Question 1

What is BaZi?

Accepted Answer

BaZi (八字), literally "Eight Characters", is a Chinese astrological system that expresses a birth moment as four pillars — year, month, day and hour. Each pillar carries one Heavenly Stem and one Earthly Branch, giving eight characters in total. Together they form a chart used to discuss temperament and life themes.

Question 2

What are the Four Pillars of Destiny?

Accepted Answer

The Four Pillars are the year pillar (family and early environment), the month pillar (career and parents), the day pillar (self and marriage — the day stem is the "self" element), and the hour pillar (later life and children). Each is a pair of one Heavenly Stem and one Earthly Branch.

Question 3

Do I need my exact birth time?

Accepted Answer

For a full four-pillar chart, yes — the hour pillar requires a birth time. If you do not know it, Eastve can still calculate the year, month and day pillars, which cover most of the chart. The hour pillar refines rather than replaces them.

Question 4

Why does Eastve correct for true solar time?

Accepted Answer

Traditional Chinese timekeeping is based on the sun's position over your actual longitude, not on a national time-zone clock. In a country as wide as China the difference can exceed an hour and can shift the hour pillar entirely. Eastve applies true solar time correction so the chart reflects local solar time at your birthplace.

Question 5

How is a BaZi month determined?

Accepted Answer

By solar terms (jie qi), not by the lunar calendar month. A BaZi month begins at a solar term rather than at a new moon. This is a common source of error in simplified calculators that map lunar months directly.

Question 6

Is BaZi the same as the Chinese zodiac?

Accepted Answer

No, though they share the Earthly Branch system. Your zodiac animal comes from the branch of your birth year alone. A BaZi chart uses four branches plus four stems, so it is considerably more detailed than a zodiac sign.

Chinese Astrology (BaZi)

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