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Feng Shuii & Chinese Astrology:
Inside Chinese Metaphysics
The Stems and Branches
and Four Pillars of Destiny Astrology
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by Barbara Finch |
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This is part 2 of my column on the Four Pillars of Destiny Chinese astrology. In part 1, I explained the basics of the Five Elements theory, and discussed each element. Later I introduced the concept of the Heavenly Stems and the Earthly Branches.
The Stems and Branches
Each increment of time – a year, month, day or two-hour segment of a 24-hour day – is represented by the pairing of two Chinese characters: a Heavenly Stem and an Earthly Branch. In part 1, I listed the 10 Heavenly Stems.
The 12 Earthly Branches
The 12 Earthly Branches are forms of earthly qi that rise up from the ground and are related to the cycles of earthly or seasonal energy. Each branch is linked to an element, a polarity of yin or yang, an animal, a month of the year, a 2-hour time period, and more.
There are two Woods, two Fires, two Metals, two Waters, and four Earths. Each of the Earth branches divides the four seasons because all seasons and elements return to earth before transforming into the next.
Zi is yang Water. It is the middle of winter and late night.
Chou is yin Earth. It has cold qi, but spring is just around the corner.
Yin is yang Wood. It is related to spring, when the frozen earth is warming up and the plants are just beginning to sprout.
Mao is yin Wood. Plants are growing and maturing.
Chen is yang Earth. Summer is approaching. Plants are growing and stretching.
Si is yin Fire. The summer has arrived and the weather is growing hot.
Wu is yang Fire. It is the peak of summer.
Wei is yin Earth. The shift to autumn is beginning.
Shen is yang Metal. Autumn is just beginning and the plants have reached their peak.
You is yin Metal. It is completion, the harvest.
Xu is yang Earth. Autumn is giving way to winter.
Hai is yin Water. Winter has begun.
The Structure of a Four Pillars Chart
The natal Four Pillars chart is composed of four pared sets of stems and branches for the year, month, day and hour of birth (hence the four “pillars”). Here is the structure of a Four Pillars chart:
Each stem and branch is related to you, a member of your family, and/or your career, and much more. For example, the Day Stem (or Day Master) represents you and indicates your level of confidence and self-esteem, and ability to succeed. The Day Branch represents your mate, and so on.
Part of the analysis of a chart is its elemental structure and the Five Element theory I explained in my previous column. Does the chart have a lot of Fire? Wood? The Day Stem or Day Master is the star of the chart, representing you. The other elements of the chart are compared with the Day Master. Are the other stems and branches productive elementally to the Day Master? Or do many of them dominate it?
Then I look at the temperature of the chart and determine what element(s) are needed to bring it into balance. Is it too hot? Too cold? Too dry? Too wet? Wet charts are usually cold (water is related to cold) and often need Fire to help warm and dry them. Then I look for time periods in the person’s life (called Luck Pillars or Annual Pillars, similar to transits in western astrology) that have Fire in them. These will be considered more auspicious periods of time for the person involved.
Below is an example of a very wet chart:
Many teachers emphasize only the elemental makeup of one’s chart according to the Five Element theory I explained in my previous column. While the elemental makeup of the chart is important, a deeper and more practical analysis is done by looking at the Deities in a chart.
The Ten Deities
Each stem and branch has a yin or yang polarity, and this has significant impact on a person’s chart. If we divide the Five Elements with a yin and yang polarity, we have the Ten Deities.
Each deity has a specific personality and set of characteristics. These deities rule particular areas of life and can describe one’s body type, education, artistic talents, skills, ability to work with authority, even how many mates or children one may have.
The characteristics of the deities, their number and position in the chart relative to the Day Master and to each other give us invaluable insight into not only the various paths and cycles in our lives, but also indicate how we can change ourselves, and thus optimize our health, relationships and prosperity.
The deities present in one’s chart can be compared to the costumes and personality an actor takes on in a play. We all have a basic personality based on the deities in our charts. Each deity has its good and bad sides. A person with a lot of Bi Jian or Jie Cai in their chart is highly competitive. This kind of drive can be very helpful for an athlete or a salesperson. However, too much Bi Jian or Jie Cai can make the person argumentative, bullying and unable to get along well with others. Shi Shen in a chart can make a person more interested in food to the point of overweight. It can make the person bossy as well. However, Shi Shen is also very enthusiastic, brave, and the first to come to the aid of a person in need.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Four Pillars Chart
To give you a couple of examples of deities and how they can influence a person, here is a more complete Four Pillars chart for professional basketball player Shaquille O’Neal, with its deities:
As you can see from Shaquille’s chart, he has abundant Qi Sha and Zheng Guan, the “Power” deities. These deities have to do with how one gets or maintains power.
Qi Sha can be illustrated by the police officer or the soldier. It is firm and can be demanding, even brutal, to gain order and power. But it can also be a compassionate deity for the greater good, the hero who puts his/her own life at risk to keep us safe.
I was struck by the Qi Sha in Shaq's chart as he seems so mellow in his interviews, and wondered how it plays out for him. He just did not strike me as the tough police officer or soldier type. With some wonderful synchronicity, just a few days later I saw him on a TV talk show. The interviewer chatted briefly about Shaq's amazing career as a basketball star. Then he asked him, if he weren’t a basketball player, what would he like to do for a living?
Shaq said, "I'd like to be a police officer or a sheriff."
He went on to say that in fact he went to police training and *is* a police officer 2nd class. This means that as long as he is assigned with a senior police officer, he has the full duties and responsibilities of an officer himself. Isn’t it interesting to see how our astrological charts really do reflect us?
Btw, he stands at 7'01" and 303 lbs, so he must make quite an awesome impression on any lawbreaker!
While Qi Sha can be more drastic like the police officer or soldier on the frontlines who may resort to whatever it takes to restore order or gain power, Zheng Guan is more like a judge or the stereotypical government worker. It moves more slowly and methodically, and follows the rules to keep order.
Shaq’s chart indicates he would be a very fair police officer. He is a firm disciplinarian if he needs to be, but also diplomatic and mindful of the laws he must obey to keep order.
This is just a very brief introduction to whet your appetite for further study of Four Pillars of Destiny. There is so much more to Four Pillars, determining what one needs to change in his/her personality for better relationships, choosing a career that enhances the chart, and finding the most auspicious times when one is assured better success. It is a very complex system that requires years of practice and analysis to master. |
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Barbara Finch,
Feng Shui &
Chinese Astrology
Consultant, Writer, Instructor, & Speaker
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Barbara Finch has been fascinated with metaphysics since childhood. Following a vedic astrologer's advice in 1995, she has studied feng shui and other Chinese metaphysics in earnest with Masters Larry Sang and Peter Leung, becoming an instructor for both.
Using both ancient and modern techniques and methods, Barbara has vast experience in residential and commercial feng shui consultations. She also teaches and writes extensively on Chinese Metaphysics.
Barbara is also a professional Chinese astrologer using Zi Wei Dou Shu, a form of Chinese astrology. Additionally, with Master Leung, Barbara has recently written a correspondence course on The Four Pillars of Destiny, another Chinese astrology. This course contains extensive and profound information on Four Pillars, much that has never before been available in the English language.
Barbara has lectured on Chinese astrology for the American Federation of Astrologers and various other groups.
Continually updating and expanding her knowledge of Chinese metaphysics, Barbara is committed to using this ancient wisdom to help those seeking assistance to best harmonize themselves with nature, time and space.
Have a question or comment for Barbara Finch? Contact her:
Email:
barbara@finchshui.com
Website:
http://www.finchshui.com
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