Four Pillars of Destiny
Encyclopedia
Four Pillars of Destiny is a Chinese
and Japanese conceptual term that describes the four components creating a person's destiny
or fate. The four components within the moment of birth are year, month, day, and hour. The four pillars is used alongside fortune telling practices such as Zǐ wēi dòu shù
within the realm of Chinese Astrology
.
Commonly referred to by the shortened terms, "Four Pillars" or "BāZì", one of the most frequently used alternate phrase is "Four Pillars of your birth time". It is called BāZì (八字), Eight Characters, because each of the four pillars (representing the year, month, day, and hour of one's birth respectively) is represented by two characters; one character for a Heavenly Stem and one character for an Earthly Branch. There are 10 Heavenly Stems
(天干; TiānGān) and 12 Earthly Branches
(地支; DìZhī). The 12 zodiac animal reference is a folkloric representation of the 12 Earthly Branches.
The Scholarly School began with Xú ZiPíng 徐子平 at the beginning of Song Dynasty
. Xu founded the pure theoretical basis of the system. Ever since then, scholars continued to do research work on the system and published their work for further development. Representatives of this school and their publications include
Song Dynasty (宋)
Ming Dynasty (明)
Qing Dynasty (清)
The Professional School has the Chinese name JiāngHú Pài (江湖派) which has a negative implication. It refers to people who take Life Reading and Fortune Telling as a profession and is usually regarded as a business. The problem is that these professionals may not know the theory very well. Also, they may just memorize some formulas and also collect a lot of statistical results from their practices which gives a superficial and possibly not as accurate a result as something more in-depth.
Another famous school is the Máng Pài 盲派 or Blindman School. It was said that the teaching could only be taught to blind people, hence no written text is passed down. It was known for its high accuracy of the life reading.
in Japanese astrology that involves calculating a person's destiny using the values of the birth year, month, day and hour. The Chinese equivalent is 背禄 (shang guan).
Four Pillars of Destiny
is an important concept for a proper understanding of Japanese astrology. A study of the four components creating a person's destiny or fate is highly complicated and can be an extreme effector in the mechanisms of plotting destiny and prediction.
among the Heavenly Stems. When we have our birthday as 甲子, 甲戌, 甲申, 甲午, 甲辰, 甲寅, in the Chinese calendar
, the will belong to the Syō-Kan.
On the Other Heavenly Stems
as follows
The chart is as follows:
The main structure of his chart is 傷官 (Syō-Kan), 格.
The day of 丁 (in the Chinese calendar
) meets April, the month of , the month of 戊 so that we get the Syō-Kan.
The most important elements and workers in his chart is the 甲 or 乙. The Inju is also the worker which controls Syō-Kan.
In 1945, in the year of 乙酉, the Inju has no effect. The Heavenly Stem 乙 is in . Japan was defeated in World War II and suffered atomic bomb explosions and have been affected by these events ever since.
Additionally
The Dai Un (Japan's own long-term history) is as follows:
The beginning of April in Lunar calendar
is the fifth day, so there are 24 days from day 5 to Hirohito's birthday. One month is equivalent to ten years in Dai Un, and the 24 days are equivalent to eight years. Looking at events in the historical timeline corresponding to his life from age eight to 18 shows as follows –
From the age of 8 to the age of 18 : 辛卯
Culture of China
Chinese culture is one of the world's oldest and most complex. The area in which the culture is dominant covers a large geographical region in eastern Asia with customs and traditions varying greatly between towns, cities and provinces...
and Japanese conceptual term that describes the four components creating a person's destiny
Destiny
Destiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
or fate. The four components within the moment of birth are year, month, day, and hour. The four pillars is used alongside fortune telling practices such as Zǐ wēi dòu shù
Zi wei dou shu
Zi Wei Dou Shu is a form of fortune-telling in Chinese culture. It remains one of the most well-respected processes for laying out "The Destiny Path" or "Fate".-Terminology:...
within the realm of Chinese Astrology
Chinese astrology
Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars. The development of Chinese astrology is tied to that of astronomy, which came to flourish during the Han Dynasty ....
.
Etymology
The four pillars is an English translation of the Chinese dynastic phrase "Shēng Chén Bā Zì". The Chinese term (生辰八字 , ShēngChén BāZì) translates to "The Eight Characters of Birth Time". This is also referred to by the Chinese term (四柱命理學, Sì Zhù MìngLǐ Xué) which translates to Study of "Four Pillars of Life" Principles.Commonly referred to by the shortened terms, "Four Pillars" or "BāZì", one of the most frequently used alternate phrase is "Four Pillars of your birth time". It is called BāZì (八字), Eight Characters, because each of the four pillars (representing the year, month, day, and hour of one's birth respectively) is represented by two characters; one character for a Heavenly Stem and one character for an Earthly Branch. There are 10 Heavenly Stems
Heavenly Stems
The ten Celestial or Heavenly Stems are a Chinese system of ordinals that first appear during the Shang dynasty, ca. 1250 BC, as the names of the ten days of the week. They were also used in Shang-period ritual as names for dead family members, who were offered sacrifices on the corresponding day...
(天干; TiānGān) and 12 Earthly Branches
Earthly Branches
The Earthly Branches provide one Chinese system for reckoning time.This system was built from observations of the orbit of Jupiter. Chinese astronomers divided the celestial circle into 12 sections to follow the orbit of Suìxīng . Astronomers rounded the orbit of Suixing to 12 years...
(地支; DìZhī). The 12 zodiac animal reference is a folkloric representation of the 12 Earthly Branches.
The Schools
The schools are the Scholarly School (學院派; XuéYuàn Pài) and the Professional School (江湖派; JiāngHú Pài).The Scholarly School began with Xú ZiPíng 徐子平 at the beginning of Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
. Xu founded the pure theoretical basis of the system. Ever since then, scholars continued to do research work on the system and published their work for further development. Representatives of this school and their publications include
Song Dynasty (宋)
- Sān Mìng YuānYuán 三命渊源, by Xú DàShēng 徐大升
- Yuān HǎiZi Píng 淵海子平Yuan Hai Zi PingYuan Hai Zi Ping is the first comprehensive and systematic book on the theory of Four Pillars of Destiny. The book was compiled by Xu Dasheng of the Song Dynasty of China and was a recording of various Zi Ping's fortune-telling methods...
, compiled by Xú DàShēng 徐大升
Ming Dynasty (明)
- Dī Tiān Suǐ 滴天髓
- Sān Mìng Tōng Kuài 三命通會, by Wàn MínYīng 万民英
- Míng Wàn YùWú 明萬育吾
- Míng Liú Jī 明劉基
Qing Dynasty (清)
- Mìng Lǐ Yuē Yán 命理約言, by Chén SùĀn 陈素庵
- Mìng Lǐ Tàn Yuán 命理探源, by Yuán ShùShān 袁树珊
The Professional School has the Chinese name JiāngHú Pài (江湖派) which has a negative implication. It refers to people who take Life Reading and Fortune Telling as a profession and is usually regarded as a business. The problem is that these professionals may not know the theory very well. Also, they may just memorize some formulas and also collect a lot of statistical results from their practices which gives a superficial and possibly not as accurate a result as something more in-depth.
Another famous school is the Máng Pài 盲派 or Blindman School. It was said that the teaching could only be taught to blind people, hence no written text is passed down. It was known for its high accuracy of the life reading.
In Japan
Four Pillars of Destiny, the 傷官 or – in Japanese, Syō-Kan (pr: Show-can) – is a conceptConcept
The word concept is used in ordinary language as well as in almost all academic disciplines. Particularly in philosophy, psychology and cognitive sciences the term is much used and much discussed. WordNet defines concept: "conception, construct ". However, the meaning of the term concept is much...
in Japanese astrology that involves calculating a person's destiny using the values of the birth year, month, day and hour. The Chinese equivalent is 背禄 (shang guan).
Four Pillars of Destiny
Four Pillars of Destiny
Four Pillars of Destiny is a Chinese and Japanese conceptual term that describes the four components creating a person's destiny or fate. The four components within the moment of birth are year, month, day, and hour...
is an important concept for a proper understanding of Japanese astrology. A study of the four components creating a person's destiny or fate is highly complicated and can be an extreme effector in the mechanisms of plotting destiny and prediction.
Definitions
Syō-Kan term is also the relative pronounRelative pronoun
A relative pronoun is a pronoun that marks a relative clause within a larger sentence. It is called a relative pronoun because it relates the relative clause to the noun that it modifies. In English, the relative pronouns are: who, whom, whose, whosever, whosesoever, which, and, in some...
among the Heavenly Stems. When we have our birthday as 甲子, 甲戌, 甲申, 甲午, 甲辰, 甲寅, in the Chinese calendar
Chinese calendar
The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. It is not exclusive to China, but followed by many other Asian cultures as well...
, the will belong to the Syō-Kan.
On the Other Heavenly Stems
- When we have the Heavenly Stems as 甲 in our birthday , the 丁 acts as a Syō-Kan factor.
as follows
- 乙 : 丙
- 丙 : 己
- 丁 : 戊
- 戊 : 辛
- 己 : 庚
- 庚 : 癸
- 辛 : 壬
- 壬 : 乙
- 癸 : 甲
Meaning
- Generally speaking , Syō-Kan stands for our splendid talentSkillA skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills...
s , our brilliant appearances , our academic potential. - The freedoms: freedom of speechFreedom of speechFreedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
, freedom of thinking , freedom of expression are related to Syō-Kan. - When there is not the proper Syō-Kan in our daily life, we may be confused. Often we will be involved in anti-social acts such as terrorismTerrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
. - Syō-Kan is also the symbol of a swordSwordA sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
and slashSlash (punctuation)The slash is a sign used as a punctuation mark and for various other purposes. It is now often called a forward slash , and many other alternative names.-History:...
. Consequently the Syō-Kan will be not preferred in normal societySocietyA society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
. - The figures with Syō-Kan is usually bright and beautiful, however true and real success in life is another aspect.
Example
- HirohitoHirohito, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
(also known as Emperor Shōwa), born April 29, 1901, died January 7, 1989. His birthday is 29 April 1901 a day called Greenery DayGreenery Dayis a Japanese holiday. Between 1989 and 2006 it was celebrated on April 29. In 2007 Greenery Day was moved to May 4.The present observation of Greenery Day as a national holiday in Japan stems from the celebration of the Emperor Shōwa's birthday on April 29 every year during the Shōwa era...
in Japan.
The chart is as follows:
- Year of birth : 1901 : 辛丑
- Month of birth : April : 壬辰
- Day of birth : 29th : 丁丑
- Time of birth : a quarter past 10 at night (10.15 pm) : 辛亥
The main structure of his chart is 傷官 (Syō-Kan), 格.
The day of 丁 (in the Chinese calendar
Chinese calendar
The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. It is not exclusive to China, but followed by many other Asian cultures as well...
) meets April, the month of , the month of 戊 so that we get the Syō-Kan.
The most important elements and workers in his chart is the 甲 or 乙. The Inju is also the worker which controls Syō-Kan.
In 1945, in the year of 乙酉, the Inju has no effect. The Heavenly Stem 乙 is in . Japan was defeated in World War II and suffered atomic bomb explosions and have been affected by these events ever since.
Additionally
The Dai Un (Japan's own long-term history) is as follows:
The beginning of April in Lunar calendar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
is the fifth day, so there are 24 days from day 5 to Hirohito's birthday. One month is equivalent to ten years in Dai Un, and the 24 days are equivalent to eight years. Looking at events in the historical timeline corresponding to his life from age eight to 18 shows as follows –
From the age of 8 to the age of 18 : 辛卯
- 18 to 28 : 庚寅 : corresponding to the reign and beginning of Showa PeriodShowa periodThe , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
in 1926 - 28 to 38 : 己丑 : beginning of Second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese WarThe Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
in 1937 - 38 to 48 : 戊子 : World War II, 1939–1945
- 48 to 58 : 丁亥
- 58 to 68 : 丙戌
- 68 to 78 : 乙酉
- 78 to 88 : 甲申 : end of the Showa PeriodShowa periodThe , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
in 1989 - 88 to 98 : 癸未