The Wisdom of our Inner Landscape

Anyone who has spent time with me in the last few years - in ceremony or in the moments in between - have probably heard me speak often about BaZi (pronounced ba-tzuh). As we enter the Water season of winter, a time of reflection, depth, and inward descent, it feels like the perfect moment to share more about this incredible cosmology from ancient China. This is a system many people have never encountered, yet I truly believe it holds wisdom that can be profoundly transformational for all of us.

BaZi, also known as the Four Pillars, is a metaphysical system built on a sexagenary cycle - a rhythm of 60 possible combinations of energy made up of a Heavenly Stem and an Earthly Branch. The Heavenly Stem corresponds to one of the Five Taoist Elements - Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water - each carrying its own archetypes, movements, and qualities, expressed differently in their Yin or Yang forms. The Earthly Branch is one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat/sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, or pig. Each animal brings its own energetic flavor, which shifts depending on the element it is paired with.

Most people have some familiarity with the animal of their birth year - but BaZi goes much deeper. It includes not just the year but the month, day, and hour of birth, giving you four pillars - each a unique interplay of element and animal, yin and yang. I hope I haven’t lost you yet. It is a rich, intricate, layered system - and even three years into

studying it, I still feel like a beginner… and

maybe that’s exactly as it should be.

It has become a daily companion for me - a lens through which I understand myself, my patterns, my relationships, and even the seasons and nature more clearly and in a more grounded and meaningful way.

There are countless reasons why BaZi has touched my life so deeply. It has become a daily companion for me - a lens through which I understand myself, my patterns, my relationships, and even the seasons and nature more clearly and in a more grounded and meaningful way. And while I have great appreciation for Western astrology, it has simply never resonated for me the way BaZi has. If I ever misrepresent Western astrology in trying to describe why BaZi has been so impactful, please know it comes only from my limited knowledge of that system.

Here are just a few of the ways BaZi has shifted my life:

• It creates profound clarity around the balance of energies in our lives, offering tangible steps to cultivate harmony for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing.

• It strengthens our connection to the natural world, reminding us that we are nature, woven from the same elemental forces that shape the cycles within and around us.

• It grounds us in a cosmology that doesn’t look up at distant stars but instead draws wisdom from nature’s elements all around us. This helps cultivate a beautiful and more intimate relationship and connection with them as we begin to understand them more, witness their energies within us, and learn all about their archetypes and the unique energies that they bring.

• It is deeply holistic. Through BaZi, I’ve understood myself more fully than ever -

  seeing how these elements weave together and manifest in my personality, my physiology, my relationships, and my spirituality.

• And truly… so much more.

  
  

It’s no surprise that BaZi plays such an integral role in Traditional Chinese Medicine, given its potential to support not only personal healing but also our relationship with the world around us - two things that are inseparably connected.

And because we are now in the quiet season of Water, when nature invites us to slow down, listen inward, and allow insight to rise from the depths - it feels like a beautiful time to share this offering:

For the holidays (and possibly beyond), I’m offering a BaZi mini reading - Your Elemental Inner Landscape. A wonderful, personal, nourishing gift for yourself or a loved one. 

This includes:

• an overview of your elemental balance,

• a summary of your Day Master,

  which element you most need to cultivate harmony,

• personalized self-care practices, and

• a 25-gram tea aligned with your balancing element.

In the New Year, I’m dreaming up a complementary offering that explores how your chart interacts with the upcoming energy of 2026: the Yang Fire Horse, so stay tuned.

If you’re curious, have questions, or feel called to explore BaZi with me, please reach out at jdetreglode@gmail.com.

May this Water season guide you inward with gentleness, and may BaZi offer a lantern for whatever you’re ready to understand about yourself next.

Further resources for exploration: A Comprehensive Guide to the History of BaZi