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Four Pillars reference · 十神

Ten Gods: the stem relationship map

In a Four Pillars chart, the day stem is the Day Master. Each other stem receives one of ten names according to two fixed facts: how its phase relates to the Day Master, and whether their polarities match.

5 phase relationships2 polarity relationships10 structural names
A scholar's relationship chart with a central Day Master tablet and ten paired medallions
The Day Master is the fixed center; the other stems are named by their relationship to it.

The reference point

The Day Master sets the viewpoint

The day stem stays fixed while every other visible stem is compared with it. Change the Day Master and the relationship names change too.

日主Day Masterthe day stem
  1. 01
    Find the phase relationship

    The other stem can share the Day Master's phase, generate it, be generated by it, control it, or be controlled by it.

  2. 02
    Compare polarity

    Matching yang or yin selects one name; different polarity selects its paired name.

The complete naming rule

Five relationships, each split by polarity

Read one band after comparing the target stem with the Day Master. The English labels are traditional shorthand; the explanation under each name states only the structural relation the calculation establishes.

The full reference

Choose a Day Master, then read its ten stems

Each drawer holds one complete Day Master map. Open the row for the day stem, then find the other stem inside. Every result comes from the same phase-and-polarity rule above.

甲JiaYang WoodDay Master10 relationships
  1. 01甲JiaYang Wood比肩Friendsame polarity
  2. 02乙YiYin Wood劫财Rob Wealthdifferent polarity
  3. 03丙BingYang Fire食神Eating Godsame polarity
  4. 04丁DingYin Fire伤官Hurting Officerdifferent polarity
  5. 05戊WuYang Earth偏财Indirect Wealthsame polarity
  6. 06己JiYin Earth正财Direct Wealthdifferent polarity
  7. 07庚GengYang Metal七杀Seven Killingssame polarity
  8. 08辛XinYin Metal正官Direct Officerdifferent polarity
  9. 09壬RenYang Water偏印Indirect Resourcesame polarity
  10. 10癸GuiYin Water正印Direct Resourcedifferent polarity
乙YiYin WoodDay Master10 relationships
  1. 01甲JiaYang Wood劫财Rob Wealthdifferent polarity
  2. 02乙YiYin Wood比肩Friendsame polarity
  3. 03丙BingYang Fire伤官Hurting Officerdifferent polarity
  4. 04丁DingYin Fire食神Eating Godsame polarity
  5. 05戊WuYang Earth正财Direct Wealthdifferent polarity
  6. 06己JiYin Earth偏财Indirect Wealthsame polarity
  7. 07庚GengYang Metal正官Direct Officerdifferent polarity
  8. 08辛XinYin Metal七杀Seven Killingssame polarity
  9. 09壬RenYang Water正印Direct Resourcedifferent polarity
  10. 10癸GuiYin Water偏印Indirect Resourcesame polarity
丙BingYang FireDay Master10 relationships
  1. 01甲JiaYang Wood偏印Indirect Resourcesame polarity
  2. 02乙YiYin Wood正印Direct Resourcedifferent polarity
  3. 03丙BingYang Fire比肩Friendsame polarity
  4. 04丁DingYin Fire劫财Rob Wealthdifferent polarity
  5. 05戊WuYang Earth食神Eating Godsame polarity
  6. 06己JiYin Earth伤官Hurting Officerdifferent polarity
  7. 07庚GengYang Metal偏财Indirect Wealthsame polarity
  8. 08辛XinYin Metal正财Direct Wealthdifferent polarity
  9. 09壬RenYang Water七杀Seven Killingssame polarity
  10. 10癸GuiYin Water正官Direct Officerdifferent polarity
丁DingYin FireDay Master10 relationships
  1. 01甲JiaYang Wood正印Direct Resourcedifferent polarity
  2. 02乙YiYin Wood偏印Indirect Resourcesame polarity
  3. 03丙BingYang Fire劫财Rob Wealthdifferent polarity
  4. 04丁DingYin Fire比肩Friendsame polarity
  5. 05戊WuYang Earth伤官Hurting Officerdifferent polarity
  6. 06己JiYin Earth食神Eating Godsame polarity
  7. 07庚GengYang Metal正财Direct Wealthdifferent polarity
  8. 08辛XinYin Metal偏财Indirect Wealthsame polarity
  9. 09壬RenYang Water正官Direct Officerdifferent polarity
  10. 10癸GuiYin Water七杀Seven Killingssame polarity
戊WuYang EarthDay Master10 relationships
  1. 01甲JiaYang Wood七杀Seven Killingssame polarity
  2. 02乙YiYin Wood正官Direct Officerdifferent polarity
  3. 03丙BingYang Fire偏印Indirect Resourcesame polarity
  4. 04丁DingYin Fire正印Direct Resourcedifferent polarity
  5. 05戊WuYang Earth比肩Friendsame polarity
  6. 06己JiYin Earth劫财Rob Wealthdifferent polarity
  7. 07庚GengYang Metal食神Eating Godsame polarity
  8. 08辛XinYin Metal伤官Hurting Officerdifferent polarity
  9. 09壬RenYang Water偏财Indirect Wealthsame polarity
  10. 10癸GuiYin Water正财Direct Wealthdifferent polarity
己JiYin EarthDay Master10 relationships
  1. 01甲JiaYang Wood正官Direct Officerdifferent polarity
  2. 02乙YiYin Wood七杀Seven Killingssame polarity
  3. 03丙BingYang Fire正印Direct Resourcedifferent polarity
  4. 04丁DingYin Fire偏印Indirect Resourcesame polarity
  5. 05戊WuYang Earth劫财Rob Wealthdifferent polarity
  6. 06己JiYin Earth比肩Friendsame polarity
  7. 07庚GengYang Metal伤官Hurting Officerdifferent polarity
  8. 08辛XinYin Metal食神Eating Godsame polarity
  9. 09壬RenYang Water正财Direct Wealthdifferent polarity
  10. 10癸GuiYin Water偏财Indirect Wealthsame polarity
庚GengYang MetalDay Master10 relationships
  1. 01甲JiaYang Wood偏财Indirect Wealthsame polarity
  2. 02乙YiYin Wood正财Direct Wealthdifferent polarity
  3. 03丙BingYang Fire七杀Seven Killingssame polarity
  4. 04丁DingYin Fire正官Direct Officerdifferent polarity
  5. 05戊WuYang Earth偏印Indirect Resourcesame polarity
  6. 06己JiYin Earth正印Direct Resourcedifferent polarity
  7. 07庚GengYang Metal比肩Friendsame polarity
  8. 08辛XinYin Metal劫财Rob Wealthdifferent polarity
  9. 09壬RenYang Water食神Eating Godsame polarity
  10. 10癸GuiYin Water伤官Hurting Officerdifferent polarity
辛XinYin MetalDay Master10 relationships
  1. 01甲JiaYang Wood正财Direct Wealthdifferent polarity
  2. 02乙YiYin Wood偏财Indirect Wealthsame polarity
  3. 03丙BingYang Fire正官Direct Officerdifferent polarity
  4. 04丁DingYin Fire七杀Seven Killingssame polarity
  5. 05戊WuYang Earth正印Direct Resourcedifferent polarity
  6. 06己JiYin Earth偏印Indirect Resourcesame polarity
  7. 07庚GengYang Metal劫财Rob Wealthdifferent polarity
  8. 08辛XinYin Metal比肩Friendsame polarity
  9. 09壬RenYang Water伤官Hurting Officerdifferent polarity
  10. 10癸GuiYin Water食神Eating Godsame polarity
壬RenYang WaterDay Master10 relationships
  1. 01甲JiaYang Wood食神Eating Godsame polarity
  2. 02乙YiYin Wood伤官Hurting Officerdifferent polarity
  3. 03丙BingYang Fire偏财Indirect Wealthsame polarity
  4. 04丁DingYin Fire正财Direct Wealthdifferent polarity
  5. 05戊WuYang Earth七杀Seven Killingssame polarity
  6. 06己JiYin Earth正官Direct Officerdifferent polarity
  7. 07庚GengYang Metal偏印Indirect Resourcesame polarity
  8. 08辛XinYin Metal正印Direct Resourcedifferent polarity
  9. 09壬RenYang Water比肩Friendsame polarity
  10. 10癸GuiYin Water劫财Rob Wealthdifferent polarity
癸GuiYin WaterDay Master10 relationships
  1. 01甲JiaYang Wood伤官Hurting Officerdifferent polarity
  2. 02乙YiYin Wood食神Eating Godsame polarity
  3. 03丙BingYang Fire正财Direct Wealthdifferent polarity
  4. 04丁DingYin Fire偏财Indirect Wealthsame polarity
  5. 05戊WuYang Earth正官Direct Officerdifferent polarity
  6. 06己JiYin Earth七杀Seven Killingssame polarity
  7. 07庚GengYang Metal正印Direct Resourcedifferent polarity
  8. 08辛XinYin Metal偏印Indirect Resourcesame polarity
  9. 09壬RenYang Water劫财Rob Wealthdifferent polarity
  10. 10癸GuiYin Water比肩Friendsame polarity

One worked relationship

How the chart uses the map

Day Master甲Jia

Yang Wood

Other stem丁Ding

Yin Fire

Named relationship伤官Hurting Officer

shāng guān

The Day Master is 甲, Yang Wood. A 丁 stem is Yin Fire: Wood generates Fire, and the polarities differ. The relationship is therefore 伤官 Hurting Officer.

The chart explorer applies this rule to the visible year, month and hour stems. The day stem remains the reference point. Branch-level names require the hidden stems inside each branch, a separate chart layer.

Find the visible stem relationships in a chartSee the hidden stems inside each branch