Qi Sha, the Star of the General

Qi Sha (七殺) literally means Seven Killings, a name that sounds alarming and is better understood as a military title. The classic text calls it the supreme general of the Dipper (上將), the sixth star of the Southern Dipper, a mix of fire and metal. It says that beside Zi Wei the general's force turns into legitimate authority, which is the old way of saying that power is best when it serves a leader.

The entry is frank that a person with this star meets effort: it speaks of a life of working things out the hard way. A fair reading is that Qi Sha is the star of the one who goes first, takes on difficult tasks and learns by doing, with the strength that comes from that experience.

We read Qi Sha as independent, courageous and self-reliant, someone who is not afraid to start over. We picture it as the star of the pioneer, the founder, the one who moves abroad or changes careers on conviction. The name is about decisiveness, not violence.

A good reflection is when you last did something difficult because it mattered, and what you learned about yourself from it.