How the Chart Score Is Calculated: Full Disclosure of the Four Algorithms
When many people see the score in the top-right corner of a chart, their first reaction is, "Is my fate good or bad?" — Let's get the most important point out of the way first: the score evaluates the "structural characteristics" of the chart, not whether your destiny is good or bad. Just like the deviation indicators in a physical exam report, deviating from the balanced template doesn't mean you're sick — in metaphysics, "unbalanced patterns" (偏枯格) often lead to grand configurations.
Below, every step and weight of the four algorithms is laid out completely, with nothing hidden. You can verify with any chart: the same input always produces the same output — this is a deterministic algorithm, and AI does not participate in scoring.
General Rules
- All systems start from 50 points and add or subtract from there
- Raw scores are calculated and retained as-is, but the display layer is clamped to 55–98 — there is no "perfect chart," and no "failing grade" humiliation is created
- Below every score, an itemized breakdown of additions and deductions is listed (green for positive, red for negative), so you can see where every point comes from
Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗数) · Pattern Structure Score
Evaluates "whether the overall configuration of this chart is balanced and robust":
| Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| Life Palace (命宫) main stars and auxiliary stars | Auspicious stars (Zuo You Chang Qu Kui Yao, Lu Cun, Hua Lu/Quan/Ke, main stars in temple/prosperous positions) +5 each; malefic stars (Yang Tuo Huo Ling Kong Jie, Hua Ji, main stars in fall positions) −6 each |
| Trinity (三方四正) (Wealth · Career · Travel) | Combined auspicious across the three palaces +2/star, malefic −3/star |
| Birth-year Si Hua (四化) | Hua Lu and Hua Ke weighted by palace: Life/Wealth/Career +8, Travel +6, Spouse/Fortune +4, others +2; Hua Quan ×0.7; Hua Ji deducted by palace (Life −10, Travel −8, Wealth/Career −6, Health −4, others −3) |
| Pattern hits | Each auspicious pattern +4, each inauspicious pattern −5 |
| Body Palace (身宫) | Auspicious/malefic in Body Palace ±2 each |
Design logic: the Life Palace is the hub of the entire chart and carries the highest weight; the Trinity is the "iron triangle" of the natal pattern and comes next; Si Hua is the energetic annotation at the Heavenly Stem layer; patterns are an overall bonus; the Body Palace governs postnatal fine-tuning.
BaZi (八字) · Natal Chart Balance Score
Evaluates "whether the Five-Element structure and Day Master strength are balanced":
| Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| Five-Element distribution | Based on an ideal of 20%: score = 14 − deviation × 30, with an additional −6 for each missing element |
| Day Master strength | The 7 characters other than the Day Stem are weighted by position (month branch ×2, month stem/hour branch ×1.5) to calculate support vs. drain: difference ≤1.5 +10 "moderate and affectionate"; ≤3.5 +5; too large −8 |
| Ten Gods coverage | Five categories: Seal/Companions/Output/Wealth/Authority, +3 for each covered category, −4 for each missing category |
| Earthly Branch clashes | −6 for each clash; +4 if there are no clashes globally |
Design logic: the core aesthetic of BaZi is "moderation" — being neither biased nor extreme is most valued, so balance earns positive points and extremes deduct points.
Qi Men Dun Jia (奇门遁甲) · Event Manifestation Score (evaluates matters, not people)
Qi Men is a divination chart for "this moment, this matter," not a natal chart, so the score answers "whether the chart manifestation of this matter flows smoothly":
| Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| Zhi Shi (值使) Gate | Life Gate/Open Gate +12, Rest Gate +8, Scenery Gate +4, Block Gate −2, Harm/Death/Fright −12; auspicious gates under Gate Pressure have their score halved (negated); Punishment −6; Void −8 |
| Zhi Fu (值符) Star | Tian Fu/Tian Xin/Tian Qin +10, Tian Ren/Tian Chong +6, Tian Ying 0, Tian Peng/Tian Rui/Tian Zhu −10 |
| Day Stem Palace (inquirer's situation) | Stars in palace ×0.8 + Gates ×0.6 + Deities ×0.7 (Zhi Fu +8 / White Tiger/Gouchen −8 / Tengshe/Xuanwu −6), Void −8, capped at ±16 |
| Inauspicious pattern density | Total count of Gate Pressure/Punishment/Entering Tomb across the whole chart ×(−2), max −10 |
Design logic: the Zhi Shi Gate is the "gate in use" and carries the most weight; Zhi Fu is the "leading auspicious star" and comes next; the Day Stem Palace examines the inquirer's current situation; inauspicious pattern density assesses overall resistance.
Synastry · Compatibility Score
Combines existing Five-Element complementarity, Life Palace main star interactions, Spouse Palace status, and Decade Limit (大限) synchronization into 1–5 stars, then maps: 5★→96, 4★→86, 3★→72, 2★→58, 1★→44.
Boundaries You Must Know About "Accuracy"
- Weights are academic conventions, not oracles. Whether Hua Ji deducts 10 or 8, whether Gate Pressure halves or reduces by one-third — these are set according to the common standards of the San He school / Shi Jia Qi Men. Change to a different master, and the weight table will differ. This is exactly why we lay out all the details: experts who disagree with the weights can look only at the itemized breakdown, not the total score
- A high-score chart ≠ a good fate, a low-score chart ≠ a bad fate. A low score may mean the structure is extreme (partial talents, unusual patterns) — extreme structures in metaphysics often have dramatic, grand configurations. The score tells you "how far from balance," not "how far from good luck"
- It can be checked. The same chart always gets the same score — this is entirely different from the unfalsifiable rhetoric of "the master says your fate is good." The meaning of the score is to give you a structured description that can be discussed, verified, and challenged by experts
Why It's Clamped to 55–98
Raw scores are calculated as-is, but the display layer has a floor and a ceiling. The reason is simple: a metaphysical score is essentially a structural measurement, not an exam grade — displaying 43 points would only anger users, and displaying 98 points would foster fatalistic superstition; neither end is honest. The 55–98 range expresses: "every chart has highlights worth appreciating, and also shortcomings worth paying attention to."