四柱八字, translated as Four Pillars of Destiny or Four Pillars of Eight Characters, is the art of studying one’s life through the formula of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches derived from every individual’s birth details, such as the Year, Month, Day, and Time of birth.

In Chinese metaphysics, there are 10 Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches, known as Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches (天干地支), and each Heavenly Stem meets and combines with a different Earthly Stem to result a different Stem-Branch (干支).

The Heavenly Stems are:

甲，乙，丙，丁，戊，己，庚，辛，壬，癸

And the Earthly Branches are:

子，丑，寅，卯，辰，巳，午，未，申，酉，戌，亥

Earthly Branches are also represented by the 12 Chinese Zodiacs that we are so familiar with:

子 – Rat，丑 – Ox，寅 – Tiger，卯 – Rabbit，辰 – Dragon，巳 – Snake，

午 – Horse，未 – Ram，申 – Monkey，酉 – Rooster，戌 – Dog，亥 – Boar

Every rotation starts with the combination 甲子, and ends with 癸亥, and every rotation consists of 60 different combinations, and this whole rotation is known as the Sixty Jia-Zi (六十甲子).

Similar to the yearly Tai Sui that comes once every 60 years, every Stem-Branch combination come once every 60 turns, and it is congruent for every pillars of birth.

The Four Pillars of Birth consists of the Year Pillar, Month Pillar, Day Pillar, and the Time Pillar. Every pillar is derived from the 60 combinations in accordance to rule of pillars’ erection, and no combination will repeat before going through 60 turns, and that mean for the same set of Pillars, it takes many, many (technically, no same set of Four Pillars will repeat in a hundred year period) turns before they see each other again.

Every Stem and Branch represents an Yin or Yang (阴阳) Element (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth), and the day Stem of a birthday – which represents every individual’s self element – determines what roles the other Stems and Branches play in the overall birth chart.

And what does this mean?

This means that every one is different. From the time you and I were born, we are not the same. Not our environment, our journey, nor our luck.

By erecting your Four Pillars of Birth, not only is a competent master able to know where your luck is heading, he or she is also able to accurately understand you by knowing your character, your health condition from birth, and many aspects of your life. You’re not reading it wrong; yes, your character as a person is largely from your date of birth. Ever wonder why do twins behave so similarly?

Your Four Pillars of Birth is a permutation of 10 Heavenly Stem and 12 Earthly Branches, and they are a formula of your past, present, and your future.

Why do we have to do a Life Reading?

Because our luck do not always stay the same. Every 10 years, our luck change, and it is known as the Ten-Year Luck Cycle (十年大运). Even when our luck is good, or you are in a good luck cycle, it doesn’t mean it will stay good for long, or even near future. Every year, the Tai Sui combines with the luck cycle you are in, and good can become bad, while bad gets a chance to be good.

Let us be honest here: our clients don’t (or seldom) come to us when their luck is good. Because when our luck is helping us, it’ll not cross our mind that it is the Luck Cycle that is behind almost everything. Usually, we’ll think it’s our capability, isn’t it?

If my luck is good now, should I still do a reading?

The metaphorical question should be: “Am I certain that the road in front of me right now remains as solid forever?”

Telling you that a life reading is necessary would give you the impression of us selling our services to you, so, no, I don’t have an answer to that question. If you are able to answer the question I’ve asked, then you have the answer to whether a life reading is necessary.