What Is Covering Head?
Covering Head (Gai Tou) refers to a situation where the Five Element of the Heavenly Stem controls the Five Element of the Earthly Branch in the same pillar -- as if the Stem "covers and presses down" on the Branch from above, suppressing the Branch's energy. In this situation, the Branch's Hidden Stems are damaged in force because they are controlled by the Stem, making it difficult for them to effectively connect root or express themselves.
Identifying Covering Head
To identify Covering Head, examine the Five Element controlling relationship between the Stem and Branch in the same pillar:
| Heavenly Stem (controller) | Earthly Branch (controlled) | Covering Head Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Wood (Jia / Yi) | Earth (Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei) | Jia-Chen, Yi-Wei, etc. |
| Earth (Wu / Ji) | Water (Hai, Zi) | Wu-Zi, Ji-Hai, etc. |
| Water (Ren / Gui) | Fire (Si, Wu) | Ren-Wu, Gui-Si, etc. |
| Fire (Bing / Ding) | Metal (Shen, You) | Bing-Shen, Ding-You, etc. |
| Metal (Geng / Xin) | Wood (Yin, Mao) | Geng-Yin, Xin-Mao, etc. |
Effects of Covering Head
- Branch under pressure: The Branch's primary qi and Hidden Stems are controlled and pressed by the Stem, suffering damage in force, and the root connection effect is weakened.
- Life matters of that pillar obstructed: If the Branch under Covering Head represents a certain Ten God, the affairs governed by that Ten God are disrupted by the Stem and do not proceed smoothly.
- Covering Head on the Day Pillar: When the Day Stem controls the Day Branch, it manifests as the Day Master having a controlling relationship with the spouse palace (the Day Branch represents the spouse), which may affect marital relations.
Difference from Cutting Feet (Jie Jiao)
Covering Head is the Stem controlling the Branch (top controlling bottom); Cutting Feet is the Branch controlling the Stem (bottom controlling top). Both represent disharmony between Stem and Branch forces within a pillar, but the direction is opposite: Covering Head means the Stem dominates and suppresses the Branch; Cutting Feet means the Branch dominates and restrains the Stem.