Today
Today in the Chinese almanac
Every day has its pillar, a stem over a branch, in a cycle of sixty that never stops. Here's today's, with the lunar date, the BaZi month and year and the next solar term. With your chart saved, you also see how the day sits with you.
How to read the day's pillar
The day's pillar is two characters: a heavenly stem on top and an earthly branch below, each with its element. The sixty pairs follow one another a day at a time, always in the same order, so the same pillar comes back every sixty days.
In BaZi the day is read from your Day Master, the stem of your own day pillar. What today's stem and branch are to it are two of the ten roles: the day's themes. The score (More aligned, Mixed or More demanding) is the app's model; the colored labels are the traditional reading.
The twelve day officers
The Chinese almanac gives each day one of twelve officers, the same for everyone, by the month. Each officer says what the day is good for in the tradition, and Find a day uses them to choose dates.
- Establish
- A day to start with strength: tradition uses it to launch plans and meetings, not for moves or digging.
- Remove
- A day to clear what's extra: good for cleaning, tidying, settling debts and starting fresh.
- Full
- A full day: it favors celebrating, buying and storing; tradition avoids medical procedures and lawsuits on it.
- Balance
- An even day: good for repairs, upkeep and routine tasks; not the one for big launches.
- Stable
- A steady day: it favors agreements, commitments and anything meant to last.
- Initiate
- A day to take hold firmly: good for signing, hiring and getting things going; tradition avoids moving or long trips.
- Destruction
- The day of breaking, the one that clashes with the month: tradition keeps it for tearing down or ending, never for starting anything important.
- Danger
- A day of risk: tradition asks you not to take chances or start big things; it suits checking and securing.
- Success
- A day of achievement: one of the best for starting, marrying, opening a business or signing.
- Receive
- A day of gathering in: good for collecting, buying and closing cycles; less so for starting.
- Open
- A day of opening: it favors launches, openings, trips and starting studies or jobs.
- Close
- A day of closing: tradition uses it to store, finish and rest, not to open or start.
The day's guardian
Besides its officer, every day has one of twelve guardians, the same for everyone. Six are bright days, the ones tradition prefers for starting things; the other six are shadow days, which don't forbid anything but aren't the ones people pick for a start. The hours have the same guardians.
- Azure Dragon
- The Azure Dragon is the luckiest guardian: tradition picks it to start almost anything, celebrate or share good news.
- Bright Hall
- The Bright Hall favors meeting important people, asking something of a boss or presenting your work.
- Heavenly Punishment
- The Heavenly Punishment asks you to avoid disputes and arguments; it's not the hour to complain or sign under pressure.
- Vermilion Bird
- The Vermilion Bird brings too many words: gossip, misunderstandings or arguments. Mind what you say and write.
- Golden Coffer
- The Golden Coffer favors money, agreements and family gatherings; a good hour to save and to bring people together.
- Heavenly Virtue
- The Heavenly Virtue is a generous hour: good for helping, asking favors and making peace.
- White Tiger
- The White Tiger asks for caution: better not to start anything risky or decide while tempers run hot.
- Jade Hall
- The Jade Hall favors study, looking after the home and anything to do with paperwork and learning.
- Heavenly Prison
- The Heavenly Prison brings snags: things tend to stay stuck. Better for resting than for starting.
- Black Tortoise
- The Black Tortoise asks you to watch for anything unclear: look after your things and be wary of rushed deals.
- Life Keeper
- The Life Keeper favors everyday matters; tradition holds it better by day than by night.
- Hooked Array
- The Hooked Array brings tangles and delays; better not to commit to anything new in this hour.