Step 1: You Provide Your Birth Info
Every Bazi reading starts with your birth date, time, and location. The time matters — even a 30-minute difference can shift the Hour Pillar and dramatically change your chart. The location matters because Bazi uses local solar time, not standard timezone time. If you were born at 1 PM in Shanghai, that's treated differently from 1 PM in乌鲁木齐 (Urumqi), even though both are officially China Standard Time.
Don't know your exact birth time? Don't worry — most Bazi tools (including lotseer.com) can work with just the date and approximate time. The chart will be 75-85% accurate without the Hour Pillar.
Step 2: Your Four Pillars Are Calculated
The system converts your birth data into eight characters ("Four Pillars"), each pillar containing a Heavenly Stem and an Earthly Branch:
- Year Pillar — Represents your ancestry, early childhood, and social context
- Month Pillar — Represents your parents, career path, and young adulthood
- Day Pillar — Represents YOU (your Day Master), your spouse, and your core self
- Hour Pillar — Represents your children, late life, and hidden aspirations
Don't worry if this seems like a lot — a good Bazi reading explains each pillar in plain language as it goes.
Step 3: Your Day Master Is Revealed
The Heavenly Stem of your Day Pillar is your Day Master — the most important piece of the puzzle. There are 10 possible Day Masters, one for each Heavenly Stem:
- Jia Wood (甲) — The Big Tree: strong, upright, generous leader
- Yi Wood (乙) — The Vine: flexible, artistic, diplomatic
- Bing Fire (丙) — The Sun: warm, charismatic, outgoing
- Ding Fire (丁) — The Candle: steady, refined, loyal
- Wu Earth (戊) — The Mountain: solid, reliable, protective
- Ji Earth (己) — The Soil: nurturing, adaptable, practical
- Geng Metal (庚) — The Sword: decisive, strong-willed, righteous
- Xin Metal (辛) — The Jewel: elegant, precise, detail-oriented
- Ren Water (壬) — The Ocean: strategic, wise, deep thinker
- Gui Water (癸) — The Rain: intuitive, sensitive, creative
Your reading will explain how your Day Master interacts with the other three pillars and with the current year's energy.
Step 4: The Five Elements Analysis
Bazi is built on the interaction of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. A good reading will:
- Show you which elements are strong or weak in your chart
- Explain what drives you (your Yong Shen or "useful god")
- Recommend lifestyle adjustments to balance missing or excessive elements
For example, a Metal-heavy person might benefit from Water (fluidity) or Wood (flexibility) activities, while a Water-deficient chart might suggest spending time near lakes or wearing blue/black colors.
Step 5: The Luck Cycle Forecast
Your Bazi chart is fixed for life, but your luck cycles (Da Yun) change every 10 years. Each decade brings a different Earthly Branch energy that activates different parts of your chart. A complete reading will tell you:
- What phase of life you're in right now
- Which areas (career, relationships, health) are favored in this decade
- What to prepare for in the next luck cycle
Step 6: The Annual Outlook
Finally, your reading should project the current year's energy onto your chart. The annual cycle (Liu Nian) interacts with your Luck Pillar and your natal chart, creating a unique energy mix for the year ahead. A 2026 Bazi reading, for example, accounts for the Horse year energy and how it affects your specific combination of pillars.
How to Prepare for Your First Reading
- Have your exact birth time ready — check with your parents or dig up your birth certificate
- Come with an open mind — Bazi describes tendencies, not fixed fate
- Take notes — especially on your Day Master, Useful God, and current Luck Cycle
- Ask specific questions — "Should I change careers this year?" is better than "What does my future hold?"
Start Your Journey
Ready to see your Four Pillars? Get a free Bazi reading at lotseer.com and discover your Day Master, element balance, and current luck cycle in minutes.