How we calculate your Saju chart

A Saju chart has four pillars: year, month, day, and hour. Each pillar is a pair of characters, one Heavenly Stem and one Earthly Branch. Here is what happens between your birth date and your result.

1. Your birth date becomes a calendar position

If you enter a lunar date, it is first converted to the solar (Gregorian) date. We use an open-source Chinese calendar library for the conversion and for the solar terms.

2. Solar terms set the year and month

Saju does not change the year on January 1 or at Lunar New Year. The year changes at Ipchun, the start of spring around February 4. Months change at the twelve major solar terms, not at the start of each calendar month. This is why people born in January or early February can have a different animal than the one they know.

3. The 60-day cycle gives the day pillar

Days run through a repeating cycle of 60 stem-branch pairs. The pair for your birth day is your Day Pillar (Ilju). Its stem is your Day Master. You can browse all 60 on the Day Pillar page.

4. Birth time adds the hour pillar

If you give a birth time, the day's stem and the time of day determine the hour pillar. If you do not know your birth time, you still get the year, month, and day pillars.

5. The five elements

Each stem and branch belongs to one of five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water, and to Yin or Yang. Elements support (generate) or restrain (control) each other. Compatibility and Today's Fortune use these relationships, along with the traditional branch pairings: six harmony, triple harmony, and clash.

What this method does not do

• It is a simplified, entertainment-oriented reading. We do not do the advanced analysis a professional would, such as strength of the chart, favorable element, or ten-year luck cycles.
• We do not adjust for your birth location or local solar time. Births very close to midnight or to the exact moment of a solar term can differ between tools because conventions vary.
• Interpretations are general descriptions that fit many people. Treat them as a conversation starter.

Still curious? Read the FAQ or get your free reading.

For entertainment purposes only. Not a substitute for professional advice.