Basic_BaZi_Lesson_1.pdf

Basic BaZi Lesson # 1: Mastering the basics It is my aim, for this BBC, to reach a higher level of BaZi analysis, beyond Module 1 and 2. In order to achieve this, I plan to cover as much as possible during the prep phase so we can get onto more advanced level of discussion in the live classroom. In order to achieve that, I need full co-operation from all of you. 1. You must, must, must master the contents of these prep lessons, however inane they may seem to you at this stage. 2. I need feedback, so if you have a difficulty, you must ask, so no backlog of questions build up. 3. We must all be part of a discussion group. For that purpose I will be starting a new Facebook page that is private and limited only to our little group where I will post the lessons for you to retrieve in case you lose track, and we can post our questions for all to see and answer, thereby helping each other. At this point, let me share something a wise old man told me in class many moons ago “ the shame of asking once is worth a lifetime of knowing”. So if you are one of those who don’t do Facebook, this is a good time to start. It is very easy. If you don’t have an account please make one now. I will be contacting you about this soon. 4. If we manage to learn bulk of the matter then class will be a breeze and we can move quickly to a much higher level of topics and loads of discussions. I will be coming prepared for as many as you like so you can take me on! Useful Reading : To start with, you would need to be familiar with the topic and the best way to get started is by reading “THE DESTINY CODE” and “DESTINY CODE REVEALED” by Joey Yap. Get exposure to all the terminology ter minology and concepts that will be presented to you during the course of the next few weeks in advance. Don’t be confused, while ordering the books, as there is also a new cour se se by the same name. Know the characters : I cannot tell you how important this is going to be and anyone without that knowledge may as well be sitting in the class with earplugs and an eye mask. Seriously. Hence the two pages that follow at the end should be printed out and practiced on ad nauseum. Even if you can’t write them at first, at least learn to recognize them. Before you come to the class, you must be able a ble to identify & write all 22 Chinese characters. BUILDING BLOCKS.

I will be discussing several building blocks of BaZi henceforth. Many of them are common to Feng Shui as they are all part of Chinese Metaphysics. At this point, they may not follow in logical order but at some point you will realize there is a

connection so bear with me for now. In Lesson # 1, we will go through the basics, from the start, so that later on, when we discuss charts, we all recall the same block of information. What is BaZi?

For those who are familiar with BaZi, skip this bit. For those for whom it is yet just a four letter word, BaZi is a chart of 8 Chinese characters, four “stems” stacked upon four “branches” to form four columns of pairs of stems & branches. Stems are characters that represent one of 10 simple elements, well actually the 5 elements (fire, earth, metal, water, wood) in 2 polarities, Yin and Yang. You see two charts here, the top one is called the basic natal chart and tell the story of ones life, and our journey, that begins today, is to know where to look and how to unlock that world of wisdom contained in these innocuous little 8 characters. A BaZi chart looks something like the picture on the left. (this is Paris Hiltons chart, by the way, and no, she doesn’t consult me, I got it off the net!) Look at the top portion of the chart: The top row are the stems. The middle row contains the more complicated branches, which contain hidden stems, on the bottom row. Don’t panic now and ask Sasha for a refund, its pretty simple eventually, in another lesson on another day, I will explain it. The lower chart is what is called “luck pillars” which represent your life in ten year stages, each stage is known as a luck pillar. Now you know what a BaZi chart looks like. 2. What is a Jia Tze?

One stem pairs with one branch to make a pair known as a Jia tze, since the first pair that forms is jia Tze. In a Jia Tze, both the stem and branch have the same polarity. 12 stems combine with 1o branches in sequence thereby producing 60 such pairs. BaZi Boot Camp San Francisco March 2012 by Sherry Merchant 2

LESSON 1: GETTING TO KNOW THE LANGUAGE We need to know a few Chinese characters, 10 stems and 12 branches, that’s all. (This is not a Botany lesson, don’t worry, will explain all about these mysterious flora in the next lesson) Learning to say them aloud, and writing them will help. Use these pages to practice writing them or make flash cards and keep looking at them while saying the names aloud to familiarize yourself with these 22 characters. Print multiple pages and keep practicing... It is helpful to remember the sequence of the branches and stems, as they follow a particular cycle known as the production cycle.

The Ten Heavenly Stems:

a

 Yang Fire

a

a

a

c

Ding Yin Fire

c

c

c

y

 Wu Yang Earth

y

y

y

z

 Ji Yin Earth

z

z

z

g

g

g

i

i

i

m

m

m

g i m

Geng  Yang Metal  Xin Yin Metal

en Yang Water

o

Gui Yin Water

o

o

o

s

 Jia Yang Wood

s

s

s

u

 Yi Yin Wood

u

u

u

The Twelve Earthly Branches

n

nnn

p Chou Ox

ppp

r  Yin Tiger

rrr

t

Mao Rabbit

ttt

v Chen Dragon v v v x Xu Snake x x x b Wu Horse bbb d Wei Goat

ddd

f

fff

Shen Monkey

h You Rooster hhh  j  Xu Dog  j j j l

Hai Pig

l l l

Summary for Week 1. 1. Create a physical file for putting in your printouts, invaluable for eventual learning. 2. Print out many pages for practicing the Chinese characters writing. 3. Get hold of 10 thousand year calendar by any author, the dates are eventually the same. You will need it soon, and you may not easily get one. 4. Subscribe to or download, on your iphone, ipad or itouch, Joey Yaps app for BaZi Calculation. These are off app world. He also has one for Windows mobile and for PC or your laptop that is offline, check the website www.masteryacademy.com for details of what is suitable to your desired equipment

5. Subscribe to the online storage version of the BaZi Ming Pan, version 2. Every serious (meaning you) practitioner eventually needs to cultivate this database. 6. Create a facebook account if you don’t have one and add “bazibootcamp sanfransisco” as a friend, (if you haven’t done that already) and that way you will access all the stuff I put on each week. PLUS we can share queries and have some kind of discussion on that front. 7. Start your recommended reading. If you have these books and have read them and don’t mind sharing, post it on our facebook page and anybody who needs it can access your copy. Alternately ask Sasha to get one for you, she probably has some in stock or can arrange that for you. Now we will be familiar with these 22 friends that we will be encountering constantly these next three months. Have fun!