The 60 Day Pillars
The most personal two characters in your chart.
Every day carries one of sixty stem-branch pairs, cycling forever — Jia Zi to Gui Hai and back again. The pair on your birth day is your day pillar: your Day Master standing on the ground it was born on. This is the directory of all sixty.
Why the day pillar matters most
BaZi casts four pillars — year, month, day, hour — but they're not equal. The year pillar is generational weather (it's where your zodiac animal lives); the month sets the season; the hour adds precision. The day pillar is you: its heavenly stem is your Day Master, the element every other character in the chart is read against, and its earthly branch is the classical spouse palace — the ground your closest relationships stand on.
And here's what a ten-animal zodiac column can never tell you: the same Day Master reads differently on each of its six possible branches. Jia — the tall tree — rooted in Zi's water is not Jia braced on Yin's wood, and neither is Jia standing in Wu's fire. Sixty combinations, sixty genuinely different standings. That's the resolution this directory is built at.
Find your day pillar
You can't look it up from your birth year — the cycle turns daily, so it takes a real calendar computation (and near midnight, a true solar time correction most calculators skip). Cast your chart free — your day pillar is the center column of the result.
All sixty, by Day Master
In-depth guides are rolling out — six are live now (linked below), the rest are on the way. Every entry is computable in your own chart right now.
Jia (甲) — Yang Wood, the tall tree
| Pillar | Branch | Na Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Jia Zi 甲子 | Zi (子) — Water, Rat | Gold in the Sea (海中金) |
| Jia Xu 甲戌 | Xu (戌) — Earth, Dog | Mountain-Top Fire (山头火) |
| Jia Shen 甲申 | Shen (申) — Metal, Monkey | Spring Water (泉中水) |
| Jia Wu 甲午 | Wu (午) — Fire, Horse | Gold in the Sand (砂中金) |
| Jia Chen 甲辰 | Chen (辰) — Earth, Dragon | Lamp Fire (覆灯火) |
| Jia Yin 甲寅 | Yin (寅) — Wood, Tiger | Great Stream Water (大溪水) |
Yi (乙) — Yin Wood, the climbing vine
| Pillar | Branch | Na Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Yi Chou 乙丑 | Chou (丑) — Earth, Ox | Gold in the Sea (海中金) |
| Yi Hai 乙亥 | Hai (亥) — Water, Pig | Mountain-Top Fire (山头火) |
| Yi You 乙酉 | You (酉) — Metal, Rooster | Spring Water (泉中水) |
| Yi Wei 乙未 | Wei (未) — Earth, Goat | Gold in the Sand (砂中金) |
| Yi Si 乙巳 | Si (巳) — Fire, Snake | Lamp Fire (覆灯火) |
| Yi Mao 乙卯 | Mao (卯) — Wood, Rabbit | Great Stream Water (大溪水) |
Bing (丙) — Yang Fire, the sun
| Pillar | Branch | Na Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Bing Yin 丙寅 | Yin (寅) — Wood, Tiger | Furnace Fire (炉中火) |
| Bing Zi 丙子 | Zi (子) — Water, Rat | Ravine Water (涧下水) |
| Bing Xu 丙戌 | Xu (戌) — Earth, Dog | Rooftop Earth (屋上土) |
| Bing Shen 丙申 | Shen (申) — Metal, Monkey | Fire at the Mountain's Foot (山下火) |
| Bing Wu 丙午 | Wu (午) — Fire, Horse | Water of the Heavenly River (天河水) |
| Bing Chen 丙辰 | Chen (辰) — Earth, Dragon | Sand Earth (沙中土) |
Ding (丁) — Yin Fire, the lantern flame
| Pillar | Branch | Na Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Ding Mao 丁卯 | Mao (卯) — Wood, Rabbit | Furnace Fire (炉中火) |
| Ding Chou 丁丑 | Chou (丑) — Earth, Ox | Ravine Water (涧下水) |
| Ding Hai 丁亥 | Hai (亥) — Water, Pig | Rooftop Earth (屋上土) |
| Ding You 丁酉 | You (酉) — Metal, Rooster | Fire at the Mountain's Foot (山下火) |
| Ding Wei 丁未 | Wei (未) — Earth, Goat | Water of the Heavenly River (天河水) |
| Ding Si 丁巳 | Si (巳) — Fire, Snake | Sand Earth (沙中土) |
Wu (戊) — Yang Earth, the mountain
| Pillar | Branch | Na Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Wu Chen 戊辰 | Chen (辰) — Earth, Dragon | Great Forest Wood (大林木) |
| Wu Yin 戊寅 | Yin (寅) — Wood, Tiger | City-Wall Earth (城头土) |
| Wu Zi 戊子 | Zi (子) — Water, Rat | Thunderbolt Fire (霹雳火) |
| Wu Xu 戊戌 | Xu (戌) — Earth, Dog | Plainland Wood (平地木) |
| Wu Shen 戊申 | Shen (申) — Metal, Monkey | Post-Road Earth (大驿土) |
| Wu Wu 戊午 | Wu (午) — Fire, Horse | Fire in the Sky (天上火) |
Ji (己) — Yin Earth, the garden soil
| Pillar | Branch | Na Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Ji Si 己巳 | Si (巳) — Fire, Snake | Great Forest Wood (大林木) |
| Ji Mao 己卯 | Mao (卯) — Wood, Rabbit | City-Wall Earth (城头土) |
| Ji Chou 己丑 | Chou (丑) — Earth, Ox | Thunderbolt Fire (霹雳火) |
| Ji Hai 己亥 | Hai (亥) — Water, Pig | Plainland Wood (平地木) |
| Ji You 己酉 | You (酉) — Metal, Rooster | Post-Road Earth (大驿土) |
| Ji Wei 己未 | Wei (未) — Earth, Goat | Fire in the Sky (天上火) |
Geng (庚) — Yang Metal, raw steel
| Pillar | Branch | Na Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Geng Wu 庚午 | Wu (午) — Fire, Horse | Roadside Earth (路旁土) |
| Geng Chen 庚辰 | Chen (辰) — Earth, Dragon | White Wax Metal (白蜡金) |
| Geng Yin 庚寅 | Yin (寅) — Wood, Tiger | Pine and Cypress Wood (松柏木) |
| Geng Zi 庚子 | Zi (子) — Water, Rat | Earth on the Wall (壁上土) |
| Geng Xu 庚戌 | Xu (戌) — Earth, Dog | Hairpin Metal (钗钏金) |
| Geng Shen 庚申 | Shen (申) — Metal, Monkey | Pomegranate Wood (石榴木) |
Xin (辛) — Yin Metal, the fine blade
| Pillar | Branch | Na Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Xin Wei 辛未 | Wei (未) — Earth, Goat | Roadside Earth (路旁土) |
| Xin Si 辛巳 | Si (巳) — Fire, Snake | White Wax Metal (白蜡金) |
| Xin Mao 辛卯 | Mao (卯) — Wood, Rabbit | Pine and Cypress Wood (松柏木) |
| Xin Chou 辛丑 | Chou (丑) — Earth, Ox | Earth on the Wall (壁上土) |
| Xin Hai 辛亥 | Hai (亥) — Water, Pig | Hairpin Metal (钗钏金) |
| Xin You 辛酉 | You (酉) — Metal, Rooster | Pomegranate Wood (石榴木) |
Ren (壬) — Yang Water, the open river
| Pillar | Branch | Na Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Ren Shen 壬申 | Shen (申) — Metal, Monkey | Sword-Edge Metal (剑锋金) |
| Ren Wu 壬午 | Wu (午) — Fire, Horse | Willow Wood (杨柳木) |
| Ren Chen 壬辰 | Chen (辰) — Earth, Dragon | Long-Flowing Water (长流水) |
| Ren Yin 壬寅 | Yin (寅) — Wood, Tiger | Gold-Foil Metal (金箔金) |
| Ren Zi 壬子 | Zi (子) — Water, Rat | Mulberry Wood (桑柘木) |
| Ren Xu 壬戌 | Xu (戌) — Earth, Dog | Great Sea Water (大海水) |
Gui (癸) — Yin Water, the morning mist
| Pillar | Branch | Na Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Gui You 癸酉 | You (酉) — Metal, Rooster | Sword-Edge Metal (剑锋金) |
| Gui Wei 癸未 | Wei (未) — Earth, Goat | Willow Wood (杨柳木) |
| Gui Si 癸巳 | Si (巳) — Fire, Snake | Long-Flowing Water (长流水) |
| Gui Mao 癸卯 | Mao (卯) — Wood, Rabbit | Gold-Foil Metal (金箔金) |
| Gui Chou 癸丑 | Chou (丑) — Earth, Ox | Mulberry Wood (桑柘木) |
| Gui Hai 癸亥 | Hai (亥) — Water, Pig | Great Sea Water (大海水) |
2026 has a day-pillar face too
The same sixty pairs also name the years — 2026 is a Bing Wu (丙午)year, the Fire Horse, the cycle's purest fire pillar. (For BaZi timing, the Bing Wu year begins at Li Chun in early February 2026 — not January 1.) If Bing Wu is your daypillar, 2026 is your pillar's year in the spotlight. Either way, the annual pillar interacts with your day pillar all year — that's the mechanic behind "good years" and "hard years." Read the full Fire Horse 2026 guide or check your sign's 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is a day pillar in BaZi?
Each day in the Chinese calendar carries one of 60 stem-branch pairs, cycling continuously. The pair on your birth day is your day pillar — its stem is your Day Master (the element that represents you), and its branch is traditionally read as the 'spouse palace,' coloring your closest relationships. It's the single most personal pillar of the four.
How do I find out which day pillar I am?
You can't tell from your birth year or zodiac sign — the 60 pillars cycle by day, so it takes a calendar computation. Cast your chart with the free calculator: it converts your birth date (and time, if known) to the exact pillars in about ten seconds.
Is my day pillar the same as my zodiac animal?
No — that's the most common mix-up. Your zodiac animal comes from your birth year's branch. Your day pillar comes from your birth day, and its branch animal is usually different. Someone born in a Rat year can perfectly well be a Jia Wu — Wood Horse — day.
Does my birth time change my day pillar?
It can, right at the day boundary. BaZi days traditionally turn at midnight — but the midnight that matters is true solar midnight at your birthplace, which can differ from clock midnight by an hour or more. If you were born late at night, an exact calculation matters; it's the difference between two entirely different Day Masters.
What is Na Yin (纳音)?
An older layer of the system that assigns each pair of pillars a poetic sound-image — 'Gold in the Sea,' 'Thunderbolt Fire,' 'Water of the Heavenly River.' Modern BaZi leans on stems, branches, and ten gods for analysis, but the Na Yin names carry real interpretive flavor and a thousand years of usage.
Which of the sixty are you?
Cast your BaZi chart free — your day pillar, Day Master, five elements, and current luck cycle, computed from your exact birth moment. No sign-up, about ten seconds.
Cast your chart — freeLuckPillar readings are for reflection and entertainment. They're not a substitute for professional medical, legal, or financial advice.