You do not need to know astrology or Chinese philosophy to begin. These are names for ideas within the traditions, not measurements of your character or guarantees about your future.

BaZi / Four Pillars

A Chinese chart built from the year, month, day and hour of birth. Each pillar is a pair of symbols. Their relationships provide the starting point for the Life Patterns reading.

Day Master & five elements

The Day Master is the chart's reference symbol for you. Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water describe traditional symbolic relationships, not your body's composition or a test of your abilities.

Ten Gods

A traditional name for ten relationships between chart symbols, not ten deities. We explain their roles using everyday themes such as learning, expression, resources and responsibility.

Hexagram & changing lines

A hexagram is a pattern of six solid or broken lines. Each coin round forms one line. Totals of 6 or 9 change to the opposite type, creating a second pattern to interpret, not a guaranteed future.

Key factor / yong shen

The line or symbolic relationship chosen as the focus of your question. Names such as Wealth, Parents or Siblings are traditional roles; they do not always mean money or literal family members.

Birth chart & rising sign

A birth chart maps the sky at birth. Your rising sign, also called the Ascendant, is the zodiac sign rising on the eastern horizon. It needs your birth time and place.

Houses, aspects & orbs

Houses divide the chart into areas associated with life themes. An aspect is a particular angle between planets; its orb is the permitted distance from that exact angle.

Transits

A comparison between planetary positions on a selected date and those at your birth. It is a date-focused astrology reading, unlike the long-term themes of your Birth Chart.