Internal Sub-Schools of the Pattern School
All are pattern school, but pattern determination methods differ
The pattern school is not a monolithic entity — internally there are at least five different methods for determining patterns. Some take the month-branch's primary qi as the standard; some take the heavenly stem's revelations as the standard; some take the chart's overall strongest element as the standard. Understanding these internal differences can prevent confusion when encountering disputes between different sub-schools while studying patterns.
The five pattern determination methods each have different emphases — some emphasize the month-branch, some emphasize revealed stems, some emphasize overall chart force. In practice, the most commonly used are the Month-Branch Primary Qi Method (orthodox Ziping transmission) and the Revealed Stem / Branch Assembly Method (Shen Xiaozhan method).
1. Month-Branch Primary Qi Method — Orthodox Ziping Transmission
The Month-Branch Primary Qi Method is the most classic pattern determination method. Take the Ten God of the month-branch's primary qi as the pattern. Jia born in Yin month — Yin's primary qi is Jia Wood (Companion), pattern is Jian-Lu. Jia born in You month — You's primary qi is Xin Metal (Direct Officer), pattern is Direct Officer. The advantage of the Month-Branch Primary Qi Method is simplicity and directness — what the month-branch is, that's what the pattern is, no detours. The disadvantage is that in miscellaneous qi month-branches (Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei), it may miss signals from revealed stems or branch assemblies. In a miscellaneous qi month-branch, if the heavenly stem reveals another hidden stem (e.g., Chen month reveals Yi Wood), using the Month-Branch Primary Qi Method (per Wu Earth) may deviate from the pattern's actual direction.
2. Revealed Stem / Branch Assembly Method and Three Other Methods
Revealed Stem / Branch Assembly Method (Shen Xiaozhan method) — takes the Ten God revealed on the heavenly stem from within the month-branch as the pattern; revealed stem takes priority over primary qi. When there's no revealed stem, look at branch assemblies; when there are no assemblies, then look at primary qi. Overall Chart Force Method — doesn't take the month-branch as the sole standard but takes the chart's overall strongest Ten God as the pattern. If the month-branch is very weak but a certain Ten God in the overall chart is extremely strong, the pattern is determined by the overall strongest Ten God. Day Master Strength-Weakness Method — adjusts pattern determination by incorporating Day Master strength-weakness. When the Day Master is extremely weak, prioritize considering following patterns or special patterns, not entirely constrained by the month-branch. Ten God Form Method (Blind School style) — doesn't look at fixed pattern names; directly analyzes the functional action relationships among the Ten Gods. This sub-school has essentially departed from the traditional 'pattern determination' framework. The differences among the five sub-schools reflect the internal diversity of the pattern method — no single school is absolutely correct; different schools suit different chart types. In practice, the Month-Branch Primary Qi Method and the Revealed Stem / Branch Assembly Method are the mainstream.
Five-School Comparison
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Practical Key Points
- Beginners start with the Month-Branch Primary Qi Method : The Month-Branch Primary Qi Method is the simplest and least error-prone. After mastering it, learn the Revealed Stem / Branch Assembly Method — combining the two covers over 90% of pattern diagnoses.
- Reference other sub-schools when the pattern is ambiguous : For a chart where the month-branch primary qi is unclear, using the Revealed Stem / Branch Assembly Method or Overall Chart Force Method may yield a more reasonable pattern diagnosis. Don't rigidly adhere to one method.
Common Follow-up Questions
Q: Which pattern determination method should I learn?
A:
Start with the Month-Branch Primary Qi Method (simple and reliable), then master the Revealed Stem / Branch Assembly Method (more refined), and understand the Overall Chart Force Method (as supplement). Once you've mastered these three methods, pattern diagnosis will rarely have major errors.