Fields in a Bazi Chart (八字命盤欄位)
Use a clear field-by-field guide to pillars, stems, branches, hidden stems, Ten Gods, phase strength, relations, void, life stages, and luck-cycle data.
Overview
A useful Bazi chart separates source inputs, four calculated pillars, deterministic derivatives, interpretive labels, and timing layers. Core rows commonly include stems, branches, hidden stems, Ten Gods, phases, roots, interactions, void or life-stage references, and Luck Pillars. A field should disclose how it was derived and whether it is a fact, convention, or interpretation.
At a glance
- Input fields
- Birth date, time, place, time zone, and calculation options
- Primary output
- Four stem-branch pillars
- Deterministic derivatives
- Hidden stems, Ten Gods, relations, cycles, and lookup markers
- Interpretive derivatives
- Strength, patterns, useful roles, and narrative
- Timing fields
- Luck Pillars and annual or shorter cycles
- Required quality
- Every field has a rule, layer, and uncertainty status
Inputs and conventions belong at the top
A chart should retain the recorded birth time, birthplace or time zone, civil-time correction, and declared solar-term and day-boundary rules.
Without those fields, another reader cannot reproduce boundary-sensitive pillars or understand why two calculators differ.
- Preserve raw and normalized inputs.
- Show calculation options that can change a pillar.
Core rows distinguish visible and hidden data
The four visible stems and branches are primary calculated output. Hidden stems, phase, polarity, and Ten Gods are derived from controlled tables and relationships.
Position and source matter: a hidden Ten God should not be displayed as though it were an exposed Heavenly Stem.
- Label visible versus hidden symbols.
- Keep each derivative tied to its pillar.
Interpretive fields need evidence and method labels
Strength, pattern, useful-god, and climate assessments depend on multiple facts and may differ across schools.
A high-quality chart shows the supporting evidence, method version, counterevidence, and confidence instead of presenting a bare verdict.
- Separate deterministic and interpretive fields.
- Expose method-specific uncertainty.
Timing rows must not overwrite natal rows
Luck Pillars and annual influences are dated overlays. They can be compared with the natal chart while retaining their own start and end periods.
Unknown birth time, boundary proximity, or historical time-zone ambiguity should propagate only to dependent fields and remain visible.
- Label natal and timing layers clearly.
- Do not hide input uncertainty.
Sources and editorial basis
- Hong Kong Observatory: Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches干支與六十甲子資料：命盤原始干支欄位的正規實體An official modern reference for the canonical stem and branch orders, the sexagenary cycle, and calendrical use.
- 《三命通會》 (Sanming Tonghui)《三命通會》藏干、十神與歲運諸論：派生層來自可追蹤規則A historical compilation covering stems and branches, Ten Gods, Nayin, Shen Sha, and multiple classical pattern systems.
- OpenFate Editorial Methodology命盤欄位頁標示輸入、計算、映射、判斷與時間層的來源OpenFate separates deterministic chart calculation, traditional interpretation, and modern editorial explanation.