Comparisons
What does Saju compatibility look at, and how is it scored?
As of · Edited by Sajunyang · about 2200 characters
One-line answer
Saju compatibility overlays the eight characters of two people and looks at four things: ① the relationship between the Day Masters (a Stem Combination means attraction, a generating relationship means ease, an overcoming relationship means tension), ② combinations and clashes between the Day Branches, the spouse palaces, ③ combinations and clashes between the zodiac animals (Year Branches), and ④ whether each fills the elements the other lacks. Sajunyang's compatibility score adds these four items to a total out of 100, and explains item by item where you attract and where you collide.
What does each of the four criteria look at?
Day Master compatibility asks 'do our personalities fit?'. A Stem Combination (Gap-Gi, Eul-Gyeong, Byeong-Sin, Jeong-Im, Mu-Gye) means strong mutual attraction; a generating relationship, where one produces the other, means ease; and an overcoming relationship means tension, but also stimulation. Day Branch compatibility asks 'do we fit when we live together?'. A Six Combination or Three Combination between the spouse palaces means matching daily rhythms; a clash means colliding the closer you get; and a punishment or Wonjin means getting hurt over trivial things.
Zodiac compatibility asks 'do our families and backgrounds fit?', looking at Six Combinations (Ja-Chuk, In-Hae, Myo-Sul, Jin-Yu, Sa-Sin, O-Mi), Three Combinations, clashes (Ja-O, Chuk-Mi, In-Sin, Myo-Yu, Jin-Sul, Sa-Hae) and Wonjin between the Year Branches. The folk 'Wonjin zodiac compatibility' is this. Five Elements compatibility asks 'do we complement each other?': when one person's missing element is one the other has in abundance, being together brings balance.
If the compatibility score is low, should we break up?
No. Compatibility is a map that tells you in advance 'where we fit well and where we collide', not a pass or fail. Couples with a clash do well with nothing more than the rules of keeping each other's space and not making big decisions in the week of a fight. That is why Sajunyang's compatibility reading follows the score with 'four rules for fighting less' and 'the years you grow closer and the years you clash over the next decade'.
Know what compatibility does not include, too. The flow of each person's Luck Pillars, the environment they grew up in, and their present effort are not in the score. The same compatibility feels different at different times because of the yearly luck and Luck Pillars.
The four items in Sajunyang compatibility
| Item | What it looks at | Good signs | Caution signs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day Master | The grain of the two personalities | Stem Combination · generating | Overcoming with the same polarity |
| Day Branch (spouse palace) | Rhythm when living together | Six Combination · Three Combination | Clash · punishment · Wonjin |
| Zodiac animal (Year Branch) | The grain of background and family | Six Combination · Three Combination | Clash · Wonjin |
| Five Elements complementarity | Whether you fill each other's gaps | The partner holds the element you lack | The same element in excess for both |
FAQ
- Can compatibility be read without birth times?
- Yes. All four items are read from the year, month and day pillars. The Hour Pillar is not part of the compatibility score.
- Isn't zodiac compatibility enough on its own?
- The zodiac animal is one of eight characters. Many couples with poor zodiac compatibility fit well because their Day Masters and Day Branches are good.
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- What is the Day Pillar, and why is the Day Branch called the spouse palace?
- What are the combinations, clashes, punishments, destructions and harms in Saju, and what happens with each?
- What are the Five Elements, and why does their balance matter in Saju?
- How do Saju and tarot differ, and which suits which kind of question?
This article is reference material summarizing traditional Saju theory and does not replace medical, legal or investment judgment. Our calculation standards are published at About Sajunyang.