Basics · the timeline

Luck Cycles and Timing

A chart is static; the luck cycle makes it a timeline. Ten pillars of ten years each cover a century, and the start age is derived from the distance between the birth moment and the next solar term. The conversion is a ratio, and this page prints it instead of hiding it behind a single number.

Your direction, start age and ten pillars

The output gives direction and start age first, including the gap between the traditional and precise methods, then lists all ten pillars with their gods and stage landings.

Forward or backward

Two variables decide it: the polarity of the year stem, and gender. Four combinations, two outcomes.

Year stemGenderDirectionRule
Jia (Yang)maleForward (shun pai)yang-stem year (甲) + male → sequence runs forward
Jia (Yang)femaleBackward (ni pai)yang-stem year (甲) + female → sequence runs backward
Yi (Yin)maleBackward (ni pai)yin-stem year (乙) + male → sequence runs backward
Yi (Yin)femaleForward (shun pai)yin-stem year (乙) + female → sequence runs forward

The start-age conversion: three days to one year

The scale is three days to one year, one day to four months, and one two-hour block to ten days.

ConversionEquals
3 days1 year
1 day4 months
1 two-hour block10 days

This site runs two versions of the same scale: the traditional method accumulates whole two-hour blocks, the precise method converts actual minutes. For the example chart, 1985-07-04 12:00 male:

Directionyin-stem year (乙) + male → sequence runs backward
Start age9 years 5 months 20 days
Starts on1994-12-24
Whole days consumed28
Two-hour blocks crossed5
Gap between the two methods0.0056 days
Sui ages before it starts1–9

The ten pillars

Each pillar lasts ten years and the ten together cover a century. The god is read from the stem; the stage landing is the day master against that pillar's branch.

#PillarYearsSui ageStem godBranch godStage
1辛巳 Xin Si1994–200310–19正官
Direct Officer (ZhengGuan)
食神
Eating God (ShiShen)
病 / Illness
2庚辰 Geng Chen2004–201320–29七杀
Seven Killings (QiSha)
偏财
Indirect Wealth (PianCai)
衰 / Decline
3己卯 Ji Mao2014–202330–39正财
Direct Wealth (ZhengCai)
劫财
Rival (JieCai)
帝旺 / Prosperity
4戊寅 Wu Yin2024–203340–49偏财
Indirect Wealth (PianCai)
比肩
Peer (BiJian)
临官 / Official Post
5丁丑 Ding Chou2034–204350–59伤官
Hurting Officer (ShangGuan)
正财
Direct Wealth (ZhengCai)
冠带 / Attiring
6丙子 Bing Zi2044–205360–69食神
Eating God (ShiShen)
正印
Direct Resource (ZhengYin)
沐浴 / Bathing
7乙亥 Yi Hai2054–206370–79劫财
Rival (JieCai)
偏印
Indirect Resource (PianYin)
长生 / Birth
8甲戌 Jia Xu2064–207380–89比肩
Peer (BiJian)
偏财
Indirect Wealth (PianCai)
养 / Nourishment
9癸酉 Gui You2074–208390–99正印
Direct Resource (ZhengYin)
正官
Direct Officer (ZhengGuan)
胎 / Conception
10壬申 Ren Shen2084–2093100–109偏印
Indirect Resource (PianYin)
七杀
Seven Killings (QiSha)
绝 / Extinction

Frequently asked

These are the questions specific to this page; broader conventions live on the methodology page.

How is the start age decided?
By the distance from the birth moment to the neighbouring solar term, converted at three days to one year. Running forward measures to the next term, running backward to the previous one.
Why do the two methods differ?
The traditional method counts whole two-hour blocks, the precise method converts minutes. On the example chart the gap is about eight minutes of clock time, which rounds to the same day.
Does a luck pillar change the chart?
No. It adds a stem and a branch on a timeline. The chart underneath stays the same, which is why this site shows the sequence rather than a verdict.
What is the annual pillar then?
The current year's stem and branch, which sits on top of the running luck pillar. The two are read together, and both are computed from the same engine.

Reference index

Every enumerable component of ba zi has its own page here. Each page is computed by the same engine and can be checked item by item — none of it is a personality table.