Mangpai Analysis Workflow (盲派分析流程)

📋 How Mangpai Practitioners Actually Read Charts

Unlike Western-influenced BaZi methods that start with Day Master strength, Mangpai practitioners follow a strict procedural sequence designed to identify the work mechanism first and derive everything else from it. This workflow has been refined over centuries of oral transmission and represents the most battle-tested method of rapid chart analysis.

不同於受西方影響的八字方法（從日主強弱開始），盲派師傅遵循嚴格的程序順序，旨在 首先識別做功機制 ，然後從中推導其他一切。這個流程經過數百年的口傳心授，代表著最經過實戰檢驗的快速命盤分析方法。

Plot the Four Pillars (排四柱)

Time required: < 30 seconds for experienced practitioners

1a. Construct the Eight Characters

Using the birth date/time and the Wan Nian Li (萬年曆 / Ten-Thousand Year Calendar), derive the four pillars:

	Year Pillar (年柱)	Month Pillar (月柱)	Day Pillar (日柱)	Hour Pillar (時柱)
Heavenly Stem	Year Stem	Month Stem	Day Master	Hour Stem
Earthly Branch	Year Branch	Month Branch	Day Branch	Hour Branch

1b. Expose Hidden Stems (藏干)

Write out all hidden stems within each Earthly Branch. Mangpai practitioners often note only the primary hidden stem (本氣), but the secondary and tertiary hidden stems must be tracked for tomb analysis.

Key note: Mangpai uses the standard hidden stem table (not the simplified versions). Each branch contains 1-3 hidden stems.

1c. Mark the Void (空亡 Kōng Wáng)

Using the Day Pillar's Jiazi cycle position, determine which two branches are "Void." Mark them clearly — any god sitting in a Void branch has its power dramatically reduced or negated entirely .

Mangpai saying: "空亡逢沖則有用" — "Void branch that gets clashed becomes useful."

Assign the Ten Gods (定十神)

Time required: < 15 seconds with memorization

Using the Day Master as reference, label every visible stem and every hidden stem with its Ten God identity. In Mangpai, the Ten Gods are functional labels , not personality descriptors:

Category	Yin	Yang	Mangpai Function
Output (洩)	Eating God (食神)	Hurting Officer (傷官)	The "controller" — what I produce to attack
Wealth (財)	Indirect Wealth (偏財)	Direct Wealth (正財)	The "target" — what I conquer/acquire
Authority (官)	Seven Killings (七殺)	Direct Officer (正官)	The "threat" — what conquers me
Resource (印)	Indirect Seal (偏印)	Direct Seal (正印)	The "shield" — what generates and protects me
Peer (比)	Rob Wealth (劫財)	Companion (比肩)	The "competitor" — same as me, competes for resources

Speed Tip: The 2-second Assignment

Master practitioners memorize the Ten God relationships for all 10 Day Masters so thoroughly that assignment is instantaneous . This is non-negotiable in Mangpai training. If you need to calculate, you're not ready for live reading.

Divide Host & Guest Zones (分主賓)

Time required: Instant — this is structural

🏠 HOST (主) — "Me"

Day Pillar — the Self and its immediate resources
Hour Pillar — the future, children, what I can deploy

These are the forces you command .

🌍 GUEST (賓) — "The World"

Year Pillar — ancestors, society, the external world
Month Pillar — parents, career environment, seasonal energy

These are the forces you must capture, control, or transform .

Critical Insight: Month Branch = The Battlefield

The Month Branch (月令) has special status. It sets the seasonal context for all interactions. A Ten God that is in season (得令) is strong; one that is out of season is weak. Mangpai doesn't use the "strong/weak Day Master" paradigm, but seasonal strength still matters for judging how much fight each god can put up.

Scan for Work Mechanisms (找做功)

Time required: 30-60 seconds (this is the heart of the method)

Systematically check every possible interaction between Host and Guest forces:

Scanning Checklist

Stem vs Stem: Check all four Heavenly Stems for combinations (合) and conquests (克)
Branch vs Branch: Check all four Earthly Branches for:
- Six Combinations (六合)
- Three Harmonies (三合局)
- Three Meetings (三會局)
- Six Clashes (六沖)
- Destructions (破), Harms (害), Punishments (刑)
Stem-Branch cross: Check if stems "reach down" to interact with non-native branches (especially for combination work)
Tomb status: Are any of the four tombs (辰戌丑未) present? What do they store? Can they be opened?

⚡ The First-Glance Rule

Experienced Mangpai practitioners can identify the primary work mechanism within 3 seconds of seeing a chart. They look for the single most obvious interaction first (usually a Stem combination or a prominent Seven Killings), then verify by checking if supporting mechanisms reinforce or undermine it.

Classify the Work Type (定功類)

Based on Step 4's findings, assign the chart to one of the four work categories:

Work Type	Key Signal	What to Check Next
🔴 Controlling (制功)	Host element conquers Guest element	Is the control complete? Any rescue for the controlled god?
🟡 Combining (合功)	Stem or Branch combination across zones	Does the combination transform? What does it transform into?
🟤 Storage (庫功)	Tomb branch present with relevant god buried	Is the tomb on Host or Guest side? Can it be opened?
🔵 Transforming (化功)	Three-element chain: Attack → Absorb → Feed	Is the chain unbroken? Is the middle link (Seal) safe?

Many charts have compound work — e.g., Controlling + Storage (the Host controls the Guest AND stores the spoils in a tomb). Identify all active mechanisms, then determine which is primary and which is supporting .

Grade the Efficiency (評效率)

Using the Efficiency Grading System , assign an S through F grade.

Efficiency Multipliers (增效因子)

Leverage — One god controls many: multiply by 1.5–2x
Alignment — Stem and Branch working together: +50%
Tomb reinforcement — Conquered god falls into host-side tomb: +30%
Seasonal support — Primary work god is in season: +25%

Efficiency Penalties (減效因子)

Rescue — Controlled god has a savior (e.g., Seal protecting Killings from Eating God): −50%
Leakage — Host energy diverted away from primary work: −30%
Void — Key god is in Void branch: −40% to −100%
Counter-combination — Combination pulls Host god away from its work: −40%

Read the Images (觀象法)

Time required: 30 seconds – 2 minutes (intuition-heavy)

This is the step that separates Mangpai from all other BaZi schools. After identifying the work mechanism, overlay the Image system (象法 Xiàng Fǎ):

Image Layers

Layer	What It Reveals	Example
Branch Animal Images	Profession, lifestyle, physical environment	午 Horse = speed, military; 酉 Rooster = precision, beauty industry
Stem Characteristic Images	Personality traits, talent type	甲 = tall tree, leadership; 壬 = ocean, grand vision
Interaction Images	How events unfold, method of success/failure	Clash = sudden change; Combination = gradual absorption
Position Images	Where events happen	Year = distant/public; Hour = private/domestic

Image reading is not taught from tables — it's trained through hundreds of case studies until the practitioner "sees" the life story in the chart symbols. See the Advanced Techniques page for deeper Image Reading methodology.

Map the Luck Pillars (排大運)

Calculate the 10-year Luck Pillars (大運 Dà Yùn) and overlay them onto the natal work mechanism:

Luck Pillar Assessment Framework

Does this Luck Pillar enhance the work? → Good decade. Promotion, wealth, expansion.
Does this Luck Pillar disrupt the work? → Dangerous decade. Loss, setback, health issues.
Does this Luck Pillar open a locked tomb? → Breakthrough decade. Sudden dramatic change.
Does this Luck Pillar complete an incomplete combination? → Activation decade. Dormant potential realized.
Does this Luck Pillar break a Follow configuration? → Catastrophic decade. The structure collapses.

Timing Precision

Within each 10-year Luck Pillar, the Stem governs the first 5 years and the Branch governs the last 5 years . For event-level precision, overlay the Annual Pillar (流年) onto both the natal chart and the current Luck Pillar.

Synthesize the Verdict (綜合判斷)

Combine all findings into a structured life reading:

Mangpai Consultation Template

Chart Grade: [S/A/B/C/D/F] — Overall life potential
Primary Work: [Work type] — How this person makes their mark
Career Image: [Derived from Image layer] — Probable profession/field
Wealth Path: [Method of wealth acquisition] — Direct control / combination / storage / transform
Danger Points: [Identified anti-work or breakable chains] — What could go wrong
Peak Decades: [Specific Luck Pillars] — When the work is most efficient
Danger Decades: [Specific Luck Pillars] — When the work is disrupted
Key Advice: [Actionable guidance] — What to pursue and what to avoid

⚡ The 3-Minute Reading

An experienced Mangpai practitioner can deliver a full consultation in under 3 minutes . This is not a boast but a methodological feature — the Zuo Gong system eliminates ambiguity so completely that interpretation doesn't require deliberation. You identify the work, grade it, check the luck pillars, and deliver the verdict.

"盲師不用多說，一看做功全明了" — "The blind master needs no many words; one look at the work and all is clear."

Verify Against Known Facts (驗證)

This step is for practice/study only — never done during live consultation

When studying Mangpai, always verify your chart reading against the person's actual life events:

Did the predicted Peak Decades actually produce success?
Did the predicted Danger Decades actually produce problems?
Does the Image Reading match their actual profession?
Does the Wealth Path match how they actually earned money?

If your analysis doesn't match reality, the analysis is wrong, not reality . Go back to Step 4 and re-examine the work mechanism. Common errors:

Common Error	Solution
Identified wrong primary work	Check if a branch interaction overrides the stem interaction
Efficiency grade too high	Look for hidden penalties: Void, rescue, leakage
Efficiency grade too low	Check if tomb storage or hidden stem alignment provides bonus
Luck Pillar prediction wrong	Re-examine the Annual Pillar overlay for that specific year
Image doesn't match profession	Look at the combined image of the work mechanism, not individual elements

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Workflow Quick Reference (速查表)

Step	Action	Time	Output
1	Plot Four Pillars + Hidden Stems + Void	< 30s	Complete chart with 8 characters + all hidden stems
2	Assign Ten Gods	15s	Every stem/hidden stem labeled
3	Divide Host/Guest	Instant	Day+Hour = Host, Year+Month = Guest
4	Scan for Work	30-60s	All interactions catalogued
5	Classify Work Type	10s	Control / Combine / Store / Transform
6	Grade Efficiency	15s	S/A/B/C/D/F rating
7	Read Images	30-120s	Life narrative from symbols
8	Map Luck Pillars	30s	Peak/Danger decades identified
9	Synthesize Verdict	30s	Complete life reading
10	Verify (practice only)	Variable	Accuracy assessment

Total time for experienced practitioner: < 3 minutes

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