 12, the example in the next section, is also in the seventh month, and its Zi hour lands in Shen too. Astrology names the Sun as Leo's ruler, while Zi Wei's Tai Yang is a main star placed by following the Zi Wei star, found in about 8.36% of Leo Life Palaces, close to every other star. For the wider comparison, see the overview.
One day, twelve double-hours
Take one Leo birthday: August 12, 1984, the sixteenth day of the seventh lunar month. Here is the Life Palace for each of the twelve hours that day:
| Double-hour | Life Palace | Main stars |
|---|---|---|
| Zi | Shen | Empty (borrows Tai Yang, Ju Men) |
| Chou | Wei | Tian Fu |
| Yin | Wu | Tai Yang |
| Mao | Si | Wu Qu, Po Jun |
| Chen | Chen | Tian Tong |
| Si | Mao | Tai Yang, Tian Liang |
| Wu | Yin | Wu Qu, Tian Xiang |
| Wei | Chou | Lian Zhen, Qi Sha |
| Shen | Zi | Tian Liang |
| You | Hai | Tai Yin |
| Xu | Xu | Lian Zhen, Tian Fu |
| Hai | You | Lian Zhen, Po Jun |
Ten of the fourteen main stars take a turn in the Life Palace that day; Zi Wei, Tian Ji, Ju Men and Tan Lang don't. Only two hours, Yin and Si, put Tai Yang in the Life Palace. Three hours side by side:
- Yin hour: Tai Yang. Tai Yang people are warm-hearted and willing to step up and do things for others without keeping score. This is the type closest to the usual Leo picture, but the match comes from the lunar day and the hour. Move a few hours either way on the same day and it is gone.
- You hour: Tai Yin. Tai Yin people are sensitive and turned inward. They like quiet surroundings and look after the people close to them carefully, often without saying so. Same birthday, one like the midday sun and one like the moon at night.
- Chen hour: Tian Tong. Tian Tong is the star of good fortune. These people are easygoing, care about a comfortable life and would rather give ground than argue. Instead of taking the stage, they want a room where everyone is having a good time.
Three Leos born on the same day: one warm and quick to step forward, one quiet and attentive, one relaxed and happy to let others lead. On this day, meeting the Leo everyone has in mind depends on picking the right hour.
Common Zi Wei types among Leos
Every main star has about the same chance of sitting in a Leo's Life Palace. Here are three that make an interesting contrast with the "born for the spotlight" image.
Tian Xiang in the Life Palace: the Leo who runs things from backstage. Tian Xiang is the seal star, good at coordinating and keeping things in order, and at home next to whoever is in charge. This Leo still cares about appearances, from clothes to how an event looks, but cares more about the whole thing going well than about personal credit.
Qi Sha in the Life Palace: the Leo who doesn't need the applause. Qi Sha is the general star, independent and decisive, used to taking on hard problems alone. This Leo still stands at the front, but what matters is getting the job done. Whether anyone claps comes second, and they are often the first to leave the celebration.
Tian Fu in the Life Palace: the Leo who is generous and still saves. Tian Fu is the treasury star, steady and accommodating, good at holding on to resources and building them up. This Leo has the same big-hearted air and still picks up the bill, but keeps a clear account and won't empty the savings just to look good.
All three can hold a room. One does it from backstage, one from the front line, one from beside the ledger.
How to find your Life Palace
Find your birth hour and check it against the table above to see which two palaces your Life Palace is likely in. Casting your birth chart with the form tells you which of the two it is and what star sits there. If the hour is fuzzy, ask family or look for it on a birth certificate or hospital records.
FAQ
What star is a Leo in Zi Wei Dou Shu?
There isn't a fixed one. Leo only tells you where your solar birthday falls; the Life Palace star is worked out separately from the lunar day, the hour and the Five Elements Bureau. Across one chart for every day and double-hour from 1950 to 2009, each of the fourteen main stars sits in a Leo's Life Palace 8.28–8.39% of the time, and the palace is empty about 16.4% of the time. Any star could be yours.
Leo is ruled by the Sun. Are Leos more likely to have Tai Yang in the Life Palace?
No. In our charts, Tai Yang sits in a Leo's Life Palace about 8.36% of the time, less than a tenth of a percentage point above the rarest star, Tan Lang (about 8.28%), and Tai Yang sits near 8.3% in every other sign too. The astrological Sun is the real sun moving along the ecliptic. Tai Yang in Zi Wei Dou Shu is a star in your chart, and its palace depends on your lunar day and hour. They share a name, and they are worked out completely separately.
Many Leos are born in the seventh lunar month, the Ghost Month. Does that matter in Zi Wei Dou Shu?
Not in Zi Wei Dou Shu. In a chart, the seventh lunar month is simply a month used to place the Life Palace: a Leo born in the Zi hour in the seventh month has the Life Palace in Shen, and one born in the sixth month has it in Wei. Being born in the seventh month doesn't add any special star, and the system doesn't treat it as better or worse.
A Leo wants to know if they are suited to leading people. Where does Zi Wei Dou Shu look?
Start with the Life Palace star, then look at the Career Palace. The Life Palace is your own character and way of doing things; the Career Palace shows how you work, including whether you tend to make the calls yourself or support and coordinate within a team. People with Zi Wei or Qi Sha in the Career Palace, for example, are often described as able to run their own show, while Tian Xiang or Tian Tong there tends to do well in coordinating and support roles. You need your own chart to read the two palaces together.
Sun sign, MBTI or Zi Wei Dou Shu — what’s the difference?See which of the 15 you are in 30 sec ›
Other signs
This is the general reading. On your own chart it shifts with the stars' brightness, the San Fang Si Zheng and the year you are in.
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