What Is the Manse Calendar (萬歲曆)?
The Manse Calendar (萬歲曆) is an almanac recording the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (天干地支) for tens of thousands of dates. '萬歲' means countless years, and '曆' means calendar. It is the most fundamental tool in the study of Four Pillars (사주명리학), allowing you to instantly look up the Year Pillar, Month Pillar, Day Pillar, and Hour Pillar for any given date.
Traditionally, the Manse Calendar existed as a thick printed book — an indispensable reference that fortune-tellers always kept at hand. Precisely determining the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for one's birth year, month, day, and hour is the very first step in reading a Four Pillars chart. The calendar plays a decisive role especially in calculating the precise transition of monthly pillars around solar terms, and daily pillars around midnight.
The 24 Solar Terms are a particularly important concept in the Manse Calendar. The 24 solar terms — Lichun (立春), Yushui (雨水), Jingzhe (驚蟄), etc. — are precisely determined by the sun's ecliptic longitude, and the monthly pillar transitions at the exact moment each solar term begins. Therefore, a person born the day before a solar term and a person born the day after will have different monthly pillars and thus different chart interpretations.
MANSHIN's online Manse Calendar instantly calculates the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for all four pillars from your birth date and time. It also provides a 60 Jiazi reference table, lunar date conversion, and a full 24 Solar Terms listing — making it useful for both beginners studying Four Pillars and professional fortune-tellers alike.
Sample Lookup · Four Seasons 2026
2026 Seasonal Manse Calendar Examples
These are examples showing actual Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for one day from each season in 2026 Byeong-o Year (丙午年). Enter your own birth date in the calculator above to get results in the same format.
※ The Day Pillar and Month Pillar below are accurately calculated based on solar terms. Hour Pillar is based on noon.
January 1, 2026 (Thursday)
Before Lichun · End of Winter
| Hour Pillar 時柱 |
Day Pillar 日柱 |
Month Pillar 月柱 |
Year Pillar 年柱 |
| 壬 |
丙 |
戊 |
乙 |
| 午 |
子 |
子 |
巳 |
| 壬午 |
丙子 |
戊子 |
乙巳 |
Summary — Day Master Bing-fire (丙火) rests upon midwinter Zi-water (子水) — like sunlight reflected on a frozen lake, pure and solitary.
Though this day marks the start of a new year, in astrological terms it is still the final stretch of Yi-Si Year (乙巳年) since Lichun (Feb 4) has not yet arrived, so the Year Pillar remains Yi-Si (乙巳). With Zi Month (子月) at its depths, Water energy is at its peak while Bing-fire (丙火) as Day Master rises above — like a single ray of sunlight across a frozen field. Set your New Year's resolutions but avoid overexertion; this is a day to consolidate inwardly and rest.
April 5, 2026 (Sunday)
Qingming (淸明) · Full Bloom of Spring
| Hour Pillar 時柱 |
Day Pillar 日柱 |
Month Pillar 月柱 |
Year Pillar 年柱 |
| 庚 |
辛 |
壬 |
丙 |
| 午 |
巳 |
辰 |
午 |
| 庚午 |
辛巳 |
壬辰 |
丙午 |
Summary — Day Master Xin-metal (辛金) rises at Qingming in Chen Month (辰月) — a jewel being refined in spring mud.
This day falls precisely at the Qingming solar term, marking the start of Chen Month (辰月). As the rains clear and flowers bloom in full, this is an excellent time to finish old matters and welcome new ones. With both Ren-water (壬水) and Bing-fire (丙火) in the heavenly stems — rain and sunshine falling together — transplanting seedlings or beginning new relationships shines brightest. For those with Xin-metal Day Master, this is a day when character gains its finest polish.
July 23, 2026 (Thursday)
Dashu (大暑) · Peak of Summer
| Hour Pillar 時柱 |
Day Pillar 日柱 |
Month Pillar 月柱 |
Year Pillar 年柱 |
| 庚 |
庚 |
乙 |
丙 |
| 午 |
午 |
未 |
午 |
| 庚午 |
庚午 |
乙未 |
丙午 |
Summary — Day Master Geng-metal (庚金) sits at Dashu in Wei Month (未月) — steel being tempered in a midsummer furnace.
The zenith of Dashu (大暑), one of the hottest days of the year. With Wu and Wei earthly branches stacking Fire energy heavily, this is a time of intense tempering for those with Geng-metal Day Master — the moment to make decisions and tie up loose ends. However, excessive activity will exhaust the body; rest in the shade at midday and use the coolness of dawn and dusk wisely. For Water Day Masters, this is a day of thirst — get plenty of rest and hydration.
October 23, 2026 (Friday)
Shuangjiang (霜降) · End of Autumn
| Hour Pillar 時柱 |
Day Pillar 日柱 |
Month Pillar 月柱 |
Year Pillar 年柱 |
| 壬 |
壬 |
戊 |
丙 |
| 午 |
辰 |
戌 |
午 |
| 壬午 |
壬辰 |
戊戌 |
丙午 |
Summary — Day Master Ren-water (壬水) at Shuangjiang in Xu Month (戌月) — deep autumn river water, clear and profound.
The Shuangjiang (霜降) solar term — the final energy of autumn ripening. With the thick Earth energy of Xu Month (戌月) and the Chen-Xu clash (辰戌沖) in play, this is a meaningful time to resolve old relationships and matters. Like counting the harvest and storing grain, it is a fine day to take stock of the year. For Ren-water Day Masters, the mind is at its sharpest — place important decisions, writing, and contracts in this period.
How to Read Manse Calendar Results — What to Do Next
The eight characters obtained from the Manse Calendar are only the starting point of a Four Pillars reading — they do not by themselves indicate good or bad fortune. The first thing to examine is the Day Master (日干) — the heavenly stem of the Day Pillar. This is the essence of who you are, and corresponds to one of ten types: Jia Wood, Yi Wood, Bing Fire, Ding Fire, Wu Earth, Ji Earth, Geng Metal, Xin Metal, Ren Water, or Gui Water.
The second thing to look at is the Month Branch (月支) — the earthly branch of the Month Pillar. This determines the 'seasonal quality' of the chart, and whether the Day Master is strong or weak in that season (gaining or losing power) shapes the entire direction of interpretation. Next, by tallying the ratio of all five elements across the eight characters to identify which are strong and which are weak, the supporting god (用神, yong-shin) that will help you throughout life begins to come into view.
The best way for beginners to study is to pull up the Manse Calendar for family members and close friends, then compare their personalities, careers, and life stories to the eight characters. Theory learned from books comes alive when you see it in real people.
If you find it difficult to interpret the eight characters on your own, simply follow the 'Get MANSHIN AI to Interpret Your Saju' link below the results. The MANSHIN AI will provide a detailed free interpretation covering Day Master, monthly season, Five Elements, Ten Gods, harmonies and clashes, and major luck cycles.
What Is the Manse Calendar?
The Manse Calendar (萬歲曆) is an Eastern almanac recording the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (天干地支) for thousands of years of dates. To construct a Four Pillars chart (四柱八字), one must know the Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch for the birth year, month, day, and hour — the Manse Calendar organizes all of this at a glance. The Year Pillar and Month Pillar change at Lichun (立春) and the other solar terms, while the Day Pillar cycles through the 60 Jiazi one day at a time. Today it is available as an online calculator for instant access.
60 Jiazi Reference Table
| No. | Jiazi | Reading |
No. | Jiazi | Reading |
No. | Jiazi | Reading |
24 Solar Terms
Lichun
立春
~Feb 4
Spring (Start)
Lixia
立夏
~May 6
Summer (Start)
Liqiu
立秋
~Aug 7
Autumn (Start)
Shuangjiang
霜降
~Oct 23
Autumn
Lidong
立冬
~Nov 7
Winter (Start)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the Manse Calendar?
The Manse Calendar (萬歲曆) is an almanac recording the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (天干地支) for thousands of years of dates. It is used when calculating the Four Pillars (四柱八字) to find the Year, Month, Day, and Hour Pillars for a person's birth date. Today it is available as an online calculator.
Q. What is the basis for calculating the Year Pillar?
The Year Pillar (年柱) changes at Lichun (立春, usually around February 4). For example, if you were born before Lichun on February 4, you use the previous year's stems and branches as your Year Pillar. Note that it is based on the solar term, not your birthday.
Q. How is the Month Pillar calculated?
The Month Pillar (月柱) changes at 12 solar terms (Lichun, Jingzhe, Qingming, Lixia, Mangzhong, Xiaoshu, Liqiu, Bailu, Hanlu, Lidong, Daxue, Xiaohan). The Month Branch starts with Yin (寅) in the first month, and the Month Stem is determined by the Year Stem. Years of Jia and Ji start from the Bing-Yin month; years of Yi and Geng start from the Wu-Yin month.
Q. What is the reference date for calculating the Day Pillar?
The reference date for calculating the Day Pillar (日柱) is January 1, 1900, which is the day of Jiaxu (甲戌). The number of days elapsed since this reference date is divided by 60, and the remainder is used to find the Day Pillar from the 60 Jiazi cycle. Leap years (February 29) are handled precisely.
Q. What if I don't know my birth hour?
If you don't know your birth hour (時), you can leave the Hour Pillar blank and only check the Year, Month, and Day Pillars. Since 70–80% of Four Pillars analysis is based on the Day Pillar, a meaningful analysis is still possible with just the Year, Month, and Day Pillars.
Q. What is the 60 Jiazi cycle?
The 60 Jiazi (六十甲子) is a cycle of 60 combinations of 10 Heavenly Stems (甲~癸) and 12 Earthly Branches (子~亥) paired in order. It begins with Jiazi (甲子) and ends with Guihai (癸亥), then repeats. In the Four Pillars, the Year, Month, Day, and Hour Pillars are all one of these 60 combinations.