The Five Strength Patterns in BaZi — Strong, Weak, Follow, Dominant, Balanced
Strength patterns describe how your Day Master operates inside the whole chart. Use them to set scope, choose environments, and time pushes — without fighting your engine.
Overview
Strength pattern ≠ job title. It’s a rule‑set for capacity and friction. Two people with the same Day Master can live opposite lives because their strength patterns differ.
How professionals determine pattern
- Season: Month Branch support to the Day Master.
- Structure: Resource/Friends vs Officer/Wealth vs Output distribution.
- Combinations/Clashes: Whether the chart follows an element or resists.
- Use‑god (用神): What stabilizes function under pressure.
Strong (旺)
Mechanics: Abundant support or season. Handles pressure; risks overreach.
- Career: leadership, architecture, program mgmt.
- Wealth: start with Direct Wealth base; carefully add Indirect.
- Habits: delegate early, install quality gates.
Weak (弱)
Mechanics: Low support or high pressure. Wins by design, not force.
- Career: specialist lanes with clear briefs; QA, editorial, analysis.
- Wealth: steady, risk‑managed; avoid over‑leverage.
- Habits: templates, mentors, smaller but repeatable scope.
Follow (从格)
Mechanics: Chart aligns with the dominant element/structure; frictionless when plugged into big streams.
- Career: platforms, ecosystems, franchises.
- Wealth: leverage distribution; rev‑share models.
- Habits: choose upstream you respect; avoid split loyalties.
Dominant (专旺/从强)
Mechanics: Overwhelming element bends chart to its agenda. Great for mastery; brittle without counters.
- Career: deep technical mastery, founders with narrow moats.
- Wealth: barbell—core focus + conservative hedge.
- Habits: schedule rest; add opposites to avoid tunnel vision.
Balanced (平)
Mechanics: Elements in dialogue; high adaptability, risk of drift.
- Career: product, consulting, x‑functional leadership.
- Wealth: diversified; rebalance quarterly.
- Habits: quarterly thesis; OKRs to focus.
How to apply
- Projects: set scope to capacity (Strong/Dominant bigger; Weak/Follow tighter; Balanced defined sprints).
- Environment: tune desk facing (Kua) + sector (Flying Star).
- Timing: pick Day Officers; use Qi Men for pivotal moves.
Example: Yi Wood (weak) vs Yi Wood (dominant)
Same Day Master, opposite tactics: weak Yi wins in curated niches with strong briefs; dominant Yi builds a category and enforces taste via brand.
FAQ
Is Follow rare?
Correct Follow requires clear dominance and alignment; many self‑diagnosed “follow” charts are actually weak or balanced. Check season and structure carefully.
Can patterns change?
Base tendencies persist, but Luck Pillars can make you feel temporarily stronger or weaker. Adjust scope to season.
Build the right system for your pattern
Set scope, choose room, time your push. Review every quarter.
