Settle the Question, Then Pick the Focus
On QimenIt you do not need to word your question yourself. The page offers nine question categories, each divided into specific focuses, and the system builds the analysis from the category and focus you select. A chart cast at the same time under the same conditions is the same chart, however you phrase the question in your mind. What your phrasing changes is which category and focus you choose. The "Before you cast" notes on the chart page include "Hold your question in mind before casting": settle what you are asking first, and your choice is less likely to drift from what you actually care about.
Whether you hold "should I take this job" or "how is my career going overall" in mind leads you to a different focus. The first maps to Decision-making · Act or hold, and the reading gives a verdict on that one decision: act, wait or stop. For the second, if you are currently employed, you can choose Career & Business · Job Outlook, and the reading works through where things stand, working relationships, whether to stay, and the way forward. Both are fine to ask; what matters is that the focus you choose matches what you actually want to know.
- "How is my career going overall?"
- If employed: Career & Business · Job Outlook
- The reading gives an overview of your situation and outlook
- Suits a moment when you want the overall picture first
- "Should I accept this offer from Company A this week?"
- Choose: Decision-making · Act or hold
- The reading gives a verdict on that one decision
- Suits a moment when a specific decision is in front of you
What Counts as a Good Question
Asking broadly is fine; when there is a specific matter in front of you, we suggest asking about it specifically. Before you cast, you can test what you have in mind with three questions: is the matter specific, does it genuinely involve you, and would the answer affect what you decide next? The table below lists the traits a specific question usually has. Use it as a reference before you cast; you don't need to meet all of them every time:
| Trait | What it means |
|---|---|
| Specific | Narrowed to one concrete matter where possible, such as "will this deal pay off"; asking about money in general is fine too |
| Single | One question per chart; don't bundle three worries into one cast |
| Purposeful | About a decision, an outcome or a current situation, such as "should I" or "will it work out", not idle curiosity |
| Time-aware | Names a timeframe when it matters: "this week", "before the deadline" |
| Yours | About your own action, not an attempt to read someone else's mind |
| Sincere | A concern you genuinely face, asked once, not tested repeatedly |
One Matter, One Chart
The casting note "One question, one chart" means handling one clear question at a time. Different decisions turn on different Yong Shen, and combining them in a single chart lets them interfere with one another. If work, a relationship and money are all weighing on you at once, ask about them in three separate charts, holding only one in mind each time.
Asking separately is not the same as asking again. The casting note "Re-cast only if the situation changes" means that for the same matter, until conditions, information or the situation itself have materially shifted, you do not cast again because the result was not what you hoped for. Three different matters in three charts is within the rules; the same matter cast again at a different hour, with nothing having changed, will not make the answer any more reliable. The full notes are on the casting rules page.
Where Qimen and BaZi Differ
A question also has to suit the method. BaZi builds a birth chart from the moment you were born and reads the shape of a life and its long cycles; it does not answer a specific matter. Qimen casts a chart for the moment you ask, and it can judge one specific matter in front of you as well as read the trend of a period or of a life. A specific matter can be what to do, how it will turn out, or where things stand; for the year ahead, choose the Yearly Strategy category on the chart page. Questions about temperament and life pattern, such as "who am I really?", are better suited to BaZi. More on the differences is in Qimen Dunjia vs BaZi.
Matching It to a Category and Focus
Once the question is settled in your mind, the next step is choosing the matching category and focus on the chart page. The same matter, framed differently, maps to a different focus. Every option below appears on the page as written:
| The question in your mind | Category · Focus |
|---|---|
| "Should I take this offer?" | Decision-making · Act or hold |
| "Will I get the job after this interview?" | Career & Business · Job Search |
| "Which of my two offers should I take?" | Decision-making · Compare options |
| "Is my current job still worth staying in?" | Career & Business · Job Outlook |
| "Should I put money into this investment?" | Wealth & Finance · Investment |
| "After the breakup, is there room to reconcile?" | Love & Marriage · Reconciliation |
| "Should I sign this contract?" | Other Topics · Contract signing |
When you choose Compare options, you can write the options you have in mind on the page: up to four, each up to 48 characters. Leave them blank and the chart is read as a whole matter, with no comparison between options. The option names go into the analysis as written, so state what each one actually means, such as "stay at the current company", "move to the new company" or "wait and see", rather than "option one" and "option two".
When a Question Is Too Broad
If the question in your mind is still broad, you don't need to rush to cast; reframe it in your mind first. There are two general directions. The first is from broad to specific: split several matters apart, ask only about the most pressing one, and give it a timeframe. The second is from guessing about others to deciding for yourself: instead of trying to read someone else's heart, ask what you should do.
For example, "Will I be happy and rich and in love this year?" bundles three matters into one chart: pick the one that is actually pressing, then give it a timeframe, such as "Is next month a good time to push the funding round?" "Does he still love me?" tries to read another person's heart: turn it back to your own action, such as "Should I reach out to him this week?"
"Ask the chart what to do, not what everything means."
How to frame a Qimen questionBefore You Cast
If there is a specific matter in front of you, you can check the question in your mind against the four points below before you cast. They help you pick the right category and focus:
1. One matter? Not several worries rolled together.
2. Something in front of you? A decision, an outcome or where things stand, not "who am I".
3. Specific enough to name? This offer, this week, this person.
4. About you? Your own situation, not someone else's secret heart.
If you remember one thing: the chart does not change with how you word the question in your mind, but the focus you choose decides what the reading concentrates on. Before you cast, settle whether you want the overall picture or one specific matter, then choose the category and focus to match.
Find the concern weighing on you most right now and make it specific in your mind: one matter, one action, one timeframe. Then choose the matching category and focus on QimenIt and cast a free chart.
Cast a Free Chart →