Eight
Characters
of
a
Person's
Destiny:
What
Do
They
Mean? In
traditional
Chinese
culture,
the
concept
of
"eight
characters"
(also
known
as
"Ba
Zi")
is
widely
used
to
describe
a
person's
destiny.
These
eight
characters
represent
a
person's
year,
month,
day,
and
time
of
birth,
and
they
are
believed
to
reveal
a
person's
character,
personality,
and
fate. Each
of
the
eight
characters
is
associated
with
one
of
the
five
elements
(wood,
fire,
earth,
metal,
and
water)
and
one
of
the
12
animals
of
the
Chinese
zodiac
(rat,
ox,
tiger,
rabbit,
dragon,
snake,
horse,
goat,
monkey,
rooster,
dog,
and
pig). The
four
characters
that
represent
a
person's
year,
month,
day,
and
time
of
birth
are
called
the
"four
pillars"
(or
"si
zhu"
in
Chinese).
The
other
four
characters
are
derived
from
the
combination
of
the
four
pillars
and
are
used
to
further
understand
a
person's
destiny. For
example,
if
a
person's
eight
characters
are
"wood
rabbit,
earth
tiger,
fire
dragon,
water
pig",
it
means
that
he
or
she
was
born
in
the
years
of
the
rabbit,
tiger,
dragon,
and
pig,
respectively,
and
that
his
or
her
destiny
is
influenced
by
{『了解更多 十二属相配对内容请关注 :属相网,wwW.isHUXiang.Cc］the
elements
of
wood,
earth,
fire,
and
water
in
that
order. According
to
Chinese
astrology,
the
interaction
between
the
elements
and
the
animals
determines
a
person's
strengths,
weaknesses,
and
life
path.
For
example,
a
person
born
in
the
year
of
the
dragon
(a
symbol
of
power
and
luck)
with
a
wood
element
(which
represents
growth
and
creativity)
is
believed
to
be
a
charismatic
leader
with
a
great
potential
for
success. While
some
people
take
the
eight
characters
seriously
and
use
them
to
guide
their
lives,
others
simply
see
them
as
a
way
to
satisfy
their
curiosity.
However,
whether
you
believe
in
the
power
of
the
eight
characters
or
not,
they
are
undoubtedly
a
fascinating
part
of
Chinese
culture
that
offers
a
unique
perspective
on
the
human
condition.