What Is the Unfavorable God?
The Unfavorable God (Ji Shenis the concept opposite to the Useful God (Yong Shen, referring to the harmful Five Element within the chart that controls the Useful God or causes imbalance among the chart's Five Elements. The Useful God is the force the native most needs; the Unfavorable God is the force that threatens the Useful God and disrupts the chart's balance — when encountered in Luck Cycles or Annual Luck, the native often faces setbacks, obstacles, or misfortunes.
Sources of the Unfavorable God
The Unfavorable God is typically:
- The Five Element that directly controls the Useful God: If the Useful God is Wood, then Metal controls Wood, making Metal the Unfavorable God
- The Five Element that causes chart imbalance: If the body is already strong, and further Bi Jie or Seal arrives, making the body even stronger while the Useful God (restraint, drainage, consumption) is suppressed — Bi Jie and Seal become the Unfavorable God
Common Useful God — Unfavorable God Correspondences
| Useful God | Unfavorable God |
|---|---|
| Direct Officer (Zheng Guan) | Hurting Officer (Hurting Officer controls Officer) |
| Seven Killings (Qi Sha) | Output God (excessive Sha control makes Sha powerless) or Wealth breaking Seal |
| Output God (Shi Shen) | Indirect Seal (Owl God seizes Output) |
| Direct Seal (Zheng Yin) | Wealth star (Wealth controls Seal; excessive becomes unfavorable) |
| Wealth star | Bi Jie (Bi Jie seizes Wealth) |
The Unfavorable God in Luck Cycles and Annual Luck
Encountering the Unfavorable God in a Luck Cycle or Annual Luck:
- The Useful God is controlled, the chart becomes imbalanced
- Career obstructed, wealth fortune unstable
- Health issues may arise (the Unfavorable God's Five Element corresponds to bodily organs)
- Interpersonal relationships (Six Relations represented by the Unfavorable God) may undergo changes
Severity of the Unfavorable God
The degree of harm from the Unfavorable God depends on its strength:
- Unfavorable God flourishing (Seasonal Support / De Ling, ; frequently appearing): great harm, misfortune is evident
- Unfavorable God weak (out of season / Shi Ling; appearing alone): minimal harm, limited impact
- Unfavorable God combined and transformed: the Unfavorable God is combined away, the harm is resolved
Resolving the Unfavorable God
If the chart contains a Five Element that can restrain the Unfavorable God (called "removing the Unfavorable God" / Qu Ji Shen), the harm from the Unfavorable God is greatly reduced. If a Luck Cycle or Annual Luck brings a Five Element that controls the Unfavorable God, it can paradoxically be an auspicious cycle.