BaZi birth chart
Enter the birth details to explore the four pillars.
A first look at BaZi
Four pillars, eight characters: a short guide to the chart.
BaZi, also known as the Zi Ping method, converts the birth year, month, day and hour into four pairs of heavenly stems and earthly branches. The day’s stem is the Day Master: the reference point for interpreting how the other characters support, produce or control one another. This traditional system reads calendar symbols and their relationships, whereas Zi Wei uses symbolic stars and Qi Zheng uses astronomical positions.
- 7K
- Seven Killings
- IW
- Indirect Wealth
- RW
- Rob Wealth
- DR
- Direct Resource
- P
- Companion
- EG
- Eating God
- DM
- Day Master
Day Master · the day’s stem
The day’s heavenly stem represents the chart subject. In this example it is Jia Wood. The other characters are read in relation to it: what supports it, what it produces, what controls it, what it controls, and what shares its element. Assessments of strength and useful elements start here.
The Ten Gods
These are names for the ten relationships between a stem and the Day Master. Control over the Day Master is Officer or Seven Killings; what it controls is Wealth; support is Resource; what it produces is Output; its own element is a Peer. Traditional interpretations connect these relationships with matters such as responsibility, resources, learning and expression.
Branches and hidden stems
Each branch contains one to three stems. Chen, for example, contains Wu, Yi and Gui. The main stem carries the dominant influence; the others add secondary influences. A hidden stem that also appears among the visible stems is described as “emerging”. Read it together with its season and the rest of the chart.
Ten-year and annual cycles
Ten-year cycles proceed forwards or backwards from the month pillar. Each calendar year adds an annual pillar. The birth chart supplies the underlying structure; the cycles describe how that structure is interpreted at different times.
- Birth time
- The hour pillar changes approximately every two hours. Enter the most reliable time available; the starting age of the cycles also depends on it.
- Birthplace
- Select a location so that longitude and the historical time zone can be checked. True solar time is enabled by default and can be changed in the advanced options. Overseas dates also require the local time zone and any daylight-saving adjustment.
- Calendar
- Enter a Gregorian or Chinese lunar date, marking a leap lunar month when needed. Known Four Pillars can be used to find matching dates. Review the late Zi-hour day-change setting when applicable.
Calculate
Check the birth time and place, then calculate the four pillars.
Explore the chart
View the stems, branches, hidden stems and the different chart perspectives.
Read the structure
Examine strength, useful elements, configurations and the cycle timeline.
AI interpretation
Sign in for a full report or a focused topic, with sources and follow-up conversation.