Saju glossary · Ten gods
Companion (比肩): what this ten god means in saju
Companion is the ten god that shares both your element and your polarity: a mirror image of the day master. Its name means standing shoulder to shoulder, and the tradition pictures it as a peer, a sibling or a friend of the same height. In a chart it reads as a source of self-reliance.
Companion in the tradition
Because a Companion adds its strength to the day master, older readings welcome it when a chart is weak and treat it as friendly rivalry when the chart is already strong. It also sits in the position that restrains wealth, which is why books link it with sharing money among equals. Today it is read mostly as independence and a preference for relationships on level ground.
How Companion is found
Companion is the stem whose element is the same as the day master’s, with the same polarity (yin or yang). So each day master has exactly one stem that is its Companion.
| Day master | Stem | Branch (main stem) |
|---|---|---|
| 甲 Yang Wood | 甲 | 寅 Tiger |
| 乙 Yin Wood | 乙 | 卯 Rabbit |
| 丙 Yang Fire | 丙 | 巳 Snake |
| 丁 Yin Fire | 丁 | 午 Horse |
| 戊 Yang Earth | 戊 | 辰 Dragon · 戌 Dog |
| 己 Yin Earth | 己 | 丑 Ox · 未 Goat |
| 庚 Yang Metal | 庚 | 申 Monkey |
| 辛 Yin Metal | 辛 | 酉 Rooster |
| 壬 Yang Water | 壬 | 亥 Pig |
| 癸 Yin Water | 癸 | 子 Rat |
Branches are read by their main hidden stem. Some readings count the residual and middle hidden stems too, so books can show slightly different counts for the same chart.
Worked example: finding Companion in a chart
Take a made-up person born on February 12, 1984, at 10:30. The same calculation as the free saju reading gives the four pillars below; here is how to find Companion in them.
| Hour | Day | Month | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stem | 癸Direct Officer | 丙Self (day master) | 丙Companion | 甲Indirect Resource |
| Branch | 巳Companion | 子Direct Officer | 寅Indirect Resource | 子Direct Officer |
- The day master is 丙, Yang Fire. It stands for the self, and each of the other seven characters is read by how it relates to it.
- For a 丙 day master, Companion is the stem 丙 and no other; among the branches it is 巳, which holds 丙 as its main hidden stem.
- In this chart, Companion sits at the month stem 丙 and hour branch 巳 (main stem 丙).
- The branch 巳 hides 丙 as its main stem, and 丙 also shows among the stems. A hidden stem that surfaces in the stems is called revealed (透出), and many readings take Companion’s qualities as more visible then.
The birth date is made up to show the steps. A different birth time changes the hour pillar, and near the start of a solar term the month pillar can change too, so the result can change with them.
What to look at when reading it
Companion in the day or month branch puts the same strength as the day master right beside it, read as a chart with firm standards of its own. Companions standing in a row among the stems make awareness of peers and rivals easy to see. For a weak day master one Companion is a welcome prop; for a strong one, the task is finding where to spend that strength.
Companion and the terms around it
Companion produces Eating God, opening an outlet for its strength in skill and expression. Companion restrains Indirect Wealth, the root of the old reading about sharing wealth, and when Seven Killings restrains Companion, the surplus strength is shaped by discipline. With Rob Wealth it forms the family of peer stars, and the two are often read together.
Common myths
- What people sayA chart full of Companions means a stubborn person.
- A calmer readingThe Companion stands for the urge to rely on your own judgment. Used without dialogue it can look like stubbornness; used well, it shows up as a sense of responsibility that sees things through.
- What people sayCompanions make friends and siblings drain your money.
- A calmer readingThat reading comes from the element structure, not from anyone’s bank account. Clear rules about shared money do far more than any character in a chart.
- What people sayMany Companions mean a rocky married life.
- A calmer readingThe saying comes from old readings that laid Companion’s restraint of the wealth stars over the spouse’s place. Living together is shaped by how two people agree on daily rules and keep talking, not by a count of characters.
How tradition says it shows up
People with a strong Companion tend to prefer discussion over instructions and work best at their own pace. They can find it hard to ask for help and may hold on alone until they are worn out. When fairness in a friendship tips one way for too long, they feel it sharply.
Something to try this week
This week, pick one task you planned to finish alone and hand part of it to someone you trust. Note whether asking felt heavy or light; it tells you how much leaning on others suits you.
Is Companion in my chart?
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Read my saju for freeQuestions about Companion
What does Companion mean in saju?
It is the ten god for a stem with the same element and the same polarity as the day master. It symbolizes peers, siblings and independence, and every day master has exactly one Companion stem.
What does a chart with many Companions suggest?
Traditionally, a stronger day master with more independence and more competition. What it means depends on how it meets wealth and officer stars, so the count alone decides nothing.
How is Companion different from Rob Wealth?
Both share the day master’s element. Companion also shares its polarity and reads as a peer at your side; Rob Wealth has the opposite polarity and reads as a rival who pushes you.
What does it mean to have no Companion?
It only means that no other stem or main hidden stem in the chart repeats the day master’s own stem, not a lack of independence. The day master’s strength can come from resource stars or the season of the month, and the same element may sit among the other hidden stems.
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.