Decade phases and your structure

In Four Pillars of Destiny (BaZi), the structure is taken from the month branch and fixed in the eight characters. A decade phase does not change the eight characters, but during its years it can support the structure, complete it, and sometimes change it.

The True Interpretation of Ziping (子平真诠; Qing dynasty, 18th century) gives the decade phases real weight over the structure:

命之格局，成于八字，然配之以运，亦有成格变格之要权。

Our translation: A chart’s structure is formed in the eight characters; yet, paired with the decade phases, it also has the key power of forming or changing the structure.

The book holds that a structure formed or changed by a decade phase matters more than ordinary favor and disfavor.

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases That Form or Change the Structure

Favorable and unfavorable decade phases

A decade phase that helps an element the chart favors is favorable; one that runs against the chart’s needs and hurts what it favors is unfavorable. The True Interpretation of Ziping, on decade phases, lists examples of both, and its chapters on decade phases for each structure go through every pairing. In outline, with one cell taken from Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping (子平真诠评注; ROC, 1936) and marked as such:

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On the Decade Phases; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases for the Direct Officer; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases for Wealth; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases for Resource; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases for the Food Star; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases for the Indirect Officer; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases for the Hurting Officer; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases for the Yang Blade; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases for Month Prosperity; Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping · On the Decade Phases

The book itself says decade phases can only be given in outline: each chart is weighed in its own way, and nothing here is to be applied rigidly. So check the table against the whole chart. Some phases look unfavorable but do no harm: a Hurting Officer phase in a Direct Officer structure, with Resource revealed in the chart, since Resource checks the Hurting Officer; a Seven Killings phase in a Wealth structure, with the Food Star revealed, since the Food Star checks Seven Killings. Some look favorable but are not: a Resource phase in a Direct Officer structure is normally good, but if a character in the chart combines with the phase’s Resource, it hurts the Officer instead; and an Officer phase in a Resource structure does not suit either if the chart uses Seven Killings.

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases for the Direct Officer; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On the Decade Phases; Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping · On the Decade Phases

Formed: a decade phase completes the structure

A structure is formed by a decade phase when the chart’s structure is in place but incomplete, and the phase completes it. The book’s examples: a Yin Fire Day Master born in a Dragon month has Yang Water revealed as its Officer, but in the Dragon the Yang Water is only in storage and its root is weak; a Monkey or Rat phase combines with the Dragon into Water, and the Officer’s root holds. A Yin Wood Day Master born in a Dragon month has a Monkey or Rat combining with the Dragon into a Resource group, but the Resource is mixed in the branches; a Yang or Yin Water phase reveals it on the stems, and it becomes clear.

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases That Form or Change the Structure; Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases That Form or Change the Structure

If the chart lacks an enabler, see whether a decade phase can supply one. But what it supplies must be able to stand: for a Yang Water Day Master born in a Horse month, a phase revealing Yin Earth as the Officer would form the structure, but if the chart has Yang or Yin Wood, the Officer is controlled back and cannot be used.

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases That Form or Change the Structure; Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases That Form or Change the Structure

Changed: a decade phase alters the structure

A structure is changed when a decade phase alters the energy of the month branch, and for that phase the structure takes another form. The book’s example: a Yang Water Day Master born in a Pig month has Yin Earth revealed as the Officer, a Month Prosperity structure using the Officer. A Rabbit or Goat phase combines with the Pig into Wood, the month’s Water turns into Wood, and Month Prosperity becomes Hurting Officer.

Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping draws the line more finely: a phase that reveals a Hurting Officer or Seven Killings hidden in the branches damages what the chart uses, but does not yet change the structure; only a combination or clash that alters the energy of the month branch changes it. The change lasts only for that phase; Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping says that once the phase has passed, the structure is as it was.

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases That Form or Change the Structure; Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases That Form or Change the Structure; Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping · On Favorable and Unfavorable Elements in the Branches, Revealed by a Decade Phase

A combination must be solid to count. In the same example, a Goat phase does combine with the Pig, but hollowly, not solidly, and the Yin Earth Officer finds firm ground in the Goat instead: the structure changes and yet does not change. A character in the chart that clashes back also stops the change: with the same Yang Water Day Master in a Pig month and Yin Earth revealed, if the branches hold a Monkey or Rooster, they clash back at a Tiger or Rabbit phase, and the Wood group does not form.

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases That Form or Change the Structure; Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases That Form or Change the Structure

Combinations in a decade phase: binding, protecting, freeing

When a phase’s stem combines with a natal stem, the bound character can hardly do its work during that phase. What is bound decides whether the combination helps or hurts.

Binding what the structure relies on calls for care. This means the pivot of a structure under nurturing use, or the enabler of any structure. The True Interpretation of Ziping lists a phase that combines the Officer away in a Resource structure using the Officer as unfavorable; it says a Direct Officer structure should not meet a combination; and a Yang Blade structure using the Officer does not welcome Output combining the Officer away. An earlier example works the same way: a Yin Fire Day Master uses Yang Water as its Officer, and a Yin Fire phase binds the Officer.

Binding what breaks the structure protects it. Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping gives an example: a Yin Fire Day Master born in a Pig month has Yang Water revealed as the Officer, and also Yang Earth, a Hurting Officer, revealed to control the Officer. A Yin Water phase combines with the Yang Earth; the Hurting Officer transforms into Rob Wealth, which supports the Day Master, and the Officer is freed from its trouble.

Clashing away what binds a favorable element frees it. Dripping Heavenly Marrow Elucidated (滴天髓阐微; Qing dynasty, 19th century) says that when the Wealth a chart uses is bound by another character, a decade or annual phase that clashes away the binding character lets the Wealth do its work; the book says all eight structures work this way.

A combination that does not transform leaves both sides holding each other, not removing either; see the lesson on stem combinations and stem clashes.

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On the Decade Phases; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases for the Direct Officer; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Decade Phases for the Yang Blade; Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping · On the Decade Phases; Dripping Heavenly Marrow Elucidated · Clear Energy

Try it on your chart

1. Write down your structure, pivot and enabler, and the ailments and cures found in the lesson on how a structure forms, breaks and recovers.
2. Using the table, note in which decade phases your structure is favored and in which it calls for care; then see whether anything in your chart turns favor into disfavor, or the reverse.
3. For each decade phase, see whether its branch combines with your branches into a new group, or clashes a character away, so altering the energy of the month branch; whether the combination is solid; and whether anything in your chart clashes back.
4. See what the phase’s stem binds: the pivot of a structure under nurturing use, or an enabler, calls for care; a character that breaks the structure, and the structure is protected. Then see whether the phase clashes away anything binding a favorable element in your chart.
5. Beside each decade phase, note whether these ten years support, complete, hold back or change your structure. Once the phase passes, the structure is as it was.

See also: The enabler: the structure’s supporting element

See also: How a structure forms, breaks and recovers

See also: Two kinds of handling: nurture and restrain

See also: How a decade phase meets your chart

See also: The annual phase and its decade phase