Decline (衰) in the 12 stages of Ba Zi
Decline is a person just past their prime: a little less force, the deepest experience, and a steadier hand.
On this page
What Decline means
Decline is life just past the summit, in later middle age: less raw stamina than before, but judgement and experience are at their best. Strength begins to gather in, shifting from striving outward to holding steady, a mature stage that knows its limits.
Where it falls for each Day Master
Jia Wood in Chen, Yi Wood in Chou, Bing Fire in Wei, Ding Fire in Chen, Wu Earth in Wei, Ji Earth in Chen, Geng Metal in Xu, Xin Metal in Wei, Ren Water in Chou, Gui Water in Xu.
Decline on your Day branch
With the Day Master sitting on Decline, people often describe you as steady, cautious and measured; you dislike rushing in, but what you are given rarely goes wrong. You see things with more maturity than your age and know to leave some room. The thing to watch is thinking so long before acting that the moment passes; set yourself a point where thinking stops and doing starts.
On the Year, Month and Hour pillars
On the Year pillar, it is often read as a conservative or frugal household that taught you caution early. On the Month pillar, work tends to suit stable fields that value experience, and you are good at maintaining things and seeing them through. On the Hour pillar, it is traditionally read as a slower pace in later years, with a liking for quiet and familiar people.
A tip
Decline's strength is seeing far and holding firm. Writing down what you know and teaching it is your best outlet.
FAQ
Does Decline mean bad luck?
No. Decline describes the Day Master's strength easing down from its peak in that branch, not good or bad fortune. Plenty of steady people who build things over the long term have their Day Master on Decline.
Which Day pillars sit on Decline?
Four of the sixty pillars do: Jia Chen, Geng Xu, Yi Chou and Xin Wei, all on the earth branches Chen, Xu, Chou and Wei. These branches hide either the Day Master's own element or its Resource element, so the strength is not as low as the name suggests.
How do Decline, Sickness and Death differ?
All three are stages where strength draws in. Decline is just past the peak with energy to spare, Sickness is when energy is clearly lower and needs looking after, and Death is complete stillness. The names sound heavy, but they describe levels of energy, not health or lifespan.
The 12 stages
Ba Zi centres on the Day Master and Ten Gods; Zi Wei Dou Shu on your Life Palace star. Draw your Zi Wei chart to compare.
This is the general reading. On your own chart it shifts with the stars' brightness, the San Fang Si Zheng and the year you are in.
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