Parents and children do not choose each other, which makes understanding the relationship all the more useful. BaZi looks at a parent–child pair through one main question: which way does care naturally flow? Fate Hall's family reading answers it from both sides — when the other person is your parent, and when they are your child.
The six relations in classical BaZi
Traditional texts read family members from your own chart through the "six relations" (六親). The Resource star, the element that feeds you, stands for the mother and for those who nurture you. The father is usually read from Indirect Wealth. Children are read from the Officer stars in a man's chart and from the Output stars in a woman's chart, the element she "gives birth to".
Fate Hall's relationship reading takes a simpler and more direct route. Instead of searching your chart for a symbolic parent or child, it compares your Day Master with the actual person's Day Master and asks which way the elements flow between you.
When they are your parent
The most natural parent–child position is the one where your parent's element feeds yours: support and teaching flow from them to you, exactly as the classical Resource star describes. Other patterns describe other families — the parent who is more of a friend, the strict parent who sets firm rules, or the grown child who ends up looking after the parent early.
| Their Day Master is your… | Score | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Peer starsFriend (比肩) · Rob Wealth (劫財) Same element as yours | 72 | You and your parent can easily be like friends. Because it is so relaxed, respect each other's boundaries. |
| Output starsEating God (食神) · Hurting Officer (傷官) Your element generates theirs | 62 | You tend to be the one looking after your parent. Roles may reverse early once you are an adult. |
| Wealth starsIndirect Wealth (偏財) · Direct Wealth (正財) Your element controls theirs | 58 | You tend to put your own path ahead of your parent's wishes. When wills collide, agree who decides what. |
| Officer starsSeven Killings (七殺) · Direct Officer (正官) Their element controls yours | 68 | Your parent sets firm standards. All the rules can feel tight, but they raise you to be resilient. |
| Resource starsIndirect Resource (偏印) · Direct Resource (正印) Their element generates yours | 88 | Your parent's element feeds yours — the most natural parent–child position. It is easy to lean on them and learn from them. |
When they are your child
Turn the relationship around and the best fit turns around too. Here the natural position is the one where your element feeds your child's: what you give, they grow on. A child whose element controls yours tends to challenge you and change your mind; a child whose element feeds yours often grows up early and looks after you.
| Their Day Master is your… | Score | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Peer starsFriend (比肩) · Rob Wealth (劫財) Same element as yours | 72 | You and your child can easily be like friends. Because it is so relaxed, be clear about the things a parent has to decide. |
| Output starsEating God (食神) · Hurting Officer (傷官) Your element generates theirs | 88 | Your element feeds your child's — the most natural parent–child position. Your child grows with what you give. |
| Wealth starsIndirect Wealth (偏財) · Direct Wealth (正財) Your element controls theirs | 66 | You guide and correct your child. You give good direction, but too much interference pushes them away. |
| Officer starsSeven Killings (七殺) · Direct Officer (正官) Their element controls yours | 56 | Your child pushes back against your views and changes you. You may clash often, but you both learn from it. |
| Resource starsIndirect Resource (偏印) · Direct Resource (正印) Their element generates yours | 64 | Your child matures early and looks after you. That is touching, but leave them room to be a child. |
Emotional bond, conversation and the generation gap
| Area (read from) | When it scores high | When it scores low |
|---|---|---|
| Direction of careWhich Ten God their Day Master is to you (see the table above); +6 when your two Day Masters form a Stem Combination | Your roles divide naturally. | Agreeing roles out loud will cut down on friction. |
| Emotional bondYour Day branch × their Day branch | Your inner feelings line up, so trust comes easily. | Your inner feelings easily cross. Talk about any hurt the same day. |
| ConversationYour Month branch × their Month branch | Your daily and working rhythms match well. | Your daily rhythms differ. Agree in advance how you will keep in touch, meet and make plans. |
| Generations and familyYour Year branch × their Year branch | Your backgrounds and values fit well. | You grew up differently. Ask about each other's family ways first. |
| Learning from each otherHow much of each person’s Resource element (the one that feeds the Day Master) the other person carries | You have a lot to learn from each other. | You each have a clear path of your own rather than much to teach each other. Name one of their strengths at a time. |
| Handling conflictClashes, Yuan Jin and punishments between your year, month and day branches | Even when you clash, you make up quickly. | With clashes, Yuan Jin or punishments in the chart, friction may be frequent. Sleep on big decisions before making them. |
- Emotional bond comes from the Day branches, the most personal layer of each chart.
- Conversation comes from the Month branches — the everyday, social self. A clash here often means you both care, but talk past each other.
- Generations and family compares the Year branches. Parents and children are usually born years apart, so this pair is where the generation gap shows.
- Learning from each other looks at whether each of you carries the other's Resource element — the element of teaching and support.
A gentle word on reading family charts
Family readings are best used to understand, not to judge. A low score does not mean a relationship is broken or that anyone is at fault; it points at a pattern — too many rules, too little conversation, roles that reversed too early — that you can talk about. If a family relationship is causing real distress, a counsellor or family therapist will help far more than any chart.
Common questions
Can I check my child's chart before they are old enough to know about it? You can, and many parents do, but use it to understand your child's temperament rather than to set expectations. Children grow in directions no chart predicts.
My parent and I score differently depending on which way I enter it. Why? Choosing "my parent" or "my child" changes the role table, because the same Day Master link means something different depending on who is expected to look after whom.
Does the reading work for step-parents, grandparents or guardians? Yes. The comparison is between two people, not two bloodlines. Choose the role that matches who looks after whom.
Related guides
- Relationship CompatibilityHow BaZi compatibility works beyond romance: the Day Master link, the year, month and day branches, and how Fate Hall scores business partners, friends, parents and children, in-laws, and boss and employee.
- In-Law CompatibilityHow BaZi reads in-laws: the classical spouse-star method, and Fate Hall's direct comparison from both sides — family background, way of life, opening up and handling conflict.
- The Ten GodsWhat the Ten Gods are, how each is found from your Day Master, what themes they stand for, and a full lookup table for all ten stems.
- The Five ElementsHow Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water feed and control one another, which stems and branches carry each element, and how to read the balance in your chart.