dotorium

Saju guide

Combinations and Clashes Between Branches in Saju

The twelve branches in a saju chart pull together and push apart in set patterns. A plain guide to harmonies, three-way groups, clashes, and the smaller relationships readers mention.

Lay the twelve zodiac animals around a circle like the numbers on a clock, and most of the relationships in this article become easy to see. Saju readers call these animals the earthly branches, or jiji (地支), and they sit in the lower half of each pillar. Certain pairs and trios are said to draw together, while others face each other head on. Knowing the patterns makes a chart, or a compatibility reading, much easier to follow.

The circle comes first

The order runs Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig, then back to the Rat. The Goat is called the Sheep in some English sources; both names refer to the same branch. Each animal also carries an element and a season. The Tiger and Rabbit belong to spring Wood, the Snake and Horse to summer Fire, the Monkey and Rooster to autumn Metal, the Pig and Rat to winter Water, and the Ox, Dragon, Goat and Dog to Earth, which sits at the turn between seasons.

Almost every relationship below comes from geometry on this circle: opposites, points spaced evenly apart, and pairs that mirror each other across it.

Six harmonies: pairs that bond

The first set is yukhap (六合), the six harmonies. Each pair is said to combine, sharing a sense of ease or cooperation:

When two of these branches appear in one chart, readers often describe the areas of life tied to those pillars as working together smoothly. When they appear across two people's charts, the pairing is read as a comfortable default rhythm. Some readers add that a strong bond can also feel binding, since a combined branch is less free to act on its own.

Three harmonies: groups with one direction

Samhap (三合), the three harmonies, links branches spaced four steps apart, forming a triangle on the circle. Each group gathers toward one element:

A chart with all three members of a group is often read as having a strong pull toward that element. Many readers also count a partial group, where only two of the three appear and one of them is the middle branch as listed here: the Rat, Rabbit, Horse or Rooster. These triangles also underlie other rules, such as how the dohwa or peach blossom branch is found.

Six clashes: opposites that meet

Chung (沖), or clash, describes branches directly across the circle from each other:

Opposite branches carry opposite seasons, and usually opposing elements too, like midwinter Water against midsummer Fire in the Rat and Horse. The two Earth pairs, Ox with Goat and Dragon with Dog, share an element and differ only in season. Readers describe a clash as movement, change or friction between the parts of life the two pillars represent. A clash between the month and day branches, for example, might be read as tension between a person's working environment and private life. Modern readers generally treat clashes as signs of activity and adjustment, and some readers describe a chart with no clashes at all as feeling static.

Quieter relationships: punishment, harm, break

Three more relationships appear in many charts and are usually given less weight than a clash.

Hyeong (刑), often translated as punishment, is read as a tangling or tightening pressure. The traditional sets are Tiger, Snake and Monkey; Ox, Dog and Goat; and Rat with Rabbit. The Dragon, Horse, Rooster and Pig are said to form self-punishment when the same branch appears twice.

Hae (害), or harm, is read as a quiet blockage or slow buildup of hurt feelings. Its pairs are Rat and Goat, Ox and Horse, Tiger and Snake, Rabbit and Dragon, Monkey and Pig, and Rooster and Dog.

Pa (破), or break, is read as a small crack in something already arranged. Its pairs are Rat and Rooster, Ox and Dragon, Tiger and Pig, Rabbit and Horse, Snake and Monkey, and Goat and Dog.

Wonjin and overlapping labels

Korean compatibility talk often brings up wonjin (怨嗔), a pairing linked with low-level resentment and small irritations rather than open conflict. The six pairs are Rat and Goat, Ox and Horse, Tiger and Rooster, Rabbit and Monkey, Dragon and Pig, and Snake and Dog. Each one sits just beside the clash partner on the circle, which is why it is read as a slanted, indirect mismatch.

Because these lists were built separately, one pair can carry several names. Tiger and Monkey are both a clash and part of a punishment set. Snake and Monkey are a harmony and also a break and a punishment. Rat and Goat are both harm and wonjin, and so are Ox and Horse. Seeing a pair listed three times in a reading does not triple its weight; it usually means several rules happen to describe the same pair.

How readers weigh it all

Among the friction patterns, many readers weigh a clash most heavily, then punishment, and treat break, harm and wonjin as lighter detail. How much a six harmony or a three-way group counts against those is a point where schools differ. Position matters as well: relationships involving the day or month branch are typically read as more noticeable than those between the year and hour. A harmony can soften a clash when both are present, and readers differ on how much.

FAQ

Is a clash in my chart something to worry about?

Readers today mostly describe a clash as movement and change in the areas the two pillars represent. It is a theme to understand, not a warning of any specific event.

Where do I find the branches to check?

They are the lower characters of your four pillars, so any chart shows them, including the free one on Hongsil. For pairs that run between two people you need both charts, which is why its compatibility reading asks for the other person's birth details as well.

Do these relationships also apply between a chart and a year?

Many readers compare a year's branch with the branches in a chart and note harmonies or clashes. That comparison is one ingredient in yearly readings, alongside the elements and the day master.

Related

Part of the dotorium saju guide. Saju readings are for fun and reflection, not for making decisions.