BAZI KNOWLEDGE BASE
Nine Uglies in BaZi: nine Day Pillars, the name and common misconceptions
Nine Uglies (Jiu Chou, 九丑) is a historical group of stem-branch pairs recorded in Sanming Tonghui and commonly checked against nine complete Day Pillars. Its name does not refer to the Earthly Branch (one of twelve symbols used in the lower position of a chart column) Chou 丑 or establish physical appearance. Understanding the list, the pillar being checked and the old commentary helps keep these meanings separate.
The complete nine-pair list
Grouping the pairs by Day Stem (the upper symbol in the birth-day column) makes the list easier to check. Some stems have two entries and Yi has only one. Do not recombine every stem and branch appearing in the table.
| Day Stem | Jiu Chou pairs |
|---|---|
| Ren | Ren-Zi 壬子; Ren-Wu 壬午 |
| Wu 戊 | Wu-Zi 戊子; Wu-Wu 戊午 |
| Ji | Ji-You 己酉; Ji-Mao 己卯 |
| Yi | Yi-Mao 乙卯 |
| Xin | Xin-You 辛酉; Xin-Mao 辛卯 |
Why do some Mao days qualify while others do not?
Xin-Mao, Ji-Mao and Yi-Mao are listed; Ding-Mao and Gui-Mao are not. The shared Mao branch does not settle membership when the stem changes. Xin-Chou is also absent: having Chou in the Day Branch (the lower symbol in the birth-day column) does not make a day Jiu Chou.
If Xin-Mao appears in the Month Pillar (the two-symbol column for the birth month) of a report, check whether it is using an additional all-pillar convention. That is not the Day-Pillar (the two-symbol column for the birth day) lookup explained here. An exact location is more informative than repeating the name across the whole chart.
Can Jiu Chou be converted directly into Peach Blossom?
No. Although all listed branches are Zi, Wu 午, Mao or You, Peach Blossom first derives a target from the Year or Day Branch’s trine group, then searches for that target in the chart. Its reference and matching unit differ.
Xin-Mao matches the Jiu Chou list. For a Day-Branch Peach Blossom lookup, Mao belongs to Hai–Mao–Wei and targets Zi. The single Xin-Mao pillar does not tell you whether Zi appears elsewhere, so it does not establish both markers.
What does the negative name say about the person?
It first identifies how a table classifies a date. Historical judgments about appearance, sexuality and marriage belong to their social setting; they are not facts measured by the Day Pillar. People sharing a day do not thereby share appearance or relationship history.
Clarify currently does not calculate Jiu Chou or derive appearance or relationship scores from it. Use the guide to identify the term; attraction, fidelity and compatibility need information from actual contact with the person.