1. The simpliest method

This method is the simpliest to evaluate the strenghtness of Day Master but not always is accurate.
We should consider also in which of 12 Stages of Life there is the element of Day Master.
When the Month Branch is a place where the element of Day Master is born or is in grave, its strenght is also big but this is an advanced technique.

1) the season (Month Branch) supports DM ? Yes or No
2) more HS (without DM) support DM ? Yes or No
3) more EB (without Month Branch) support DM ? Yes or No

If you have 0 Yes, Day Master is very weak (may be this is Special Chart).
If you have 1 Yes, Day Master is weak.
If you have 2 Yes, Day Master is strong.
If you have 3 Yes, Day Master is very strong (may be this is Special Chart).

2. The strenghtness of Day Master
=========================
(written by RapaNui)

In the Ba Zi, the strength of the Day Master (consisting of itself, the same element and the element giving rise to it), may be determined more accurately when both the Stems and the Branches (containing hidden Stems) are assigned certain points.

There are:
1. Stems - each assigned 36 points
2. Branches - containing hidden Stems :
............................Yin........Si.........Shen......Hai
24 points............... Jia.........Bing......Geng.......Ren
12 points................Bing.......Geng.....Ren.........Jia
3 points.................Wu.........Wu.......Wu.........---
............................Mao.......Wu......You........Zi
21 points................Yi...........Ding.....Xin.........Gui
3 points...............................Ji
............................Chen......Wei........Xu........Chou
15 points................Wu.........Ji............Wu.........Ji
9 points.................Yi............Ding........Xin........Gui
6 points..................Gui.........Yi............Ding......Xin

Example :
Ding.............Geng..............Xin..............Geng.....Heavenly Stems
36................36..................36...............36.............points
Hai...............Zi...................Si................Xu.........Earthly Branches
----------------------------------------------------(hidden stems of EB)
Ren...24........Gui...21..........Bing...24........Wu...15
Jia...12..............................Geng...12......Xin...9
........................................Wu...3..........Ding...6
=====================================
Earth (Wu + Ji).......= 3 + 15 = 18
Metal (Geng + Xin)..= 36 +36 +36 + 12 + 9 = 129
Water (Ren + Gui)..= 24 + 21 = 45
Wood (Jia + Yi)......= 12
Fire (Bing + Ding)...= 36 + 24 + 6 = 66

- same gang = Earth+Metal = 18 + 129 = 147
- opposite gang = Water+Wood+Fire = 45 +12 +66 = 123
--->> so this Day Master is strong
===================================================================
There are some more advanced calculative methods but they are also more complicated.
You can know them on classes or from the workbooks of teachers.
===================================================================

3. To determine strength of self element:
(written by Zi Wei Astrologer)

1) see surrounding elements of 4 pillars
2) see season
3) see if belong to special chart + check for clashes/combinations
4) cast hidden stems of 4 pillars
5) cast house of life and conception and their hidden stems
6) examine strength of hidden stems (objective of this thread)


in usual circumstances, step 1-4 would normally suffice.

but for those curious people who wish to see more in detail, you're recommended to do ALL the 6 steps.

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Case Study:
as evident in the following case which is an extreme case of borderline case whereby self element is not very weak or very strong.

------------------------------------------ LIFE -- CONCEPTION ---
earth....earth....fire......wood.........metal.....earth

earth....earth....wood...wood.........earth.....fire
sheep...dragon...rabbit...tiger.........sheep....horse
--------------------------------------- -------------------------
wood....wood....wood.....fire..........wood.....fire.........} hidden stems
earth....earth...............wood..........earth.....earth.....} hidden stems
fire.......water...............earth..........fire......................} hidden stems

for such cases, (as an additional/optional step) you may also wish to examine the strength of hidden stems:

(1) innate qi - strongest
(2) leftover qi - strong
(3) in tomb - weak

branch - hidden stems
yin - (1) jia, (2) bing, (3) wu
mao - (1) yi
chen - (1) wu, (2) yi, (3) gui
si - (1) bing, (2) geng, (3) wu
wu - (1) ding (2) ji
wei - (1) ji (2) ding (3) yi
shen - (1) geng (2) ren (3) wu
you - (1) xin
xu - (1) wu (2) xin (3) ding
hai - (1) ren (2) jia
zi - (1) gui
chou - (1) ji (2) gui (3) xin