Luck Cycles & Annual Stars
If BaZi is your "factory settings," the Luck Cycle and Annual Stars are your "user manual" — they tell you what each life stage is about.
What Are Luck Cycles?
A Luck Cycle (Da Yun) is a 10-year fortune period. Everyone's cycles begin at different ages (calculated by birth year's Yin-Yang and your gender). Each 10-year cycle has a theme — learning, career, or consolidation.
When Your Luck Cycle Begins
The starting age is precisely calculated:
- Yang year males & Yin year females → forward cycles
- Yin year males & Yang year females → reverse cycles
Your first cycle typically begins between 0 and 10 years old. Some start immediately at birth, others as late as age 9+.
Reading Your Luck Cycle
The Ten God of your current Luck Cycle defines the decade's theme:
Annual Stars (Liu Nian)
Each year has its own Stem-Branch combination. Annual stars are like daily weather — the Luck Cycle sets the climate (decade), the Annual Star is the day's weather. A particular year may trigger a key combination in your chart, bringing significant change.
Year-Cycle Overlap (Sui Yun Bing Lin)
When the Luck Cycle and Annual Star share the same Stem-Branch, energy doubles. It can be great joy or great trouble — depends whether the combination is favorable to you.
Practical Advice
Understanding your Luck Cycles helps you:
1. Do the right thing at the right time (study during Resource cycles, invest during Wealth cycles)
2. Avoid unsuitable timing (mind your words during Hurting Officer cycles, manage stress during Seven Killings)
3. Prepare for the next decade in advance