Lesson 2: The Concept Of Fate: Four Pillars Analysis
This lesson will introduce the concept of fate that permeates Chinese astrology, and will illustrate the fundamental idea of stems and branches. We will construct and analyze a 4 Pillars chart using our text, and we will examine it by life cycles.
Stems and Branches in Chinese Astrology
In the last lesson, we learned that days were counted off by the 10 days of an ancient Chinese week (Stems), and by another week of 12 days (Branches). These repeat in a continuous cycle - which gives sixty different pairings. The Branches are simply the animal names - which we are already familiar with. The stems are the elements - and even and odd numbers are Yin and Yang respectively. For instance, stem 1 is Yang wood and stem 2 is Yin Wood and so forth. A stem and a branch applies for each year, month, day and hour - all are significant to the Chinese astrologer. The stem markings are ancient, and were the first ever time markers to be used by the Chinese as inscribed on Oracle bones (on which they conveniently inscribed the date as well!)
These Stems and Branches are compared to the Stem and Branch of the current hour, day, month, year and decade to determine a person's most likely "fate". Chinese astrology is used to examine this fate, and Feng Shui plus adherence to religious beliefs such as Buddhism and Taoism is used to alleviate or avoid the predicted negative aspects of fate.
The Chinese believe that every positive thing has the seeds of a potential negative and vice versa - so this is not a fatalistic view of the future in total. A fortune teller also has the task of telling the individual what changes can be made to improve upon one's fate. For example, if your 4 Pillars chart (made up of the Stems and Branches for the hour, day, month, and year of your birth) show a lack of an element such as Earth, you are advised to add this element in your clothing and your surroundings.
To calculate your 4 Pillars or 4 Columns of Fate - first read pages 20-25 in the Book of Interpretations in your Chinese Astrology Kit. Next, use the charts in The Charts section and use your puzzle pieces to construct your full chart. As a check and balance, use this link http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/CF... and put in your birth information. Note - this site uses the color that represents the element instead of the element name, i.e., a Black Tiger is a water tiger and a Red Horse is a fire horse.
These 4 Pillars were often used by the Chinese to determine compatible marriages, and business partnerships.
Cycles of Time in the Chinese Calendar
As there are 60 combinations of Stems and Branches, the ancient Chinese counted life cycles in terms of 60 year or Sexagenery combinations. Reigns of emperors and even ages were counted in terms of these cycles. The current cycle we are in now began in 1984, and will finish in 2044.
Three of these cycles make up a Great Cycle of 180 years - with each 60 year period being referred to as an Era. The Eras or yuan are again subdivided into three periods of 20 years each, or yun. These periods are numbered 1-9 throughout the 60 year cycle. We have begun period 8 in February of 2004 - meaning that the ruling star has changed.
Luck is calculated through each cycle by calculating the stem and branch of each period, and also by looking at where the ruling star falls in ones Zei Wei Dou Shu chart and home (to be discussed at length in future lessons).
