The Ten Archetypes

The Ten Gods (十神, shíshén) name the relationships between your Day Master and other stems. They are not deities. The names help organize traditional themes such as support, expression, resources and responsibility. Their meaning in a reading depends on the whole chart.

What the Ten Gods Are

Every Heavenly Stem in your chart (other than your Day Master itself) carries one of the Ten Gods. The Ten God assigned to each stem is determined by two questions: (1) what element does it carry relative to your Day Master's element, and (2) does it share your Day Master's polarity (Yang/Yin), or is it the opposite?

There are five families: the same element as the Day Master (Peers), what generates it (Resource), what it generates (Output), what it controls (Wealth), and what controls it (Authority). Each family has a same-polarity and an opposite-polarity form. Only some traditional pairs use the names Direct and Indirect; those labels do not apply uniformly to all five families.

The Ten Archetypes in Detail

The Equal (比肩) — Collaborator

The Equal is the same element and same polarity as the Day Master. It is traditionally associated with peers, shared interests and self-direction. Read its position, the season and the surrounding relationships before drawing a chart-level conclusion.

The Challenger (劫财) — Competitor

The Challenger is the same element as the Day Master, with opposite polarity. It is traditionally associated with competition, shared resources and competing priorities. Read its position, the season and the surrounding relationships before drawing a chart-level conclusion.

The Creative Mind (食神) — Creator

The Creative Mind is the element the Day Master generates, with the same polarity. It is traditionally associated with expression, creation and enjoyment of what is produced. Read its position, the season and the surrounding relationships before drawing a chart-level conclusion.

The Rebel Visionary (伤官) — Innovator

The Rebel Visionary is the element the Day Master generates, with opposite polarity. It is traditionally associated with expression, questioning conventions and tension with authority. Read its position, the season and the surrounding relationships before drawing a chart-level conclusion.

The Opportunity Magnet (偏财) — Magnet

The Opportunity Magnet is the element the Day Master controls, with the same polarity. It is traditionally associated with flexible resources, exchange and opportunities. Read its position, the season and the surrounding relationships before drawing a chart-level conclusion.

The Wealth Builder (正财) — Builder

The Wealth Builder is the element the Day Master controls, with opposite polarity. It is traditionally associated with managed resources, regular income and practical responsibilities. Read its position, the season and the surrounding relationships before drawing a chart-level conclusion.

The Warrior Spirit (七杀) — Warrior

The Warrior Spirit is the element that controls the Day Master, with the same polarity. It is traditionally associated with pressure, challenge and demanding constraints. Read its position, the season and the surrounding relationships before drawing a chart-level conclusion.

The Authority (正官) — Leader

The Authority is the element that controls the Day Master, with opposite polarity. It is traditionally associated with rules, responsibilities and formal authority. Read its position, the season and the surrounding relationships before drawing a chart-level conclusion.

The Intuitive Scholar (偏印) — Mystic

The Intuitive Scholar is the element that generates the Day Master, with the same polarity. It is traditionally associated with specialized learning, indirect support and unconventional approaches. Read its position, the season and the surrounding relationships before drawing a chart-level conclusion.

The Nurturing Wisdom (正印) — Mentor

The Nurturing Wisdom is the element that generates the Day Master, with opposite polarity. It is traditionally associated with learning, protection and established sources of support. Read its position, the season and the surrounding relationships before drawing a chart-level conclusion.

Special Archetype Combinations

Traditional readings also examine how relationships combine. Two names appearing in a chart are a starting point for checking placement, season and strength, rather than proof that a complete pattern has formed. The examples below introduce the direction of each relationship.

• 食神生财 — Output generating Wealth: check how expression connects to the resources managed by the Day Master. This relationship alone does not establish an income source.
• 伤官见官 — Hurting Officer meeting Direct Officer: check how expression and formal authority interact in the chart, including their placement and support.
• 杀印相生 — Seven Killings generating Resource: follow the relationship from Authority to Resource and then to the Day Master. The whole chart determines whether it works coherently.
• 财官双美 — Wealth and Authority together: check whether the two relationships support a workable structure. Their presence is not a promise of prosperity or promotion.
• 比劫争财 — Peers competing for Wealth: examine the balance between peer elements and the resources managed by the Day Master, rather than assuming a real person is untrustworthy.
• 食伤泄秀 — Output expressing the Day Master: consider how supported energy moves into what it produces. A chart relationship does not diagnose anxiety or determine a career.
• 印绶护身 — Resource supporting the Day Master: check the source and strength of support in the chart. It does not guarantee protection from real-life difficulties.

Reading Your Own Archetypes

A chart can contain all ten archetypes when its hidden stems are included. Which ones are prominent depends on their placement and the rest of the chart; presence and prominence are different questions. In a reading, the prominent archetypes help frame questions about work, money, authority, and self-expression. An absent archetype does not mean that you lack the corresponding ability or can only find it in someone else.

Use the free calculator to see the Ten Gods shown in your chart. The summary lists up to three relationships on the visible Heavenly Stems; hidden stems provide further detail. A higher count in that summary does not establish a dominant personality trait.

To go deeper, read about your Day Master first — that's the protagonist the archetypes are read against. New to Bazi entirely? Start with our what is Bazi primer, or the step-by-step reading guide.