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The Ten Gods (十神) in BaZi Explained
The Ten Gods (十神, Shí Shén) are the ten relationships between your Day Master and every other element in your BaZi chart. They translate raw elements into meaning — describing how you relate to wealth, authority, creativity, support, and competition. The ten come in five pairs (a Yin and a Yang version of each function): Friend / Rob Wealth, Eating God / Hurting Officer, Direct Wealth / Indirect Wealth, Direct Officer / Seven Killings, and Direct Resource / Indirect Resource.
What the Ten Gods are
On its own, an element in your chart is just Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water. The Ten Gods give it a role. By comparing each element to your Day Master — is it the same element, does it produce you, do you produce it, do you control it, does it control you, and is its polarity the same or opposite — BaZi assigns one of ten relationships. Those relationships are what a reading actually interprets.
The five pairs
Each of the five functions comes in a matched pair — one where the element shares your Day Master’s polarity, and one where it is opposite. That is how ten relationships arise from five underlying dynamics.
| Ten God | Chinese | Relation to Day Master | What it governs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friend | 比肩 | Same element, same polarity | Peers, self-reliance, competition |
| Rob Wealth | 劫财 | Same element, opposite polarity | Rivalry, risk-taking, spending |
| Eating God | 食神 | Element you produce, same polarity | Creativity, ease, expression |
| Hurting Officer | 伤官 | Element you produce, opposite polarity | Performance, rebellion, brilliance |
| Direct Wealth | 正财 | Element you control, opposite polarity | Steady income, commitment |
| Indirect Wealth | 偏财 | Element you control, same polarity | Windfalls, ventures, opportunity |
| Direct Officer | 正官 | Element that controls you, opposite polarity | Discipline, status, responsibility |
| Seven Killings | 七杀 | Element that controls you, same polarity | Pressure, drive, power |
| Direct Resource | 正印 | Element that produces you, opposite polarity | Support, learning, nurture |
| Indirect Resource | 偏印 | Element that produces you, same polarity | Insight, intuition, unconventional knowledge |
Why they matter for a reading
The Ten Gods turn the abstract balance of the Five Elements into a story about your life: where wealth comes from, how you handle authority, how you express and create, where you find support, and how you compete. But a Ten God is only as helpful as its element is favorable — the same star can be a strength in one chart and a strain in another, which is why the Day Master and elemental balance come first.
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Calculate My BaZi Chart — FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Why are they called gods?
It is a translation of 神 (shén), the second character of 十神 (Shí Shén, “Ten Gods”). They are functions or roles — the ten ways an element can relate to your Day Master — not deities to be worshipped.
Which Ten God is best?
None universally. Whether a Ten God is helpful depends entirely on whether its underlying element is favorable for your Day Master. The same Ten God can be a gift in one chart and a burden in another.
What is a favorable Ten God?
A favorable Ten God is one whose element your chart needs — an element that supports or balances your Day Master. Its presence tends to bring out the constructive side of that relationship rather than its shadow.
How do the Ten Gods affect career?
As a rough guide, Officer and Seven Killings relate to authority, discipline, and structure; the Wealth stars relate to enterprise, income, and ventures; and the Output stars (Eating God and Hurting Officer) relate to creative and expressive work.
What is the difference between Direct and Indirect Wealth?
Direct Wealth is steady, committed income — a salary or a lasting arrangement. Indirect Wealth is windfalls and ventures — opportunistic, entrepreneurial, less predictable gains.