What is Saju (Four Pillars of Destiny)?

Saju (사주팔자), also known as Four Pillars of Destiny or BaZi (八字) in Chinese, is an ancient East Asian fortune-telling system used in Korea, China, and Japan.

It analyzes a person’s destiny through four pillars—birth year, month, day, and hour—each represented by two Chinese characters (Heavenly Stem + Earthly Branch), totaling eight characters (八字).

Structure of Four Pillars

[Year] [Month] [Day] [Hour]
[Stem] [Stem]  [Stem] [Stem]
[Branch][Branch][Branch][Branch]

Example: 甲子 丙寅 戊午 壬子
         Jia-Zi Bing-Yin Wu-Wu Ren-Zi

Yin-Yang and Five Elements Theory

Yin-Yang (陰陽)

All phenomena result from the interaction of Yin and Yang:

• Yang (陽): Heaven, day, masculine, bright, active
• Yin (陰): Earth, night, feminine, dark, passive

Five Elements (五行)

Element	Nature	Season	Direction	Color	Emotion
Wood (木)	Growth	Spring	East	Blue/Green	Anger
Fire (火)	Expansion	Summer	South	Red	Joy
Earth (土)	Stability	Between seasons	Center	Yellow	Thought
Metal (金)	Contraction	Autumn	West	White	Sadness
Water (水)	Wisdom	Winter	North	Black	Fear

Generating and Overcoming Cycles

Generating Cycle (相生) - Supporting relationships:

Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood

Overcoming Cycle (相剋) - Controlling relationships:

Wood → Earth → Water → Fire → Metal → Wood

Ten Heavenly Stems (天干)

Stem	Element	Yin/Yang	Meaning
甲 (Jia)	Wood	Yang	Large tree
乙 (Yi)	Wood	Yin	Grass, flower
丙 (Bing)	Fire	Yang	Sun
丁 (Ding)	Fire	Yin	Candle
戊 (Wu)	Earth	Yang	Mountain
己 (Ji)	Earth	Yin	Field
庚 (Geng)	Metal	Yang	Iron, ore
辛 (Xin)	Metal	Yin	Jewel
壬 (Ren)	Water	Yang	Ocean
癸 (Gui)	Water	Yin	Rain

Twelve Earthly Branches (地支)

Branch	Element	Zodiac	Time	Direction
子 (Zi)	Water	Rat	23-01	North
丑 (Chou)	Earth	Ox	01-03	N-NE
寅 (Yin)	Wood	Tiger	03-05	E-NE
卯 (Mao)	Wood	Rabbit	05-07	East
辰 (Chen)	Earth	Dragon	07-09	E-SE
巳 (Si)	Fire	Snake	09-11	S-SE
午 (Wu)	Fire	Horse	11-13	South
未 (Wei)	Earth	Goat	13-15	S-SW
申 (Shen)	Metal	Monkey	15-17	W-SW
酉 (You)	Metal	Rooster	17-19	West
戌 (Xu)	Earth	Dog	19-21	W-NW
亥 (Hai)	Water	Pig	21-23	N-NW

What Saju Reveals

1. Personality & Temperament (Day Stem Analysis)

Day Stem represents “self”—your core identity:

• Jia Wood (甲): Like a tall tree—upright, strong, leadership
• Yi Wood (乙): Like grass—flexible, adaptable, delicate
• Bing Fire (丙): Like the sun—bright, passionate, sociable
• Ding Fire (丁): Like a candle—calm, artistic, refined
• Wu Earth (戊): Like a mountain—reliable, stable, grounded
• Ji Earth (己): Like a field—caring, nurturing, inclusive
• Geng Metal (庚): Like iron—strong, determined, resolute
• Xin Metal (辛): Like a jewel—refined, sharp, discerning
• Ren Water (壬): Like an ocean—vast, wise, accommodating
• Gui Water (癸): Like rain—pure, gentle, adaptable

2. Major Life Cycles (大運 Daewoon)

Life unfolds in 10-year cycles:

• Each cycle emphasizes different elements
• Harmony or conflict with birth chart determines fortune

3. Annual Fortune (歲運 Saewoon)

Yearly energy flow:

• Interaction between current year’s stem/branch and birth chart
• Predicts opportunities and challenges

4. Compatibility (宮合 Gunghap)

Analyzing harmony between two people:

• Romantic compatibility
• Business partnership potential
• Friendship dynamics

FAQ

Q1: Is Saju scientifically proven?

Saju is a traditional philosophical system, not validated by modern scientific methods.

Value of Saju:

• ✅ Thousands of years of statistical observation
• ✅ Tool for self-reflection
• ✅ Framework for life direction contemplation
• ❌ Not absolute future prediction

Q2: What if I don’t know my birth time?

Without the Hour Pillar:

• Basic personality analysis possible with Year/Month/Day
• Major life cycles (Daewoon) can be calculated
• Accuracy drops to ~75%

Time Estimation Methods:

1. Ask your mother (most accurate)
2. Check hospital birth records
3. Reverse engineering by Saju expert (personality, career patterns)

Q3: Can I change a “bad” Saju?

Key Philosophy: “Destiny is predetermined, but fortune can be cultivated”

Methods to Improve Fortune:

1. Element補充: Supplement lacking elements through colors, directions, careers
2. Active Effort: Knowing weaknesses allows compensation
3. Positive Mindset: Saju shows tendencies, not absolute fate

Q4: Why do people born on the same day have different lives?

Experts’ explanations:

1. Hour Pillar: Changes every 2 hours
2. Family Background: Ancestral karma influences
3. Personal Effort: Education, environment, choices
4. Relationships: People you meet

Conclusion: Saju provides the framework; you fill in the details

Practical Applications

Career & Profession Selection

Suitable careers by dominant element:

• Strong Wood: Education, publishing, environmental, healthcare
• Strong Fire: Arts, entertainment, advertising, food service
• Strong Earth: Real estate, construction, agriculture, counseling
• Strong Metal: Finance, law, engineering, military
• Strong Water: IT, distribution, transportation, research

Interpersonal Strategy

Communication style by Day Stem:

• Wood: Direct, logical conversation
• Fire: Emotional, passionate communication
• Earth: Values trust and stability
• Metal: Prefers clarity and precision
• Water: Flexible, deep conversations

Health Management

Vulnerable areas by element:

• Wood: Liver, eyes, nervous system
• Fire: Heart, blood, small intestine
• Earth: Stomach, spleen, muscles
• Metal: Lungs, skin, large intestine
• Water: Kidneys, bladder, ears

Key Terminology

Pattern (格局 Gyeokguk)

Overall structure and quality of the chart:

• Regular Pattern: Balanced chart
• Special Pattern: Unique, imbalanced chart

Useful God (用神 Yongsin)

Key element that balances the chart:

• Supplements lacking elements
• Regulates excessive elements

Favorable God (喜神 Heuisin)

Element that supports the Useful God

Unfavorable God (忌神 Gisin)

Element that harms the chart

Special Stars (神煞 Sinsal)

Specific combinations indicating fortune:

• Auspicious: Noble, Scholar, Virtue stars
• Inauspicious: Travel, White Tiger, Peach Blossom stars

Modern Application

1. Self-Understanding Tool

• Identify personality strengths and weaknesses
• Understand life’s major trends

2. Decision-Making Aid

• Reference for timing important choices
• Explore likely directions

3. Relationship Improvement

• Understand others’ temperaments
• Improve communication styles

4. Personal Development Direction

• Compensate for weaknesses
• Maximize strengths

Important Cautions

Proper Attitude Toward Saju

✅ Good Use:

• Tool for self-reflection
• Exploring possibilities
• Reference for choices

❌ Misuse:

• Blind belief
• Excuse for not trying
• Judging others

Consulting Practitioners

1. Verify credentials: Check for recognized certifications
2. Beware high fees: Avoid unreasonable costs
3. Fortune items: Be cautious of talismans, feng shui items
4. Record sessions: Document consultation content
5. Compare multiple sources: Don’t rely on just one opinion

Recommended Resources

Books

1. “BaZi Essentials” by Joey Yap
2. “The Four Pillars of Destiny” by Lillian Too
3. “Chinese Astrology: Ancient Secrets for Modern Life” by Shelly Wu

Online Resources

• International Feng Shui Association
• Chinese Metaphysics Research
• East Asian Philosophy Academy

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Disclaimer: Four Pillars of Destiny (Saju) is a traditional philosophical system, not scientifically validated. This service is for entertainment and self-reflection purposes. Important life decisions should be based on your own reason and judgment. Ahoxy.com assumes no responsibility for any decisions made based on Saju results.

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