How a system of understanding impacts culture: BaZi

The ancient Chinese system of telling time, understanding nature, and divination known as BaZi or Four Pillars astrology is important in understanding the culture of China. This influence impacts China and other Asian cultures today; it is not an historical artifact.  Immediately below is the BaZi for the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan this year.

What is BaZi? It is a system of telling time, and understanding the physical, psychological and spiritual environment, by using 60 combinations of element and animal. The Chinese system uses five elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. Each can exist in yin or yang form. There are twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Six of these are yang: Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey and Dog. The other six are yin: Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Sheep, Rooster and Pig. Each animal pairs with each of the elements to form a cycle of 60. These cycles are 60 years, 60 months, 60 days and 60 hours (Chinese hours are two western hours).

Each moment in time can be pinpointed (within two hours, and within a 60 year cycle) by a combination of the four pillars. I am writing this on 03 Oct 2011 at 9:48 am EDT in East Tennessee. In BaZi this is the Yin Water Snake hour, the Yin Metal Rabbit day, the Yin Fire Rooster month and the Yin Metal Rabbit year.

Each person is thus described by the combination of pillars for the day and time he was born. But more specifically, he is described by the Day Master, the element of the day of his birth. In the illustration above it is Yin Metal. Knowing one’s Day Master, and whether it is weak or strong, lets you know what times and seasons are favorable for you and which are ones where you need to attend to personal business only and not stick your head up. A strong Day Master has three elements which are favorable; a weak Day Master has only two. In the cycle of 60, a strong Day Master will have 24 days of everything going in his favor, about 16 when all forces are against him, and the remaining 20 days are mixed. A weak Day Master will have about 16 favorable days, 24 days with all forces against him, and 20 days of mixed luck. Although the illustration above is for a strong Day Master, most people and most BaZi are for weak Day Masters.

Knowing your favorable elements, which depends upon whether your Day Master is weak or strong and which element it is, allows you to know when to step out, and when to hunker down. It is the “hunker down” part that is more pronounced with Asian cultures, and I propose that it comes directly from understanding and using BaZi over centuries. It has become part of the culture.

In contrast, Western cultures uplift individuals who step forward and act without regard to their individual fortune. One might say in ignorance of their BaZi. However if one did a BaZi analysis of prominent individuals, most would be shown to manifest their success as their element is rewarded by the changing cycles.

May you grow in understanding, and have the elements in your favor!

Lalia