Pattern Overview (格局总论)

In a nutshell: A pattern is the dominant force configuration in your BaZi chart — the single most important factor in determining its overall quality and trajectory.

What Is a Pattern?

A pattern is formed by the strongest, most dominant force in the chart. Think of it as the chart's skeleton — it sets the basic direction and caliber of a person's life. A clear pattern gives the person a strong throughline; a muddled one means more twists and turns.

The concept of patterns comes from Zi Ping Zhen Quan (《子平真诠》), whose entire first half is devoted to pattern analysis.

Classification of Patterns

Patterns fall into three broad categories:

1. Proper Patterns (正格)

The standard patterns, derived primarily from the Month Branch:

• Direct Officer Pattern (正官格) — upright, law-abiding; a smooth path through officialdom
• Seven Killings Pattern (七杀格) — great fortune when controlled; trouble when left unchecked
• Direct Wealth Pattern (正财格) — diligent wealth-building; a head for business
• Indirect Wealth Pattern (偏财格) — money flows in and out; generous and openhanded
• Direct Seal Pattern (正印格) — academic achievement; suited to scholarly or civil service roles
• Indirect Seal Pattern (偏印格) — specialized skills; a talent for unconventional learning
• Food God Pattern (食神格) — material comfort and artistic talent
• Hurting Officer Pattern (伤官格) — brilliant and innovative, with a rebellious streak

When the Month Branch corresponds to Friend or Rob Wealth, these don't form standalone patterns — you look at other Heavenly Stems in the chart to determine the pattern instead.

2. Transformed Patterns (变格)

When a standard pattern is reshaped by special interactions:

• Direct Officer and Seven Killings blending into a transformed structure
• Hurting Officer meeting Direct Officer, creating a new dynamic
• Other special combinations that override the Month Branch's default

3. Following Patterns (从格)

When the Day Master is extremely weak and rootless, it yields to the chart's dominant force:

• Yielding to Wealth (从财格)
• Yielding to Killings (从杀格)
• Yielding to Output (从儿格)
• Yielding to Dominant force (从旺格)
• Yielding to Strength (从强格)

How to Extract the Pattern

The primary rule: start from the Month Branch — this is the core principle of the Zi Ping school.

1. Identify the main qi (本气) of the Month Branch — whichever hidden stem carries the strongest qi determines the Ten God, and that Ten God defines the pattern.
2. If the main qi doesn't show through to the Heavenly Stems above, check whether the secondary qi (中气) shows through instead.
3. If neither main nor secondary qi appears in the stems, look at the residual qi (余气), or default to the main qi.
4. When the Month Branch is Friend or Rob Wealth, these don't form their own pattern — look at which Ten Gods appear in the Heavenly Stems and take the pattern from there.

The guiding principle: "Start with the Month Branch; use whatever shows through in the stems." (以月令为先，透干为用)

For example:

• Day Master is Jia Wood, Month Branch is You (酉, Metal) → Direct Officer Pattern
• Day Master is Bing Fire, Month Branch is Hai (亥, Water) → Seven Killings Pattern

Pattern Success and Failure

A Successful Pattern

• The favorable element is strong and undamaged
• The pattern's structure is clear and well-coordinated
• A supporting element stands guard to protect the favorable element

A Failed Pattern

• The favorable element is clashed, combined away, or severely weakened
• An unfavorable element has invaded the pattern with nothing to control it
• Too many or too few favorable elements throw the balance off

Pattern Quality: High and Low

Even among successful patterns, quality varies:

Key principle: A high-quality chart with a failed pattern is still mediocre. A modest chart with a well-formed pattern can still achieve great things.

How to Read It in Your BaZi Chart

1. Find your Month Branch and identify its main hidden stem (本气)
2. Determine which Ten God that main qi represents relative to your Day Master
3. That Ten God defines your base pattern
4. Check whether the pattern is successfully formed — no clashes, no structural breaks
5. Assess the quality — is the pattern pure and well-supported, or muddled?
6. Note whether the key stem shows through in the Heavenly Stems above; a visible pattern element makes the pattern stronger and more apparent

Common Misconceptions

❌ "The pattern determines everything" — the pattern is the skeleton, but Major Luck Cycles and Annual Luck shape how it plays out. ❌ "No clear pattern means a bad chart" — some charts lack an obvious pattern but have smooth elemental flow, which works well in its own right. ❌ "You can change your pattern at will" — the pattern is the chart's innate structure; it can't be altered. Major Luck Cycles, however, can amplify or suppress how it expresses itself. ❌ "Following Patterns are better than Proper Patterns" — Following Patterns have extremely strict requirements, and if a luck cycle breaks the conditions, the fallout is even harsher.

📜 Classical source: Zi Ping Zhen Quan (《子平真诠》) devotes its first half to patterns; Yuan Hai Zi Ping (《渊海子平》) also organizes its analysis around them. 🔗 Next: Direct Officer Pattern