01
Start with civil birth details
The Gregorian birth date is required. Birth time is optional; when it is absent, the hour pillar is omitted instead of being guessed.
Method · 方法
How Ming Path calculates your reading
Ming Path uses a deterministic calculation. The same valid inputs produce the same chart, element balance, and Day Master every time.
The reading is designed for self-reflection and cultural exploration. It is not professional medical, legal, financial, or mental-health advice.
02
Build the Four Pillars
A calendar library converts the entered date and time into the year, month, day, and optional hour pillars used by the fixed calculation.
03
Map stems to the Five Elements
The Heavenly Stems and the hidden stems returned for each pillar are mapped to Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water and counted.
04
Normalize the balance
The counts become exact element percentages that are rounded and adjusted to total 100%. The strongest count becomes the dominant element; the lowest count becomes the element to nourish.
What the chart means
Day Master, season, and focus
The Day Master comes from the Heavenly Stem of the day pillar. Its element and yin-yang quality anchor the report's interpretation.
The month branch is compared with the Day Master to record whether the Day Master is supported by the seasonal element or by the generating cycle.
Your selected question changes the focus lens of the written interpretation; it does not change the calculated pillars or percentages.
Current scope
Limits are stated plainly
The current method uses the entered civil date and time. It does not apply birthplace, timezone, or true-solar-time correction.
The element percentages are an internal balance derived from the counted stems in this implementation. They are not a universal score shared by every BaZi school.
Transparent method