Forty-eight symbolic stars（四十八神煞）
Compared with miscellaneous stars（雜曜）, symbolic stars（神煞） mainly suggest demeanor rather than distinct personality traits, and do not change the natal chart’s underlying character. They serve as modifiers, but are used more widely in time-cycle（運限） analysis and Zi Wei Dou Shu divination（紫占）. The forty-eight symbolic stars fall into two types. The twelve growth-stage stars（長生十二神） and twelve Doctor-cycle stars（博士十二神） are fixed at birth and have long-term effects. The yearly General-front stars（流年將前十二神） and Year-front stars（流年歲前十二神） change with the year, so their effects are temporary.
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Twelve growth-stage stars
born（長生）
Adds curiosity and innovative thinking.
infancy（沐浴）
Prefers clean surroundings and can be easily unsettled or impatient.
adolescence（冠帶）
Adds youthful vigor, possessiveness, and a strong competitive drive.
adulthood（臨官）
Strengthens independence, like a more pronounced form of adolescence（冠帶）.
prime（帝旺）
Adds self-confidence and a sense of satisfaction with one’s achievements.
weak（衰）
Reduces desire and enthusiasm, giving a more mature, rational impression.
sick（病）
Resembles sickly（天月） in impression, adding thoughtfulness but reducing the drive to act.
dead（死）
Suggests limited drive and a tendency to feel daunted by difficulties.
buried（墓）
Suggests a low-profile manner, limited drive, frugality, and living within one’s means.
dissipated（絕）
Suggests a passive attitude, limited enthusiasm, and less desire to socialize.
embryo（胎）
Adds a desire to express oneself and seek change.
molding（養）
Increases curiosity and represents hope.
Twelve Doctor-cycle stars
doctor（博士） Water 🌊
Increases intelligence, knowledge, and the ability to think things through.
sumo（力士） Fire 🔥
Adds persistence, bravery, resilience, and decisiveness, with a tendency toward individual heroism.
dragon（青龍） Water 🌊
Strengthens the ability to act and react quickly, with strong ambition.
consumer（小耗） Fire 🔥
Suggests a bold, expansive manner, little concern for small formalities, and limited perseverance.
general（將軍） Wood 🪵
Increases possessiveness and the desire to hold power.
book（奏書） Metal 🪙
Strengthens writing and comprehension skills.
gossip（飛廉） Fire 🔥
Adds curiosity and a desire to express oneself, though the expression may not appeal to others.
happiness（喜神） Fire 🔥
Adds a celebratory air, but also a tendency to delay things.
illness（病符） Water 🌊
Has traits similar to sickly（天月）.
wastrel（大耗） Fire 🔥
Adds a tendency toward speculation and gambling.
ambush（伏兵） Fire 🔥
Adds suspiciousness and insecurity.
government（官府） Fire 🔥
Increases the likelihood of disputes, controversy, or legal trouble.
Twelve yearly General-front stars
The twelve General-front stars（將前十二神） are placed according to the yearly cycle（流年）. They describe changing mindsets or emotions rather than alter the natal chart, and their effects are read at the monthly（流月） and daily（流日） levels.
capable（將星）
Acts like an energy boost, making a person appear more alert and lively.
admired（攀鞍）
Acts like a temporary version of senior（三台） and dignified（八座）, briefly increasing visibility and recognition.
varied（歲驛）
Resembles horse（天馬）, representing change, transitions, and being on the move, with a desire to alter one’s circumstances.
listless（息神）
Weakens resolve and can create a defeatist attitude, making it easier to give up when difficulties arise.
religious（華蓋）
Acts like a temporary religious（華蓋）, affecting only monthly（流月） and daily（流日） cycles.
robbed（劫煞）
Can bring a sudden feeling of mental pressure.
disastery（災煞）
Suggests an unexpected problem or annoyance.
condemned（天煞）
Suggests pressure from older family members or superiors.
insidious（指背）
Suggests being the subject of gossip behind one’s back.
passionate（咸池）
Acts like a temporary passionate（咸池）.
hapless（月煞）
Represents a kind of pressure from women.
perished（亡神）
Suggests absent-mindedness and accidental losses, such as misplacing belongings or wasting money on an unneeded purchase.
Twelve yearly Year-front stars
Like the twelve General-front stars（將前十二神）, these stars move with the yearly cycle（流年） and temporarily affect monthly（流月） and daily（流日） readings.
initial（歲建）
Always occupies the yearly soul palace（流年命宮）, representing the beginning of the year.
unlucky（晦氣）
Adds emotional instability—the unsettled feeling people sometimes jokingly blame on “Mercury retrograde.”
downcast（喪門）
Adds pessimistic feelings.
tied（貫索）
Increases the feeling of being constrained.
official（官符）
Suggests legal disputes or dealings with public authorities.
consumer（小耗）
Adds a desire to spend.
wastrel（大耗）
Adds a desire to spend, especially on shared activities with someone of the opposite sex.
virtuous（龍德）
Adds luck in material matters and reduces malefic-star（煞星） influences.
sinister（白虎）
Adds impulsiveness and strengthens malefic-star（煞星） influences.
blessed（天德）
Increases recognition and reduces malefic-star（煞星） influences.
sorrowing（弔客）
Adds pessimism and strengthens malefic-star（煞星） influences.
illness（病符）
Adds a sickly impression and strengthens malefic-star（煞星） influences.