Learn BaZi · 十神
One person. Many roles.
The Ten Gods are a way to name the relationships around a Day Master. Begin with a story you already understand.
A peer, an idea, a budget, a deadline, a helping hand. Each brings something different to a shared project. BaZi groups these symbolic roles into five families, then ten traditional names.
A fictional everyday story
A small project, a whole supporting cast
- Output
An idea takes shape
Imagine Mei planning a little neighbourhood swap day. She sketches a poster and an activity that makes newcomers feel welcome.
- Companion
A peer pulls up a chair
A friend joins her. They share the work, compare ideas and negotiate whose suggestion to use.
- Wealth
The plan needs resources
They organise tables, a modest budget and a place to meet. A promising idea now has practical limits.
- Authority
A standard gives it shape
The venue has a closing time and safety rules. When a delivery is late, the team must respond within those limits.
- Resource
Experience supports the next step
An experienced volunteer offers a checklist. Someone else suggests a clever workaround. The team learns, then acts.
These are roles in a story, not five personality types. One person can learn, create, collaborate, manage resources and meet responsibilities.
Five families around one centre
Change the centre. See the relationships.
The Day Master is the stem at the top of the Day Pillar. It is the reference point: the same stem can have a different role when that reference changes.
Teaching illustration only. Choose any of the ten stems; this does not use your birth details or assess your chart.
Companion · Wood
People alongside you
The same element as the Day Master.
- Friend · 比肩甲 · Yang Wood · Same polarity
- Rob Wealth · 劫财乙 · Yin Wood · Opposite polarity
In our fictional project, a peer joins the planning table. Sharing the work brings support; sharing the spotlight can also invite comparison.
Read the map in words: Companion shares your element; Output is what it produces; Wealth is what it regulates; Authority regulates it; Resource produces it. Select a family to see its two named roles.
Five relationships × two polarities
Why five families become ten roles
Each element has a Yin and a Yang stem. Relative to the Day Master, one shares its polarity and one has the opposite polarity. That distinction gives each family two names. Yin is not weaker, Yang is not better, and neither describes gender.
In Wealth, Authority and Resource, Direct is opposite polarity and Indirect (including Seven Killings) is the same polarity. Companion and Output use their own paired names. Direct and Indirect are categories, not rankings.
A chart-style stem example · not a full chart
Friend · 比肩 · Same polarity · The same element as the Day Master.
This example follows the Day Master and family selected above. A hidden stem is labelled by the same relative relationship. Identifying that role does not establish its strength, usefulness or dominance in a whole chart.
A vocabulary for reflection
Meet the ten traditional names
These everyday readings are reflection prompts. They do not decide your personality, profession or future. Each role has a constructive expression and a possible tension.
Companion
Friend · 比肩
甲 · Yang Wood · Same polarityA same-element, same-polarity relationship: a metaphor for peers, shared ground and standing on your own feet.
Use it as a reflection
- Constructive use
- Collaborate while keeping a clear contribution of your own.
- Possible tension
- Comparison can make cooperation feel like a contest.
- A question to take with you
- Where could I share the work without comparing my worth?
Rob Wealth · 劫财
乙 · Yin Wood · Opposite polaritySame element, opposite polarity: shared effort, social initiative and competing claims on resources. The name does not forecast theft.
Use it as a reflection
- Constructive use
- Bring people together and agree how effort and resources are shared.
- Possible tension
- Generosity or competition can blur personal boundaries.
- A question to take with you
- What should we agree before pooling our resources?
Output
Eating God · 食神
丙 · Yang Fire · Same polarityThe Day Master produces a same-polarity element: a traditional expression theme, pictured here as patiently making something useful.
Use it as a reflection
- Constructive use
- Develop a craft and let a thoughtful idea take shape.
- Possible tension
- Comfort with the process can delay finishing or sharing.
- A question to take with you
- What small thing could I finish and share?
Hurting Officer · 伤官
丁 · Yin Fire · Opposite polarityThe Day Master produces an opposite-polarity element: expression that questions a familiar standard. The name does not mean harming someone.
Use it as a reflection
- Constructive use
- Offer a better approach and explain why it helps.
- Possible tension
- Criticism without tact can hide a useful idea.
- A question to take with you
- How can I challenge the process while respecting the person?
Wealth
Direct Wealth · 正财
己 · Yin Earth · Opposite polarityThe Day Master regulates an opposite-polarity element: a metaphor for managing tangible resources and steady commitments.
Use it as a reflection
- Constructive use
- Make the budget, expectations and follow-through clear.
- Possible tension
- Keeping everything measurable can leave little room to adapt.
- A question to take with you
- What resource needs a steadier plan?
Indirect Wealth · 偏财
戊 · Yang Earth · Same polarityThe Day Master regulates a same-polarity element: a metaphor for spotting openings and coordinating resources beyond a fixed routine.
Use it as a reflection
- Constructive use
- Explore an opportunity with a clear limit on time and resources.
- Possible tension
- Chasing every opening can scatter attention or overextend resources.
- A question to take with you
- Which opportunity deserves a small, bounded experiment?
Authority
Direct Officer · 正官
辛 · Yin Metal · Opposite polarityAn opposite-polarity element regulates the Day Master: responsibility, agreed standards and accountable conduct.
Use it as a reflection
- Constructive use
- Set a fair standard and honour an agreement.
- Possible tension
- Concern with approval can make a rule feel more important than its purpose.
- A question to take with you
- Which standard serves the work, and which needs revisiting?
Seven Killings · 七杀
庚 · Yang Metal · Same polarityA same-polarity element regulates the Day Master: a traditional pressure-and-response theme. It is not a forecast of violence or danger.
Use it as a reflection
- Constructive use
- Respond decisively with preparation, support and clear limits.
- Possible tension
- Urgency can become unnecessary force or constant overdrive.
- A question to take with you
- What would help me respond firmly without rushing?
Resource
Direct Resource · 正印
癸 · Yin Water · Opposite polarityAn opposite-polarity element produces the Day Master: a metaphor for structured learning, care and reliable guidance.
Use it as a reflection
- Constructive use
- Learn from a trusted method and ask for appropriate support.
- Possible tension
- Preparation can become dependence on reassurance or permission.
- A question to take with you
- What have I learned enough to try for myself?
Indirect Resource · 偏印
壬 · Yang Water · Same polarityA same-polarity element produces the Day Master: a metaphor for specialist learning, unusual connections and another way of seeing.
Use it as a reflection
- Constructive use
- Look beyond the obvious and test an unconventional idea.
- Possible tension
- Too much private analysis can disconnect an idea from practical feedback.
- A question to take with you
- Who could help me test this idea in the real world?
Questions that often come up
Are the Ten Gods actual gods?
Here, “Gods” is a conventional translation for ten relationship labels. They describe how stems relate to the Day Master within BaZi.
Are Direct roles better than Indirect roles?
No. Direct and Indirect distinguish traditional categories, not moral worth or good and bad fortune. The surrounding chart changes how a role is interpreted.
Does a Wealth label mean I will be rich?
No. A Wealth label establishes an element relationship. It does not establish wealth, financial skill, a favourable element or a profitable year.
Does a missing role mean a missing ability?
No. A role may appear in hidden stems even when absent from the visible stems. Neither its absence nor its count establishes ability or personality.
Can one role tell me my career or relationship?
No. Placement, season, roots, interactions and the wider chart matter to a traditional reading. Real skills, circumstances, communication and choices matter to your life.
Recognise the role. Keep the context.
Start at the Day Master, identify the element relationship, then check polarity. That names the role. Chart strength and favourable elements are separate questions; skills, support and choices remain yours to develop.
See the labels in My BaZiExplore strength & favourable elementsExplore another kind of support marker
Noble Person is a supplementary branch association. Learn how its animal labels differ from the Ten Gods relationships.
Explore Noble Person