Understanding "Year Pillar Death & Emptiness" in Bazi Charts
In Chinese metaphysics, "Death & Emptiness" (空亡) occurs when the Heavenly Stem (天干) does not pair with an Earthly Branch (地支), leaving two remaining characters called Death & Emptiness. What does it mean when the Year Pillar (年柱) in the Bazi encounters Death & Emptiness? Is it a good or bad omen? Let’s explore the concept further.
1. Year Pillar Death & Emptiness (年柱空亡):
The Year Pillar represents the ancestral palace (祖宫) or the parents' palace (父母宫). When it encounters Death & Emptiness, it indicates that the person's life will involve hard work and self-reliance without much benefit from family or ancestors. The Year Pillar governs a person’s fate before age 16, implying that the person's early life will not be smooth, and ancestors or parents will leave struggles and difficulties.
2. How to Identify Year Pillar Death & Emptiness:
Death & Emptiness is determined based on the Day Pillar (日柱). If the Earthly Branch of the Year Pillar encounters Death & Emptiness, this is considered a Year Pillar Death & Emptiness. If it occurs in the Month Pillar (月柱), it is called Month Pillar Death & Emptiness, and the same logic applies to the other pillars.
3. The Two Conditions for Death & Emptiness:
There are two critical conditions for Death & Emptiness:
The stem-branch cycle (干支系统循环)
The difference in the number of stems and branches
The mismatch between the ten Heavenly Stems and the twelve Earthly Branches results in Empty Arrangement (排空). Death & Emptiness refers to a gap or emptiness caused by such a cycle. For instance, in the Year Cycle, Jia Zi (甲子) encounters Kong Wang at the Xu Hai (戌亥) branches. Similarly, this pattern repeats in the Month, Day, and Hour Cycles, where Jia Zi faces Kong Wang at Xu Hai.
This is why you may sometimes hear the term "Mutual Exchange of Death & Emptiness (互换空亡)," referring to the interplay between these cycles. Destiny is not solely determined by a single cycle but by the combined effects of the four cycles: the year, month, day, and hour cycles, which form a complete picture of one’s fate.
Is Death & Emptiness Good or Bad in a Bazi Chart?
When there is Death & Emptiness in a person’s Bazi (八字) chart, the outcome depends on whether the affected element belongs to a favourable element (喜用神) or an unfavourable element (忌神):
- If the element corresponding to Death & Emptiness is favourable, then Death & Emptiness is generally considered inauspicious.
- However, if the affected element is unfavourable, then Death & Emptiness can be beneficial. Thus, Death & Emptiness cannot be judged universally good or bad—it depends on the individual’s Bazi chart.
In summary, the effects of Year Pillar Death & Emptiness are mixed, with challenges often associated with early life, especially regarding support from family. However, the specific impact of Death & Emptiness should always be analysed in the context of an individual’s entire Bazi chart.
Comments