Following Patterns (Cong Ge)

In one line: When the Day Master has no root, no help, and no resistance, it yields to the dominant force — like a small boat carried by a great river.

What is it?

A Following Pattern (Cong Ge) forms when the Day Master is extremely weak — no root in the earthly branches, no Friend (Bi Jian) or Seal support in the heavenly stems — and one element dominates the entire chart.

Instead of fighting the dominant force, the Day Master yields and follows it. The dominant element becomes the chart's Useful God (Yong Shen).

Formation Conditions

All of the following must be met:

1. Day Master has no root — no hidden stem of the same element in any branch
2. No Friend or Seal in the stems (or if present, they are combined away or severely weak)
3. One element overwhelmingly dominates — Wealth, Killings, Output, or a single strong element
4. The dominant element is undamaged — not clashed or combined away

Types of Following Patterns (Cong Ge)

1. Yielding to Wealth (从财格)

• The chart is dominated by Wealth elements
• Career: business, finance, commerce
• Personality: practical, profit-oriented, adaptable
• Favors: Wealth, Output (generates Wealth), Officer (protects Wealth)
• Aversions: Friend, Seal (slows Wealth)

2. Yielding to Killings (从杀格)

• The chart is dominated by Seven Killings (Qi Sha) / Officer elements
• Career: military, government, authority
• Personality: disciplined, submits to power, follows orders
• Favors: Killings/Officer, Wealth (generates Killings)
• Aversions: Friend, Food God (Shi Shen)

3. Yielding to Output (从儿格)

• The chart is dominated by Output elements (Food God / Hurting Officer (Shang Guan))
• Career: arts, expression, technology, creativity
• Personality: expressive, free-spirited, talent-driven
• Favors: Output, Wealth (Output generates Wealth)
• Aversions: Seal (restrains Output), Officer (clashes with Output)

4. Yielding to Dominant (从旺格)

• The chart is dominated by the Day Master's own element (Friend)
• The Day Master isn't weak — it's overwhelmingly strong with no other significant force
• Personality: extreme self-reliance, dominant personality
• Favors: Friend, Seal
• Aversions: Wealth, Officer, Output (all challenge the dominance)

5. Yielding to Strong (从强格)

• The chart is dominated by Seal and Friend together
• Similar to Yielding to Dominant but with Seal as a co-dominant force
• Favors: Seal, Friend
• Aversions: Wealth, Officer, Output

Nobility Levels

Following Patterns can produce very high or very low charts:

Purity is everything in following patterns. Any element that supports the Day Master breaks the pattern.

Pattern (Ge Ju) Breaking

The greatest danger to a Following Pattern is luck pillars that support the Day Master:

• A Seal or Friend luck pillar gives the Day Master strength
• The Day Master "wakes up" and tries to resist the dominant force
• Like a small boat suddenly turning against the current → capsizing
• This brings disasters: illness, financial ruin, career collapse

This is why following pattern charts can be dramatic — decades of smooth sailing followed by sudden catastrophe when a single unfavorable pillar arrives.

How to read it in your BaZi chart?

1. Check if the Day Master has any root in the branches
2. Check if there's any Seal or Friend in the stems
3. If none → check which one element dominates
4. Determine the type of following pattern
5. Check luck pillars carefully — any Seal or Friend pillar is a warning sign

Common Misconceptions

❌ "A weak Day Master always means a following pattern" — the Day Master must be extremely weak with absolutely no root or support. Even a small root means it's not a true following pattern. ❌ "Following Patterns are always good" — they can be extremely good, but the pattern breaking in luck cycles can be catastrophic. ❌ "Yielding to Dominant means the Day Master is weak" — it's the opposite. The Day Master is overwhelmingly strong; it yields to its own nature.

📜 Classical source: Zi Ping Zhen Quan (《子平真诠》) — "On Following Patterns" (论从格) 🔗 Next: Shen Sha Overview