FateTellWhy the same stem can have different labels
A Ten Gods name is relative to the Day Master; it is not a permanent label attached to a stem. For a Jia Wood Day Master, Bing Fire is Artisan (食神). For a Yi Wood Day Master, the same Bing Fire is Creator (伤官). Both Wood stems generate Fire, but their polarity relationships with Bing differ.
When comparing two charts, check the Day Master alongside the label. In this calculator, the year, month and hour stems, hidden stems and selected transit stems are compared with the natal Day stem. Selecting a different luck pillar does not replace that reference.
Five relationships, ten names
In the table, same or opposite polarity compares the other stem with the Day Master. Each of the five element relationships has two polarity pairings, giving ten names. The English labels match FateTell’s chart, with the Chinese names alongside them.
| Relationship to Day Master | Same polarity | Opposite polarity |
|---|---|---|
| Same element | Ally · 比肩 | Contender · 劫财 |
| Day Master generates the other | Artisan · 食神 | Creator · 伤官 |
| Day Master controls the other | Wanderer · 偏财 | Planner · 正财 |
| Other controls the Day Master | Warrior · 七杀 | Anchor · 正官 |
| Other generates the Day Master | Sage · 偏印 | Nurturer · 正印 |
A worked example: Jia compared with Gui
Jia is Yang Wood and Gui is Yin Water. Water generates Wood, so Gui belongs to the relationship “other generates the Day Master.” Gui and Jia have opposite polarity. The table therefore identifies Gui as Nurturer (正印) relative to Jia.
If the other stem is Ren Water instead, the element relationship stays the same. Ren and Jia are both Yang, however, so the label becomes Sage (偏印). You need both the element direction and the polarity comparison to choose the specific label.
Visible stems and hidden-stem labels
In Professional view, the main Ten Gods row describes the visible Heavenly Stem in each column. Hidden Stems lists the stems within its Earthly Branch and their individual Ten Gods labels. A branch may contain several hidden stems, so one pillar can display several relationships.
The main row of the Day column says “Day Master” to identify the reference itself. If that same Heavenly Stem appears in another position, its relationship to the Day Master is Ally (比肩). Distinguishing the reference label from a relationship label makes this display easier to read.
Can the same Ten Gods name describe different elements?
Ally and Contender form the same-element group. For a Jia Wood Day Master, Jia and Yi belong to this group as Wood; for a Bing Fire Day Master, Bing and Ding belong to it as Fire. The relationship is the same, while the element differs.
As a memory aid, Wood can suggest trees standing together, and Fire flames that strengthen one another. The images distinguish elements; their role in a chart still depends on the season, hidden stems and the other stems and branches. The calculator lists relationship names. Favorable and unfavorable readings require the whole chart.