The Friends palace (Jiao You)

Jiao You (交友) means making friends. In the classic's eighth palace section the title is a different one, nu pu (奴僕), servants and attendants, because that was the relationship the old text had in mind: the people who work for you or alongside you. Modern charts use the friendlier name, and the meaning has shifted toward friends, coworkers and community.

The stars here describe how you build circles. Some suggest a few deep friendships and others a wide, lively crowd. Some show you as the organizer, others as the one who shows up when asked. It can also speak to how you work with teams, and to the kind of people you attract.

Across the chart is the Siblings palace (Xiong Di), so the two sit as a pair: the people you were given and the people you chose.

A kind question to ask: who are the people who make you feel more like yourself, and when did you last tell them so? A friendship is one of the few relationships you can start fresh at any age.