Dynamics
Annual Pillars
The stem-and-branch pair of a specific year, the most granular common timing layer.
Liu Nian
An annual pillar is the stem-and-branch pair of a specific year, read as the most granular common timing layer above the natal chart and the active luck pillar. Timing is conventionally read as three stacked layers — the natal chart, the decade pillar, and the year — rather than any one in isolation. The annual pillar is cast deterministically, while the meaning of its interaction with the chart is interpretive.