The strength and weakness of the Daymaster play a crucial role in selecting the Favorable God (Yong Shen).
When assessing the strength and weakness of each of the Five Elements in a Bazi chart, everything revolves around the Daymaster. The strength and weakness of different Five Elements are not merely indicators of the Six Kin (六亲) and matters they represent; they are also the carriers, signs, causes, and results of the Daymaster’s own good and ill fortune. Different Five Elements bring different influences to the Daymaster. Assessing the strength and weakness of each Five Element is to assess everything about the Daymaster. This includes ancestral Feng Shui, the status of the Six Kin, personality and temperament, as well as marriage, children, injuries, disasters, illnesses, and the overall quality of the Bazi chart.
Different Five Elements, in different times and regions, exhibit subtle yet distinct changes in their states. The powers they wield, the effects they demonstrate, and the phenomena they produce are all distinct, each indicating changes occurring within the Daymaster, whether auspicious or inauspicious.
In nature, a plant that blossoms in a certain month will also shed its flowers in a certain month; one that bears fruit in a certain month will wither and decay in another. This illustrates the influence of the Month Branch (月令) and seasons on the same Five Element, and also how the same Five Element changes differently over time. Another example: the same species, a mandarin orange grown south of the Huai River becomes a trifoliate orange when grown north of the Huai River, and in some places it cannot grow at all. The influence of space and the existing state of the Five Elements are inseparable. The influence of time and space is always paramount.
The Twelve Stages of Life Cycle (生旺死绝, Shēng Wàng Sǐ Jué) of the Heavenly Stems’ Five Elements, which are based on the strength and weakness of the Heavenly Stems’ Five Elements in the Month Branch (月令), illustrate the entire process of development and change of things from birth, prosperity, decline, to death. This process is the inevitable law of development for all things. Concurrently, the significant differences between Yin and Yang Stems (阴干与阳干) demonstrate the duality inherent in the development of things.
Only through the Month Branch (月令) can it be shown whether a Heavenly Stem ‘Gains Command’ (得令) or not, indicating that all phenomena of the Heavenly Stems are reflected in the Earthly Branches (地支).
I. Standards for Daymaster Strength and Weakness
The strength and weakness of the Daymaster encompass four aspects: ‘Gaining Command’ (得令, Dé Lìng), ‘Gaining Location’ (得地, Dé Dì), ‘Gaining Support’ (得生, Dé Shēng), and ‘Gaining Assistance’ (得助, Dé Zhù).
Gaining Command (得令): The Daymaster is considered to have ‘Gained Command’ if, when checking the Heavenly Stems’ Twelve Stages of Life Cycle chart (十天干，十二宫生旺死绝表) based on the Month Branch (月令), it falls within the stages from ‘Birth’ (长生) to ‘Peak’ (帝旺).
Gaining Location (得地): The Daymaster is considered to have ‘Gained Location’ if it has ‘Birth’ (长生), ‘Prosperity’ (禄), ‘Blade’ (刃), or its ‘Original Qi’ (本气) in other Earthly Branches.
Gaining Assistance (得助): The Daymaster is considered to have ‘Gained Assistance’ if it receives help from other Heavenly Stems in the form of ‘Friend’ (比肩) or ‘Rob Wealth’ (劫财).
Gaining Support (得生): The Daymaster is considered to have ‘Gained Support’ if it receives support from other Heavenly Stems and the ‘Original Qi’ (本气) of Earthly Branches.
Of the above four conditions, ‘Gaining Command’ (得令) is primary. Under the condition of ‘Gaining Command’, if one of the other three conditions is met, the Daymaster is considered ‘Strong’ (身旺); if two are met, it’s ‘Very Strong’ (强旺); if all three are met, it’s ‘Extremely Strong’ (旺极). For the actual assessment of strength and weakness, one must also consider the results of Heavenly Stem transformations (天干互化) and clashes, harms, and combinations (刑冲合害) among the Earthly Branches.
When assessing the strength and weakness of Heavenly Stems, it is crucial to pay attention to the different meanings represented by the Twelve Stages of Life Cycle (十二宫). These are very important indicators when determining the level of the destiny chart (命局层次), the degree of auspiciousness or inauspiciousness, and the timing of good or bad events. The implications of the Heavenly Stems in the Twelve Stages of Life Cycle cannot be fully expressed by the Five Element interactions (五行生克) alone; they often influence the outcome of Five Element interactions.
For example: From ‘Birth’ (长生) to ‘Peak’ (帝旺), all are considered to have ‘Gained Command’ (得令). The distinction is that ‘Birth’ (长生), ‘Bath’ (沐浴), and ‘Belt’ (冠带) indicate ‘Gaining Command’, while ‘Official’ (临官) and ‘Peak’ (帝旺) indicate ‘Gaining Strong Command’ (得旺令). ‘Gaining Command’ is like the sun rising in the east, while ‘Gaining Strong Command’ is like the sun at its zenith. From ‘Decline’ (衰) to ‘Nourishment’ (养), all are considered to have ‘Lost Command’ (失令). However, ‘Fetus’ (胎) and ‘Nourishment’ (养) represent moments of Yin and Yang transition, and so on. These details will determine the results of Five Element interactions, and even the overall quality of the destiny chart.
II. Specific Standards for a Strong Daymaster
- Gaining Command (得令). The Daymaster is strong in the Month Branch (月令), being in the stages of ‘Birth’ (长生), ‘Bath’ (沐浴), ‘Belt’ (冠带), or ‘Official’ (临官), which is considered ‘Gaining Command’.
- The Daymaster has a strong root (强根) in the Earthly Branches.
- The Daymaster has a combination (合局) in the Earthly Branches, forming the same Five Element as the Daymaster.
- If the Daymaster is not strong, but there are Five Elements that support or protect the Daymaster present.
- There are no draining or weakening (泄耗) forces present in the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, or the draining/weakening forces are less than the Daymaster’s strength.
III. Specific Standards for a Weak Daymaster:
- Lacking Command (不得令). The Daymaster is weak in the Month Branch (月令), being in the stages of ‘Decline’ (衰), ‘Sickness’ (病), ‘Death’ (死), ‘Emptiness’ (绝), ‘Fetus’ (胎), or ‘Nourishment’ (养), which is considered ‘Losing Command’ (失令) or ‘Lacking Command’.
- The Daymaster has no strong root (强根) in the Earthly Branches.
- The Daymaster’s strong root (强根) in the Earthly Branches is transformed (合化) into Five Elements that attack, drain, or weaken the Daymaster.
- The attacking, draining, or weakening Five Elements form a combination (合局) in the Earthly Branches.
- The Five Elements that support and protect the Daymaster are attacked or consumed by other Five Elements. For example:
Example One
The Daymaster Ji Earth (己土) is born in the You (酉) month, which is a place of ‘Birth’ (长生). It receives assistance from the Companion Star Ji Earth (己土) in the hour pillar, and has roots in the year branch Xu Earth (戌土), day branch Wei Earth (未土), and hour branch Si Fire (已火). Geng Metal (庚金) appears in the year pillar, gaining strong command, rooted in the year branch with vitality. The hour branch is considered ‘Birth’ (长生), and the month branch is a strong root (本气强根) of its original Qi. This chart is comprehensively analyzed as a Strong Daymaster (身旺), and the Hurting Officer (伤官) is also strong. The Favorable Gods (用神) are Eating God, Hurting Officer, Wealth, and Official. The Taboo Gods (忌神) are Resource and Companion Stars. Attention should also be paid to the changes of the Favorable God in the annual and ten-year luck pillars.
Example Two
The Daymaster Ding Fire (丁火) is born in the Shen (申) month, ‘Gaining Command’ (得令). It receives assistance from two Bing Fire (丙火) Heavenly Stems appearing in the year and month pillars, and additionally, the year branch Wu Fire (午火) serves as a strong root (强根). Gui Water (癸水) as Seven Killings (七杀) appears in the hour pillar (透干), but it does not ‘Gain Command’ (不得令), yet it sits on its own ‘Birth’ (长生) stage and directly attacks the Daymaster. Because the strength of Gui Water is not as strong as the Daymaster Ding Fire, and although the Wealth Star (才星) and Indirect Resource (枭印) are strong in the chart but have not appeared as Heavenly Stems, the Daymaster Ding Fire is therefore considered strong.
Example Three
The Daymaster Bing Fire (丙火) is born in the Xu (戌) month, which is a ‘Tomb’ (墓地), and thus does not ‘Gain Command’ (不得令). It also has no strong roots (强根) in the Earthly Branches. Heavenly Stems Geng Metal (庚), Xin Metal (辛), and Ren Water (壬) appear, with Geng and Xin Metal surrounding the Daymaster, indicating significant draining and weakening. The Daymaster Bing Fire, at first glance, appears extremely weak. However, the Day and Hour Branches, Mao (卯) and Xu (戌), are closely adjacent and combine (相合), successfully transforming into Fire. The month branch Xu Earth also gains strength. The Daymaster Bing Fire, having a combination (合局) in the Earthly Branches that supports it, transforms from weak to strong, and is therefore considered strong.
Example Four
The Daymaster Jia Wood (甲木) is born in the Xu (戌) month, not ‘Gaining Command’ (不得令). However, two Jia Wood (甲木) Heavenly Stems appear in the year and month pillars, assisting the Daymaster. Additionally, the year branch Yin Wood (寅木) and hour branch Yin Wood (寅木) serve as strong roots (强根), making the Daymaster Jia Wood appear strong. The Eating God Bing Fire (丙火) appears in the hour pillar, initiating the Three Combination (三会) Fire formation of Yin-Wu-Xu (寅午戌) in the Earthly Branches, transforming the Daymaster’s two strong roots into Five Elements that drain and weaken the Daymaster. The Daymaster Jia Wood, therefore, changes from strong to weak, and is considered weak.
Example Five
The Daymaster Jia Wood (甲木) is born in the Zi Water (子水) month, ‘Gaining Command’ (得令). With the hour branch as a strong root (强根), the Daymaster is strong (身旺). Two Bing Fire (丙) and one Ji Earth (己) appear in the Heavenly Stems (透出). Furthermore, the Eating God Bing Fire (丙火) surrounds the Daymaster, leading to significant draining and weakening. At the same time, Bing Fire (丙火) initiates the half-combination (半合) Fire formation of Yin-Wu (寅午) in the Earthly Branches. Ji Earth (己土) initiates the successful combination and transformation into Earth (子丑合化土) of Zi-Chou (子丑) in the Earthly Branches. The Daymaster experiences excessive draining and weakening, so Jia Wood is considered weak.