EDITORIAL DESK · 38 ENTRIES
Eastern Divination
Learn Bazi, Zi Wei Dou Shu, Liuyao, Yin–Yang, Five Phases, stems, branches, calendars, and hexagrams.
Eastern divination is not one system. Bazi, Zi Wei Dou Shu, Liuyao, and related traditions share vocabulary drawn from calendars, Yin–Yang, the Five Phases, stems, branches, and the Book of Changes, but they organize evidence differently.
Start with the shared foundations, then follow the charting and reading rules of one method before comparing schools.
Start here
A reading order for newcomers before moving into glossary and case material.
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Definitions, methods, cases, reading guides, and cross-links filed in this desk.
Questions readers ask
Short answers to common starting-point questions in this desk.
Is Bazi the same as the Chinese zodiac?
No. The zodiac animal uses the birth year, while Bazi converts the year, month, day, and hour into four stem-branch pillars.
How are Bazi, Zi Wei Dou Shu, and Liuyao different?
Bazi and Zi Wei Dou Shu usually begin with birth data and construct different natal frameworks. Liuyao begins with a specific question and a primary and transformed hexagram.
Do all schools use the same rules?
No. Calendar conventions, chart settings, terminology, and interpretive priorities can differ. A careful reading states which rules it follows.