The ten gods are simply ten relationship labels. In saju and bazi, you take your day master, the “you” of the chart, and describe every other character by how its element relates to yours: the same as you, made by you, managed by you, pushing on you, or supporting you. Split each of those five by yin and yang, and you get ten.
In Korean they are called sipseong (십성 十星), and you will also see the Chinese name shishen (十神, “ten gods”). Despite the dramatic name, there are no gods involved. Think of them as ten roles in the story of your chart.
The Moon Rabbit likes to call them your chart’s cast list. Same actors, different parts.
First, find your seat: the day master
Everything starts with your day master (일간 ilgan 日干), the heavenly stem of your day pillar. It has an element (wood, fire, earth, metal or water) and a polarity (yin or yang).
Each of the other seven characters in your chart also has an element and a polarity. The ten gods answer one question for each of them: “How does this character relate to me?”
The five families
The five relationships come straight from the five elements cycle, seen from your seat.
| Family | Korean | Relationship to your element | In plain words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Companions | 비겁 bigeop 比劫 | Same element as you | Peers, siblings, your own drive |
| Output | 식상 siksang 食傷 | The element you produce | Expression, creativity, what you make |
| Resources | 재성 jaeseong 財星 | The element you control | What you work with and manage |
| Structure | 관성 gwanseong 官星 | The element that controls you | Rules, roles, pressure, responsibility |
| Support | 인성 inseong 印星 | The element that produces you | Learning, care, backing, rest |
Every chart has some mix of these. None of them is good or bad on its own. What matters is how much, and where.
Yin and yang pairs: from five to ten
Each family has two members. One shares your polarity, and one has the opposite polarity. Here is the full cast, with the plain-English labels the Moon Rabbit uses:
| Korean | Hanja | Relationship | Polarity vs you | Plain label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 비견 bigyeon | 比肩 | Same element | Same | Peer |
| 겁재 geopjae | 劫財 | Same element | Opposite | Rival |
| 식신 siksin | 食神 | You produce it | Same | Creator |
| 상관 sanggwan | 傷官 | You produce it | Opposite | Rebel / Performer |
| 편재 pyeonjae | 偏財 | You control it | Same | Adventurer (resources) |
| 정재 jeongjae | 正財 | You control it | Opposite | Steady (resources) |
| 편관 pyeongwan | 偏官 | It controls you | Same | Challenger |
| 정관 jeonggwan | 正官 | It controls you | Opposite | Guardian / Order |
| 편인 pyeonin | 偏印 | It produces you | Same | Unconventional mentor |
| 정인 jeongin | 正印 | It produces you | Opposite | Nurturing mentor |
A handy pattern: the same-polarity member of each pair tends to be read as more intense, direct or unusual. The opposite-polarity member tends to be read as smoother or more conventional. 편관 pyeongwan also has a nickname, 칠살 chilsal (七殺, “seven killings”). It sounds scary, but in modern readings it usually just means strong pressure that can build real grit.
The ten gods in everyday language
Short portraits, in saju symbolism:
- Peer (비견): independence, self-reliance, “I’ll do it my way.” Loyal to equals.
- Rival (겁재): competitive spark, boldness, risk appetite. Teamwork with an edge.
- Creator (식신): steady output, enjoyment, craft, food and comfort. Makes things with a smile.
- Rebel / Performer (상관): sharp talent, wit, questioning authority, standing out.
- Adventurer (편재): wide networks, opportunity-spotting, handling many moving parts.
- Steady (정재): careful planning, diligence, consistency, taking care of what is yours.
- Challenger (편관): pressure, courage, high stakes, rising to tough tests.
- Guardian / Order (정관): fairness, responsibility, reputation, following through on duty.
- Unconventional mentor (편인): offbeat learning, intuition, niche skills, solitude.
- Nurturing mentor (정인): study, patience, care received and given, a safe home base.
The resource pair is traditionally linked to wealth in old texts. In SajuBunny readings we treat it as how you relate to practical things, like tasks, tools and results, and never as a promise about money.
A worked example: 甲 gap wood
Say your day master is 甲 gap, yang wood. Here is how each of the ten stems would look from your seat:
| Stem | Element and polarity | Ten god for 甲 | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 甲 gap | Yang wood | Peer (비견) | Same element, same polarity |
| 乙 eul | Yin wood | Rival (겁재) | Same element, opposite polarity |
| 丙 byeong | Yang fire | Creator (식신) | Wood feeds fire, same polarity |
| 丁 jeong | Yin fire | Rebel / Performer (상관) | Wood feeds fire, opposite polarity |
| 戊 mu | Yang earth | Adventurer (편재) | Wood controls earth, same polarity |
| 己 gi | Yin earth | Steady (정재) | Wood controls earth, opposite polarity |
| 庚 gyeong | Yang metal | Challenger (편관) | Metal controls wood, same polarity |
| 辛 sin | Yin metal | Guardian (정관) | Metal controls wood, opposite polarity |
| 壬 im | Yang water | Unconventional mentor (편인) | Water feeds wood, same polarity |
| 癸 gye | Yin water | Nurturing mentor (정인) | Water feeds wood, opposite polarity |
So a 甲 wood person with lots of fire around them has plenty of Creator and Performer energy, often read as expressive and productive. The same person with lots of metal feels more Challenger and Guardian energy, often read as structured, responsible and tested. Branches get ten-god labels too, through their main element.
How readers actually use the ten gods
A real reading rarely stops at “you have two Rivals.” Practitioners weigh:
- Balance. Is the day master well supported, or stretched thin by output and pressure?
- Position. A ten god in the month pillar is often read as more central to daily life than one in the hour pillar.
- Time. Ten-year luck pillars (대운 daeun 大運) and each year bring new stems, so new ten gods step on stage for a while.
- Missing roles. An absent family is not a flaw. It usually means that theme feels less automatic.
Older texts also tied some ten gods to specific family roles. Modern readings, including ours, use them more loosely as themes of support, pressure and expression, so everyone can read their chart without fixed roles attached.
FAQ
What are the ten gods in bazi or saju?
The ten gods, sipseong (십성 十星) in Korean, are ten labels that describe how each character in a chart relates to your day master. They come from five element relationships (same, you produce, you control, controls you, produces you), each split by yin and yang. They are a symbolic language for reading a chart, not literal gods or fixed outcomes.
How do I find my ten gods?
Start with your day master, the stem of your day pillar. Then, for each other stem and branch in your chart, check its element and polarity against yours using the five families. Same element and same polarity is Peer, the element you produce with the same polarity is Creator, and so on. Many chart tools can do this labeling for you.
Is 칠살 chilsal (Seven Killings) bad?
Not in modern readings. 칠살 chilsal is a nickname for 편관 pyeongwan, the same-polarity element that controls your day master. It sounds dramatic, but practitioners usually read it as strong pressure, drive and high standards, the kind of challenge that can build courage and resilience. Balance matters more than the name, and it is never a warning.
Do the ten gods tell me about money or my career?
In saju symbolism, some ten gods are linked to themes like resources, structure or recognition, and people enjoy using them to reflect on work style. They say nothing certain about income, job offers or investments, and they are not career or financial advice. Treat them as prompts for thinking about how you like to work.
Try it with the Moon Rabbit
Want to see your own cast list? Make a free saju card at sajubunny.com to find your day master. Then open the pro manseryeok chart to see all eight characters side by side and trace each role from your day master’s seat.
Saju is a cultural tradition, not a science. SajuBunny readings are for fun and self-reflection, not professional advice.