The Ten Gods — The Chart's Relational Vocabulary

Ten Gods are not deities — they are ten relational labels for how each character relates to the Day Master.

What the Ten Gods Are

The term 'Ten Gods' is easily misread as 'deities' or 'spirits'. Not so. The Ten Gods are labels for relationships — between the Day Master and each of the other seven characters in the chart, via Five-Element relation × Yin/Yang polarity.

The ten group into five pairs:

• Companions (比劫): 比肩 friend / 劫财 rival
• Outputs (食伤): 食神 eating god / 伤官 hurting officer
• Wealth (财星): 偏财 indirect / 正财 direct
• Officers (官杀): 七杀 seven killings / 正官 direct officer
• Resources (印星): 偏印 indirect / 正印 direct

Same-polarity stems produce 偏 / 比 / 七 / 食; different-polarity stems produce 正 / 劫 / 正 / 伤 / 正.

Why "Gods"?

"Gods" here is classical "essence-master" — not Western religious deity. Each "god" rules one theme in life: self, expression, wealth, career, knowledge, children, partner, parents. Read it as "ten archetypal relations", not as supernatural beings.

What Each Ten God Signifies

Each rules people and life-domains:

• 比肩: siblings, peers, friends, partners
• 劫财 (Rob Wealth): same element as Day Master, opposite polarity — classically glossed as "opposite-polarity siblings, wealth-competitors"; modern reading: peer competition, partners, sometimes draining relationships (no moral content)
• 食神: talent, daughters (women's chart), juniors, longevity
• 伤官: rebellious creativity, sons (women's), watch with 官
• 偏财: father, windfall, dynamic wealth, romance
• 正财: wife (men's chart), salary, steady wealth, frugality
• 七杀: power, pressure, sons (men's), military/law roles
• 正官: bosses, reputation, husband (women's), daughters (men's)
• 偏印 (Indirect Resource): Day Master's unconventional resource — classically glossed as "stepmother, mysticism, independent scholarship, solitude"; modern reading: non-traditional knowledge sources, distinctive support, capacity for deep introspection
• 正印: mother, benefactor, credentials, protection

The Critical Gender Difference

Ten God interpretation differs by gender — this is foundational:

• Men: wealth = wife, officer/killer = children
• Women: officer/killer = husband, output = children

Without gender, marriage and children palace cannot be read correctly. Minglitang requires gender as a mandatory input.

Next step

Read about wealth stars — what they mean in men's and women's charts.