Since the introduction of the internet, people are now more connected than ever before. In the past, a letter may take weeks or months to reach another person in another country. Today, it only require mere seconds. In the past, Chinese Metaphysics is a “recluse” learning subject but with advancement of internet and technology, it is now becoming more accessible to the public. People are able to converse, discuss and “spar” online on any subject and in this particular instance destiny reading / Bazi subject.
Of interest of today’s article is a Bazi chart below that has appeared under different pseudo names in different forums for at least the last 18 months.
From what can be gathered through the communications on the forums, the owner of this chart is a student of a World renown Chinese Metaphysics teacher / grand master. Since completing the course, it appears to me he is still attempting to seek guidance to determine if his chart is a special chart. In addition to that, historical forum threads indicated he has been attempting to understand why his career, marriage and wealth prospects are average. Despite various analysis by forum experts, I don’t believe to date that anyone have answered the owner’s questions to his satisfaction and his quest continues. I can relate to his frustration as Bazi study can be a frustrating exercise but yet satisfying when you able to get it right.
Rather than providing a technical analysis on this chart, perhaps let’s take snippets of the chart owner’s concern and re look the chart from a different angle. Hopefully, this may shed some light to the owner’s plight and quest.
According to some contemporary Bazi schools, for a person to be successful and wealthy, the person’s chart must have Output (Hurting Officer 伤官 or Eating god 食神) to create Wealth. For starter, this chart satisfies both conditions. It has abundance of Output and Wealth elements. It also has Friends element that may be beneficial to the chart owner as according to the said schools since this chart is a Weak day master because he is born in Winter season. Weak Day master will require Friends/Parallel element to assist.
The other consideration is there is a possibility this chart may fall into “special chart” formation due to abundance of Output element in the chart. If it qualifies as a “special chart”, then having Strong Output is considered auspicious.
If this chart satisfies the above conditions, why is the person’s overall life/luck is average?
Compounding the fact that in the last couple of luck pillars, the chart owner have Friends/Rob Wealth 比肩/劫财 as well as Direct / Indirect wealth 正财/偏财 during those luck cycles. Why then he is not achieving the potential that he strives to be?
USEFUL GOD OR “YONG SHEN”
Now lets examine this from a traditional Bazi point of view. According to traditional Bazi ,if a person’s natal chart contain Useful God (Yong Shen), then that person will definitely have some sort of achievement in life.
Are we able pinpoint the “Yong Shen” in this chart? Or does it have a Noble Element/ Yong Shen in the first place?
Perhaps this is just a normal chart after all & not a special chart?
CAREER
According to the forum threads, the chart owner’s career is pretty average which may be surprising to some.
From a modern contemporary Bazi reading point of view, the chart owner’s career pillar is XIN CHOU 辛丑, which falls under the Month Pillar. This mean the chart owner should have a fruitful career and wealth achievement. How come the owner is not progressing much in his career/wealth arena? [ Xin is the Wealth Element while Chou is the Output ]
MARRIAGE & GIRLFRIEND
Despite having Wealth elements in the Bazi chart, the chart owner wealth making ability is meagre or average. In Bazi, the wealth element is also the Spouse element in the theory of 10 Gods 十神. In contemporary Bazi studies, the true spouse is the Direct Wealth 正财 and Indirect Wealth 偏财 is the girlfriend.
According to the forum threads and from what I can understand on the surface, it appears the chart owner even have difficulty seeking a suitable girlfriend!.
A learned Bazi practitioner will be quick to point out that there is a Clash in the spouse palace and this may contribute to the lack of marriage affinity. There are, however a lot of people whom have Clashes at the spouse palace but yet still able to get married and stay married. In most cases, the clash may signal other occurrences.
Maybe we can analyse the person’s marriage/girlfriend element from another theoretical point of view. Let’s perhaps look at the persons inept characteristic/personality. For example, Is this person an outgoing sociable person or an introvert? Is this person being a sentimental or temperamental person?
The other theoretical point of view we can undertake is to look again at the Wealth element itself? Is this wealth element useful /noble to the chart owner and vice versa?
Perhaps we should explore the term we mentioned earlier in this article, then notion of finding the Useful God/ Yong Shen?
CONCLUSION
The answer to his chart is obvious, that the Yong Shen (用神) is missing from the Natal chart. As such, it explains his lack of satisfaction towards his life’s quest.
As earlier mentioned, Bazi study and analysis can be a frustrating exercise. It is not a matter of counting the number of elements in a chart. It is also not a matter of finding the element that is abundance that we can use in the chart nor counting the number of wealth element to be successful or wealthy. Bazi reading is a by product of Chinese civilization where the cultural believes and philosophies influenced the development of the system. If we failed to understand this basic enacts of the philosophy, then Bazi reading is frustrating.
In contrast, if you able to explore the subject from this Chinese philosophical influence, it can mean salvation in your Bazi study pursuit. As my teacher instructor always says in class, make sure you able to catch the right Yong Shen (用神).
CONTRIBUTED BY YY LAU – a BaZi enthusiast
Bazi Consult 
The useful elements are 甲，and 庚…….correct?