Chinese Horoscopes

1. The Core Principle: Four Pillars in Time

Just as a person's birth chart has four pillars (year, month, day, hour), a daily or weekly horoscope is based on the four pillars of the present moment.

• Year Pillar (Current Year): Long-term influence. Example: 2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake. This sets the overall context for everyone.
• Month Pillar (Current Month): Seasonal and monthly influences, intermediate-term factors.
• Day Pillar (Current Day): The most crucial pillar for daily horoscope — each day has a unique Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch.
• Hour Pillar (Current Hour): Divides the day into 12 two-hour segments, each with an animal sign, for precise timing.

2. The Interaction and Conflict Algorithm

The "magic" of the daily horoscope lies in how the current day's pillars (the "daily luck" chart) interact with your personal birth chart. The algorithm analyzes relationships based on these rules:

• Clash (Chong 沖): Conflict, challenges, sudden change. Example: Horse clashes with Rat → possible arguments, unexpected travel.
• Combination (He 合): Harmonious influence. Example: Dragon combines with Rooster → cooperation and good fortune.
• Harm (Hai 害): Subtle negative effects like hidden problems, betrayals, or misunderstandings. Example: Rooster harms Dog.
• Penalty (Xing 刑): Indicates self-inflicted harm or legal troubles due to one’s actions.

3. The Five Elements and Yin/Yang

The daily or weekly horoscope also considers the interaction of the five elements with your personal chart:

• Creative Cycle: If the day’s element strengthens your chart, it’s a good day. Example: Metal day benefits Water charts (career/resources).
• Destructive Cycle: If the day’s element clashes with your chart, it can bring challenges. Example: Fire day may stress strong Metal charts.
• Yin/Yang Balance: Excess Yin or Yang energy can lead to imbalance and uncontrolled energy.

Summary

In essence, the algorithm for a Chinese daily or weekly horoscope overlays your birth chart with the moving charts of the current day and week. It analyzes the web of stems and branches, providing a simple, actionable summary of predicted influences.