What is a Follow pattern (Cong Ge)? Don’t rush to claim one
Cong Ge means the Day Master is so weak it barely has root or Resource, so we follow the chart’s strongest external force (Wealth, Officer/Killings, or output) for the Useful God. It is the opposite extreme from Dominant (Zhuan Wang). Almost everyone else stays on ordinary support-and-restrain.
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At a glance
| Type | Follows | Favourable direction (sketch) |
|---|---|---|
| Follow Wealth | Wealth strongest | Wealth and the output that feeds it; avoid Resource and Peers |
| Follow Killings | Officer/Killings strongest | Officer/Killings and Wealth; avoid Resource and Peers |
| Follow Output | Output strongest | Output and the Wealth it feeds; avoid Resource |
| Dominant (contrast) | Day Master’s own element excessive | Output and Resource with the flow; avoid Officer counterflow |
- Prerequisites
- No main root, Resource not showing and very low %, rated weak/slightly weak
- External force
- One external force over half or in a Three Harmony/Meeting, clearly leading
- This site
- Strict bar; suspected Follow is flagged; still re-check with luck cycles
- Vs. ordinary
- If Follow fails, return to ordinary strength balancing
What is Follow really saying?
Ordinary charts bargain with the Day Master: too strong, restrain; too weak, support. Follow is when bargaining fails — the Day Master cannot stand, so we go with the strongest outside force.
It is not a prestige title or a “higher pattern.” It is a reading switch under extreme structure: favourable elements follow the flow, not “support the weak.”
Why most people are not Follow
Conditions stack: no root, no Resource, weak body, and one external force dominant. A single salary or blade main root, or Resource showing on a stem, should try ordinary balancing first.
On 2000 random charts with the same engine: special patterns total about 5.1%; true Follow Wealth/Killings/Output is only 2.0%. Even among weak charts, only about 3.9% reach Follow. Over 95% of charts should stay on ordinary strength balancing.
Follow Wealth, Killings, Output — how to tell
See which outside force wins. Strongest Wealth → Follow Wealth; strongest Officer/Killings → Follow Killings; strongest output → Follow Output. Follow Output usually also wants some Wealth to receive what output generates; otherwise we stay conservative.
Dominant is the other pole: the Day Master’s own element is excessive, so we follow with output and Resource, and avoid Officer counterflow. Don’t mix it with Follow.
When luck brings Resource or Peers, does Follow break?
It can shake. Follow fears Resource and Peers “waking” the Day Master so the external force is no longer alone. Luck or a year that brings strong Resource/Peers is the classic break risk — re-check with ordinary balancing; don’t wear a Follow label for life.
Our luck analysis flags break risk on Follow charts; read “Follow” as a conditional clause, not a permanent ID.
Data: how many Follow charts in 2000 random ones?
Special patterns total 5.1% (Follow, Dominant, two-qi images, Earth transformation, etc.). Follow Wealth/Killings/Output together are only 2.0% (0.8% / 0.7% / 0.6%); Dominant 1.8%.
Weak charts are 53.1% of the sample, but only 3.9% of weak charts reach Follow — weak ≠ Follow.
About 95% of charts stay on ordinary strength balancing. Jumping to Follow at the first resemblance is a top misread.
Statistics: 2,000 birth times (birth years 1950–2010 uniformly random, random birth time, half male/half female, Beijing true solar time);.
Common view vs. our view
| Common view | Our view | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Weak means Follow | Need no root/Resource and a dominant outside force | Only 3.9% of weak charts are Follow |
| Follow is nobler than ordinary | Only a reading switch | Follow is 2.0% of the sample |
| If software doesn’t flag Follow, it’s wrong | We keep a strict bar | All special patterns together are only 5.1% |
Two real charts
Yi Wei · Ji Mao · Gui Wei · Ji Wei (male, 23 Mar 1955, 14:30, Beijing)
Gui Water is born in Mao: Wood in command drains Water. Branches Wei–Mao–Wei, stem Yi output and two Ji Seven Killings; Water has almost no main root and Resource barely shows. Rated weak and flagged Follow Killings: follow Earth, Earth useful, Fire favourable, Metal and Water unfavourable.
Note Metal in the unfavourable list — Metal is Water’s Resource, exactly the counterflow Follow fears. Don’t “support the weak with Resource” here; that is the ordinary-chart habit. Follow Officer/Killings, and watch Metal/Water luck for break risk.
Ren Zi · Ren Zi · Ren Wu · Geng Zi (male, 16 Dec 1972, 23:45, Beijing)
Ren Water with Zi in year, month and hour, two Ren stems — Water qi is extreme. Rated strong and flagged Dominant: follow Water, Wood useful (output), Metal favourable, Earth unfavourable.
Opposite of Follow: not rootless following an outside force, but own element excessive. The contrast shows “special patterns” have two poles — both rare, neither the same as ordinary strong/weak.
FAQ
I’m weak — does that mean I’m Follow?
No. Weak means you need support. Follow also needs almost no root/Resource and a dominant external force. In our sample only ~3.9% of weak charts reach Follow.
A site said I’m Follow Wealth but your chart doesn’t. Who’s wrong?
Check whether they looked for roots and Resource. With a main root or Resource on a stem, we usually stay on ordinary balancing.
Does Follow Killings mean a violent life?
It means Officer/Killings dominate and the Day Master follows. Personality and career still need the Ten Gods and real life — don’t scare with the label.
Can Dominant and Follow both be true?
No. One is excessive Day Master, one is extreme weakness. The engine picks by rules.
Common mistakes
- A bit weak means Follow: need no root, no Resource, and a dominant external force.
- Follow is nobler than ordinary patterns: only a reading switch.
- Once Follow, always Follow: Resource/Peer luck may break it.