Ancient Eighteen Flying Stars
Zi Wei Dou Shu Birth Hour: 12 Shichen Double-Hour Table
Convert a recorded birth time into the twelve Chinese shichen used by Zi Wei Dou Shu, with all double-hour ranges, boundary checks, and birthplace-based time handling.
Direct answer
Zi Wei Dou Shu maps the birth moment to one of twelve shichen, or double-hours. Enter the local civil time recorded at birth and the birthplace; after the time basis and true solar time are confirmed, the corrected time is assigned to a two-hour branch. Zi hour spans 23:00–01:00, then each branch advances in two-hour steps through Hai at 21:00–23:00.
How to read it
A shichen is a traditional Chinese time division named by one of the twelve Earthly Branches. In modern clock notation each period covers two hours. The sequence is Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai. The first range crosses midnight, so Zi runs from 23:00 to 01:00 rather than beginning at 00:00.
For a birth chart, do not choose a branch from the wall clock before confirming the time basis. Start with the local civil date and time on the birth record, then identify the birthplace, historical time zone, and any daylight-saving rule. Destin Field uses the birthplace longitude and the equation of time to show true solar time before assigning the shichen.
Most corrections stay inside the same two-hour range. The important cases are near a boundary: a corrected time of 08:58 belongs to Chen, while 09:02 belongs to Si. A few minutes can therefore matter at the edge even though the chart does not treat every minute as a separate branch. Keep the recorded minutes instead of rounding first.
Use the table as an input check, not as a separate personality test or zodiac-animal reading. In the Ancient Eighteen Flying Stars method, the selected birth branch participates in the fixed chart calculation. If the time is unknown or spans more than one range, compare candidates or use the separate birth-time reconstruction journey rather than choosing a favorable branch.
The twelve shichen and modern clock ranges
Zi 子 · 23:00–01:00
The first double-hour crosses midnight, from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Chou 丑 · 01:00–03:00
From 1 a.m. up to the 3 a.m. boundary.
Yin 寅 · 03:00–05:00
From 3 a.m. up to the 5 a.m. boundary.
Mao 卯 · 05:00–07:00
From 5 a.m. up to the 7 a.m. boundary.
Chen 辰 · 07:00–09:00
From 7 a.m. up to the 9 a.m. boundary.
Si 巳 · 09:00–11:00
From 9 a.m. up to the 11 a.m. boundary.
Wu 午 · 11:00–13:00
From 11 a.m. up to the 1 p.m. boundary.
Wei 未 · 13:00–15:00
From 1 p.m. up to the 3 p.m. boundary.
Shen 申 · 15:00–17:00
From 3 p.m. up to the 5 p.m. boundary.
You 酉 · 17:00–19:00
From 5 p.m. up to the 7 p.m. boundary.
Xu 戌 · 19:00–21:00
From 7 p.m. up to the 9 p.m. boundary.
Hai 亥 · 21:00–23:00
From 9 p.m. up to the 11 p.m. boundary.
Example
A recorded birth time of 09:06 does not automatically mean Si hour. After birthplace-based correction it might remain 09:06 and stay in Si, or move to 08:54 and enter Chen. Enter the record and birthplace first; use the displayed corrected time to confirm the branch.
Common misunderstandings
- The shichen animal is not a second birth-year zodiac sign or a complete personality label.
- Zi Wei Dou Shu does not require converting an overseas birth record into China time.
- Minutes are not ignored when the corrected time is close to a branch boundary.
Reading boundary
This table explains the time input used by the documented chart method. It is not a scientific personality test, a guaranteed prediction, or a substitute for an uncertain birth record.
Questions people ask
What is shichen in Zi Wei Dou Shu?
Shichen is the twelve-part traditional day. Each branch covers a modern two-hour range and supplies the birth-hour branch used by the named chart method.
Which Chinese hour is 11:30 p.m.?
On the standard table, 23:30 lies in Zi hour. Enter the recorded date, time, and birthplace so the corrected time and date basis can be confirmed consistently.
Do I use local birth time or Beijing time?
Use the local civil time recorded at the birthplace. Destin Field confirms its historical time-zone and true-solar-time basis; it does not replace an overseas record with Beijing time.
What if my corrected time is exactly on a boundary?
Treat it as a boundary case. Preserve the minutes and location data, inspect the adjacent branch candidates, and avoid presenting one chart as certain without stronger evidence.
Editorial record
Research sources
Chart positions are calculated from documented rules. The written interpretation explains those positions in modern language. A reply from the site owner is a separate human opinion; neither is presented as a quotation from the historical texts.
- System
- Textual Reconstruction of the Ancient Eighteen Flying Stars System
- Author
- Yilong Cheng
- Source review
- Destin Field source review
- Updated
- Wikisource — Purple Star Astrology, Xu Daozang edition
- Chinese Text Project — Purple Star Astrology, Volume One
- Historical edition — Complete Fine Manuscript of the Eighteen Flying Stars Purple Star Astrology, ISBN 9789866171680 (translated bibliographic title, not the Destin Field system name)
- Hong Kong Observatory — Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches
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