Complete Guide to the Ten Gods (十神)

The Ten Gods (十神, Sipsin) are how we map relationships in your chart. Every Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch relates to your Day Master (you) in one of ten ways. Master these ten patterns and you've cracked the code of Saju interpretation.

If you come from a BaZi background, you already know these: Saju's Ten Gods are exactly the same system as BaZi's Ten Gods — identical Chinese characters, identical logic, just read with Korean romanization. New to the vocabulary? Start with the Saju–BaZi glossary for a side-by-side term map.

Here's the key insight: the Ten Gods are really just the Five Elements' productive and controlling cycles, seen from your own position. As the diagram shows, five families—Companion, Output, Wealth, Authority, and Resource—radiate out from you, the Day Master, through cycles of producing (生) and controlling (克).

The five families at a glance

Same Element as Me — Companion Stars (比劫)

Friend / Companion (比肩, Bigyeon)

Friend (比肩, Bigyeon) — also called Companion or Parallel in BaZi — is looking in a mirror: same element, same polarity. Friends are your peers, siblings, rivals who match your energy exactly. Self-reliant, conviction-driven, independent when balanced. Too much? You get stubborn, isolated, competitive to a fault.

Rob Wealth (劫財, Geopjae)

Rob Wealth (劫財, Geopjae; sometimes Robbery Wealth) is still your element, but flipped polarity—like a twin with opposite charge. Rob Wealth brings more aggression than Friend, more drive but also more risk. These people charm socially while competing fiercely. The name warns of potential financial loss through rivalry.

Element I Produce — Output Stars (食傷)

Eating God (食神, Siksin)

Eating God (食神, Siksin; the Output star) is what you create, same polarity. Think gentle self-expression: cooking, teaching, nurturing arts. Eating God people pour energy into creative pursuits that sustain others. They're natural in culinary fields, education, anything that feeds and enriches.

Hurting Officer (傷官, Sanggwan)

Hurting Officer (傷官, Sanggwan) is also what you create, but opposite polarity—and sharper for it. Hurting Officer breaks rules, questions authority, creates unconventionally. Brilliant and individualistic, these people revolutionize fields but often clash with traditional structures. The name reflects how this energy "hurts" conventional authority.

Element I Control — Wealth Stars (財星)

Indirect Wealth (偏財, Pyeonjae)

Indirect Wealth (偏財, Pyeonjae) — you control it, opposite polarity. This is business wealth, investments, moving money—not steady salary but dynamic ventures. Indirect Wealth people handle large-scale finances naturally. In traditional readings, this also represents the father.

Direct Wealth (正財, Jeongjae)

Direct Wealth (正財, Jeongjae) — you control it, same polarity. Your paycheck, your savings account, wealth you manage directly and carefully. Direct Wealth types are diligent with money, meticulous, building security through steady accumulation rather than risky ventures.

Element That Controls Me — Authority Stars (官星)

Seven Killings (偏官/七殺, Pyeongwan)

Seven Killings (七殺/偏官, Pyeongwan; also called Indirect Officer) controls you at opposite polarity—and that opposition creates intensity. Seven Killings is raw authority: decisive, commanding, sometimes ruthless. Controlled well, it produces military leaders, executives, law enforcement officers. Unchecked, it becomes tyrannical.

Direct Officer (正官, Jeonggwan)

Direct Officer (正官, Jeonggwan; the Proper Officer) controls you at same polarity—authority that aligns rather than opposes. Direct Officer is your career, your reputation, your position in society's structure. These people are principled, responsible, respected. They rise through organizations because they honor the system.

Element That Produces Me — Resource Stars (印星)

Indirect Resource / Indirect Seal (偏印, Pyeonin)

Indirect Resource (偏印, Pyeonin) — also rendered Indirect Seal in BaZi — produces you at opposite polarity. This is unconventional learning: intuition, specialized knowledge, esoteric skills. Original thinkers with unique expertise. The warning: too much can suppress Eating God energy, blocking natural expression.

Direct Resource / Direct Seal (正印, Jeongin)

Direct Resource (正印, Jeongin) — also known as the Direct Seal — produces you at same polarity. Your education, credentials, your mother's nurturing. Direct Resource people absorb knowledge easily, carry benevolent energy, and often excel academically. They're protected, supported, naturally positioned to learn and grow.

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These ten patterns form the language of every Saju (and BaZi) reading. The gods that dominate your chart shape your personality, aptitudes, and how fortune unfolds. If any of these English BaZi names are new, keep the Saju–BaZi glossary handy. Curious which gods define your chart? Check it out at Saju Analysis.