Glossary

Glossary of divination and calendar terms

Published Oct 29, 2026

A–Z of the words you will meet across Yorozu Goyomi, from the eto and the old Japanese calendar to Sanmeigaku, Nine Star Ki, tarot and astrology. Japanese terms are given in romanised form, followed by the original characters.

Ankensatsu 暗剣殺 (“hidden sword”): One of the unlucky directions in Nine Star Ki: the direction opposite the one where the Five Yellow Earth Star sits. It is said to bring unexpected misfortune. More
Ascendant: In Western astrology, the point where the eastern horizon meets the ecliptic at the moment of birth. The sign it falls in is called the rising sign. More
Body star chart 人体星図 (jintai seizu): In Sanmeigaku, the chart that arranges the ten main stars and twelve subordinate stars in the shape of a human body. Also called the yang chart (yōsen). More
Bosōnichi 母倉日 (“mother’s storehouse day”): A lucky day on which heaven is said to cherish people as a mother raises her child. It is considered good for celebrations such as weddings. (This site’s lucky day calendars do not list it.)
Central star 中心星 (chūshinsei): In the Sanmeigaku body star chart, the main star in the chest (the centre). It is said to show a person’s true nature, and is set by the relation between the day stem and the hidden stems of the birth month’s branch. More
Chū 冲 (clash): The relation between two of the twelve branches that sit directly opposite each other. It stands for opposition and change. More
Daiun 大運 (ten-year luck cycle): In the Four Pillars and Sanmeigaku, the flow of fortune that changes every ten years. Depending on the school or book it is read either “taiun” or “daiun”. More
Day stem 日干 (nikkan): The heavenly stem of the day you were born. In the Four Pillars it represents you yourself. More
Doyō 土用: The roughly 18 days before each of Risshun, Rikka, Risshū and Rittō (the starts of spring, summer, autumn and winter), when the energy of earth grows strong. More
Ehō 恵方 (lucky direction of the year): The direction where Toshitokujin, the god of the year, resides: the most fortunate direction of that year. More
Feng shui 風水 (fūsui): An approach born in China that arranges homes and land according to the flow of energy (qi) and yin-yang and the five elements. More
Five elements 五行 (gogyō): The five energies of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. More
Five grids 五格 (gokaku): In Japanese name divination, the five values of the heaven, person, earth, outer and total grids. More
Four Pillars of Destiny 四柱推命 (shichū suimei): An East Asian method of divination that reads the four stem-and-branch pairs of the year, month, day and hour of birth. More
Fujōjubi 不成就日 (“day of no fulfilment”): An unlucky day on which nothing is said to come to fruition. People avoid starting things on it. More
Geppa 月破 (“month breaker”): The direction opposite the month’s zodiac branch, treated as unlucky. More
Goō-satsu 五黄殺 (“Five Yellow kill”): The direction where the Five Yellow Earth Star sits in a given year or month. It is considered the worst direction, one where you bring trouble on yourself. More
Hassen 八専: Within a 12-day stretch that comes six times a year, the eight days on which the stem and branch share the same element. Considered unlucky for Buddhist rites and demolition. More
Hidden stems 蔵干 (zōkan): The heavenly stems held inside each of the twelve earthly branches. More
Hiwa 比和: The relation between two of the same element. More
Honmei-satsu 本命殺: The direction where your own main star sits. An unlucky direction said to affect your health and yourself. More
Honmei-sei 本命星 (main star): The Nine Star Ki star of your birth year. In Nine Star Ki it represents you yourself. More
Honmei-tekisatsu 本命的殺: The direction opposite the one where your main star sits. An unlucky direction in which you are said to lose sight of your goals easily. More
Ichiryū-manbai-bi 一粒万倍日: A lucky day on which a single grain of rice is said to multiply ten-thousandfold. Considered good for starting things. More
Ichiyō raifuku 一陽来復: The turning point at the winter solstice, when yin reaches its peak and yang begins to return. Also a figure of speech for luck opening up after a run of bad times. More
Inu no hi 戌の日 (Dog day): A day whose zodiac branch is the Dog. Because dogs are said to give birth easily, there is a custom of praying for a safe delivery and wearing a maternity sash on a Dog day in the fifth month of pregnancy. More
Isōhō 位相法 (phase method): In Sanmeigaku, a method that reads your connections with people and periods from combinations of stems and branches, such as harmony, clash, punishment, harm and break. More
Jushinichi 受死日: One of the worst days among the calendar notes. Also called kurobi (“black day”), it is considered unlucky for everything except funerals. More
Kanreki 還暦: The return of your birth year’s eto after one full 60-year cycle: your 60th birthday (61 by the traditional count). More
Kimon 鬼門 (“demon gate”): The north-east (Ox–Tiger) direction, through which evil influences are said to come and go. More
Kinoe-ne day 甲子の日: The day of Kinoe-ne, the first of the sixty stem-and-branch pairs. It comes once every 60 days and is said to be good for beginning things. More
Kūbō 空亡 (void): The two zodiac branches left over when the stems and branches are paired up. Also called tenchūsatsu. More
Later Heaven chart 後天定位盤 (kōten teii-ban): The basic arrangement of the nine stars, with the Five Yellow Earth Star in the centre. More
Life path number: In numerology, a person’s basic number, found by adding up the digits of the date of birth. More
Lucky direction 吉方位 (kippōi): In Nine Star Ki, a direction where fortune is said to be good as seen from your main star. It is read from the year chart and the month chart. More
Major Arcana: The 22 trump cards of tarot, from the Fool to the World. More
Master numbers: In numerology, the numbers 11, 22 and 33 (and 44 in some schools) that are kept as they are rather than added together. More
Meishiki 命式 (birth chart): In the Four Pillars and Sanmeigaku, the table that sets out the stem-and-branch pairs of the year, month and day (and hour) of birth. More
Mi no hi 巳の日 (Snake day): A day whose zodiac branch is the Snake. Snakes are said to be messengers of the goddess Benzaiten, so the day is considered good for praying for money and the arts. More
Mikyō and mijaku 身強・身弱 (strong and weak self): In the Four Pillars, whether the day stem is strong or weak within the chart. More
Minor Arcana: The 56 cards of tarot made up of the four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. More
Nacchin 納音: A system that pairs up the sixty stem-and-branch combinations two by two and gives each pair an element. In Sanmeigaku’s isōhō it has a different meaning: a combination with the same heavenly stem whose earthly branches clash. More
Nakshatra: In Indian astrology, one of the 27 divisions of the Moon’s path. They correspond to the 27 lunar mansions (shuku) of Sukuyō. List
Nine stars 九星 (kyūsei): The nine stars from the One White Water Star to the Nine Purple Fire Star. List · More
Onmyōryō 陰陽寮: The government bureau in ancient Japan, under the ritsuryō legal system, in charge of divination, astronomy, the calendar and timekeeping.
Oracle cards: Cards with no fixed number or system, each deck illustrating themes and messages chosen by its creator. They are read more freely than tarot, which always has 78 cards. What is tarot?
Power spot: A place such as a shrine, mountain or waterfall that is said to settle your mind when you visit. A recent term. More
Reversed position 逆位置: In tarot, a card that comes up upside down. It is read as the upright meaning being weakened, turned inward and so on. More
Rokuyō 六曜 (six-day cycle): The six days Senshō, Tomobiki, Senbu, Butsumetsu, Taian and Shakkō, set by the date in the old lunar calendar. More
Saiha 歳破 (“year breaker”): The direction opposite the year’s zodiac branch, treated as unlucky. More
Sangō 三合 (three harmonies): A combination of three zodiac branches spaced four apart. It stands for strong cooperation. More
Sanrinbō 三隣亡: A calendar note considered unlucky for building. Ridge-raising ceremonies and the like are avoided on these days. More
Setsuiri 節入り: The moment of entering one of the twelve “setsu” among the 24 solar terms, the ones that begin a month (Risshun, Keichitsu, Seimei and so on). Months in the stem-and-branch calendar change at setsuiri. The 24 solar terms
Shigō 支合 (branch harmony): Also called rikugō. A pair of zodiac branches with a strong bond. More
Shukumei tenchūsatsu 宿命天中殺 (inborn void): In Sanmeigaku, having the branches of your void within your own birth chart from birth. More
Sixty-year cycle 六十干支 (rokujikkanshi): The sixty combinations of the ten stems and twelve branches. List · More
Sōjō 相生 (generating cycle): The relation in which one element gives rise to the next (wood → fire → earth → metal → water → wood). More
Sōkoku 相剋 (controlling cycle): The relation in which one element holds another in check (wood → earth → water → fire → metal → wood). More
Spread: A layout of tarot cards, such as the one-card draw, the three-card spread or the Celtic Cross. More
Ten gods 通変星 (tsūhensei): The ten stars that express how the day stem relates to the other stems. More
Ten heavenly stems 十干 (jikkan): The ten stems Kinoe, Kinoto, Hinoe, Hinoto, Tsuchinoe, Tsuchinoto, Kanoe, Kanoto, Mizunoe and Mizunoto (甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸). More
Ten main stars 十大主星 (jūdai shusei): The ten kinds of star placed in the centre and the four sides of the Sanmeigaku body star chart. They show character and roles. More (by star: Kansaku, Sekimon, Hōkaku, Chōjo, Rokuzon, Shiroku, Shaki, Kengyū, Ryūkō, Gyokudō)
Tenchūsatsu 天中殺 (void): In Sanmeigaku, the period when the two zodiac branches missing from the ten-day group (shun) of your day pillar come round: two years in every twelve, and two months in every twelve. It is the same as kūbō in the Four Pillars. More
Ten’onnichi 天恩日 (“day of heaven’s grace”): A lucky day on which you are said to receive heaven’s blessings. Good for happy occasions. More
Tenshabi 天赦日: The luckiest day in the calendar. More
Tora no hi 寅の日 (Tiger day): A day whose zodiac branch is the Tiger. Tigers are said to “go a thousand miles and come back a thousand miles”, so the day is considered good for setting out on journeys and for money luck (such as buying a new wallet). More
Trigrams 八卦 (hakke): The eight basic figures of the I Ching: Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen and Kun (乾兌離震巽坎艮坤). More
Tsuchinoto-mi day 己巳の日: A Snake day whose stem-and-branch pair is Tsuchinoto-mi. It comes once every 60 days and, being closely tied to the goddess Benzaiten, is considered especially good for money luck. More
Twelve day officers 十二直 (jūnichoku): The twelve calendar notes Tatsu, Nozoku, Mitsu, Taira, Sadan, Toru, Yaburu, Ayabu, Naru, Osamu, Hiraku and Tozu, which show each day’s fortune. More
Twelve earthly branches 十二支 (jūnishi): The twelve branches Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig (子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥). More
Twelve stages 十二運 (jūniun): The strength of the day stem expressed in twelve stages, one for each zodiac branch. More
Twelve subordinate stars 十二大従星 (jūni daijūsei): In Sanmeigaku, the twelve kinds of star that show how strong your energy is in each period of life. More
Twenty-four solar terms 二十四節気 (nijūshi sekki): The seasonal divisions that split the year into 24 by the movement of the Sun. List
Yang chart 陽占 (yōsen): Another name for the Sanmeigaku body star chart. More
Yin and yang 陰陽 (in’yō): A way of seeing everything as two energies that oppose and complete each other. More
Yin chart 陰占 (insen): In Sanmeigaku, the part of the birth chart that sets out the stems and branches of the year, month and day together with their hidden stems. More

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