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How to Read Saju Compatibility
— After Zodiac Animals, the Day Master
The heart of Saju compatibility is the two people's Day Masters (the Heavenly Stem of the day each was born). The five stem combinations (Gap-Gi, Eul-Gyeong, Byeong-Sin, Jeong-Im, Mu-Gye) are positions where you're drawn to and bound to each other; the four stem clashes (Gap-Gyeong, Eul-Sin, Byeong-Im, Jeong-Gye) are positions where you collide and spark each other. The rest is read by which Ten God the other person is to you.
In this article 8 topics
- How is zodiac compatibility different from Saju compatibility?
- How do I find my Day Master and my partner's?
- What are the five stem combinations?
- What are the four stem clashes?
- The 10×10 Day Master compatibility table — what star is the other person to you?
- What changes depending on which star the other person is to you?
- If our Day Masters don't match, should we break up?
- FAQ
How is zodiac compatibility different from Saju compatibility?
They look at a different number of characters. Zodiac compatibility compares one character each — the Earthly Branch of each person's birth year — while Saju compatibility compares eight each, sixteen in all. The first position examined is the Day Master (日干), the Heavenly Stem of the day you were born. It's the character that stands for “me” in Saju, so the relationship between the two Day Masters forms the backbone of compatibility.
| Position | What's compared | Common name |
|---|---|---|
| Year branch (zodiac animal) | Three Harmony, Six Harmony, clash, Wonjin | Outer compatibility |
| Day Master | Stem combination and stem clash; which Ten God you are to each other | The core of inner compatibility |
| Day branch | Six Harmony, Three Harmony, clash, Punishment, Break, Harm, Wonjin | The spouse's seat |
| Month branch | Combination · clash | Living environment |
| Five Elements distribution | Whether one fills in the element the other is short on | Complementarity (相補) |
Zodiac compatibility amounts to looking only at the first row of the table above. Relationships between zodiac animals are covered separately in the Zodiac compatibility chart. This article covers the next step: Day Master compatibility.
How do I find my Day Master and my partner's?
Find the day pillar from the date of birth and look at the first of its two characters. No birth time needed. Enter both birthdays into the Manseryeok calculator one after the other. The Day Master is one of ten: Gap, Eul, Byeong, Jeong, Mu, Gi, Gyeong, Sin, Im or Gye.
What are the five stem combinations?
The stem combinations are five pairs: Gap-Gi, Eul-Gyeong, Byeong-Sin, Jeong-Im and Mu-Gye. They're seen as two characters meeting and binding into a new element, so in compatibility they're read as positions where you're drawn to and stick to each other.
| Stem combination | Element formed by the combination | To one side | To the other side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gap · Gi (甲己) | Sat | To Gap Wood, Gi is Direct Wealth | To Gi Earth, Gap is Direct Officer |
| Eul · Gyeong (乙庚) | Metal | To Eul Wood, Gyeong is Direct Officer | To Gyeong Metal, Eul is Direct Wealth |
| Byeong · Sin (丙辛) | Wed | To Byeong Fire, Sin is Direct Wealth | To Sin Metal, Byeong is Direct Officer |
| Jeong · Im (丁壬) | Wood | To Jeong Fire, Im is Direct Officer | To Im Water, Jeong is Direct Wealth |
| Mu · Gye (戊癸) | Fire | To Mu Earth, Gye is Direct Wealth | To Gye Water, Mu is Direct Officer |
The table reveals a rule: in all five stem combinations, each person is Direct Wealth to one side and Direct Officer to the other. One person looks after and handles the other, and the other gains standards and a sense of stability from their partner. That's why a combination means both “attraction” and “being bound.”
What are the four stem clashes?
The stem clashes are four pairs: Gap-Gyeong, Eul-Sin, Byeong-Im and Jeong-Gye. Characters of the same yin or yang control each other, so they're read as positions where you collide and spark each other.
| Stem clash | Colliding elements | To one side | To the other side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gap · Gyeong (甲庚) | Wood · Metal | To Gap Wood, Gyeong is Indirect Officer | To Gyeong Metal, Gap is Indirect Wealth |
| Eul · Sin (乙辛) | Wood · Metal | To Eul Wood, Sin is Indirect Officer | To Sin Metal, Eul is Indirect Wealth |
| Byeong · Im (丙壬) | Fire · Water | To Byeong Fire, Im is Indirect Officer | To Im Water, Byeong is Indirect Wealth |
| Jeong · Gye (丁癸) | Fire · Water | To Jeong Fire, Gye is Indirect Officer | To Gye Water, Jeong is Indirect Wealth |
In all four stem clashes, each person is Indirect Wealth to one side and Indirect Officer to the other. Compared with the Direct Wealth–Direct Officer combinations, these pairs have bigger ups and downs and move faster. A clash is amplitude, not catastrophe. Because you stand in different places, you're also a pair that makes fewer of the same mistakes.
The 10×10 Day Master compatibility table — what star is the other person to you?
Find your Day Master in the left column and the other person's Day Master in the top row, and the cell shows which Ten God the other person is to you. Combination and clash cells are marked separately. All values were calculated with Mutal Unnie's Saju engine.
| Me \ Other | Gap 甲 | Eul 乙 | Byeong 丙 | Jeong 丁 | Mu 戊 | Gi 己 | Gyeong 庚 | Sin 辛 | Im 壬 | Gye 癸 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gap Wood | Companion | Rob Wealth | Eating God | Hurting Officer | Indirect Wealth | Direct Wealth combination | Indirect Officer clash | Direct Officer | Indirect Resource | Direct Resource |
| Eul Wood | Rob Wealth | Companion | Hurting Officer | Eating God | Direct Wealth | Indirect Wealth | Direct Officer combination | Indirect Officer clash | Direct Resource | Indirect Resource |
| Byeong Fire | Indirect Resource | Direct Resource | Companion | Rob Wealth | Eating God | Hurting Officer | Indirect Wealth | Direct Wealth combination | Indirect Officer clash | Direct Officer |
| Jeong Fire | Direct Resource | Indirect Resource | Rob Wealth | Companion | Hurting Officer | Eating God | Direct Wealth | Indirect Wealth | Direct Officer combination | Indirect Officer clash |
| Mu Earth | Indirect Officer | Direct Officer | Indirect Resource | Direct Resource | Companion | Rob Wealth | Eating God | Hurting Officer | Indirect Wealth | Direct Wealth combination |
| Gi Earth | Direct Officer combination | Indirect Officer | Direct Resource | Indirect Resource | Rob Wealth | Companion | Hurting Officer | Eating God | Direct Wealth | Indirect Wealth |
| Gyeong Metal | Indirect Wealth clash | Direct Wealth combination | Indirect Officer | Direct Officer | Indirect Resource | Direct Resource | Companion | Rob Wealth | Eating God | Hurting Officer |
| Sin Metal | Direct Wealth | Indirect Wealth clash | Direct Officer combination | Indirect Officer | Direct Resource | Indirect Resource | Rob Wealth | Companion | Hurting Officer | Eating God |
| Im Water | Eating God | Hurting Officer | Indirect Wealth clash | Direct Wealth combination | Indirect Officer | Direct Officer | Indirect Resource | Direct Resource | Companion | Rob Wealth |
| Gye Water | Hurting Officer | Eating God | Direct Wealth | Indirect Wealth clash | Direct Officer combination | Indirect Officer | Direct Resource | Indirect Resource | Rob Wealth | Companion |
Read the table twice. To me as Gap Wood, a Gi Earth partner is Direct Wealth, but to that Gi Earth partner, I am Direct Officer. Compatibility runs both ways, not one — and that's why the same relationship can feel different to each person.
What changes depending on which star the other person is to you?
Group the ten Ten Gods into five and the tone of the relationship becomes clear. And these relationships always lock together in pairs. If the other person is a Resource star to you, you're an Output star to them; if they're an Officer star to you, you're a Wealth star to them.
| Other person to me | Element relationship | Tone of the relationship | Me to the other person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Companion stars (Companion/Rob Wealth) | Same element | You talk easily, like friends or colleagues. Your stubbornness is similar too, so you need rules for giving way | Companion stars |
| Output stars (Eating God/Hurting Officer) | The element I generate | Someone I end up looking after and expressing myself to. I can easily become the one who gives more | Resource stars |
| Wealth stars (Indirect/Direct Wealth) | The element I control | Someone with whom I take the lead and handle practical matters together | Officer stars |
| Officer stars (Indirect/Direct Officer) | The element that controls me | Someone who keeps me grounded, with a healthy amount of tension | Wealth stars |
| Resource stars (Indirect/Direct Resource) | The element that generates me | A comfortable person who supports me. Leaning on them is easy, so who leans on whom can easily become fixed | Output stars |
There's also a traditional interpretation that reads Wealth and Officer stars as the spouse star differently depending on sex. Here we wrote it with the same standard for both people. The meaning of each Ten God is covered in The Ten Gods.
If our Day Masters don't match, should we break up?
No. The Day Master is two of sixteen characters. Even if your Day Masters clash, a Six Harmony between your day branches can make you an easy pair to live with; even if your Day Masters combine, if your Five Elements lean the same way, you'll both be short on the same thing. Compatibility is best used not as a verdict but as a map that shows in advance where you'll bump heads and where you'll be at ease.
Avoid places that lead with a compatibility score and tell you “this person won't work for you.” That pattern is covered in How Saju apps charge.
When you add someone in Mutal Unnie, it compares Day Master, day branch, year branch, month branch and complementary Five Elements all at once to show the tone between you. It doesn't pass judgment on the relationship.
Just one thing you can do today. In the 10×10 table above, find the two cells: what star the other person is to you, and what star you are to them. You'll start to see which cell lies behind the moments when you often bump heads.
Read compatibility with sixteen characters, not two
Add the other person and it compares Day Master, day branch and Five Elements to show where you two are at ease and where you collide.
Get the app for iPhone & AndroidFAQ
Does a stem combination mean good compatibility?
It's read as a position where you're drawn to and bound to each other. In all five pairs, each person is Direct Wealth to one side and Direct Officer to the other, a combination that gives a sense of stability. But it's only two of sixteen characters, so you need to look at the day branch and Five Elements too.
Are people with the same Day Master a good match?
You're each other's Companion. You understand each other well, but your stubbornness points the same way too. If you divide roles early, you can be as comfortable as colleagues.
If our Day Masters are a stem clash, will we break up?
No. A clash is amplitude, not catastrophe. If your day branches are a Six Harmony or your Five Elements fill each other in, that amplitude can even become energy.
How many things should Saju compatibility look at?
Usually five positions: year branch (zodiac animal), Day Master, day branch, month branch, and whether your Five Elements distributions fill each other in. Zodiac compatibility looks at only one of these, the year branch.