Qualitative and Quantitative Readings in Zi Wei Dou Shu

"Quantitative" asks whether the influence of the stars in Zi Wei Dou Shu can be measured with numbers. Across the internet, many comments argue that the strength of a star can be expressed in numbers. The most typical example is the claim about how strongly a star acts when it sits in the palace itself, in the trine, or in the palace across. According to this view, the influence is spread out as in the table below:

Position of the star	Assumed influence (out of 100)
The palace itself	100
The palace across	60
The trine	30

Table 1.1. The view that assigns an assumed degree of influence by star position

Does this quantitative claim hold up? We know that to read a palace you must read the four palaces that shape it. Beyond that, many theories accept that a star's influence falls through three qualitative levels: from the palace itself, to the palace across, then to the two trine palaces. (The two trine palaces have equal influence.)

You can see that the long-accepted theory is really the qualitative part of Zi Wei Dou Shu. When we use percentages to measure it, the figure is only a relative number, because anyone who pushes back can ask a simple question: why 60% and not 65% or 70%?

Nobody can answer that question, and nobody can point to a source for applying quantitative methods to Zi Wei Dou Shu. We also cannot measure with specific numbers because each person feels things differently and has a different sense of satisfaction. So in the end, Zi Wei Dou Shu at this point can only be qualitative, not quantitative.

Is Zi Wei Dou Shu a "Multi-Solution Equation"?

Some people who apply mathematics to Zi Wei Dou Shu have put forward the idea that "Zi Wei Dou Shu is a multi-solution equation". In that view, results or tendencies are the solutions, determined by input data that are fixed constants.

However, the input data are qualitative, not quantitative. For example, if the input is an action that creates a risk of failure, it may raise the tendency toward failure, but it cannot confirm that failure will happen. Because the inputs are qualitative, you cannot say 1 + 1 = 2 the way you can in mathematics.

"Multi-solution" reflects a band of results that are fairly likely, not a result that is exact down to the last digit. So every result in Zi Wei Dou Shu is a tendency. It is qualitative, not quantitative.

Telling Good From Very Good, Bad From Very Bad

Separating bad from very bad, good from very good, or hard from very hard is a tough problem in Zi Wei Dou Shu. Take two people, one who wins $10 million in a lottery and one who wins $100 million. Who is better off?

From the qualitative and quantitative analysis above, it is hard to say which is better. If a billionaire wins $100 million, he may treat it as ordinary, nice to have a little more. But if someone who has lived in hardship for a long time suddenly wins $10 million, it is surely great joy.

So it is very hard to separate bad from very bad or good from very good. In a reading, the usual approach is to point out the good parts and judge something as good. It is not to exaggerate it into "very good", or to talk as if someone could soar to the sky. The same goes for the bad side.

Not being able to measure also means two identical charts will not have exactly the same outcome. They share only the same tendency. Whether a person acts on that tendency is up to their own decisions, and their circumstances and potential decide the real-world result.

Keeping Qualitative and Quantitative Apart

Sticking to qualitative conclusions gives people who read Zi Wei Dou Shu a more objective view. On the other hand, a quantitative view is usually only a reference that helps learners understand the method and how to apply it. So the two have to be kept clearly apart, or you may fall into bias, or into superstition, such as using Zi Wei Dou Shu as a tool to measure the results you want to see.

Closing Thoughts

Raising the accuracy of qualitative judgments in Zi Wei Dou Shu is a big challenge for researchers. Still, as more people study and develop the field over time, Zi Wei Dou Shu may show qualitative factors with higher accuracy, better suited to guiding people and leading them toward good things.

If you would like to look at your own chart and the tendencies the stars in each palace may bring, you can lay out your Zi Wei Dou Shu chart on HOROS.