Drapes.Carry responsibility without wearing sorrow as an identity.
Drapes (披麻), or Pi Ma, is a Year-Branch-derived marker whose name refers to wearing hemp mourning cloth. In responsible modern practice, it can frame emotional burden, family duty, solemn transitions and the need for support. It does not predict bereavement, death, illness or tragedy.
Read the weight of duty without inventing an event.
披 means to drape or wear over the shoulders; 麻 refers to hemp. Together the words recall traditional mourning clothing and the visible assumption of solemn family responsibility.
Constructively, Drapes can support emotional maturity, respect for transitions, family presence and the willingness to carry necessary duties. Its shadow is heaviness, anticipatory fear, over-responsibility, isolation or making grief symbolism literal.
This page follows the Nova catalogue’s annual table. Because published lineages use different offsets for 披麻, the calculation source should always be stated.
Find the Year Branch, then move two Branches backward.
The target is present when it appears elsewhere among the natal Branches. This table reproduces the project catalogue’s annual placement convention.
| Year Branch | Drapes · 披麻 |
|---|---|
| 子 Zi · Rat | 戌 Xu · Dog |
| 丑 Chou · Ox | 亥 Hai · Pig |
| 寅 Yin · Tiger | 子 Zi · Rat |
| 卯 Mao · Rabbit | 丑 Chou · Ox |
| 辰 Chen · Dragon | 寅 Yin · Tiger |
| 巳 Si · Snake | 卯 Mao · Rabbit |
| 午 Wu · Horse | 辰 Chen · Dragon |
| 未 Wei · Goat | 巳 Si · Snake |
| 申 Shen · Monkey | 午 Wu · Horse |
| 酉 You · Rooster | 未 Wei · Goat |
| 戌 Xu · Dog | 申 Shen · Monkey |
| 亥 Hai · Pig | 酉 You · Rooster |
Catalogue rule: Drapes = Year Branch −2: 子→戌, 丑→亥, 寅→子 … 戌→申, 亥→酉.
Locate the marker, then assess emotional and practical load.
Identify the Year Branch
Use the Earthly Branch of the natal Year Pillar.
Move back two Branches
Read directly across the catalogue table.
Check the chart
Look for the target among the Month, Day and Hour Branches.
Read actual conditions
Assess family duty, emotional load, transition and available support.
Turn solemn responsibility into supported action.
Name the burden
Distinguish grief, worry, fatigue, guilt and ordinary responsibility.
Share the duty
Clarify who can decide, assist, communicate and provide respite.
Carry only your part
Care deeply without assuming every outcome belongs to you.
Use appropriate help
Seek practical, relational or professional support when load persists.
A Rat Year finds Drapes at Dog.
Starting from 子 Zi · Rat, move two Branches backward to 戌 Xu · Dog.
From Year Branch to support review
Mourning imagery is not a bereavement forecast.
No death prediction
Drapes cannot forecast death, funerals or shortened life.
No illness prediction
It cannot diagnose disease or predict a relative’s health.
No ritual restriction
Do not use the star to frighten people away from funerals or sick relatives.
Use real support
Persistent grief or distress deserves appropriate qualified care.
State the formula
Published Drapes tables vary; this page uses the catalogue’s −2 sequence.
No single-star reading
Structure, timing, behaviour and evidence remain primary.
Name the burden. Share the duty. Keep care proportionate.
Place Drapes inside the wider emotional and family-duty structure.
Derived Stars Hub
Return to the complete catalogue.
BaZi Knowledge Hub
Read the complete chart structure.
Funeral Door and Guest
Compare mourning imagery without predicting bereavement.
Sky Cry
Compare carried duty with sorrow and acknowledgement.
Drapes is a responsibility symbol—not a death omen.
How do I find Drapes in this catalogue?
Use the natal Year Branch and move two positions backward.
Why do some websites show a different target?
Lineages and annual tables differ. This page states and follows the Nova catalogue convention rather than silently combining formulas.
Does Drapes predict bereavement?
No. Mourning-cloth imagery must not be converted into a forecast of death or loss.
Can it have constructive expression?
Yes. It can frame emotional maturity, family presence and responsible care during serious transitions.
What is the practical response?
Name the burden, share responsibility and use appropriate support.