The Ten Day Masters in BaZi
Find all ten Heavenly Stems, their elements and Yin or Yang polarity, and see why the Day Master is the starting point for reading a chart.
BaziCalculator.netWhat is a Day Master?
A Day Master is the Heavenly Stem of your day pillar. Each of the Five Elements has a Yin form and a Yang form, making ten possible Day Masters. In a 庚辰 day pillar, for example, 庚 (Gēng) is Yang Metal and 辰 (Chén) is the Earthly Branch.
Use the stem at the top of the highlighted day column. A zodiac animal comes from an Earthly Branch, so it describes a different part of the chart.
The ten stems, elements, and polarities
The images below are traditional memory aids. They illustrate how Yin and Yang are expressed within an element. The rest of a chart provides the context for any interpretation.
| Heavenly Stem | Element & polarity | Traditional image |
|---|---|---|
| 甲Jiǎ | Yang Wood | A tall tree |
| 乙Yǐ | Yin Wood | A climbing vine |
| 丙Bǐng | Yang Fire | The sun |
| 丁Dīng | Yin Fire | A lamp flame |
| 戊Wù | Yang Earth | A mountain |
| 己Jǐ | Yin Earth | Cultivated soil |
| Gēng | Yang Metal | A metal blade |
| Xīn | Yin Metal | Fine jewelry |
| 壬Rén | Yang Water | A broad river |
| 癸Guǐ | Yin Water | Rain and dew |
Why the Day Master matters
The Day Master is the reference for the Ten Gods. For a Yang Metal Day Master, another 庚 is Peer (比肩) and 辛, Yin Metal, is Rob Wealth (劫财). With a different Day Master, the same stem can have a different Ten Gods label.
When discussing the Day Master’s strength in traditional BaZi, readers consider the month branch, supporting stems, and their relationships. The count of a single element is one part of that reading.
Find your own Day Master
Enter your date and local birth time in the calculator, then find the Day Master shown beside the chart. Births close to midnight or 23:00 can fall on different BaZi days depending on the day-boundary setting. When true solar time is enabled, the boundary is applied to the adjusted time.