How to Read a BaZi Chart

A general reading order, illustrated with an example chart (1990-05-18 09:30 Shanghai — example only).

Your BaZi Chart
Year	Month	Day	Hour
Direct Resource 正印庚gēngMetal午wǔFire Hidden stems 丁 · Fire · Indirect Wealth 偏财己 · Earth · Seven Killings 七杀	Indirect Resource 偏印辛xīnMetal巳sìFire Hidden stems 丙 · Fire · Direct Wealth 正财戊 · Earth · Direct Officer 正官庚 · Metal · Direct Resource 正印	Day Master癸guǐWater未wèiEarth Hidden stems 己 · Earth · Seven Killings 七杀丁 · Fire · Indirect Wealth 偏财乙 · Wood · Eating God 食神 Day Master	Direct Wealth 正财丙bǐngFire辰chénEarth Hidden stems 戊 · Earth · Direct Officer 正官乙 · Wood · Eating God 食神癸 · Water · Friend 比肩

1. Check the inputs and rules

Before reading anything, confirm the date, city, time used (true solar or clock) and any boundary warnings. A chart born near 23:00 or a solar term may change with a few minutes’ difference.

2. Find the Day Master

The day stem is the Day Master. Note its element and polarity — every other stem is described relative to it.

3. Read the Ten Gods

Each visible stem and each hidden stem has a Ten God relation to the Day Master (e.g. Direct Officer, Eating God). Visible stems and hidden stems are listed separately.

4. Review the Five Elements count

The distribution is a count of visible stems and branches. A zero does not automatically mean an element is “needed”; schools differ on strength and favourable elements.

5. Look at Luck Pillars and annual pillars

Luck Pillars run in ten-year steps; the annual pillar for a BaZi year runs from 立春 to 立春. Compare their stems and branches with the natal chart.

Five Elements distribution
	Visible	Hidden stems
Wood	0	2
Fire	3	3
Earth	2	4
Metal	2	1
Water	1	1

Counts of the 4 visible stems and 4 branches. Hidden stems listed separately. This is a count, not an energy measurement, and it does not by itself decide what is “favourable”.