秋分 Autumn Equinox: autumn solar term, September 22-24 秋分 · Qiū Fēn

Classical attributes

• Solar position: longitude 180°
• Date range: September 22-24
• Season: autumn (middle autumn)
• Type: 氣 — Mid-term — within month
• Month branch: 酉 (Rooster)

Climatic register

Day and night equal again; the autumn balance-point. From here, daylight shortens steadily until 冬至; the yin half of the year takes structural majority.

Hidden stems of the 酉 month branch

The 酉 earthly branch holds these heavenly stems internally — read in BaZi as the “hidden essence” of the month pillar:

• 辛 (Yin Metal, sole)

BaZi relevance

秋分 is the mid-term within the 酉 month pillar — the autumn balance-point mirroring 春分. For BaZi practice, charts cast around 秋分 often show the cleanest metal-element registers without the heat-residue of summer or the cold-overlay of winter.

QMDJ (Qi Men Dun Jia) relevance

Same as 大暑 — yin dun 7 (speech completion) opening, transitioning through 1 and 4. The autumn balance-point pairs with this deliberate-speech yin sequence. In the QMDJ system, 秋分 falls within the 陰遁 (yin dun, backward-rotating consolidation) half-year. The three thirds of this solar term map to 陰遁7局 (upper), 陰遁1局 (middle), and 陰遁4局 (lower) respectively. QMDJ consultations made during 秋分 carry the dun-period register stacked on top of the solar-term's seasonal energy.

For chart-aware QMDJ reading of a specific consultation made during 秋分, see the 18 Dun Periods reference for the relevant dun-period pages, or book a QMDJ forecasting consultation.

Observed register for 秋分 births

秋分 carries the register of poised reckoning — neither pushing forward nor holding back, weighing what has been harvested. Born around 秋分 often carries a temperamental balance and an instinct for fair judgment under pressure.

Why generic Autumn Equinox interpretation fails

The solar term is one structural layer of a BaZi chart, not the whole chart. The actual reading for someone born around 秋分 depends on the day pillar (the Day Master), the year and hour pillars, the chart's elemental balance, and the upcoming luck pillars. Generic per-solar-term descriptions can name the foundational seasonal register, but they cannot tell you what your specific chart says. Master Sean Chan’s BaZi consultation reads the full chart against your specific question.

• Identify whether your birth or your question's timing falls within 秋分 (September 22-24). For BaZi practice, this mid-term sits within the 酉 month pillar without changing it.
• Read the 秋分 register against your full chart. The solar term contributes a foundational layer; the rest of the chart determines actionable guidance.
• Plot your chart via the free BaZi Calculator to see how 秋分 interacts with your day, year, and hour pillars.
• Book chart-aware reading via BaZi consultation for high-stakes questions. Generic per-term reference is no substitute for the consultation.