術語

The eight characters of your birth — a Heavenly Stem and an Earthly Branch for each of the Year, Month, Day and Hour pillars. Together they map the energy of your birth moment.

The ten stems (甲乙丙丁…), each tied to one of the five elements and a yin/yang polarity. They sit on top of each pillar.

The twelve branches (子丑寅…亥), matching the twelve zodiac animals. They sit below each stem and hold one to three "hidden stems" inside.

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — five phases that generate and control one another. Every stem and branch belongs to one.

The Heavenly Stem of your Day pillar — "you" in the chart. Every other character is read in relation to it.

One of 24 seasonal markers set by the sun’s position. A BaZi month turns on a solar term — and the year turns at 立春, not New Year’s Day.

Two branches sitting directly opposite each other (180° apart), like 子 and 午. A clash brings change, movement, or friction — worth building in some flexibility.

Two stems that directly oppose each other, like 甲 meeting 庚. More visible than a branch clash — open disagreement or opposing positions.

Two branches that wear on each other, like 寅 and 巳. Friction, disputes, or self-inflicted stress — patience and a slower pace help.

A branch meeting its own kind — one of 辰, 午, 酉, 亥 repeating itself. Overthinking and inner friction; easing off resolves it.

Two branches that quietly undercut each other, like 子 and 未. A subtler kind of friction — hidden misunderstandings or petty obstacles; spelling things out clearly helps.

Two branches that lightly disturb each other, like 子 and 酉. Much weaker than a clash — a minor hiccup, not worth much worry.

The same branch showing up twice. Can feel like being stuck in a loop, with old matters resurfacing — classically called 伏吟.

Two branches drawn together into a bond, like 子 and 丑. Cooperation, closeness, and smoothing things over — the pair also transforms into one of the Five Elements (子–丑 turns to Earth). See 合化.

Two of the three branches from a triad, pulling the same direction — helpful, but only about half the strength of the full formation. 申 and 子 (without 辰), for instance.

Three branches completing one elemental team, like 申子辰 becoming Water. The strongest, most stable kind of branch support.

Three branches sharing one season and direction, like 寅卯辰 all belonging to Spring Wood. Even more concentrated than a triad.

Two stems drawn together, like 甲 and 己. Like 六合, the pair transforms into an element (甲–己 turns to Earth) — though bonding this closely can also tie one side down.

When two combining stems or branches fuse into a different element — 卯 and 戌 combine, and the Fire hidden inside 戌 is drawn out, so the pair transforms into Fire. This is the ideal outcome of a combination, though real transformation needs the right conditions to fully happen (see 合而不化).

Also called 合絆 (bonded, not fully transformed): most combinations don't actually transform — they just bond, tugging at each other's strength without becoming a new element. Real transformation usually needs the branches to sit right next to each other, seasonal support, and a rooted target element. Treat the transformed element shown on the chart as a tendency, not an absolute fact.

三會/三合/半合 all outrank 六合. When the same branch is pulled into both, its energy goes to the stronger formation first, and the 六合 "yields" — the bond is still there, but its transformation usually doesn't happen. Different from 合而不化: yielding means losing out to a stronger formation, not simply lacking the right conditions.

Ten roles describing how another stem relates to your Day Master — set by element (generating / controlling) and polarity. They name the "flavour" of a day or a pillar.

Same element, same polarity — peers, self-reliance, teamwork.

Same element, opposite polarity — rivalry, shared resources, money slipping away.

You generate it, same polarity — creativity, enjoyment, easy output.

You generate it, opposite polarity — sharp expression, talent, breaking the rules.

You control it, same polarity — windfalls, lively money, wide contacts.

You control it, opposite polarity — steady earnings, practical assets.

Controls you, same polarity — pressure, challenge, decisive force.

Controls you, opposite polarity — order, duty, status, rules.

Generates you, same polarity — unconventional learning, introspection, deep study.

Generates you, opposite polarity — support, nourishment, study, protection.

The "Grand Duke" of the year — the ruling energy of the current year’s branch (its zodiac animal). How your birth animal meets it colours the whole year.

Your birth-year branch as an animal (Rat, Ox…). In BaZi it’s set by 立春, so a late-January birth may belong to the previous animal.

Also 值太歲: a year whose animal matches your own — "Tai Sui sits overhead." Unsettled; keep a low profile.

Your animal is opposite the year’s — the biggest swings in work, relationships and health.

Your animal punishes the year’s — disputes and stress are likelier.

Your animal harms the year’s — guard against hidden friction; read the fine print.

Your animal combines with the year’s — a harmonious, well-supported year for collaboration.

Your animal sits in the year’s elemental triad — supportive energy, good for teamwork and expansion.

Your fixed birth chart — the Four Pillars and everything read from them. Unlike the daily view, it never changes.

The one to three Heavenly Stems concealed inside each Earthly Branch — a branch’s inner elements and Ten Gods.

The Ten God of a pillar’s visible stem (vs your Day Master). The Day pillar’s own stem is the 日元 — you.

The Ten God of each hidden stem inside a branch — the inner influences a pillar carries.

Ten-year luck periods that unfold through life — each a stem-branch that flavours the decade, read alongside your natal chart.

Between each decade of 大運, an even finer year-by-year stem-branch pair quietly shapes things too — most noticeable in childhood, before the first decade pillar begins.

The stem-branch of a given year — the "weather" laid over your chart. Its 太歲 reading lives on the Today screen.

The age your first 大運 begins, counted from birth to the nearest solar term. 順行/逆行 = whether the decades run forward or backward.

Auspicious or inauspicious markers (天乙貴人, 桃花, 驛馬…) found by special stem/branch rules — colourful highlights on the chart. See the next section.

The most auspicious star — mentors and benefactors who help you and turn trouble aside.

A star of intellect and learning — favourable for study, writing, exams and research.

A bright, curious mind drawn to philosophy and the metaphysical — sees things through and inherits ancestral grace.

The Day Master’s "academy" — a quick, studious mind; favourable for scholarship, teaching and learning.

The Day Master’s "salary" branch — steady livelihood, self-reliance and tangible gain.

The "golden carriage" — comfort, a good marriage, wealth and a smooth ride through life.

The Day Master at peak vigour (yang stems only) — brave and decisive, but prone to impulse and injury when overdone. See the Blade analysis on the chart.

Also 咸池 — charm, popularity and romance; magnetism in love and the arts.

Allure and passion — magnetic in love, but tangled affairs come easily.

Movement — travel, relocation and change; fortune found by going outward.

Aloof talent — art, religion and deep thought; wisdom drawn from solitude.

Leadership and command — authority that others follow; suited to positions of charge.

Sudden loss — theft, drained resources and being pressured by others.

Also 白虎 — accidents, illness and mishap; a star that counsels caution.

Hidden scheming and unease — quiet loss through one’s own calculations and worries.

A star of romance and weddings — favourable for love and marriage.

Celebrations and good news — births, joyful events and an optimistic spirit.

Isolation — a certain distance from family and spouse (felt more by men).

Aloneness — a leaning toward solitude in the heart (felt more by women).

Quiet grace — kindness and unseen protection that dissolves misfortune.

Heaven’s blessing — protection and support that brings help in adversity.

The stem that combines with Moon Virtue — deepening its protective, benevolent grace.

The stem that combines with Heavenly Virtue — reinforcing its blessing and protection.

An auspicious god among 太歲’s twelve (taken from the year branch) — misfortune turned aside, lasting blessing and noble help.

An auspicious god among 太歲’s twelve (taken from the year branch) — blessing, prosperity and ease that dissolves misfortune.

An inauspicious god among 太歲’s twelve (taken from the year branch) — mourning, bereavement and grief.

The Shattering star (taken from the year branch) — petty losses and breakages, things left half-finished.

Per 三命通會, from the year stem — its Eating-God as a full pillar (陽 on 寅/子, 陰 on 亥/丑; e.g. 甲 year → 丙寅/丙子). Peace, blessing and plenty.

A sign of groundless worry and quiet drain — also called 大耗, calculated from the year branch's polarity and your gender (+7 or +5 branches along the cycle).

A sign of sudden injury or conflict — the branch directly opposite the Blade (taken from the day stem); fiercer still if the Blade itself is also present.

A sign of holding things inward rather than showing them — the Day Master's "tomb" stage in its twelve-phase life cycle. If the Day Master is strong enough, this becomes a vault of stored wealth instead.

Marks a branch whose power is hollowed out — the two branches missing from the Day pillar's decade; wherever they land in the chart, that pillar turns weak and unanchored. Oddly, a malefic star landing in the Void softens, while a benefic one there loses some of its shine.

A benefic taken from the month branch — health and a healer’s affinity; sickness finds relief.

The Day Master’s Eating-God emolument — abundant food, comfort and a steady provision.

A sign of rare brilliance and talent — the three "marvel" stems appearing in order across adjacent pillars (甲戊庚 / 乙丙丁 / 壬癸辛), marking uncommon learning and gift.

A sign of sharp, decisive intelligence with a forceful temperament — four especially strong day pillars (庚辰·庚戌·壬辰·戊戌); commanding, but a clash can turn the fortune sour.

A sign of extra bumps on the road to marriage — specific day/hour pillars linked to friction with a spouse or in-laws.

Ten "numinous" day/hour pillars — cleverness, intuition and quick, gifted minds.

Six "refined" day pillars — bright, talented and good-looking, if a touch self-regarding.

Certain yang-stem day pillars — a generous, kindly nature that softens hardship.

A sign that effort can come to nothing and gains slip away — specific day pillars whose "salary" branch falls into the Void, prone to reversal.

A sign of low vigour and follow-through that fizzles out — a day pillar whose element is at its weakest point in the current season.

A sign that plans can shift course midway — specific day pillars that reverse against the season's peak energy (春乙卯·夏丙午·秋辛酉·冬壬子).

The earthly counterpart of Heaven Reversal — unsteady footing and a higher chance of upheaval or loss, from another seasonal day-pillar set (春辛卯·夏戊午·秋癸酉·冬丙子).