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Four Pillars of destiny - Bazi
An introduction to Chinese astrology
by Jayashree Bose

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It is said that if one believes in the self then nothing can deter that person. Even a street vendor can become a multi-billionaire. "Sure" a Chinese would say but before that let me see if his destiny permits him to be multi-billionaire or not. The Chinese believe in the self, but more than that they believe in destiny.

In Chinese metaphysics it is believed that everything is predetermined at the time of birth of a person. There are two systems of astrology; Four Pillars of Destiny or Bazi and Purple Star astrology or Zi Wei Do Shu. Bazi literally means eight words or characters. Bazi is an ancient Chinese metaphysical technique for analyzing a person's fortune based on the birth data. It is quite different from Western astrology.

Four Pillars is calculated in conjunction with the 10,000 year Hsia calendar that follows a sexagesimal cycle of heavenly stems and earthly branches. There are ten heavenly stems (cosmic influence) represented by the different polarities (Yin Yang) of the elements. There are twelve earthly branches (earthly influence) comprising the Chinese zodiac viz. tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, rat and ox. The sexagesimal cycle constitutes of pairing a heavenly stem with an earthly branch. The Chinese applied this cycle to count the months, days and even hours. The 10,000 year Hsia calendar, uses this sexagesimal cycle which states the elemental influence at any given point of time.

A person's birth data is transformed into Four Pillars viz. year, month, day and hour. Each pillar formed by a pair of heavenly stem and earthly branch. Four Pillars is a technique to calculate and interpret the influence of the five elements viz. water, wood, fire, earth and metal; in a person's natal chart. Understanding the interaction between the five elements we can learn about the person's fortune and life. Four Pillars is further used to find the missing element or the element that will restore balance and harmony in the person's natal chart.

It is undoubtedly a unique system that not only predicts the future but also provides an insight into the human psyche. Four pillars can be used to know the ups and downs in your future, marriage prospects, career prospects, health, individual personality and potential.

Can destiny be altered? The pre-determined part of destiny cannot be changed but there is a probable or variable part for which a person is himself responsible. The freedom of choice does exist, the freedom to take any decisions and bear full responsibility for that. Four pillars of destiny helps you to understand your weaknesses and strengths, as well as others. A person can then make decisions which are in tune with their natal chart.

For e.g. you know that in 2003 there is a possibility of money loss due to contractual problems. In this case, what would you do? Refuse to sign any documents till 2003 is over or be careful and double check all documents before signing. One would choose the second option. This is how "Four pillars of destiny" helps you to be prepared for the good and the bad.

Another example: your natal chart shows that you have the potential to be earning a lot of money during 2003. What would your next step be? Wait for a bagful of money to appear miraculously on your front porch or to expand your business. Again the latter option is a logical choice.

Four pillars informs you of your drawbacks and potentials, of hidden dangers and obstacles; a person equipped with this knowledge has a better chance of making the most of what destiny has in store for him. This knowledge allows you to maximize the positive attributes and minimize the negative.

In short, Four pillars of destiny is a technique that is used to decode the elemental effect of our lives based on the time of the birth. This is further used to understand the attributes of the person, the good and bad fortune cycles of the natal chart. One can make decisions based on this information to enhance their luck.

 
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Consultant 'n' writer - Jayashree Bose
A few years ago, Jayashree Bose was intrigued by Chinese metaphysics and she decided to follow her heart.

To know more about Jayashree Bose's journey Click here.....


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