Ten Gods
The Ten Gods are the 10 relationships formed between the Day Master and every other character in the chart.
Ten Gods
In one line: The Ten Gods map the relationship between the Day Master and each of the other seven characters in the chart — 10 relationship types, each corresponding to a set of people, events, and qualities.
What Is It?
There are 10 Heavenly Stems. Take the Day Stem (say you're Jia Wood) as "I", and every other stem falls into one of 10 relationship categories:
| Ten God | Relationship | Five Element Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Friend | Same as me, same polarity | Companion |
| Rob Wealth | Same as me, different polarity | Companion |
| Food God | I generate, same polarity | Drain |
| Hurting Officer | I generate, different polarity | Drain |
| Indirect Wealth | I control, same polarity | Consume |
| Direct Wealth | I control, different polarity | Consume |
| Seven Killings | Controls me, same polarity | Restrain |
| Direct Officer | Controls me, different polarity | Restrain |
| Indirect Seal | Generates me, same polarity | Generate |
| Direct Seal | Generates me, different polarity | Generate |
Memory Aid
What generates me is Seal, what controls me is Officer, what I generate is Food/Hurting Officer, what I control is Wealth, what is the same as me is Friend/Rob Wealth.
Example (Jia Wood Day Master):
- Jia meets Jia → Friend (same polarity)
- Jia meets Yi → Rob Wealth (different polarity)
- Jia meets Bing → Food God (Wood generates Fire, same polarity)
- Jia meets Ding → Hurting Officer (Wood generates Fire, different polarity)
- Jia meets Wu → Indirect Wealth (Wood controls Earth, same polarity)
- Jia meets Ji → Direct Wealth (Wood controls Earth, different polarity)
- Jia meets Geng → Seven Killings (Metal controls Wood, same polarity)
- Jia meets Xin → Direct Officer (Metal controls Wood, different polarity)
- Jia meets Ren → Indirect Seal (Water generates Wood, same polarity)
- Jia meets Gui → Direct Seal (Water generates Wood, different polarity)
Why Does It Matter?
The Ten Gods are the core analytical tool of BaZi. They translate abstract stem relationships into concrete people and things:
| Ten God | What It Represents |
|---|---|
| Friend | Siblings, friends, competitors |
| Rob Wealth | Rivalry, financial loss, romantic rivals |
| Food God | Talent, expression, children |
| Hurting Officer | Rebellion, creativity, disputes |
| Indirect Wealth | Father, windfalls, investments |
| Direct Wealth | Wife, steady income, savings |
| Seven Killings | Power, pressure, illness, competitors |
| Direct Officer | Career, status, husband, rules |
| Indirect Seal | Stepmother, metaphysics, special skills |
| Direct Seal | Mother, education, benefactors, protection |
Common Misconceptions
❌ "More Ten Gods is better" — balance is what matters; excessive strength in any Ten God turns auspicious into inauspicious. ❌ "Only the Heavenly Stems have Ten Gods" — the hidden stems in the Earthly Branches carry Ten God attributes too. ❌ "Direct (正) is always better than Indirect (偏)" — both have their auspicious and inauspicious sides; what matters is the overall combination.
📜 Classical source: Zi Ping Zhen Quan (《子平真诠》), Vol. 1, "On the Ten Gods" 🔗 Next: Favorable Element