The state rule tells us which branch event matters. It does not always tell us the scale.

The same branch can appear as an hour, day, month, or year. A delivery question and a marriage question may use the same timing mechanism but need different calendars.

Keep those two decisions separate: first identify the branch event, then decide whether the question can reasonably verify by hour, day, month, or year.

Near Hour or day

Use for immediate questions, active moving lines, urgent situations, and short-horizon events.

or
Far Month or year

Use for broad questions, slow structures, long commitments, and events that cannot reasonably occur within days.

Scale inputs

Question wording What horizon was asked?

"Today" and "this week" ask near. "This year" and "will this last" ask far.

Line state How active is the target?

Moving and triggered lines lean near. Deeply constrained lines may push farther out.

Domain reality What can happen in the world?

A court verdict, exam result, sale, illness change, and marriage arc do not share the same practical clock.

The question sets the default scale. The target’s state confirms or adjusts it. A moving target in an urgent question usually resolves by day or hour. A static weak target in a long-horizon question usually resolves by month or year. When those two inputs disagree, say so instead of forcing a false date.

Examples

Courier today Near timing

A moving carrier line should be read in hours or days, not months.

Career year Mixed scale

A near opening may appear inside a year-scale question. Name both the immediate event and the wider frame.

Marriage durability Far timing

The chart may identify a month or year branch as the relevant stress or release point.

Illness change Domain-dependent

Acute illness may move by day. Chronic illness may require month-scale caution.

Source basis: Zengshan Buyi and Bushi Zhengzong timing discussions; timing source synthesis, near and far section.

Hour timing exists, but it is not the default for every near question. Most near readings are day-scale unless the question itself is urgent enough that the hour matters.

Traps

Trap Always choosing days

That creates false precision for slow questions.

Trap Always choosing months

That wastes precision when the chart is clearly active and near.

Trap Ignoring the question

The chart and the question together set the timing scale.

Continue to San He Timing