From elements to relationships
Once you know your Day Master's element, every other stem and branch in your chart can be classified by its relationship to that Day Master. There are exactly ten such relationships — the Ten Gods (十神).
The categories pair up:
| Category | Yang form | Yin form |
|---|---|---|
| Same element as Day Master | Friend (比肩) | Rob Wealth (劫财) |
| Element Day Master produces | Eating God (食神) | Hurting Officer (伤官) |
| Element Day Master controls | Direct Wealth (正财) | Indirect Wealth (偏财) |
| Element that controls Day Master | Direct Officer (正官) | Seven Killings (七杀) |
| Element that produces Day Master | Direct Resource (正印) | Indirect Resource (偏印) |
What each one means in practice
- Wealth stars track money, but also the spouse for a male chart.
- Officer stars track career, authority, status — and the husband for a female chart.
- Resource stars track learning, mentorship, and protection.
- Output stars (Eating, Hurting) track creativity, expression, and children.
- Companion stars (Friend, Rob Wealth) track peers, siblings, and competition.
Reading them in context
A single Ten God in isolation says little. What matters is the balance: which gods appear, which are missing, which are clashing, and how they interact with the Day Master's strength.
A chart full of Wealth without Resource may signal earning ability without protection — the wealth comes and goes. A chart heavy in Output but light in Officer may signal a creative who struggles with structure.
This is where a good reading earns its keep — not by reciting which gods are present, but by reading what the configuration says about how a person moves through the world.