Clashes, combinations & punishments.
The eight characters of a BaZi chart are not a static list. The twelve Earthly Branches pull on each other — they collide, they bind, they undermine, they strain — and these relationships are where a chart comes alive. They are also exactly where amateur readings go wrong, because the branches change each other's weight before you ever count them.
Every chart has four Earthly Branches, one in each pillar. Read on their own they are just animals — Rat, Ox, Tiger, and so on. But branches sitting near each other react, and a real reading checks those reactions before drawing any conclusion. There are five reactions worth knowing, from the violent to the subtle.
Six clashes 六冲
A clash (liu chong) is a head-on collision between two branches that sit directly opposite each other on the cycle. The effect is confrontation, movement, and things breaking open — sometimes a clean release, sometimes upheaval.
- The six clashing pairs
- Rat–Horse (子午), Ox–Goat (丑未), Tiger–Monkey (寅申), Rabbit–Rooster (卯酉), Dragon–Dog (辰戌), and Snake–Pig (巳亥). Each pair is a set of opposites, six positions apart, that collide whenever they meet.
Six combinations 六合
A combination (liu he) is the opposite gesture: two branches that bind together. The effect is attraction and cooperation, and a bound pair can sometimes transform into a new element entirely, changing what the chart is made of.
- The six combining pairs
- Rat–Ox (子丑), Tiger–Pig (寅亥), Rabbit–Dog (卯戌), Dragon–Rooster (辰酉), Snake–Monkey (巳申), and Horse–Goat (午未). When two of these sit together they hold hands rather than fight, and may merge into something new.
Three harmonies 三合
A three-harmony (san he) is a trine: three branches that pool their energy into one dominant element. When all three appear together they reinforce each other and can flood the chart with that element — which is why a san he can quietly outweigh a simple count of branches.
- The four trines
- Monkey-Rat-Dragon pool into Water (申子辰); Pig-Rabbit-Goat into Wood (亥卯未); Tiger-Horse-Dog into Fire (寅午戌); and Snake-Rooster-Ox into Metal (巳酉丑).
Six harms 六害
A harm (liu hai) is quieter than a clash. It is friction — one branch undermining another from the side rather than meeting it head-on. The effect is wear, irritation, and small undermining, the kind that erodes rather than breaks.
- The six harming pairs
- Rat–Goat (子未), Ox–Horse (丑午), Tiger–Snake (寅巳), Rabbit–Dragon (卯辰), Monkey–Pig (申亥), and Rooster–Dog (酉戌).
Punishments 刑
A punishment (xing) describes internal tension and complication — a self-undermining strain that tangles a chart rather than confronting it. They come in a few shapes.
- Three-way punishments
- Tiger-Snake-Monkey (寅巳申) and Ox-Dog-Goat (丑戌未) — each a set of three branches that strain against one another.
- Mutual punishment
- Rat–Rabbit (子卯) — a single pair that grates.
- Self-punishments 自刑
- Dragon, Horse, Rooster, and Pig each punish their own kind — a branch repeated, turning its strain inward on itself.
Why it matters
These relationships are not decoration. They change the strength math directly, and a combination or three-harmony can transform an element into something else before you tally anything. That is exactly why a head-count of elements misreads a chart — two branches that look like Wood may have combined into Fire, and a clash may have knocked a pillar's support out from under it. This is why branch relationships belong in step 2 of a real reading, when you weigh whether the Day Master is strong or weak. They also act on the hidden stems buried inside each branch, not just the surface animal, which is part of why this step is so easy to get wrong by eye. For the full sequence, see how to read a BaZi chart.
There is one more place these reactions show up: between two people. Clashes and combinations across two charts — your branches against someone else's — are the real structure behind zodiac matching, far more than the popular animal pairings suggest. That is the subject of Chinese zodiac compatibility. If the branches themselves are still new to you, start with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.
Common questions
What is a clash in BaZi?
A clash (chong) is a head-on collision between two opposite Earthly Branches — for example Rat and Horse, or Tiger and Monkey. The two branches sit across from each other and pull in opposing directions, so a clash brings confrontation, movement, and a tendency for things to break open. It is one of the relationships that can change an element's strength before you ever count it, which is why a clash always matters to a reading.
Are clashes always bad?
No. A clash is activation and change, not damage by default. Whether a clash helps or hurts depends on what is being clashed: if it stirs up an element that is unfavorable for your chart, the clash can clear something out and do you a favor, while clashing a favorable element can knock away support you needed. The clash itself is neutral — context decides.
What is a three-harmony (san he) combination?
A three-harmony, or san he, is a trine of three branches that pool together into a single element. There are four: Monkey-Rat-Dragon form Water, Pig-Rabbit-Goat form Wood, Tiger-Horse-Dog form Fire, and Snake-Rooster-Ox form Metal. When the three appear together they reinforce one another and can flood the chart with that element, which is why a san he can quietly outweigh a simple head-count of the branches.
See which branches pull on yours.
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Build my free chart →Related reading: the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, Chinese zodiac compatibility, how to read a BaZi chart, and the hidden stems inside each branch.