Branch Interactions: Combinations, Clashes, Punishments and Harms
Earthly branches interact: combinations bind and support, clashes bring change and impact, punishments bring friction and entanglement, harms bring hidden wear. What they really move is the area of life represented by the pillars involved.
Common branch interactions
- Six combinations
- Zi–Chou, Yin–Hai, Mao–Xu, Chen–You, Si–Shen, Wu–Wei
- Triple harmonies
- Shen–Zi–Chen (Water), Hai–Mao–Wei (Wood), Yin–Wu–Xu (Fire), Si–You–Chou (Metal)
- Directional trios
- Yin–Mao–Chen (East, Wood), Si–Wu–Wei (South, Fire), Shen–You–Xu (West, Metal), Hai–Zi–Chou (North, Water)
- Six clashes
- Zi–Wu, Chou–Wei, Yin–Shen, Mao–You, Chen–Xu, Si–Hai
- Punishments
- Yin–Si–Shen, Chou–Xu–Wei, Zi–Mao, and the self-punishing Chen, Wu, You and Hai
- Six harms
- Zi–Wei, Chou–Wu, Yin–Si, Mao–Chen, Shen–Hai, You–Xu
The curves mark combine, clash, punishment and harm relationships among the four pillar branches. Curves above the row are combinations (six-combine, triple harmony, directional trio — gathering and support); curves below are clash, punishment and harm (change, friction or entanglement). The same pair of branches can carry more than one relation at once (Si and Shen, for instance, both six-combine into Water and belong to a triple punishment) — traditionally worth noting when it happens. Read these against the whole chart: what matters is which life areas the affected pillars represent, not the relation in isolation.
More topics
- The Four Pillars
- The Ten Day Masters
- The Ten Gods in BaZi
- The Five Elements and Favourable Elements
- BaZi Symbolic Stars and the Twelve Stages
- Void (Kong Wang)
This is fixed text compiled from general convention, not a reading of any individual chart and not a prediction. For important decisions, please consult qualified professionals.