There are the compatibilities of the Six Clashes in BaZi. They are paired in direct opposition to one another through Earthly Branches; these four branches of ten degrees oppose each other at 180 degrees on the 12-branch zodiac wheel. If they happen to meet in a Four Pillars of Destiny chart, their respective elemental energies would hit within the same chart element, creating tension and movement in their conflicts with clashing elements.
Liu Chong demystifies chart interpretation in detail. It enables you to see where the clash stands in your own chart, why some phases feel so much more unstable, and how we can reverse things and instead turn opposition into an opportunity. This guide discusses the characteristics of each clash-pair, how each behaves in various chart palaces, and how one should read them in practice.
What Are the 6 Clashes (Liu Chong)?
The 12 Earthly Branches form a cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. In this cycle, six pairs sit directly opposite each other. These opposites clash because their elements, directions, and symbolic natures conflict.
| Clash Pair | Branches | Elements | Common Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat vs. Horse | Zi (子) vs. Wu (午) | Water vs. Fire | Emotional tension, sudden change, travel |
| Ox vs. Goat | Chou (丑) vs. Wei (未) | Earth vs. Earth | Partnership friction, stability vs. change |
| Tiger vs. Monkey | Yin (寅) vs. Shen (申) | Wood vs. Metal | Career disruption, ego vs. strategy |
| Rabbit vs. Rooster | Mao (卯) vs. You (酉) | Wood vs. Metal | Communication blocks, creativity vs. rigor |
| Dragon vs. Dog | Chen (辰) vs. Xu (戌) | Earth vs. Earth | Values conflict, idealism vs. reality |
| Snake vs. Pig | Si (巳) vs. Hai (亥) | Fire vs. Water | Passion vs. flow, moral tension |
Each type of clash exhibits a specific character based on which two branches are involved:
- Cardinal Clashes (Zi-Wu, Mao-You): The most sudden and intense. They result in sudden happenings, financial changes, and huge relocations.
- Horse Star Clashes (Yin-Shen, Si-Hai): These revolve more around movement and travel. This way, the friction develops more slowly but eventually ends up with changes in career or residence.
- Grave Clashes (Chen-Xu, Chou-Wei): Both branches have Earth, so the fight turns into a less apparent one. They can; however, stake a rise in Earth energies that and wipe out other elements in the chart, often related with job shifts while home life remains fairly stable.
How to Read Each of the 6 Clashes in Your Chart
When a clash appears in your BaZi chart, the first question is always: which branches are clashing, and what elements do they carry? The second question is: which palace does the clash hit? The answers tell you what area of life feels the tension and what type of change is likely.
Zi-Wu (Rat-Horse): Water vs. Fire
Zi carries Water. Wu carries Fire. This is the most polar clash in the system. Water extinguishes Fire, and Fire evaporates Water. Neither element wins easily.
In a chart, this clash often shows up as emotional volatility. Relationships may feel hot-and-cold. Decisions can swing between logic and impulse. On a physical level, practitioners watch this pair for heart and kidney stress because Fire governs the heart and Water governs the kidneys.
Remedy: Wood bridges Water and Fire. Wood receives Water and feeds Fire, turning opposition into fuel for growth.
Chou-Wei (Ox-Goat): Earth vs. Earth
Both branches are Earth, but they carry different hidden stems and represent different seasons. Chou is cold, damp Earth from late winter. Wei is dry, hot Earth from late summer.
The conflict creates an inner tumult between stability and change what with one always feeling the need to maintain stability and yet, in reality, would rather love transformation. Partners met through the clash so often struggle because one wants traditional lifestyle while the other wants freedom.
Remedy: Above all the stagnation either Metal or Water intervenes. Metal gives clarity. Water adds flexibility to it.
Yin-Shen (Tiger-Monkey): Wood vs. Metal
Yin is Wood. Shen is Metal. Metal cuts Wood. This clash represents external pressure on your plans or career.
Tiger energy is vigorous, instinctual, and potent. On the other hand, Monkey energy is calculating, strategic and detail-oriented. When these energies come into conflict with each other, you may practically feel physically that your instincts are second-guessed sardonically by red tape, rules, or sharper competition. These two are a sure recipe for career mayhem.
Remedy: Water supports Wood and controls Metal. It softens the cut and redirects the energy.
Mao-You (Rabbit-Rooster): Wood vs. Metal
Mao is Wood. You is Metal. Like Yin-Shen, this is a Wood-Metal clash, but Mao and You are both cardinal branches. That makes this clash sharper and more immediate.
This duo has been known to lead to tension between creativity and accuracy. Although you may have some brilliant perceptions, their fruition is hindered by criticism, red-tape, or perfectionism. This friction in a relationship may involve the small daily arguments, friction, or mismatch in communication style.
Remedy: Water and Fire together create harmony. Water nurtures Wood, and Fire controls Metal.
Chen-Xu (Dragon-Dog): Earth vs. Earth
Chen is wet Earth with hidden Water and Wood. Xu is dry Earth with hidden Fire and Metal. Both carry complex inner lives beneath their Earth exterior.
This clash is a battle between idealism and reality: Dragon energy wants to expand, dream big, and build a legacy, and Dog energy wants to protect, simplify, and stay grounded. Their dynamic usually sets up a conflict between ambition and loyalty and even combines both sometimes particularly in regards to one’s place of abode, family, banking, or long-term investments.
Remedy: Metal channels the heavy Earth energy into objective judgment and clear decisions.
Si-Hai (Snake-Pig): Fire vs. Water
Tiger goes along with Fire. Hare goes along with Water. The skepticism is between synergy and action, charm, and mistaken discernment.
Snake keeps its mind still, calculates, and is extremely faithful. Pig is open in nature, pure, and extremely happy. The basic conflict will entail much ethical questioning, as there will be a constant pull between your personal ambition and the conflicting desire for peace. Relationship trust may come to be suspect.
Remedy: Plant some wood between Fire and Water. It absorbs heat on one side and catches water on the other.
How Clashes Show Up in Different Palaces
In BaZi, each pillar of your chart governs a different life area. Where a clash lands tells you where the action happens.
Day Branch (Spouse Palace)
The Day Branch designates your Spouse Palace, with clashes here stirring up relational issues and thus centering things into partnerships. However, having clashes simply marks a need for adjustments, for changes, and for evolving.
A Zi-Wu clash in the Spouse Palace may bring a partner from a distance, or bring emotional distance requiring extra work to bridge and seal the gap. A Chen-Xu clash may see both partners disagreeing on home, money, or long-term plans. What you need to look at is how the clash removes a problem, or whether it cuts a strength.
Month Branch (Career and Parents Palace)
The Month Branch governs career, work environment, and early family dynamics. A clash here often signals job changes, office politics, or shifts in your professional standing.
Yin-Shen in the Month Branch frequently points to career disruption from competition or restructuring. Chou-Wei here may show tension between your current role and where you actually want to be. The Month Branch also influences your relationship with parents, so childhood relocations or family separations sometimes show up here.
Year and Hour Branches
The Year Branch interests itself in matters of grandparents, inheritance, and wide social scope. A clash in Year might entail the experience of inner detachment from one’s heritage or the awakening of hidden family issues taking effect in one’s adult life.
The Hour Branch corresponds to the Children Palace. The Children Palace rules over child relations, legacy, and old-age destiny. A clash in this palace may indicate a shifting lifestyle, like a move after retirement, or changes in dealing with one’s own children’s generation.
How Hidden Stems Change a Clash
Every Earthly Branch contains hidden stems, the secondary elements stored inside. These hidden stems modify how a clash plays out. A clash that looks dangerous on the surface may be neutralized by supportive hidden elements. A clash that looks mild may be intensified if hidden stems conflict.
| Clash Pair | Branch | Hidden Stems | Effect on Clash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zi-Wu | Zi (Rat) | Gui (Yin Water) | Deepens Water power; increases emotional intensity |
| Zi-Wu | Wu (Horse) | Ding (Yin Fire), Ji (Yin Earth) | Fire has Earth backup; clash takes longer to resolve |
| Chou-Wei | Chou (Ox) | Ji (Yin Earth), Gui (Yin Water), Xin (Yin Metal) | Triple-layered Earth; stubborn resistance to change |
| Chou-Wei | Wei (Goat) | Ji (Yin Earth), Ding (Yin Fire), Yi (Yin Wood) | Wood-Fire-Earth combo creates complex emotional undercurrent |
| Yin-Shen | Yin (Tiger) | Jia (Yang Wood), Bing (Yang Fire), Wu (Yang Earth) | Strong Wood with Fire support; fights back hard against Metal |
| Yin-Shen | Shen (Monkey) | Geng (Yang Metal), Ren (Yang Water), Wu (Yang Earth) | Metal has Water backup; cuts deeper and faster |
| Mao-You | Mao (Rabbit) | Yi (Yin Wood) | Pure Wood; vulnerable to Metal but focused |
| Mao-You | You (Rooster) | Xin (Yin Metal) | Pure Metal; direct and sharp in its impact |
| Chen-Xu | Chen (Dragon) | Yi (Yin Wood), Wu (Yang Earth), Gui (Yin Water) | Wood-Water inside Earth creates internal instability |
| Chen-Xu | Xu (Dog) | Wu (Yang Earth), Xin (Yin Metal), Ding (Yin Fire) | Fire-Metal inside Earth creates heat and pressure |
| Si-Hai | Si (Snake) | Bing (Yang Fire), Wu (Yang Earth), Geng (Yang Metal) | Fire-Earth-Metal stack; passion backed by force |
| Si-Hai | Hai (Pig) | Ren (Yang Water), Jia (Yang Wood) | Water-Wood alliance; strong intuition and adaptability |
If the hidden stems of a clashing branch contain your Day Master’s favorable element, the clash is less damaging. If they contain your unfavorable element, the clash intensifies. This is why two people with the same clash pair can have completely different experiences.
Are Clashes Always Bad?
No. Clashes are not inherently negative. They create friction, and friction creates movement. The question is whether that movement helps you or hurts you.
A clash can be productive when:
- It breaks through stagnant qi that has been blocking progress
- It removes an unfavorable element that was weakening your Day Master
- It activates a favorable hidden stem that was dormant
- It forces a necessary change you had been avoiding
A clash is challenging when:
- It damages a favorable element your Day Master depends on
- It hits your Spouse Palace during a period of relationship strain
- It removes the only source of a needed element in your chart
- It triggers during an already difficult Luck Pillar
The context always matters. A strong Day Master can handle more clashes than a weak one. A clash during a favorable Luck Pillar may feel like an exciting opportunity. The same clash during an unfavorable period may feel like a crisis. This is why BaZi is a system of patterns, not predictions.
Practical Tips for Reading Clashes
Here is a simple framework you can use every time you spot a clash in a chart:
- Identify the branches. Which two Earthly Branches are clashing?
- Check the elements. What elements are in conflict? Water-Fire clashes behave differently than Earth-Earth clashes.
- Locate the palace. Is the clash in the Year, Month, Day, or Hour pillar? This tells you which life area is affected.
- Examine the hidden stems. Do the hidden stems support or intensify the clash?
- Assess the Day Master. Is the Day Master strong enough to absorb the disruption? Does the clash remove a favorable or unfavorable element?
- Factor in the Luck Pillar. Is the clash happening now, in the natal chart, or is it being triggered by a current 10-year cycle?
If you are new to reading charts, start with step one and two. As you gain confidence, add the palace analysis. The hidden stems and Day Master assessment come with experience. Even a basic reading of the clash pair and palace gives you more insight than most people ever access.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Liu Chong clash mean in a BaZi chart?
Liu Chong clashes mean two Earthly Branches opposing each other in a BaZi chart, producing tension. This tension typically signifies change, movement, or conflict concerning the life area ruled by the pillar where the clash is found. The meaning may vary according to which branches clash, what elementalities they carry, and if the clash is beneficial or disadvantageous in terms of the Day Master.
How do I know if a clash is good or bad for me?
You determine this by reading your Day Master’s strength and needs. If the clash removes an element that was harming your chart, it is helpful. If it destroys an element your Day Master needs, it is challenging. A professional BaZi reading can clarify this quickly.
Can hidden stems neutralize a clash?
Yes. Hidden stems inside the clashing branches can soften, redirect, or even transform the clash energy. For example, if a Wood branch clashing with Metal contains hidden Fire, that Fire may control the Metal enough to reduce the damage. Hidden stems are one reason why identical clash pairs can produce different outcomes in different charts.
Do disputes ruin relationships?
Disorders in the Day Branch (Spouse Palace) usually lead to some changes in a relationship. It may mean marrying someone from far away, or it could involve long term separation in sentiment, or as well periods of transformation. When this does not suggest that relationships reach a point of doom, it does indicate a relationship so alive with some built-in dynamism that demands some kind of conscious navigation.
How should I deal with a clash within my chart?
A clash cannot be removed from a horoscope. It is part of your energetic blueprint. What you can do is learn to work with it. Use the ancient Five Elements knowledge to introduce timely balancing elements into your environment, decisions, and timing. A clash that drives you on to grow, as opposed to stagnation that keeps you stuck in the first phase altogether, has its own merits.
What is the difference between Liu Chong and Liu He?
Liu Chong (Six Clashes) represents opposition and tension. Liu He (Six Combinations) represents attraction and merging. Both are branch interactions, but they produce opposite effects. Clashes break things apart or force movement. Combinations bring things together or create new elements.
Conclusion
The Six Clashes or Liu Chong are not portenders of doom in a BaZi way. They are robust signs of change on your BaZi chart. Each pair of the incipient clash carries a specific elemental inharmony; the inharmony of each single center provides an entire reading.
Once you become able to read these juxtapositions clearly, a growing up will bridge fear for one whom you embody. You become one who will learn to channel this energy in an appropriate manner. There is no Water-Fire clash at the stage of the Spouse Palace indicating divorce. It merely points to relations that provide an intensity possibly needing lots of balancing. There is no Wood-Metal clash in the house of Career Palace from which to cry failure. It only triggers competition that will hone your excellent skills.
The idea in and with BaZi is no longer to try to circumvent difficulty; but rather to work on the pattern in such a way that the travails and tribulations are seen for what they truly are and, therefore, provide roads for print. Because when you know where the friction lies, you can focus directly on it. This is the real power of the Liu Chong reading.