1. 1. What is Ba Zi Destiny Chart?

    Ba Zi, commonly referred to as “Eight Characters” or “Four Pillars,” is a system used to calculate an individual’s fate and life trends based on their birth time (year, month, day, and hour).

    At its core, it uses the Chinese traditional system of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to convert the exact time of birth into eight characters. These eight characters then form a blueprint of an individual’s destiny.

    Ba Zi: Refers to the year pillar, month pillar, day pillar, and hour pillar. Each pillar consists of a Heavenly Stem and an Earthly Branch, giving four pillars and eight characters.

    Destiny Chart: This involves the analysis of the Yin-Yang and Five Elements attributes, along with the relationships of generation and control, to conclude the patterns of one’s fortune, wealth, social status, and life trajectory.

    2. Key Components: Four Pillars and Five Elements

    To understand Ba Zi, two key concepts need to be grasped: the Four Pillars and the Five Elements.

    1. Four Pillars of Ba Zi
      Suppose a person is born on May 20, 2023, at 10 AM.

      • Year Pillar: The year 2023 is a Gui Mao year. Gui is the Heavenly Stem, and Mao is the Earthly Branch.

      • Month Pillar: May is approximately the fourth month in the lunar calendar, so the month pillar is Ding Si. Ding is the Heavenly Stem, and Si is the Earthly Branch.

      • Day Pillar: By checking the lunar calendar, May 20 corresponds to Wu Yin. Wu is the Heavenly Stem, and Yin is the Earthly Branch.

      • Hour Pillar: 10 AM corresponds to the Si hour, and the pillar is Ding Si. Ding is the Heavenly Stem, and Si is the Earthly Branch.

      Therefore, this person’s Ba Zi is: Gui Mao, Ding Si, Wu Yin, Ding Si. These eight characters form the basis for their destiny analysis.

    2. Five Elements Generation and Control
      The Five Elements are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Both the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches correspond to specific Five Element attributes (e.g., Yin corresponds to Wood, Ding corresponds to Fire).

      • Generation Cycle: Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood

      • Control Cycle: Wood → Earth → Water → Fire → Metal → Wood

      The core of Ba Zi analysis lies in understanding whether the distribution of the Five Elements is balanced, and how they generate or control each other.

    3. How to Analyze Ba Zi Destiny?

    Analyzing a Ba Zi is a complex process, but it generally follows these steps:

    1. Determine the Strength and Weakness (Find the Core)
      Identify the Heavenly Stem of the day pillar (known as the Day Master or Self), which represents the individual.
      Analyze the other seven characters to see if they support (strengthen) or control (weaken) the Day Master. This helps determine if the Day Master is strong or weak, which is crucial for subsequent judgments about favorable or unfavorable elements.

    2. Find the Favorable Element (Balance the Energy)
      Based on the strength or weakness of the Day Master, identify the Five Element that will balance the entire Ba Zi chart. This element is the favorable element (Yong Shen), which is the most beneficial to the individual.
      Conversely, the element that disrupts this balance is the unfavorable element (Ji Shen).

      • If the Day Master is strong, you need elements that control, weaken, or consume it, such as Metal (which controls Wood), Fire (which weakens Wood), or Earth (which consumes Wood).

      • If the Day Master is weak, you need elements that support and strengthen it, such as Water (which nourishes Wood) or Wood (which strengthens Wood).

    3. Determine the Fate Pattern (High or Low)
      Based on the combinations of the Ten Gods in the Ba Zi and any special interactions, you assess the individual’s overall fate pattern or level.
      Common patterns include:

      • Official-Print Combination: Indicates success in official or political roles, with high social status.

      • Food God Generates Wealth: Represents talent and success in skills or speech, leading to wealth.

      • Killing-Print Combination: Indicates power, typically found in military or authoritative roles.

      • Shang Guan with Print: Represents talents under control, leading to fame and fortune.

      • Wealth Overpowering with Weak Day Master: Indicates opportunities that are hard to seize and a life burdened by wealth.

      • Specially Strong Element (e.g., From or Hua) Patterns: A single element dominates, and the individual’s fortune can be great or disastrous depending on how they handle it.

    4. Examine Big Luck and Annual Luck (Assess Your Destiny)
      Ba Zi represents your destiny, which is static and predetermined.

      • Big Luck: This changes every ten years and represents different stages of life.

      • Annual Luck: This changes every year and influences current fortune.

      The analysis looks at how the dynamic forces (Big Luck and Annual Luck) influence the static Ba Zi chart. If Big Luck or Annual Luck aligns with the favorable elements, it’s a good period. If they align with the unfavorable elements, it’s a bad period.

    4. Common Ba Zi Destiny Patterns (Examples)

    • Wealth and Status: The chart has a strong presence of Wealth and Official stars, and these elements are favorable, with good flow of energy.

    • Health and Stability: The chart is harmonious with a balanced distribution of the Five Elements, leading to a smooth and stable life.

    • Artistic Talents: The presence of Food God and Shao Guan stars represents natural talent in the arts or technical skills.

    • Ordinary Life: Lack of supportive elements or presence of unfavorable elements leads to hard work and struggle in earning money.