The 'Four Pillars' system of Chinese astrology provides information as to the 'five element' qi pattern present at the moment of your birth. This qi pattern gives insight into your character, strengths/weaknesses, life focus, career/achievement, and relationships.
A series of 'luck influences' give further insight into what may happen to you at different times in your life, with the influence of individual years adding to the picture.
Your Four Pillars Chart
Every year, month, day, and hour is seen as having a 'Pillar' comprising a 'Stem' (yin or yang element) and a 'Branch' (Chinese animal), with each Branch (animal) containing 'hidden stems' (yin or yang elements). The combination of elements in the 'Pillars' for the year, month, day and hour of your birth provides your basic 'elemental structure of spirit'. The Day Stem is considered the ruling element of the chart (referred to as the 'Self Element' as it represents you within the chart).
Eg: 'Four Pillars' for 2 Feb 1960 @ 7:20pm, London
| Hour | Day | Month | Year |
| Yang Fire | Yang Metal | Yin Fire | Yin Earth |
| Dog | Monkey | Ox | Pig |
| Yang Earth | Yang Metal | Yin Earth | Yang Water |
| Yin Metal | Yang Water | Yin Water | Yang Wood |
| Yin Fire | Yang Earth | Yin Metal |
Your Character
The Chinese animals provide one way of looking at your personality, with a more in-depth view provided by the Chinese Five Elements in your chart (looking to your self-element, and any other element that has a strong presence in your chart).
Your Life Aspects
Each of the five elements can be seen as representing different life aspects according to their relationship to the Day Stem or 'Self Element' - these aspects being:
- Friends - your friends, colleagues, challengers, competitors - assistance or competition
- Output/Performance - your talents, accomplishments, and way of expression
- Wealth - your material possessions and opportunities to make money - for a man, the Wealth element can also represent a wife
- Power - your power and authority, courage, ambition, guidance and constraints - for a woman, the Power element can also represent a husband
- Resources - the support and encouragement you receive (financial or spiritual), your knowledge and education
Your Relationships
Each of the four pillars can be seen as representing different relationships, with:
- the Year Pillar representing your family background and relationship with grandparents/society
- the Month Pillar representing your relationship with parents and authority figures
- the Day Pillar representing yourself (Day Stem) and your marriage/life partnership (Day Branch)
- the Hour Pillar representing your relationship with your children and those who work for you
Interpreting a Chart
When interpreting a chart, consideration is given to:
- the relative strength and balance of the individual elements/life aspects (what dominates the chart, what might need to be strengthened/supported)
- the location (within the chart) of the individual elements/life aspects, and how this affects your career/achievement, life focus, and relationships
- the interaction between stems and branches, and the affect this might have on a particular life aspect or relationship
Luck Influences
A series of 'Luck Pillars' also influence your chart, with each Luck Pillar lasting 10 years. These Luck Pillars provide the dynamic aspect of your Four Pillars astrology, and give insight as to what may happen to you during a particular period of your life.
Annual Pillars provide a further influence.
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