How the element weights are added
The eight surface characters are not enough. Hidden stems are multiplied by 1, 0.5, and 0.3 for main, middle, and residual qi. The sum is the element count.
Editorial review: 2026-09-22 · Reviewed by fateshow · Editorial method
Do not average the three qi layers
A branch may have only main qi, or main plus middle and residual. Adding the residual as one third would make a light layer as loud as the main qi. This site does not do that.
A visible stem is its own layer
A stem showing on the pillar is not discounted again inside the hidden-stem weights. It is the outer layer. When you read the count, say which part came from visible stems and which from hidden ones.
Two lines of the same branch
Illustration: a branch has water as main qi at 1 and metal as middle qi at 0.5. That branch adds 1 to water and 0.5 to metal, not 0.75 each. The illustration is only the addition. It is not a real chart, and the numbers are not an income.
Common mistakes
- Splitting hidden stems evenly by count.
- Counting stems and skipping branches.
- Treating the weight total as money.
Use it in fateshow
Frequently asked questions
Why 1, 0.5, and 0.3?
Those are this site’s weights for main, middle, and residual qi. Another ratio is a different count and should not be mixed into the comparison.
Does the branch’s own element get added?
Yes. Hidden stems are a second layer inside the branch. The branch you see also joins the element count.
Does a luck cycle join this total?
Read the natal total on its own. A luck cycle is a step laid on top and is written separately. It is not quietly merged into the birth count.
Sources and editorial basis
- 1. fateshow chart rule snapshot
Each generated report stores the engine settings that produced it. Compare those settings before treating two charts as the same calculation.
- 2. fateshow interpretation dictionary
Plain-language tendencies used in reports. They describe conditions and cautions, not fixed personality or inevitable outcomes.