Got your BaZi chart but have no idea where to start? This beginner guide breaks down the basics so you can understand your own Four Pillars chart.
BaZi ("Eight Characters") uses your birth year, month, day, and hour. Each time unit is represented by one Heavenly Stem and one Earthly Branch, giving you four pillars and eight characters total. For example, someone born on January 1, 2024 at 8am might have: Year Pillar Gui-Mao, Month Pillar Jia-Zi, Day Pillar Gui-Hai, Hour Pillar Bing-Chen. These eight characters form your life chart.
The Day Stem (the Heavenly Stem of your Day Pillar) represents you. If your Day Pillar is Gui-Hai, your Day Master is Gui Water. Each of the ten stems has a core personality: Jia Wood is upright and growing, Bing Fire is warm and radiant, Geng Metal is decisive, Ren Water is flexible.
The other seven characters relate to your Day Master as ten types of relationships: Direct Officer, Seven Killings, Direct Seal, Indirect Seal, Friend, Rob Wealth, Eating God, Hurling Officer, Direct Wealth, and Indirect Wealth. These describe different areas of your life — career, relationships, wealth, health.
Year Pillar shows ancestors and childhood. Month Pillar shows parents and your 20s-30s. Day Pillar shows yourself and marriage. Hour Pillar shows children and later years. The Month Branch is the most powerful position in the chart.