In season, allies and opponents

In Four Pillars of Destiny (BaZi), a Day Master is in season when the main stem of the month branch is its own element, and supported by the month branch when that main stem is its Resource; both count toward its strength. Its allies are the Peers and Resource that help it, and its opponents are the Wealth, Authority and Output that spend its strength, control it or drain it. Neither the month nor the allies decide strength alone: they are weighed together with the roots.

The month matters, but it is not everything

Before turning to the season, keep in mind a reminder from Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping (子平真诠评注; ROC, 1936):

故生月即不值令，而年时如值禄旺，岂便为衰？不可执一而论。

Our translation: So even when the birth month is not in season, if the year or hour branch is the Day Master’s arrival or peak stage, how could it simply be weak? It must not be judged by one thing alone.

The month weighs most in a chart, but the year, month, day and hour pillars each add to or take from the Day Master’s strength. A Day Master born out of season whose year or hour branch is its arrival or peak stage cannot simply be taken as weak. The book adds that each season has an element in command, but the other elements do not disappear; they are only out of season, like a retired soldier or official whose abilities remain. So a Day Master out of season is not automatically weak, and one in season is not automatically strong: look at the whole chart.

Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping · On Stems in Season Yet Not Strong, Out of Season Yet Not Weak

Thriving and declining, strong and weak

The True Interpretation of Ziping (子平真诠; Qing dynasty, 18th century) asks the reader to keep four words apart. Being in season makes an element thriving (旺), and being out of season makes it declining (衰); many allies make it strong (强), and few helpers make it weak (弱).

Thriving and declining describe the season, seen in the month branch. Strong and weak describe whether helpers are many or few, seen in the allies and opponents. So a Day Master can be thriving yet weak, or declining yet strong. The book adds that this is not only for the Day Master: the strength of any element in the chart is weighed the same way.

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Stems in Season Yet Not Strong, Out of Season Yet Not Weak

In season and supported by the month branch

When the main stem of the month branch is the Day Master’s own element, the Day Master is in season. The month branches and the elements of their main stems:

When the main stem of the month branch is the element that generates the Day Master, its Resource, the Day Master is supported by the month branch: the month is not the Day Master’s own element, but it generates it. These are the two ways the month helps the Day Master, and both count when strength is weighed. A Day Master with neither is out of season. Take a Yang Fire Day Master: born in a Snake or Horse month, it is in season; born in a Tiger or Rabbit month, whose main stem is Wood, and Wood generates Fire, it is supported by the month branch; born in any other month, it is out of season.

Allies and opponents

Allies are the side that helps the Day Master: the Friend, Rob Wealth and Resource on the stems, and Resource hidden in the branches. Opponents are the other side: Wealth spends the Day Master’s strength, Authority controls it, and Output drains it. The Day Master’s own element in the branches was already weighed under roots and is not weighed again here.

To weigh allies against opponents, see which side comes in force and which is thin, and which side has roots in the branches to hold it up. They are not added up one by one.

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Stems in Season Yet Not Strong, Out of Season Yet Not Weak

In season yet not strong, out of season yet not weak

Put the season together with the allies and opponents, and two cases come up often.

In season yet not strong. Yang or Yin Wood born in a Tiger or Rabbit month is in season. But if Yang and Yin Metal show on the stems and the branches hold the Rooster and the Ox, Metal comes in force while Wood has few helpers, so the Wood is thriving but not strong. Or if Yang and Yin Fire show on the stems and the branches hold the Snake and the Horse, Fire comes in force and drains the Wood too heavily; although it is in season, the Wood cannot be strong.

Out of season yet not weak. Yang or Yin Wood born in a Monkey or Rooster month is out of season. But if Peers and Resource are stacked up and the year, day and hour branches hold roots, the helpers come in force; although it is out of season, the Wood cannot be weak.

The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Stems in Season Yet Not Strong, Out of Season Yet Not Weak; Commentary on the True Interpretation of Ziping · On Stems in Season Yet Not Strong, Out of Season Yet Not Weak

So strength cannot be judged from the month alone. The month weighs most, but the roots, allies and opponents can hold up a Day Master that is out of season, or hold down one that is in season. How the three are weighed together is the next lesson.

Try it on your chart

1. Look at the main stem of the month branch. If it is the Day Master’s element, mark the Day Master in season; if it is the Day Master’s Resource, mark it supported by the month branch; if neither, mark it out of season.
2. Mark how each stem and hidden stem relates to the Day Master, and sort them into allies (Peer, Resource) and opponents (Wealth, Authority, Output). Leave the Day Master’s own element in the branches to its roots.
3. See which side comes in force and which is thin, and which side has roots in the branches.
4. Put the result beside the roots you found in the previous lesson, and weigh them together in the lesson on Day Master strength.

See also: Roots: heavy and light

See also: The ten relationships to the Day Master

See also: Hidden stems: what each branch holds

See also: Day Master strength: five grades from very strong to very weak