Centuries-old terms, explained at a glance

A traditional hexagram method for a specific question, reading line stems, branches, elements, family roles and host–guest positions to assess conditions and likely developments.

Turn the moment something prompted you, or two numbers you give, or a thing you saw and the direction it was in, into a hexagram — then read only which of the two trigrams generates or controls the other. Minimal to cast, and read through image.

A system that pairs the sixty JiaZi into thirty groups, assigning each an element and a physical image; it forms a parallel coordinate alongside the stem-and-branch's own element.

A traditional nine-palace method cast for the moment of a question, integrating timing, direction, human factors and symbolic forces to assess the situation and possible action.

Twelve names from Changsheng to Yang describe where one stem or phase stands within a cycle on a given branch; the reading is relative, so the reference point must be stated first.

Taiyuan is an auxiliary stem-branch pair derived from the month pillar. It supplements the natal chart and gains meaning through the complete Four Pillars structure.

Ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches advance together through a sixty-pair cycle, used to label time and organize traditional correspondences.

A method that places more than a hundred stars, led by the Zi Wei star, into twelve palaces fixed by birth time, then reads life from the star combinations and the flow of the Four Transformations — one of China's two great astrology systems, alongside BaZi.

A paired year-branch marker describing autonomy, solitude and the regulation of relational distance.

A year-stem marker derived from the Lu sequence and associated with seals, authorization and institutional responsibility.

A traditional BaZi marker symbolizing consolidation, concentration, solitude and spiritual pursuits.

A triple-harmony centre marker symbolizing organization, decision and responsible leadership.

A triple-harmony extinction marker symbolizing external competition, redirection and abrupt pressure.

A traditional position marker formed by each stem's official phase and associated with standing and resource-bearing capacity.

A day-stem marker symbolizing inquiry into origins and the integration of a complete process.

A traditional BaZi marker symbolizing attraction, emotional expression and social visibility.

A month-branch marker symbolizing traditional themes of mediation, repair and restored order.

A traditional BaZi marker symbolizing assistance, mediation and helpful connections.

A triple-harmony official-phase marker symbolizing internal dispersion, planning and adaptive attention.

A traditional BaZi marker symbolizing learning, comprehension, expression and documentary skill.

A day-stem peak-phase marker associated with force, decisive action, competition and the edge of control.

A traditional BaZi marker symbolizing movement, travel and changes of environment.

A triple-harmony month marker symbolizing accommodation, coordination and continuity.

A marker opposite a triple harmony's Jiangxing, symbolizing pressure on an organizing centre.