The Twenty-Four Solar Terms — The Rhythm of the Chart

Solar terms divide the year into 24 segments by solar longitude. BaZi changes months at solar terms — not at lunar new moons.

What Solar Terms Are

Solar terms divide the year by the sun's celestial longitude — every 15° marks a new term, twenty-four in total. Their names come from climate and agriculture: Lichun (start of spring), Yushui (rain water), Jingzhe (insects awaken), Chunfen (spring equinox), Qingming (clear and bright), and so on.

The 24 terms split into two types of 12:

• Jie (the 12 "nodes"): each marks the start of a BaZi month — Lichun, Jingzhe, Qingming, Lixia, Mangzhong, Xiaoshu, Liqiu, Bailu, Hanlu, Lidong, Daxue, Xiaohan
• Qi (the 12 "breaths"): each marks the middle of a BaZi month

BaZi Changes Months at Solar Terms, NOT at the Lunar New Moon

The most important point: the BaZi month pillar transitions on a Jie solar term, not on the first day of the lunar month.

Example: Lichun 2026 falls on the morning of 4 February. So:

• Born before that moment: still in 'last year' (乙巳, ending the twelfth month 丑)
• Born after that moment: entering 丙午 year's first month (寅)

So a person born 30 January 2026 has year pillar 乙巳 — and their BaZi zodiac is still Snake, not Horse.

Seasonal Energies

The 24 terms group into four seasons, each governed by an element:

• Spring (寅卯辰 months): Wood is in season — wood Day Masters are strong
• Summer (巳午未): Fire is in season
• Autumn (申酉戌): Metal is in season
• Winter (亥子丑): Water is in season
• Each season's last 18 days: Earth becomes co-dominant

Whether your Day Master is strong or weak, and what your favourable element is, both begin from "Day Master and the season".

Solar Terms in Daily Life

Beyond BaZi, solar terms also guide:

• Lichun — set intentions, walk in spring
• Qingming — honour ancestors
• Xiazhi — nurture heart energy, avoid excessive heat
• Dongzhi — nurture kidney energy, family reunion
• Equinoxes — balance breath, adjust schedules

(Minglitang's solar terms calendar tool gives the exact time of each term per year.)

Next step

Learn about True Solar Time — why "noon" is not the same in every city.