BaZi Analysis of Destiny Patterns

Modern Bazi astrologers place little emphasis on structure, largely because today’s practice reduces it to simple labels like strong or weak elements. At the same time, many modern readings lean on surface impressions. For most clients, a quick look at dress and demeanor already hints at personality and social status. No matter the theoretical lens, making a rough judgment about someone’s fate is not hard. As a result, many assume their understanding is correct—including quite a few contemporary masters who overlook the importance of structure.

Yet across Bazi schools, it is recognized that structure truly reflects a person’s rank and standing. The way a chart is configured determines whether one is like a bicycle, a motorcycle, or a car. Some people rely only on their own rudimentary methods or imported techniques without studying how the ancients analyzed fate, and in doing so, they discard the essence of astrology.

I. The Completeness of Structure

Because structure determines configuration, we understand that a scale needs both the balance and the weight to work. A scale without a weight, or a weight without a scale, is incomplete—an imperfect configuration and an incomplete structure.

A ruler needs both capable civil ministers and competent military ministers to accomplish great things. Relying on civil officials alone won’t secure a career, and relying only on military power makes it hard to win hearts. Using military strength to safeguard one’s position and civil governance to manage the state brings prosperity. Lacking either, one becomes a mere figurehead, unable to achieve greatness. This is the essence of structure.

When judging structure, start with the month pillar, then examine officer and killing stars, and then wealth stars before deciding whether the structure succeeds or fails. The month pillar governs the rise and fall of all things; it signifies the mother, one’s residence, and workplace. If the month pillar contains a useful god, there is no need to seek distant remedies. In life, if an official star is available, pursue office; if not, pursue wealth.

In Bazi there are ten gods, some auspicious and some inauspicious. It is meaningless to brand them purely good or bad; their value depends on how they are employed. Generally, auspicious gods are used positively, while inauspicious gods are employed by countering or transforming them. The commonly called auspicious gods include the direct officer, direct resource, direct wealth, and the food god; the inauspicious include the hurting officer, seven killings, and the comparison and conflict stars. Indirect wealth is neutral and slightly auspicious, while indirect resource is neutral and slightly inauspicious.

For auspicious gods, such as the officer star, there must be wealth to generate it and resource to protect it—this sets the direct officer structure. If wealth is the focus, it needs food and hurting stars to generate it and an officer to protect it—this forms the wealth structure. If direct resource is central, it needs an officer to generate it and comparison or conflict stars to protect it—this forms the direct resource structure. If there is no officer to generate resource, but comparison or conflict stars protect it and food or hurting stars express it, the direct resource structure can still be established. If the food god is central, it needs comparison or conflict stars to generate it and wealth to protect it—this forms the food god structure.

For inauspicious stars used via control or transformation, such as seven killings, there must be food or hurting stars to restrain it and resource to transform it—this creates the indirect officer structure. If the hurting officer is central, it requires resource to restrain it and wealth to transform it—this sets the hurting officer structure. The same logic applies to other inauspicious stars.

Taking the direct officer structure as an example: the direct officer is the useful god, while wealth and resource are the assisting gods. Here, the useful god is not the same as the modern notion of a balanced useful god; the assisting gods act like ministers who help the ruler achieve great deeds. For the indirect officer structure, seven killings is the useful god, with food and resource as assisting gods. The same reasoning applies to other structures.

The fate of former Foreign Minister Wu Chaoshu is: Ding Hai, Bing Wu, Ren Yin, Ji You. In his chart, hidden wealth emerges, supported by Yin wood and protected by an officer, forming a wealth structure. However, because the officer is primary, with a direct officer present—backed by wealth and resource, all with roots—the direct officer structure is complete. Thus, he was destined for high office rather than commerce, though the established wealth structure also ensured financial prosperity.

The fate of Mr. Cai Yuanpei, former Minister of Education and President of Peking University, is: Ding Yin, Gui Chou, Bing Shen, Wu Zi. His chart features officer stars, with multiple officers—many of them seven killings. When seven killings appear, look to resource and to food or hurting stars; both have roots here, indicating a noble official status. However, because the killing stars are not fully expressed, direct resource is favored, leading to his renown as “a great scholar and a model for humanity.”

II. The Success or Failure of Structure

In analysis, first assess whether the structure is complete, then whether the structure succeeds or fails, and finally the abundance or weakness of each star—only then determine preferences and aversions.

Aside from specialized strong or subordinate structures, if the assisting gods are incomplete, the structure is incomplete and thus of lower grade. Even if one attains wealth and rank, dramatic rises and falls are likely. If major luck compensates for gaps, one may enjoy temporary wealth and status. Yet the mere presence of assisting gods does not guarantee a viable structure. If the assisting gods clash directly, it is like civil and military ministers fighting openly—how can they aid the ruler? If assisting gods are injured, or the useful god is injured, or if assisting gods are too numerous or too weak, the structure breaks. Without remedy, this yields a lowly fate.

Example 1: A man’s fate

Bing Wu, Xin Yin, Wu Zi, Ding Si

Major luck cycles: Ren Chen, Gui Si, Jia Wu, Yi Wei

The chart has a direct officer in the month pillar, so the officer is primary. Wealth generates it and resource protects it, and the assisting gods all have roots—on the surface, it appears complete. However, the wealth star is harmed by Yin wood and nearly smothered by the strong Wu fire, yielding a refined, “pure” pattern that does not tolerate complexity. Excess resource suggests overshadowing, and the blazing fire endangers the wood. Thus, the structure breaks. In the major luck cycles, if water is used to check resource, encountering Zi water clashes with Wu, and encountering Hai water clashes with Si. The assisting gods are at odds, bringing instability. Alternatively, if the major luck fully suppresses Zi water—making water taboo—it yields to strong fire and earth. The Jia Wu luck should be auspicious, but how can it withstand the subsequent Ren Shen and Gui You years, where strong metal and water dominate, yet still cannot escape the tyranny of fire? Accordingly, this fate first suffers a clash between Ren water and the Bing fire resource star, leading to poverty and academic setbacks, dropping out after just two years of schooling. In the Jia Wu luck, the early years suppress Zi water and should be favorable, but the following strong metal-and-water years unleash taboo stars, leading to failed ventures and a hard life.

Example 2: A man’s fate

Xin Chou, Geng Yin, Xin Mao, Gui Si

Ji Chou, Wu Zi, Ding Hai, Bing Xu, Yi You, Jia Shen, Gui Wei

68 78 88 98 08 18 28

The chart has a wealth star in the month pillar, but Si fire serves as the officer, so first test whether the direct officer structure stands. The officer has wealth to generate it and assisting gods, and hidden resource in Si and Chou has roots—seemingly establishing the direct officer structure. However, Yin and Si clash, injuring Si fire, while Chou and Yin have a hidden harmony. The chart holds abundant wealth, but resource is damaged, so the direct officer structure does not stand and nobility cannot be realized. Since the direct officer structure fails, check whether a wealth structure can form. With wealth, first look to food and hurting stars. Although a food star appears, the food and hurting stars hidden in Chou are too weak and distant. A wealth structure benefits from protection by officers—especially since there are too many comparison and conflict stars here, which need control by officers. Yet the assisting Gui clashes with the officer, causing infighting among assisting gods, and the officer in Si is injured by wealth. Thus, the wealth structure also fails, making accumulation difficult. Even so, the wealth star in the month pillar must be used, relying on Si fire’s strength to protect wealth. Therefore, although Si fire is injured, it remains a crucial assisting star and a favorable factor in this chart. The injury to the Si fire officer star is a sign of misfortune. Ancient texts say: “Injuring the assisting star is often graver than injuring the useful star,” meaning harm to the assisting star is typically more ominous.

In the earlier water luck cycles, with strong wood transformation, no major crises arise. Fire luck is favorable and allows for some earnings. However, in the Yi You luck and the Geng Yin year, the two Yin clash and injure the assisting officer star, leading to arrest and imprisonment due to financial matters.

If we applied today’s popular strong–weak theory, the day master here is moderately weak. During Yi You luck, the Si–You–Chou combination would be seen as strengthening the day master and thus as prosperous luck. Under that view, predicting financial loss—or even imprisonment—this year would be very difficult.

Of course, the theory of structure is not limited to the above. With three-harmony combinations or six unions, a structure may change. Major luck can also alter structure. For brevity, we won’t delve deeper here. In short, understanding structure lets you judge whether a fate is suited to office or to wealth, when to pursue politics or business, and when calamity may strike. Setting aside special structures, general structures still value balance and purity and avoid complexity. If useful or assisting gods are too many, they need to be checked or supported; if injured, they need remedies. But this is not a balance centered on the day master—the key lies in the success or failure of the structure.