Earthly Branches are Twelve Characters
The twelve earthly branches (十二支) are 子 丑 寅 卯 辰 巳 午 未 申 酉 戌 亥. Commonly known zodiac signs — Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig — are each attached to one of these twelve characters.
- six harmony
- Clash
- Discord
In saju, each of the four pillars has one earthly branch. Today's reading is determined by matching the day's branch with the four branches of the natal chart using the relationship table below.
Overall Relationship Table
| Relationship | Corresponding Pair | Meaning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| triad (三合) | 申子辰 · 巳酉丑 · 寅午戌 · 亥卯未 | When all three characters come together, they form a complete elemental formation (局). This is considered the strongest combination. | 95 |
| six harmony (六合) | 子丑 · 寅亥 · 卯戌 · 辰酉 · 巳申 · 午未 | Pairs that attract each other. This is the most common combination as it consists of only two characters. | 90 |
| half triad (半合) | Two characters that include one of the royal characters (子·酉·午·卯) from the triad | A half triad that includes a character that is central to the formation. It does not form a complete elemental formation with just two characters, making it lower than the triad. | 88 |
| Same Branch | 子子 · 丑丑 … | Characters that are the same. This means they resemble each other but does not imply attraction, so they are placed in the middle. | 72 |
| No Relationship | Pairs that do not belong anywhere above or below | Combinations that have no special relationship. This serves as a reference point. | 68 |
| quiet discord (怨嗔) | 子未 · 丑午 · 寅酉 · 卯申 · 辰亥 · 巳戌 | Pairs that cannot separate despite their dislike. They appear quiet on the surface but are considered to last long. | 52 |
| Clash (沖) | 子午 · 丑未 · 寅申 · 卯酉 · 辰戌 · 巳亥 | Pairs that clash head-on. These are six pairs that face each other. | 45 |
triads and half triads
A triad requires all three characters to be present. Since there are four earthly branches in the natal chart, it is possible for the day's branch to combine with them, resulting in a triad — at that time, it receives a score of 95. If only two characters are involved, it is a half triad.
Reason for Separating quiet discord
The six pairs of quiet discord are seen as frequently as clashes. If one counted only combinations and clashes, these six pairs would all be buried under the no relationship score of 68, so they are placed separately.
If clashes are pairs that collide head-on and are prominently displayed, quiet discord is subtly misaligned. Therefore, it is placed at a score of 52, which is higher than clashes (45) but definitely lower than no relationship (68).
Scores are also assigned for clashes
The lowest clash score is 45. It is intentional not to give a value close to 0. In traditional myeongri, a clash is not an 'end' but a 'collision', and giving a score close to the bottom would mean the service is making a definitive statement about the relationship.
With a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 95, the difference is clearly visible but not definitive.