The 60 day pillars
A day pillar is the pair of characters for the day you were born: one of ten heavenly stems and one of twelve earthly branches. In Korean saju, the Korean name for the Four Pillars system Chinese calls BaZi, its first character is the day master, the point the whole chart is read from. The pairs run in a fixed cycle of sixty, from 甲子 Jia Zi to 癸亥 Gui Hai, and the table below lists all of them.
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What a day pillar is
A saju chart has four pillars: the year, month, day and hour you were born. Each pillar pairs a heavenly stem, one of ten (five elements, each in a yang and a yin form), with an earthly branch, one of twelve, each with its animal.
The day pillar is the pair for your birth day. Its stem is the day master, the character the whole chart is read around. That’s why people start here, and why I do too.
Ten stems and twelve branches turn together, so sixty pairs go by before the cycle repeats. Same pillar, same tendencies. What you do with them is your business. I just hold the red pen.
All sixty, by element
Twelve pillars per element, numbered by their place in the cycle. Look up yours, or the one belonging to someone you’re trying to figure out.
| # | Pillar | English name | BaZi (pinyin) | Korean reading | Element, yin/yang | Animal | Horan’s page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood day mastersgrowth, reach, starting things12 pillars | |||||||
| 1 | 甲子 | Wood Rat | Jia Zi | 갑자 Gap-ja | Yang Wood | Rat 子 | The Winter Oak |
| 2 | 乙丑 | Wood Ox | Yi Chou | 을축 Eul-chuk | Yin Wood | Ox 丑 | The Plum Blossom in the Snow |
| 11 | 甲戌 | Wood Dog | Jia Xu | 갑술 Gap-sul | Yang Wood | Dog 戌 | The Pine on the Dry Hill |
| 12 | 乙亥 | Wood Pig | Yi Hai | 을해 Eul-hae | Yin Wood | Pig 亥 | The Reed on the Winter River |
| 21 | 甲申 | Wood Monkey | Jia Shen | 갑신 Gap-sin | Yang Wood | Monkey 申 | The Cedar in the Autumn Wind |
| 22 | 乙酉 | Wood Rooster | Yi You | 을유 Eul-yu | Yin Wood | Rooster 酉 | The Frost Chrysanthemum |
| 31 | 甲午 | Wood Horse | Jia Wu | 갑오 Gap-o | Yang Wood | Horse 午 | The Oak at High Noon |
| 32 | 乙未 | Wood Goat | Yi Wei | 을미 Eul-mi | Yin Wood | Goat 未 | The Ivy on the Sun-Baked Wall |
| 41 | 甲辰 | Wood Dragon | Jia Chen | 갑진 Gap-jin | Yang Wood | Dragon 辰 | The Great Tree in Spring Rain |
| 42 | 乙巳 | Wood Snake | Yi Si | 을사 Eul-sa | Yin Wood | Snake 巳 | The Early Summer Wisteria |
| 51 | 甲寅 | Wood Tiger | Jia Yin | 갑인 Gap-in | Yang Wood | Tiger 寅 | The Tiger’s Own Forest |
| 52 | 乙卯 | Wood Rabbit | Yi Mao | 을묘 Eul-myo | Yin Wood | Rabbit 卯 | The Wild Spring Vine |
| Fire day masterswarmth, visibility, expression12 pillars | |||||||
| 3 | 丙寅 | Fire Tiger | Bing Yin | 병인 Byeong-in | Yang Fire | Tiger 寅 | The Spring Sunrise |
| 4 | 丁卯 | Fire Rabbit | Ding Mao | 정묘 Jeong-myo | Yin Fire | Rabbit 卯 | The Spring Night Candle |
| 13 | 丙子 | Fire Rat | Bing Zi | 병자 Byeong-ja | Yang Fire | Rat 子 | The Sun on the Winter Lake |
| 14 | 丁丑 | Fire Ox | Ding Chou | 정축 Jeong-chuk | Yin Fire | Ox 丑 | The Lamp in the Winter Barn |
| 23 | 丙戌 | Fire Dog | Bing Xu | 병술 Byeong-sul | Yang Fire | Dog 戌 | The Sunset over the Autumn Hills |
| 24 | 丁亥 | Fire Pig | Ding Hai | 정해 Jeong-hae | Yin Fire | Pig 亥 | The Lantern on the Night River |
| 33 | 丙申 | Fire Monkey | Bing Shen | 병신 Byeong-sin | Yang Fire | Monkey 申 | The Harvest Sun |
| 34 | 丁酉 | Fire Rooster | Ding You | 정유 Jeong-yu | Yin Fire | Rooster 酉 | The Lamp in the Jeweler’s Window |
| 43 | 丙午 | Fire Horse | Bing Wu | 병오 Byeong-o | Yang Fire | Horse 午 | The High Noon Blaze |
| 44 | 丁未 | Fire Goat | Ding Wei | 정미 Jeong-mi | Yin Fire | Goat 未 | The Lantern in the Summer Field |
| 53 | 丙辰 | Fire Dragon | Bing Chen | 병진 Byeong-jin | Yang Fire | Dragon 辰 | The Sun After Spring Rain |
| 54 | 丁巳 | Fire Snake | Ding Si | 정사 Jeong-sa | Yin Fire | Snake 巳 | The Early Summer Ember |
| Earth day masterssteadiness, holding, keeping things together12 pillars | |||||||
| 5 | 戊辰 | Earth Dragon | Wu Chen | 무진 Mu-jin | Yang Earth | Dragon 辰 | The Dragon’s Mountain |
| 6 | 己巳 | Earth Snake | Ji Si | 기사 Gi-sa | Yin Earth | Snake 巳 | The Early Summer Garden |
| 15 | 戊寅 | Earth Tiger | Wu Yin | 무인 Mu-in | Yang Earth | Tiger 寅 | The Mountain Where Tigers Live |
| 16 | 己卯 | Earth Rabbit | Ji Mao | 기묘 Gi-myo | Yin Earth | Rabbit 卯 | The Spring Meadow |
| 25 | 戊子 | Earth Rat | Wu Zi | 무자 Mu-ja | Yang Earth | Rat 子 | The Peak Above the Frozen Lake |
| 26 | 己丑 | Earth Ox | Ji Chou | 기축 Gi-chuk | Yin Earth | Ox 丑 | The Winter Field |
| 35 | 戊戌 | Earth Dog | Wu Xu | 무술 Mu-sul | Yang Earth | Dog 戌 | The Last Ridge of Autumn |
| 36 | 己亥 | Earth Pig | Ji Hai | 기해 Gi-hae | Yin Earth | Pig 亥 | The Rice Paddy by the River |
| 45 | 戊申 | Earth Monkey | Wu Shen | 무신 Mu-sin | Yang Earth | Monkey 申 | The Monkey’s Mountain |
| 46 | 己酉 | Earth Rooster | Ji You | 기유 Gi-yu | Yin Earth | Rooster 酉 | The Orchard at Harvest |
| 55 | 戊午 | Earth Horse | Wu Wu | 무오 Mu-o | Yang Earth | Horse 午 | The Summer Volcano |
| 56 | 己未 | Earth Goat | Ji Wei | 기미 Gi-mi | Yin Earth | Goat 未 | The Late Summer Pasture |
| Metal day mastersedges, standards, decisions12 pillars | |||||||
| 7 | 庚午 | Metal Horse | Geng Wu | 경오 Gyeong-o | Yang Metal | Horse 午 | The Sword in the Forge |
| 8 | 辛未 | Metal Goat | Xin Wei | 신미 Sin-mi | Yin Metal | Goat 未 | The Gem in the Summer Dust |
| 17 | 庚辰 | Metal Dragon | Geng Chen | 경진 Gyeong-jin | Yang Metal | Dragon 辰 | The Iron Dragon |
| 18 | 辛巳 | Metal Snake | Xin Si | 신사 Sin-sa | Yin Metal | Snake 巳 | The Ring in the Fire |
| 27 | 庚寅 | Metal Tiger | Geng Yin | 경인 Gyeong-in | Yang Metal | Tiger 寅 | The Axe in the Spring Forest |
| 28 | 辛卯 | Metal Rabbit | Xin Mao | 신묘 Sin-myo | Yin Metal | Rabbit 卯 | The Silver Shears in Spring |
| 37 | 庚子 | Metal Rat | Geng Zi | 경자 Gyeong-ja | Yang Metal | Rat 子 | The Winter Bell |
| 38 | 辛丑 | Metal Ox | Xin Chou | 신축 Sin-chuk | Yin Metal | Ox 丑 | The Jewel Under Winter Soil |
| 47 | 庚戌 | Metal Dog | Geng Xu | 경술 Gyeong-sul | Yang Metal | Dog 戌 | The Autumn Anvil |
| 48 | 辛亥 | Metal Pig | Xin Hai | 신해 Sin-hae | Yin Metal | Pig 亥 | The Pearl in the Winter Sea |
| 57 | 庚申 | Metal Monkey | Geng Shen | 경신 Gyeong-sin | Yang Metal | Monkey 申 | The Unforged Iron |
| 58 | 辛酉 | Metal Rooster | Xin You | 신유 Sin-yu | Yin Metal | Rooster 酉 | The Flawless Blade |
| Water day mastersdepth, rest, listening12 pillars | |||||||
| 9 | 壬申 | Water Monkey | Ren Shen | 임신 Im-sin | Yang Water | Monkey 申 | The River from the Iron Hills |
| 10 | 癸酉 | Water Rooster | Gui You | 계유 Gye-yu | Yin Water | Rooster 酉 | The Dew on Silver |
| 19 | 壬午 | Water Horse | Ren Wu | 임오 Im-o | Yang Water | Horse 午 | The Midsummer Tide |
| 20 | 癸未 | Water Goat | Gui Wei | 계미 Gye-mi | Yin Water | Goat 未 | The Late Summer Rain |
| 29 | 壬辰 | Water Dragon | Ren Chen | 임진 Im-jin | Yang Water | Dragon 辰 | The Dragon Sea |
| 30 | 癸巳 | Water Snake | Gui Si | 계사 Gye-sa | Yin Water | Snake 巳 | The Early Summer Mist |
| 39 | 壬寅 | Water Tiger | Ren Yin | 임인 Im-in | Yang Water | Tiger 寅 | The Snowmelt River |
| 40 | 癸卯 | Water Rabbit | Gui Mao | 계묘 Gye-myo | Yin Water | Rabbit 卯 | The Rain on New Leaves |
| 49 | 壬子 | Water Rat | Ren Zi | 임자 Im-ja | Yang Water | Rat 子 | The Midnight Ocean |
| 50 | 癸丑 | Water Ox | Gui Chou | 계축 Gye-chuk | Yin Water | Ox 丑 | The Late Winter Snow |
| 59 | 壬戌 | Water Dog | Ren Xu | 임술 Im-sul | Yang Water | Dog 戌 | The Lake Behind the Dam |
| 60 | 癸亥 | Water Pig | Gui Hai | 계해 Gye-hae | Yin Water | Pig 亥 | The Fog over the Winter Sea |
Don’t know yours?
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