What Is a Day Master (일간) in Saju?
The Day Master (일간, ilgan) is the Heavenly Stem of the pillar representing the day you were born — one of ten possible stems (갑, 을, 병, 정, 무, 기, 경, 신, 임, 계). It's traditionally treated as the single most important character in a Saju chart, representing the core of a person's identity, more so than the year, month, or hour pillar.
Each Day Master belongs to one of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water) and one of two polarities (Yang or Yin), giving ten distinct types in total. Traditional readings describe each type with its own rough personality archetype — for example Wood-Yang (갑) is often compared to a tall tree, while Water-Yin (계) is compared to morning dew.
Your Day Master alone doesn't determine your whole chart — the other seven characters (three stems, four branches from the other three pillars) interact with it in ways a full reading takes into account. The Saju Calculator on this site works out your Day Master along with your complete Four Pillars chart.
For entertainment and self-reflection purposes only. Not a substitute for professional advice.