Complete Steps of Pattern School Chart Reading
A reusable chart reading workflow
Pattern school chart reading is not done by feel — it has a standardized operational workflow. This workflow starts from chart erection, goes through pattern determination, yongshen selection, luck cycle examination, and finally delivers conclusions and guidance. Familiarity with this workflow gives your chart reading process structure and coherence, preventing scattered, disorganized analysis. This article systematically explains each step of pattern school chart reading and the considerations involved.
Pattern school chart reading has five steps: Chart Erection → Pattern Determination → Yongshen Selection → Luck Cycle Examination → Conclusions. Each step has a clear checklist; follow the workflow without skipping steps.
Step 1: Chart Erection and Basic Information Confirmation
Chart erection is the starting point of all chart reading. Ensure the chart is accurately erected — confirm the birth time (note true solar time correction), birth location (time zone correction), and lunar/solar calendar conversion. After erecting the chart, first do three things: confirm the Day Master's five-element attribute and yin-yang (e.g., Jia Wood yang, Yi Wood yin); list the Ten God correspondence table (the heavenly stems of the year, month, day, and hour pillars mapped to their Ten Gods relative to the Day Master); mark void branches (kongwang) and nayin (void branches affect the pattern; nayin has auxiliary reference value in certain sub-schools). This step, though basic, is the foundation on which all subsequent judgments rest. If errors occur at the chart erection stage (e.g., wrong hour pillar, forgetting true solar time correction), the entire chart reading conclusion is built on error. Chart erection is laborious work, but it must be taken seriously.
Step 2: Pattern Determination — Identifying the Pattern Type
Pattern determination is the core phase of pattern school chart reading. Follow the standard pattern determination order: first, judge whether it belongs to a special pattern (Transformed Qi pattern, Exclusive Prosperity pattern, Following pattern, etc.). If it's a special pattern, read the chart per the special pattern rules and don't follow the subsequent Eight Standard Patterns workflow. Next, judge whether the month-branch has Seven Killings — if there's a Killing, discuss the Killing first, prioritize treating it as a Seven Killings pattern (take Output to control Killing or Resource to transform Killing). If the month-branch has no Seven Killings, determine the Eight Standard Patterns per the month-branch's Ten God — whatever Ten God the month-branch's primary qi is, determine that pattern (Direct Officer, Direct Resource, Output, Direct Wealth, Indirect Wealth, Indirect Resource, Hurting Officer, Jian-Lu, Yang-Ren). Three considerations during pattern determination: if the month-branch is clashed/restrained → pattern strength is discounted, mark 'pattern damaged'; if the month-branch is not revealed on the stem → pattern is 'hidden pattern,' strength less clear than revealed-stem patterns; if the overall chart's actual strength far exceeds the month-branch → pattern determination may need correction. After determining the pattern, give a preliminary assessment — pattern purity/turbidity, whether breakage factors exist, initial pattern hierarchy judgment.
Step 3: Yongshen Selection — Determining the Optimal Element Direction
After pattern determination, enter the yongshen selection phase. The principle for choosing yongshen is to follow the pattern's direction (benevolent spirits follow along, malevolent spirits are counter-used). But yongshen selection cannot only look at pattern direction; it must also integrate Day Master strength-weakness (strength-weakness correction) and chart climate (climate adjustment correction). The three-step algorithm for yongshen selection: Step one — determine the baseline yongshen per the pattern. Officer pattern takes Wealth/Resource; Killing pattern takes Output/Resource; Wealth pattern takes Output/Officer; Resource pattern takes Officer/Companion; Output pattern takes Wealth; Hurting Officer pattern takes Wealth/Resource. Step two — strength-weakness correction. Day Master slightly weak → yongshen appropriately leans toward body-supporting direction (increase Resource/Companion weight). Day Master slightly strong → yongshen can follow the pattern direction without extra body support. Step three — climate micro-adjustment. Cold chart needs Fire → within the yongshen direction, prioritize element combinations containing Fire. Dry chart needs Water → within the yongshen direction, prioritize element combinations containing Water. After choosing the yongshen, assess its quality — with roots and powerful = top grade; with roots but weak = medium grade; rootless and floating = low grade. Yongshen quality determines the upper limit of the pattern's potential.
Steps 4 and 5: Luck Cycle Examination and Drawing Conclusions
Luck cycle examination places the static pattern conclusions into the timeline of luck cycles for dynamic assessment. Arrange the luck cycles (starting from the month pillar; yang male and yin female go forward; yin male and yang female go backward), listing each step's start/end years and the cycle's stem-branch. For each luck cycle step, judge its impact on the pattern — supports the pattern direction? Challenges pattern stability? Impact on yongshen — does the luck cycle strengthen or weaken the yongshen? Are there critical points where yongshen needs adjustment? Specially mark 'pattern-breaking luck cycles' and 'pattern-forming luck cycles' — let the client know which years favor pattern expression and which years require particular caution. The final step is drawing conclusions. Synthesize all analysis to give the client a complete chart portrait: pattern type and hierarchy, yongshen direction and remedial suggestions, luck cycle trends and key timing nodes, practical advice (suitable directions, risks to watch for). The complete output of chart reading is not a single sentence like 'you are XX pattern, your yongshen is X,' but a complete metaphysical report containing natal chart analysis and dynamic luck cycle assessment.
Five Core Steps
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Love & Relationship
Personality
Health
Classical Support
Practical Key Points
- Follow the five-step workflow in order — don't skip steps : Chart erection → Pattern determination → Yongshen selection → Luck cycle examination → Conclusions. Each step depends on the correctness of the previous one. If chart erection is wrong, everything after is wrong; if pattern determination is wrong, the yongshen direction is off.
- Three-step algorithm for yongshen selection : Pattern determines baseline → Strength-weakness applies correction → Climate adjustment makes fine-tuning. After completing all three steps, the probability of yongshen direction error is extremely low.
- Key luck cycles must be prominently marked : Pattern-forming cycles and pattern-breaking cycles are the most valuable judgments in chart reading. Tell the client when are power phases and when are defensive phases.
Common Follow-up Questions
Q: What if the pattern is ambiguous (between two patterns)?
A:
Two situations. When month-branch forces are similar → determine the primary pattern name, with the secondary as reference and correction. When overall chart force far exceeds the month-branch → pattern naming is auxiliary; overall chart actual force analysis is primary. Pattern names are communication tools; structural analysis is the substance.