What Are the Earthly Branch Six Clashes?
The Earthly Branch Six Clashes refer to the six pairs of clash relationships among the twelve Earthly Branches where two Branches are six positions apart (i.e., opposite directions). Clash represents a head-on collision of two forces, often indicating upheaval, turbulence, and instability.
Six Clashes Correspondence Table
| Clash Pair | Five Element Relationship | Nature |
|---|---|---|
| Zi clashes Wu | Water clashes Fire | Water-Fire clash |
| Chou clashes Wei | Earth clashes Earth (Chou Metal storage clashes Wei Wood storage) | Earth-Earth clash |
| Yin clashes Shen | Wood clashes Metal | Metal-Wood clash |
| Mao clashes You | Wood clashes Metal | Metal-Wood clash |
| Chen clashes Xu | Earth clashes Earth (Chen Water storage clashes Xu Fire storage) | Earth-Earth clash |
| Si clashes Hai | Fire clashes Water | Water-Fire clash |
Effects of the Six Clashes
- Force depletion: The forces of the two clashing Branches mutually cancel each other out, with both sides suffering depletion.
- Turbulence and change: When Earthly Branches clash in a chart, it indicates changes in the life matters and environment symbolized by those Branches, with reduced stability.
- Storage-opening effect: When a clash strikes one of the four Storages (Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei), it can open the storage and release the sealed Five Element energy within.
Favorable and Unfavorable Aspects of Six Clashes
- Clashing the Favorable God: If the clashed Branch is a Favorable God, it is unfavorable -- the Favorable God is damaged, and related life matters encounter setbacks.
- Clashing the Unfavorable God: If the clashed Branch is an Unfavorable God, it is favorable -- the Unfavorable God is restrained, and the chart is relieved.
- Clash-Union dynamics: If a Branch is simultaneously involved in both a union and a clash, the relative strength of each force must be weighed. The stronger prevails -- this is the complex "clash and union" scenario.
Six Clashes in Luck Cycles and Annual Luck
When a Luck Cycle or Annual Luck brings a Branch that clashes with a natal chart Branch, it is the most common trigger mechanism for chart changes. Common examples include:
- Annual Zi Water clashes natal Wu Fire: the Ten God represented by Wu Fire (e.g., Direct Officer) is impacted, and related life matters undergo change.
- Annual Luck clashes a Storage: the storage opens and releases energy. If the Wealth storage is clashed, wealth luck fluctuates.