Liu Chong (Six Clashes): The Branch Oppositions

Definition

Liu Chong (Six Clashes) are the opposing pairs of [Earthly Branches](/bazi/glossary/di-zhi) six positions apart, with opposite elements — signifying upheaval, change, movement, separation, and "vault-opening." They are the most dynamic of branch relationships.

The Six Clashes

**Zi–Wu, Chou–Wei, Yin–Shen, Mao–You, Chen–Xu, Si–Hai.** Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are the four vaults; clashing them "opens the vault," releasing the qi stored inside.

Nature and Use

- A clash brings turbulence and turning points: clashing a favorable star disturbs good fortune, while clashing an unfavorable one can remove it for the better. - Its force depends on relative strength: "when the strong clashes the weak, the weak is uprooted; when the weak clashes the strong, the strong erupts" (Di Tian Sui). - A clash can be "tied up" and weakened by a combination, and a cycle can trigger a natal clash.

Common Misconceptions

**1: A clash is always bad.** Clashing an unfavorable branch, or opening a wealth vault when the body is strong enough to hold it, can be fortunate. **2: A clash means disaster.** Clashes often manifest as relocation, job change, or travel — change, not necessarily calamity.

Significance in Chart Analysis

With [San He](/bazi/glossary/san-he) and the [Six Harmonies](/bazi/glossary/liu-he), clashes govern the advance and retreat of branch strength and the key timing of cycles. See your chart's clashes with the [free BaZi calculator](/bazi/chart) and learn more in the [BaZi learning center](/bazi/learn).