What Is Branch Support (De Di)?
De Di (Branch Support) means that the Day Master's Five Element has root connections (Tong Gen) of the same element within the Earthly Branches of the chart — that is, the Hidden Stems within the Earthly Branches contain the same Five Element as the Day Master, providing foundational support. De Di is one of the important dimensions in assessing Day Master strength.
Method for Determining Branch Support
Among the Hidden Stems within Earthly Branches (primary, secondary, and residual), any Branch whose Hidden Stems contain the Day Master's Five Element can be counted as a root connection:
Taking a Jia Wood Day Master as an example:
| Branch | Root Connection Condition | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Yin | Jia Wood primary | Strong |
| Mao | Yi Wood primary (same element) | Medium-strong |
| Hai | Jia Wood secondary | Medium |
| Chen | Yi Wood residual | Weak |
| Wei | Yi Wood residual | Weak |
Root Connection Strength Levels
The strength of a Day Master's root connection in Earthly Branch Hidden Stems decreases in the order: primary > secondary > residual.
- Primary Root Connection: Strongest — the Branch fully supports the Day Master
- Secondary Root Connection: Medium strength
- Residual Root Connection: Weaker, but still counts as having a root
Relationship Between De Di and De Ling
De Di and De Ling together determine the fundamental root energy of the Day Master:
- De Ling (Month Command support) is the single greatest source of strength
- De Di (multiple root connections) accumulates support from multiple directions — although a single root may be weak, the overlap of multiple roots can still stabilize the Day Master
Importance
If the Day Master is completely rootless within the chart's Earthly Branches (no Hidden Stems of the same element at all), the Day Master is adrift and rootless — extremely weak — and may enter the Following Structure (Cong Ge) category.