The monthly pillar is an essential part of traditional Chinese fortune-telling, involving the calculation of the four pillars (year, month, day, and hour). This article will provide a detailed introduction to the method of calculating the monthly pillar, including the fixed nature of the monthly branch, the method for deducing the monthly stem, and the application of the "Five Tigers' Monthly Formula." Through specific examples, we will gain a deeper understanding of the techniques of monthly pillar calculation and provide beginners with a systematic understanding.

Fixed Nature of the Monthly Branch

The monthly branch in the monthly pillar remains fixed. According to the lunar calendar, the branches correspond to the months: the branch "Yin" corresponds to the first month, "Mao" to the second, "Chen" to the third, and so on, until "Chou" corresponds to the twelfth month. This correspondence is the foundation of the calculation and must be memorized.

Method for Deducting the Monthly Stem

Different from the monthly branch, the monthly stem is not fixed but is derived based on the year stem. The "Five Tigers' Monthly Formula" is an important tool for deducing the monthly stem. It details the starting point of the monthly stem for different years. For example, "“In the years of Jia and Ji, Bing Yin comes first”" means that in Jia or Ji years, the monthly stem of the first month is Bing.

Application of the "Five Tigers' Monthly Formula"

Using the "Five Tigers' Monthly Formula," we can easily calculate the monthly stem from the year stem. For example, if someone was born on the 12th day of the third month in the lunar calendar of 1965, which is the Yi Si year, according to the formula "“In the years of Yi and Geng, Wu Yin comes first”," we know that the first month is Wu Yin, and the third month is Geng Chen. Therefore, Geng Chen is the person's monthly pillar.

Relationship Between the Year Pillar and the Monthly Pillar

In the calculation process, the relationship between the year pillar and the monthly pillar is also very important. For example, if someone was born on the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month in 1968, but the Spring Equinox occurred on the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month in 1968, then although the person was born in the Wu Shen year, since it has already passed the Spring Equinox, the year pillar should be calculated as the Ji You year of 1969. According to the formula "“In the years of Jia and Ji, Bing comes first”," the person's monthly pillar is Bing Yin.

This article provides a detailed introduction to the methods of calculating the monthly pillar, including the fixed nature of the monthly branch, the method for deducing the monthly stem, and the application of the "Five Tigers' Monthly Formula." Through specific examples, we have gained a deep understanding of the techniques of monthly pillar calculation and provided beginners with a systematic understanding. Mastering this knowledge allows for more accurate four-pillar calculations, thereby better understanding and applying traditional Chinese fortune-telling.