How would you describe yourself?

“Tell me about yourself.”

[Skip to: For pictorial images of the 10 Stems (Yin-Yang of the Five elements)]

This is a very typical question that one will hear during interviews. I know I did in a recent interview.

Thinking about it, it is a way for the interviewers to figure out our character, personality and whether we would be a good fit for the company.

What kind of words would you choose to describe your character (something that you have built over the years)?
[Recap: Yin-Yang application. Personalities (outward quality of a person and easily recognisable by others) will be elaborated another day.]

Would you describe yourself as a meticulous person who pays attention to detail, or someone who is quick witted and adaptive?

Are you competitive and highly driven to succeed, or someone who is more steady and stable?

Sometimes, we just know that we possess certain characteristics that are hard to describe. In this article, I like to shed some light about you or your closed ones – based on the Day Master.
(Recap: Four Pillars.)

In the study of Chinese Metaphysics, we categorise a person’s characteristics based on 10 Heavenly stems (or stems) – located at the Day Pillar.

If you do not have your chart yet, you may get it by following the steps below:

Step 1: Log in to https://bazibz.masteryacademy.com/

Step 2: Enter your details.
If you do not know the time of birth, check the “Time of Birth Unknown”.

Step 3: Save the comprehensive datasheet

And Now, you are ready to begin.

For this article, please refer to your (or closed ones’) personal Bazi (八字) chart. We will only be focusing on Box 5 under the Day Pillar here. This box is also known as the Day Master.

Focus point: Box 5 - Labelled "Self/Day Master"

To be specific, the Day Master is one of the “8 characters” in the natal chart, and everyone will have one of the 10 Stems.
[Recap: Heavenly Stems (or stems) and Earthly Branches (or branches).]

These 10 stems will subsequently determine the basic character (built over the years) of the person.

The 10 stems are:
甲 (Jia), 乙 (Yi), 丙 (Bing), 丁 (Ding), 戊 (Wu), 己 (Ji), 庚 (Geng), 辛 (Xin), 壬 (Ren) and 癸 (Gui).

In this article, I will be describing the main characteristics of each stem. Please take note that even if we can only have one particular stem as our Day Master, you might also find yourself resonating with some other stem’s characteristics.

For example, if you have a 甲 (Jia) in your Day Master, you might realise that you possess some 己’s (Ji’s) characteristics. This is because that stem may reside somewhere in your chart (Year, Month, bottom box of the Day and Hour). The extent or dominance of your nature may also vary based on the interactions of the stems/branches in the other pillars.
(Recap: Four Pillars.)

甲 (Jia): Imagery: A Tall Tree towering in the forest.
甲 (Jia): Imagery: A Tall Tree towering in the forest.

Famous people with (Jia) as Day Master:

Richard Branson
George Soros

Positives

You are:

  • Steady
  • Principled
  • Benevolent

Keyword for 甲 in life:

Growth – Keep learning and the knowledge learnt

Negatives

You may also be:

  • Tactless
  • Inflexible
  • Resistant to change

Advice for 甲 in life: 

Be open to suggestions, and follow your instincts

乙 (Yi): Imagery: the Meadows

Famous people with 乙 (Yi) as Day Master:

Oprah Winfrey
Ted Turner

Positives

You are:

  • Flexible
  • Adaptable
  • Quick-thinker

Keyword for 乙 in life:

Connection – sociable

Negatives

You may also be:

  • Possessive and clingy
  • Low self-esteem
  • Emotions cloud your thoughts

Advice for 乙 in life:

Practice your skills and build up your confidence level

丙 (Bing): Imagery: the Sun

Famous people with 丙 (Bing) as Day Master:

Nelson Mandela
Steve Jobs

Positives

You are:

  • Generous
  • Magnanimous
  • Routine-based
Keyword for 丙 in life:
 

Charismatic


Negatives

You may also be:

  • Proud
  • Distant
  • Loner

Advice for 丙 in life:

Share personal thoughts & feelings with loved/closed ones

丁 (Ding): Imagery: the Candlelight

Famous people with 丁 (Ding) as Day Master:

Taylor Swift
Tony Robbins

Positives

You are:

  • Meticulous
  • Good Motivators
  • Inquisitive

Keyword for 丁 in life:

Wise

Negatives

You may also be:

  • Temperamental
  • Fickle-minded
  • Sarcastic

Advice for 丁 in life:

Think/Pause before reacting

戊 (Wu): Imagery: the Mountain (Photo credited to Amir)

Famous people with 戊 (Wu) as Day Master:

Michael Jackson
Victoria Beckham

Positives

You are:

  • Protective
  • Stable
  • Tough

Keyword for 戊 in life:

Security-driven

Negatives

You may also be:

  • Lazy
  • Slow
  • Procrastinator

Advice for 戊 in life:

Work fast

己 (Ji): Imagery: the Yielding Soil

Famous people with 己 (Ji) as Day Master:

Celine Dion
Donald Trump

Positives

You are:

  • Nurturing
  • Creative
  • Sharp-witted

Keyword for 己 in life:

Multi-talented

Negatives

You may also be:

  • Vengeful
  • Slow
  • Secretive

Advice for 己 in life:

Speak up and defend oneself

庚 (Geng): Imagery: the Sword, Axe (Photo credited to Markus Spiske (unsplash.com))

Famous people with 庚 (Geng) as Day Master:

Margaret Thatcher
Arnold Schwarzenegger

Positives

You are:

  • Altruistic
  • Enduring
  • Tough

Keyword for 庚 in life:

In control

Negatives

You may also be:

  • Rigid
  • Gullible
  • Stubborn

Advice for 庚 in life:

First plan, then act

辛 (Xin): Imagery: the Diamond, fine jewellery or small metal

Famous people with 辛 (Xin) as Day Master:

Gordon Ramsay
Lady Gaga

Positives

You are:

  • Smart
  • Witty
  • Competitive

Keyword for 辛 in life:

Recognition

Negatives

You may also be:

  • Vengeful
  • Flashy
  • Egoistic

Advice for 辛 in life:

Fill oneself with better memories

壬 (Ren): Imagery: the powerful waters of the Ocean

Famous people with 壬 (Ren) as Day Master:

Bill Gates
Warren Buffett

Positives

You are:

  • Action-oriented
  • Adventurous
  • Intelligent

Keyword for 壬 in life:

Adventure

Negatives

You may also be:

  • Forceful
  • Emotional
  • Fickle-minded

Advice for 壬 in life:

Stay on track towards your goals

癸 (Gui): Imagery: the Mist, clouds

Famous people with 癸 (Gui) as Day Master:

Jamie Oliver
Stephan King

Positives

You are:

  • Intuitive
  • Spontaneous
  • Good teachers

Keyword for 癸 in life:

Freedom

Negatives

You may also be:

  • Indecisive
  • Has mood-swings
  • Paranoid

Advice for 癸 in life:

Stay focused

Summary:

I have simplified and summarised a person’s main characteristics based on the 10 Heavenly stems (or stems) – located at anyone’s Day Pillar. Whether the person is tilted towards the positive or negative traits, it will depend on the interactions and the strength of elements in the entire chart (for which the explanation(s) of these will be reserved for another time). 

As a 甲 (Jia) person, I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses. In my journey into the Chinese Metaphysics study, I now have a better understanding on how and whom I could seek kind assistance from. For example, I can learn and have a different point of view on situations when I seek help from a knowledgeable 丁 (Ding) Day Master person (a natural motivator). More often than not, a 丁 (Ding) Day Master person points out that “every dark cloud has a silver lining”.

With these knowledge, I truly hope it would be a stepping stone to bring out the best in you too.

Stay tuned for the next article!

Disclaimer:

This article is published on nourishingthelifemap.com, a non-profitable website for anyone seeking inspiration to improve one’s perception towards life.

The information in the page or blog is meant to supplement and not substitute any proper Chinese metaphysics training. Illustrations are provided only as an aid for better understanding of contents. Readers are urged to consult a certified consultant for proper diagnosis of issues they may encounter. To maintain anonymity and confidentiality, any past events, locales and/or conversations would be reconstructed. Any resemblance of any case(s) to a person, living or dead, situation or event (unless otherwise stated) is purely coincidental.

All Bazi Terminologies referenced in the articles are copyrighted materials belonging to, and are used with permission from Joey Yap Research Group Sdn. Bhd.