Knowledge
Metaphysics Glossary
Every core term of BaZi and Chinese metaphysics on one page — a one-line definition each, grouped A–Z by pinyin. Terms with a deep-dive page link straight to it.
128 terms
B
- 八字bā zìBaZi (Eight Characters)
- The system that reads innate makeup and life trajectory from the eight characters of the four birth pillars — year, month, day and hour. Also called Four Pillars of Destiny.Read more
- 本命年běn mìng niánBen Ming Nian
- The year whose branch matches your birth-year branch, arriving every twelve years; its doubled energy amplifies the chart, and folk custom answers with lucky red.Read more
- 比肩bǐ jiānFriend
- The Friend is the Ten God of the same element and same polarity as the Day Master. It stands for the self, peers and shoulder-to-shoulder strength — brothers, partners, rivals — the most direct extension of the Day Master's own force.Read more
- 丙bǐngBing
- Bing is the third Heavenly Stem, Yang Fire — the sun itself. The brightest, most outward symbol in BaZi, it shines on all things without asking return, the most imposing of the five Yang stems.Read more
- 丙火bǐng huǒBing Fire
- The Bing Fire Day Master is Yang Fire — the sun itself. Radiant, open-hearted and generous without keeping score, Bing is the most expressive and contagious of the ten Day Masters.Read more
C
- 藏干cáng gānHidden Stems
- The one to three Heavenly Stems concealed inside each Earthly Branch (principal and residual qi), counted in every element-strength and Ten Gods analysis.Read more
- 长生十二宫cháng shēng shí èr gōngTwelve Life Stages
- The twelve-stage energy cycle of a stem across the branches — birth, bath, capping, thriving, peak, decline, sickness, death, storage, severance, gestation, nurture — mapping an element from rise to fall.
- 辰chénChen
- Chen is the fifth Earthly Branch, Earth in element, matched to the Dragon and the hours 7 to 9 a.m. A wet-earth reservoir hiding Wu, Yi and Gui, it is the branch of transformation itself — the earth that can summon clouds and rain.Read more
- 冲（六冲）chōngSix Clashes
- Six head-on branch oppositions — Zi-Wu, Chou-Wei, Yin-Shen, Mao-You, Chen-Xu, Si-Hai — read as disturbance, movement and conflict, a key trigger signal in yearly luck.Read more
- 丑chǒuChou
- Chou is the second Earthly Branch, Earth in element, matched to the Ox and the hours 1 to 3 a.m. A cold, wet soil that vaults Water and Metal inside, it stands in BaZi for patient accumulation — strength stored through the coldest stretch of night.Read more
D
- 大运dà yùnLuck Pillars (Dayun)
- Ten-year luck pillars derived from the month pillar, layered over the natal chart to set the backdrop and theme of each life stage.Read more
- 死神DeathDeath
- Death is card 13 of the Major Arcana and no literal omen — it announces the natural close of a chapter and the start of deep transformation; the ending is the first step of change.Read more
- 地支dì zhīEarthly Branches
- The twelve coordinates Zi through Hai that carry months, hours, zodiac animals and hidden stems — the lower row of a BaZi chart.Read more
- 丁dīngDing
- Ding is the fourth Heavenly Stem, Yin Fire — the lamp, the candle, the forge. Dimmer than the sun yet burning through the night with precise focus, it stands in BaZi for the fire of civilization and inner devotion.Read more
- 丁火dīng huǒDing Fire
- The Ding Fire Day Master is Yin Fire — the lamp flame and the furnace. Focused, enduring, warming those nearby in the dark, Ding is the most tender-hearted and penetrating of the ten Day Masters.Read more
F
- 伏吟fú yínFu Yin (Echo)
- The overlap of a luck pillar or annual pillar with an identical natal pillar; the same qi doubled, old themes resurfacing — a Ben Ming Nian is a year-branch Fu Yin.
G
- 干支gān zhīStems & Branches (GanZhi)
- The combined system of ten stems and twelve branches, paired to mark years, months, days and hours — the shared notation of BaZi and the traditional calendar.Read more
- 格局gé júChart Structure
- The classification of a chart’s overall configuration by month command and revealed stems (Officer structure, Eating God structure, follower charts, etc.), framing how the useful god is chosen.
- 庚gēngGeng
- Geng is the seventh Heavenly Stem, Yang Metal — the axe, the blade, the raw ore. The most martial of the ten stems, it stands in BaZi for decisiveness, upheaval and a will forged through fire.Read more
- 庚金gēng jīnGeng Metal
- The Geng Metal Day Master is Yang Metal — the axe, the blade, the raw ore. Resolute, decisive and fiercely loyal, Geng is the hardest-charging of the ten Day Masters.Read more
- 狗gǒuDog
- The Dog is the eleventh zodiac animal, matched to the branch Xu and the Earth element — a loyal, upright guardian with a strong inner code. Dog-year natives are traditionally read as devoted, principled and worthy of trust.Read more
- 癸guǐGui
- Gui is the last of the ten Heavenly Stems, Yin Water — rain, dew and the hidden spring. The softest of all stems yet present everywhere, it stands in BaZi for nourishment that works in silence and intelligence that never shows its depth.Read more
- 癸水guǐ shuǐGui Water
- The Gui Water Day Master is Yin Water — the rain, dew and mountain spring. Subtle, permeating, conquering hardness with softness, Gui is the most intuitive and spiritually attuned of the ten Day Masters.Read more
H
- 亥hàiHai
- Hai is the last of the twelve Earthly Branches, Water in element, matched to the Pig and the hours 9 to 11 p.m. Hiding Ren and Jia, it is the water of ending-and-beginning: all things gathered home, next spring's sprout already secretly aboard.Read more
- 害（六害）hàiSix Harms
- Six indirect-damage branch pairs (Zi-Wei, Chou-Wu, Yin-Si, Mao-Chen, Shen-Hai, You-Xu), milder than clash or punishment, read as covert friction and attrition.
- 合婚hé hūnMarriage Compatibility
- Judging a match by comparing both full charts — day-pillar interaction and elemental complementarity at the core; zodiac-sign matching is only the surface layer.
- 猴hóuMonkey
- The Monkey is the ninth zodiac animal, matched to the branch Shen and the Metal element — an endlessly inventive problem-solver of many talents. Monkey-year natives are traditionally read as the quickest minds in the zodiac, fast learners of everything.Read more
- 虎hǔTiger
- The Tiger is the third zodiac animal, matched to the branch Yin and the Wood element — bold, decisive, born with a commanding presence. Tiger-year natives are traditionally read as courageous pioneers with exceptional drive.Read more
- 华盖huá gàiCanopy Star
- A symbolic star derived from the storage branches via the trine frames; associated with aloof brilliance, artistry, spirituality and philosophical depth.
- 火huǒFire
- Fire is the Five Element energy of ascent and illumination. Its classical nature is "flaming upward" — it burns, radiates light and heat, and corresponds to summer, the south, and the virtue of propriety and expression.Read more
J
- 己jǐJi
- Ji is the sixth Heavenly Stem, Yin Earth — the fertile field and garden soil. Neither tall nor imposing, it grows and feeds all things: the maternal earth of BaZi, tolerant, nourishing, quietly indispensable.Read more
- 鸡jīRooster
- The Rooster is the tenth zodiac animal, matched to the branch You and the Metal element — precise, punctual, a born perfectionist of quality control. Rooster-year natives are traditionally read as sharp-eyed, articulate and exacting.Read more
- 忌神jì shénUnfavorable Element
- The element or god that damages a chart’s balance; luck periods that feed it bring obstruction — the other half of every favorable/unfavorable call.
- 己土jǐ tǔJi Earth
- The Ji Earth Day Master is Yin Earth — the fertile field. Mild, nourishing and devoted to growing others, Ji is the finest cultivator and supporter of the ten Day Masters.Read more
- 甲jiǎJia
- Jia is the first of the ten Heavenly Stems, Yang Wood in nature. Its image is the seed cracking its shell — the beginning of all things. In BaZi it stands for the pioneering force of the great tree, and it opens the entire stem-branch calendar cycle.Read more
- 甲木jiǎ mùJia Wood
- The Jia Wood Day Master is Yang Wood — the towering tree. Upright, responsible and unbending once a direction is set, Jia is the most pioneering of the ten Day Masters.Read more
- 劫财jié cáiRob Wealth
- Rob Wealth is the Ten God of the same element but opposite polarity to the Day Master. It is the peer force at higher voltage — drive, gambler's nerve, knight-errant flair: a fierce general when it fights for you, a robber of your wealth when it slips the leash.Read more
- 节气jié qìSolar Terms
- The 24 stations of the sun’s annual path at 15° intervals; the twelve "nodes" among them are the month boundaries of the stem-branch calendar used in chart casting.Read more
- 金jīnMetal
- Metal is the Five Element energy of contraction and decisiveness. Its classical nature is "yielding and reforming" — like refined metal it cuts, prunes and transforms, corresponding to autumn, the west, and the virtue of righteousness.Read more
- 审判JudgementJudgement
- Judgement is card 20 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing awakening and the call — an honest reckoning with the past, a farewell to the old self, an answer to a new purpose.Read more
- 正义JusticeJustice
- Justice is card 11 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing fairness and cause-and-effect — effort is seen, choices echo back, and accountability is yours to carry.Read more
K
- 空亡kōng wángVoid (Kong Wang)
- In each decade of the sixty-pair cycle, ten stems meet twelve branches — the two branches left unpaired are "void": their force is hollowed, muting both good and ill.
L
- 立春lì chūnLi Chun (Start of Spring)
- The first solar term (~February 4): the boundary at which the BaZi year pillar and zodiac sign change — not Lunar New Year’s Day.Read more
- 六合liù héSix Combinations
- Six pairwise branch bonds — Zi-Chou, Yin-Hai, Mao-Xu, Chen-You, Si-Shen, Wu-Wei — read as affinity, binding and cooperation.Read more
- 流年liú niánAnnual Luck (Liunian)
- Each calendar year’s stem-branch pair acting on the natal chart; together with the Dayun it times the year’s events — the technical substance behind "this year’s fortune."Read more
- 六十甲子liù shí jiǎ zǐSixty JiaZi Cycle
- The sixty ordered stem-branch pairs (JiaZi, YiChou…) along which years, months, days and hours each cycle — one full round every sixty years.Read more
- 龙lóngDragon
- The Dragon is the fifth zodiac animal and the only mythical one, matched to the branch Chen and the Earth element — a grand-visioned momentum-maker with natural stage presence. Dragon-year natives are traditionally read as ambitious and unafraid to think big.Read more
- 禄lùLu (Prosperity Throne)
- A stem’s "thriving" seat among the branches (Jia’s Lu is Yin, Bing’s is Si); a Day Master seated on or supported by its Lu enjoys deep roots and steady provision.
M
- 马mǎHorse
- The Horse is the seventh zodiac animal, matched to the branch Wu and the Fire element — ardent, open-hearted, born running forward. Horse-year natives are traditionally read as high-energy free spirits.Read more
- 卯mǎoMao
- Mao is the fourth Earthly Branch, Wood in element, matched to the Rabbit and the hours 5 to 7 a.m. Hiding the single stem Yi, it is mid-spring at full leaf — the purest Wood qi of the twelve, supple, abundant, entirely alive.Read more
- 木mùWood
- Wood is the Five Element energy of growth and expansion. Its classical nature is "bending and straightening" — like a tree it pushes upward, bends around obstacles without breaking, and corresponds to spring, the east, and the virtue of benevolence.Read more
- 墓库mù kùStorage Vault
- The four earth branches Chen, Xu, Chou and Wei, each vaulting one element’s residual qi (Water, Fire, Metal, Wood respectively); a clash "opens the vault."Read more
N
- 纳音nà yīnNa Yin (Melodic Elements)
- Thirty poetic element images (Gold in the Sea, Fire in the Furnace, Forest Wood…) mapped onto the sixty JiaZi in pairs — an auxiliary dimension of classical reading.
- 牛niúOx
- The Ox is the second zodiac animal, matched to the branch Chou and the Earth element — steady, tireless, and unswerving once committed. Ox-year natives are traditionally read as dependable, enduring and true to their word.Read more
P
- 偏财piān cáiIndirect Wealth
- Indirect Wealth is the Ten God the Day Master controls with the same polarity. It stands for fluid, opportunity-driven money — business, investment, windfalls — and a generous, open-handed nature with a wide circle.Read more
- 偏印piān yìnIndirect Resource
- The Indirect Resource is the Ten God that generates the Day Master with the same polarity. It stands for unorthodox intelligence and solitary insight — intuition, specialized genius, learning off the main road. Anciently called the Owl, it is the deepest and least decipherable of the ten.Read more
- 破（六破）pòSix Destructions
- Six branch pairs of minor damage (Zi-You, Chou-Chen, Yin-Hai, Mao-Wu, Si-Shen, Wei-Xu) — the mildest interaction, read as frayed plans and recurring trivia.
Q
- 七杀qī shāSeven Killings
- Seven Killings is the Ten God that controls the Day Master with the same polarity. It stands for raw pressure, challenge and aggression — mastered, it is the general's star; unmastered, a lifelong wrestle with stress.Read more
R
- 壬rénRen
- Ren is the ninth Heavenly Stem, Yang Water — the river, the lake, the open sea. Ever-flowing and everywhere-reaching, it stands in BaZi for large-canvas intelligence, absorptive breadth and the force that carves through any terrain.Read more
- 壬水rén shuǐRen Water
- The Ren Water Day Master is Yang Water — the river and the open sea. Ever-flowing, broad-horizoned and deeply resourceful, Ren is the grand strategist of the ten Day Masters.Read more
- 日主rì zhǔDay Master
- The Heavenly Stem of the day pillar — the character that represents you; judging its strength is where all chart analysis begins.Read more
S
- 三合sān héThree Harmony (Trine)
- Three branches four steps apart forming an elemental alliance — Shen-Zi-Chen (Water), Yin-Wu-Xu (Fire), Si-You-Chou (Metal), Hai-Mao-Wei (Wood); two of three (half-trine) still counts.Read more
- 伤官shāng guānHurting Officer
- The Hurting Officer is the Ten God the Day Master generates with opposite polarity. It stands for blazing, defiant talent — brilliance worn openly, authority challenged gladly — the most dazzling and most controversial of the ten.Read more
- 蛇shéSnake
- The Snake is the sixth zodiac animal, matched to the branch Si and the Fire element — a deep-seeing, self-contained strategist of quiet elegance. Snake-year natives are traditionally read as piercingly intuitive and effortlessly composed.Read more
- 申shēnShen
- Shen is the ninth Earthly Branch, Metal in element, matched to the Monkey and the hours 3 to 5 p.m. Hiding Geng, Ren and Wu — and cradling Water's birth stage — it is autumn's first chill: hard metal with a quicksilver mind.Read more
- 神煞shén shàSymbolic Stars
- Symbolic stars derived from specific stem-branch formulas (Peach Blossom, Travel Horse, Nobleman, Canopy…) that tag the chart with imagery — an auxiliary reference layer.
- 生肖shēng xiàoChinese Zodiac
- The twelve animal faces of the Earthly Branches (Rat for Zi through Pig for Hai), assigned by birth-year branch — the most popular doorway into the branch system.Read more
- 时辰shí chenDouble-Hour
- The traditional two-hour unit — twelve per day, one branch each, starting from the Zi hour (11 p.m.–1 a.m.); the hour pillar derives from it.Read more
- 食神shí shénEating God
- The Eating God is the Ten God the Day Master generates with the same polarity. It stands for unhurried creative output and the art of living — artistry, cuisine, absorbed craftsmanship — the most blessed of the ten.Read more
- 十神shí shénTen Gods
- The ten relationships every other character holds to the Day Master (Direct Officer, Seven Killings, Direct Wealth, Eating God…) — the vocabulary translating element math into career, money and love.Read more
- 鼠shǔRat
- The Rat leads the twelve zodiac animals, matched to the branch Zi and the Water element — a quick-witted opener with sharp instincts and a talent for storing resources. Rat-year natives are traditionally read as clever, adaptable and intuitively fast.Read more
- 水shuǐWater
- Water is the Five Element energy of wisdom and flow. Its classical nature is "moistening downward" — like water it seeps, adapts to any container, and corresponds to winter, the north, and the virtue of wisdom.Read more
- 巳sìSi
- Si is the sixth Earthly Branch, Fire in element, matched to the Snake and the hours 9 to 11 a.m. Hiding Bing, Wu and Geng — and cradling Metal's birth stage — it is the cunning fire before high noon: brilliance on the surface, contingency underneath.Read more
- 四柱sì zhùFour Pillars
- The year, month, day and hour pillars, each one stem plus one branch — the "four pillars" that give BaZi its formal name.Read more
- 力量StrengthStrength
- Strength is card 8 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing gentle courage — true strength is not suppression but taming inner impulses and fears with patience and compassion.Read more
T
- 太岁tài suìTai Sui
- The deified name of the reigning year’s stem-branch pair; "offending Tai Sui" covers the echo, clash, punishment or harm between the year and your birth branch.Read more
- 桃花táo huāPeach Blossom
- A symbolic star on the four cardinal branches Zi, Wu, Mao and You; governs charm, popularity and romance, strongest in the day and hour pillars.
- 节制TemperanceTemperance
- Temperance is card 14 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing balance and blending — finding the middle way between extremes, where patience lets everything merge naturally.Read more
- 战车The ChariotThe Chariot
- The Chariot is card 7 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing willpower and momentum — uniting inner conflicts under a firm will and driving toward the goal at full force.Read more
- 恶魔The DevilThe Devil
- The Devil is card 15 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing self-chosen bondage — the moment you see the chains of attachment and habit, the power to choose returns to you.Read more
- 皇帝The EmperorThe Emperor
- The Emperor is card 4 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing order and responsibility — building a stable framework for life through reason, discipline and clear boundaries.Read more
- 皇后The EmpressThe Empress
- The Empress is card 3 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing abundance and nurturing — things are blossoming naturally, and creativity flows through care and ease.Read more
- 愚人The FoolThe Fool
- The Fool is card 0 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing new beginnings, innocence and adventure — setting out light with a beginner’s mind, unbound by the past.Read more
- 倒吊人The Hanged ManThe Hanged Man
- The Hanged Man is card 12 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing the meaningful pause — some answers only appear when you stop and look from another angle.Read more
- 隐士The HermitThe Hermit
- The Hermit is card 9 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing solitude and introspection — a deliberate turn inward to find your own answer in the quiet.Read more
- 教皇The HierophantThe Hierophant
- The Hierophant is card 5 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing tradition and mentorship — following proven paths, learning from trusted systems, and affirming the values you truly hold.Read more
- 女祭司The High PriestessThe High Priestess
- The High Priestess is card 2 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing intuition and the subconscious — the answer lies not in outer noise but in stillness and inner wisdom.Read more
- 恋人The LoversThe Lovers
- The Lovers is card 6 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing connection and choice — true intimacy rests on conscious decisions aligned with your inner values.Read more
- 魔术师The MagicianThe Magician
- The Magician is card 1 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing creation and willpower — every tool you need is already on the table; this is the card of turning ideas into reality.Read more
- 月亮The MoonThe Moon
- The Moon is card 18 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing fog and the subconscious — information may be distorted; sort fact from imagination before you move.Read more
- 星星The StarThe Star
- The Star is card 17 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing hope and healing — after the storm comes calm repair: confidence returns, inspiration flows back, direction grows clear again.Read more
- 太阳The SunThe Sun
- The Sun is card 19 of the Major Arcana and one of the brightest cards in tarot — symbolizing clarity, success and joy that rises from within.Read more
- 高塔The TowerThe Tower
- The Tower is card 16 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing upheaval and revelation — false structures collapse, clearing the ground for a truer rebuild.Read more
- 世界The WorldThe World
- The World is card 21 and the final stop of the Major Arcana journey — symbolizing completion and integration, then beginning a new cycle whole and fulfilled.Read more
- 天干tiān gānHeavenly Stems
- The ten symbols Jia through Gui, each a distinct Yin-Yang + element identity — the upper row of a BaZi chart.Read more
- 天乙贵人tiān yǐ guì rénNobleman Star
- The most esteemed auspicious star, located by day stem; signifies timely helpers and danger turned aside.
- 调候tiáo hòuSeasonal Balancing
- Choosing the useful element by the birth season’s cold, heat, dryness or damp — winter charts want Fire, summer charts want Water; the classic Qiong Tong Bao Jian codifies it.
- 通根tōng gēnRooting
- A stem "roots" when a matching hidden stem supports it from below; rooted stems are solid, rootless ones float — the first yardstick of a stem’s real strength.Read more
- 土tǔEarth
- Earth is the Five Element energy of support and stability. Its classical nature is "sowing and reaping" — like the ground it carries and nourishes all things, mediates from the center, and corresponds to the season transitions, the center, and the virtue of trustworthiness.Read more
- 兔tùRabbit
- The Rabbit is the fourth zodiac animal, matched to the branch Mao and the Wood element — gentle, perceptive, gifted with taste and tact. Rabbit-year natives are traditionally read as considerate diplomats whom everyone likes.Read more
W
- 未wèiWei
- Wei is the eighth Earthly Branch, Earth in element, matched to the Goat and the hours 1 to 3 p.m. A dry soil hiding Ji, Ding and Yi — the Wood vault — it is the earth of late summer that ripens fruit and banks the last of spring's green.Read more
- 命运之轮Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune
- The Wheel of Fortune is card 10 of the Major Arcana, symbolizing cycles and turning points — ups and downs are the norm; what matters is staying aware and flexible amid change.Read more
- 戊wùWu
- Wu is the fifth Heavenly Stem, Yang Earth — the mountain and the city wall. Standing at the exact center of the ten stems, massive and unmoving, it is the spine of the land that carries and dams all things.Read more
- 午wǔWu
- Wu is the seventh Earthly Branch, Fire in element, matched to the Horse and the hours 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hiding Ding and Ji, it is the apex of Yang in both day and year — fire at full blaze, and the exact point where the turn begins.Read more
- 戊土wù tǔWu Earth
- The Wu Earth Day Master is Yang Earth — the mountain and the city wall. Massive, stable and dependable, Wu is the calmest and most reassuring of the ten Day Masters.Read more
- 五行wǔ xíngFive Elements
- Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water with their generating and overcoming cycles — the operating system beneath BaZi, Liu Yao and all Chinese metaphysics.Read more
X
- 喜神xǐ shénFavorable Element
- The element that supports the useful god and benefits the chart’s balance; luck periods that feed it run smooth — the counterpart of the unfavorable element.
- 相克xiāng kèOvercoming Cycle
- The control cycle — Wood checks Earth, Earth checks Water, Water checks Fire, Fire checks Metal, Metal checks Wood; control is order, and only imbalance makes it harm.Read more
- 相生xiāng shēngGenerating Cycle
- The nourishing cycle — Wood feeds Fire, Fire makes Earth, Earth bears Metal, Metal carries Water, Water grows Wood — an unbroken ring.Read more
- 辛xīnXin
- Xin is the eighth Heavenly Stem, Yin Metal — the jewel, the ornament, the fine blade. Polished, luminous and quietly sharp, it stands in BaZi for refined worth and the needle hidden in silk.Read more
- 辛金xīn jīnXin Metal
- The Xin Metal Day Master is Yin Metal — the gem and the fine jewelry. Refined, sharp-eyed and proud, Xin has the most exacting taste and aesthetic sense of the ten Day Masters.Read more
- 刑（三刑）xíngPunishment
- Entangling branch friction — the triple punishments Yin-Si-Shen and Chou-Xu-Wei, the Zi-Mao pair, and the self-punishments of Chen, Wu, You and Hai; read as recurrence, attrition and dispute.
- 戌xūXu
- Xu is the eleventh Earthly Branch, Earth in element, matched to the Dog and the hours 7 to 9 p.m. A dry soil hiding Wu, Xin and Ding — the Fire vault — it is late autumn's earth: banking the year's last warmth, standing watch at the gate.Read more
Y
- 羊yángGoat
- The Goat is the eighth zodiac animal, matched to the branch Wei and the Earth element — mild, artistic, resilient through softness. Goat-year natives are traditionally read as kind-hearted, with standout taste and empathy.Read more
- 羊刃yáng rènYang Blade
- The peak-stage branch of a Yang stem (Jia’s blade is Mao, Bing’s is Wu) — where the Day Master’s force turns razor-sharp: power when needed, injury when excessive.
- 乙yǐYi
- Yi is the second Heavenly Stem, Yin Wood in nature, its glyph the bent shape of a young sprout. In BaZi it stands for the supple vitality of flowers and vines — conquering by yielding, growing along whatever the terrain offers.Read more
- 驿马yì mǎTravel Horse
- A symbolic star on the four "birth" branches Yin, Shen, Si and Hai; governs travel, relocation and change — today read as business trips, study abroad and migration.
- 乙木yǐ mùYi Wood
- The Yi Wood Day Master is Yin Wood — the vine and flowering plant. Supple, resourceful and quick to grow along whatever support exists, Yi looks delicate yet carries the strongest survival instinct of the ten Day Masters.Read more
- 寅yínYin
- Yin is the third Earthly Branch, Wood in element, matched to the Tiger and the hours 3 to 5 a.m. Hiding three stems — Jia, Bing, Wu — and cradling Fire's birth stage, it stands in BaZi for the ignition of things: the force that starts the world at daybreak.Read more
- 阴阳yīn yángYin & Yang
- The two energy states behind all change — Yin contracting and still, Yang expanding and kinetic; every stem, branch and element carries one polarity.Read more
- 用神yòng shénUseful God
- The single element or god most critical to bringing the chart into balance; selecting it is the core technique of BaZi analysis.
- 酉yǒuYou
- You is the tenth Earthly Branch, Metal in element, matched to the Rooster and the hours 5 to 7 p.m. Hiding the single stem Xin, it is mid-autumn at full sharpness — the purest Metal of the twelve: polished, precise, edge worn inward.Read more
- 月令yuè lìngMonth Command
- The governing force of the month branch and its season over the whole chart — the heaviest weight in judging Day Master strength; "in command" means the Day Master’s element rules the season.
Z
- 正财zhèng cáiDirect Wealth
- Direct Wealth is the Ten God the Day Master controls with opposite polarity. It stands for stable wealth earned through honest work — salary, savings, tangible business — and traditionally marks the wife star in a man's chart.Read more
- 正官zhèng guānDirect Officer
- The Direct Officer is the Ten God that controls the Day Master with opposite polarity. It stands for rules, duty and legitimate authority — governing career status, reputation and discipline, and traditionally marking the husband star in a woman's chart.Read more
- 正印zhèng yìnDirect Resource
- The Direct Resource is the Ten God that generates the Day Master with opposite polarity. It stands for nourishment, learning and shelter — the mother, education, credentials — the kindest guardian star of the ten.Read more
- 猪zhūPig
- The Pig closes the zodiac cycle, matched to the branch Hai and the Water element — open-hearted, generous, effortlessly at ease. Pig-year natives are traditionally read as blessed with broad minds and undefended sincerity.Read more
- 子zǐZi
- Zi is the first of the twelve Earthly Branches, Water in element, matched to the Rat and the hours 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. It marks the point where the first Yang is born in deepest night — the water of intelligence gestating life inside the cold.Read more
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