Year · month · day · hour
What Are the Four Pillars of BaZi?
The Four Pillars are four calendrical positions. Each has one Heavenly Stem and one Earthly Branch, producing BaZi’s eight characters.
Short answer
What are the Four Pillars?
Key facts
- Year
- The chart's year stem-branch pair.
- Month
- The month pair and a key seasonal position.
- Day
- The pair whose stem is called the Day Master.
- Hour
- The chart's hour stem-branch pair.
What does a Four Pillars chart look like?
Hypothetical example for learning — not a real person's birth chart.
| Year | Month | Day | Hour | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavenly Stem | Jia 甲 (Yang Wood) | Ding 丁 (Yin Fire) | Geng 庚 (Yang Metal) | Xin 辛 (Yin Metal) |
| Earthly Branch | Zi 子 (Water) | Mao 卯 (Wood) | Shen 申 (Metal) | Si 巳 (Fire) |
Branch elemental labels are simplified visible categories; actual traditional interpretation adds layers beyond this learning table.
How does the structure work?
The Year, Month, Day and Hour each carry a stem above a branch. Together these four stem-branch pairings make the eight-character structure. The Day Pillar here is Geng-Shen; its stem, Geng 庚, is the Day Master.
A whole chart includes all four pillars and seasonal context; one pair is not a complete interpretation. Continue with the Day Master explanation, review the Five Elements vocabulary, or return to the BaZi learning hub.
What does this example establish?
It establishes the visible placement of eight calculated characters and the derivation of a Day Master. It does not establish personality, health, destiny or outcomes.
Ready to explore your chart?
Use the framework as a starting point for better questions, not a fixed verdict.
Which sources support these terms?
- Hong Kong Observatory, “Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches” — supports the calendrical stem-and-branch cycle and formal terminology.
- Kenyon College, “10 Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches” — supports stem names, yin-yang classifications and Five Element labels.