The ten core element types (day masters)
A BaZi (八字) chart has four pillars — the year, month, day and hour of birth — and each pillar is a heavenly stem over an earthly branch. The stem of the day pillar is your core element — what BaZi books call the day master. There are ten stems: each of the five elements in a Yang and a Yin version.
The ten heavenly stems as personality types
| Stem | Type | Archetype |
|---|---|---|
| 甲 Jia | Yang WoodYang · Wood | Great TreeGrows straight up and never swerves |
| 乙 Yi | Yin WoodYin · Wood | VineFinds a way in any conditions |
| 丙 Bing | Yang FireYang · Fire | SunShines on everyone alike |
| 丁 Ding | Yin FireYin · Fire | Candle FlameSmall, but hard to put out |
| 戊 Wu | Yang EarthYang · Earth | MountainDoes not move with the wind |
| 己 Ji | Yin EarthYin · Earth | Garden SoilWhatever is planted grows |
| 庚 Geng | Yang MetalYang · Metal | Raw MetalNot yet polished |
| 辛 Xin | Yin MetalYin · Metal | JewelCut and polished |
| 壬 Ren | Yang WaterYang · Water | Great WaterCarries everything along |
| 癸 Gui | Yin WaterYin · Water | Morning DewSeeps into every crevice |
How the five elements relate
The five elements relate to each other in two fixed cycles, and BaZi reads a chart through both.
- Generating cycle — each element feeds the next: Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood.
- Controlling cycle — each element restrains the one after it: Wood → Earth → Water → Fire → Metal → Wood.
So your core element always has five kinds of neighbour: the same element, one it feeds, one that feeds it, one it restrains and one that restrains it. That is why a BaZi chart is read as a balance of all five elements, not as a single sign.
| Element | Feeds | Fed by | Restrains | Restrained by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Fire | Water | Earth | Metal |
| Fire | Earth | Wood | Metal | Water |
| Earth | Metal | Fire | Water | Wood |
| Metal | Water | Earth | Wood | Fire |
| Water | Wood | Metal | Fire | Earth |
Which one are you?
Your type depends on the day you were born. Enter your birth date to see your four pillars, your core element and your five-element balance for free.
Only know the date? Find your day master from your birth date
Comparing two people? How the free compatibility score works
A personality and strengths framework for self-reflection and entertainment, not a prediction of future events.