☯ Decoding the Four Pillars
Five Elements · Ten Gods
Analysis BaZi Natal Chart
Four Pillars Astrology
The Four Pillars are calculated from astronomical solar terms and interpreted through the Ten Gods, Useful God, Symbolic Stars, and Luck Pillars. Rooted in traditional Eastern wisdom, this approach helps people understand themselves and navigate life's changing cycles with greater awareness.
Enter your solar birth date and time to calculate the Four Pillars according to astronomical solar terms, and view a detailed analysis of the Five Elements, Ten Gods, Useful God, and Luck Pillar cycles.
What is BaZi (Four Pillars)?
BaZi (八字), also known as the Four Pillars of Destiny (四柱), is a traditional Chinese system of destiny analysis. It uses the eight characters of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches in the Year, Month, Day, and Hour Pillars to explore personality, finances, relationships, career, and the changing cycles of life.
Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth generate and control one another to form the structure of the chart. Identifying the strong and weak elements, along with the Useful God, is fundamental to any interpretation.
Each Earthly Branch contains 1 to 3 hidden Heavenly Stems (Hidden Stems), revealing layers of influence beyond the eight visible characters. These Hidden Stems contain much of the chart's latent potential.
The Ten Gods (Friend, Rob Wealth, Eating God, Hurting Officer, Indirect Wealth, Direct Wealth, Seven Killings, Direct Officer, Indirect Resource, Direct Resource) describe the relationship of each Heavenly Stem with the Day Master.
The 10-year Luck Pillar cycle determines the overall energetic phase; the Annual Luck (current year) and Monthly Luck (current month) trigger specific occurrences within that year.
Chart Structure
Four Pillars — The Four Pillars of Destiny
Each pillar consists of a Heavenly Stem and an Earthly Branch, representing a stage of life and a particular area of experience. The interactions among the four pillars shape the overall structure of the chart.
年
Birth Year
Year Pillar
Ancestors · Childhood · Heritage
Reflects family background, ancestral heritage, and childhood environment.
月
Birth Month
Month Pillar
Parents · Youth · Career
Relates to parents, early youth, and vocational inclinations.
日
Birth Day
Day Pillar
Day Master · Ego · Marriage
The most critical pillar—the Heavenly Stem of the birth day is the Day Master and represents the self.
時
Time of birth
Hour Pillar
Children · Later Life · Outcome
Reflects children, later-life career, and long-term outcomes.
Illustrative Example · BaZi (8 Characters)
Day
Wu
Wu (Horse)
Earth
Fire
Hour
Geng
Shen
Metal
Metal
★ Day Pillar (Wu Wu) — The Heavenly Stem of the birth day is Day Master, representing the self
The Ten Gods
The Ten Gods
The Ten Gods describe how each Stem and Branch in the chart relates to the Day Master. They provide the foundation for analyzing finances, career, marriage, and relationships.
Companion Stars
Friends · Siblings · Competition
Companion Stars
Unstable Wealth · Rivalry
Output Stars
Talent · Blessings · Creativity
Output Stars
Intelligence · Unconventionality · Individuality
Wealth Star
Wealth · Father · Romance
Wealth Star
Wife · Labor · Accumulation
Influence Stars
Seven Killings · Authority · Pressure
Influence Stars
Husband · Law · Honor
Resource Star
Academics · Intuition · Stepmother
Resource Star
Mother · Education · Benefactor
Companion Stars
Output Stars
Wealth Star
Influence Stars
Resource Star
The Five Elements
Five Elements Interaction Cycle
Every Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch carries an elemental nature. The generating and controlling relationships between the elements shape how each of the Ten Gods functions within the chart.
⚙
Metal
Heavenly Stems: Geng · Xin
Earthly Branches: Shen · You
Fortitude · Integrity · Decisiveness
🌿
Wood
Heavenly Stems: Jia · Yi
Earthly Branches: Yin · Mao
Benevolence · Growth · Creativity
💧
Water
Heavenly Stems: Ren · Gui
Earthly Branches: Zi · Hai
Intelligence · Versatility · Academics
🔥
Fire
Heavenly Stems: Bing · Ding
Earthly Branches: Wu · Si
Passion · Expression · Dynamism
🪨
Earth
Heavenly Stems: Wu · Ji
Earthly Branches: Chen · Xu · Chou · Wei
Stability · Faithfulness · Practicality
Productive Relationship →
Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood
Destructive Relationship →
Wood → Earth → Water → Fire → Metal → Wood
Workflow
How to Read a BaZi Chart
Interpret the BaZi chart in an established sequence, from foundational principles to advanced structures, so that no important factor is overlooked.
01
Identify the Day Master
Examine the Heavenly Stem of the Day Pillar. It represents the self and is the central reference point for interpreting the chart.
02
Analyze Day Master Strength
Evaluate the overall strength of the Day Master by assessing the support from Companion Stars and Resource Stars across all four pillars and their Hidden Stems.
03
Identify the Useful God
Select the element or Ten Gods that balance the chart—this acts as the 'remedy' for the chart, indicating the optimal path for personal growth.
04
Interpret the Ten Gods
Analyze each of the Ten Gods present across the four pillars, evaluating their relative influence and the emerging structural patterns.
05
Analyze Symbolic Stars
Enrich the interpretation with Symbolic Stars such as Heavenly Nobleman, Peach Blossom, Travelling Horse, Robbery Star, and Canopy Star...
06
Review Luck Pillars & Annual Luck
Apply Useful and Unfavorable Gods to the Luck Pillars to forecast favorable and challenging phases, integrating Annual Luck for specific yearly insights.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does BaZi (Four Pillars) differ from Zi Wei Dou Shu?
▼
Zi Wei Dou Shu maps specific stars into 12 fixed palaces based on the lunar calendar and birth hour, with each palace representing a particular area of life. BaZi instead examines the relationships among the Stems and Branches through the Five Elements and Ten Gods, placing greater emphasis on elemental balance and the overall structure of the chart.
What is the Day Master and why is it important?
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The Day Master (日主) is the Heavenly Stem of the Day Pillar (day of birth). It represents the central 'self' of the chart—all remaining Stems and Branches are interpreted through their generating and controlling relationships with it. These relationships determine the Ten Gods and form the basis for analyzing personality, finances, marriage, and career.
How do Solar Terms affect the Month Pillar?
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In BaZi, months are determined by the 24 astronomical Solar Terms rather than the conventional lunar calendar. For example, the Yin Month begins at the Start of Spring, around February 4, rather than on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Our system calculates the Month Pillar using the actual solar-term boundaries.
What is the Useful God and how is it chosen?
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The Useful God (用神) is the most beneficial element or component among the Ten Gods for the Day Master, serving to balance the entire configuration of the natal chart. Identifying the correct Useful God is the core of BaZi analysis, which subsequently determines favorable colors, home orientations, career paths, and auspicious timing for Luck Pillars.
How are Luck Pillars and Annual Luck calculated?
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The Luck Pillar is a 10-year cycle, calculated forward or backward from the birth date based on gender and the Heavenly Stem of the Birth Year. Annual Luck represents the current year, whose Stem and Branch interact with the natal chart. The system automatically computes the onset age of each Luck Pillar and lists them chronologically.
What role do Symbolic Stars play in BaZi?
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Symbolic Stars are auxiliary indicators such as Heavenly Nobleman, Academic Star, Peach Blossom, Travelling Horse, Robbery Star, and White Tiger. They are derived from the Stems and Branches of the pillars and add detail about helpful people, relationships, adversity, and change without replacing the core analysis of the Ten Gods.
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