By Janet Shin
What do you think saju is about? Is it superstition or science? Is it occultism or tradition?
One of my students answered it is statistics. There indeed is a contention that saju reading records had been collected for about 1,400 years until the theories were written for the textbooks during the 960-1279 Song Dynasty since the naissance of this study in China. On top of that, saju scholars referred to additional 350 years of reading records until they wrote more sophisticated books in the 1636-1912 Qing Dynasty. Some specific statistical data was found that saju readings for approximately 200 people were done during the 1368-1644 Ming Dynasty, which seems worthy of reference considering the size of the industry at that time.
When we say “statistics,” it is not a matter of inevitability but of probability. By insisting on statistics, saju may take the heavy and burdensome cloth of mysticism off its shoulders. However it may lose its specialty and clairvoyance at the same time. The probability is not a matter of destiny anymore.
My answer to this delicate question is both yes and no. I say yes because I have certain statistical data to read one's life based on saju. I say no because saju still has unverifiable areas that can only be interpreted by the expertise of saju masters.
Various occupations and aptitudes can be read by the characteristics of the day masters and its structure. It can be saju's statistical aspect. For example, wood day masters are gentle but success-oriented. They are most likely to be teachers or in the teaching business. Fire day masters are artistic and freewheeling but courteous. Earth people are credible and they tend to become mediators and planners. Metal people are resolute and decisive. They are apt to be in finance and accounting. Water people are adaptable for information and the internet industry. Distribution and interchange are their plausible vocational aptitudes. Usually metal and water represent the internet and computers while fire may represent telecommunication.
Ma Yun, or Jack Ma, co-founder and CEO of Alibaba Group, was born with the energy of yang water day master. Education seems to be his main concern rather than money. Bill Gates of Microsoft and Lee Kun-hee of Samsung Group are also water day masters. Jeff Bezos of Amazon has a metal day master and Steve Jobs of Apple has a fire day master. One thing to catch our attention is all of them are yang day masters, who established global companies and achieved tremendous success although their individual pursuits of life are not identical and have singularities according to the structure of their saju.
Information : Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teachings, the “Four Pillars of Destiny” and oriental ways of fortune telling or fortune tellers? Janet teaches Saju for the public at Seoul National University of Education. For further information, visit Janet's website at
www.janetshin.modoo.at or her blog, https://blog.naver.com/janet_shin.You can also contact her at 010-5414-7461 or email janetshin.kor@gmail.com
The writer is the author of “Life's Secrets.”