Glossary

Bazi Sizhu

Bazi Sizhu

Bazi (八字), que significa “oito carateres” e é também conhecido como Sizhu (四柱), “quatro pilares”, é um sistema da tradição divinatória chinesa que analisa as condições cósmicas do nascimento de uma pessoa (ou entidade).

Essa análise tem como base o princípio yin/yang e o conceito dos cinco “elementos” chineses (ou cinco fases, wuxing 五行).

Os oito carateres ou quatro pilares definem o momento do nascimento com base no antigo calendário solar chinês.

O Bazi analisa o tipo de equilíbrio ou desequilíbrio existente entre os cinco “elementos”, desse modo avaliando o estado do cosmos nesse momento preciso.

Esta análise permite prognosticar, em termos probabilísticos – ainda de acordo com a tradição chinesa – o que virá a ser a vida da pessoa em causa, seja em termos das predisposições comportamentais seja, mesmo, quanto às cicunstâncias que ela tende a encontrar nas diferentes fases da sua vida.

A interpretação da carta Bazi do nascimento é feita segundo determinados critérios e regras, a que fazemos referência em diferentes entradas deste GLOSSÁRIO.

Saiba também o que é uma carta Bazi, e quais são os elementos que a compõem.

The Equilibrium Principle

Total equilibrium, or balance, would be impossible in the Universe, as it would mean stopping time and total stagnation. Nothing would happen! Things happen because there is change, which in its turn, always implies some kind of imbalance. Therefore the whole comes mobilized incessantly, seeking its lost balance.

The Bazi Chart represents the state of the Cosmos at the exact moment a person “is born,” that is, begins their existence as an independent entity. This “state of the Cosmos” condenses the pontential relative to what will constitute the life story of this new being.

Since imbalance is natural and inevitable, the Chinese, in their traditional philosophy, do not see it as something negative. It is neither intrinsically bad nor intrinsically good.

As show in the Bazi charts of celebrities presented on this website, a certain degree of “imbalance” is always necessary for a person to desire or be forced to have a more demanding lifestyle, one that diverges from a “normal” life. However, for this to be translated into so-called success, it is desirable for the person to encounter a degree of opportunity or “luck” throughout their life, in this canse the”imbalance” of their birth chart is compensated for creatively.

In the set of Chinese traditions, of which Bazi is a part, the question of “predicting” the future is addressed in a dynamic, flexible, and pragmatic way.

There is no static “future” that can be predicted because it is always being altered, notably by the action of Humans, in the exercise of their free will.

Alternatively, there is advice on the best path to follow, which is more in line with natural rhythms.

Learn more about the so-called Luck Pillars of your life.

The Five Chinese “Elements” (or Five Phases)

The Yin Yang polarity is dynamic by nature and evolves continuously and cyclically.

Time does not stop. When the Yin principle becomes clearly dominant, it automatically triggers the opposite principle, and Yang reacts, growing in response to the dominance of Yin.

Let’s apply this paradigm to the annual cycle of the four seasons according to the ancient Chinese solar calendar. Around December 20, during the moment known as the Winter Solstice (in the northern hemisphere), the Yin principle is at its maximum expression. It corresponds to the shui phase (水, “Water”) of the cycle of the five “elements” (or five phases). It also corresponds to the peak of one of the four cosmic seasons of the year, in this case, dongtian 冬天, usually translated as “winter”, although it does not match completely to what is understood as “winter” in the Western world. In this shui phase, the Yin principle is clearly dominant, but it is not alone.

Although it is true that in the first 45 days until the Winter Solstice, the Yin principle still grows, one also has to understand that in the exact moment of the solstice (although the Yin principle continues to be dominant), is when the Yang begins to grow.

So that, from around February 4, the cycle enters a new phase, which includes 45 days until the Spring Equinox (which occurs around March 21, in the northern hemisphere) and the 45 days that follow the equinox, forming, in their entirety, the phase known as mu 木, as well as the season chuntian (春天, “spring”). And the cycle continues through its five phases, which are closely linked to the four seasons of the year.

This same paradigm can be applied to the daily cycle of the 24 hours of each day, corresponding to the 12 Chinese hours.

The Yin Yang Principle

The Yin Yang principle (阴阳) is a fundamental concept in traditional Chinese cosmology and continues to hold a central place in all Chinese divinatory practices today.

By observing nature and its cyclical phenomena, ancient Chinese philosophers detected the presence of a dynamic polarity observable in everything that exists or happens, ultimately allowing an understanding of all these phenomena. Shadow/Light, Night/Day, Cold/Heat, Centripetal/Centrifugal, Potential/Actual, etc., are but expressions of this same principle.

However, reality is much more complex than that, and thus the dynamics between the Yin and Yang poles give rise to the concept of the five Chinese “elements” (or five phases). This concept helps explain everything that exists or happens in the cosmos and in nature in far more detail.