Four Pillars of Destiny · 四柱

Bazi Fundamentals (用神·强弱)

A Bazi reading gauges the strength of the Day Master (you) within the natal chart, then finds the Useful God — the core element that corrects the chart’s lean. Here are the backbone concepts in four groups: what a reading reads, the force of the Day Master, the key to balance, and the methods for setting it.

Foundation · what a reading reads

原局Natal Chart
The Four Pillars of the moment you were born — the fixed ground of who you are, unchanging for life.
日干Day Master
The stem of the day you were born — the central character that stands for 'you' in the chart.

Strength · the force of the Day Master

身强Strong Day Master
A state where the Day Master (you) overflows with force — a chart with a strong subject.
身弱Weak Day Master
A state where the Day Master's (your) force falls short — a chart that needs support.
中和Balanced Chart
A state neither strong nor weak — the ideal a chart aspires to.

Useful God · the key to balance and fortune

用神Useful God
The most useful element that balances the chart — the strategic key of a life.
喜神Favorable God
The welcome energy that aids the Useful God — its dependable support.
忌神Unfavorable God
The disliked energy that harms the Useful God — the element to watch.

Method · the four ways to set the Useful God

抑扶Support & Restraint Method
Restrain the strong, support the weak — the most basic method of setting the Useful God.
調候Climatic Balance Method
A method that governs the chart's cold and heat — climatic correction.
通關Mediation Method
A mediating method that links two energies locked in conflict.
病藥Illness & Cure Method
A method that finds the chart's 'illness' and uses the energy that cures it.

Curious about the strength and Useful God of your own chart?

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Bazi is a traditional East Asian study, offered here for reflection.