Lian Zhen, the Star of Standards

Lian Zhen (廉貞) combines the words for honest and steadfast, which is a bit of a contrast with its reputation. The classic text lists it as a fire star, the fifth of the Northern Dipper, in charge of rank and orders, and it uses a harsh phrase for its transformation: it says the star turns into a prisoner (囚). The entry is strict, saying a person with it can be harsh and wild-tempered.

Read gently, the picture is of a star with strong principles and strong feelings that are hard to separate. It wants things done properly, holds itself to a high bar, and tends to feel everything intensely. The old text's severity may say more about the worries of its era than about you.

We read Lian Zhen as a mix of ambition and emotion: magnetic, loyal to a few people, impatient with sloppy work, and prone to taking things personally. In relationships it can be passionate and private at once.

One question to carry: which of your standards are really yours, and which did you inherit and never check? Strong principles feel lighter when you choose them.