About time zones!

[myfs_114051]

Dear Master Lee

If I was born in Melbourne, Australia at 10am (in December), do I need to change the time to Singapore/China time when I am calculating my BaZhi?

There is also daylight saving in Melbourne to take into account. December is summer here which is 3 hours behind Singapore. In that case must I convert 10am to 7am when I am calculating the four pillars?

Thank you for your time!

[Robert Lee]

Dear Anon,

Anonymous wrote:
If I was born in Melbourne, Australia at 10am (in December), do I need to change the time to Singapore/China time when I am calculating my BaZhi?

Anonymous wrote:
There is also daylight saving in Melbourne to take into account. December is summer here which is 3 hours behind Singapore. In that case must I convert 10am to 7am when I am calculating the four pillars?

It is best you use your default local time. Do not make any conversions using the GMT standard.

The reaons why this is so, is because:-

1. GMT timezones are very much simplified now-a-days, so frankly using GMT to subtract the timezone does not really give you the true location factor. It only influence one factor of the long. and lat. of birth.

2. Location Factor - In fact, if you really want to apply the location factor, one must logically use the actual long. and lat. of your birth place. However, even this is very flawed or will result in less accurate analysis if the information is 1 degree off. I mean realistically, how many people actually record the exact long. and lat. of when you are born? Even if you know the hospital that you are born, that does not really tell you the exact location within the hospital room that you are born. So the accuracy of such information will directly impact whether your ba zi analysis will be accurate or not. 1 degree off either the long. or lat. will give you an entirely different analysis.

3. The Ba Zi was designed in such a way that even if you do not have the hour of birth, the analysis can still be fairly accurate. This is because the luck forecast is determined by the Month pillar and Year pillar. So the hour really have little impact on that except to be able to better determine if you are a weak or strong character, and the exact balance of element percentage for you to fine tune your luck.

So because of these key reasons, we do not encourage anyone to apply any GMT timezone differences, but just use the local timezone for generating reports on our website.

Hope that helps.

Warmest Regards
Robert Lee
GEOMANCY.NET - Center for Applied Feng Shui Research

[myfs_114051]

Thank you Master Lee for your helpful and very detailed comments whichcleared much of my doubts!

If you ever see this reply again, may I know if you have a location in Singapore where you offer paid service for4 Pillars analysis? I find you and your website very professional and extremely informative and would like to learn more about this.

Xie Xie once again!

[Cecil Lee]

Gain insights about Time Zone under this link:

Extract from the above Thread
 

Is the use of Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT) necessary in Ba Zi?
APPLYING LOCATION FACTOR INTO BA ZI

1. In truth, the incorporation of TIME ZONE or LOCATION factors by contemporary practitioners is a modern adaptation that was not part of the original Ba Zi system developed in China.

2. The sole correct method from a technical standpoint is to incorporate the LOCATION factor into the Chinese Lunar Calendar. However, this approach presents two issues: -

a) A slight deviation of 0.01 degree in either latitude or longitude can significantly alter your Ba Zi chart. This minute error has the potential to decrease the accuracy of your chart, making it less reliable than a chart with an unknown hour pillar.

b) The majority of individuals do not possess their time of birth, let alone the precise location of birth. Therefore, why make the matter more complex.

3. Using GMT time zone is a bad way to apply the location factor, because GMT time zone only affects the longitude changes. Furthermore, GMT has been simplified so much so it is no longer as accurate as in the past.

4. Our stand on this issue is NOT to add these level of complication to the analysis. Meaning that you should just use your local time (regardless of what country), to analyse the Ba Zi.  

This is because if you truly understand how the Ba Zi works, the HOUR pillar will not make a major impact in terms of the 10-yearly, 5-yearly, yearly and monthly luck pillars.  

The hour pillar gives additional pillars available for combinations and clashes, so this can affect the final outcome of a person to be either weak or strong. A day without the hour will give the rough element strength of the day. Only a few hours may result in weak/strong element. Otherwise, not much change will occur. Your luck pillars will not be too badly influenced by the hour impact. Except for minor yearly and chart clash or harms that may occur. But these are minor as your general luck will not alter too much.  

5. This is why we can still analyse a person luck fairly well even if you do not provide the hour pillar. Just check out some of the masters who had done case study of famous people, you will noticed that they do it just with the date of birth. They don't even apply any location factor.  

Ba zi has designed to compensate from the lack of the hour pillar. So with or without the hour of birth, a person's chart can still be charted out. Just that with the hour pillar, your forecast will be more accurate.  

6. This is why we find no need to apply location into the Ba Zi. Just use your local time and it should be okay.  

7. You must always remember that a Ba Zi is supposed to be a heavenly GIVEN chart of what kind of luck you are supposed to have assuming your environment remains constant. This means it does not consider education, your house (earth luck), people around you, your career etc.  

However, in real life, how can you expect your environment to be the same all the time. Your luck is always being altered by your house luck, people around you, and your career.  

Let me give you some example:-

a. Given a pair of twins with the exact date and time of birth. One has primary education and one has a doctorate degree. Which you think will have better life. Most likely the one with a doctorate degree.  

b. Given a same pair of twins. One stays in US and one stays in IRAQ. Which will you think will have a better life. Again most likely US as it is more stable and peaceful, as compared to a war torn country such as IRAQ.  

c. Given two persons:-  

• Person A has the 10-year luck favourable to him, but he stays in a house with entrapped Feng Shui and death suitability to the home.
• Person B has the 10-year luck unfavourable to him, but he says in a house with excellent Feng Shui and prosperity suitability to the home.

 

The Person B will have actually a much better luck then person A. Cos, a person's earth luck has been ADVERSELY impacted which supercedes his Ba Zi luck.