Guide

Chinese Astrology and BaZi (Four Pillars of Destiny)

Chinese astrology reads a birth moment as Four Pillars — BaZi, "eight characters": one heavenly stem and one earthly branch each for the year, month, day and hour of birth. The earthly branches are the twelve animals (Sheng Xiao), and every stem and branch carries one of the five elements (Wu Xing). A chart is read by the balance of those elements around the day stem — the "day master" — and timed by ten-year luck pillars (Da Yun).

Stems, branches and the twelve animals

The Chinese calendar combines ten heavenly stems with twelve earthly branches in a sixty-step cycle. The branches are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Your year animal is only one of four: the month, day and hour pillars each have an animal and element too, which is why two people born in the same year can have very different charts.

The five elements and the day master

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water feed and control one another in fixed cycles. BaZi reads every character in the chart relative to the day stem, the day master, and looks for the element that best balances it — the Yong Shen, or "useful god".

Luck pillars, annual pillars, clashes and combinations

Da Yun are ten-year luck pillars that begin at an age calculated from the birth date; Liu Nian is the pillar of the current year laid over the chart. When the branches of different pillars combine (He) or clash (Chong), the tradition reads harmony or disruption between the parts of life they govern.

Date selection and compatibility

Ze Ri is the art of choosing an auspicious day; He Hun compares two BaZi charts for marriage compatibility, including how their animals and elements relate.

What Plutto reads for Chinese astrology (BaZi)

Four Pillars — your BaZi chart
Sheng Xiao — your animals, all four of them
Wu Xing and Five Elements — your elemental balance
Yong Shen — the element that balances you
Da Yun — your ten-year luck pillars
Liu Nian — this year laid over your chart
He & Chong — combinations and clashes in your chart
Ze Ri — auspicious days
He Hun — compatibility for two
Jiu Xing — the nine stars

Every reading is computed from your own date, time and place of birth with Swiss Ephemeris, and spoken in your language. Free to start.

Questions

What is BaZi?

BaZi ("eight characters"), also called the Four Pillars of Destiny, is the core system of Chinese astrology. It records the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year, month, day and hour of birth — eight characters in all — and reads their five-element balance.

Is my Chinese zodiac animal just my birth year?

The year animal is the best-known, but a BaZi chart has four: one each for the year, month, day and hour. The Chinese year also begins at the start of spring (Li Chun, around 4 February), not on 1 January.

What are Da Yun luck pillars?

Da Yun are ten-year periods, each with its own stem and branch, that begin at an age calculated from your birth date and colour each decade of life.

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