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A key part to understanding bazi (八字) is to know about nature and seasonal energies. An important technical aspect of bazi is to determine if the Day Master is in season. In other words, it simply refers to the analysis of whether a particular season (e.g. spring) supports the Day Master. This understanding of season and Jie Qi （节气）or seasonal energies is one of the fundamentals to understanding bazi.
The Chinese calendar is made of 24 Jie Qi (6 in each season totalling 24) and there are many good explanations online. In ancient China, these seasonal changes denote the changing weather conditions which not only impact the corps in the farms, but has an impact on festivals, health and culture. For instance, during Summer, the 6 Jie Qi in chronological order are: 立夏，小满，芒种，夏至，小署，大署. During 芒种, it is time to sow the grains while during 小署, it is time to drink more fluids as it marks the beginning of the hottest period of the year.
Having a preliminary understanding of the seasonal energies brings us to the following chart which shows the state of the five elements in each season. For example, what happens during spring? This is when the snow starts to thaw and nature starts growing again. Therefore, wood is the strongest (prosperous-旺). Wood helps fire to burn and therefore fire is strong（相). Water is going into storage and therefore water is at a state of rest（休). If wood is the strongest, the element that wood both counters wood and countered by it (metal and earth respectively) are weak (trapped or dead 困、死） as a natural consequence.
This is the basic understanding of the following chart. For application purposes, if your Day Master is Metal (either Yang/Yin Metal-庚辛) and you are born during the spring season (Feb-April thereabouts), you are regarded as not born in season (不得令). There are two other criteria to determine the strength of a natal (birth) chart but that is beyond the scope of this article.
The next section is a little more technical even for new practitioners and enthusiasts as it is not often talked about with minimum information written for the English speaking audiences. To be honest, it is a little theoretical and conceptual. This examines the role of the sub divisions of the qi/energies within each month in each season. We will focus on the earth months （辰戌丑未）as they are the commonly referred to as the graveyards and represent the transitional stages of each season. They contain both the storage and graveyard of the outgoing and incoming qi and hence contain a mixture of energies. Please see summary in the appended diagram.
In both the Chen (辰) and Chou (丑) months, while the dominant qi (energy) and elemental phases consistently centre on Earth (土), in traditional destiny analysis, greater emphasis is often placed on the concept of “mixed qi” and the flow of elemental energies. During Chen Month, it also contains hidden influences of Wood (most prosperous in season) and also Water (graveyard). During Chou Month, it is considered the “Metal graveyard” month. It similarly contains hidden Water (most prosperous) and Metal (graveyard). That said, the Chen and Chou are still regarded as the earth months despite earth being trapped in Chou and the earth starting to gain strength during Chen months. It is not specifically highlighted during subdivision analysis, it is because attention is placed on the dynamic flow of mixed qi and the strengthening or weakening of other elements.
What about Xu and Wei? The summer and autumn months are when fire is relatively stronger (hotter). Fire produces earth. Therefore during both months, there is the additional influences of fire and metal for Xu (due to autumn). Since earth is being strengthened as a result, the resultant qi/energy during this two months will have earth qi besides their other influencing energies. In the same vein, when earth is strong, fire will be present. The bazi classic《滴天髓》has this to say, ：“土旺之月，火余为势。” (“In months when Earth is strong, the residual Fire gives it momentum.”)
In gist, the four Storage Months — Chen, Chou, Xu (戌), and Wei (未) — exhibit particularly complex qi transitions. Subdivision analysis tends to focus on the progression (“advancing qi”) and decline (“retreating qi”) of specific elemental energies. When analysing by subdivisions, the emphasis is typically on how the Five Elements interact and shift in strength. Phrases such as “Water qi dominates early Chou month, Earth and Metal qi rise later” describe these transitions. This focus on change does not imply that Earth is absent; rather, it highlights the primary energetic movements at different times when despite being considered as “earth” months, the strength of the earth differs. This results in different strength manifestations of seasonal energies as exemplified by the earlier chart.
What is the practical usage of this? Firstly, understanding the strength of the elements helps to determine whether a transformation will successfully take place. A “lure” needs to be present in the stems and the season needs to support the transformation. Elements may combine and yet not transform (合化). Secondly it helps us to determine whether a particular chart has strengths and roots during a natal chart analysis. This becomes important especially when considering the strength of the Day Master during the earth months. For instance, a wood Day Master person born during the summer earth month of Wei cannot simply be regarded as a weak Day Master just because wood is in dormant/resting state during summer as Wei （未）month contain Fire, Earth and Wood energies as shown.
Sounds complicated? It is. That is why these is seldom explained in English for English speaking audiences and is the finer details for understanding seasonal energies. It originates from foundational concepts in ancient Chinese philosophy, medicine, and destiny studies (命理). At its heart lies the understanding of the flow, waxing and waning, and cyclical transformation of the Five Elements’ energies. These ideas are reflected to varying degrees across classical texts on Bazi (Eight Characters) destiny analysis. Examples of classical texts that mention this include: 黄帝内经 (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), where there are extensive discussions on the movement, distribution, and transformation of the Five Elements’ qi within Heaven, Earth, and the Four Seasons (known as “qi dynamics” or qiji). Concepts such as “The six qi revolve to form the four seasons; the Five Elements transform to give birth to all things” highlight the dynamic circulation and staged progression of qi, laying the groundwork for later theories of subdivision.
In bazi classic texts like 三命通会, 滴天髓, there are passages that talked about the waxing and waning of the Five Elements, the flow of qi, and the hidden qi within the Earthly Branches. Phrases such as “qi advances and retreats” and “qi is mixed or pure” further illustrate the theory of qi subdivisions.
The third and practical application is that an understanding of this seasonal energies is also key to deriving one of the three Useful Gods （用神）, the regulator （调候). One of the greatest myths by some modern masters is that there is no necessity to balance the natal chart and hence no necessity for the Useful God. This is flawed at best and deviates from an understanding of how TCM works. We will explain more in another article.
In any case, the regulator is one of the three possible Useful Gods for any natal chart. As the name implies, it regulates the ” temperature”. When something is too hot, we try to cool it down and vice versa. Autumn (metal) is dry due to the decrease in humidity (air holding less moisture) and hence leading to a overall drier environment. Hence, it is required to “moisturise” the chart using spring (wood)elements. Why is spring wet? This is because of increased humidity with increased moisture in the air due to warmer temperatures. As snow thaws and temperature rises, warm air rises leading to more clouds, precipitation and consequently, higher rainfall. This understanding of nature is part of the fundamentals in understanding bazi and is similar to the concept of balancing our health in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).
“One of the greatest myths by some modern masters is that there is no necessity to balance the natal chart and hence no necessity for the Useful God.”
GOOD FENGSHUI CONSULTANCY ASIA
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