At a glance
- Example
- Yin: Jia, Bing, Wu
- Layers
- Assignments are not measured proportions
Definition and terminology
Hidden stems are a natal correspondence table, not concealed physical substances discovered inside celestial bodies or people. A branch may carry one to three stems: Zi commonly Gui, Mao Yi, Yin Jia/Bing/Wu. Major and secondary assignments allow a branch to participate in several relationships beyond its surface phase.
Structure and rules
Common tables assign Chen Wu/Yi/Gui, Si Bing/Wu/Geng, Wu Ding/Ji, Wei Ji/Ding/Yi, Shen Geng/Ren/Wu, You Xin, Xu Wu/Xin/Ding, Hai Ren/Jia and Chou Ji/Gui/Xin. Ordering and weighting vary. Emergence means a hidden stem is also visible above; rooting means a visible stem has corresponding branch support.
Worked reading
For a Jia Day Master, Yin’s Jia labels Peer, Bing Food God and Wu Indirect Wealth. If Bing also appears as a visible stem, its emergence can be discussed. This demonstrates several relations within one branch, not three guaranteed life events. Season, placement and other chart signs still condition the traditional reading.
Context and limits
Correspondence tables can be checked for consistency, but weighting is not a measured natural constant. Historical seasonal subdivisions, modern percentage tables and software simplifications are distinct conventions. State the adopted table and preserve alternatives. A weak or unexposed hidden stem does not establish a real-world deficiency in health, wealth or relationships.
References & further reading
Historical sources document ideas and rules of their time, not empirical proof of predictive accuracy. Source notes identify the nature and scope of each reference.
- 《三命通会》（四库全书本）Primary / tradition source
Public-domain natal-divination compilation with historical editorial criticism; rule documentation, not modern validation.
- 《三命通会》卷五：论印食官财名义Primary / tradition source
Public-domain text explaining Day Stem relations, resource, output, office, wealth and patterns.