Detailed Analysis of Di Shi (Earth势 / Temporal Phase)
Di Shi is a BaZi charting term referring to the Day Master's Twelve Stages of Growth state at each pillar's Earthly Branch.
Basic Concept
"Di Shi" means "the momentum of the branches"—the Day Master has different power states at each branch. The twelve states in order:
Birth → Bathing → Capping → Office → Emperor → Decline → Illness → Death → Tomb → Extinction → Embryo → Nurturing
Difference from Self-Sitting (Zi Zuo)
| Aspect | Di Shi | Zi Zuo |
|---|---|---|
| Reference | Day Master | Each pillar's own stem |
| Meaning | Day Master's strength at each branch | Each stem's strength at its own branch |
| Perspective | Day Master as center, looking at all branches | Each pillar independently assessed |
Importance
The Month Pillar's Di Shi is especially critical—the Month Branch is the most important branch in BaZi. The Day Master's state at the Month Branch directly determines whether the Day Master is "in season" (strong) or "out of season" (weak), which is the first step in assessing chart strength.