Day Master (Ilgan)

The Day Master (Ilgan) is the upper character of the Day Pillar — one of the ten Heavenly Stems, always paired with an element and a Yin/Yang polarity (Gap-Wood, Eul-Wood, Byeong-Fire, and so on). Every other layer of Saju interpretation — the Ten Gods, Yongsin selection, Gyeokguk classification, strength assessment, Daeun favorability — is computed relative to the Day Master. This is why two charts with identical pillars but different Day Masters produce entirely different readings. The Day Master is not the Day Pillar itself; the Day Pillar's lower character (Ilji, the Earthly Branch) represents the spouse and home, not the self.

Understanding your Day Master is the single most important concept in Saju — it is the 'I' that every other element in your chart supports, challenges, or transforms.