Qimen Dunjia maps time and direction onto a nine-square board to read “right now, which direction’s energy is favorable.” If Saju reads who you were born as, Qimen reads the board of this moment to guide choice and timing.
The nine-palace board — Heaven and Earth Plates
The Qimen board is nine squares — the eight directions plus the center. In each square a Heaven Plate moves above, showing heavenly energy, while a fixed Earth Plate below shows earthly position.
The Heaven Plate is "moving heaven," the Earth Plate "the ground stood upon." Because the combination of the two layers makes a direction’s fortune, Qimen always reads top and bottom together.
Marvels, Instruments and the Board
The energies that fill the board divide into the three noble Marvels (Yi, Bing, Ding) and the six framing Instruments (Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui). Directions where a Marvel turns are generally read as auspicious.
This layout splits into many boards — yang-escaping and yin-escaping — by solar term and time. Since the same direction differs in fortune by board, setting the correct board is the starting point of Qimen judgment.
Frequently asked
If Saju reads the fixed picture of "who you were born as," Qimen reads the moving board of "the space-time of this moment." So Qimen is strong for choice and timing — when and in which direction to act.
Qimen is a strategy of choosing a good time and place to use energy to your advantage. Rather than an absolute prophecy, treat it as a reference frame that helps you begin the same task under smoother conditions.