Chinese Metaphysics Guides

Plain-English references for the Ba Zi system: what the chart contains, how the elements and the Ten Gods work, and how the traditional methods are applied in practice.

• What Is a Ba Zi Chart? (Four Pillars Chart Explained)
  A Ba Zi chart (also called a Four Pillars chart or Chinese birth chart) records the year, month, day and hour of birth as eight Chinese characters. Here is how to read it.
• The Five Elements and Ten Gods: A Complete Reference
  A reference table for the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and the Ten Gods, with the plain meaning of each and how they are judged against the Day Master.
• Ba Zi Compatibility: How Two Charts Are Compared
  How Ba Zi compatibility works: the Day Master relationship, the Five Elements balance between two charts, and what a compatibility reading actually covers.
• Choosing Auspicious Dates for Moving, Marriage and Travel
  How auspicious date selection (Ze Ri) works in Chinese tradition: the rules used for moving house, marriage and travel, and what to check before picking a date.
• Chinese Baby Naming with Ba Zi: Choosing Characters by Element
  How Chinese baby naming works with Ba Zi: using the Favourable Elements of a chart, the meaning of characters, sound and tone, and the practical checklist practitioners use.