Hidden stems
Stems concealed inside a branch — a layer of energy not visible on the surface.
A branch looks like a single energy, but one to three stems are held to be concealed inside it. These are the hidden stems, usually divided into residual, middle and principal qi, the principal being the branch's own energy. They matter because there is force a chart's surface characters do not account for — counting the hidden stems is what reveals the real weight of a chart when reading the distribution of Ten Gods or choosing a useful god. How much weight to give them differs by lineage, which is one reason the same chart can be judged strong by one reader and weak by another.
Explore all 12 branches
The composition used by the MYEONG engine. Principal qi is the branch's core energy. Composition and weighting can differ by lineage.
| Branch | Principal qi | Middle qi | Residual qi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 子 (Zǐ) | 癸 (Guǐ) Water | — | — |
| 丑 (Chǒu) | 己 (Jǐ) Earth | 癸 (Guǐ) Water | 辛 (Xīn) Metal |
| 寅 (Yín) | 甲 (Jiǎ) Wood | 丙 (Bǐng) Fire | 戊 (Wù) Earth |
| 卯 (Mǎo) | 乙 (Yǐ) Wood | — | — |
| 辰 (Chén) | 戊 (Wù) Earth | 乙 (Yǐ) Wood | 癸 (Guǐ) Water |
| 巳 (Sì) | 丙 (Bǐng) Fire | 戊 (Wù) Earth | 庚 (Gēng) Metal |
| 午 (Wǔ) | 丁 (Dīng) Fire | 己 (Jǐ) Earth | — |
| 未 (Wèi) | 己 (Jǐ) Earth | 丁 (Dīng) Fire | 乙 (Yǐ) Wood |
| 申 (Shēn) | 庚 (Gēng) Metal | 壬 (Rén) Water | 戊 (Wù) Earth |
| 酉 (Yǒu) | 辛 (Xīn) Metal | — | — |
| 戌 (Xū) | 戊 (Wù) Earth | 辛 (Xīn) Metal | 丁 (Dīng) Fire |
| 亥 (Hài) | 壬 (Rén) Water | 甲 (Jiǎ) Wood | — |
Source: standard BaZi framework and MYEONG's adopted hidden-stem table