Saju glossary

Saju glossary: the ten gods and six shinsal

Saju readings are full of unfamiliar names: Seven Killings, Eating God, Peach Blossom, Traveling Horse. This glossary gives each one a page: where the name comes from, the rule that finds it, and the myths that have grown around it.

The ten gods name how each character relates to the day master; shinsal are nicknames tradition gave to certain branches and pillars. Both are presented as a vocabulary for reading a chart, never as a verdict on a person.

The ten gods (十神)

Five element relations to the day master, each split by matching or opposite polarity, give ten names. Each name links to its page.

The ten gods by element relation and polarity
	Same polarity	Opposite polarity
Same element	Companion	Rob Wealth
Element I produce	Eating God	Hurting Officer
Element I restrain	Indirect Wealth	Direct Wealth
Element that restrains me	Seven Killings	Direct Officer
Element that produces me	Indirect Resource	Direct Resource

Ten gods by day master

Rows are day masters and columns the other stems; each cell is computed.

What each stem (column) is to each day master (row)
	甲	乙	丙	丁	戊	己	庚	辛	壬	癸
甲 Yang Wood	Companion	Rob Wealth	Eating God	Hurting Officer	Indirect Wealth	Direct Wealth	Seven Killings	Direct Officer	Indirect Resource	Direct Resource
乙 Yin Wood	Rob Wealth	Companion	Hurting Officer	Eating God	Direct Wealth	Indirect Wealth	Direct Officer	Seven Killings	Direct Resource	Indirect Resource
丙 Yang Fire	Indirect Resource	Direct Resource	Companion	Rob Wealth	Eating God	Hurting Officer	Indirect Wealth	Direct Wealth	Seven Killings	Direct Officer
丁 Yin Fire	Direct Resource	Indirect Resource	Rob Wealth	Companion	Hurting Officer	Eating God	Direct Wealth	Indirect Wealth	Direct Officer	Seven Killings
戊 Yang Earth	Seven Killings	Direct Officer	Indirect Resource	Direct Resource	Companion	Rob Wealth	Eating God	Hurting Officer	Indirect Wealth	Direct Wealth
己 Yin Earth	Direct Officer	Seven Killings	Direct Resource	Indirect Resource	Rob Wealth	Companion	Hurting Officer	Eating God	Direct Wealth	Indirect Wealth
庚 Yang Metal	Indirect Wealth	Direct Wealth	Seven Killings	Direct Officer	Indirect Resource	Direct Resource	Companion	Rob Wealth	Eating God	Hurting Officer
辛 Yin Metal	Direct Wealth	Indirect Wealth	Direct Officer	Seven Killings	Direct Resource	Indirect Resource	Rob Wealth	Companion	Hurting Officer	Eating God
壬 Yang Water	Eating God	Hurting Officer	Indirect Wealth	Direct Wealth	Seven Killings	Direct Officer	Indirect Resource	Direct Resource	Companion	Rob Wealth
癸 Yin Water	Hurting Officer	Eating God	Direct Wealth	Indirect Wealth	Direct Officer	Seven Killings	Direct Resource	Indirect Resource	Rob Wealth	Companion

Six shinsal (神殺)

Peach Blossom, Traveling Horse and Flowery Canopy come from the Three Harmonies group of the year or day branch; White Tiger and Goegang from set pillars; Yangin from the branch where the day master peaks.

Peach Blossom, Traveling Horse and Flowery Canopy by group
Group of the year or day branch	Peach Blossom	Traveling Horse	Flowery Canopy
申子辰	酉 Rooster	寅 Tiger	辰 Dragon
寅午戌	卯 Rabbit	申 Monkey	戌 Dog
巳酉丑	午 Horse	亥 Pig	丑 Ox
亥卯未	子 Rat	巳 Snake	未 Goat

Shinsal set by pillars

White Tiger: 甲辰 · 乙未 · 丙戌 · 丁丑 · 戊辰 · 壬戌 · 癸丑
Goegang: 庚辰 · 庚戌 · 壬辰
Yangin: 甲→卯 · 丙→午 · 戊→午 · 庚→酉 · 壬→子

Shinsal are folk labels people once gave to certain branches and pillars; none of them settles anyone’s future. If someone uses one of these names to sell you a charm or a ritual, you can simply say no.

The ten gods and shinsal in my chart

If your free saju result is saved in this browser, the ten gods and shinsal in your chart appear below. It is computed on this device only.

Read my saju for free

Questions about saju terms

Are the ten gods and the “ten stars” the same thing?

Yes. Korean books call them sipsin (ten gods) or sipseong (ten stars); both name the same ten relations, from Companion to Direct Resource. Japanese books call them 通変星.

Is a chart with many shinsal a bad chart?

There is no reason to read it that way. Dozens of shinsal have been handed down, so almost every chart shows a few. Even in older readings they were side notes, read after the balance of the whole chart.

How do I find the ten gods and shinsal in my own chart?

Enter your birth date in mind.io’s free saju reading: the result lists the ten gods and shinsal in your chart. If it is saved in this browser, each term page can check it too, on this device only.

What do “direct” and “indirect” mean in the ten gods?

They say whether a character shares the day master’s polarity. Same polarity gives the indirect names (Indirect Wealth, Seven Killings, Indirect Resource), opposite polarity the direct ones (Direct Wealth, Direct Officer, Direct Resource); Companion and Rob Wealth, Eating God and Hurting Officer split the same way.

Can one character carry both a ten god and a shinsal?

Yes: ten gods and shinsal are set by different rules, so one character can carry both. The branch 子, for example, is Direct Resource to a 甲 day master and is the Peach Blossom branch when the year branch belongs to 亥卯未. Each name is read by its own rule.

This page introduces traditional readings of saju terms for entertainment, curiosity and self-reflection. Saju is a long-standing East Asian cultural tradition, not a scientifically validated personality test or a prediction. A single character or name in a chart cannot define your personality or your future. Make important decisions about health, money and relationships from facts and qualified advice.

How to use this content

This page is reference content for self-understanding and light interpretation, not a diagnostic or evaluative tool.
It should not replace medical, legal, financial, or hiring decisions, and important choices need stronger evidence than a self-test.
Use the result for reflection or entertainment only, and seek professional support first when distress or risk is involved.

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