Four Pillars of Destiny

You were born in the year of the Yang Water Monkey. The clever trickster, kin of the Monkey King, who cleared the way across the river. The Monkey is the face you show the world: brilliant intelligence, inventiveness and humour.

But the year is only the first of the Four Pillars. Inside, in the month pillar, lives the Rooster, the inner animal of your heart; and in the hour pillar hides the Goat, the secret animal of your true self. At the centre of the chart stands the Day Master, Ding, Yin Fire, the candle flame: this is you, the self that every other character in the chart surrounds.

Of the five elements, Metal is the strongest in your chart, and Wood is missing altogether. The Day Master is gentle, so your balance comes from Fire and Wood. The pages that follow read each part in turn.

You asked above all about career and calling. These are the parts of the reading that speak most directly to work, ambition and the shape of a working life.

Monkeys excel where brains and adaptability win: science, engineering, technology, finance, trading, entertainment, journalism, sales and invention.

Ding excels in teaching, writing, research, therapy, medicine, spiritual work and any role that brings light to others.

A decade of creativity, pleasure and expression. Your talents bloom, life feels easier and more enjoyable, and children, art or a creative business may be central.

Water gives the animal intuition, wisdom and adaptability. Water years produce people who are perceptive, persuasive and sensitive, who understand others deeply and flow around obstacles.

Water is the element of wisdom, intuition, adaptability and depth, of winter and the north. In a yang year it is expressed outwardly, actively and boldly.

Your Day Master is Ding, Yin Fire: the candle, the lamp, the star in the night. Where Bing is the sun for everyone, Ding is the steady flame that lights one room and guides one traveller. Ding people are thoughtful, perceptive, caring and quietly intense. They have a strong inner light, a sharp mind and deep feelings, and they illuminate what others cannot see. You are a good listener and a wise friend. Your shadow is anxiety and a flame that flickers with every draught. Your gift is insight: you show people the way.

In the Four Pillars, the heavenly stem of the day of birth is the Day Master: the self. Every other character in the chart is read by how it treats this one: what feeds it, what it feeds, what it controls and what controls it. Ding, Yin Fire is yin: inward, subtle and adaptive.

The day's earthly branch, Rooster, sits beneath the Day Master as the House of the Spouse, the pillar of marriage and of the closest partner. It suggests a partner with something of the Rooster: honesty and diligence.

Every other heavenly stem in the chart is one of the Ten Gods to the Day Master: a friend or a rival, an expression, a source of wealth, a power over it or a resource behind it. Each pillar also governs a part of life, so the god that sits there colours that part.

Year pillar, 壬 Water: the Direct Officer 正官. The year pillar is the house of ancestors, early childhood and how the world first sees you, and here sits the Direct Officer, a stem that controls your element with opposite polarity: authority, rules, career and, for a woman, the husband. It brings honour, responsibility and respect. In practice: respect rules and structure, and build your reputation patiently.

Month pillar, 己 Earth: the Eating God 食神. The month pillar is the house of parents, youth, career and the season you were born into, and here sits the Eating God, a stem your element produces with the same polarity: talent, creativity, food and pleasure. It is one of the happiest stars in a chart, bringing ease, generosity and a gift for enjoying life. In practice: make time for pleasure, food, art and talent; enjoyment feeds your gifts.

Hour pillar, 丁 Fire: the Friend 比肩. The hour pillar is the house of children, later life, ambitions and the hidden self, and here sits the Friend, a stem of your own element and polarity: siblings, peers and your own strength. It brings independence, confidence and loyal companions, and a streak of stubborn pride. In practice: lean on peers and siblings, and compete with yourself rather than with others.

Beside the four pillars of birth, a life moves through a series of ten-year Luck Pillars, each a new pair of characters that rules a decade. Your pillars step backward from the month pillar, because you were born in a yang year as a woman, and the first begins at the age of 4. A decade whose stem is a favourable element (Fire and Wood) is a season of ease; the others ask for more effort and bring more growth.

• Age 4–13, 戊申 Earth Monkey: Demanding, and rich in growth. A decade of brilliance and change, of speaking out, breaking rules and making your own name. A decade of brilliance and rebellion. You break rules, speak your mind and innovate; career change and independence are likely, and so is friction with authority. Earth brings heaviness: obligations and slow progress.
• Age 14–23, 丁未 Fire Goat: Favourable. A decade of independence and self-reliance, of friends and partners who stand beside you as equals. A decade of independence, friendship and self-reliance. You meet equals, rivals and allies, and you learn to stand on your own feet; partnerships of equals flourish, and money is earned by your own effort. Fire brings recognition, passion and visibility.
• Age 24–33, 丙午 Fire Horse: Favourable. A decade of competition and bold moves, where courage pays and money must be guarded. A decade of competition and boldness. You take risks, compete hard and may spend or lose money as fast as you win it; the lesson is to cooperate without giving yourself away. Fire brings recognition, passion and visibility.
• Age 34–43, 乙巳 Wood Snake · now: Favourable. A decade of study and inner change, good for unusual skills, spiritual interests and time alone. A decade of unusual learning, intuition and inner growth. Spirituality, research, psychology or unconventional skills come to the fore. Wood brings growth, new projects and expansion.
• Age 44–53, 甲辰 Wood Dragon: Favourable. A decade of support and learning, when mentors appear, qualifications are earned and life feels protected. A decade of learning, support and protection. Mentors, education and family help you; it is a good time for study, qualifications and a calm, protected life. Wood brings growth, new projects and expansion.
• Age 54–63, 癸卯 Water Rabbit: Demanding, and rich in growth. A decade of pressure and power, of challenges that forge you into a leader if you meet them. A decade of pressure, challenge and power. You are tested, and you rise; leadership, ambition and courage are rewarded, and enemies become teachers. Water brings uncertainty and the need to adapt.
• Age 64–73, 壬寅 Water Tiger: Demanding, and rich in growth. A decade of recognition and duty, of promotion, reputation and a more settled place in the world. A decade of status, career and responsibility. Promotion, recognition and a respected position are likely; integrity is your greatest asset. Water brings uncertainty and the need to adapt.
• Age 74–83, 辛丑 Metal Ox: Demanding, and rich in growth. A decade of opportunities, travel and enterprise, when money can come quickly and go just as fast. A decade of opportunity, movement and unexpected wealth. Business, investment and travel can bring gains, and generosity brings friends. Metal brings cutting changes and hard decisions.

Your 8 characters carry 2 Fire, 2 Earth, 3 Metal and 1 Water. The elements feed one another in a circle (wood feeds fire, fire makes earth, earth bears metal, metal carries water, water feeds wood) and restrain one another across it. A chart is healthy when they are in balance.

Wood (0): Little Wood can mean difficulty starting things or seeing a clear direction, and a need for more growth and flexibility.

Fire (2): Fire is present in moderation, bringing passion, joy, warmth and expression.

Earth (2): Earth is present in moderation, bringing stability, nourishment, patience and care.

Metal (3): Much Metal brings strength of will and high standards, but also rigidity, harshness and difficulty letting go.

Water (1): Water is present in moderation, bringing wisdom, intuition, adaptability and depth.

Fire is fed by bitter tastes and warm, cooked food, by sunlight, dance, cardio and good company. Careers of visibility suit it: performance, media, marketing, energy, beauty and leadership. At home, bring in candles, warm light, reds and the south.

Wood is fed by green food and sour tastes, by time among trees, stretching, gardening and early mornings. Careers of growth suit it: education, publishing, design, health and anything that develops people. At home, bring in plants, wooden furniture, greens and the east.

With the Rooster as the inner animal, the heart is proud and honest. In private you need to be appreciated, and you love by caring for the details of other people's lives.

The month pillar is the season of birth and the house of parents and of the inner life. Its animal shows how you are in love and in private, when no one is watching.

With the Goat as the secret animal, the hidden self is an artist. Part of you sees the world as a painting and wants to make it more beautiful. Your true gift is a creative, compassionate soul.

The hour pillar is the house of children, of later life and of the hidden self. Its animal is the one you truly are, under every other face.

The secret Goat and the outer Monkey are a neutral pair. In later life the Goat is cherished and cared for, surrounded by beauty, art and family, its kindness returned many times over.

In the sixty-year cycle, each pair of years shares a Na Yin, a “received sound”: a poetic image of an element, used by fortune-tellers for centuries. Your year, 壬申, has the sound of Metal of the Sword. The edge of a sword: sharp, decisive and brave, a life that cuts its own path.

Use your brilliance for something lasting, and keep your promises.

As a child, bright, mischievous and curious, quick at school when interested and impossible when bored.

As a woman, clever and witty, an inventive problem-solver with charm and a playful streak.

In later life the Monkey remains sharp and youthful, a witty storyteller and problem-solver whom younger people love.

Each pillar also rules a stage of life. Its element, favourable or demanding for your Day Master, colours those years.

Year pillar, 壬申 Water Monkey, birth to about 16: the years of childhood, ancestors and the family you were born into. Water here brings uncertainty; staying adaptable carries you through. The Monkey brings brilliant intelligence and inventiveness to this stage.

Month pillar, 己酉 Earth Rooster, about 17 to 32: the years of youth, parents, education and the first steps into the world. Earth here can feel heavy with duty; small pleasures lighten the load. The Rooster brings honesty and diligence to this stage.

Day pillar, 丁酉 Fire Rooster, about 33 to 48: the years of the self in its prime, marriage and partnership. Fire here is a season of warmth and recognition: joy, visibility and passion. The Rooster brings honesty and diligence to this stage.

Hour pillar, 丁未 Fire Goat, 49 onwards: the years of later life, children, legacy and the hidden self. Fire here is a season of warmth and recognition: joy, visibility and passion. The Goat brings kindness and creativity to this stage.

Something new is beginning, so read this as a guide to what you bring to it and what you need from it. Early love shows your chart at its most open: let the other person see it.

In love the Monkey is playful, passionate and inventive, needing a partner who keeps them interested and laughs at their jokes. They can be fickle when young; when they find a match for their mind, they are lively and loyal companions.

In love Ding is devoted, intimate and sensitive, a warm and attentive partner who needs emotional depth and loyalty.

Your spouse palace holds the Rooster. A Rooster partner is honest, organised and devoted, proud of the family; it needs appreciation, order and a partner who can take frank words.

As a friend the Monkey is clever, funny and endlessly entertaining, the life of the party and a brilliant problem-solver. It needs friends who enjoy its wit and forgive its occasional mischief.

Snake, secret friends (六合, the six harmonies): The six harmonies are the 'secret friends' of the zodiac: pairs whose branches combine into a new element. This is one of the best matches there is, a natural, deep and lasting affinity, as if each completes something in the other. A Snake partner is wise, sensual and deeply loyal, private and intuitive; it needs trust, depth and a partner who respects its silences.

Rat and Dragon, allies of the same triangle (三合, the three harmonies): The twelve animals form four triangles of allies, each sharing an element and a way of seeing the world. Animals of the same triangle are natural friends and partners who support each other's goals and bring out each other's strengths. A Rat partner is clever, attentive and resourceful, a planner who keeps the household secure; it needs appreciation and an honest, quick-witted companion. A Dragon partner is magnetic, generous and ambitious, bringing energy and big dreams; it needs respect, honesty and a partner with a life of their own.

Monkey, the same animal: Two of the same animal understand each other instantly and want the same things. It is a comfortable match with a risk of mirroring each other's faults; the bond works best when each keeps a life of their own. A Monkey partner is witty, inventive and playful, never boring; it needs stimulation, humour and a partner who can keep up.

Ox, Rabbit, Horse, Goat, Rooster and Dog, a neutral pair: These two animals have no strong classical bond, neither harmony nor clash. The relationship depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves; there is room to build exactly what you choose. An Ox partner is loyal, steady and hardworking, slow to commit and faithful for life; it needs patience, routine and a partner who keeps promises. A Rabbit partner is gentle, refined and tender, creating harmony and beauty; it needs calm, kindness and a partner who avoids harsh conflict. A Horse partner is warm, lively and adventurous, full of fun and movement; it needs freedom, variety and a partner who travels alongside. A Goat partner is kind, artistic and nurturing, creating a gentle home; it needs security, affection and a partner who protects its sensitivity. A Rooster partner is honest, organised and devoted, proud of the family; it needs appreciation, order and a partner who can take frank words. A Dog partner is faithful, protective and principled, a guardian for life; it needs loyalty, honesty and a partner who earns its trust.

Pig, a delicate pair (六害, the six harms): The six harms are pairs that can quietly undermine each other through misunderstanding, even with good will on both sides. Honest communication and clear boundaries turn a difficult pairing into a careful, loyal one. A Pig partner is warm, generous and sensual, making home a feast; it needs kindness, fidelity and a partner who never exploits its good nature.

Tiger, opposites (六冲, the six clashes): The six clashes are pairs that stand opposite each other on the zodiac wheel. Their energies collide, and the attraction can be electric, but so can the conflict. These bonds need patience and respect for difference; when they work, they are powerful and transforming. A Tiger partner is passionate, brave and exciting, protective and independent; it needs freedom, admiration and a partner who can match its courage.

Monkeys excel where brains and adaptability win: science, engineering, technology, finance, trading, entertainment, journalism, sales and invention.

Ding excels in teaching, writing, research, therapy, medicine, spiritual work and any role that brings light to others.

With money the Monkey is inventive and quick, good at spotting deals and opportunities. It earns well in business, technology and communication, and needs to watch impulsive spending.

In the Four Pillars, wealth is the element the Day Master controls: for Ding, Yin Fire that is Metal. Expression and talent is the element it produces, Earth. Wealth is not among your favourable elements: money follows best from skill and steady work rather than from chasing it.

The Monkey's quick mind can wear out its body. Sleep, regular meals and time away from screens keep it well; the lungs benefit from fresh air and breathing exercise.

Yin Fire is sensitive in the heart and the nervous system. Calm evenings, warmth, music and rest keep your flame steady.

Chinese medicine links each element to an organ. Your strongest element, Metal, governs the lungs; give it rest so it does not overwork. The missing Wood point to the liver, which benefit from extra care.

Each year is ruled by Tai Sui, the general of the year, who takes the seat of that year's animal. The year now running is the year of the Horse, and the Horse and the Monkey are a neutral pair.

The year's animal has no strong bond with yours. It is a year shaped mainly by your own choices: steady, open and good for building at your own pace.

The Monkey's traditional lucky numbers are 4 and 9, its colours white, blue and gold, and its flower the chrysanthemum. Add the colours of your favourable elements, red and green, for balance.

The year and month pillars follow the solar terms, calculated astronomically and dated in China Standard Time, as in the traditional almanac; the day pillar follows the unbroken sixty-day cycle; the hour pillar uses the twelve double hours of the clock time given. The zodiac animal follows the Lunar New Year. Element balance counts the visible stems and the main element of each branch. Interpretations are written for reflection and entertainment.