How to Determine a Bazi Structure (取格)
Use a reproducible sequence to determine Bazi structure from the Month Command, hidden qi, exposed stems, roots, formation rules, and counterevidence.
Overview
Determining structure begins with the Month Command, but it does not end with the month-branch label. State the school, resolve the branch’s qi layers, identify a viable exposed or rooted relationship, test formation and damage, compare competing structures, and record what evidence would reverse the result.
At a glance
- Starting point
- Month Command and month-branch qi
- Required record
- Adopted school and selection rule
- Formation evidence
- Exposure, roots, support, control and access
- Countercheck
- Damage, rescue and competing structures
- Separate judgment
- Pattern name and pattern quality
- Boundary
- No status or event guarantee
Begin with a verified Month Command
Confirm the solar-term month and the exact month branch before interpreting its hidden stems.
Identify primary, middle, and residual qi according to the adopted table instead of treating the branch as one undivided Ten God.
- Keep the calendrical basis visible.
- Resolve every candidate stem explicitly.
Select a candidate through a declared rule
Some methods prioritize primary qi, while others emphasize what the Month Command reveals in the heavenly stems.
Name the convention and show the exact Ten-God relation that makes the candidate structurally relevant.
- Do not mix schools silently.
- Keep rejected candidates in the audit trail.
Test formation, damage, rescue, and competition
Exposure alone is insufficient; verify roots, seasonal authority, supporting paths, controls, combinations, and obstructions.
Compare another plausible structure and explain why its evidence is weaker or why the chart remains mixed.
- Publish supporting and opposing evidence.
- Separate candidate, formation, and quality.
Use structure as an analytical model
A structure label organizes chart relations; it does not rank a person or certify wealth, authority, talent, or morality.
High-stakes decisions require current facts, consent, and qualified advice rather than a pattern name.
- Avoid prestige language and certainty.
- Keep timing and real outcomes separate.
Sources and editorial basis
- 《子平真詮》 (True Explanations of Ziping)《子平真詮》用神專求月令及格局成敗諸論：取格先定月令，再驗透干、根氣、成敗與救應A major reference for month-command, structure, and contextual Bazi interpretation.
- 《淵海子平》 (Yuanhai Ziping)《淵海子平》取格、定格與諸格章：本氣、透出及變格條件須依固定法則判讀A foundational Ziping reference for branch months, hidden stems, roots, and stem-branch relationships.
- OpenFate Editorial Methodology取格方法頁保存排盤輸入、採用流派、全部候選、支持證據、反證與不確定性OpenFate separates deterministic chart calculation, traditional interpretation, and modern editorial explanation.