Saju guide

Korean four-pillars reading, explained in plain English.

Saju (사주) is the Korean tradition of reading a birth date and time as four pillars and eight characters. These articles explain how a chart is put together and what the common terms mean, one topic at a time. They describe a cultural practice, not a science, and nothing here is medical, legal or financial advice.

They are written by the makers of Hongsil, a free saju reading in Korean. If you are new to the subject, start at the top and read down.

All articles

• What Is Saju? Korean Four Pillars, Explained
• How to Read the Year, Month, Day and Hour Pillars
• Your Day Master: The Ten Heavenly Stems in Saju
• The Five Elements in Saju: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water
• The Ten Gods (Sipseong): How the Other Seven Characters Relate to You
• Strong and Weak Charts in Saju (Singang and Sinyak)
• Combinations and Clashes Between Branches in Saju
• Daeun and Seun: Ten-Year and Yearly Luck Cycles in Saju
• Unknown Birth Time, Time Zones, and Why Saju Calculators Disagree
• Gunghap: How Koreans Read Compatibility in Saju
• Dohwa (Peach Blossom): What It Means and What It Does Not
• The Korean Zodiac (Tti) and Why the Year Changes at Ipchun
• Samjae: The Three-Year Caution Koreans Talk About Every New Year
• 2027, the Year of the Fire Goat (Jeongmi)
• Saju and BaZi: Same Roots, Different Habits
• Twelve Questions First-Time Readers Ask About Saju
• How Hongsil Builds a Saju Chart