Guide要义
What is BaZi?
BaZi, the Four Pillars of Destiny, describes a person through the cycles of time at the moment of birth. Here is how to read a chart.
01
Four pillars, eight characters
Your moment of birth is written as four pillars: year, month, day and hour.
Each pillar is a pair: a Heavenly Stem above an Earthly Branch. Four pairs make eight characters, which is what “BaZi” (八字) means.
02
The Day Master
The stem of the day pillar is the Day Master. It stands for you.
Its element and polarity, such as Yang Wood or Yin Water, set the tone of the whole chart.
03
The Ten Gods
Every other character relates to the Day Master in one of ten ways, called the Ten Gods. They describe the roles in your life: support, expression, wealth, authority and resources.
The Ten Gods at a glance
- 比肩Friend
- Peers, independence
- 劫财Rob Wealth
- Competition, boldness
- 食神Eating God
- Talent, enjoyment
- 伤官Hurting Officer
- Expression, rebellion
- 偏财Indirect Wealth
- Opportunity, risk
- 正财Direct Wealth
- Earnings, stability
- 七杀Seven Killings
- Pressure, courage
- 正官Direct Officer
- Status, discipline
- 偏印Indirect Resource
- Intuition, unconventional learning
- 正印Direct Resource
- Support, knowledge
04
The Five Elements
Wood feeds Fire, Fire makes Earth, Earth bears Metal, Metal carries Water and Water nourishes Wood. Each element also controls another.
A chart is read through the balance of these five forces: which are strong, which are weak, which are missing.
05
Solar time
BaZi follows the Sun, not the calendar. The year begins at Lichun, around 4 February, and each month at a solar term.
A few seconds around a solar term can change the month pillar, and a few minutes around an hour boundary can change the hour pillar. That is why the birth time and place matter.
06
Auxiliary stars
Traditional auxiliary stars (神煞). Read them as nuances that colour the chart, not as verdicts.
- 天乙贵人Heavenly Noble
- Help from benefactors; support tends to appear when you need it most.
- 天德贵人Heavenly Virtue
- Protection and goodwill; troubles tend to resolve.
- 月德贵人Monthly Virtue
- Kindness and a calm temperament that eases hardship.
- 文昌贵人Academic Star
- A gift for study, writing and exams.
- 禄神Prosperity Star
- Stable resources and self-reliance.
- 羊刃Goat Blade
- Strong drive and boldness; can turn impulsive.
- 将星General Star
- Leadership and authority among peers.
- 华盖Canopy
- Artistic, spiritual and solitary interests.
- 驿马Travelling Horse
- Movement, travel and changes of place.
- 桃花Peach Blossom
- Charm and popularity; romance and attraction.
- 红艳Red Romance
- A warm, affectionate and attractive nature.
- 劫煞Robbery Star
- Sudden setbacks or competition; act with care.
- 亡神Lost Spirit
- Shrewdness that can turn into restlessness.
- 魁罡Kui Gang
- Strong will and decisiveness; dislikes half measures.
- 孤辰Lonely Star
- Independence; may feel apart from others.
- 寡宿Widow Star
- Self-sufficiency; relationships need extra care.