Host, Guest, and Fixed Counting Systems (主客定算)
The three counting systems of Tai Yi Shen Shu provide the analytical framework for determining the relative strength and likely outcome of any situation being assessed. Unlike QMDJ (which reads static configurations), Tai Yi uses dynamic counting methods to generate configurations from the temporal input.
Host Count (主算)
The primary counting that determines the Ruling Star of the year or period. The Host represents the primary force under analysis — the nation, the ruler, or the subject of inquiry. It establishes the fundamental condition of the situation. Derived by counting from the Tai Yi star position, advancing through the 16 palaces according to the Yang or Yin Dun cycle. The Host Count is the single most important calculation in Tai Yi analysis.
Guest Count (客算)
The secondary counting that reveals the challenging or opposing force. The Guest is the external agent, adversary, or rival force in the situation. Host-Guest analysis determines who holds the advantage and what the outcome of any conflict will be. A Host in an Earth palace facing a Guest in a Wood palace: the Guest attacks the Host (Wood controls Earth) — the force being analyzed is under pressure from an external challenge. Host-Guest relationship is the primary key to strategic Tai Yi reading.
Fixed Count (定算)
The tertiary count providing background conditions and stable contextual factors. Unlike the dynamic Host and Guest, the Fixed Count represents unchanging baseline conditions — geography, constitutional factors, or foundational conditions of the state. The Fixed Count modifies the Host-Guest interaction: a Fixed Count in a supporting palace strengthens the Host; in an attacking position, it creates additional vulnerability.
Integration with the 16 Palaces
The interaction of Host, Guest, and Fixed positions within the sixteen-palace grid generates the complete Tai Yi reading. Advanced practitioners read the elemental relationships between all three positions, identify which palace domains are affected, assess the timeline through the Yang Dun/Yin Dun cycle position, and synthesize the finding into a macroscopic prediction about national or collective affairs.