Nine Palaces and Directions
The Nine Palaces grid is the spatial foundation of Qimen Dunjia. Each palace corresponds to a compass direction and carries inherent qualities from the Later Heaven Bagua arrangement.
The Nine Palaces Layout
| Palace | Direction | Bagua | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Kan) | North | ☵ | Water |
| 2 (Kun) | Southwest | ☷ | Earth |
| 3 (Zhen) | East | ☳ | Wood |
| 4 (Xun) | Southeast | ☴ | Wood |
| 5 (Center) | Center | — | Earth |
| 6 (Qian) | Northwest | ☰ | Metal |
| 7 (Dui) | West | ☱ | Metal |
| 8 (Gen) | Northeast | ☶ | Earth |
| 9 (Li) | South | ☲ | Fire |
Why Directions Matter
In Qimen Dunjia, "direction" applies to both physical orientation and to domains of activity:
- Northeast (Palace 8) relates to stability, real estate, persistence
- South (Palace 9) relates to visibility, recognition, public affairs
- North (Palace 1) relates to hidden matters, career depth, wisdom
Reading the Grid
A Qimen chart is read by examining which symbols land in which palace at a given time — and what that combination suggests about the quality of different actions or directions for that moment.