Most students already knew each other from previous Modules, as Module 4 is an intensive final course of the BaZi Mastery Series and requires knowledge of the previous Modules. Old and familiar faces were spotted, and many were seen chatting with some of the Mastery Academy staff.
After all the niceties, it was time for some serious BaZi-studying. A deep and more thorough immersion in the classics is one of the hallmarks of BaZi Module 4, and students were taken through the Five Element Sheng Ke classics on the first day, which intensified their knowledge and understanding of the 5 Elements. On the following two days, much time was devoted to the 60 Pillars (Jia Zi) and its attributes, and careful attention was paid to extracting useful information from each of the 60 pillars.
This Module, more than any other, was full of practical exercises. Students were expected to immediately put into practice all that they had learned, and received plenty of training in the form of numerous BaZi charts – whether those of ordinary people, or those of famous celebrities, notable personalities, and even members of royalty. Students were visibly animated during this part, despite the obvious quiet concentration it entailed, because it was fun seeing how individual BaZi charts corresponded to a person's life or achievements. Indeed, a BaZi chart can read as an open book of one's life.
Also, the students were taken through some of the key BaZi classical texts like the 'Qiong Tong Bao Jian.' The 'Qiong Tong Bao Jian' is a classic text that consists of BaZi commentaries compiled into one book. In the process, many new techniques were revealed that took most students by surprise – as evident in their exclamations of surprise, and the excitement written on their faces. Also on the cards was the 'Di Tian Sui' classic, which is a famous Chinese Metaphysical text devoted solely to the subject of the 10 Heavenly Stems.
While Joey elicited much laughter with his amusingly direct commentaries, the classics also managed to get a giggle or two out of the students. Particularly humorous were certain parts of the 'Di Tian Sui,' which is known as the He Zhe Ge. This translates to the 'How Do You Know Song,' which allows for bite-sized nuggets of information on the BaZi of a person, a sort of instant application for the BaZi practitioner. These one-liners are often witty and funny, leaving many students chuckling away as the class proceeded.
Joey also shared some "secret" techniques typically used by BaZi practitioners, including the Ying Qi, which allows a person to know when a certain event will actually occur. Some of these techniques are typically not thought of as being directly related or influenced by BaZi, but indeed, students were proven wrong in this Module – again and again!
On Day 5 of Module 4, the final day of the course, students were also taught certain methods of Date Selection, including the date selection method for Caesarean births, which is an extremely in-demand skill requested of BaZi practitioners. This particular method registered quite a bit of interest among the students, as selecting the date for Caesarean births nets quite a bit of money on the professional BaZi circuit!
As those who complete BaZi Module 4 can be considered official 'BaZi professionals,' Module 4 ended on a high note with the graduation dinner. Spirits were high among the 'graduates' who had made it through the grueling and demanding pace of the last module, and a superb time was enjoyed by all.