What is BaZi (Four Pillars)?
BaZi, also known as Four Pillars, is a classical Eastern doctrine used to interpret human destiny based on the exact time of birth: hour, day, month, and year (according to the Chinese lunar calendar). Each time element is converted into a pillar consisting of two components: a Heavenly Stem (above) and an Earthly Branch (below). Four pillars create 8 characters (hence BaZi – eight characters), representing the fundamental energetic structure of a person’s life.
This system originated in ancient China, evolved over many dynasties, and is widely used in East Asian cultures, especially Vietnam. Unlike Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology, based on stars and palaces), BaZi focuses on the Five Elements – the interactions between Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth – to describe personality, health, career, marriage, and fortune over time.
The Foundation of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches
The Stem-Branch System
Heavenly Stems consist of 10 stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui. Earthly Branches consist of 12 branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai. The cyclical combination of stems and branches forms a 60-year cycle (Sexagenary cycle). For example, 2020 is the year of Geng Zi – Stem is Geng, Branch is Zi; 2021 is Xin Chou, etc. The rule to determine the stem-branch of a year is described in educational materials: take the remainder of the year divided by 10 to find the Stem (according to a conversion table), and divided by 12 to find the Branch. A typical example: the year Mau Than when Emperor Quang Trung ascended the throne was 1788 – because Mau has the last digit 8, and Than is divisible by 12.
Five Elements and Their Relationships
Each Stem and Branch belongs to a specific element:
- Jia, Yi, Yin, Mao belong to Wood.
- Bing, Ding, Si, Wu belong to Fire.
- Wu, Ji, Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei belong to Earth.
- Geng, Xin, Shen, You belong to Metal.
- Ren, Gui, Zi, Hai belong to Water.
The Five Elements have generating cycles (Wood feeds Fire, Fire feeds Earth, Earth feeds Metal, Metal feeds Water, Water feeds Wood) and overcoming cycles (Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal, Metal overcomes Wood). Additionally, there are clash, combination, punishment, and harm relationships between branches – for example, Zi clashes with Wu, Yin combines with Hai. Balance and interaction are key to interpreting BaZi.
How to Cast a BaZi Chart
Converting Birth Year, Month, Day, and Hour
To cast a BaZi chart, you need the exact birth time according to the lunar calendar (or converted from the solar calendar). The birth year gives the Year Pillar, the birth month gives the Month Pillar (based on solar terms, not simply lunar months), the birth day gives the Day Pillar, and the birth hour gives the Hour Pillar. Each pillar consists of one Stem and one Branch.
- Year Pillar: Stem-Branch of the birth year (according to the Stem-Branch calendar).
- Month Pillar: Stem-Branch of the month, determined by solar terms – the month begins at the Start of Spring (Yin month).
- Day Pillar: Stem-Branch of the day – calculated by the 60-day cycle, can be looked up in a perpetual calendar.
- Hour Pillar: Stem-Branch of the birth hour – each lunar hour corresponds to 2 solar hours (Zi hour from 23:00-1:00, Chou from 1:00-3:00, etc.).
Illustrative Example
Suppose a person is born at 8:00 AM on February 15, 1990 (solar calendar). After converting to the lunar calendar, we determine:
- Birth year: Geng Wu (1990)
- Birth month: Wu Yin (first lunar month, after Start of Spring)
- Birth day: (need to check a perpetual calendar) – for example, Bing Zi
- Birth hour: 8:00 AM belongs to the Chen hour (7:00-9:00), the hour’s Stem is derived from the day’s Stem, possibly Ren Chen
Thus the Four Pillars are: Geng Wu – Wu Yin – Bing Zi – Ren Chen.
Interpreting BaZi
Five Elements in the Four Pillars
First, the interpreter counts the number and position of each element among the 8 characters (Stems and Branches). An element that appears frequently (strong) or rarely (weak) affects personality and destiny. For example, a person with a lot of Fire tends to be energetic and passionate, but if Fire is too strong without Water to balance, they may be impulsive.
Day Master – Self Element
The Day Master is the Stem of the Day Pillar, representing the person themselves. For example, if the day stem is Bing (Fire), the person belongs to the Fire element. Identifying the Day Master is crucial because all analysis revolves around it.
Ten Gods
The Ten Gods (Shi Shen) describe the relationships between other Stems in the chart and the Day Master, based on Five Element interactions. The main gods include: Wealth (element overcome by Day Master), Officer (element that overcomes Day Master), Seal (element that generates Day Master), Eating Hurting (element generated by Day Master), and Companion (element same as Day Master). Each god represents an aspect: Wealth for money, Officer for career, Seal for education, Eating Hurting for talent, Companion for friends and siblings.
Interactions Between Pillars
The pillars in BaZi interact through clash, combination, punishment, harm, and destruction. For example:
- Six Clashes: Zi clashes with Wu, Chou with Wei, Yin with Shen, Mao with You, Chen with Xu, Si with Hai. Clashes often cause turbulence and change.
- Six Combinations: Zi combines with Chou, Yin with Hai, Mao with Xu, Chen with You, Si with Shen, Wu with Wei. Combinations create bonding and harmony.
If the Year Pillar clashes with the Day Pillar, it may affect family relationships or marriage. If the Hour Pillar combines with the Month Pillar, children or career may receive support.
Major Fortune Cycles and Annual Luck
Major Fortune Cycles (Da Yun) are 10-year periods in life, starting from a certain age, calculated from the Stem-Branch of the Month Pillar, moving forward or backward. Each cycle has its own Stem-Branch, carrying energy that influences destiny during those 10 years. Annual Luck (Liu Nian) is the Stem-Branch of each specific year, having immediate impact. The combination of Major Fortune, Annual Luck, and the original chart creates a detailed picture of fortune.
Practical Applications and Scientific Perspective
In Daily Life
BaZi is used to:
- Assess personality: Strengths, weaknesses, behavioral tendencies.
- Evaluate marriage compatibility: Compare two people’s charts to see harmony.
- Choose auspicious directions for house or travel: Based on the element of one’s Day Master.
- Predict fortune periods: Identify favorable times for career and wealth.
Critical Perspective
From a modern scientific viewpoint, BaZi has not been empirically validated; it is a philosophical-cultural system, more for reference and orientation than absolute prediction. Many researchers view BaZi as a tool for self-awareness and positive decision-making rather than a prophecy of fate. Therefore, users should approach it with caution and not let it dominate their lives.
Conclusion
BaZi (Four Pillars) is a treasure trove of Eastern wisdom, providing a complex yet logical system to understand oneself and the surrounding world. Casting and interpreting BaZi requires deep knowledge of Stem-Branch, Five Elements, and interaction rules. Although not an empirical science, BaZi retains significant cultural and spiritual value, helping people live in greater harmony with nature and society.
