What Is the Bending & Straightening Structure?
The Bending & Straightening Structure (Qu Zhi Ge /) is one of the five Specialized Prosperity Structures, belonging to the Special Structures category. "Qu Zhi" (Bending & Straightening) is drawn from the Book of Documents (Shang Shu): "Wood is called Bending & Straightening" (Mu Yue Qu Zhi) — wood can bend and also stand straight, symbolizing vitality and flexibility.
Qualifying Conditions:
- The Day Master is Jia Wood or Yi Wood
- The chart's Earthly Branches form the Yin-Mao-Chen Three Gathering of the East, or the Hai-Mao-Wei Three Union Wood Bureau — Wood qi is extremely strong
- No Geng or Xin Metal appears in the Heavenly Stems to restrain Wood (or Metal is present but extremely weak)
- No Shen or You Metal in the Earthly Branches, or Metal is present but has been combined and transformed
Favorable and Unfavorable Elements
| Element | Reason | |
|---|---|---|
| Favorable | Wood | Reinforces the primary qi; the stronger the Wood, the better |
| Favorable | Water | Water generates Wood, nourishing it along the flow |
| Favorable | Fire | Wood generates Fire, draining prosperity along the flow (elegant qi circulating) |
| Unfavorable | Metal | Restrains Wood, going against the flow and breaking the structure |
| Unfavorable | Earth | Wood restrains Earth, but too much Earth depletes Wood qi (case-dependent) |
Personality Traits of Qu Zhi Chart Owners
Qu Zhi chart owners typically:
- Are benevolent, generous, and possess leadership qualities — Wood governs benevolence (Ren)
- Have strong adaptability, able to bend and stretch as circumstances require
- Are gifted in culture, education, and the arts
- Should develop their career by going with the flow rather than through brute force
Luck Cycles and Annual Luck
For Qu Zhi chart owners, Wood, Water, and Fire luck cycles are favorable — career proceeds smoothly. Metal luck cycles are adverse — the structure is broken, signifying setbacks and upheavals.
Important Notes
The Qu Zhi Structure requires exceptional purity — even a single potent Geng or Xin Metal disqualifies the structure, and the chart must then be analyzed according to ordinary structural principles. Whether the structure holds depends critically on the strength of the restraining element.