Break (相破)
Understand the six Earthly Branch break pairs, how break differs from clash or harm, and how overlapping relations change its practical weight.
Overview
Break (相破) commonly pairs Zi–You, Chou–Chen, Yin–Hai, Mao–Wu, Si–Shen, and Wei–Xu. It describes a loosening, disruption, or loss of continuity in a branch relation, but schools may weight it differently. Because some pairs also participate in harmony or other structures, the reader must publish the convention, topology, stronger competing evidence, and actual function affected.
At a glance
- Pairs
- Zi–You, Chou–Chen, Yin–Hai, Mao–Wu, Si–Shen, Wei–Xu
- Core idea
- Disruption or loss of continuity
- School variance
- Weighting conventions should be disclosed
- Overlap
- Some pairs also carry harmony or other relations
- Force
- Season, roots, distance, and topology decide relevance
- Boundary
- Break does not guarantee rupture in real life
Use a declared break-pair convention
Confirm the exact branches and disclose the pair list used by the page.
Where school practice differs in emphasis, present the difference instead of claiming universal priority.
- Name the pair and convention.
- Avoid unstated school mixing.
Resolve harmony and break without deleting either
Yin–Hai and Si–Shen can also be read through harmony, so the chart contains competing descriptors.
Compare season, roots, proximity, and supporting structures to explain which function is more available.
- Retain overlapping labels.
- Explain relative force.
State what continuity is actually affected
A supported break may loosen a root, interrupt a route, or make an existing relation less stable.
A remote or weak pair may remain secondary and should not dominate the page conclusion.
- Name the changed pathway.
- Downgrade weak evidence.
Do not equate break with inevitable loss
相破 alone cannot predict breakup, bankruptcy, injury, relocation, dismissal, or family separation.
Timing-based activation should be dated and verified against events rather than presented as certainty.
- No inevitable rupture claim.
- Keep timing conclusions bounded.
Sources and editorial basis
- 《三命通會》 (Sanming Tonghui)卷二地支相破：六破配對與合沖重疊A historical compilation covering stems and branches, Ten Gods, Nayin, Shen Sha, and multiple classical pattern systems.
- 《淵海子平》 (Yuanhai Ziping)地支破法諸論：相破、遠近與旺衰A foundational Ziping reference for branch months, hidden stems, roots, and stem-branch relationships.