Four Pillars of Destiny

For countless generations in China, the Chinese have been drawn to the Four Pillars system for its accurate method of divination and the forecasting of futures. For many, this system is commonly known as the “Eight Characters”, or in Chinese: “八字”. This system has allowed practitioners the ability to analyze many aspects of one's life and how to go about capitalizing one’s cosmic flow when good luck comes about. Based on the destiny blueprint each of us receives by birth, it can be used to reveal options and paths that we can enact upon during good and bad times in life. With this blueprint, we can evaluate where our limits lie, and what we are truly capable of achieving. The Four Pillars of Destiny allows us to understand why we connect with certain people. The types of partnerships that we have with others, be it in business or in personal relationships, can also be explained through this ancient method. This powerful blueprint – formally identified as the Four Pillars “birth chart” – is composed of simple, fundamental building blocks: the year, month, day and hour time values of our first birthday. Why do we want to study and understand our Four Pillars of Destiny chart? There are ten reasons that I'd like to list out, but this list is by no means exhaustive. They include: 1.) knowing one's cosmic life force, 2.) career directions, 3.) knowing one's potential, 4.) avoiding pitfalls and enhancing luck, 5.) capitalizing on good cosmic energy, 6.) enhance one's lifestyle through the use of good cosmic flow, 7.) enhance relationships with others, 8.) establishing business and making proper investments, 9.) avoid failures, 10.) assist others in their life whether it is their health, relationship, career, or finances. However, it is impossible to explore all of these topics within one book due to the amount of information that can be extracted from a birth chart. Interpretations of a Four Pillars chart require testing and the knowledge of key events in one's life to ensure accuracy. For borderline cases (meaning birth charts composed of two or more different elemental flows), it is necessary that a practitioner question their clients about major events during certain luck cycles or years to determine the cosmic flow. Since a Four Pillars chart is never stagnant and is subjected to the changes of the luck cycle and annual energy, an experienced practitioner can narrow down on a few key elements and questions for an exact consultation. At times, even experienced practitioners need to ask questions to ensure the accuracy of their readings. Those questions pertain to the life events and the negative or positive changes. Determining cosmic flow is the most challenging part of a Four Pillars analysis and this is what makes the whole practice exciting and mind stimulating. Aside from the historical data of a person, there are other key factors that play an important role in shaping one's destiny. Even if some people share the same birth date, they may lead different lives. It is essential to look at every aspect that may influence the cosmic energy of one’s life. DNA, siblings and family background, profession, hobby, education, environment, nutrition, mentality, and life choices all play a role in a destiny analysis. Lily Chung, one of my teachers, has provided many key insights into analyzing relationships through cosmic flow and there will be references to some of the examples that she has written in her Chinese book on relationships. There has not been any major texts published in English regarding the subject of relationships and the Four Pillars system – and this has motivated me in providing a compilation in English for practitioners with a limited knowledge of the Chinese language. Traditional methods of the Four Pillars of Destiny, cosmic identity, personal experience and real life examples are the key drivers for this book. The names employed for the case studies in this book have been changed to protect the confidentiality of my clients. With this book, I hope to equip practitioners with the knowledge of how cosmic reality and cosmic flow affect one's relationship. The identification of cosmic flow can help all of us “go with the flow” and live in harmony. Principles of Yin and Yang and the Five Element Theory are crucial to our understanding of flow. The birth charts of the examples provided in this book uses the Lunar Calendar. Years of effort in research and testing by Lily Chung accompanied by my own personal experience and research concluded that the Lunar Calendar provides an accurate interpretation of birth charts. Birth dates lying on the borderline of a changing cosmic flow, identified by the climate divider, between the lunar and solar months require more testing. Therefore, it is important for practitioners of the Four Destiny to have an open mind when interpreting a birth chart. Questioning the person is the best way to determine flow. When referring to relationships, utilizing the Four Pillars can also enable one to seek a suitable business partner. Therefore, if some of you intend to use this book to evaluate business partners, co-workers and colleagues, it can also be possible. To ensure harmony, those who share commonalities in cosmic flow within the workspace tend to benefit more. The possibilities and analysis of a Four Pillars system is practically unlimited. I decided to write a book on the Four Pillars with a narrow focus because of the overwhelming number of encounters I have had with clients and customers involved in relationship struggles. I hope my research can only contribute to the field of study in the Four Pillars system – it is impossible for anyone to claim ownership of such a complex system. The Four Pillars has been tested throughout time collaboratively by many people in different generations. This system of testing and verification on mankind has been practiced by scholars, leading officials who worked for past emperors in China, all the way to local fortune tellers. Many of the analysis and manuscript from the past have been eroded away while others choose to keep the secrets of the Four Pillars to themselves. Since some of the principles and guidelines mentioned in this book are taken from ancient scripts, the translations are not made exactly word for word, but the interpretations and meanings are very close to the original. Some of the interpretations, methods, and analysis presented within this book are taken from books by Chinese writers and classical texts. Classical texts and writers like the celebrated Feng Shui master Lily Chung have contributed extensively to the practice of the Four Pillars of Destiny, and some excerpts from their findings will be presented in this book. I will also present many of my own findings by using real examples. I hope that those who read this book will be able to understand cosmic flow and know how to utilize it in their relationship life. For those who are only interested in the cosmic flow aspect of a Four Pillars chart, this book also provides a fundamental basis of how flow is determined, and the types of characteristics that a person may possess.