Nine Palaces in Qimen: Numbers, Directions, and Elements
The nine palaces are the chart’s fixed coordinate grid: Kan 1 north, Kun 2 southwest, Zhen 3 east, Xun 4 southeast, Center 5, Qian 6 northwest, Dui 7 west,…
Overview
The nine palaces are the chart’s fixed coordinate grid: Kan 1 north, Kun 2 southwest, Zhen 3 east, Xun 4 southeast, Center 5, Qian 6 northwest, Dui 7 west, Gen 8 northeast, and Li 9 south. Each palace also carries a trigram and element. The eight outer palaces form the rotating ring; Center 5 is handled by the declared center rule. Palace branches are used to locate Xun void and the horse branch, while palace elements support relation and strain calculations.
At a glance
- Page role
- Foundation concept
- Terms covered
- Lo Shu nine palaces · Qimen nine palace grid
- Verification focus
- The eight outer palaces form the rotating ring; Center 5 is handled by the declared center rule. Palace branches are used to locate Xun void and the horse branch, while palace elements support relation and strain calculations.
- Stop rule
- A direction on the board is not automatically a travel instruction. Real movement also requires location, route, time window, weather, access, and safety evidence.
Direct answer and scope
The nine palaces are the chart’s fixed coordinate grid: Kan 1 north, Kun 2 southwest, Zhen 3 east, Xun 4 southeast, Center 5, Qian 6 northwest, Dui 7 west, Gen 8 northeast, and Li 9 south. Each palace also carries a trigram and element.
- Names and related terms: Lo Shu nine palaces
- Names and related terms: Qimen nine palace grid
How the rule is formed or checked
The eight outer palaces form the rotating ring; Center 5 is handled by the declared center rule. Palace branches are used to locate Xun void and the horse branch, while palace elements support relation and strain calculations.
Keep the cast moment, UTC offset, method version, palace, and interacting symbols visible before adopting an interpretation.
How to use this in a reading
A symbol inherits context from where it lands, but it does not become identical to the palace. Record palace identity, the symbol’s own element, their relation, and any void or horse flag separately.
- Name the visible chart fact before assigning symbolic meaning.
- Compare the asker and matter anchors with every layer in their palaces.
- Record at least one supporting condition and one counter-signal.
- End with a reversible action and an observable review point.
Worked contrast
Open Gate is Metal by its own assignment. In Qian 6 Metal it is aligned; in Zhen 3 Wood it controls the palace and forms Men Po under the declared rule. The gate label stays Open Gate in both cases.
Common mistake and limit
A direction on the board is not automatically a travel instruction. Real movement also requires location, route, time window, weather, access, and safety evidence.
Sources and editorial basis
- 猪野毅「奇門遁甲の基礎的研究」Abstract and pp. 161–185: history and vocabulary; nine palaces; Three Wonders and Six Instruments; Eight Gates, Nine Stars, and deities; 排宮 and 飛宮 method distinction.A 2010 Hokkaido University research article used for historical vocabulary, the basic board structure, and the documented distinction between rotating-palace and flying-palace approaches. It does not test predictive accuracy.
- 《煙波釣叟歌》Wikisource lines 112–220: nine palaces, 陰陽遁, 三元, 值符/值使, 三奇六儀, 伏吟/反吟, gates, stars, vigor, 擊刑, 入墓, and selected patterns.A public-domain classical verse used only for the rule passages it actually states, including nine palaces, Yin and Yang Dun, Three Wonders and Six Instruments, Chief Star and Gate, gate and star sequences, vigor, and selected conditions. Legendary origin verses are not presented as verified history.
- OpenFate Qimen hour-chart methodOpenFate docs/QIMEN_SYSTEM.md, “Professional calculation contract,” “Interpretation and evidence contract,” and “Rule-source map,” source-reviewed 2026-09-12.Product-specific reference for OpenFate’s fixed-offset civil-time, hour-Qimen, rotating-plate, Chaibu implementation and its deterministic chart fields. A source review on 2026-09-12 does not prove live deployment, other schools, or predictive validity.