Frequently Asked Questions

BaZi (八字), literally "Eight Characters," is a sophisticated Chinese astrological system that uses your birth date and time to construct a map of four pillars — Year, Month, Day, and Hour. Each pillar consists of a Heavenly Stem (天干) and an Earthly Branch (地支), totaling eight characters. These reveal your elemental constitution and life tendencies.

As precise as possible — ideally to the minute. The Hour Pillar changes every two Chinese hours (时辰), and being on the boundary can shift your entire chart. If you're unsure, try calculating with both possible hours to see how the reading changes.

Clock time is a human convention based on time zones. True Solar Time corrects for the actual position of the sun at your birthplace. Two corrections are applied: (1) the Equation of Time — Earth's orbital eccentricity causes solar noon to drift ±16 minutes across the year, and (2) Longitude Correction — you may be several degrees from your time zone's standard meridian, shifting solar time by 4 minutes per degree.

The Five Elements — Wood (木), Fire (火), Earth (土), Metal (金), and Water (水) — are dynamic forces that interact through generation and overcoming cycles. Your BaZi chart shows the unique balance of these forces at your birth moment. Understanding this balance is key to self-awareness in Chinese metaphysics.

The generation cycle (相生) follows the pattern: Wood feeds Fire, Fire creates Earth (ash), Earth bears Metal, Metal collects Water, Water nourishes Wood. When this cycle flows smoothly in your chart, energy moves freely. "Broken links" occur when an element is too weak to feed the next, suggesting areas of life that may need attention.

The free reading includes your complete Four Pillars, Five Elements distribution, elemental flow analysis, and a basic interpretation. The premium reading ($0.99) adds a deep 400-800 word analysis incorporating Daoist philosophy, Ten-Year Luck Pillars, and annual forecasts.

Da Yun (大运) are ten-year periods that overlay your natal chart, creating a dynamic timeline of shifting elemental influences. Each Luck Pillar brings different energies that interact with your birth chart, opening windows of opportunity or challenge. This is included in the premium reading.

BaZi reveals tendencies and potentials, not fixed outcomes. The ancient masters said: "Fate is heaven's decree; destiny is humanity's creation." Your chart shows the terrain, but you choose the path. Think of it as a weather forecast — it tells you what conditions to expect, but you decide how to dress.

Your birth data and reading results are stored temporarily for the duration of your session. We do not create accounts or store personal data long-term. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Currently, the interface is in English. We plan to add Chinese (中文), Japanese (日本語), and Spanish (Español) in future updates. The pillar characters are always displayed in their original Chinese form.