Meaning and context
The Ten Gods are not separate deities. They are ten labels for the relationship between another stem or hidden stem and the Day Master.
The system combines element direction with Yin/Yang polarity, producing five pairs used to discuss resources, identity, creativity, assets, pressure and responsibility.
- Resource Stars: elements that produce the Day Master.
- Companion Stars: the same element as the Day Master.
- Output Stars: elements produced by the Day Master.
- Wealth Stars: elements controlled by the Day Master.
- Power Stars: elements that control the Day Master.
Classical roots
Classical summaries list the ten names and treat them as the grammar of chart relationships.
Structure and calculation
The ten labels are easiest to read as five paired categories.
- 比肩 / 劫财: peers, identity, cooperation and competition.
- 食神 / 伤官: talent, output, expression and production.
- 正财 / 偏财: assets, transactions, management and opportunity.
- 正官 / 七杀: rules, authority, pressure and responsibility.
- 正印 / 偏印: learning, protection, support and alternative insight.
How to read it
Read Ten Gods after the Day Master is clear.
- Identify the Day Master.
- For each visible stem and hidden stem, compare element relationship to the Day Master.
- Use Yin/Yang polarity to choose the direct or indirect version.
- Check which roles are rooted, seasonal, repeated or absent.
- Combine the result with useful elements and Luck Pillars.
How it appears in FateFolio
FateFolio labels Ten Gods automatically so the chart can be read without hand-mapping every stem.
- Each pillar can show its Ten God relationship.
- Distribution notes identify prominent or missing roles.
- Luck Pillars show incoming Ten Gods by decade.
- Interpretation text connects roles to practical themes without deterministic claims.
Common misconceptions
Misreadings often come from treating the label as a fate.
- Assuming direct is always good and indirect always bad.
- Reading career or marriage from one god alone.
- Ignoring hidden stems and month strength.
- Counting labels without checking usefulness.
- Forgetting that annual and decade timing can activate different roles.
Sources and notes
Classical quotations are short reference notes. Interpretations may vary by school, so this article explains the concept rather than promising a fixed outcome.
Quoted excerpts
「十神者，比肩、劫财、食神、伤官、正财、偏财、正官、七杀、正印、偏印也。」
References
- 《渊海子平》原文（中国哲学书电子化计划 CText） · Chinese Text Project
- Chinese Astrology (Britannica) · Encyclopædia Britannica