If the Day Master is “you,” the Ten Gods (十神) are everyone and everything else - named by their relationship to you. Five relationship types (peer, output, wealth, officer, resource), each in yin and yang form, make ten. They are descriptive vocabulary, not grades: no god is “good” or “bad.”
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Download free PDFThe five relationships
Each god describes what another element does to the Day Master: same element = peer (比劫), what I generate = output (食傷), what I control = wealth (財), what controls me = officer (官殺), what generates me = resource (印). Each splits into yin/yang polarity relative to the Day Master - hence ten.
All ten, listed
| God | Chinese | Plain meaning | Life area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Companion | 比肩 | Same element, same polarity - peers, siblings | Friends, rivals, self-reliance |
| Rob Wealth | 劫財 | Same element, opposite polarity - competition | Contest, shared resources |
| Eating God | 食神 | What I generate, same polarity - steady craft | Skill, routine, wellbeing |
| Hurting Officer | 傷官 | What I generate, opposite polarity - bold expression | Creativity, rebellion, performance |
| Direct Wealth | 正財 | What I control, opposite polarity - earned income | Salary, steady assets |
| Indirect Wealth | 偏財 | What I control, same polarity - windfall | Investment, opportunity |
| Direct Officer | 正官 | What controls me, opposite polarity - duty | Career, reputation, structure |
| Seven Killings | 七殺 | What controls me, same polarity - pressure | Challenge, authority, risk |
| Direct Resource | 正印 | What generates me, opposite polarity - support | Learning, mentors, shelter |
| Indirect Resource | 偏印 | What generates me, same polarity - unconventional wisdom | Research, intuition, niche knowledge |
How they are derived
Where this leads
Once you can name the relationships, the next question is balance: which element does the chart need most? That is the Useful God. See your own gods in the chart tool, or look up any term in the glossary.
For guidance and self-awareness purposes only. This lesson explains Chinese astrology as a cultural and philosophical framework - what it is, where it came from, and how its vocabulary works. It is not a prediction of your future, a medical or financial opinion, or a substitute for professional advice.