“When superiors esteem trust and employ the lower ranks with sincerity, they will exhaust their emotions without any doubts and never fail to be victorious in battle.”
Enamoured by the glamour and glitz of the present social media marketing trend, many of us may forget one important factor – trust.
Trust plays a pivotal role in how our society function. When there is trust between the people and their government, the Covid-19 situation is better controlled; teams function better to reach a shared goal; a service provider can better provide value for their clients; and business partners find their actions aligned.
However, since the chapter in Liu BoWen’s 100 Unorthodox Tactics clearly emphasized trust between team members, here is an easy way to determine trust between yourself as a middle manager with your subordinates and your immediate superior using a Qi Men Dun Jia chart.
In all cases where a team’s condition is being examined:
The Day Stem represents the asker
The Hour Stem represents the subordinates
The Month Stem represents the immediate superior
In this example, the Hour Palace (2) produces the Day Palace (1), indicating that there is already trust between the asker and the subordinates. However, the Day Stem (1) is being countered by the Month Palace (3), suggesting that the asker does not really have the trust of his/her immediate superior.
Therefore, the solution to gaining the trust from the immediate superior lies in the North Palace, coincidentally where the Hour stem resides. The formation within the North Palace suggests a need for better communications to be in place as well as the need to resolve petty internal squabbles. Once resolved, trust can be established through consistency, credibility and sincerity.
Do you think office politics is holding you back? Get in touch to gain some clarity.
Permission Statement: The Qi Men Dun Jia Chart referred in this web article is copyrighted material belonging to, and is used with permission from Dato Joey Yap and Joey Yap Research Group Sdn. Bhd. For more information on services and courses offered by Dato Joey Yap and the Joey Yap Research Group Sdn. Bhd., please visit www.joeyyap.com
Among the Wu Day Masters, the Wu Chen (戊辰) is the true all-rounder! This pillar carries a natural aura of nobility and aristocracy.
The picture that the Wu Chen evokes is that of a gentle pastoral scene. Think lush emerald green hills below a bright blue sky decorated with wisps of white cloud. Think of a mountain that clothes itself in a green cloak, hiding behind the mist. It is peaceful; it is resourceful; and yes, NICE!
You got it, the best way to describe a Wu Chen Day Master is ‘nice’! This pillar reflects an individual who is intelligent, well-educated, gentle and generally, amicable.
But be warned! This mountain is no pushover! Beneath that niceness lies real strength. Let’s dive straight into that.
WU CHEN (戊辰)/EARTH DRAGON: OVERVIEW
So what’s special about this Day Master? While not a true Fui Gong or Bright Star pillar, the nobility of the Wu Chen puts it right up there with the special four. Basically, these pillars represent hardy, multi-talented and very capable individuals. The Wu Chen is nicer, though. Benign but tough!
In the case of the Wu Chen, what does that hardiness mean? It means that, in spite of all its niceness, this pillar, which is rooted in the Branch possesses extraordinary determination and is able to withstand a lot of pain in order to triumph against adversities.
WU CHEN (戊辰)/EARTH DRAGON: STRENGTH
In the Wu Chen, we find a multi-talented pillar that is rooted and sits on its own Wealth, Officer and Companion.
The Wu Earth Companion Star brings self-assurance to the table. The Yi Wood Officer Star brings a gift of diplomacy while the Gui Water Direct Wealth is perceptive, quick, curious and hard-working. Put them together and we have a Day Master who is capable of not just careful planning but also massive action.
At the same time, although you retain much of the Wu Earth’s attributes for calmness and stability, the Wu Chen is the most flexible among the Wu Earth Day Masters. Like the rolling hills you represent, you have a gentle and persuasive manner that will be a boon when it comes to dealing with different types of people.
Additionally, what we have here is a controlling cycle where the Yi Wood Officer Star controls the Wu Earth Companion Star which in turn controls the Gui Water Direct Wealth. Translated to plain English? It represents the self-restraint and self-possession that is a natural part of the Wu Chen Day Master.
What’s missing in this pillar is the element of Fire to support the Wu Earth. Luckily, there is a hidden combination within the pillar itself. The Gui and Wu combines to create Fire. When the Officer Star and the Resource Star co-produce each other, this is where that aura of Nobility comes from. This Fire is very important for the Wu Chen. We’ll talk about that a little later. But first, let’s cover some of this pillar’s vulnerabilities.
WU CHEN (戊辰)/EARTH DRAGON: VULNERABILITIES TO BE AWARE OF
There is a certain dichotomy to your nature, especially where your friends are concerned. While sociable, you will find there are times when you just want to be left alone. Extremely independent by nature, you are driven by a compulsion for constant evolution. The Wu Chen pillar carries tremendous potential, though sometimes you may not be able to recognize your own capacity. People who know you well could often be puzzled by your deep-seated insecurities, your sensitivity to critique, especially given the many talents that you have.
But in all honesty, this is a ‘weakness’ in name only. It can be easily fixed. Which leads us to…
WU CHEN (戊辰), BUT BETTER
Equip Yourself With Quality Education
The Wu Chen Day Master is a visionary who is extremely sensitive, intuitive and creative. Gifted with strong communication skills, the most important thing for a Wu Chen Day Master is to ensure that you are equipped with quality education. This will result in an individual who is both idealistic and observant, articulate and methodical.
Keep Evolving, Learning And Improving
If you know that insecurity can become a potential stumbling block for you, then make a conscious effort to keep evolving, learning and improving. The Wu Chen loves academia, anyway. So let’s use that trait to turn a weakness into a strength.
Fire! See The Funny Side Of Life
Remember how I said earlier that Fire is an important element to this pillar? Basically, we need to allow the Wu Earth-Gui Water combination to happen. How to do that? Easy! All you need to do is to develop the ability to see the funny side of life, to laugh gently at your own foibles and those of others.
Remember, The Wu Chen likes to control its environment. That’s a pretty stressful ‘want’. Sometimes, things happen that are really out of our control. This is where a finely-honed sense of humour can help you keep your perspective.
As always, a final caveat. Without the ability to see the full chart, I must stress that the suggestions in this article are broad recommendations based on a single pillar.
Want to find out if you have the Wu Chen pillar as your Day Master? Plot your Bazi Chart with this free resource (registration required) https://bazibz.masteryacademy.com/.
All Bazi terminologies and the Bazi Chart referred here are copyrighted materials belonging to, and are used with permission from Dato Joey Yap and/or Joey Yap Research Group Sdn Bhd.
For more information on services and courses offered by Dato Joey Yap and/or Joey Yap Research Group Sdn Bhd, please visit www.joeyyap.com.
“Whenever planning to conduct a major military expedition, you should first employ spies to determine the enemy’s troop strength, emptiness or fullness, and movement and rest, and only thereafter mobilize the army.”
In his chapter entitled “Employing Spies”, Sun Tzu emphasized on the importance of comprehensive intelligence. He advocated that even after checking the true nature by deploying the knowledge of Qi Men Dun Jia, the information must still be verified. Here’s the quote: “Advance knowledge cannot be gained from ghosts and spirits, inferred from phenomena, or projected from the measures of Heaven, but must be gained from men for it is the knowledge of the enemy’s true situation.”
I don’t need a Qi Men chart to elaborate on the use of Spies. In today’s world where everything is out in the open, spying on the competition has never been easier. It’s literally called the Social Media.
Spend some time in your competitor’s social media sites, particularly the comments section. You will be able to quickly discern the points of customer dissatisfaction, or confusion. Spend enough time on these you will be able to pinpoint the chinks in their armour that can be exploited by the wily entrepreneur.
A scented candle that brings light, warmth and romance to the dark. A single candle that can light a million others. This is the Ding Mao (丁卯) pillar. The most beautiful of all the Ding Fire Day Masters, you, my friend, are the inspiration.
DING MAO (丁卯): OVERVIEW
The Ding Fire is known as the leadership star among the 10 Heavenly Stems. Why? Because it is the only element that can transform the others. Think about it. It can evaporate water, mold metal, incinerate wood and harden earth.
In the case of the Ding Mao, the qualities of the Ding Fire manifests as a inventive, progressive, and original mind. In other words, you are someone who is always ahead of your times.
Additionally, the Ding Mao has the natural gift for words. You understand that words have power and with that gift, comes the ability to convey or express your ideas in a very clear and concise manner.
DING MAO (丁卯): STRENGTHS
Seated on the Mao branch, while there may only be a single Hidden Stem, but this Mao Branch holds three functions for the Ding Fire Day Master. It represents resource, it is a Nobleman star, as well as a Peach Blossom Star. So check one for a love for learning and intelligence; check two for having support from helpful people in your life; and check three for the likability factor! Wow! Talk about a three-in-one package deal!
Let’s break it down a little further by examining the Yi Wood that is supporting this Ding Fire. In this case, it represents your ability to acquire, absorb and process knowledge from diverse sources. Talk about an Intellectual Powerhouse!
This Yi Wood also gives you your people-person persona – it represents your ability to network and build new connections. So when we look at this pillar as a whole, basically, what we have is someone who is able to spot opportunities, think fast, act fast, understands the first mover’s advantage, and basically, a pioneer!
WEAKNESSES
On the flip side of the pillar, let’s explore a little about the Ding Mao’s weaknesses. Because this pillar is such an intellectual powerhouse, it hates mundane and repetitive tasks. The Ding Mao is easily bored so this pillar needs constant stimulation. But you know, I don’t really see this as a weakness. So what if you hate repetitive tasks? Get someone else to do it for you!
More seriously, do beware your perfectionist streak. It’s fine to be a perfectionist but not if this perfectionism leads to inner doubt, conflict and starts chipping away at your self-confidence.
DING MAO (丁卯), BUT BETTER
So how can we make this Ding Mao better? I have a few suggestions:
Stay positive! Create an environment that is supportive of your goals
Explore using spiritual enlightenment to achieve inner peace
Learn how to be diplomatic and hone one your listening skills – to become someone who not just easily talks to people, but to whom people like to talk to
Most of all, Ding Mao, what I want you to know is that with the right environment and faith in your own talents, your potential is literally boundless!
As always, a final caveat. Without the ability to see the full chart, I must stress that the suggestions in this article are broad recommendations based on a single pillar.
Want to find out if you have the Ding Mao pillar somewhere in your chart? Plot your Bazi Chart with this free resource (registration required) https://bazibz.masteryacademy.com/.
All Bazi terminologies and the Bazi Chart referred here are copyrighted materials belonging to, and are used with permission from Dato Joey Yap and/or Joey Yap Research Group Sdn Bhd.
For more information on services and courses offered by Dato Joey Yap and/or Joey Yap Research Group Sdn Bhd, please visit www.joeyyap.com.
“If you attack the enemy just after they have formulated their strategy, it will ruin their plans and force them to submit.”
War is costly business. Imagine getting into an advertising or pricing war against your competitor. How much would that cost? In the chapter for Planning Offensives, Sun Tzu wrote in the Art of War that the highest realization of warfare is to attack plans.
So using the same example chart from the first tactic (Estimates), assuming that I am your competitor. How would I try to disrupt your plan?
If I wanted to create a head-on confrontation, I would assume the West Palace (marked by the No. 5). I would hire a high-profile Expert who has a strong and trustworthy reputation in the market, someone who has got the required knowledge. He or she will front my marketing campaign which I will tailor according to what will appeal to the market.
According to this chart, the market is currently in the South West palace (marked by the No. 4). The market currently favours the cultivation of a community (Harmony), and the best way to get their attention is through educational marketing.
By employing this tactic, I will receive the support of the market (SouthWest palace produces West). At the same time, it puts me squarely against what you are doing, creating a differentiation point.
When do I need to take action? The ripple effects of your action was felt in June (No. 3) and will reach the market place by July or August (No. 4). Therefore, the window of opportunity for me to take action is getting smaller. I must act fast, within the month if possible, to intervene before the window closes and receive the benefits from the market’s support.
In the study of Bazi, the Tiger marks the coming of spring. The Bing Yin (丙寅) pillar evokes the imagery of the warm and crisp spring sunlight shining over a lush forest. As the sun melts away the last of the frost, the silver new leaves turn their faces to the life-giving sun, growing lush and full again. The sun doesn’t come down to earth to help with the spring planting. It just creates the environment for life to begin anew. That is why, the Bing Yin pillar is empowering.
BING YIN (丙寅): OVERVIEW
The Bing Yin Day Master embodies the spirit of hope through the sheer force of your personality, confidence, keen intelligence and creativity. Equipped with a fertile imagination, you are ably aided by an inventive, analytical and active mind that constantly needs to be challenged.
At your best, you are a self-confident and independent person with a warm and generous heart. A strong moral code and a keen sense of justice is extremely important to you. These values are something that you will never compromise on.
BING YIN (丙寅): STRENGTHS
Like all Bing Fire Day Masters, you the Bing Yin, is bound to be warm and generous. But let’s examine each element in this pillar and see what they bring to you.
First thing we see is a Rooted Day Master, supported by its own resource. This symbolizes a self-confident, independent and persistent personality.
If we imagine the Bing Yin as the sun shining over a forest, this evokes a feeling of farsightedness, of being able to take the long view… and you got it, it makes you great at Big Picture thinking.
The Bing Yin has a bit of a FOMO tendencies when it comes to technology. You love gadgets, don’t you? The Bing Yin has my vote for being the pillar most likely to own the latest iPhone!
Seated on a Jia Wood resource star brings a growth mindset that likes to be stretched and challenged! This is where your superior reasoning powers and keen sense of perception comes from.
Additionally, this growth mindset is accompanied by a Wu Earth EG that endows you with a fertile imagination that is always drawn to new ideas.
When we put these elements together, it means that you use your strong sixth sense to empower people by creating solutions that truly resolves their real issues or problems.
HOW THE BING YIN (丙寅) PRESENTS: FORCEFUL PERSONALITY
Sometimes, just being aware of the impression we give other people can be quite important. We don’t need to necessarily ‘fix’ it, but just knowing the kind of impression would make life a heck of a lot easier.
So this is what I want you to be aware of.
The Bing Yin has a rather forceful personality. Basically, the sun is going to shine on you, whether you like it or not. Charming and charismatic, a Bing Yin loves a good debate.
If this is a problem, then take it down a notch or so. If this is not a problem for you, if you are rocking this forceful personality… then by all means carry on!
WEAKNESS: EMOTIONAL ROLLER-COASTER
Everything in this pillar begins with this Jia Wood IR, which in this case, has no support. What does that mean? It means that behind this bright mask, hides a vulnerable and sensitive core.
The Bing Yin can be prone to extreme emotional highs and lows which could actually lead to self-destructive behaviour.
Sometimes, certain Bing Yin Day Masters may even use extravagant lifestyles to fill that void, to try to stabilize their emotions. Instead of doing that, may I offer you some suggestions on how to be Bing Yin, but better!
BING YIN (丙寅), BUT BETTER: SELF-LOVE
The above characteristics combine put you, the Bing Yin Day Master, in a unique position, not just to empower yourself, but others as well. Empowerment is described as the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s right. However, you can only give what you already have.
Here are five tips on how to empower yourself:
Ground yourself. For the Bing Yin Day Master, your home is your safe place to retreat. This is where you find emotional peace. Beneath the Bing Yin’s bright and sunny exterior, hides a vulnerable soul that can be prone to running on extreme highs and lows. As you give so much of yourself at work, make sure that your home affords you the time and space you need to regain your equilibrium.
Focus on issues that speak to your heart. There will always be a gazillion and one thing to fix. But being human, we can’t deal with them all. So bend your creativity towards the issues that bother you the most.
Plan ahead to avoid becoming overwhelmed. The Bing Yin tends to become overwhelmed when you don’t plan ahead. At times like these, you risk becoming distracted and may even lose heart too quickly.
Practice self-compassion. Bing Fire Day Masters are always magnanimous and giving. But they hold themselves to high standards. Treat yourself as you would treat others to drown out that negative, nagging, critical voice.
Take care of yourself. While this last tip may seem so simplistic, some people really do need to be reminded that they need to care of themselves as well. A Bing Yin could be so busy taking care of others that they end up neglecting their own needs.
As always, a final caveat. Without the ability to see the full chart, I must stress that the suggestions in this article are broad recommendations based on a single pillar.
Want to find out if you have the Bing Yin pillar somewhere in your chart? Plot your Bazi Chart with this free resource (registration required) https://bazibz.masteryacademy.com/.
All Bazi terminologies and the Bazi Chart referred here are copyrighted materials belonging to, and are used with permission from Dato Joey Yap and/or Joey Yap Research Group Sdn Bhd.
For more information on services and courses offered by Dato Joey Yap and/or Joey Yap Research Group Sdn Bhd, please visit www.joeyyap.com.
What makes a motorcycle or car racer special? What are the speed markers? What signifies talent in this particular sport? Do conventional rules of Bazi hold for this arena? These and other derivative questions form the basis into this research.
But first, let me add some perspective as to how this curiosity came about. I am a professional storyteller in the motorsports industry. Everyday for the past 20+ years, I write about these people. Even for those of us in the industry, we hold these riders and drivers in awe. Sometimes, I swear we think that they of them as a completely different species – this amazing ability to function at awesome speeds that would turn us mere mortals into quivering masses of jello.
When I started learning Bazi, the conventional teachings is that the Bazi Chart of someone who wants to be a successful sports person must have strong Wood energy and a strong Warrior Star (the 7 Killings – or shortened to 7K). Similarly in the study of Qi Men Dun Jia, the energetic and aggressive White Tiger tends to be considered as essential for an athlete.
So I wondered. Do these general rules apply to motorsports? If yes, why and vice versa. Motorsports is a particularly dangerous sport. When they go out on track, these riders and drivers frequently put their lives on the line. In that case, does the 7K profile of the White Tiger star become an asset or liability?
To answer these questions and more, I delved into 52 Bazi Charts of former and present motorsports greats. At this point, I need to add a disclaimer. I do not know their time of birth. So we can only examine their external pillars – the ones they display to the world. The readings will change if their hour pillars come into play. But for the sake of consistency, we will stick to a 3-pillar reading instead of four.
This research will focus solely on the capacity and potential of the Chart. I will not be forecasting anything for any of them.
ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR WATSON – THE ROLE OF EACH ELEMENT IN A RACER’S CHART
All Chinese metaphysics studies boil down to an examination of the Five Elements – Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. What is prosperous in the Chart? What is weak in the Chart? Specifically for the drivers and riders, how do the various interactions between the elements influence them? Before I even delve into other markers like Day Masters or structure or profile, I must first determine the predominant elements in their charts, and correspondingly, what they represent.
Conventional Bazi wisdom is right, though. To my surprise, I found that 31% of the charts featured Wood as the dominant energy. Why surprised? Because our sport is metal.
But upon reflection, the answer to that lies with us – corporate motorsports, so to speak. Think of our languaging when we talk about new riders. We call it talent DEVELOPMENT. We say that this rider is someone we can ‘grow’ or ‘train’. This is exactly what the Wood energy governs – self-development and growth.
So because we are constantly talking about ‘growth’, little wonder when we select riders for the talent programmes, we are inevitably drawn to those with strong Wood energy.
The list of drivers and riders for whom the Wood Qi is predominant in their charts are the Steady Eddies of the motorsports world. As the sport changes into the new era, I believe we will see more drivers and riders with prosperous Wood Qi emerging among the top phalanx of the sport, simply because they have the aptitude that are naturally appealing to the corporate sponsors.
They include Alain Prost, Alex Marquez, Andrea Dovisioso, Aryton Senna, David Couldhard, Eddie Lawson, Fabio Quartararo, Hafizh Syahrin, Jorge Lorenzo, Loris Capirros, Mark Marquez, Mike Hailwood, Niki Lauda, Sebastian Loeb, Takaaki Nakagami and Valentino Rossi.
At the other end of the spectrum, prosperous Metal makes up 23% of the charts. These guys are naturally attuned to motorsports. So picking up the skills come easy for them. Don’t bother to ask this bunch how they do it – they won’t be able to tell you. As opposed to the Wood bunch that needs to be ‘grown’, this group needs to be MOLDED.
Among them are Thomas Luthi, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Mika Hakkinen, Khairul Idham Pawi, Brad Binder, Norifumi Abe, Damon Hill, Alex Lowes, and Max Verstappen. Notice how most of the ‘bad boys’ of the sport are here. James Hunt, Barry Sheene, and our very own Azlan Shah.
So if Fire and Water are the speed markers, does this mean that those born with prosperous Water Qi or Fire Qi in their charts will have a natural talent for speed? Yes. But Water is preferred to Fire because Water also represents the ability to assess risk.
Here are the drivers and riders with prosperous Water Qi in their charts – Angel Nieto, Karamjit Singh, Lewis Hamilton, Jonathan Rea, Kenny Roberts, Randy Mamola, Maverick Vinales, Alex Rins, Michael Schumacher, Freddie Spencer, and Alvaro Bautista.
In that case, since Water is the preferred marker for speed, why then are there so few dominant Water charts in this study? There is a 50-50 split here between current and former racers. The only one who is actively racing at the top are Lewis Hamilton and Jonathan Rea. The rest are either retired or upcoming names. I suspect that the answer for this lies in a lack of opportunity as opposed to a lack of talent. Water by its nature, is fearless and relentless. Drivers and riders with prosperous Water in their charts may simply be sidelined due to the fact that they can be difficult to manage. Look at the list. Do you think it is easy for a team manager to rein in the likes of Schumacher?
Conversely, prosperous Fire seems to be less favourable in the quest to become a motorsports great. Simply because, Fire that is too strong creates Earth which leads to stagnation.
These are the guys who are driven by passion – Mick Doohan, Daijiro Kato, Sebastian Vettel, Anthony West, Giacomo Agostini, Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Max Biaggi, Alex Yoong and Tetsuya Harada.
For these guys to succeed, Water must be present somewhere to bring about some much-needed balance. Of the 10, Sebastian Vettel, Giacomo Agostini and Max Biaggi and Mick Doohan has both Fire and Water in their charts. Which is why they lead this passionate bunch in terms of accomplishments.
The motorsports arena is no country for the Earth Qi, the heaviest and least mobile of the five elements. These guys make it to the top by sheer force of will alone. It would take a tremendous amount of willpower for them to make it to the top. Here’s the list of drivers and riders with dominant Earth energies in their chart – Casey Stoner, Kimi Raikkonen, Wayne Gardner and Wayne Rainey. Remember what Casey Stoner said when he retired? He said he was exhausted!
To summarize a very long segment on the elements, prosperous Water is a better indication of motorsports talent. However, only a select few reach the top because the corporate world has a marked preference for the more pliable nature of those with Wood in their charts.
THE CLASH CODE – TO 7K OR NOT TO 7K
Many many years ago when I first embarked on my career, I knew a rider who retired at the top of his game. The reason? A fortune teller had informed him that if he continued racing past a certain age, he would meet a premature death.
When I finally immersed myself in the study of Bazi, I understood why. The technical explanation – in the year when the 7 Killings star protrude to the Heavens while at the same time, a clash between pillars happen in the chart, there is a higher chance of an accident occurring. This applies to all of us, but is magnified in racers due to the dangerous nature of the sport.
Yet, conventional wisdom says that an athlete should ideally possess a 7 Killings star. I wondered if that was true for motorsports.
Let’s start off by what the statistical data tells us. Of the 52 charts, 44% has ZERO 7 Killings. This includes Rossi and Marquez.
I would say it is better for a motorsports athlete to have ZERO 7 Killings. Why? Because according to the ancient text, when Officer and Influence converge, disaster can happen.
Basically what this means is, the Day Master loses control of the Warrior Star, leading to a possible loss of focus, wrong risk assessment and wrong decision making.
This can also happen to people like you and me, right? A split second of distraction, and maybe we accidentally ding our cars against the gate. But because Motorsports is a dangerous sport in itself, that is why I say, that for motorsports, the 7 Killing can be a disadvantage. Because their risks can be magnified. I would rather not see it in their chart.
Since we’re on this topic, let’s spend a paragraph on the Qimen White Tiger star which by its aggressive nature, is also considered as something necessary for a motorsports athlete. Not true. None of the 52 charts showed the White Tiger star in their destiny palace.
THE X-FACTOR: TO BE A SUPERSTAR
In this research, two key profiles stood out as the necessary ingredient for a successful racer. You need the overwhelming confidence of the Friend profile and the creative, out-of-the-box thinking of the Eating God profile.
But to be a superstar…
This, is Valentino Rossi:
What makes this guy special?
He is a Wood Day Master – born in the day and month of Wood (Tiger). This is strong, thriving Wood that is very competitive by nature.
For a Wood Day Master, the influence element is Metal, representing iron-clad determination.
This chart has ZERO 7 Killings.
His Guardian of Destiny is Harmony – endowing him with the ability to work with all kinds of people.
This chart is not without its weakness. It has zero Water (a speed marker). However, he went through 30 years of Water luck from the age of 14.
The Friend profile is his dominant profile. As mentioned earlier, this represents a towering self confidence along with an instinct to size up his competitor and use that information for his own benefit.
A strong and usable Eating God star, a talent marker is found right next to him in the Month.
The X-Factor lies here – the Rob Wealth leadership star. This is the star that brought his legions of fans to him and props him up a head and shoulder above the rest. Ironically, 40% of the drivers and riders surveyed had little or no Rob Wealth stars.
I’m not saying that Rossi’s chart is the only way to success in motorsports. However, of the 52 charts I studied, his stood out as having all the necessary ingredients. What differentiated him from the others, was that he instinctively knew how to use what he had to achieve his goals.
In the modern practice of Bazi, there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ charts. There is only the best use of the chart.
So what can we do with this information?
We can of course, identify potential, we can know how to motivate a talent, possibly forecast longevity in the business, we could also figure out how best to market this person and teach them to be mindful of the blind spots in their thinking.
I conducted a Facebook Live presentation of these findings about a month ago. Follow this link if you would like to watch the video.
Welcome to this new series where we will explore Liu BoWen’s 100 Unorthodox Tactics and how those tactics can apply to modern day life.
Tactic No. 1 is Estimates:
“In the Tao of warfare, calculation is foremost. Before engaging in combat, first estimate the relative sagacity and stupidity of the generals, the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses, the numerousness and paucity of the troops, the difficult and ease of the terrain, and the fullness or emptiness of the provisions.”
This first tactic mirrors that of the first chapter in Sun Tzu’s Art of War where he said, “Structure warfare according to the following five factors, evaluate it comparatively through estimations and seek out its true nature. The first is termed the Tao; the second, Heaven’ the third, Earth; the fourth, Generals; and the fifth, the laws for military organization and discipline.”
There is no doubt that Sun Tzu was a Qi Men master. Here is how the first sentence in the Art of War corresponds to a Qi Men chart:
If the intent of the hypothetical chart above is to find out the true nature of your market condition, and the question asked prior to plotting the chart is, ‘What is the current condition and possible outcome of our actions?’, this is how it will read:
What is the current condition and possible outcome of our actions? With Asker and Outcome in the same palace, it looks like you have already set your plans in motion. Your intent is protective in nature. The 9 Earth suggests you are in defensive mode, looking to protect your market. Your current condition is good, with the Life Door, business is moving and you are being productive. You are looking to use unconventional methods and you feel the urgency to move fast.
Your actions are driven by possibly knee-jerk reactions from the fear permeating the business world at this moment.
The outcome of your current plans will lead to an aggressive disruption of the status quo which you hope will help you gain a bigger share of the market.
Here’s the thing, though, whatever it is you are doing now, is going against what the Market wants at the moment. This is seen by the East palace countering the South West palace which houses the Scenery Door.
Looks pretty simple, doesn’t it? It’s always easy when you are not reading your own chart.
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the global economy, the word ‘Resilience’ has been chucked around like so much confetti at a cancelled wedding. Just google the word and you will find at least 100 web posts vying to teach you how to be more resilient. This is not one of them. Instead, let’s talk about…
YI CHOU (乙丑): THE RESILIENCE DNA
What exactly is resilience? In a nutshell, it’s the rubber-ball effect. It represents the ability to adapt and bounce back from adversity. Of course, it’s a good trait to have as it helps you learn and adapt to changing conditions in pursuit of your goal.
Now, imagine this with me. Winter is coming to an end. The snow still lies thick on the ground, soft, melting snow. Here and there, tiny little hardy green shrubs are poking their early leaves through the ground. As we continue wandering the last of the winter wonderland together, we stumble upon a rare sight – a low-growing shrub of bright orange pansies in full bloom, their velvety colours a burst of sunshine against the pristine white snow. It has not just survived the winter, but thrived. How hardy does this plant need to be?
This is the same spirit of resilience represented by the Yi Chou (乙丑) pillar.
YI CHOU (乙丑): OVERVIEW
First thing you need to know – this pillar is known as one of the Six Elegant Days, which means that the Day Master is usually attractive, intelligent and elegant. Along with these traits come oodles and oodles of charm and energy. You are lively, assertive and persuasive!
Like how plants crave the sunlight, so does the Yi Chou naturally crave the limelight. Therefore, fame and money would tend to be a big part of your internal motivation. I’m not being ‘judgey’! So you like being in the limelight, what’s wrong with that?
Now that we’ve give the Yi Chou a quick run through, let’s talk about your strengths next!
STRENGTHS: PERSUASIVE
One of the Yi Chou’s biggest strength is your ability to convince others to see things your way. You are able to see yourself within the grand scheme of things and the combination right here of the resourceful Ji Earth, the ability to act quickly of the Xin Metal and the excellent insights of the Gui Water is where your persuasive skills come from.
When you tap into this… because in a way, this Yi Chou pillar can also represent as a pillar of untapped potential (we’ll get into that later)… but what I want you to know right now is that when you tap into this –you have the resourceful ability to spot opportunities, the willpower to take action, and the insights to create the right strategies for success.
WEAKNESS: EXTERNAL VALIDATION
When we look into the cycle of this single pillar, we see (1) the Ji Earth producing the (2) Xin Metal which then produces the (3) Gui Water and finally produces the Yi Wood Day Master. Which is great, because this Day Master is being produced.
However, this Yi Wood Day Master has no roots. What does that mean? It means you are so busy seeking for external validation that you have forgotten that if you just sink your roots down, look inwards, and you will find a lot of potential waiting to be used. That is why I say that this pillar can also be seen as a pillar of untapped potential.
Also because of this formation, the Yi Chou pillar has the tendency to display a liking for instant gratification.
So… what to do?
YI CHOU (乙丑), BUT BETTER: YOUR BIG WHY
To become really extraordinary, the Yi Chou must find out what truly inspires them. If the cause, goal, or as we call it now, the Big Why, is compelling enough, you will dig deep to find the mental discipline needed to counter your preference for the easy route. Frequently, until the Big Why is found, the Yi Chou may never truly understand your full potential.
In the case of the Yi Chou, and I cannot emphasize this enough… the MINDSET determines the OUTCOME!
As always, a final caveat. Without the ability to see the full chart, I must stress that the suggestions in this article are broad recommendations based on a single pillar.
Want to find out if you have the Jia Zi pillar somewhere in your chart? Plot your Bazi Chart with this free resource (registration required) https://bazibz.masteryacademy.com/.
All Bazi terminologies and the Bazi Chart referred here are copyrighted materials belonging to, and are used with permission from Dato Joey Yap and/or Joey Yap Research Group Sdn Bhd.
For more information on services and courses offered by Dato Joey Yap and/or Joey Yap Research Group Sdn Bhd, please visit www.joeyyap.com.
“If you know both your enemy and yourself, you will be able to win a hundred battles and never see defeat.” Sun Tzu.
The Qi Men Dun Jia system (literally translated as Mysterious Door, Hiding The Jia) was developed as a system of warcraft during the Warring States period, 3000 years ago. It is a system that offers a mapping tool to create a snapshot of the current time and space energy. By decoding the chart, the solutions derived can be used to formulate the best strategic decision for various situations.
There are many ways to use a Qi Men chart. For that reason, trying to create consistent content from this topic has proven to be rather challenging. Unlike Bazi which is a little more systematic, the beauty of Qi Men Dun Jia is its very fluidity.
In the sphere of Chinese Metaphysics, Bazi is often referred to as Heaven Luck, meaning what has been given to you at the time of your birth.
Feng Shui is known as Earth Luck, a tool to map the environment and use the energy to enhance your own.
Qi Men is known as Man Luck as it governs action. No matter how positive the outcome of a forecast could be, the asker will not receive the full benefits without taking the appropriate action.
Within a Qi Men chart, there are always short-term tactics and mid-term strategies. In this new series, I ask you to join me in a discussion of the 100 Tactics authored by Ming-dynasty minister, Liu Bo Wen.
