八字学 - Four Pillars of Destiny

While studying the art of fengshui in Singapore Polytechnic, I was introduced to the art of Ba Zi (Eight Characters) or Four Pillars of Destiny as it is popular known in the West. It is a sophisticated art of Chinese fortune-telling based largely on the Chinese five-element theory, allowing us to investigate the potential and mysterious of our lives using our birth data. BaZi calculation enable us to explore the cyclical influence of our 'destiny' in terms important areas such as family, friends, relationships, wealth, fame, recognition, career, studies, partnership, business and the almost every other important aspect of our lives. BaZi can be used to evaluate relationships and to forecast the life path of each individual.

BaZi translates our birth data - Year , Month , Day and Hour of birth into four pairs of distinct Chinese Characters (called Jia Zi). Four pairs make Eight Characters (or BaZi). Each pair is also known as a pillar, hence the term Four Pillars. The eight characters are made up of the yin and yang variations of the Five Elements . By analyzing the structure, compatibility, clashes, combinations and inter-relations of these eight characters, we can learn much about our nature and our life path. An individual can make use of this information to accelerate his performance in work, strengthen his or her relationships with others, improve weaknesses, maximize talents and potentials, and make informed decisions based on forecasts of his or her upcoming cycle of luck.

Although the BaZi is easy to assemble, it is difficult to interpret and analyse.

A Typical BaZi Table with a 10 years Luck Cycle