What Is Two Virtues Support Self (二德扶身)?
Understand how Heavenly Virtue and Monthly Virtue combine in Two Virtues Support Self, what the engine can verify, and why support is conditional.
Overview
Two Virtues Support Self is the standard English name for 二德扶身. Here the “two virtues” are Heavenly Virtue and Monthly Virtue, each derived from the birth-month branch under its own lookup table. Both markers must be present before the composite description applies. The source gives Heavenly Virtue priority, then asks whether the two markers are strong, undamaged and connected to useful Wealth, Officer, Resource, Food, Lu, Noble or Horse structure. OpenFate can calculate Tian De and Yue De separately, but it does not output this composite pattern. Neither marker erases clashes, guarantees protection nor proves moral character, health, longevity, status or good fortune.
At a glance
- Two markers
- Heavenly Virtue and Monthly Virtue
- Lookup anchor
- Birth-month branch
- Source priority
- Heavenly Virtue first, Monthly Virtue second
- Supporting context
- Useful Ten Gods, Lu, Noble, Horse and strength
- Failure state
- Damaged, combined away or structurally unsupported
- Product boundary
- Markers calculated; composite pattern not detected
Two independent month rules must both resolve in the chart
Heavenly Virtue uses a twelve-month table whose target may be a stem or a branch. Monthly Virtue groups the months by the four trines: Yin-Wu-Xu seeks Bing, Shen-Zi-Chen seeks Ren, Hai-Mao-Wei seeks Jia, and Si-You-Chou seeks Geng.
A birth month only selects the targets. The corresponding symbols must actually appear in the searched pillars. One virtue alone is still its own marker; it is not Two Virtues Support Self.
- Run Tian De and Yue De as separate lookups.
- Require both results before discussing the composite name.
Support depends on role, strength and whether the markers remain usable
The source values the pair when it joins a useful Wealth, Officer, Resource or Food role, or appears with Lu, Horse and Noble support. It also asks whether the five-element structure is vigorous and whether the virtue symbols are damaged.
A marker that is severely controlled, combined away or irrelevant to the chart’s main structure should not be promoted above month command and ordinary Ten God analysis. “Virtue” is a rule label, not an automatic protective force.
- Record what each target actually represents to the Day Master.
- Assess damage and structural relevance after lookup.
OpenFate calculates the component markers, not the classical composite
The current OpenFate Shen Sha engine derives Tian De and Yue De from the Month Branch and records the pillar where each target occurs. That result can be audited against the published lookup pages.
It does not label the pair as Two Virtues Support Self or turn the combination into a global bonus. A future composite would need same-chart presence, source-version metadata, damage states and negative cases while preserving the existing marker output.
- Component results are deterministic lookups.
- No additional score or report claim is created by this Wiki page.
Virtue names cannot establish character, immunity or life outcomes
The pattern cannot prove kindness, moral worth, social support, protection from harm, legal success, good health, fertility, longevity, rank or wealth. Old claims in those areas are historical source material, not modern evidence.
For health, law, finance, relationships and safety, rely on present facts and relevant professionals. Use the two markers only as bounded traditional symbolism.
- Do not convert virtue labels into personal merit.
- Do not treat the pair as risk immunity.
Sources and editorial basis
- 《三命通會》 (Sanming Tonghui)卷六「二德扶身」：天德為先月德為次、逐月天德扶將與損傷、四組月德合剋，以及財官印食祿馬貴人和五行旺相條件A historical compilation covering stems and branches, Ten Gods, Nayin, Shen Sha, and multiple classical pattern systems.
- OpenFate Editorial Methodology天德月德單項命中與複合格分層、德神十神角色和受損狀態，不將德名轉為品格、免責、健康、壽命、身分或結果保證OpenFate separates deterministic chart calculation, traditional interpretation, and modern editorial explanation.