Birth Year and Offending the Tai Sui

In Feng Shui, the birth year is often considered an unlucky year. The folklore "Offending the Tai Sui in one's birth year, with the Tai Sui sitting overhead, brings either joy or disaster" best illustrates the unfavourability associated with the birth year. Therefore, the Han people commonly refer to the "birth year" as the "Hurdle Year," implying that passing through it is like stepping over a hurdle. During one's birth year, both adults and children are advised to wear red, believed to bring good luck and ward off evil, disasters, and mishaps. This reflects people's desires to ward off evil, avoid disasters, and pray for blessings.

Offending the Tai Sui refers to the situation where one's birth chart contains Five Elements that clash with the Heavenly Stem of the current year's Tai Sui. Traditional culture believes that being in the year of one's Tai Sui, or experiencing punishment, conflict, destruction, or harm from it, indicates that one's fortune may be affected, bringing numerous troubles. These can include legal disputes, relationship ups and downs, and accidental injuries.