Hidden stems
Look at a garden bed in late winter. On top there's just bare soil. But underneath there are bulbs, seeds and roots, all waiting their turn. That's what a branch is like. On the surface it's one animal. Inside, it holds one, two or three stems. These are the hidden stems (藏干, ).
What's inside each animal
Every branch has a main stem, the heart of the branch. Some also carry one or two smaller ones.
- One stem: the Rat (癸), the Rabbit (乙) and the Rooster (辛). What you see is what you get.
- Two stems: the Horse (丁 and 己) and the Pig (壬 and 甲).
- Three stems: the Ox, the Tiger, the Dragon, the Snake, the Goat, the Monkey and the Dog.
The main stem almost always matches the branch's element. The Tiger is Wood, and its main stem is 甲, Yang Wood. The smaller ones are guests: the Tiger also carries a little Fire (丙) and a little Earth (戊).
Why they count
Your chart shows eight characters. But read with the hidden stems, it has many more. This changes the picture in three ways.
- An element can be there without showing. Say no Metal appears on the surface of your chart, but your Ox holds a bit of 辛. The Metal is there, quietly. In the Elements section on the Chart tab, you'll see a note like "0 visible, hidden in 丑".
- Roles can live underground. A hidden stem plays a role next to your Day Master, just like a visible one. The Ten roles screen tells you when a role is "hidden in" one of your branches rather than shown on top.
- Roots. When a branch holds a stem of your own element, your Day Master has a root there, like a plant gripping the ground. The full reading lists them: "a root of your own in the Ox", for example. Roots are part of what makes a chart feel steady.
How the app weighs them
On the Chart tab, the Elements section has two views.
- Count adds up the eight visible characters: four stems on top, four branches below, each with its own element.
- Model counts each stem on top in full, and then opens up every branch and counts what's inside. The main stem weighs the most, usually around 60% of the branch. The smaller ones weigh less. A branch with a single stem gives it all to that stem. The Month branch counts one and a half times, because the season you were born in colors the whole chart.
The Model view is the app's own weighting. It's labeled "App model" because it's a choice, not a traditional verdict. It's also what feeds the "Support for your core element" gauge.
Hidden stems in time
Hidden stems aren't only in your birth chart. Every decade, year, month and day has a branch, and each branch brings its stems along. When the app gives a period its themes, like "Opportunity + Steady resources", the first word comes from the stem on top and the second from the main stem hidden in the branch.
Seeing yours
Tap any pillar on the Chart tab. Under "Hidden stems" you'll find each stem inside that branch, with a colored dot for its element and the role it plays for you. The full reading lists them under each pillar too, as "Hidden" followed by the characters.
In plain words
The surface of a chart is what people see first. The hidden stems are what's underneath: quieter talents, support you don't always notice, and parts of you that wake up when the right year comes along. Something you "lack" on the surface is often waiting down there.