Written by Master Tseng
How are the Four Pillars formed?
Each of the four birth components forms one pillar made from a Heavenly Stem and an Earthly Branch. Together they create eight characters. A full reading considers relationships across the complete chart rather than relying on zodiac signs alone.
Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches and Five Elements
The stems and branches carry yin or yang qualities and correspond to Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water. A practitioner considers season, relative strength, interactions and hidden stems instead of simply counting which element appears least.
What is the Day Master?
The Heavenly Stem of the day pillar is called the Day Master. It serves as a central reference for understanding how the other parts of the chart relate to the individual.
Luck cycles and annual influences
The birth chart describes the underlying structure, ten-year luck cycles describe longer stages, and annual influences add the themes of a particular year. A responsible analysis reads these layers together.
What information is required?
A chart normally requires date of birth, birth time, place of birth and gender. If the time is unknown, it should be clearly stated rather than treated as certain.