Six Harmonies (六合)
See the six Earthly Branch harmony pairs, how position and interference change their force, and why harmony does not automatically mean transformation.
Overview
Six Harmonies (六合) pairs Zi–Chou, Yin–Hai, Mao–Xu, Chen–You, Si–Shen, and Wu–Wei. A listed pair establishes a branch relation; its practical force depends on proximity, season, roots, hidden stems, clashes, competing structures, and chart layer. Harmony, binding, and phase transformation are separate judgments, and transformed-phase conventions should be labelled by school.
At a glance
- Pairs
- Zi–Chou, Yin–Hai, Mao–Xu, Chen–You, Si–Shen, Wu–Wei
- Unit
- A two-branch relationship
- Force
- Position, season, roots, and access matter
- Interference
- Clash, punishment, break, and rival structures modify it
- Transformation
- A separate, school-labelled decision
- Boundary
- Harmony does not guarantee agreement or marriage
Confirm one of the six fixed branch pairs
List both branches and the pillars in which they appear before judging strength.
Do not replace the pair list with general similarity, generation, or hidden-stem contact.
- Match the canonical pair.
- Record both pillar positions.
Measure proximity and seasonal access
Adjacent branches often have clearer contact than a remote pair separated by strong intervening relations.
Month Command, hidden stems, roots, and overall phase distribution show whether the harmony is usable or merely present.
- Distinguish presence from force.
- Use whole-chart evidence.
Resolve overlapping relations without erasing them
A branch may also participate in clash, punishment, harm, break, half-combination, or a seasonal meeting.
State the competing rules and their relative evidence instead of declaring that one label automatically cancels every other.
- Publish all overlaps.
- Explain the chosen priority.
Keep harmony and transformation separate
Some schools assign transformed phases to the pairs, but the transformation threshold and convention must be explicit.
六合 alone does not prove cooperation, romance, reconciliation, wealth, or a favorable event.
- Label school-specific conversion rules.
- Avoid literal social predictions.
Sources and editorial basis
- 《三命通會》 (Sanming Tonghui)卷二支元六合：子丑至午未六組配對與作用條件A historical compilation covering stems and branches, Ten Gods, Nayin, Shen Sha, and multiple classical pattern systems.
- 《淵海子平》 (Yuanhai Ziping)地支六合諸論：六合配對、合化與沖破A foundational Ziping reference for branch months, hidden stems, roots, and stem-branch relationships.