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 Career & Wealth Love & Relationship Personality Health Classical Support 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. Related Tools How Ziping Bazi Determines Patterns → Bazi Pattern Overview → Free Bazi Calculator →