Ba Zi (八字, the four pillars of destiny)
The Ba Zi (八字), or four pillars of destiny, is the birth chart of Chinese astrology. It is built from four pillars, one for the year, month, day and hour of birth, each made of a heavenly stem set upon an earthly branch. This yields eight characters in all, which is literally what ba zi means: "eight characters". The stem of the day pillar, called the day master, stands for the person; the balance of the five elements across the eight is then read to grasp temperament and destiny.
Eight characters, four moments
Each pillar captures a phase of your arrival: the year speaks of family roots, the month of youth and vocation, the day of partnership and heart, the hour of children and later life. Four stems, four branches, eight signs in all. It is far finer than your year animal alone, for it photographs the exact hour.
The day master is you
At the center of the reading sits the stem of your day pillar: that is you, your essential element. You then look at who nourishes it and who drains it among the seven other characters. A day master left too alone seeks support, a crowded one seeks to spend itself. The whole art rests in that living balance.
Sources
- , Feng Shui and Destiny (1995)