The Ten Gods (十神) in BaZi: A Complete Reference

The Ten Gods (十神) in BaZi — often called the ten gods bazi system — form the backbone of classical Chinese destiny analysis. They are derived from the relationship between the Day Master (your birthstem) and every other stem in the chart. Each of the ten gods maps to a distinct life domain: how you work, earn, love, and maintain health. Pull your own chart via the free BaZi calculator and then follow this reference.

《子平真诠》(Ziping Zhenquan) dedicates a chapter to each star; we cite these throughout. For a broader understanding of how these gods combine into patterns, review BaZi pattern theory. For interactive lookup, try our Ten Gods explorer.

Companion (比肩) — Same Stem, Yang/Yang or Yin/Yin

《子平真诠·论建禄月劫》describes Companion as a sibling share. Definition: same element, same polarity as Day Master (e.g., Jia 甲 Day Master meets another Jia).

Archetype: self-reliant, loyal to friends, but can be overly competitive.

Life mapping:

• Work: independent ventures or equal partnerships; over‑abundance may indicate cut‑throat job competition.
• Wealth: poor saving habits; money leaks through peers or siblings.
• Relationships: for men, the wife star may be contested; for women, Companion in the spouse palace suggests rivalry.
• Health: governs limbs and extremities; excess un‑controlled Companion can bring sports injuries.

Favorable vs. unfavorable: weak Day Master welcomes Companion for support; strong Day Master sees Companion as a wealth‑stealing trouble.

Rob Wealth (劫财) — Same Stem, Opposite Polarity

《子平真诠·论建禄月劫》states that Rob Wealth appears to assist but in fact robs resources. Definition: same element as Day Master, opposite polarity (e.g., Jia 甲 Day Master meets Yi 乙).

Archetype: impulsive, generous, risk‑prone, with a brotherhood mentality that can strain finances.

Life mapping:

• Work: suits high‑energy, turnaround roles; when exposed, it can cause sudden job loss through rash decisions.
• Wealth: notable leakage; windfalls come but rarely last.
• Relationships: Rob Wealth attacks the wife star for men, potentially destabilizing marriage; for women, it intensifies romantic competition.
• Health: linked to sinews and sudden physical shocks.

Favorable vs. unfavorable: helps a weak Day Master resist Officer pressure; for a strong Day Master, it plunders wealth and requires Direct Officer control.

Eating God (食神) — Produced by Day Master, Same Polarity

《子平真诠·论食神》calls Eating God a “blessing star,” gentle and elegant. Definition: Day Master produces it, same polarity (e.g., Jia 甲 produces Bing 丙).

Archetype: warm, optimistic, endowed with expressive and culinary talents, occasionally prone to laziness.

Life mapping:

• Work: creative fields, education, content creation; Eating God generates wealth, naturally connecting to business acumen.
• Wealth: income through skill and speech flows steadily; even without a visible wealth star, comfort remains.
• Relationships: Eating God controls Seven Killings, bringing marital peace for women; men with strong Eating God are attentive partners.
• Health: rules digestion and emotional balance; excess may cause weight gain or overthinking.

Favorable vs. unfavorable: thrives when Companion generates it and Direct Wealth distributes it; hates Indirect Resource (枭神) that “snatches” the blessing.

Hurting Officer (伤官) — Produced by Day Master, Opposite Polarity

《子平真诠·论伤官》notes that Hurting Officer embodies intelligence but can wound the Officer. Definition: Day Master produces it, opposite polarity (e.g., Jia 甲 produces Ding 丁).

Archetype: sharp‑witted, non‑conformist, eloquent, yet arrogant and defiant of authority.

Life mapping:

• Work: excels in technology, design, freelance; a direct clash with Direct Officer (伤官见官) creates career turbulence.
• Wealth: monetizes talent quickly but with high volatility.
• Relationships: for women, it counters the husband star, often linked to delayed marriage or a large age gap between partners.
• Health: correlates with the nervous system; unchecked, it can trigger insomnia or heart‑heat.

Favorable vs. unfavorable: performs nobly when paired with Direct Resource (伤官配印); a weak Day Master needs Resource or Companion to prevent excessive draining.

Direct Wealth (正财) — Controlled by Day Master, Opposite Polarity

《子平真诠·论财》regards Direct Wealth as the “source of livelihood.” Definition: Day Master controls it, opposite polarity (e.g., Jia 甲 controls Ji 己).

Archetype: pragmatic, thrifty, trustworthy, yet somewhat rigid and materialistic.

Life mapping:

• Work: banking, finance, asset management; Direct Wealth guarded by Direct Officer yields a stable career.
• Wealth: earned income, savings; dislikes speculation; a hidden treasury amplifies affluence.
• Relationships: for men, Direct Wealth is the wife star — when clear, sign of a virtuous spouse; for women, it indicates strong financial stewardship.
• Health: governs nourishment; over‑emphasis on frugality can neglect health.

Favorable vs. unfavorable: thrives with a strong Day Master and Officer support; a weak Day Master crushed by heavy Direct Wealth becomes a “poor person in a rich house.”

Indirect Wealth (偏财) — Controlled by Day Master, Same Polarity

《子平真诠·论财》describes Indirect Wealth as unexpected gains, related to generosity and romance. Definition: Day Master controls it, same polarity (e.g., Jia 甲 controls Wu 戊).

Archetype: magnanimous, socially skilled, opportunistic, but often lacks patience and plans.

Life mapping:

• Work: trade, investment, public relations; coupled with the Traveling Horse star, it brings wealth through movement.
• Wealth: windfalls, side‑income, high liquidity, equally prone to dramatic loss without Officer protection.
• Relationships: for men, signifies concubines or romance; for women, an active social life.
• Health: relates to fat and fluids; excess trends toward metabolic issues.

Favorable vs. unfavorable: enjoys nourishment from Eating God; fiercely repelled by Rob Wealth; uncontrolled, money comes and goes.

Direct Officer (正官) — Controls Day Master, Opposite Polarity

《子平真诠·论正官》exalts Direct Officer as the “noble spirit,” offering disciplined restraint. Definition: controls Day Master, opposite polarity (e.g., Jia 甲 is controlled by Xin 辛).

Archetype: upright, self‑disciplined, reputation‑conscious, a natural leader, though under heavy pressure.

Life mapping:

• Work: civil service, law, management; a favorable Officer supported by Wealth and Resource points to steady promotion.
• Wealth: wealth increases through rank, not direct pursuit.
• Relationships: for women, the husband star, pure and un‑mixed, blesses marital harmony; for men, it governs children.
• Health: tied to cardiovascular and nervous systems; chronic stress if Officer pressure is excessive.

Favorable vs. unfavorable: appreciates Wealth to generate it and Resource to guard it; damaged by Hurting Officer or mixing of Direct and Seven Killings.

Seven Killings (七杀 / 偏官) — Controls Day Master, Same Polarity

《子平真诠·论偏官》states, “None surpasses Hurting Officer in intelligence, none surpasses Seven Killings in agility.” Definition: controls Day Master, same polarity (e.g., Jia 甲 is controlled by Geng 庚).

Archetype: bold, strategic, authoritative, but quick‑tempered and prone to crises; leadership comes with high risk.

Life mapping:

• Work: military, emergency services, start‑up founders; when tamed by Eating God, it transforms into power.
• Wealth: gains through risk and competition, often large but hard to retain.
• Relationships: for women, it is the secondary husband star, often bringing romantic upheaval; needs Eating God to control or Resource to transform.
• Health: associated with blades, accidents, immunity; unchecked, it attacks the body.

Favorable vs. unfavorable: requires Eating God to subdue or Direct Resource to dissolve; un‑controlled Seven Killings threatens safety.

Direct Resource (正印) — Gives Birth to Day Master, Opposite Polarity

《子平真诠·论印绶》calls Direct Resource the “vital energy” that shelters the self. Definition: gives birth to Day Master, opposite polarity (e.g., Jia 甲 is born from Gui 癸).

Archetype: benevolent, scholarly, tolerant, yet can be overly dependent or idealistic.

Life mapping:

• Work: education, culture, research, philanthropy; Direct Resource transforms Officer, producing a strategist‑leader.
• Wealth: indirect benefit through patrons, inheritance, or intellectual property rather than direct earning.
• Relationships: for both sexes, matchmaking through elders; for women, too much Direct Resource may hamper children.
• Health: correlates with digestion and moisture; excess tends toward inertia‑related illness.

Favorable vs. unfavorable: a weak Day Master draws life from it; resents Wealth that breaks Resource and Eating God that drains it.

Indirect Resource (偏印) — Gives Birth to Day Master, Same Polarity

《子平真诠·论食神》identifies Indirect Resource as the “Owl God,” master of esoteric fields. Definition: gives birth to Day Master, same polarity (e.g., Jia 甲 is born from Ren 壬).

Archetype: penetrating, eccentric, inventive, but aloof and prone to over‑analysis and mental strain.

Life mapping:

• Work: science, metaphysics, psychology, avant‑garde arts; a career path seldom mainstream.
• Wealth: often monetizes specialized skills; less materialistic focus.
• Relationships: emotional distance in relationships; attraction to spiritual or intellectual bonds over conventional ones.
• Health: concerns endocrine and mental health; excess may lead to melancholy or sleep disorders.

Favorable vs. unfavorable: suits a weak but rooted Day Master; formation of “Owl snatching Eating God” destroys blessings and must be avoided.

For a full synthesis of how these ten gods combine into career and destiny patterns, explore the BaZi pattern encyclopedia. Classical BaZi is a framework for self‑knowledge and decision support — not deterministic prediction. Use it to observe tendencies, refine character, and navigate life with clarity.