What Are Earthly Branch Arch Unions?
Earthly Branch Arch Unions, abbreviated "Gong He," refer to situations where, although the central Branch (Imperial Prosperity position) of a Three Union does not appear in the chart, the two flanking Branches have already "sandwiched" the central position, covertly forming the energy tendency of that Three Union. This is called "arching and sandwiching."
For example: a chart has Shen (the Growth Branch of the Shen-Zi-Chen Water configuration) and Chen (the Grave/Storage Branch of the Water configuration), which sandwich the central Zi Water position. Although Zi Water is not in the chart, Shen and Chen arch around Zi Water, creating a covert Water configuration tendency.
Conditions for Arch Unions
- Both flanking Branches present: Both the Growth Branch and the Grave/Storage Branch of a Three Union appear, while the central Imperial Prosperity Branch is arched around.
- The central Branch is not clashed: If there is a force in the chart or Luck Cycle that clashes the central Branch, the Arch Union is broken.
- Annual Cycles fill the void to complete the configuration: When a Luck Cycle or Annual Luck brings the arched central Branch, the Arch Union upgrades to a complete Three Union, releasing substantial energy.
Arch Union Forms for Each Three Union
| Arched Branch | Flanking Branches | Corresponding Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Zi (Water Imperial Prosperity) | Shen + Chen | Shen-Chen arch Zi Water configuration |
| Wu (Fire Imperial Prosperity) | Yin + Xu | Yin-Xu arch Wu Fire configuration |
| Mao (Wood Imperial Prosperity) | Hai + Wei | Hai-Wei arch Mao Wood configuration |
| You (Metal Imperial Prosperity) | Si + Chou | Si-Chou arch You Metal configuration |
Effects of Arch Unions
The energy of an Arch Union is latent and awaiting activation:
- Covert tendency: When a chart has an Arch Union, the influence of that element is not yet fully manifest but has a latent directional tendency.
- Caution with clashing the central Branch: If a Luck Cycle or Annual Luck clashes the arched Branch, not only does the union fail but it actually triggers a clash impulse, causing significant change.
- Filling-the-void opportunity: The year when a Luck Cycle arrives at the arched Branch is often the critical timing for that element to fully exert its power.