A Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Chinese
Astrology: Foundational Texts and Scholarly
Resources
Ancient Chinese astrology, deeply intertwined with astronomy, philosophy, and statecraft,
represents one of the oldest continuous astrological traditions. This report synthesizes critical
texts, historical developments, and modern scholarship to provide a systematic bibliography for
practitioners and researchers.
Foundational Texts and Early Astronomical Works
Treatise on Astrology of the Kaiyuan Era (Kaiyuan Zhanjing, 724 CE)
Compiled under the Tang dynasty by Gautama Siddha and a team of scholars, the Kaiyuan
Zhanjing (開元占經) is a 120-volume encyclopedia preserving fragments of lost works, including
star catalogs by Shi Shen and Gan De [1] . Key contributions include:
Integration of Indian astronomy: A translated Navagraha calendar in Chapter 104,
demonstrating cross-cultural exchanges [1] .
Star catalogs: Shi Shen’s Celestial Map and Gan De’s Treatise on Jupiter, which
documented Jupiter’s moons and solar phenomena [2] [3] .
Mathematical advances: Aryabhata’s sine table, adapted for Chinese celestial
calculations [1] .
This text, rediscovered in the 17th century by Cheng Mingshan, remains indispensable for
reconstructing Warring States-period (475–221 BCE) astrological practices.
Shi Shen and Gan De: Pioneers of Star Catalogs
Shi Shen (4th century BCE), a Wei state astronomer, authored the Astronomy (Shishi Tianwen),
which detailed 121 stars and included the earliest recorded sunspot observations [2] . His Star
Catalogue of Shi influenced later works like the Kaiyuan Zhanjing, particularly in lunar mansion
(xiu) classifications [4] .
Gan De, a contemporary from Qi, wrote the Treatise on Astronomical Astrology, which described
Jupiter’s orbital patterns and possibly the Galilean moon Ganymede in 365 BCE [3] . Fragments
preserved in the Kaiyuan Zhanjing reveal his methodology for correlating planetary movements
with earthly events [1] .
The Twenty-Eight Mansions and Cosmic Symbolism
Twenty-Eight Mansions (Èrshíbā Xiù) System
The Twenty-Eight Mansions, dividing the ecliptic into lunar stations, formed the backbone of
Chinese calendrical and divinatory practices [4] . Each mansion corresponds to a constellation
group:
Azure Dragon (Qinglong): Governs spring and eastern directions, with mansions like Jiao
(Horn, α Vir) marking the spring equinox [4] .
Vermilion Bird (Zhuque): Associated with summer and south, including Zhang (Net, υ¹
Hydrae) for solstice rituals [4] .
Ming dynasty paintings from Baoning Temple depict these mansions as Taoist generals,
reflecting their integration into religious iconography [4] .
Philosophical and Calendar Systems
Wuxing (Five Phases) and Cosmic Harmony
The Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) formalized the interplay of yin-yang and wuxing (Wood,
Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) into astrological practice [5] . Texts like the Book of Han (漢書) detail:
Planetary correlations: Mars linked to Fire and the Vermilion Bird, Saturn to Earth and
stability [5] .
Political applications: Emperor Wu’s reign (141–87 BCE) used wuxing cycles to legitimize
dynastic changes [5] .
The Chinese Lunisolar Calendar
Stemming from Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE) advancements, the calendar integrated:
Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches: A 60-year cycle combining 10 stems (e.g., Jia, Yi)
and 12 branches (e.g., Zi, Chou) [6] .
Solar terms (jieqi): 24 divisions aligning agricultural activities with celestial events, such as
Lichun (Start of Spring) determined by Jupiter’s position [5] .
Divination and Metaphysical Systems
Ba Zi (Four Pillars of Destiny)
Developed during the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), Ba Zi uses birth dates to construct a Destiny
Chart (Ming Pan) based on [6] :
Four Pillars: Year, Month, Day, and Hour, each with a Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch [6] .
Qi dynamics: The interplay of Heavenly (celestial influences), Earthly (geographical), and
Human (personal) energies [6] .
The Hour Pillar, for instance, predicts offspring potential through the Children Palace (Hour
Branch), modified by interactions with the Day Master [6] .
Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology)
Systematized by Chen Xi Yi in the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE), this system centers on the Zi
Wei star (Polaris) as the celestial emperor [7] . Key texts include:
Original Ming dynasty manuals: Detailing 108 stars in the Purple Palace chart, with Tianji
(Heavenly Machine) governing strategy and Taiyang (Sun) dictating authority [7] .
Court applications: Qing dynasty astrologers used Zi Wei charts to time imperial edicts and
military campaigns, ensuring alignment with Tianming (Mandate of Heaven) [7] .
Imperial and Medieval Developments
Yisi Zhan (645 CE) by Li Chunfeng
This Tang-era text, precursor to the Kaiyuan Zhanjing, introduced:
Comet divination: Classifying hui (broom stars) by tail direction to predict invasions [1] .
Eclipse calculations: Using the saros cycle 18-year periodicity, adapted from Babylonian
astronomy [1] .
Ming Dynasty State Astrology
The Imperial Astronomical Bureau relied on texts like the Da Tong Li (Great Unified Calendar),
which:
Standardized ephemerides: Jupiter’s 12-year cycle linked to earthly Shichen (two-hour
periods) [5] .
Regulated rituals: Correlating lunar mansion positions with sacrifices to Tian (Heaven) and
ancestral temples [4] .
Modern Scholarship and Resources
Academic Studies
Joseph Needham’s Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 3 (1959) analyzes Han
dynasty astrological-philosophical synthesis [5] .
Xi Zezong’s Research: Identified Gan De’s Jupiter moon observation in 1981, revising
histories of astronomical discovery [3] .
Digital Repositories
Complete Library of the Four Treasuries: Hosts digitized Kaiyuan Zhanjing manuscripts via
the National Library of China [1] .
Wisdom Library: Provides searchable Twenty-Eight Mansions iconography from Baoning
Temple [4] .
Conclusion: Reconstructing Ancient Practice
Mastering ancient Chinese astrology requires engagement with primary sources like the Kaiyuan
Zhanjing [1] and Ba Zi [6] , supplemented by Ming-Qing ritual manuals. Scholars must reconcile
wuxing theory [5] with computational astronomy, while practitioners adapt Zi Wei Dou Shu [7] star
placements to modern birth charts. Digital archives now enable unprecedented access to once-
restricted imperial texts, fostering renewed interest in this cosmological tradition.
⁂
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treatise_on_Astrology_of_the_Kaiyuan_Era
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi_Shen
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gan_De
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-Eight_Mansions
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrology
6. https://baziadvisor.com/posts/demystifying-the-ancient-art-of-ba-zi
7. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/history-zi-wei-dou-shu-dougles-chan-he6jc
