History of Chinese Astrology

Introduction

Chinese astrology is one of the oldest continuously practiced divination systems in the world, with a documented history spanning over 3,000 years. Unlike Western astrology, which centers on the positions of celestial bodies along the ecliptic, Chinese astrology is rooted in cyclical time — the rhythmic interplay of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the Five Elements, and the cosmic dance of Yin and Yang.

What we now call Bazi (八字) — the Four Pillars of Destiny — is the culmination of millennia of observation, philosophical development, and refinement by scholars and masters across every major Chinese dynasty. Its story is inseparable from the story of Chinese civilization itself.

Ancient Origins: The Shang Dynasty (1600 - 1046 BCE)

The earliest roots of Chinese astrology can be traced to the Shang Dynasty, where diviners carved questions into oracle bones (甲骨 — jiagu) — typically the shoulder blades of oxen or the plastrons of turtle shells. These bones were heated until they cracked, and the patterns were interpreted as messages from the spirit world.

It was during this period that the Heavenly Stems (天干) and Earthly Branches (地支) system was first developed. The ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches were used to mark days in a 60-day cycle — the same sexagenary (60-unit) cycle that would later become the backbone of Bazi calculation.

Han Dynasty Development (206 BCE - 220 CE)

The Han Dynasty was a golden age of intellectual synthesis. It was during this period that the Five Elements theory (五行 — Wuxing) was formalized and integrated into astrological practice. The five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water — were understood not as physical substances but as phases of transformation, each with its own character and relational dynamics.

Han scholars wove together the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, Five Elements, Yin-Yang philosophy, and the I Ching (易经) into a coherent cosmological framework. The Chinese calendar system was refined, and the first proto-Bazi calculations emerged — early attempts to use a person's birth data to analyze destiny.

Tang Dynasty Golden Age (618 - 907 CE)

The Tang Dynasty marks the birth of Bazi as a formalized discipline. The pivotal figure of this era was Li Xuzhong (李虚中), a scholar-official widely regarded as the "Father of Bazi." Li developed a systematic method for analyzing a person's destiny based on three pillars: the Year, Month, and Day of birth.

Under Li Xuzhong's three-pillar system, practitioners could derive six characters from a person's birth data and use them to assess personality, fortune, and life trajectory. His work elevated destiny analysis from folk divination to a respected intellectual pursuit, and it quickly found its way into the imperial court.

During the Tang Dynasty, astrology became an important tool for imperial governance. Court astrologers advised emperors on auspicious dates for ceremonies, military campaigns, and administrative decisions. The cultural prestige of the Tang court helped spread astrological knowledge throughout East Asia.

Song Dynasty Refinement (960 - 1279 CE)

The Song Dynasty brought the most transformative advancement in Bazi history: the addition of the Hour Pillar. The master responsible was Xu Ziping (徐子平), whose innovation expanded the system from six characters to the eight we use today — completing the 八字 (Eight Characters) framework.

Xu Ziping also shifted the primary reference point from the Year Pillar to the Day Pillar, establishing the Day Master (日主) as the core of identity. This was a revolutionary change: rather than defining people primarily by their birth year (as the zodiac system does), the Ziping method recognized the Day Stem as the truest representation of the individual.

The Song Dynasty was also a period of great printing and publishing activity. Bazi texts were widely distributed for the first time, moving the practice from exclusive court circles into the hands of scholars and educated practitioners throughout China.

Ming & Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1912)

The Ming and Qing Dynasties saw Bazi mature into a deeply sophisticated and socially embedded practice. Techniques were further refined, with practitioners developing ever more nuanced methods for reading the interactions between elements, analyzing luck cycles, and interpreting special combinations.

During this period, Bazi became thoroughly integrated with other Chinese metaphysical systems, particularly Feng Shui (风水). Practitioners would use a person's Bazi chart to determine the most auspicious placement of homes, graves, and buildings. The two systems became complementary facets of a unified approach to harmonizing human life with cosmic energy.

Major texts published during this era — including Sanming Tonghui (三命通会) by Wan Minying and Qianli Mingdao — compiled and organized centuries of accumulated knowledge, creating comprehensive reference works that practitioners still consult today.

Modern Revival

The 20th century brought turbulent times for Chinese astrology. The fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912 and the rise of modernization movements led many intellectuals to dismiss traditional practices as superstition. The most devastating blow came during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), when Bazi and other metaphysical traditions were actively suppressed in mainland China.

Yet the tradition survived. Practitioners who fled to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia continued practicing, teaching, and publishing. These diaspora communities became the custodians of Bazi knowledge during its most perilous period.