Major Life Cycles and Annual Fortune
The birth chart is static — but life moves in cycles. Bazi describes these cycles through two overlapping systems: Major Life Cycles (大运, Dà Yùn) and Annual Fortune (流年, Liú Nián).
Major Life Cycles
Each Major Life Cycle lasts approximately 10 years and introduces a new pillar (Stem + Branch) into the chart environment. This pillar interacts with your birth chart to shift the overall energy field.
- Most people experience 7–8 Major Life Cycles in a lifetime.
- The starting age of the first cycle is calculated from the proximity of your birth date to the nearest solar term.
- Each cycle's pillar is derived from the month pillar of your birth chart, moving forward or backward through the Stems and Branches.
Annual Fortune
Each calendar year introduces a new annual pillar — 2025 is 乙巳, 2026 is 丙午. This annual energy interacts with both your birth chart and your current Major Life Cycle.
Annual Fortune is what most people mean when they ask "how will this year be for me?" — it's the layer closest to lived experience.
How They Work Together
The birth chart describes your baseline. The Major Life Cycle sets the decade-level environment. The Annual Fortune determines what becomes active in any given year. Reading all three together gives a layered picture of timing.
A "good year" in a difficult Major Life Cycle may still feel constrained. A challenging annual pillar in a strong Major Life Cycle may move through quickly.