推演中
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推演中
五行局 · Wǔ Xíng Jú
The Five Element Bureau (五行局, Wu Xing Ju) is your chart's 'element number,' one of five: Water 2, Wood 3, Metal 4, Earth 5, Fire 6. It is set by the stem-branch of your Self palace (its 纳音 element) and does two big jobs: first, it decides where the Emperor star Zi Wei is placed — which in turn fixes all fourteen main stars; second, it sets the age your decade luck begins — the bureau number IS the starting age (Water 2 starts at 2, Fire 6 at 6).
There are exactly five, numbered 2 to 6 (there is no 'Bureau 1'). The number is not decoration — it is the very age your decade luck begins.
| Bureau | Element | Decade luck starts | What its tone connotes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water 2 Bureau水二局 · Shuǐ Èr Jú | Water | age 2 | Water flows, adapts, and outwits — taking the shape of its vessel. The decade luck starts earliest of all, at age 2, so the life's chapters begin moving young. |
| Wood 3 Bureau木三局 · Mù Sān Jú | Wood | age 3 | Wood grows upward, in season and in order. The decade luck starts at age 3 — a life that puts out branches steadily, like a tree. |
| Metal 4 Bureau金四局 · Jīn Sì Jú | Metal | age 4 | Metal gathers, cuts, and decides — edge and resolve. The decade luck starts at age 4, lending the life a note of sharpness and finality. |
| Earth 5 Bureau土五局 · Tǔ Wǔ Jú | Earth | age 5 | Earth is heavy, holding, and central — it carries everything else. The decade luck starts at age 5: a deep-rooted, steady start, the pivot of the five phases. |
| Fire 6 Bureau火六局 · Huǒ Liù Jú | Fire | age 6 | Fire blazes, lights, and radiates outward. The decade luck starts latest of the five, at age 6 — bright, outward energy that shows on the surface. |
Your bureau is set by the 纳音 (na-yin) element of your Self palace's stem-branch — an internal step of casting. You only need the result.
The bureau number, together with your lunar birth-day, runs the formula that places the Emperor star Zi Wei (紫微). Once Zi Wei is placed, all fourteen main stars fall into their palaces. The bureau is the key that unlocks the whole star map.
The bureau number IS the age (虚岁) your decade luck (大限) begins: Water 2 at age 2, Fire 6 at age 6. From there, each decade-limit covers ten years. So at the same age, a Water-2 person may already be in their second decade-limit while a Fire-6 person is still in their first.
A frequent mistake: thinking 'I'm a Fire 6 Bureau, so I'm a fiery person.' Not so. The Five Element Bureau is STRUCTURAL — its job is to place Zi Wei and start your decade luck. It does not directly describe your personality element.
For your personal element balance — which element you're rich or short in, what to wear or compensate — that belongs to the BaZi Day Master and the Five-Element Flow, a different system entirely. Keep the two apart and neither will confuse you.
Water 2, Wood 3, Metal 4, Earth 5, and Fire 6. The element comes first; the number (2–6) does double duty — it is the bureau's code and also the age your decade luck begins. Note there is no 'Bureau 1' — the numbers run from 2 (Water) to 6 (Fire).
From the stem-branch your Self palace sits on, taking its 纳音 (na-yin) element. First the Self palace's stem-branch is located, then that pair's na-yin element is looked up, and the chart is assigned to the matching bureau. This is an internal step of casting — you only need the result (one of five), which a free chart marks for you directly.
This is the most common misunderstanding. The bureau is STRUCTURAL — its job is to place Zi Wei and start the decade luck — it does not directly mean that is 'your personality element.' For personal element balance and what to wear or compensate, that belongs to the BaZi Day Master and Ten Gods, a different thing from this bureau.
Because the bureau number IS the starting age. Water 2 begins at 2, Wood 3 at 3, Metal 4 at 4, Earth 5 at 5, Fire 6 at 6 — the larger the number, the later the start. After that each decade-limit covers ten years. So at the same age, a Water-2 person may already be in their second decade-limit while a Fire-6 person has only just finished their first.
Enter your birth time for a complete chart, free — main star, secondary stars, 12 palaces, four transformations, decade cycles, all in one read. This is your first look at your own chart.
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Not AI-generated content — every interpretation is grounded in 15 classical texts, sources verifiable. Charts follow fixed calculation rules; the source library and methodology are open for inspection.
Reference library: 《紫微斗数全书》 · 《十八飞星策天紫微斗数》 · 《紫微斗数全集》 · 《紫微斗数捷览》 and other traditional texts
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