Chinese Astrology: Inner Landscape Readings

with Dr. Paul Arellano

萬物之所生也,性於從 

“Each being’s life unfolds according to its inner nature” 

-The Book of Zhou

Explore your inner landscape through the lens of 八字 "BaZi" natal chart reading. This system examines the elemental and zodiac symbols present at your time of birth to construct an ecological picture of your Inner Landscape, populated by elemental forces, animals and stars. The result is a map of this unique Inner Landscape: the resources present in you and the forces governing growth, transformation and self-actualization in your life.

In reading this map, we walk through how to make the most of the resources present in your being to fulfill your dreams and navigate difficult situations and decisions in life. Where there is a lack of resource, we explore how to best find and draw on these resources in the world. We will also look at the timing of auspicious moments and opportunities throughout life. This is a practical problem-solving system, and is best employed when there are specific goals or questions in mind to consult the map to find the best routes to the destinations you are seeking.

At its heart, a BaZi reading offers a mirror in which we can glimpse a new dimension of ourselves. BaZi reveals our own inner being through natural image and landscape, and just as each landscape has a unique ecology, full of life and bounty, by developing a sense of our own we are able to cultivate and share that personal bounty to promote wellbeing in ourselves, our communities and the world at large. 

Inner Landscape Example Chart:

Here, using Frida Kahlo’s Bazi Chart as an example, we can see how the elements and zodiac animals of a chart become an Inner Landscape image. Above is a sample of her Bazi Chart, with the color of the animals representing their associated elements (Fire for Horse, Earth for Dragon and Goat, Wood for Rabbit). Frida’s chart is extremely hot and dry, with so much fire and earth — but no water! The hour a person is born in symbolizes a dominant aspect of their personality, so the Rabbit in the foreground is symbolic of Frida’s personality and relationship with the “Landscape” of her life.

As the picture of her Inner Landscape visualizes, this as a chart and life full of passion, inspiration and daring but also precariousness, with the dominating influence of Fire threatening to overwhelm the whole landscape if nothing is brought in to contain it.

Discover your Inner Landscape— the unique skills and opportunities present in your BaZi chart!

I began my study in BaZi with Dr. Manfred Kubny in 2018, and spent the next two years developing my skills in mapping and analyzing charts. Since 2020, I have offered BaZi readings for individuals, couples and businesses; and I also offer comparative compatibility charts for couples who want to explore how their respective inner landscapes relate and can best harmonize. 

Are you feeling stuck in your work, your relationships or personal development? Many of these obstructions are a simple matter of identifying the helpful resources - activities, structures and attitudes in our life - and consciously nurturing those things. Inner Landscape reading will help you to realize these dynamics in your life, work and relationships.

What you can expect:

  • Before your visit with me, I will send an email to you to get your birthday, time and place to begin calculating your BaZi chart.

  • I will spend time calculating and analyzing your chart by hand, which I will then translate into the Inner Landscape map, with all insights spelled out in detail.

  • A 90-minute reading (Zoom or in person for PDX), walking through the map of your Inner Landscape in which I offer an analysis of your personal constitution, character, and the symbolic archetypes which benefit and/or hinder the unfolding and development of your particular "ecology."

  • A digital copy of your Inner Landscape Map with written descriptions of everything covered in the reading.

  • A personalized image of your inner landscape