BaZi Database
101 entries. The ten day masters and the ten gods, as a reference. Each entry gives the definition, the position in the system, and how the term is used in the traditional sources.
BaZi takes its name from the four pillars — year, month, day and hour — each written as a heavenly stem paired with an earthly branch. Those eight characters are the whole input. Everything else, including the ten gods, is derived from relationships among them rather than looked up anywhere, which is why the terminology has to be learned before a chart becomes readable at all.
The day master is the stem of the day pillar, and it stands in for the person whose chart this is. The other seven characters are then described by how they relate to that one stem, and those relationships are the ten gods: same element is Friend or Rob Wealth, what the day master produces is Eating God or Hurting Officer, what restrains it is Direct Officer or Seven Killings, and so on through Wealth and Resource. Someone comfortable with those names can read a chart's shape in a few seconds.
This library splits down those two lines — fifty entries on the day masters, covering what each stem is like at the centre of a chart, and fifty-one on the ten gods, covering what each relationship contributes wherever it shows up. They are designed to be read against each other: a day master entry tells you what Jia Wood is inclined toward, and the ten gods entries tell you what it means that Wealth sits in the month pillar of that same chart.
None of this becomes concrete without a chart. The BaZi calculator produces the four pillars, the ten gods and the current luck pillar from a birth date and time, free and without an account. Use it alongside these entries — a definition understood abstractly tends to evaporate within a day, while the same definition attached to one's own chart tends to stay.
This is a reference for the vocabulary of BaZi. It is not a chart reading — that requires the full chart, and no entry here should be taken as guidance about what to do.
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Day Master · 50
Jia 甲 — Yang WoodJia is the first heavenly stem and the yang form of Wood — traditionally described as the standing tree.Jia — PersonalityTraditional descriptions of Jia as day master use the imagery of the tall tree — growth, directness, and resistance to being moved.Jia — CareerThe traditional reading applies Jia's tree imagery to work: growth over time, and structures that take years to build.Jia — WealthIn the ten-god system, the element Jia overcomes is Earth, and Earth is Jia's wealth star — the definition is structural.Jia — RelationshipsFor a male chart the wife star is the wealth star; for a female chart the husband star is the authority star — both defined by the ten-god relationships.Yi 乙 — Yin WoodYi is the second heavenly stem and the yin form of Wood — traditionally described as the vine or the grass.Yi — PersonalityTraditional descriptions of Yi use the vine: adaptable, persistent, and able to find a way around what blocks it.Yi — CareerThe traditional reading applies Yi's vine imagery to work: adaptation, and finding routes that are not direct.Yi — WealthAs with Jia, Yi's wealth star is Earth — the element Wood overcomes. The definition is the same for both Wood stems.Yi — RelationshipsThe relationship stars for Yi follow the same defined rule as for Jia: wealth for a male chart, authority for a female chart.Bing 丙 — Yang FireBing is the third heavenly stem and the yang form of Fire — traditionally described as the sun.Bing — PersonalityTraditional descriptions of Bing use the sun: generous, visible, and warm toward everyone rather than toward one person.Bing — CareerThe traditional reading applies Bing's sun imagery to work: visibility, and roles where the effect is broad.Bing — WealthFire overcomes Metal, so for Bing the wealth element is Metal — by the standard ten-god definition.Bing — RelationshipsFor a Bing chart, the partner stars are defined by the ten-god rules: Metal as wealth for a male chart, Water as authority for a female chart.Ding 丁 — Yin FireDing is the fourth heavenly stem and the yin form of Fire — traditionally described as the lamp or candle flame.Ding — PersonalityTraditional descriptions of Ding use the lamp: focused, inward, and sustained by attention rather than by abundance.Ding — CareerThe traditional reading applies Ding's lamp imagery to work: concentration, and tasks requiring sustained attention to one thing.Ding — WealthAs with Bing, Ding's wealth element is Metal — the element Fire overcomes. Polarity distinguishes the specific star.Ding — RelationshipsThe partner stars for Ding follow the same fixed rules: Metal as wealth for a male chart, Water as authority for a female chart.Wu 戊 — Yang EarthWu is the fifth heavenly stem and the yang form of Earth — traditionally described as the mountain.Wu — PersonalityTraditional descriptions of Wu use the mountain: steady, reliable, and resistant to being hurried.Wu — CareerThe traditional reading applies Wu's mountain imagery to work: responsibility, and roles that require holding a position.Wu — WealthEarth overcomes Water, so for Wu the wealth element is Water — by the standard definition.Wu — RelationshipsFor a Wu chart, Water is wealth and Wood is authority, following the fixed ten-god relationships.Ji 己 — Yin EarthJi is the sixth heavenly stem and the yin form of Earth — traditionally described as the cultivated field.Ji — PersonalityTraditional descriptions of Ji use the cultivated field: receptive, practical, and productive when given something to work with.Ji — CareerThe traditional reading applies Ji's field imagery to work: cultivation, and roles where input produces output over a cycle.Ji — WealthAs with Wu, Ji's wealth element is Water — the element Earth overcomes. Polarity distinguishes the specific star.Ji — RelationshipsWater supplies the wealth star and Wood the authority star for Ji, by the same fixed rules as for Wu.Geng 庚 — Yang MetalGeng is the seventh heavenly stem and the yang form of Metal — traditionally described as raw iron or the axe.Geng — PersonalityTraditional descriptions of Geng use iron: direct, unyielding, and improved by being worked rather than by being left alone.Geng — CareerThe traditional reading applies Geng's iron imagery to work: decisive action, and roles that require cutting through.Geng — WealthMetal overcomes Wood, so for Geng the wealth element is Wood — by the standard definition.Geng — RelationshipsWood supplies the wealth star and Fire the authority star for Geng, following the fixed relationships.Xin 辛 — Yin MetalXin is the eighth heavenly stem and the yin form of Metal — traditionally described as worked metal or jewellery.Xin — PersonalityTraditional descriptions of Xin use worked metal: refined, precise, and concerned with finish.Xin — CareerThe traditional reading applies Xin's worked-metal imagery to work requiring finish, precision and presentation.Xin — WealthAs with Geng, Xin's wealth element is Wood — the element Metal overcomes. Polarity distinguishes the specific star.Xin — RelationshipsWood supplies the wealth star and Fire the authority star for Xin, by the same rules as for Geng.Ren 壬 — Yang WaterRen is the ninth heavenly stem and the yang form of Water — traditionally described as the river or the sea.Ren — PersonalityTraditional descriptions of Ren use the river: adaptable, persistent, and difficult to stop once moving.Ren — CareerThe traditional reading applies Ren's river imagery to work with momentum and breadth rather than depth.Ren — WealthWater overcomes Fire, so for Ren the wealth element is Fire — by the standard definition.Ren — RelationshipsFire supplies the wealth star and Earth the authority star for Ren, following the fixed relationships.Gui 癸 — Yin WaterGui is the tenth heavenly stem and the yin form of Water — traditionally described as dew, mist or rain.Gui — PersonalityTraditional descriptions of Gui use dew: quiet, penetrating, and effective by persistence rather than by force.Gui — CareerThe traditional reading applies Gui's dew imagery to work requiring penetration, patience and close attention.Gui — WealthAs with Ren, Gui's wealth element is Fire — the element Water overcomes. Polarity distinguishes the specific star.Gui — RelationshipsFire supplies the wealth star and Earth the authority star for Gui, by the same rules as for Ren.
Ten Gods · 51
Bi Jian 比肩 — Parallel SelfBi Jian is the ten god representing the same element as the day master in the same polarity — the parallel self.Bi Jian in a ChartBi Jian appears wherever a stem shares the day master's element and polarity — in any of the four pillars.Bi Jian in CareerIn the traditional reading, Bi Jian relates to work done alongside equals and to independent rather than subordinate positions.Bi Jian and WealthBecause Bi Jian shares the day master's element, traditional readings associate it with resources divided among equals.Bi Jian in RelationshipsTraditional readings associate Bi Jian with equals — siblings and peers — rather than with the partner stars.Jie Cai 劫财 — Robbing WealthJie Cai is the same element as the day master in the opposite polarity — named for its relationship to the wealth star.Jie Cai in a ChartJie Cai appears wherever a stem shares the day master's element with opposite polarity.Jie Cai in CareerTraditional readings associate Jie Cai with competitive settings and with work where resources are contested.Jie Cai and WealthJie Cai is named for its relationship to wealth: it is the stem positioned to take what the wealth star provides.Jie Cai in RelationshipsTraditional readings place Jie Cai among the sibling and peer gods rather than among the partner stars.Shi Shen 食神 — Food GodShi Shen is the element the day master generates, in the same polarity — conventionally read as expression and output.Shi Shen in a ChartShi Shen appears wherever a stem is the element the day master generates, in matching polarity.Shi Shen in CareerTraditional readings associate Shi Shen with work that produces something — craft, teaching, and expressive trades.Shi Shen and WealthIn the traditional scheme, what the day master generates can in turn generate the wealth element — a chain rather than a direct link.Shi Shen in RelationshipsFor a female chart in the traditional system, the gods the day master generates are the children stars.Shang Guan 伤官 — Hurting OfficerShang Guan is the element the day master generates in the opposite polarity — named for its effect on the authority star.Shang Guan in a ChartShang Guan appears wherever a stem is the element the day master generates, in opposite polarity.Shang Guan in CareerTraditional readings associate Shang Guan with work involving critique, performance, or independence from established structure.Shang Guan and WealthLike Shi Shen, Shang Guan connects to wealth through the generating chain rather than directly.Shang Guan in RelationshipsAlongside Shi Shen, Shang Guan fills the children star role in female charts in the traditional assignment.Zheng Cai 正财 — Direct WealthZheng Cai is the element the day master overcomes, in opposite polarity — conventionally the direct wealth star.Zheng Cai in a ChartZheng Cai appears wherever a stem is the element the day master overcomes, in opposite polarity.Zheng Cai in CareerTraditional readings associate Zheng Cai with regular income from sustained work rather than with irregular gain.Zheng Cai and WealthZheng Cai is the wealth star itself — the term names a position in the chart rather than an amount of money.Zheng Cai in RelationshipsIn the traditional assignment, Zheng Cai represents the wife in a male chart — the convention is explicit in the classical sources.Pian Cai 偏财 — Indirect WealthPian Cai is the element the day master overcomes, in the same polarity — the indirect wealth star.Pian Cai in a ChartPian Cai appears wherever a stem is the element the day master overcomes, in matching polarity.Pian Cai in CareerTraditional readings associate Pian Cai with income from ventures, commissions and irregular sources.Pian Cai and WealthAs with Zheng Cai, Pian Cai names a relationship rather than an outcome, and the traditional reading weighs it with the rest of the chart.Pian Cai in RelationshipsIn the traditional family assignment, Pian Cai carries the father role — a convention separate from its wealth reading.Zheng Guan 正官 — Direct OfficerZheng Guan is the element that overcomes the day master, in opposite polarity — the direct authority star.Zheng Guan in a ChartZheng Guan appears wherever a stem overcomes the day master in the contrasting polarity.Zheng Guan in CareerTraditional readings associate Zheng Guan with positions of recognised authority and with working inside a structure.Zheng Guan and WealthIn the generating chain, the authority element generates the resource element, which supports the day master — an indirect connection to wealth.Zheng Guan in RelationshipsIn the traditional assignment, Zheng Guan represents the husband in a female chart — the counterpart to the wealth star's role in male charts.Qi Sha 七杀 — Seven KillingsQi Sha is the element that overcomes the day master, in the same polarity — the indirect or severe authority star.Qi Sha in a ChartQi Sha appears wherever a stem overcomes the day master in matching polarity.Qi Sha in CareerTraditional readings associate Qi Sha with competitive or high-pressure positions and with authority won rather than granted.Qi Sha and WealthQi Sha connects to wealth through the same generating chains as Zheng Guan, and is not itself a wealth star.Qi Sha in RelationshipsIn female charts the traditional assignment places Qi Sha alongside Zheng Guan in the partner-star group, distinguished by polarity.Zheng Yin 正印 — Direct SealZheng Yin is the element that generates the day master, in opposite polarity — the direct resource star.Zheng Yin in a ChartZheng Yin appears wherever a stem generates the day master in the contrasting polarity.Zheng Yin in CareerTraditional readings associate Zheng Yin with study, teaching, and work that depends on what has been learned.Zheng Yin and WealthThe resource stars stand in tension with the wealth stars in the traditional scheme, since the cycles run against each other.Zheng Yin in RelationshipsIn the traditional family assignment, Zheng Yin carries the mother role — a convention independent of its other readings.Pian Yin 偏印 — Indirect SealPian Yin is the element that generates the day master, in matching polarity — the indirect resource star.Pian Yin in a ChartPian Yin appears wherever a stem generates the day master in matching polarity.Pian Yin in CareerTraditional readings associate Pian Yin with specialised, technical or unconventional expertise.Pian Yin and WealthAs with Zheng Yin, Pian Yin stands in structural tension with the wealth stars rather than supporting them.Pian Yin in RelationshipsIn the traditional family assignment, Pian Yin carries a secondary parental role, distinguished from Zheng Yin by polarity.How the Ten Gods Are DerivedThe ten gods are ten defined relationships between the day master and every other stem — derived, not memorised.