BaZi, Zi Wei Dou Shu, and Qimen Dunjia ask different questions
Shared vocabulary can make these systems look interchangeable. Their chart structures and typical uses tell a more useful story.
Read the comparisonA map for Chinese metaphysics
BaZi, Zi Wei,
and Qimen.
Study BaZi, Zi Wei Dou Shu, and Qimen Dunjia through their own structures, terminology, and appropriate kinds of question.
Field Map 01 BaZi · Zi Wei · Qimen
Do not collapse the methods
One library, three lenses
01 / Pattern
BaZi
Four Pillars, Day Master, seasonal context, Ten Gods, and changing luck cycles.
Enter BaZi 02 / PalacesZi Wei Dou Shu
Twelve palaces, star groupings, transformations, and chart-wide relationships.
Enter Zi Wei 03 / SituationQimen Dunjia
A time-and-space board of palaces, doors, stars, deities, stems, and layers.
Enter QimenField note
Choose the map before the route
Field rules
Define the board
before reading it.
01 We label the system, school, and calculation assumptions.
02 We compare methods without forcing them into one universal formula.
03 We present these traditions for study and reflection, not guaranteed outcomes.
Rolling · updated 2026-07-18
17 focused field guides
Rolling editorial guides that separate calculation, lineage rules, interpretation, and limits.
01 · Cross-cultural terminology
BaZi and Korean Saju: shared chart, different vocabulary
Compare the shared Four Pillars chart with Chinese BaZi and Korean Saju terminology, calendrical practice, teaching emphasis, and responsible translation.
Read guide →02 · BaZi vocabularyThe Ten Gods: a terminology map centered on the Day Master
Calculate Companion, Output, Wealth, Power, and Resource categories from the Day Master, then split each by yin-yang polarity into the Ten Gods.
Read guide →03 · Zi Wei Dou ShuZi Wei Dou Shu stars: main actors, supporting signals, and twelve palaces
Learn how major stars, auxiliary stars, transformations, and twelve palaces form a hierarchy—and why star lists cannot replace a full Zi Wei Dou Shu chart.
Read guide →04 · Qimen DunjiaQimen Dunjia: how Doors, Stars, and Deities share one board
Understand the Nine Palaces, Eight Doors, Nine Stars, Eight Deities, and stem layers as different functions on a time-based Qimen Dunjia board.
Read guide →05 · BaZi timingLuck Pillars and annual flow: reading background before trigger
Learn how 10-year Luck Pillars and annual pillars interact with the natal BaZi chart, how start ages are calculated, and why cycles do not guarantee events.
Read guide →06 · BaZi foundationsHidden Stems in BaZi: what an Earthly Branch contains
Read the Hidden Stems inside the twelve Earthly Branches, distinguish principal and secondary qi, and connect roots, exposed stems, season, and Ten Gods.
Read guide →07 · Branch relationshipsBaZi combinations and clashes: connection before prediction
Distinguish Six Combinations, Three Harmonies, seasonal frames, Six Clashes, punishments, harms, and breaks without turning a lookup pair into an event forecast.
Read guide →08 · Calculation auditWhy BaZi calculators disagree: a settings checklist
Audit location, historical time zone, daylight saving, solar-term boundaries, day change, local solar time, and Luck Pillar rules when two BaZi charts differ.
Read guide →09 · Reading workflowHow to read a BaZi chart: a step-by-step order
Follow a practical BaZi reading order from verified birth data and Four Pillars to Day Master, season, roots, Ten Gods, branch interactions, and timing.
Read guide →10 · CompatibilityBaZi compatibility: compare two charts without a match score
Compare two BaZi charts through individual structure, Day Masters, Day Branches, Five Element exchange, Ten Gods, branch relationships, and timing without a verdict score.
Read guide →11 · Ten GodsThe Wealth element in BaZi does not simply mean money
Learn how the Day Master defines the Wealth element, how Direct and Indirect Wealth are classified, and why presence, absence, or strength cannot predict income alone.
Read guide →12 · Chart structureYear, Month, Day, and Hour Pillars: four different chart positions
Learn how each BaZi pillar combines a Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch, why the Day Stem is the Day Master, and how position modifies Five Element and Ten God relationships.
Read guide →13 · Structural diagnosisUseful God in BaZi: Yong Shen is not the missing element
Understand what Yong Shen means, why schools derive it through different structural questions, and why the least-counted element is not automatically useful or favorable.
Read guide →14 · Calculation auditBaZi Luck Pillar start age: why calculators give different dates
Audit forward or backward Da Yun direction, the relevant solar-term interval, day-to-year conversion, birth time, and rounding when Luck Pillar start ages disagree.
Read guide →15 · Find your chart resultHow to find your BaZi Day Master in a Four Pillars chart
Enter verified birth data, locate the Day Pillar, read its top Heavenly Stem, and distinguish your Day Master from the zodiac animal, Day Branch, and full chart.
Read guide →16 · Chart without an hourBaZi without a birth time: what you can read without the Hour Pillar
Build a limited Year–Month–Day BaZi chart, identify stable Day Master and seasonal information, and separate Hour-Pillar-dependent claims from what remains usable.
Read guide →17 · Find your BaZi elementChinese zodiac animal vs BaZi Day Master: which is your element?
Distinguish the Year Branch animal and its stem element from the Day Master, find the Day Stem in a Four Pillars chart, and avoid confusing it with element-balance scores.
Read guide →