Structure
What are the combinations, clashes, punishments, destructions and harms in Saju, and what happens with each?
As of · Edited by Sajunyang · about 3000 characters
One-line answer
Combinations, clashes, punishments, destructions and harms (合沖刑破害) are the relationships that arise when characters in a chart meet. Combinations (Stem Combination, Six Combinations, Three Combinations, Directional Combination) bind and attract; a clash (沖) collides head-on and forces a change of place; a punishment (刑) wounds through paperwork, rules and disputes; a destruction (破) breaks and delays; a harm (害) piles up small misunderstandings; and Wonjin (怨嗔) breeds resentment for no clear reason. They arise within the natal chart and also when 10-year Luck Pillars and yearly luck arrive.
What kinds of combinations are there?
Stem Combinations are five pairs: Gap-Gi (甲己), Eul-Gyeong (乙庚), Byeong-Sin (丙辛), Jeong-Im (丁壬) and Mu-Gye (戊癸). The Six Combinations of the branches are six pairs, Ja-Chuk, In-Hae, Myo-Sul, Jin-Yu, Sa-Sin and O-Mi, in which two characters meet and bind into one. Three Combinations are three characters uniting into one element: In-O-Sul (Fire), Sin-Ja-Jin (Water), Sa-Yu-Chuk (Metal) and Hae-Myo-Mi (Wood); with only two of the three present it is called a Half Combination. Directional Combinations gather characters of the same season, like In-Myo-Jin (eastern Wood), Sa-O-Mi (southern Fire), Sin-Yu-Sul (western Metal) and Hae-Ja-Chuk (northern Water).
Combinations are not read only as good. Once bound, a character can lose its original role. If the spouse palace (Day Branch) is combined, connections come in readily, but if that character meant wealth, money gets tied up.
Is a clash bad?
Branch clashes are six pairs, Ja-O, Chuk-Mi, In-Sin, Myo-Yu, Jin-Sul and Sa-Hae, and stem clashes are Gap-Gyeong, Eul-Sin, Byeong-Im and Jeong-Gye. A clash means 'the place changes'. Things that take you away from where you are happen: moves, job changes, breakups, changing your major. If the natal chart holds a clash, that position (year = ancestors and hometown, month = parents and workplace, day = spouse, hour = children) sees frequent change, and a year when a clash arrives in the luck is a year when you actually move.
A clash actually helps you carry out a move or a resignation you have been putting off. In a clash year, though, the advice is to let big decisions sit a month before making them, and to take care not to get hurt while driving or exercising.
How do punishment, destruction, harm and Wonjin differ?
Punishments (刑) include the In-Sa-Sin triple punishment, the Chuk-Sul-Mi triple punishment, the Ja-Myo 'rudeness' punishment, and the self-punishments of Jin-Jin, O-O, Yu-Yu and Hae-Hae. They bring trouble entangled with 'fixed things' like rules, paperwork and contracts, or words that come out sharper than intended and damage a relationship. Destructions (破) are Ja-Yu, Chuk-Jin, In-Hae, Myo-O, Sa-Sin and Sul-Mi: schedules get postponed and arrangements fall through. Harms (害) are Ja-Mi, Chuk-O, In-Sa, Myo-Jin, Sin-Hae and Yu-Sul: small misunderstandings pile up rather than big incidents. Wonjin pairs are Ja-Mi, Chuk-O, In-Yu, Myo-Sin, Jin-Hae and Sa-Sul: a relationship that gets hurt over nothing much.
All three act more weakly than a clash, and they usually show as the texture of relationships with people. The 'combinations, clashes and punishments' chapter of the Sajunyang report identifies the relationships in your natal chart by position and describes what they show up as.
Combinations, clashes, punishments, destructions and harms at a glance
| Relationship | One-line meaning |
|---|---|
| Stem Combination (天干合) | A relationship that joins hands easily and closes deals well, but cannot say no |
| Stem Clash (天干沖) | A relationship where plans get overturned midway and disagreements are frequent |
| Six Combinations (六合) | A deep bond with one person, where your plans follow their circumstances |
| Three Combinations (三合) | A bond that gathers people and resources and pushes forward as a team |
| Directional Combination (方合) | A force that sticks together to the end with its own side and shuts outsiders out |
| Clash (沖) | A collision that shakes the board: moves, job changes, broken contracts |
| Punishment (刑) | Friction that shows up as lawsuits, paperwork trouble and repeated fights with the same person |
| Destruction (破) | A small crack that twists a finished plan at the last moment |
| Harm (害) | Talk behind your back among close people, and resentment stored up unspoken |
| Wonjin (怨嗔) | A love-hate relationship: drawn to each other for no reason, yet resenting each other |
FAQ
- If there is a clash in a compatibility reading, will we break up?
- A clash means 'the closer you get, the more you collide', not a verdict of separation. It can be handled by keeping each other's space and not making big decisions in the week of a fight.
- Is a chart with many combinations a good chart?
- With many combinations you bond with people easily and are popular, but you also cannot say no and sometimes lose what is yours. Here too, where it sits matters more than how many there are.
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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.