BaZi, in plain English.
The questions people actually ask about Chinese Four Pillars astrology — answered plainly, by the people who built the free chart calculator.
What is a BaZi chart?
BaZi (八字, "eight characters") is the Chinese Four Pillars system. It maps your birth year, month, day, and hour to eight Chinese characters — each pillar being one Heavenly Stem and one Earthly Branch. To build an accurate chart you need your birth date, time, and place.
What is a Day Master?
Your Day Master (日主) is the Heavenly Stem of your day pillar. It represents you — the self — and everything else in the chart is read in relation to it. There are ten Day Masters, one for each Heavenly Stem, from Yang Wood to Yin Water.
Is Chinese astrology just my zodiac animal?
No. Your zodiac animal (Rat, Dragon, Tiger, and so on) comes only from your birth year — one of four pillars. BaZi reads all four pillars together, which is why two people born in the same animal year can have very different charts. See the four pillars explained.
Do I need my exact birth time?
For a full chart, yes. Your birth time sets the hour pillar and can shift the day pillar near midnight. Without a known time, Bornchart computes a three-pillar chart and omits the hour pillar. Here is exactly what a chart without the hour can and cannot tell you — your Day Master and luck cycles still hold.
What are the Five Elements, Ten Gods, and Luck Pillars?
The Five Elements (五行) are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water — the balance across your chart. The Ten Gods (十神) are the relational roles other characters play in relation to your Day Master. Luck Pillars (大运) are ten-year cycles that frame how your chart unfolds over a lifetime.
What is Zi Wei Dou Shu?
Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗数), "Purple Star Astrology," is a separate Chinese system from BaZi. It places named stars into twelve life palaces based on your birth date and time. Bornchart computes it alongside your BaZi chart so the two can be read together. More on Zi Wei Dou Shu.
How does Bornchart calculate my chart — is it AI?
The chart is computed deterministically from open-source lunar and solar mathematics, the same astronomical basis used by traditional almanacs. No AI is used in the calculation. AI is used only to phrase explanations in plain English; it never decides the numbers. See the full methodology.
Is Bornchart free?
Yes. You can compute your full BaZi and Zi Wei chart for free with no signup. An optional one-time Year Ahead report is available to purchase, with no subscription.
Does BaZi predict the future?
Bornchart presents traditional BaZi and Zi Wei interpretation for self-reflection and interest in Chinese tradition. It is not a deterministic prediction of the future, and not medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice.