How do I read this?

Chinese system

Four columns, eight characters, and a table that translates them.

1. 1. Begin at the right: year, month, day, hour

   Start at Year beside marker 1, then move left to Month, Day and Hour. Each column is a pillar: two characters derived from part of the birth date or time. This display follows the traditional right-to-left arrangement: Year on the right, then Month, Day and Hour. It moves from the broad year toward the specific hour; the direction is a layout convention.

2. 2. Find the top of the Day column

   At marker 2, the demo’s Day column has 辛, pronounced Xīn, with Yin Metal written beneath it. That top character is called the Day Master. It is the reference point used to compare the other characters. The English element words beneath the characters let you follow along without reading Chinese.

3. 3. Read each pair from top to bottom

   At marker 3, read the Hour column: 壬 is Rén, Yang Water; below it 辰 is Chén, Dragon. The upper character is a stem; the lower one is a branch. Both carry an element association. The Pillars table lists the relationships to the Day Master under Ten God, and the additional elements inside each branch under Hidden stems. These are traditional labels, not literal gods or forecasts. Open “Ten God name meanings” below the table whenever a label is unfamiliar.

4. 4. Use Balance as a starting point

   Open Balance at marker 4 to see counts of the eight visible characters by element. Then try Luck: every cycle shows its characters, pronunciation, English meanings and dates. A larger count is not automatically better, and this is not a personality score. Luck shows the tradition’s named cycles, not guaranteed luck or events. The reading translates the combined pattern into habits and reactions.

You can return to your chart with your browser’s Back button. The reading is there to put the symbols into everyday words.