Structural Analysis構造判定
Reading a chart begins with observing relationships and reaches one of its destinations in structural analysis. The strength of the Day Master, the balance of the Five Elements, the qi the chart requires, the skeletal type of the chart — by drawing these together, what the chart is asking for becomes visible.
用神ようじんFavorable Element
The Element that the chart most requires. The qi that brings the whole chart into balance.
The Favorable Element is a particular Element that is needed to bring the Five Elements balance of the chart into harmony. One of the ultimate aims of chart analysis is to identify this Element. For a chart in which the Day Master is weak, the Favorable Element is one that aids the Day Master. For a chart in which the Day Master is too strong, it is one that restrains. For a chart imbalanced by summer heat, Water is sought; for one imbalanced by winter cold, Fire (see Seasonal Adjustment). The Favorable Element is the qi that the chart needs in order to breathe. When the time axis brings this qi, the period becomes a season in which the chart can move with ease.
格局かっきょくStructural Pattern
The skeletal type of the chart. Derived from the Month Authority and the Ten Gods.
The Structural Pattern is the structural type of a chart. It is classified by the Earthly Branch of the Month Pillar (the Month Authority) and the Ten Gods derived from its hidden Stems. Structural Patterns divide into Inner Patterns (普通格局) and Outer Patterns (特別格局). Inner Patterns appear in charts where the Day Master holds a moderate strength; Outer Patterns appear in charts where the Day Master is extremely strong or extremely weak. By identifying the Structural Pattern, the chart's "type" is determined, and this orients the judgment of the Favorable Element and the reading of phenomena. The Structural Pattern is a large map for classifying the individuality of a chart.
身強しんきょうStrong Day Master
A chart in which the Day Master is strong. It has abundant support and the Day Master itself carries momentum.
A Strong Day Master is a state in which the Day Master stands firmly within the chart. When the Month Authority is of the same Element as the Day Master or of an Element that generates it, and when the chart contains many same-Element or generating forces, the Day Master is strong. A chart with a Strong Day Master carries force in the Day Master itself. Self-expression, capacity for action, strength of will — these become the features of such a chart. The Favorable Element is usually found among the Elements that direct the Day Master's force outward — Output, Wealth, or Power. A Strong Day Master does not mean a "strong chart." It is a chart in which the qi of the Day Master is abundant, and the question becomes how to use it.
身弱しんじゃくWeak Day Master
A chart in which the Day Master is weak. It has little supporting qi, and the Day Master itself is understated.
A Weak Day Master is a state in which the Day Master stands quietly within the chart. When the Month Authority is of an Element that overcomes the Day Master, and when the chart contains many forces that drain or restrain the Day Master, the Day Master is weak. A chart with a Weak Day Master tends toward inward reflection and thrives within relationships. The Favorable Element is usually found among the Elements that strengthen the Day Master — Companion (same Element) or Resource (generating Element). A Weak Day Master does not mean a "weak chart." It is a chart in which the qi of the Day Master is restrained, and power emerges through harmony with the surroundings. Strong and Weak Day Masters are equal — there is no hierarchy between them.
調候ちょうこうSeasonal Adjustment
The qi that adjusts the warmth and cold of the season. It brings the experiential balance of the chart into harmony.
Seasonal Adjustment is the Element that corrects the seasonal imbalance of a chart. Depending on the month of birth, the chart leans one way or another. Born in summer, it runs hot; born in winter, it runs cold. The qi that adjusts this imbalance is the Favorable Element of Seasonal Adjustment. The system of Seasonal Adjustment is finely described in the classical Qiong Tong Bao Jian (also known as Lan Jiang Wang). For each of the ten Heavenly Stems, the text specifies the Element required for each month of birth — this correspondence table forms a foundation of chart reading. Seasonal Adjustment, alongside the Support-Restraint Favorable Element (the Favorable Element that adjusts strength), is another axis of the Favorable Element. It is the reading of the seasonal qi that the chart needs in order to breathe.
The Bazen Perspective · 芭禅算命学の視点
Structural Analysis is one of the destinations of chart reading. Measuring the strength of the Day Master, observing the balance of the Five Elements, identifying the Structural Pattern, finding the Favorable Element — this is both a technical exercise and an act of listening for what the chart is asking for. By showing what it requires, the chart also shows yourself. Yet Structural Analysis is not the work of arriving at a correct answer. Judgments of Strong and Weak Day Master, Favorable Element, Structural Pattern — these allow variation between schools, and a single chart can admit multiple readings. Which reading to adopt is also a choice of the reader. The classical Di Tian Sui teaches: "seek the true principles of destiny without being bound to Structural Patterns." To see beyond formal judgments into the flow of qi itself. Structural Analysis is the entrance to this seeing.
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