Ten Gods — 十神 shí shén

Every stem and hidden stem in the result has its Ten God label.

Open the free BaZi calculator or the related tool to see Ten Gods applied to a real birth chart.

Ten Gods translate element relations into roles relative to the Day Master: what supports you, what you produce, what you manage and what manages you. Structure (格局) then names the chart by its dominant role, usually from the month branch.

Symbolic stars (神煞) such as the Nobleman, Peach Blossom and Travelling Horse are lookup tables keyed on the day or year stem and branch. They were popular in older practice and almanacs. Most modern practitioners treat them as secondary details that can colour a reading but never override element balance.

The same Ten God can be constructive or excessive depending on strength. Eating God helps a strong Day Master express itself but drains a weak one; Seven Killings disciplines a strong chart but pressures a weak one.

• Reading Ten Gods as fixed personality labels.
• Letting symbolic stars override element balance.
• Ignoring the polarity that separates direct and indirect gods.
• Counting hidden and visible Ten Gods as equal.

The Ten Gods framework is central in 子平真诠, which organises analysis around structures. Symbolic stars are collected in works such as 三命通会, often with differing lists.

• Day MasterThe Day Master (日主 or 日元) is the heavenly stem of the day pillar.
• Generating CycleIn the generating (sheng) cycle wood feeds fire, fire makes earth, earth bears metal, metal carries water and water nourishes wood.
• Chart StructureChart structure (格局) classifies a chart mainly by the Ten God of the month branch's main qi, e.
• Nobleman StarThe Heavenly Nobleman (天乙贵人) is a symbolic star: for each day stem certain branches are designated as "helpful people".
• Peach BlossomPeach Blossom (桃花, 咸池) is a symbolic star taken from the year or day branch: 子, 午, 卯 or 酉 depending on the three-harmony group.
• Travelling HorseThe Travelling Horse (驿马) is a symbolic star found from the three-harmony group of the year or day branch: 寅, 申, 巳 or 亥.

The fastest way to understand Ten Gods is to look at real charts rather than memorise rules. Enter a birth date, time and city in the BaZi Calculator, then locate where Ten Gods appears: in a visible stem, hidden inside a branch, in the current luck pillar or in this year's annual pillar. Note the position, because the year pillar is usually read as background and early life, the month pillar as environment and career setting, the day pillar as the self and close partner, and the hour pillar as later life and output.

• Compare two or three charts where Ten Gods is prominent and two where it is absent; write down what differs in the overall balance.
• Check the month branch first: seasonal strength changes how much any factor matters.
• Use the hidden-stems and Ten Gods tables in the calculator output instead of guessing.
• Treat single factors as clues, never as verdicts; classical texts always weigh the whole chart.

Different schools describe Ten Gods with slightly different emphasis. This site follows widely used conventions (solar-term months, true solar time optional, Zi hour setting configurable) and states them openly so you can compare results with a book or another calculator.

Ten Gods is one piece of a larger system. If you are learning BaZi from scratch, the order below builds each idea on the previous one, and every step links to free reference pages on this site.

1. Calculate a chart and confirm the four pillars are correct (checklist).
2. Learn the ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches.
3. Find your Day Master and judge its strength with the five elements.
4. Read the Ten Gods in context.
5. Move on to timing with luck and annual pillars.
6. Use the glossary whenever a term is unfamiliar.

BaZi is a traditional cultural system. This page explains how the symbols are defined and read; it does not make scientific claims or predictions about your health, money or relationships.