The two keys: element + polarity
To name any stem's relationship to your Day Master you ask two questions. One: how does its element relate to yours — same, generates you, you generate it, controls you, or you control it? Two: is it the same yin/yang tone as your Day Master? Five element-relationships × two polarities = ten possible Gods. The chart labels them automatically once your Day Master is fixed.
All ten at a glance
| God (Chinese) | Relation to Day Master | Symbolises | In life |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer 比肩 · Bǐjiān | Same element, same polarity | Siblings, peers | Equals, rivals, cooperation. Friends you grow up beside. |
| Rob Wealth 劫财 · Jiécái | Same element, opposite polarity | Bold peers, shared risk | Big-spending comrades; can 'steal' opportunities or defend them fiercely. |
| Eating God 食神 · Shíshén | You generate it, same polarity | Gentle output, talent | Skill, art, cooking, speech that wins people — calm creativity. |
| Hurting Officer 伤官 · Shāngguān | You generate it, opposite polarity | Sharp output, rebellion | Wit, innovation, outspokenness — brilliance that breaks rules. |
| Direct Wealth 正财 · Zhèngcái | You control it, opposite polarity | Stable money, spouse | Salary, assets, steady marriage — what you rightly manage. |
| Indirect Wealth 偏财 · Piāncái | You control it, same polarity | Windfall, business | Speculation, side ventures, charm, generosity. |
| Direct Officer 正官 · Zhèngguān | It controls you, opposite polarity | Authority, reputation | Discipline, promotion, law and order — the boss who respects you. |
| Seven Killings 七杀 · Qīshā | It controls you, same polarity | Pressure, ambition, risk | Demanding careers, competition, danger and drive in one. |
| Direct Seal 正印 · Zhèngyìn | It generates you, opposite polarity | Nurture, learning | Mother-figures, education, certificates, protection. |
| Indirect Seal 偏印 · Piānyìn | It generates you, same polarity | Unusual wisdom | Original thought, esoteric skill, a sixth sense — can be solitary. |
A worked example
Remember the chart from our reading guide (born 15 May 1990, 14:30): day master 庚 (Geng, Yang Metal). Against that day master the other visible stems become: Year stem 庚 = Peer (same element & polarity), Month stem 辛 = Rob Wealth (same element, opposite polarity), Hour stem 丙 = Seven Killings (Fire controls Metal; same Yang tone). Even the hidden stems inside the branches can be labelled this way. Two charts with the same five-element totals can tell very different stories, because which God carries each element changes the meaning.
Why this matters — reading life through the Gods
- Career clues: a strong Direct Officer or Seven Killings likes structure, authority and competitive fields; a strong Eating God leans to craft and creativity; abundant Wealth Gods point to business sense.
- Personality colour: Hurting Officer people are witty and anti-authority; Indirect Seal people think sideways; strong Rob Wealth people are generous but need to watch impulse spending.
- Balance is everything: a God is only "good" or "bad" relative to the chart's strength and needs. For a strong Day Master, Wealth, Officer and Hurting Officer (the drainers) are valuable; for a weak one, Seals and Peers (the supporters) are the life-raft.
Most beginner readings stay at the element level; adding the Ten Gods is the mark of a real reader. Your chart's Day Master is the fixed reference point, so computing it first is the essential first step.