The Bác Sĩ ring in Tu Vi: which twelve stars does it contain, how is it placed, and what does each star say on a chart?

What is the Bác Sĩ ring and why is it also called the Lộc Tồn ring?

The Bác Sĩ ring is the name for a group of twelve minor stars whose starting point is the star Lộc Tồn, which is why many texts simply call it the Lộc Tồn ring. The name "Bác Sĩ ring" highlights a star sitting in the middle of the ring, while "Lộc Tồn ring" highlights the opening star, but both refer to the same sequence and the same placement. In the interpretive tradition, this ring is described as a set of stars specialising in money, property, and the ability to keep or lose wealth.

One point must be stated at once to avoid misunderstanding: this is a group of minor stars. They do not replace the main stars, they do not replace the four transformations, and they should not be read apart from the context of the palace, the tam hop, or the main star sharing the palace. Thanh Long alone does not create a career, Bệnh Phù alone does not decide illness. The value of this ring lies in how it highlights or dims what is already present in the chart.

How is the starting palace of the ring placed by the heavenly stem of the birth year?

The palace where Lộc Tồn is placed, that is the opening palace of the whole ring, is determined by the heavenly stem of the birth year and does not depend on the gender or yin yang of the native. According to the traditional placement table:

Two stems share one palace: Binh and Mau both place at Ty, Dinh and Ky both place at Ngo. The four earthly branches Thin, Tuat, Suu and Mui are never the palace of Lộc Tồn. This is a point many beginners get wrong, because other star rings such as the Tràng Sinh ring or the Thái Tuế ring have quite different starting rules.

Does the Bác Sĩ ring run forward or backward, and why does it depend on yin yang and gender?

Once the palace of Lộc Tồn is set, the remaining stars are placed one by one into the next eleven palaces, one star per palace, in a fixed order. The direction follows the yin yang of the birth year stem combined with gender: Dương Nam and Âm Nữ are placed clockwise, Âm Nam and Dương Nữ are placed counterclockwise. This rule matches the placement of several other rings in Tu Vi, and it reflects an old idea: male forward, female backward, yin and yang paired to close one ring.

The order, according to the general interpretive tradition, is:

Lộc Tồn, then Lực Sĩ, then Thanh Long, then Tiểu Hao, then Tướng Quân, then Tấu Thư, then Phi Liêm, then Hỷ Thần, then Bệnh Phù, then Đại Hao, then Phục Binh, then Quan Phù.

After Quan Phù, the ring returns to Lộc Tồn, filling twelve palaces.

One worked example

Take a person born in a Giap year, Dương Nam. The palace of Lộc Tồn is Dan. Because Dương Nam goes forward, we count on: Lực Sĩ at Mao, Thanh Long at Thin, Tiểu Hao at Ty, Tướng Quân at Ngo, Tấu Thư at Mui, Phi Liêm at Than, Hỷ Thần at Dau, Bệnh Phù at Tuat, Đại Hao at Hoi, Phục Binh at Ty, Quan Phù at Suu.

If the same Giap year person is Âm Nữ, the starting palace is still Dan, but because Âm Nữ also goes forward, the result is identical. The difference only appears when switching to Âm Nam or Dương Nữ: then Lực Sĩ moves back to Suu, Thanh Long to Ty, and so on backward.

What do the twelve stars of the Bác Sĩ ring say on a chart?

The section below summarises each star in the common presentation, mainly based on the meaning table compiled by the general interpretive tradition. To repeat: these are suggested meanings, not fixed ones, and the shade changes greatly with the palace.

Lộc Tồn

Element Earth, in the noble star group, governing rank, wealth and longevity. A person with Lộc Tồn at Menh is often described as intelligent, upright and capable of organising. Lộc Tồn meeting Vũ Khúc, Thiên Phủ or Thái Âm is seen as prosperous in money; meeting Địa Không, Địa Kiếp, Tuan, Triet or Phá Quân reduces the financial good and tends to loss.

Lực Sĩ

Element Fire, leaning to martial matters, indicating strength, force and authority. At Menh it usually marks a person with a strong build, quick and brave. Some Tu Vi texts record the old line "Menh has Kình Dương, naturally Lực Sĩ comes along", hinting at the bond between the two stars: Kình Dương gives drive, Lực Sĩ supports stamina to finish the task. The same book notes the downside: Kình Dương is impatient, so this pair easily acts before thinking carefully.

Thanh Long

Element Water, in the benevolent star group, governing joy and luck in career and marriage, and able to dissolve illness and small misfortune. At Menh it is often said to mark a bright face, gentle temper, favourable for exams and seeking fame. On the two-sided view, some Tu Vi texts observe that Thanh Long makes events happen fast, and too fast may leave the native unable to adapt; with bad stars, that acceleration also brings disadvantage sooner.

Tiểu Hao

Element Fire, in the loss and ruin star group, governing depletion and loss. At Menh it usually marks a person who often changes aims, generous, fond of travelling, suited to mobile work. Tiểu Hao meeting Tham Lang is often said to be lustful but discreet; meeting Hóa Kỵ means hardship and shortage; meeting Đào Hoa and Hồng Loan means spending on love matters.

Tướng Quân

Element Wood, in the martial and authority star group, governing power and command. At Menh it usually marks a person who is upright, brave, sometimes hot-tempered, with leadership talent. For a female chart, texts usually describe a strong person with authority at home. Tướng Quân meeting Thiên Tướng makes authority clearer; meeting Tuan or Triet tends to demotion; meeting Phục Binh, Địa Không or Địa Kiếp warns of danger.

Tấu Thư

Element Metal, in the literary star group, governing seals, petitions, writing and speech. At Menh it usually marks a person with talent and a refined appearance. Tấu Thư joining Văn Xương and Văn Khúc makes speech skilful and persuasive; meeting Thái Tuế is said to give eloquence. The book Vương Đình Chi dam Đẩu Số (Vương Đình Chi) pays special attention to the pair Thanh Long and Tấu Thư when with Thiên Lương: the author calls it "van thu chi hi", the joy of documents, and distinguishes it clearly from Văn Xương and Văn Khúc. In that distinction, Xuong and Khuc lean to papers and certificates, while Thanh Long and Tấu Thư lean to official documents, administrative papers or texts of agencies and large organisations.

Phi Liêm

Element Fire, in the attendant star group, governing speed, agility, and also carelessness. At Menh it usually marks a lively person who reacts fast but is easily impatient. Some Tu Vi texts describe Phi Liêm as a star that "boosts the strong and the weak alike": with auspicious stars it brings luck quickly, with inauspicious stars it magnifies disadvantage. The same book notes Phi Liêm is not good for women in childbirth, and when joining Hỏa Tinh, Linh Tinh and Thiên Hình it warns of accidents involving knives and hammers, especially around the head. This is an old reading, so take it as a caution, not a prediction.

Hỷ Thần

Element Fire, in the benevolent star group, governing luck, joy, marriage, childbirth, growing wealth and exams. At Menh it usually marks a cheerful and generous person. Hỷ Thần meeting Long Trì and Phượng Các makes joy in exams, career and marriage clearer; meeting Đào Hoa and Hồng Loan brings luck in love.

Bệnh Phù

In the illness star group, governing disease and declining health. Some Tu Vi texts cite Tử Vi Khảo Luận by Hàm Chương with combinations such as "Bệnh Đào Riêu: venereal disease", "Bệnh Hao Sát Hình Kỵ: cancer", "Bệnh Phá: few children". The same book cites Mệnh Lý Thiên Cơ distinguishing the two stars: the star Benh represents illness purely, while Bệnh Phù in the annual ring carries not only illness but also gossip and dispute. It must be said clearly: these are combinations recorded in old books, not medical diagnoses, and should not be used to self-assess health.

Đại Hao

In the same group as Tiểu Hao but stronger, governing major loss and major change in property and work. When with Tiểu Hao, Cự Môn and Thiên Cơ, the interpretive tradition records the opposite direction: it governs wealth and plenty of money. This is a typical example of a star's meaning changing with the combination, so it cannot be read fixed.

Phục Binh

Governing hiding, ambush and secrecy. In many combinations Phục Binh is mentioned as the star of waiting, accumulating, or hidden scheming. When with Lực Sĩ and Thiên Hình, texts often warn about using force for improper matters. This is the traditional reading and must be set in the context of the whole chart.

Quan Phù

Governing official matters, papers, legal issues and disputes. In whichever palace it sits, that palace easily meets matters involving documents, lawsuits or administrative procedures. Quan Phù is not bad in itself, but it signals that the palace has an element of "having to deal with agencies and organisations".

Why are these minor stars, not to be read apart from the main stars?

There is a general principle almost every Tu Vi text repeats: minor stars only carry meaning when placed beside the main stars and the four transformations. The Bác Sĩ ring fits that principle even more, because its stars are mostly minor, some merely attendants. For example, Thanh Long in the Quan Lộc palace where the main star is already fallen cannot save it; conversely, Thanh Long in the Quan Lộc palace with a strong main star highlights the good already there.

The reasonable way to read is: first identify the theme of the palace, look at the main star and the four transformations, then see whether the Bác Sĩ ring highlights or dims that theme. Reading in reverse, that is seeing Thanh Long and immediately concluding good, or seeing Bệnh Phù and immediately concluding illness, is a fragmented reading.

Where do the schools disagree?

This is where clarity is needed so readers are not misled when consulting many sources.

First is whether to use this ring at all. Some schools, including the direction called the Modern school, use only about 28 stars and drop the Bác Sĩ ring (Lộc Tồn ring) from the chart entirely. In that school, stars such as Thanh Long, Tấu Thư, Phi Liêm and Bệnh Phù do not appear. So the same chart, placed by the old school and by the modern school, shows two different pictures. This article follows the traditional placement, that is, it uses the Bác Sĩ ring.

Second is the element of a few stars. Even within the twelve, the elements of some stars are recorded differently across books. For instance Lực Sĩ, Phi Liêm and Hỷ Thần are all listed as Fire in the general interpretive tradition, but when checked against other tables in the field, differences remain. For stars where sources disagree, learners should note both and should not take the element of a minor star as the main axis of interpretation.

Third is the degree of fortune. The same star may be listed as benevolent in one text and merely neutral in another. The safe approach is to see who that star is with, in which palace, and whether it is in tam hop or opposite to what.

Reading the Bác Sĩ ring in practice: a few notes

When facing a chart, the working order should be: identify the palace of Lộc Tồn by the heavenly stem of the birth year; identify the forward or backward direction by yin yang and gender; place all twelve stars; then go back and read each palace by its theme. For the Tài Bạch palace, watch Lộc Tồn, Tiểu Hao and Đại Hao. For the Quan Lộc palace, watch Thanh Long, Tấu Thư, Tướng Quân and Quan Phù. For the Tật Ách palace, watch Bệnh Phù. For the Phu Thê palace, watch Hỷ Thần, Đào Hoa and Hồng Loan if present. For the Điền Trạch palace, watch Đại Hao and Tiểu Hao.

This way of reading keeps the Bác Sĩ ring in its proper role: a supporting layer that fine-tunes the judgement, not a set of stars that decides fate. And like every other star set in Tu Vi, the final conclusion should still be stated as a tendency, with conditions, not as an absolute assertion.