八字 · About the System · 四柱

Destiny Analysis Based on
Ancient Chinese Science

We study BaZi (八字 — "Eight Characters") — a method that originated over 1,200 years ago during the Tang dynasty. The system is built on three pillars: time, space, and movement of the elements. No assumptions — only calculations based on date and place of birth.

八字 — Eight Characters of Destiny

The Chinese term 八字 (BāZì) literally means "eight characters". Every person is born in a specific year, month, day, and hour — each of the four parameters is recorded with two characters (天干 "Heavenly Stem" and 地支 "Earthly Branch"). In total, there are eight characters that make up the birth chart.

年柱 Year Pillar Year Pillar
Ancestors, karma, early years
月柱 Month Pillar Month Pillar
Family, profession, society
日柱 Day Pillar Day Pillar
Personality, partner, marriage
时柱 Hour Pillar Hour Pillar
Descendants, career outcome

The core of the chart is 日主 (Rì Zhǔ), Day Master. This is one of the ten Heavenly Stems of the Day Pillar: it embodies you, your nature, and your resources. All other seven characters are interpreted in relation to the Day Master.

知命者不立乎巖墻之下 “He who knows his destiny does not stand at the foot of a dangerous wall” — Mengzi (孟子), 4th century BC

五行 — Wu Xing: Cycle of Generation and Destruction

At the heart of BaZi lies 五行 (Wǔ Xíng) — the Five Elements: Wood (木), Fire (火), Earth (土), Metal (金), and Water (水). They are not physical elements — they are archetypes of movement, transformation, and interaction of energies.

Wood (Mù)
Fire (Huǒ)
Earth (Tǔ)
Metal (Jīn)
Water (Shuǐ)

The elements form two cycles. Generation Cycle (相生 Xiāng Shēng): Wood nourishes Fire → Fire creates Earth (ash) → Earth generates Metal → Metal collects Water (condensate) → Water nourishes Wood. Control Cycle (相克 Xiāng Kè): Wood loosens Earth → Earth blocks Water → Water extinguishes Fire → Fire melts Metal → Metal cuts Wood.

Our system automatically calculates the percentage composition of each element in the chart, identifies the dominant and missing elements, and determines the Favorable Element (用神 Yòng Shén) — a resource whose enhancement improves the quality of life.

十神 — Ten Heavenly Gods

Each of the seven characters in the chart (excluding the Day Master) defines 十神 (Shí Shén) — the Ten Gods: the archetypical nature of interaction with the Day Master’s element. This is the key to understanding career, love, health, and resources.

比肩
Friend (Bǐ Jiān)
Friend — same element, one polarity
劫财
Rob Wealth (Jié Cái)
Wasters — same element, opposite polarity
食神
Eating God (Shí Shén)
God of Food — generated, one polarity
伤官
Hurting Officer (Shāng Guān)
Destroyer — generated, opposite polarity
偏财
Indirect Wealth (Piān Cái)
Indirect Wealth — controlled, one polarity
正财
Direct Wealth (Zhèng Cái)
Direct Wealth — controlled, opposite polarity
七杀
Seven Killings (Qī Shā)
Seven Killings — controlling, one polarity
正官
Direct Officer (Zhèng Guān)
Direct Officer — controlling, opposite polarity
偏印
Indirect Resource (Piān Yìn)
Indirect Resource — generated, one polarity
正印
Direct Resource (Zhèng Yìn)
Direct Resource — generated, opposite polarity

Interactions of Earthly Branches

The twelve Earthly Branches (地支 Dì Zhī) are the 12 animals of the Chinese calendar. They not only denote time but also engage in dynamic interactions with each other, forming the hidden forces of the chart.

Key Formations
六冲 Liù Chōng Six Conflicts — opposite branches create conflict, instability. A catalyst for change.
六合 Liù Hé Six Harmonies — adjacent branches merge, enhancing each other. Synergy and alliance.
三合 Sān Hé Triple Harmony — three branches form an elemental alliance of higher power (局 Jú).
三会 Sān Huì Triple Meeting — three adjacent months of one seasonal element. Stronger than Triple Harmony.
相刑 Xiāng Xíng Punishments of Branches — hidden tension manifesting in health and relationships.
相害 Xiāng Hài Harm — weak destruction undermining the positive formations of the chart.

大运 and 流年 — Major Cycles and Annual Pillars

BaZi views life as a continuous change of energetic phases. 大运 (Dà Yùn) — Major Lucky Cycles: every ten years, fate comes under the influence of a new Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch. The cycles are calculated individually based on the polarity of the chart and the direction of movement.

流年 (Liú Nián) — Current Year — the annual pillar that affects everyone simultaneously. Its interaction with personal pillars and the current Major Cycle determines the quality of a specific year for a specific person.

The system also works with 小运 (Xiǎo Yùn) — Minor Cycles (one year each) for detailed analysis of transitional periods and with 流月 (Liú Yuè) — Current Month when choosing a favorable moment for important decisions.

How Our Analysis Works

True Solar Time (TST)

Before constructing the chart, we correct the date to True Solar Time. Standard time zones can create discrepancies of up to ±2 hours from the actual position of the sun. Our engine calculates the longitudinal correction (4 min/°) and the equation of time, which is critical for the accuracy of the Hour Pillar and Major Cycles.

Determining the Strength of the Day Master

We apply the weighted sum method: each branch holds hidden stems with coefficients of influence (主气 60%, 中气 30%, 余气 10%). The final strength is classified on a scale: 旺 (Flare) → 相 (Growth) → 休 (Rest) → 囚 (Confinement) → 死 (Diminishment). Seasonal adjustment × 1.5 adds influence from the monthly cycle.

Identifying Formations and Interactions

The engine checks all 8 characters for 六冲, 六合, 三合, 三会, 相刑, 相害 and stem combinations (天干五合). Formations change the strength and even the nature of the pillars — this significantly impacts interpretation.

13 Sections of Deep Analysis

The completed chart is sent to a language model along with a knowledge base of over 670 BaZi rules, extracted from classical sources. The system generates a personal analysis: personality, career, finances, love, health, mission, annual forecast, major cycles, and much more.

Classical Works and Modern Masters

Our knowledge base is built on primary sources and the works of recognized BaZi masters. We consciously do not mix incompatible schools: classical BaZi is based on a unified logic, not on eclecticism.

What We Do Not Promise

BaZi is a tool for self-discovery and navigation, not a prediction of a fixed future. The system describes trends and potentials, not rigid events. The quality of the calculation is limited by the accuracy of the birth time (±15 min changes the Hour Pillar), the correctness of historical data, and the depth of interpretation.

We do not practice magic, religion, or pseudoscience. BaZi is a mathematically formalized system of correlations between time and human patterns, passed down through generations of Chinese scholars and masters.

命由天定,运由己造 “Destiny is determined by heaven, but the life path is created by oneself” — Chinese proverb

Ready to Discover Your Chart?

Accurate calculation based on date, time, and place of birth. 13 sections of personal analysis.

✦   Calculate Your Destiny Chart