The Ten Gods in Saju (십성): Meanings and How They Work

The Ten Gods (십성 十星 sipseong, also 십신 十神 sipsin) are ten relationship labels that describe how each character in a Saju chart relates to the Day Master. Each label comes from two questions: which Five Elements relationship links the character to you, and whether it shares your Yin or Yang polarity. The result turns a chart of elements into a map of themes such as self, expression, wealth, authority and support.

The rule behind the Ten Gods

There are five possible relationships between any element and your Day Master's element, taken from the Five Elements cycles. Each relationship splits into two gods depending on polarity: same polarity as your Day Master, or opposite.

As a general pattern, the same-polarity version is the more one-sided or intense form, and the opposite-polarity version is the more balanced or conventional form. That is why the opposite-polarity gods in the Wealth, Officer and Resource rows are called "Direct" (正 jeong, proper) and the same-polarity ones "Indirect" (偏 pyeon, partial).

A worked example: Gap Yang Wood

Take a Gap Yang Wood Day Master. Wood produces Fire, controls Earth, is controlled by Metal and is produced by Water. Applying the rule to the ten stems:

For a different Day Master the labels rotate. For Gyeong Yang Metal, Gap is Indirect Wealth because Metal controls Wood and both are Yang. Branches receive Ten Gods too, usually through their main hidden stem.

What each of the Ten Gods means

The descriptions below are the traditional core associations. Their actual effect depends on whether the Day Master is strong or weak, where in the chart they sit and how they interact. See the Day Master guide for the strength idea.

Friend (비견 比肩 bigyeon)

Literally "shoulder to shoulder." Your own element and polarity: independence, self-reliance, peers and siblings. It strengthens a weak Day Master; in excess it can suggest stubbornness or rivalry over shared resources.

Rob Wealth (겁재 劫財 geopjae)

Your element in opposite polarity. Competitive drive, boldness and a willingness to take risks. The name reflects its traditional tendency to compete for the Day Master's wealth, so readers watch it around money and partnerships.

Eating God (식신 食神 siksin)

The element you produce, same polarity. Steady, natural output: talent, enjoyment, food, craft and generosity. It is often considered one of the most favorable gods because it expresses the self comfortably and also feeds wealth.

Hurting Officer (상관 傷官 sanggwan)

The element you produce, opposite polarity. Sharp, brilliant expression that challenges rules: creativity, performance, critique. Its name comes from the fact that it controls the Direct Officer, so it is associated with friction with authority as well as originality.

Indirect Wealth (편재 偏財 pyeonjae)

The element you control, same polarity. Fluid or windfall wealth, business, deals and a broad social reach. Traditionally linked with the father in some schools and with romantic partners for men.

Direct Wealth (정재 正財 jeongjae)

The element you control, opposite polarity. Earned, stable wealth: salary, savings, diligence and practical management. In traditional texts it is also the wife star for a male chart, a convention modern readers often apply more flexibly.

Seven Killings (편관 偏官 pyeongwan)

The element that controls you, same polarity. Also called 칠살 (七殺 chilsal). Intense pressure, challenge, discipline and courage. Uncontrolled, it is associated with stress or conflict; when balanced by Eating God or Resource, with leadership under pressure.

Direct Officer (정관 正官 jeonggwan)

The element that controls you, opposite polarity. Legitimate structure: rules, reputation, responsibility and formal positions. Traditionally the husband star in a female chart.

Indirect Resource (편인 偏印 pyeonin)

The element that produces you, same polarity. Unconventional knowledge, intuition, specialized skills and solitude. It can block Eating God, so in some charts it is associated with hesitation or overthinking.

Direct Resource (정인 正印 jeongin)

The element that produces you, opposite polarity. Nurturing support, education, credentials and protection. Traditionally associated with the mother and with learning in a formal setting.

How readers use the Ten Gods

Readers look at which gods are visible in the stems, which are rooted in the branches and how they chain together. Classic combinations include Eating God producing Wealth (talent turned into income), Resource protecting the Day Master from Seven Killings, and Direct Officer working with Direct Resource for steady career progress. Many practitioners also identify the chart's overall structure (격국 格局 gyeokguk), often from the god at the month branch. Approaches to 격국 vary considerably between schools.

The Ten Gods also explain timing. When a luck pillar brings Direct Wealth into a chart that needs it, readers expect money and practical results to become more prominent in that period. To see which gods appear in your chart, start by finding your Day Pillar, then compare each stem to it using the table above.

Gender-specific associations such as "wife star" and "husband star" come from classical texts written for a different society. Many modern readers, including Orienteller, interpret them as patterns of partnership rather than fixed roles.

FAQ

What are the Ten Gods in Saju?

The Ten Gods are ten relationship labels that describe how each character in a Saju chart relates to the Day Master. They are Friend, Rob Wealth, Eating God, Hurting Officer, Indirect Wealth, Direct Wealth, Seven Killings, Direct Officer, Indirect Resource and Direct Resource.

How are the Ten Gods calculated?

Compare each character to the Day Master: same element, element you produce, element you control, element that controls you, or element that produces you. Each of those five relationships splits into two gods depending on whether the polarity matches the Day Master.

Are Seven Killings and Hurting Officer bad?

No god is purely good or bad. Seven Killings and Hurting Officer are intense forces associated with pressure and nonconformity, and in a balanced chart they are read as courage, leadership and creativity.

Do the Ten Gods apply to branches as well as stems?

Yes. Branches are usually assigned a Ten God through their main hidden stem, and their other hidden stems add secondary influences.

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