Bazi guide
What Is Bazi? A Beginner's Guide to the Four Pillars
A practical introduction to year, month, day, and hour pillars for readers new to Chinese metaphysics.
Chinese metaphysics, explained in English
Mingli Atlas
A reference to Bazi, the Chinese zodiac, and the I Ching: what the terms mean, where they come from, and how to read your own chart.
Build a free Four Pillars chart, find your Day Master, compare Chinese zodiac signs, or cast the I Ching with clear English guidance and no sign-up.
Where Eastern Wisdom Meets Modern Logic
Free tools
- Birth chartCalculate a Bazi chartGenerate Four Pillars, Day Master, hidden stems, Ten Gods, and element balance.
- ReflectionAsk the I ChingCast a six-line hexagram with changing lines and a relating hexagram.
- CompatibilityCompare zodiac signsCheck harmony pairs, triads, clashes, strengths, and watchouts.
Mingli meaning
Mingli means life-pattern principles.
Mingli, also searched as Ming Li, is the Chinese term 命理. It describes the principles used to read timing, temperament, and recurring life patterns through Bazi, Ziwei Doushu, the Chinese zodiac calendar, and related classical systems.
- 命Ming
- life, fate, timing, and the conditions a chart describes.
- 理Li
- principle, pattern, structure, and the logic used to read those conditions.
- 命理Mingli
- the study of life patterns through systems such as Bazi, Ziwei Doushu, and the zodiac calendar.
Start with a question
Useful answers, before the jargon.
Choose a practical entry point and learn only the vocabulary you need next.
Search the atlas- Free Bazi calculatorGenerate Four Pillars, Day Master, Ten Gods, hidden stems, and Five Element balance.
- Five Elements explainedLearn how Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water support, control, and transform one another.
- Chinese zodiac years listFind the 12 animal signs, year boundaries, elements, and the 2026 Fire Horse context.
- Year of the DragonCheck Dragon years, personality, compatibility, Five Element types, and 2026 guidance.
- Chinese zodiac compatibility chartCompare harmony pairs, triads, and clash pairs across all 12 animal signs.
The knowledge map
Six traditions, one clear starting point.
Each system answers a different kind of question. Explore the one that fits yours.
Bazi
Four Pillars, Day Master, Ten Gods, elements, and life-pattern timing.
Explore BaziZiwei Doushu
Palaces, major stars, transformations, and chart-based life areas.
Explore Ziwei DoushuI Ching
Hexagrams, changing lines, trigrams, and structured reflection.
Explore I ChingFeng Shui
Qi flow, front doors, bedrooms, desks, and practical space reading.
Explore Feng ShuiChinese Zodiac
Twelve signs, yearly cycles, harmony, and clashes.
Explore Chinese ZodiacFree Tools
Bazi calculator, I Ching oracle, and zodiac compatibility workflows.
Explore Free ToolsBazi guide
Bazi Day Master Is the Day Stem: Meaning & Sources
Learn how the Day Master is read through season, strength, Ten Gods, and useful elements.
Zodiac guide
Chinese Zodiac Compatibility Chart
A complete compatibility chart with triads, harmony pairs, and clash pairs for all 12 animal signs.
Bazi calculator
Turn a birth date into a readable chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions
What does Mingli mean?
Mingli, often written Ming Li, is 命理 in Chinese. Ming means life, fate, or timing; li means principle or pattern. In practice, mingli refers to Chinese life-pattern analysis systems such as Bazi, Ziwei Doushu, and zodiac calendar reading.
What should I start with if I am new to Chinese metaphysics?
Start with the beginner guide for yin-yang, Five Elements, and zodiac basics. If you want something personalized quickly, the Bazi calculator is the clearest first tool because it turns a birth date into a concrete chart structure.
What is the difference between Bazi, I Ching, and Chinese Zodiac?
Bazi is a birth-chart system based on year, month, day, and hour pillars. I Ching is a question-based reflection system built around hexagrams and changing lines. Chinese Zodiac is the 12-animal cycle and works best as cultural context rather than a full chart-reading substitute.
Can I use the free tools without knowing any Chinese terms?
Yes. The site explains core terms like Day Master, Ten Gods, trigrams, and harmony pairs in plain English and links deeper guides from the tool results so you can learn only the terms relevant to your question.