What is BaZi?
At the core of Chinese Metaphysics is the concept of the Cosmic Trinity. The Cosmic Trinity is this: that life, and everything that goes with it, comes down to Heaven, Earth and Man Luck (Tian, Di, Ren). The word 'Luck' here is not mean to be negative or positive in its connotation. It is a direct translation of the Chinese term.
Heaven Luck means the lot that you are handed down by the universe. Call it what you like - life path, map of life, destiny - but it's essentially what you have to work with for as long as you are on this planet.
Earth Luck refers to whether or not the environment that you are living in is conducive towards your endeavours in life. This is a direct and clear reference to your Feng Shui or living environment/space.
Finally, there is Man Luck. And this relates to how you make use of Heaven and Earth. It refers to your personal efforts, your own endeavours, what you do or don't, the choices you make, and don't make in life.
BaZi (along with it's counterpart Zi Wei Dou Shu) is effectively a system of computing, analysing and predicting a person's Destiny or their Heaven Luck. It typically is used to evaluate the four aspects of a person's life: Career, Wealth, Relationships and Health.
Does everyone have a BaZi chart?
Yes, every living person born into this world will have a BaZi chart. And every living person in this world will be one of the ten Daymasters, which are Yin and Yang variations of the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.
What does a BaZi chart look like?
A BaZi chart comprises of two aspects: the Natal chart or BaZi itself, and the Luck Pillars. For a quick 101 overview on the different components of a chart and what they mean, please refer to the blog post The Anatomy of a BaZi chart.
So BaZi is Chinese Astrology?
BaZi is a form of Chinese Astrology, but not in the way most people know Chinese Astrology. Most people know Chinese Astrology as Animal Signs - you know, where Dogs are trustworthy and Dragons are fierce. Proper, accurate and classical Chinese Astrology is not just about what Animal Sign you are born under, just like proper Western Astrology is not just about the month you're born in, but your chart proper, considered as a whole.
For fun Chinese Astrology, which is what you get with forecasts that are based just on the attributes of the Animal Signs (which themselves are arguably astrological fiction), only looks at your Year of Birth, and that's assuming that it's the right year. Real Chinese Astrology, which is evaluated using either Bazi or Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology) uses all the birth data, namely, your Year, Month, Day and Hour of birth, in which to engage in a forecast.
Is BaZi basically fortune-telling?
BaZi consultants do not consider themselves fortune-tellers since the implication of fortune-telling is that it involves some measure of entertainment value, has a negative connotation in the form of an implication of impending or foreboding doom, and most people regard it as inaccurate.
BaZi is not for entertainment, it is not only about bad luck, and it is not inaccurate if done by a professional. It is a useful tool in which to utilise for planning your life and most importantly, achieving all that you can achieve in life. For individuals who's jobs involve a great deal of relationship-building or dealing with people, BaZi is great for sizing up a person, understanding them from an EQ and IQ standpoint, and understanding what pushes their buttons.
We prefer to see ourselves as analysts. We look at the data about your life, as contained in your BaZi chart, analyse it for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT), and aim to help you find a way to navigate through the maze, and capitalise on the positive opportunities. We also in some respects are here to help people better understand themselves, and if they're interested, figure out how to improve themselves, so that they can avoid the pitfalls of the past caused by their character or actions.
How accurate is BaZi, really?
As with any craft or skill, the level of accuracy is dictated by the experience and skill of the consultant. In itself, BaZi is accurate in terms of its ability to pinpoint character traits, personality, skills and attributes of the individual. It is accurate when it comes to predicting possible problems, obstacles or advantages that come up in the future. It is also largely accurate with predicting of outcomes from situations, because often, character dictates action and since BaZi can with high accuracy pinpoint a person's character flaws and strengths, the outcome of a given situation is almost always dictated by how a person reacts to that situation.
The usual circumstances where problems creep in and accuracy is effected is when clients are not candid or honest with the consultant on the circumstances of the situation. Treat your Bazi consultant like your doctor or lawyer: don't lie to them!
Birth Data Technicalities
What information do I need to use to obtain my BaZi chart?
Use the date of birth and time of birth indicated on your birth certificate.
My birth certificate does not contain my time of birth. Help!
Okay, this is a bit of a problematic situation. One solution: ask mom. But this isn't always a reliable answer. We've had moms who say they remember giving birth before breakfast, and mom's who insist that they were in the hospital at night and not in the morning...and moms who just can't remember.
The absence of a time of birth does not mean that a BaZi chart cannot be read. However, it DOES MEAN that certain aspects of the chart and the quality of certain elements, specifically Fire, will be difficult to ascertain. Sometimes, if based on the first three pillars of the BaZi chart, certain elements are missing, then the Hour Palace becomes significant since these missing elements may well be present in the Hour Pillar.
When it comes to aspects that are affected by the Hour Palace, the relationship of the person with their children, or their staff, will be difficult to ascertain. It will also be difficult to ascertain the quality of a person's life in their old age.
I read somewhere that the time of birth should be adjusted to the time in Beijing, China or using Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT). Is this necessary?
Certain consultants request their clients do this or do this with their client's time of birth. I do not do this. I simply use the time of birth that is written on the birth certificate as definitive.
For an exploration of this subject matter, please read the blog entry entitled A Brief History of Chinese Time.
I was born on the eve of Chinese New Year and so am uncertain as as to what my Animal Sign is. Do I belong to the year before or the year after?
Unbeknown even to many Chinese, there are actually TWO Chinese astrology systems, and two Chinese calendars. The two Chinese astrology systems as Purple Star Astrology (Zi Wei Dou Shu) and BaZi (Four Pillars). The two calendars are the Lunar Calendar and the Solar Calendar.
The Lunar calendar, as the name suggests, is a calendar that follows the sightings of the moon. Although it's typical use is for the determination of various important festivals such as Chinese New Year, it is used in some Chinese Metaphysical applications, notably Purple Star Astrology. As it follows the phases of the moon, the calendar has certain 'odd' aspects, such as double months and missing months. By contrast, the Solar Calendar, also known as the Farmer's Calendar, is more like the Gregorian calendar. It has no missing months, or double months, and follows the Western calendaring system with 12 months.
Depending on which system of astrology you are using, your Animal Year may or may not be dictated by the date that Chinese New Year falls on, since it depends on whether or not that system uses the Lunar Calendar.
Only when it comes to computing a person's astrology chart using Purple Star Astrology is the date in which Chinese New Year falls on relevant. As such, if a person is born on the eve of Chinese New Year, in which the New Year is the Year of the Rat, then that person belongs to the Animal Sign of the previous year, which is the Pig.
However, this is not the case when it comes to BaZi because BaZi does not use Chinese New Year as the reference point for the transit to the next year. BaZi uses the Solar Calendar, which has a preset transit point for each year, namely, February 4th. As such, whether or not a person falls into a certain animal sign depends on whether or not they were born before, or after February 4th in a given year. This is irrespective of the date Chinese New Year falls on. It is not part of the computation because Chinese New Year is computed using the Lunar Calendar, and in BaZi, we use the Solar Calendar.
EXAMPLE:
2006 is the year of the Dog. 2007 is the year of the Pig. A person born on February 3rd 2007 would still be regarded as being born in the year of the Dog, and thus would be associated with the Dog Animal Sign. By contrast, a person born on February 4th 2007 would be regarded as born in the Year of the Pig.
BaZi charts, BaZi Calculators, Plotting BaZi charts
I would like to plot my own BaZi chart. How do I do this?
There are two ways in which to plot a BaZi chart: manual and using software. The manual method requires you actually have some knowledge of BaZi and how to read and use what is known as a Ten Thousand Year Calendar (Mandarin:Wan Nian Li/Cantonese:Man Leen Lik). I would not recommend this approach as it is prone to errors, especially if you are not familiar with the methodology required to use the calendar. However, if you want to learn how to do it the traditional way, then there is a step-by-step explanation in Joey Yap's book, The Destiny Code.
A much easier method of obtaining your BaZi chart without the pain of having to learn 22 Chinese characters and a whole new calendar, is to simply use BaZi Chart software. This is widely available online - If you google this subject, you will get back a whole bunch of options. I use Joey Yap's BaZi Ming Pan calculator - it is available for free on his website (www.joeyyap.com) with registration. It is not just because I am affiliated with the Mastery Academy that I use Joey's calculator. It is because I have tried out several of the calculators out there and some of them have errors. Joey's is by far the only one which has no errors (and it is the one used by all the consultants at Yap Global Consulting to plot their charts).
What is the difference between the different Bazi calculators available online out there?
Well, some of them have computational errors, or errors (for example, presenting the Pig Branch as containing Gui Water instead of Ren Water). Some in their efforts to personalise the calculator, try to adjust the presentation format and so sometimes that results in some confusion or some alteration of the data.
Some calculators are hybrid calculators, derived from certain theories and ideas which the developers of the calculators have about how BaZi should be interpreted. For example, the calculator at geomancy.com is premised on the developer's ideas about combining classical BaZi with Purple Star Astrology chart, to produce a sort of hybrid Four Pillars.
If you are looking for a classical Bazi calculator, then Joey's calculator is the one to use as it is 99.9 percent error free.
I get a different answer from different calculators when it comes to my Month Pillar. Why does this happen?
It depends on the calculator and whether or not the correct information about the transit point from one month to another has been correctly input. Unlike the Western Gregorian calendar, the transit point from one month to another (ie: from Tiger Month to Rabbit Month) is not the 1st of each month. It varies, anywhere from the 3rd to the 10th day of each month. As such, if you are born around the dates of the 3-8th of any given month, it is important to determine if you are born before or after the transit point for that month.
EXAMPLE:
The transit point into the month of the Rabbit in the year 2008 is the 3rd of March 2008. If you are born on the 4th of March 2008, then the Month Pillar of your chart will show the month of Yi Mao or Rabbit month. However, if you are born on the 2nd of March 2008, then your Month Pillar will be that of the previous month, which is Jia Yin or Tiger month.
When I plot my BaZi chart manually, and then compare it against the BaZi chart generated by Joey Yap's calendar, there is a difference in the Month Pillar.
This is a very common human error and often arises because of a lack of familiarity with the transit point for each month. Depending on which version of the Ten Thousand Year Calendar you are using to plot your BaZi chart, the transit point to each month may or may not be marked. Typically, it is done by marking or blacking out a particular day in each month, to signify the point in which the month transits or changes over.
As a general rule, Joey's calculator is right and the error in the manually plotted chart is usually the result of not taking into account the transit point of each month.
I am born exactly on the transit day for a particular month. But I can't seem to get a standardised Month Pillar on the different calculators. What's wrong?
Within each transit date, there is also a transit point. So for example, the transit date from the month of the Dog to the month of the Pig in 2008 is the 7th of November 2008. But the point in time in which the transit takes place is the Snake Hour (refer to Joey Yap's Ten Thousand Year Calendar). If the calculator has been updated to take into account this information, then it will reflect the correct information. But if it has not, then it will be a cause for confusion.
If your date of birth falls on the transit date of a month, you will need to check to make sure that your time of birth is past the transit hour, into the transit of the month!
Bazi Reports
Why does it take up to 7 working days to produce a BaZi report?
Basically because it takes time to write these reports. Our consultant takes the time to individually analyse each chart and then produce the report. When writing the report, it's also important to ensure there is a clear communication of the advice or information, since the client doesn't have the opportunity to ask further questions or clarify a point, unlike in a face-to-face consultation.
What is the advantage of having a written Bazi report?
The advantage of a written report is that you have something that you can use to refer to in the event you need to refresh your memory on a particular point or issue. On the other hand, written reports usually mean that the scope of discussion is kept strictly confined to the subject matter of the questions, and if not enough context information has been given by the client to the consultant, the answer may lack specificity. This is why we offer very focused, specific reports that are designed to tackle particular issues or questions, such as compatibility or a relationship analysis, and the manner in which the reports are constructed follows the typical manner in which a consultant would assess the case, if the consultation was done live.
I prefer a live consultation. Is there any way to do this?
You can opt for a phone consultation but we do not usually offer this unless the client is seeking an overall consultation, covering all four aspects of health, wealth, relationship and career. Kindly inquire via info@baziforlove.com about phone consultations.
Do you provide reports on other aspects other than relationships?
On request, we can provide a customised option for a customer, on any of the four aspects: Health, Wealth or Career, or a complete overview. Kindly inquire via info@baziforlove.com on this matter and we will get back to you with a quotation.
Can I purchase a report, and then have a follow up phone consultation or discussion on the report?
Kindly inquire via info@baziforlove.com on this matter.
Purchasing Reports
How do I use Paypal to pay for my report?
You need to sign up for an account with Paypal first - Sign Up Here. Once you have an account with Paypal, then you can use your credit card to pay for your report. By using Paypal, you avoid exposing your credit card number to more than one party, and we never see your credit card number either. So it's super-safe. It just requires that one-time registration.
I don't want to use Paypal. How can I still pay for a report?
We're working on alternative options for customers who don't want to use Paypal but right now, Paypal is all we can accept.
Help! I'm having problems with the Yahoo Shopping Cart.
Please e mail us at info@baziforlove.com, tell us where you got stuck, and we'll try to help you.
