Follow Pattern

In one line: When the Day Master has no root, no allies, and no fight left, it surrenders to whatever force dominates the chart — like a blade of grass bending in a gale rather than snapping against it.

What Is It?

A Follow Pattern forms when the Day Master is utterly rootless — no Friend or Seal to lend support — while one element overwhelms the entire chart. Instead of resisting, the Day Master abandons its own identity and goes with the dominant current.

Think of it as grass in a hurricane: fighting back means breaking. Bending with the wind is the smarter survival move. The Follow Pattern is the art of winning by yielding.

The Five Types

1. Follow Wealth (从财格)

• Wealth stars dominate the chart; the Day Master has no root
• Signals great wealth, especially through business
• Wealth luck cycles bring even more prosperity; Friend luck cycles shatter the pattern

2. Follow Killings (从杀格)

• Officer and Seven Killings dominate; the Day Master has no root
• Signals high status and authority — military, government, leadership
• Officer and Killings cycles raise your standing; Seal and Friend cycles shatter the pattern

3. Follow Output (从儿格)

• Food God and Hurting Officer dominate; the Day Master has no root
• Signals outstanding talent — fame through skill, art, or craft
• Output cycles sharpen your edge; Seal cycles shatter the pattern

4. Follow Dominant (从旺格)

• The Day Master's own element is overwhelmingly strong; everything else is feeble
• Friend forms a bloc, Seal lends support
• Friend and Seal cycles amplify the dominance; Officer and Wealth cycles shatter the pattern

5. Follow Strong (从强格)

• Seal and Friend share dominance — both are powerful, the Day Master is extremely strong
• Similar to Follow Dominant, with Seal as a co-ruling force
• Seal and Friend cycles strengthen the pattern; Wealth, Officer, and Output cycles shatter it

Wealth and Status by Type

• Follow Wealth: wealth outweighs status — a born merchant
• Follow Killings: status outweighs wealth — a person of power and influence
• Follow Output: talent-driven — fame through skill or artistry
• Follow Dominant / Follow Strong: commanding presence, but the margin for error in luck cycles is razor-thin

Once a Follow Pattern truly forms, its level usually surpasses a standard Pattern because every ounce of energy flows in one direction.

Pattern Breaking

The core danger: luck cycles that prop up the Day Master

A Follow Pattern's worst nightmare is the Day Master getting its strength back. Everything runs smoothly while it yields — then suddenly it can stand on its own, rebels against the dominant force, and disaster follows.

• Follow Wealth → Friend luck (Friend emboldens the Day Master against Wealth) → pattern breaks
• Follow Killings → Seal or Friend luck (Seal feeds the Day Master, Friend backs it up) → pattern breaks
• Follow Output → Seal luck (Seal suppresses Output) → pattern breaks
• Follow Dominant → Officer luck (Officer attacks the Day Master) → pattern breaks
• Follow Strong → Wealth or Officer luck (Wealth drains, Officer controls) → pattern breaks

When the pattern breaks: at best you lose money, your job, or your health. At worst, catastrophe strikes.

Formation Conditions (Extremely Strict)

All of the following must be true:

1. The Day Master is completely rootless — no primary or secondary qi of Friend or Seal in any branch
2. No Friend or Seal in the stems (or they've been combined away)
3. One element is overwhelmingly dominant in the chart
4. No meaningful counterforce exists

If the Day Master holds even a sliver of root, it does not qualify as a Follow Pattern.

How to Read Follow Patterns in Your Chart

1. Check whether the Day Master is extremely weak — no primary root, no Seal or Friend support
2. Look for one element that dominates the entire chart
3. Confirm the Day Master has no power to resist
4. Identify the type: Wealth dominates → Follow Wealth; Officer and Killings dominate → Follow Killings; Food God and Hurting Officer dominate → Follow Output
5. Check whether your current Major Luck Cycle and Annual Luck support the dominant element

Common Misconceptions

❌ "A weak Day Master automatically means a Follow Pattern" — a Day Master can be weak yet still have roots and Seal support. A true Follow Pattern demands absolute rootlessness. ❌ "Follow Patterns are always a good thing" — they can be extraordinary, but a broken pattern brings disasters worse than anything a standard chart faces. ❌ "Follow Dominant means the Day Master is weak" — quite the opposite. The Day Master is overwhelmingly strong; it follows its own nature. ❌ "Follow Wealth guarantees you'll be rich" — luck cycles still have to cooperate. When the pattern breaks, you could lose everything.

📜 Classical source: Zi Ping Zhen Quan (《子平真诠》) "On Follow Patterns"; Di Tian Sui (《滴天髓》) — "When the follow is genuine, follow is all you discuss." 🔗 Next: Shen Sha Overview