This article will delve into how to use the Ganzhi formula to convert a Gregorian calendar birthday into traditional birth characters. Before starting, we need to master some basic knowledge of Ganzhi, including the ten heavenly stems, twelve earthly branches, and their corresponding numbers, as well as the relationship between month and time. With this basic knowledge, we can more accurately convert birthdays into Ganzhi characters and further understand the years with "Ji" (己) as the heavenly stem.
Basic Knowledge of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches
Before performing the conversion of birth characters, it is essential to memorize the following basic knowledge. The ten heavenly stems are assigned numbers as follows: Jia 1, Yi 2, Bing 3, Ding 4, Wu 5, Ji 6, Geng 7, Xin 8, Ren 9, Gui 10 or 0. The twelve earthly branches are assigned numbers as follows: Zi 1, Chou 2, Yin 3, Mao 4, Chen 5, Si 6, Wu 7, Wei 8, Shen 9, You 10, Xu 11, Hai 12 or 0. In addition, it is necessary to understand the twelve months and the twelve time periods. The rule for leap years is that there is a leap year every four years, except for century years, which are not leap years unless they are divisible by 400. This means that a year is a leap year if it is divisible by 4, but century years must be divisible by 400 to be considered leap years. The calculation of correction values is also very important, as it involves the conversion of heavenly stems and earthly branches for different months.
Formula for Converting Gregorian Calendar Dates to Birth Characters
After mastering the basic knowledge, we can use the following formula to convert a Gregorian calendar date into birth characters. For example, taking February 20, 2000 at 23:15 as an example, we can calculate the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year, the heavenly stem and month, the day's stem and branch, and the hour's stem and branch. Through these calculations, we determine that the four pillars of this date are: Geng Chen, Wu Yin, Ji You, and Jia Zi. These formulas also apply to other dates, simply by calculating based on the specific year, month, day, and hour.
Special Cases in Calculating Birth Characters
When calculating birth characters, there may be special cases such as leap years, single and double months, night midnight hours, and morning midnight hours. This article provides several special cases, including the calculation of birth characters for January 23, 1998 at 00:45, October 30, 1996 at 11:45, and January 1, 2004 at 00:00. Through these examples, we can better understand how to apply the formula in special situations.
Notes and Additional Formulas
When converting Gregorian calendar dates into birth characters, it is important to note that all remainder calculations must be done manually with pen and paper, and not using a calculator. Additionally, due to differences among schools of thought, the additional formulas for night midnight hours and morning midnight hours vary. These additional formulas can help us perform more accurate conversions of birth characters. However, due to the uncertainty of the month's season and the conversion from solar calendar to lunar calendar, it is recommended to refer to the almanac when dealing with dates around the transition of the month's season.
This article details how to convert a Gregorian calendar birthday into birth characters, including the basic knowledge of heavenly stems and earthly branches, the conversion formula, and methods for handling special cases. Through this, we can more accurately understand the years with "Ji" (己) as the heavenly stem and master the techniques for calculating birth characters. It is hoped that this article will help those in need to deeply understand and apply the knowledge of birth characters.
