New to Bazi? This is the place to start. Bazi — literally "eight characters", and often called the Four Pillars of Destiny — is a Chinese system of astrology that maps the year, month, day, and hour of your birth onto a chart of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Unlike Western horoscopes, it is less concerned with sun signs and far more interested in the balance of elemental energies present at the exact moment you were born.
The guides in this section walk you through the vocabulary and mechanics you need before anything else makes sense: what the four pillars actually represent, how to find your Day Master (the single stem that anchors your whole chart), what the ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches mean, and how to read a chart for the first time without feeling lost in jargon. Every article is written for readers with zero background — terms are introduced once, in plain language, and each guide links to the next logical step. Start with "What is Bazi?", run your own chart through the free calculator, then come back here to learn what each part of it means.
Why does the Bazi year start at Li Chun (立春), not Chinese New Year? Classical source texts and evidence behind this fundamental Bazi rule explained.
Learn bazi chart reading step by step. Interpret your Four Pillars of Destiny: identify your Day Master, decode element balance, and unlock the meaning of your Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.
Use a free Bazi calculator in minutes: enter your birth date, identify your Day Master, and read all Four Pillars. Step-by-step guide with examples for beginners — no prior knowledge needed.
Explore the fundamental differences between Bazi (Four Pillars of Destiny) and Western astrology. Compare their calendar systems, elemental frameworks, prediction methods, and compatibility approaches to decide which system suits your needs.
Discover the ancient art of Bazi, also known as Four Pillars of Destiny. Learn how this 3,000-year-old Chinese astrology system can reveal insights about your personality, career, and life path.
Three things: your date of birth, your time of birth (as precise as possible — the hour pillar depends on it), and your place of birth so the time can be adjusted correctly. Our free Bazi calculator converts everything to the Chinese calendar and builds the chart for you.
The Day Master is the Heavenly Stem of your day pillar — one of ten characters such as Jia Wood or Bing Fire. It represents you, and every other element in the chart is interpreted through its relationship to this one stem, which makes it the natural starting point of any reading.
No. Your zodiac animal is only the Earthly Branch of the year pillar — one-eighth of a full Bazi chart. Bazi reads all four pillars together, which is why two people with the same animal sign can have completely different charts and personalities.
Download Bazi Fortune and get your personalized birth chart with AI-powered insights today.
Download Free