FIELD NOTES
BaZi & the Four Pillars
BaZi, often called the Four Pillars, describes a birth moment using heavenly stems and earthly branches. It is a cultural system of interpretation, not a scientific model of a person or a reliable prediction of events. A birth time that is unknown leaves the hour pillar unknown.
How to read the four columns
Each pillar contains a heavenly stem and an earthly branch. The columns describe the year, month, day and hour of the birth moment. These eight characters give BaZi its name. The chart also identifies the day stem as the Day Master. These are calculated labels. Their traditional interpretation is a separate step.
Check birth time and time zone
Enter the time recorded at the birthplace and select that place’s named time zone. Your current location does not set the birth time zone. Our method uses solar-term instants for year and month boundaries, and birthplace civil time for day and hour pillars. It does not apply true solar time correction. Unknown birth time leaves the hour pillar unknown. On a solar-term boundary day, a year or month pillar can also remain uncertain.
A useful first reading
Start by checking the birth details and the method shown with the result. Find the Day Master, then compare it with the other pillars and the stated element count. Keep missing information visible. If two calculators disagree, compare their time zone, day-boundary and solar-time rules before interpreting the difference. A traditional chart does not establish facts about your abilities or future.