The Ten Gods: a guide to BaZi’s ten symbolic relationships

Start with five element relationships

Find the day pillar’s stem: that is the Day Master. Another stem can share its element, generate it, be generated by it, control it, or be controlled by it. Each of those five relationships is split by whether the two stems have the same or opposite yin/yang polarity, producing ten names.

The Day Master itself is the reference point; it is not an extra Ten God to count. Branches contain hidden stems, so the same relationship system can also be applied within a branch. A visible stem and a hidden stem do not automatically carry equal weight.

Companion and Rob Wealth

Companion (Bi Jian) shares the Day Master’s element and polarity. It is commonly associated with peers, independence and acting on one’s own terms. Rob Wealth (Jie Cai) shares the element but has the opposite polarity, emphasizing peers, competition or sharing resources. Its dramatic name does not mean theft is destined to occur.

Both can support a weak Day Master; in a different structure, extra peer pressure or competition may be less helpful. The relationship name alone cannot decide which interpretation applies.

Eating God and Hurting Officer

These are Output: the Day Master generates their element. Eating God (Shi Shen) has matching polarity and is associated with expression, production and enjoyment. Hurting Officer (Shang Guan) has opposite polarity and is often read through questioning, performance and challenging established expectations.

Hurting Officer is not a diagnosis of rebelliousness or bad behavior. Whether expression works well depends on the rest of the chart and the actual situation.

Direct and Indirect Wealth

Wealth is the element controlled by the Day Master. Indirect Wealth (Pian Cai) has matching polarity; Direct Wealth (Zheng Cai) has opposite polarity. Traditional descriptions often contrast flexible opportunities and resource mobilization with regular management and practical responsibility.

These categories do not tell you the amount of money you have. Too much demand relative to support is a separate question, discussed in excess Wealth and a weak Day Master.

Direct Officer and Seven Killings

Authority is the element controlling the Day Master. Seven Killings (Qi Sha) has matching polarity; Direct Officer (Zheng Guan) has opposite polarity. The former often symbolizes pressure, urgency and forceful demands, while the latter emphasizes rules, responsibility and recognized roles.

Neither guarantees a career outcome. Seven Killings is not a prediction of violence or death. Its relationship with Output, Resource and roots matters; the Seven Killings guide explains the two major regulation routes.

Direct and Indirect Resource

Resource is the element generating the Day Master. Indirect Resource (Pian Yin) has matching polarity; Direct Resource (Zheng Yin) has opposite polarity. Traditional readings connect them with learning, support and receiving resources, sometimes contrasting unconventional study with established learning.

Resource is not always beneficial simply because it “supports.” Excess Resource or an unrooted Day Master requires a more careful reading. Likewise, an unfavorable-sounding name may play a helpful role.

How to use the reference table

Read across the row for your Day Master and compare each other stem. For Jia Wood, Jia is Companion, Yi Rob Wealth, Bing Eating God, Ding Hurting Officer, Wu Indirect Wealth, Ji Direct Wealth, Geng Seven Killings, Xin Direct Officer, Ren Indirect Resource and Gui Direct Resource.

The full table and example below are produced from the existing engine. The example uses the public fictional birth 1990-03-15 10:00 in Taipei, so its pillars can be reproduced rather than accepted as an unexplained illustration.

What the names cannot establish

A single Ten God does not prove someone’s job, wealth, gender role or behavior. Read season, roots, combinations and the whole configuration before applying an interpretation. Do not confuse BaZi’s Seven Killings relationship with the Zi Wei star of the same name; those belong to different chart systems.