TL;DR: The Thái Tuế (Grand Duke) circle has 12 stars, and Long Đức (Dragon Virtue) is one of them. Placing this circle begins by putting Thái Tuế in the palace whose Earthly Branch matches the birth year, then moving forward in order, one star per palace, following the sequence Thiếu Dương (Young Yang), Tang Môn (Mourning), Thiếu Âm (Young Yin), Quan Phù (Official Symbol), Tử Phù (Death Symbol), Tuế Phá (Year Breaker), Long Đức (Dragon Virtue), Bạch Hổ (White Tiger), Phúc Đức (Fortune/Virtue), Điếu Khách (Mourning Guest), Trực Phù (Direct Symbol). In Vietnamese Tử Vi, Long Đức is classed among the virtuous fortune stars, linked to moral conduct and humaneness; the texts differ on how far it can clear illness and misfortune. Vietnamese Tử Vi texts such as Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên and Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học both confirm that Long Đức belongs to the Thái Tuế circle, while Tử Vi tổng hợp places Long Đức in the Tứ Đức group together with Thiên Đức, Nguyệt Đức and Phúc Đức.
What Is the Long Đức Star in Tử Vi?
Long Đức is an auxiliary star in the Thái Tuế ring of a Tử Vi chart. This article presents its placement and meaning as given in Vietnamese Tử Vi books. Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên by Vân Đằng Thái Thứ Lang writes: "First place Thái Tuế in the palace named after the Branch of the birth year"[1], and then one star is placed per palace in the forward direction. Among the eleven stars that follow Thái Tuế, Long Đức is the seventh, that is, the eighth star of the whole ring.
Long Đức is not a main star. Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên records Long Đức as belonging to Water, lists it in one entry with Phúc Đức (Earth) and describes the two stars as virtuous, upright, gentle, kind and charitable[1]. Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học by Việt Viêm Tử calls the four stars Thiên Đức, Nguyệt Đức, Long Đức and Phúc Đức "stars of blessing and goodness" (phúc thiện tinh)[2].
Long Đức is different from Long Trì. According to Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên, Long Trì is placed by counting forward from the Thìn palace as the Tý year to the birth year, forms a pair with Phượng Các, and does not belong to the Thái Tuế ring[1].
How Is Long Đức Placed According to Vietnamese Tử Vi Texts?
Placement Principles
According to Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên, placing the Thái Tuế ring involves two steps[1]:
- Step 1: Place Thái Tuế in the palace whose Earthly Branch matches the birth year. For example, someone born in a Tý year has Thái Tuế in the Tý palace; someone born in a Dần year has Thái Tuế in the Dần palace.
- Step 2: From the Thái Tuế palace, count clockwise (the forward direction of the 12 Earthly Branches), placing the stars in fixed order.
The order of the 12 stars in the Thái Tuế ring according to Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên is: Thái Tuế, Thiếu Dương, Tang Môn, Thiếu Âm, Quan Phù, Tử Phù, Tuế Phá, Long Đức, Bạch Hổ, Phúc Đức, Điếu Khách, Trực Phù[1]. Thus Long Đức is the eighth star in the ring, immediately after Tuế Phá and before Bạch Hổ.
Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học by Việt Viêm Tử records the same order: Thái Tuế, Thiếu Dương, Tang Môn, Thiếu Âm, Quan Phù, Tử Phù, Tuế Phá, Long Đức, Bạch Hổ, Phúc Đức, Điếu Khách, Trực Phù[2]. This book also gives a concrete example: if Thái Tuế is placed in the Dần palace, then Long Đức is placed in the Dậu palace[2].
Table of Long Đức Positions by Birth Year
Below is a table of Long Đức positions by the Earthly Branch of the birth year, calculated by the rule of counting forward from Thái Tuế:
| Birth year (Earthly Branch) | Thái Tuế at | Long Đức at |
|---|---|---|
| Tý | Tý | Mùi |
| Sửu | Sửu | Thân |
| Dần | Dần | Dậu |
| Mão | Mão | Tuất |
| Thìn | Thìn | Hợi |
| Tỵ | Tỵ | Tý |
| Ngọ | Ngọ | Sửu |
| Mùi | Mùi | Dần |
| Thân | Thân | Mão |
| Dậu | Dậu | Thìn |
| Tuất | Tuất | Tỵ |
| Hợi | Hợi | Ngọ |
By the table, Long Đức is always seven palaces forward from Thái Tuế, that is, in the palace right after Tuế Phá and directly opposite the palace of Thiếu Dương. The position depends only on the Branch of the birth year, not on gender.
Points to Note When Placing the Star
Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học additionally places Thiên Không in the same palace as Thiếu Dương and Quán Sách in the same palace as Trực Phù, yet it still states "The Thái Tuế ring has 12 stars, placed forward one per palace"[2]. Thiên Đức and Nguyệt Đức do not belong to this ring: both books place Thiên Đức from the Dậu palace and Nguyệt Đức from the Tỵ palace, counted as the Tý year and then forward to the birth year[1][2].
What Is the Meaning of Long Đức According to Tử Vi Texts?
The View of Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học
According to Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học, the Tứ Đức group consists of Thiên Đức, Nguyệt Đức, Long Đức and Phúc Đức[2]. The book records Thiên Đức and Nguyệt Đức as Fire, Long Đức as Water and Phúc Đức as Earth, and holds that all four stars govern tolerance, kindness, uprightness and charity[2].
The book singles out Thiên Đức and Nguyệt Đức as the "pair of Đức" (lưỡng Đức) and writes that when this pair sits at Thân or Mệnh it "reduces accidents and dangerous illness, and the person is upright and kind-hearted"[2]. These are the book's words, not a prediction for any chart. Regarding Đào Hoa and Hồng Loan, the book holds that the Đức stars restrain the amorous nature of those two stars; in a female chart it describes a person who is pretty, charming and courteous in conduct[2]. When the pair meets Long Đức and Phúc Đức to form the Tứ Đức "sitting at or aspecting" Mệnh and Thân, the book speaks of "effective support"[2].
The View of Tử Vi tổng hợp
Tử Vi tổng hợp by Nguyễn Phát Lộc likewise calls the four stars Long Đức, Nguyệt Đức, Phúc Đức and Thiên Đức the Tứ Đức, and writes that they "symbolize purity and moral awareness in matters of love"[3]. The book states two limits: all four stars must gather for the effect to be strong enough, and that effect only reduces ordinary sexual stars, being relatively ineffective against heavy lust stars[3].
In its discussion of relief from misfortune, the book writes that the Tứ Đức indicate good character, kindness and tolerance, and adds "The Tứ Đức have no significant power to relieve illness"[3]. In the section on children, the book places Long Đức and Phúc Đức among the stars with an indirect bearing on offspring, indicating good luck and early children in general[3]. The book also mentions the pattern of Thanh Long meeting Long Đức in the Thìn palace, likened to a dragon in the dragon's own palace[3].
The View of Thiên Lương
Thiên Lương reads the Thái Tuế ring as four trines. Long Đức lies in the trine of Thiếu Âm together with Trực Phù. The author writes: "The person of Thiếu Âm, Long Đức, Trực Phù is one who works with good will"[4], yet often ends up on the losing side, and he treats Long Đức as the consolation of that position[4].
Also according to Thiên Lương, Thiên Đức, Nguyệt Đức and Phúc Đức stand in the trine of Thiếu Dương, "while Long Đức stands in the opposing position"[4]. The placement rules agree: Phúc Đức and Thiên Đức share one palace, Nguyệt Đức shares a palace with Tử Phù, these three are in trine with the Thiếu Dương palace, and Long Đức is directly opposite it.
How Does Long Đức Relate to Other Stars?
Long Đức and Tuế Phá
On the Thái Tuế ring, Long Đức stands one palace right after Tuế Phá. The two stars are never in the same palace, nor in trine or opposition, so under this placement there is no configuration of Long Đức aspecting Tuế Phá.
Long Đức and Bạch Hổ
Bạch Hổ stands one palace right after Long Đức, in the trine of Thái Tuế, Quan Phù and Bạch Hổ. Long Đức belongs to a different trine, so the two stars do not aspect each other on the natal chart either.
Long Đức in the Tứ Đức Group
All four Tứ Đức stars gather on only one palace, the palace of Thiếu Dương: three Đức stars in its trine and Long Đức in the opposite palace. Thiên Lương observes that Thiên Không "always stands accompanied by the Tứ Đức in trine and opposition"[4]; in the placement of Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học, Thiên Không shares a palace with Thiếu Dương[2].
What Do the Books Say About Long Đức at Mệnh, Thân and Other Palaces?
When Long Đức Is at Mệnh or Thân
Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên gives the general meaning of Long Đức and Phúc Đức as virtuous, upright, gentle, kind and charitable, and as dispelling illness and misfortune[1]. Thiên Lương reads by position: a Mệnh in the palace holding Long Đức is a Mệnh in the Thiếu Âm trine[4]. This is a conception of Tử Vi, not a statement about the character or fate of a real person.
When Long Đức Meets Malefic Stars
Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học writes that when the four Đức stars meet malefic stars they do not join in doing harm and tend to rescue[2]. Tử Vi tổng hợp is more reserved: standing alone, each Đức star is not strong, and the more of them gather the better[3].
Long Đức in Other Palaces
For the Tật Ách palace, Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên lists Thiếu Dương, Thiếu Âm, Thiên Đức, Phúc Đức and Thanh Long as stars that relieve minor illness or misfortune, and does not include Long Đức in that entry[1]. For the Tử Tức palace, Tử Vi tổng hợp places Long Đức and Phúc Đức in the group with indirect meaning, as noted above[3].
How Do Views Across Texts Compare?
Vietnamese Tử Vi texts generally agree on the position and placement of Long Đức in the Thái Tuế ring. However, they differ in emphasis:
- Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên gives the placement and a brief meaning: Long Đức belongs to Water, is virtuous, and dispels illness and misfortune[1].
- Tử Vi áo bí biện chứng học gives the five-element attribution of the four Đức stars and treats the whole group as stars of blessing and goodness[2].
- Tử Vi tổng hợp emphasizes the limits of the Tứ Đức against lust stars, and gives Long Đức an indirect meaning for children[3].
- Tử Vi nghiệm lý toàn thư by Thiên Lương reads Long Đức through the trine of Thiếu Âm, Long Đức and Trực Phù[4].
The clearest difference concerns illness: Tử Vi đẩu số tân biên records that Long Đức and Phúc Đức dispel illness and misfortune[1], while Tử Vi tổng hợp holds that the Tứ Đức have no significant power to relieve illness[3].
How Do You Find Long Đức on a Chart?
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: to find the palace of Long Đức, take the Branch of the lunar birth year and look it up in the table above, or cast a Tử Vi chart and find Long Đức among the stars of the Thái Tuế ring. When reading, also work out the positions of Thiên Đức and Nguyệt Đức by the rules given above, to see whether the Tứ Đức gather on the palace in question.
