How to read your saju Four Pillars
A saju chart looks like a small grid of eight characters, and at first it can feel like a code. It is easier than it looks. This guide explains the parts in the order you can read them: the four pillars, what each pillar is traditionally linked to, how stems and branches differ, and where to begin. Saju is a cultural tradition and a lens for reflection, not a science, so treat each reading as a tendency to try on.
Four pillars, eight characters
The chart has four pillars, built from your year, month, day and hour of birth, in that order. Each pillar has two characters: a Heavenly Stem on top and an Earthly Branch below. That makes eight characters in all, which is why saju is also called palja, “eight characters”.
If you do not know your birth hour, you still have three full pillars. That is enough for a good first reading.
What each pillar is traditionally linked to
Tradition connects each pillar with an area of life. The year pillar is linked to your roots and early surroundings, and the month pillar to your upbringing and working life. The day pillar is the heart of the chart and stands for you and, through its branch, your closest relationships. The hour pillar is linked to later life and what you are growing toward.
These are traditional associations, not rules. Use them as questions: what in my early surroundings still shapes me?
Stems and branches
There are ten Heavenly Stems, each belonging to one of the Five Elements in either a yang or yin form. There are twelve Earthly Branches, which are linked to the twelve animals of the zodiac and to the seasons and hours. In a very rough sense, stems describe what shows on the surface and branches what is rooted underneath.
You do not need to memorize any of them. Names like Oak, Vine, Sun and Dew are just easier ways to remember the ten stems.
Start with the Day Master
The stem of your day pillar is your Day Master, the character that represents you. It is the best place to start, because everything else in the chart is read in relation to it: which elements feed you, which shape you, and which you tend to give out.
Read your Day Master's description first. Then look at your strongest and weakest elements and ask how they match your daily experience. The point is not to be told who you are, but to notice what fits.
Where the calculation can differ
Different calculators can give slightly different charts. The month pillar follows the solar terms, not the calendar month, and the year pillar changes at the start of spring, around early February. Birth city and local solar time can also move a chart by an hour.
If a chart seems off, check the birth date, time and city you entered first.
One thing to try
Run your birth date through a calculator, read only your Day Master's description, and underline one sentence that sounds like you. Come back to the rest of the chart later.