You’ve probably heard of astrology – most people know what their zodiac sign is, after all. But did you know that there’s Chinese astrology as well, and it plays an important role in our lives?
The Four Pillars of Destiny is a system of Chinese solar astrology, which has been used in China for around 1000 years. Unlike western astrology, which is a lunar system and based on the placement of ten planets in the twelve zodiac signs and twelve houses, Chinese astrology, or Tzu Ping, is based on the order of the universe.
It uses the Chinese system of the five elements – fire, earth, metal, water and wood – and twelve animal signs to ascertain a person’s general characteristics, energy dynamics, and favourable elements.
You’ve probably heard of astrology – most people know what their zodiac sign is, after all. But did you know that there’s Chinese astrology as well, and it plays an important role in our lives?
The Four Pillars of Destiny is a system of Chinese solar astrology, which has been used in China for around 1000 years. Unlike western astrology, which is a lunar system and based on the placement of ten planets in the twelve zodiac signs and twelve houses, Chinese astrology, or Tzu Ping, is based on the order of the universe.
It uses the Chinese system of the five elements – fire, earth, metal, water and wood – and twelve animal signs to ascertain a person’s general characteristics, energy dynamics, and favourable elements.
Janene Laird from Shen Chi-Feng Shui is an expert.
"The Four Pillars of Destiny is becoming more popular today because we are able to use it to gain an even greater understanding of how energies can affect not only our feng shui, but also our health and psychology. By using the Chinese calendar we are able to construct a person’s four pillars horoscope, or birth chart. This is a configuration of eight characters. These are the heavenly stems and these are the earthly branches, and altogether there’s ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches. And our four pillars chart represents the energies that were present during the year, month, day and hour of our birth.
"Altogether, in Chinese astrology, we utilise the ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches, and use them to help us determine a person’s qualities, relationships, career potential and health risks. The four pillars are based on the five elements, so when we look at a person’s chart we’re really not so much concerned about whether they were born in the Year of the Monkey or the Year of the Tiger, we’re more concerned with what element does that animal represent. For example, the monkey is a metal element, the goat is an earth, the tiger’s a wood, and the rooster’s a metal. So we’re concerned with the element and how that interacts with that person personally.
"In addition to a four pillars birth chart, a person’s luck pillars can also be ascertained. These list out the cycles that we encounter over our lifetime; what themes or aspects will dominate and whether they will be challenging or favourable for us. Armed with this information we can then manage our energy more effectively and determine if they are periods of growth and prosperity, or times where we should consolidate and proceed with care and caution.
"We can also use the energy dynamics of our four pillars birth chart in conjunction with the Chinese Almanac, or Tung Shu, to help us select auspicious dates for important events, such as opening a business, signing a contract, buying a house, travelling or getting married."
It may sound a little complicated but a good Chinese astrology practitioner will take the necessary information from you and do all the hard work.
So why are the four pillars so important to a person’s feng shui? They ascertain a person’s favourable elements and, by knowing these, colour, decor and furnishings can be selected to strengthen a person and really enhance the balance and harmony in their living space.
The four pillars are also important for a person’s health. As they are based on the five elements and considered to be one of the eight limbs of traditional Chinese medicine, they can ascertain strengths and weaknesses to do with your health. Once these have been ascertained, the most appropriate diet, exercise and treatment for you can be prescribed.
If you are interested in knowing more about yourself and ways to keep yourself healthier and happier, why not visit a Chinese astrology practitioner? You’ll gain valuable insights into your life that you can carry with you forever.
