Da Yun 大运
BaZi Luck Cycles (Da Yun)
Da Yun, often translated as Luck Cycles, divides your life into roughly ten-year periods. Each period adds another stem and branch around your natal chart, describing a changing context rather than a fixed list of events.
What they are
Ten-year chapters around your chart
A BaZi chart describes the moment of birth. Luck Cycles describe how that chart meets each later decade. Each cycle is represented by a new stem and branch pair, and traditional readings look at how it interacts with your natal pillars.
How they are calculated
Direction comes from the Month Pillar
The starting point is your Month Pillar. Traditional calculation moves forward or backward from it depending on the polarity of your birth year's Heavenly Stem and on the sex used for the calculation. The exact starting age follows a formula based on how far the birth moment sits from the seasonal boundary.
Why time matters
Exact birth time changes the start
The starting age of a Luck Cycle depends on the precise birth moment and birthplace. If the birth time is unknown, a calculator cannot reliably determine the start, which is why a Three-Pillar Chart does not show Luck Cycles instead of guessing.
An honest boundary
Context, not event predictions
Luck Cycles describe changing context — which themes may become more present — not guaranteed outcomes. Different schools use different day boundaries and correction methods, so exact starts can vary. A responsible tool shows its rules rather than promising specific events.
See the Luck Cycles in your chart when you calculate with an exact birth time.
Calculate your free BaZi chart