Root Judgment and Grading Having root isn't enough — root comes in three grades, and the gaps are huge Whether the Day Master has root is the first judgment point — but root has three grades. Primary root (běn qì gēn, 本气根): the Day Master's element is the primary qi (běn qì) of the branch it sits in. Strength: 3 points — heaviest. Mid root (zhōng qì gēn, 中气根): the Day Master's element is the mid qi (zhōng qì) hidden stem. Strength: 2 points — solid. Residual root (yú qì gēn, 余气根): the Day Master's element is the residual qi (yú qì) hidden stem. Strength: 1 point — lightest. Can a Follower chart have root? A Follower chart cannot have strong root — but residual micro-root doesn't break the Follower pattern. Three root grades: primary root 3 pts, mid root 2 pts, residual root 1 pt. Follower charts cannot have primary root (breaks the pattern). Residual micro-root doesn't affect Follower validity. Total root score ≥ 5 = strong foundation. 1-2 pts = weak foundation. 0 pts = rootless. 1. The three root grades — force comparison Primary root (3 pts): e.g., jiǎ Day Master meeting yín branch (yín's primary qi is jiǎ Wood). Any heavenly stem sitting on its primary root has solid, grounded force. One primary root = stable stance. Two primary roots = very strong foundation. Mid root (2 pts): e.g., jiǎ DM meeting hài branch (hài hides rén and jiǎ). Mid root also lets the stem stand — but not as stably as primary root. Residual root (1 pt): e.g., jiǎ DM meeting wèi branch (wèi hides yǐ Wood, the residual). Residual root is 'some support' — you're standing but wobbly. It takes about three residual roots to equal one primary root. One root only, and it's residual = unstable stance. The DM most likely leans weak. 2. Follower chart root thresholds A Follower chart's (cóng gé) essence is the Day Master submitting to the chart's overwhelmingly dominant drain/control faction. Follower charts can have residual micro-root — because micro-root's force is fully suppressed by the dominant faction and doesn't interfere with submission. Follower charts cannot have primary root — primary root carries too much independent force; the DM has its own will and can't 'follow' cleanly. Mid root in Follower judgment usually sits on the borderline. A single mid root: tends to break the pattern (not a pure Follower — downgraded to false follower, jiǎ cóng). If that mid root gets clashed or controlled, the Follower might still hold. Basic rule for Follower judgment: any substantial root (primary) or multiple mid roots? No substantial root + no multiple mid roots = Follower pattern viable. 3. Root dynamics across luck cycles Someone originally without substantial root gets root in a luck cycle: Follower pattern breaks, downgrading to false follower or standard pattern. This is the 'Follower pattern breaks in a support cycle' principle. Someone with substantial root gets their root clashed in a cycle: root force temporarily lost, potentially sliding temporarily into Follower-like behavior — reversion after the cycle ends. Root stability depends on: whether the month supports the root (month in the controlling side = root strength discounted), and whether the root is being punished or clashed (punishment/clash on the root in a given year = foundation shakes). 4. Root quality beyond grade — position and combination matter too Root grade gives you the base score. But position adds context. Root in the month-branch: strongest positional root — the month is the command center. Root in the day-branch (spouse palace): direct and personal — this is 'your own root.' Root in the hour-branch: late-blooming foundation. Root in the year-branch: distant foundation — ancestral, less directly usable. Also: a combined root (root branch gets combined away) loses effectiveness. A clashed root (root branch gets clashed) is damaged — still counts but at reduced strength, roughly half a grade down. Root Grade System Career & Wealth Love & Relationship Personality Health Source Texts Practical Execution Root scoring card: Primary root = 3 pts. Mid root = 2 pts. Residual root = 1 pt. Total root score ≥ 5 = strong foundation. 3-4 pts = medium foundation. 1-2 pts = weak foundation. 0 pts = rootless. Mark the Follower pattern break year: A Follower chart in a luck cycle or annual cycle that hits the Day Master's root position — that's the year the Follower breaks. That year, fortunes can suddenly flip — previous smooth sailing turns rough (because the DM went from 'following' to 'suddenly trying to stand up' without enough strength yet). Follow-up Questions Q: Do three residual roots add up to one primary root? A: In terms of raw force, roughly yes. But for Follower pattern judgment, three residual roots also chip away at the Follower's purity. One primary root is a clean pattern-breaker. Three residual roots are a fuzzy pattern-breaker — judgment depends on the specific chart configuration. Q: What if the root branch is empty — no hidden stem at all? A: Every earthly branch has hidden stems. But if the hidden stems don't include the Day Master's element, that branch provides zero root for the DM — regardless of how strong the branch otherwise is. A zǐ branch is all Water — zero Wood root for a jiǎ DM. Related Tools Strength/Weakness Overview → Root, Stem-Reveal, Rootless, Floating → Seven-Level Strength Classification → Free Bazi Calculator →