How the Ten Gods are worked out
Compare any stem with the Day Master and ask two questions: how do the elements relate, and do they share Yin or Yang polarity? Five element relationships multiplied by two polarities give ten roles.
| Relationship to Day Master | Same polarity | Opposite polarity | Common themes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same element | 比肩 Friend | 劫财 Rob Wealth | Self, peers, competition |
| Day Master produces it | 食神 Eating God | 伤官 Hurting Officer | Expression, output, creativity |
| Day Master controls it | 偏财 Indirect Wealth | 正财 Direct Wealth | Resources, money, practical results |
| It controls Day Master | 七杀 Seven Killings | 正官 Direct Officer | Pressure, rules, responsibility |
| It produces Day Master | 偏印 Indirect Resource | 正印 Direct Resource | Support, learning, reflection |
What each group tends to describe
- Friend and Rob Wealth: independence, peers, and how you share or compete for resources.
- Eating God and Hurting Officer: how you express yourself. Eating God is often relaxed and enjoyable; Hurting Officer is sharper and more willing to challenge convention.
- Indirect and Direct Wealth: how you pursue and manage resources. Direct Wealth is steady; Indirect Wealth is more opportunistic.
- Seven Killings and Direct Officer: how you meet pressure and authority. Direct Officer leans toward order; Seven Killings toward intensity and decisive action.
- Indirect and Direct Resource: how you take in support and knowledge. Direct Resource is conventional and nurturing; Indirect Resource is unusual and specialized.
Example with a Yang Wood Day Master
For a Day Master of 甲 Jia (Yang Wood), 丙 Bing (Yang Fire) is produced by Wood and shares its polarity, so it is an Eating God. 丁 Ding (Yin Fire) is produced by Wood with opposite polarity, so it is a Hurting Officer. 庚 Geng (Yang Metal) controls Wood with the same polarity, so it is Seven Killings.
How to use them without overreading
No Ten God is good or bad on its own. Names like “Rob Wealth” and “Seven Killings” sound dramatic because they come from classical terminology. Their effect depends on the balance of the whole chart, and on what your Day Master needs.
The free BaZi calculator labels the Ten Gods for every stem in your chart.