Chinese Astrology: Zodiac & BaZi
The 12 animals, Five Elements, stems and branches, through to the Four Pillars and luck cycles.
Course names, family names and outlines are shown in English. Lessons use English when a published translation is unavailable; the lesson shows a notice when this happens.
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Level 1Units: 10
Level 1 · Unit 1
Calendar and animals
How the Chinese calendar tracks both moon and sun, the 24 solar terms, and the twelve zodiac animals.
- A calendar of moon and sun
- The 24 solar terms
- The twelve animals
- Animals of months and hours
- Checkpoint: Calendar and animals
Level 1 · Unit 2
Yin-Yang and the Five Elements
The two complementary forces and the five phases, with their generating and controlling cycles.
- Yin and yang
- The Five Elements
- The generating cycle
- The controlling cycle
- Checkpoint: Yin-Yang and the Five Elements
Level 1 · Unit 3
Stems, branches and the 60-cycle
The 10 Heavenly Stems, the 12 Earthly Branches, the sixty-year cycle, and when the astrological year begins.
- The ten Heavenly Stems
- The twelve Earthly Branches
- The sixty-year cycle
- When does the year begin?
- Checkpoint: Stems, branches and the 60-cycle
Level 1 · Unit 4
The 24 solar terms in full
All 24 solar terms (节气) season by season: their names, meanings and dates, the minor and major pairs, and the patterns that tie them to the Sun.
- The spring terms
- The summer terms
- The autumn terms
- The winter terms and patterns
- Checkpoint: The 24 solar terms
Level 1 · Unit 5
The lunar calendar and its festivals
How lunar dates and leap months work, how Chinese New Year is fixed, and the festivals that follow the Moon or the solar terms.
- Lunar months and dates
- Leap months
- Fixing Chinese New Year
- Festivals of the year
- Checkpoint: The lunar calendar
Level 1 · Unit 6
Patterns in the sixty-cycle
Patterns inside the 甲子 cycle: a year's element from its last digit, every animal in five elements, the six groups of ten, and the cycle in Chinese history.
- Two years per element
- Every animal in five elements
- Six groups of ten
- The cycle in history
- Checkpoint: Patterns in the sixty-cycle
Level 1 · Unit 7
Finding a year animal
Practice with real calendars: comparing a birth date with 立春 and Chinese New Year, gap years, older birth years, exact moments and time zones.
- Two boundaries each year
- When the two systems disagree
- Older birth years
- Births on the boundary
- Checkpoint: Finding a year animal
Level 1 · Unit 8
The twelve animals in culture
Popular portraits of the animals, local versions across Asia, how year beliefs have shaped real choices, and why one animal is only a small part of a chart.
- Popular portraits
- The animals across Asia
- When beliefs shape choices
- One animal among eight characters
- Checkpoint: The animals in culture
Level 1 · Unit 9
Branches and stems in space and time
The element and polarity of every branch, the three branches of each season, the branches on the compass and clock, and the directions of the stems.
- Elements of the twelve branches
- Three branches for each season
- The branches on the compass
- Stems, directions and the Four Symbols
- Checkpoint: Branches and stems in space and time
Level 1 · Unit 10
The Five Elements at work
The five relations seen from any element, over-control and counter-control, the elements inside one stem-branch pair, and wider correspondences such as planets and tastes.
- Five relations for every element
- Too much and too little
- Stem and branch in one pair
- Wider correspondences
- Checkpoint: The Five Elements at work
Level 2Units: 10
Level 2 · Unit 1
The Four Pillars
The year, month, day and hour pillars of a BaZi chart, and what each is traditionally said to represent.
- Four pillars, eight characters
- The year and month pillars
- The day and hour pillars
- Reading a pillar
- Checkpoint: The Four Pillars
Level 2 · Unit 2
Building a BaZi chart
How each pillar is found: solar-term months, the five tigers rule, the unbroken day count and the five rats rule.
- Months that follow the Sun
- The five tigers rule
- The day pillar
- The hour pillar
- Checkpoint: Building a BaZi chart
Level 2 · Unit 3
The Day Master
The day stem as the self: the ten Day Masters, their traditional images, and how the season of birth affects their strength.
- The day stem as the self
- The yang Day Masters
- The yin Day Masters
- Strength by season
- Checkpoint: The Day Master
Level 2 · Unit 4
Hidden stems (藏干)
The stems hidden inside each Earthly Branch: main qi, minor stems, the storehouse branches, and how hidden stems show up in a chart.
- Stems inside the branches
- Branches that open a season
- The four Earth branches
- Hidden stems in a chart
- Checkpoint: Hidden stems
Level 2 · Unit 5
The Ten Gods (十神)
The ten relationships between the Day Master and every other stem, found from element and polarity, and how to label a whole chart.
- Five relationships, ten gods
- Companions and output
- Wealth and officer
- Resource and a whole chart
- Checkpoint: The Ten Gods
Level 2 · Unit 6
Season and strength
The five seasonal states through the year, roots in the branches, support from other stems, and a first judgement of a strong or weak Day Master.
- The five states all year
- The Day Master's season
- Roots in the branches
- Strong or weak?
- Checkpoint: Season and strength
Level 2 · Unit 7
Birth time in practice
Turning a recorded birth time into the solar time BaZi uses: longitude, summer time, births abroad, the equation of time, late-night births and unknown times.
- Clock time and local time
- Summer time and births abroad
- The Sun's uneven clock
- Late at night and unknown times
- Checkpoint: Birth time in practice
Level 2 · Unit 8
Reading a chart's balance
Counting a chart's visible elements, checking what the hidden stems add, building a Ten Gods profile and combining it with season, roots and support.
- Counting the visible elements
- What the hidden stems add
- A Ten Gods profile
- Balance and strength together
- Checkpoint: Reading a chart's balance
Level 2 · Unit 9
Chart-building practice
Counting day pillars from a reference day, then building three full charts step by step: a mid-month birth, two births on a solar-term day and a January birth.
- Counting days from a reference
- Chart A step by step
- Chart B: a birth on a term day
- Chart C: a January birth
- Checkpoint: Chart-building practice
Level 2 · Unit 10
The twelve life stages (十二长生)
The twelve stages from 长生 to 养: their order, the cycles of the yang and yin stems, and how practitioners read a stem's stage in each branch of a chart.
- A cycle of twelve stages
- The yang stems' cycles
- The yin stems' cycles
- Stages in a chart
- Checkpoint: The twelve life stages
Level 3Units: 10
Level 3 · Unit 1
Branch interactions
How the twelve Earthly Branches interact: six harmonies, three harmonies, directional combinations, clashes, harms and punishments.
- The six harmonies
- Three harmonies and directions
- The six clashes
- Harms and punishments
- Checkpoint: Branch interactions
Level 3 · Unit 2
Stem combinations (天干五合)
The five stem combinations and their elements, the four common stem clashes, the conditions for transformation, and finding them in charts.
- The five stem combinations
- The combination elements
- Stem clashes
- Does a combination transform?
- Checkpoint: Stem combinations
Level 3 · Unit 3
The Useful God (用神) and favourable elements
Choosing the Useful God with the strong/weak method, climate adjustment (调候), and favourable and unfavourable elements.
- What the Useful God is
- Strong and weak Day Masters
- Climate adjustment (调候)
- Favourable and unfavourable
- Checkpoint: The Useful God
Level 3 · Unit 4
Luck Pillars (大运)
Ten-year Luck Pillars: the traditional direction rule, counting the sequence through the sixty-cycle, and the starting age.
- Ten-year Luck Pillars
- Forward or backward
- Counting the sequence
- The starting age
- Checkpoint: Luck Pillars
Level 3 · Unit 5
Annual pillars (流年)
The pillar of each year from 立春, counting it from 1984 甲子, comparing it with the Day Master and natal branches, and the Tai Sui customs.
- The year's pillar
- The year stem and the Day Master
- The year branch and the chart
- 太岁, the Grand Year
- Checkpoint: Annual pillars
Level 3 · Unit 6
Reading career, wealth and relationships
Traditional themes of the Ten Gods for money, career, expression and learning, and the spouse palace and spouse star, as themes, not predictions.
- Themes and the wealth stars
- Officer stars and career
- Output and resource stars
- Spouse palace and spouse star
- Checkpoint: Career, wealth and relationships
Level 3 · Unit 7
Interactions in one chart
Finding every branch and stem interaction in real-date charts, near and distant pairs, interactions that compete, and the hidden stems inside a clash.
- Scanning every pair
- Near and far
- When interactions compete
- Inside a clash
- Checkpoint: Interactions in one chart
Level 3 · Unit 8
Luck Pillars in practice
Working Luck Pillars from real dates: counting days to the solar term, listing pillars with ages and years, labelling their Ten Gods and checking them against the natal branches.
- A starting age from real dates
- Listing a life's Luck Pillars
- Ten Gods through the decades
- Luck Pillars meet the natal branches
- Checkpoint: Luck Pillars in practice
Level 3 · Unit 9
Ten Gods in combination
Classical pairings of Ten Gods, such as 食神制杀, 伤官见官, 杀印相生 and 比劫夺财, and the bridging element (通关) between two elements in conflict.
- Output meets officer
- Resource between officer and self
- Companions, output and wealth
- The bridging element (通关)
- Checkpoint: Ten Gods in combination
Level 3 · Unit 10
Level 3 in practice: a full reading
One real-date teaching chart read with every Level 3 tool: strength, Useful God, interactions, Ten Gods themes, Luck Pillars and an annual pillar, in careful words.
- Chart D: strength and Useful God
- Chart D: balance and interactions
- Chart D: Luck Pillars and a year
- Chart D in careful words
- Checkpoint: Level 3 in practice
Level 4Units: 10
Level 4 · Unit 1
Chart structures (格局)
Naming a chart's structure from the month branch, as in the 子平真诠: the eight regular structures, 建禄 and 月刃, protruding stems.
- The month sets the structure
- The eight regular structures
- 建禄 and 月刃
- Protruding stems and quality
- Checkpoint: Chart structures
Level 4 · Unit 2
Special structures
Follow structures (从格), transformation structures (化气格) and 专旺 structures: the ideas, their strict conditions, and why schools disagree.
- Beyond the regular structures
- Kinds of follow structure
- Transformation structures
- Handle with care
- Checkpoint: Special structures
Level 4 · Unit 3
Symbolic stars (神煞) in context
What symbolic stars are, and how to find the Heavenly Noble, Peach Blossom and Post Horse, read as secondary traditional indicators.
- What 神煞 are
- 天乙贵人, the Heavenly Noble
- 桃花, the Peach Blossom
- 驿马, the Post Horse
- Checkpoint: Symbolic stars
Level 4 · Unit 4
Compatibility
Comparing two BaZi charts: Day Master elements, the two spouse palaces and complementary favourable elements, as insight rather than a verdict.
- Two Day Masters
- Two spouse palaces
- Complementary elements
- Insight, not a verdict
- Checkpoint: Compatibility
Level 4 · Unit 5
Date selection (择日) basics
The Tong Shu almanac, the twelve day officers 建除十二神 and how to find them, and avoiding days that clash a person, as almanac tradition.
- The Tong Shu almanac
- The twelve day officers
- Finding a day's officer
- Days that clash the person
- Checkpoint: Date selection basics
Level 4 · Unit 6
Bridges: Korean Saju and Japanese Shichū Suimei
The four pillars in Korea as 사주 saju and in Japan as 四柱推命 Shichū Suimei: shared structure, local terms and everyday practice.
- 사주 saju in Korea
- Saju in everyday life
- 四柱推命 in Japan
- Japan's wider toolkit
- Checkpoint: Korea and Japan
Level 4 · Unit 7
More symbolic stars (神煞)
Four more traditional markers: the Academic Star 文昌, the Canopy 华盖, the General Star 将星 and the void 空亡, then a full star survey of a real-date chart.
- 文昌, the Academic Star
- 华盖 and 将星
- 空亡, the void pair
- Chart T: a star survey
- Checkpoint: More symbolic stars
Level 4 · Unit 8
Structures in depth (子平真诠)
Following the 子平真诠 further: the helping god 相神, how restrained structures are handled, structures completed, spoiled and rescued, and three real-date charts.
- The helping god (相神)
- Restraining structures
- Completed, broken, rescued
- Structures in real charts
- Checkpoint: Structures in depth
Level 4 · Unit 9
Date selection in practice
Unit 5's almanac method applied to real months: setting up a solar month, counting day officers, term days, year-break days, clash checks for two people and a shortlist.
- Setting up a month
- Officers day by day
- Checking the people
- From shortlist to choice
- Checkpoint: Date selection in practice
Level 4 · Unit 10
Level 4 in practice
Two real-date teaching charts read with every Level 4 tool: structure and helper, special-structure checks, symbolic stars, a comparison and a date selection.
- Chart M: structure and helper
- Chart M: special check and stars
- Charts M and N side by side
- A day for M and N
- Checkpoint: Level 4 in practice
Level 5Units: 10
Level 5 · Unit 1
Classical texts
Five BaZi classics in history, 渊海子平, 三命通会, 滴天髓, 子平真诠 and 穷通宝鉴, and how to read editions, commentaries and disagreeing schools.
- 渊海子平 and the Ziping roots
- 三命通会 and 子平真诠
- 滴天髓 and 穷通宝鉴
- Reading the classics well
- Checkpoint: Classical texts
Level 5 · Unit 2
Advanced timing synthesis
Reading natal chart, Luck Pillar, annual and month pillars as layers: cross-layer clashes and combinations, and whether favourable elements arrive.
- Four layers of time
- Interactions across layers
- Do favourable elements arrive?
- A layered reading
- Checkpoint: Timing synthesis
Level 5 · Unit 3
Case studies
Full syntheses of invented teaching charts: strength, structure, Useful God, Ten Gods, interactions and timing, phrased responsibly.
- Reading in a set order
- Chart A: balance and timing
- Chart B: a strong Day Master
- Chart C: themes in careful words
- Checkpoint: Case studies
Level 5 · Unit 4
Professional practice and ethics
Consultation etiquette, privacy, avoiding fatalism, gendered classical rules, honest fees and remedies, and referring clients to other professionals.
- The consultation
- No fatalism about marriage or money
- Gendered rules, handled with care
- Fees, cures and referrals
- Checkpoint: Professional practice
Level 5 · Unit 5
Capstone: a full BaZi reading
An assessed, step-by-step reading of one invented teaching chart, from its four pillars and Luck Pillars to an ethical, useful reading.
- Building the chart
- Strength, structure and Useful God
- Interactions, stars and Luck Pillars
- An ethical, useful reading
- Checkpoint: The capstone reading
Level 5 · Unit 6
Weighing Useful God methods
Five ways practitioners choose a Useful God, compared on one real-date chart where they disagree, and how to state which method a reading used.
- Five routes to a Useful God
- Chart X by strength and bridge
- Chart X by climate and remedy
- Stating a method honestly
- Checkpoint: Weighing Useful God methods
Level 5 · Unit 7
The months of a year (流月)
The twelve month pillars of a real year, 2027, read against a real-date chart: which months bring its Useful God, which stir its branches, and how much a month weighs.
- A year's twelve months
- Chart Y and its year
- Months that bring the Useful God
- Months meet the natal chart
- Checkpoint: The months of a year
Level 5 · Unit 8
Repeats and reversals (伏吟 and 反吟)
Timing pillars that repeat a natal pillar (伏吟) or clash it in stem and branch (反吟), when pillars return in the sixty-cycle, and a real-date chart scanned across a life.
- 伏吟, the repeated pillar
- 反吟, the reversed pillar
- When pillars return
- Scanning Chart Z
- Checkpoint: Repeats and reversals
Level 5 · Unit 9
Uncertain birth times
What a missing or rough birth time changes: the hour pillar, sometimes the day, month or year, the Luck Pillars, and how to report every candidate honestly.
- What the hour decides
- Twelve candidate hours
- A birth on 立春
- Reporting uncertainty
- Checkpoint: Uncertain birth times
Level 5 · Unit 10
Level 5 in practice: a final reading
One real-date chart with an uncertain hour, read with every Level 5 tool: candidate hours, a method statement, Luck Pillars with repeats and reversals, and a year month by month.
- Chart L: the hour and the Day Master
- Chart L: choosing by method
- Chart L: decades and returns
- Chart L: 2028 month by month
- Checkpoint: Level 5 in practice