立春 Beginning of Spring: spring solar term, February 3-5 立春 · Lì Chūn

Classical attributes

• Solar position: longitude 315°
• Date range: February 3-5
• Season: spring (early spring)
• Type: 節 — Sectional term — month transition
• Month branch: 寅 (Tiger)

Climatic register

The first warm winds of the year stir what was frozen; the eastward-flowing energy of yang wood asserts itself for the first time after winter dormancy.

Hidden stems of the 寅 month branch

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

• 甲 (Yang Wood, primary)
• 丙 (Yang Fire, transitional)
• 戊 (Yang Earth, residual)

BaZi relevance

立春 is one of the most-watched solar terms in BaZi practice. As the sectional term that opens the 寅 month pillar, the day of 立春 is when the BaZi year pillar itself transitions — the lunar new year is one date, but the BaZi year transitions specifically on 立春 (between Feb 3 and Feb 5 each year). Someone born on Feb 3 in a year where 立春 falls on Feb 4 may have the previous year's pillar entirely; someone born on Feb 4 a few hours after 立春 has the new year. For chart-casting accuracy, the exact 立春 timestamp matters.

QMDJ (Qi Men Dun Jia) relevance

Yang dun 8 (the accumulation register) opens the yang-spring sequence. 立春 is one of the most-watched solar terms in QMDJ practice because it coincides with the BaZi year transition. In the QMDJ system, 立春 falls within the 陽遁 (yang dun, forward-rotating expansion) half-year. The three thirds of this solar term map to 陽遁8局 (upper), 陽遁5局 (middle), and 陽遁2局 (lower) respectively. QMDJ consultations made during 立春 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 立春, see the 18 Dun Periods reference for the relevant dun-period pages, or book a QMDJ forecasting consultation.

Observed register for 立春 births

立春 marks classical assertion — beginnings, the first decisive movement after a period of waiting. Born around 立春 carries the pioneering energy of the Tiger month and the yang-wood register that supports decisive breakthrough action. Career-launch consultations frequently cite this period as auspicious for new ventures.

Why generic Beginning of Spring interpretation fails

The solar term is one structural layer of a BaZi chart, not the whole chart. The actual reading for someone born around 立春 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 立春 (February 3-5). For BaZi practice, this sectional term marks the month-pillar transition — births before vs. after the exact Beginning of Spring timestamp have different month pillars.
• Read the 立春 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 立春 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.