How to read a Saju chart: a worked Four Pillars example
Find the Day Master, count the eight visible characters, and distinguish Five Elements totals from hidden stems using a public sample chart.
Seoul Saju · 2026-10-27
Locate the day stem first
This sample uses 壬戌, 丁未, 癸亥 and 癸亥 for the year, month, day and hour pillars. The table displays hour, day, month and year, so read the labels before comparing positions. The top character in the day column is 癸, associated with Yin Water: the sample's Day Master. This chart was prepared to illustrate the service and is not a real user's record.
Count visible characters separately from hidden stems
The sample's eight visible characters contain five Water, two Earth and one Fire; Wood and Metal have zero visible characters. That does not mean Wood is absent from every part of the chart: the hidden stems of 亥 include 甲, associated with Wood. A visible-character count and a distribution that includes hidden stems describe different scopes. Element counts alone do not establish chart strength, a useful element or the quality of a person's future.
Check the limits before interpreting
This example does not publish a complete birth date, so it cannot verify a particular age, current ten-year cycle or date for a career change. Check the inputs first, then the pillars and finally the interpretation. The full sample shows how chart observations can become questions for reflection. A personal reading calculates a separate chart from the birth information you enter.
Cet exemple est fourni à titre illustratif. Votre rapport personnel est généré à partir de votre propre thème et reflète vos piliers spécifiques.
| Heure | Jour | Mois | Année | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tronc | 癸 | 癸 | 丁 | 壬 |
| Branche | 亥 | 亥 | 未 | 戌 |
| Troncs cachés | 壬甲 | 壬甲 | 己乙丁 | 戊辛丁 |
Calculate my chart and read the free overview
The table is an educational example. A personal reading uses your own birth details; in-depth reports are optional purchases.