Qi Men Stem Combinations: Meanings of 40 Heaven-Earth Plate Patterns
Published
A stem combination is the pattern formed when a Heaven Plate stem meets the Earth Plate stem beneath it. It is the finest layer of Qi Men reading. After a chart is cast, every palace holds a pair “Heaven stem over Earth stem,” and that pair leads to a pattern name and its general meaning. This page lists the 40 named combinations that Qimena’s charting engine recognizes, grouped by the Heaven Plate stem.
How to look one up
- Find the palace you want on the nine-palace board (usually the one holding your focus symbol).
- Read that palace’s Heaven Plate stem and Earth Plate stem (Heaven above, Earth below).
- In the section for the Heaven Plate stem below, find the row “Heaven on Earth.”
Heaven Plate Yi (Sun Wonder) on each Earth Plate stem
| Combination | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 乙 on 乙 | Repeated Sun Wonder (日奇伏吟) | Not for seeking fame or money; stay in your lane and hold to your duties. |
| 乙 on 丙 | Wonders in Step (奇仪顺遂) | Auspicious help: benefactors, gains in documents, career rise. |
| 乙 on 丁 | Wonders Assisting Each Other (奇仪相佐) | Documents benefit and plans succeed; good for opening, partnerships and promotion. |
| 乙 on 戊 | Yin Harms the Yang Gate (阴害阳门) | Good for quiet partnerships for money and low-profile work; beware hidden losses. |
| 乙 on 己 | Sun Wonder Enters the Tomb (日奇入墓) | Beware being schemed against; affairs are murky; better to hold than to act. |
| 乙 on 庚 | Sun Wonder Is Punished (日奇被刑) | Legal disputes and restricted assets; beware marital quarrels and split partnerships. |
| 乙 on 辛 | Green Dragon Flees (青龙逃走) | Servants defraud, belongings are lost; in love, one party tends to run or the relationship breaks. |
| 乙 on 壬 | Sun Wonder Follows the Water (日奇随水) | Scattering with no fixed home; seeking money or plans means running around for little. |
| 乙 on 癸 | Canopy Meets a Star (华盖逢星) | A minor good omen: good for study under a teacher and for taking shelter; excellent for discreet strategy. |
Heaven Plate Bing (Moon Wonder) on each Earth Plate stem
| Combination | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 丙 on 乙 | Sun and Moon Travel Together (日月并行) | Auspicious in public and private, with fame and gain, especially for partnerships and documents. |
| 丙 on 丙 | Moon Wonder Rebels (月奇悖格) | Documents under pressure, bills in dispute and odd events; stay still. |
| 丙 on 丁 | Star and Moon Shine (星月耀光) | Very auspicious: fame and profit come smoothly, benefactors help and a career soars. |
| 丙 on 戊 | Flying Bird Drops into the Nest (飞鸟跌穴) | A top auspicious pattern: a windfall, big gains, everything goes well. |
| 丙 on 己 | Fire Enters a Punishing Ground (火入刑地) | Someone works against you quietly; documents are at risk; gossip and disputes. |
| 丙 on 庚 | Mars Enters Venus (荧入太白) | Beware thieves and loss; accidents on long trips; hold your position. |
| 丙 on 辛 | Wonder and Instrument Combine (奇仪相合) | Plans tend to combine well and turn bad into good; hidden help and harmonious relationships. |
| 丙 on 壬 | Fire Lights the Great River (火照大川) | Changes or long trips; a career opens and closes widely; unsettled circumstances. |
| 丙 on 癸 | Canopy Defies the Teacher (华盖悖师) | Yin and yang out of step; documents are blocked; beware being framed or missing a chance. |
Heaven Plate Ding (Star Wonder) on each Earth Plate stem
| Combination | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 丁 on 乙 | Human Wonder Repeated (人奇伏吟) | Things stall; good for study, craft and staying put. |
| 丁 on 丙 | Star Follows the Moon (星随月转) | Promotion and a raise, documents benefit, clear career progress, benefactors lift you. |
| 丁 on 丁 | Talent Finds Its Seat (奇才得位) | Great for exams and official documents; joyful events; single people meet a match. |
| 丁 on 戊 | Green Dragon Turns Its Light (青龙转光) | Very auspicious: promotion, investment gains and money in hand. |
| 丁 on 己 | Fire Enters Gou Chen (火入勾陈) | Disputes and legal trouble over small money matters; beware backstabbing. |
| 丁 on 庚 | Documents Blocked (文书阻隔) | Geng Metal hammers Ding Fire: signing fails and information is cut off; do not travel. |
| 丁 on 辛 | Vermilion Bird Breaks a Leg (朱雀折足) | Documents are blocked; beware injury and loss; the intended partnership dies. |
| 丁 on 壬 | Five Wonders Combine (五奇相合) | Very auspicious: a perfect marriage or contract, negotiations make money, mutual gain. |
| 丁 on 癸 | Vermilion Bird Plunges into the River (朱雀投江) | Water and fire clash, an ominous sign: documents are lost, lawsuits are lost and quarrels are fierce. |
Heaven Plate Wu instrument on each Earth Plate stem
| Combination | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 戊 on 甲 | Green Dragon Hides Its Head (青龙伏头) | Capital is trapped and hard to deploy; good for defense; do not expand spending blindly. |
| 戊 on 戊 | Double Wood Forms a Forest (Fu Yin) (双木成林) | A repeating pattern: capital stays stuck and things loop; money is hard to make. |
| 戊 on 己 | Benefactor Enters Prison (贵人入狱) | Bad for public and private matters; others control you; beware assets being seized. |
| 戊 on 庚 | Chief Star Flies Away (值符飞宫) | The auspicious force leaves: a change of office or post, changes and loss; stay still. |
| 戊 on 辛 | Green Dragon Breaks a Leg (青龙折足) | Capital drains: unexpected loss, leg injury and financial loss. |
| 戊 on 壬 | Green Dragon Enters the Heavenly Gate (青龙入天门) | Very auspicious: profit; a long trip or a large deal is closed. |
| 戊 on 癸 | Green Hills and Flowing Water (青山流水) | Passable: good for partnering for money; young couples marry; moderately auspicious. |
Heaven Plate Geng instrument on each Earth Plate stem
| Combination | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 庚 on 丙 | Venus Enters Mars (太白入荧) | Thieves and disputes, accidental loss; play defense and keep a low profile. |
| 庚 on 庚 | Battle Pattern (战格) | Like repels like, head-on: lawsuits, fighting and crashes; beware serious conflict. |
| 庚 on 辛 | White Tiger Runs Wild (白虎猖狂) | Very inauspicious: beware bloodshed, illness or bankruptcy; extreme caution. |
| 庚 on 癸 | Great Obstruction (大格) | Chance meetings and violent change; money is hard to get and travel is full of obstacles. |
Heaven Plate Gui instrument on each Earth Plate stem
| Combination | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 癸 on 丁 | Soaring Serpent Writhes (腾蛇夭矫) | Very inauspicious: lawsuits, quarrels and constant false alarms; beware fraud and theft. |
| 癸 on 癸 | Heaven’s Net Spread on Four Sides (天网四张) | Blocked at every turn; only rest indoors and never force an attack. |
Notes
- Only the 40 combinations with a pattern name are listed; for a pair that is not, the engine gives a general reading from how the two stems’ elements interact.
- The three wonders are Yi, Bing and Ding; the six instruments are Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren and Gui. A wonder meeting an auspicious door and deity is better; meeting an inauspicious door or deity, it is discounted.
- A pattern is only one part of the judgment. Read it with the door, star, deity and the strength of the focus symbol.
These readings are the ones Qimena’s charting engine uses, offered for study and as a reference for decisions.
Related reading: Chart Patterns, Focus Symbols, How to Cast a Qi Men Chart.
FAQ
How do I read a stem combination?
Find the Heaven Plate stem and the Earth Plate stem in the palace; the Heaven stem "on" the Earth stem is one combination. For example, Bing on Wu is called Flying Bird Drops into the Nest, a top auspicious pattern.
What are the three wonders and six instruments?
Yi, Bing and Ding are the three wonders; Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren and Gui are the six instruments. The wonders are best when they meet an auspicious door and deity.
Why are Bing on Wu and Wu on Bing both very auspicious?
Bing wonder on Wu instrument is called Flying Bird Drops into the Nest, and Wu instrument on Bing wonder is called Green Dragon Returns Its Head. Both are very auspicious; the first leans toward smooth money-making, the second toward investment, opening a business and promotion.