사주 용어 · 60 terms
The Korean saju glossary
A plain-English dictionary of Korean saju (사주) terms, from Day Master to 원진, written for people who found saju through K-dramas, webtoons and their group chat. Every term links to the ones around it.
Saju
사주 · 四柱 · saju
Saju literally means "four pillars", and it is the Korean name for reading personality from your birth moment. Your year, month, day and hour of birth each become a pillar made of two characters, one heavenly stem and one earthly branch. Koreans use saju the way some people use MBTI or astrology: to talk about temperament, relationships and timing over coffee. On Bom & Yeon we treat it as a personality language, a mirror for self-reflection, never a script for what has to happen to you.
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Palja (Eight Characters)
팔자 · 八字 · palja
Palja means "eight characters", the full set of symbols in a saju chart: four pillars times two characters each. In everyday Korean, palja also slips into conversation as a word for someone's lot in life, as in "that's just my palja", usually said with a sigh. We prefer the technical meaning. Eight characters describe a mix of elements and tendencies, and what you do with that mix is entirely up to you. With only a birth date, we read six of the eight.
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Four Pillars
사주 · 四柱 · saju / sa-ju
The four pillars are the year, month, day and hour of your birth, each written as a stem on top of a branch. Think of them as four columns holding up one roof. The year pillar is your outer, social layer; the month pillar is the season you were born into and carries the most weight for element strength; the day pillar is you, with your Day Master on top; the hour pillar fills in the rest. We read three pillars from a birth date and say so plainly.
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Day Master
일간 · 日干 · ilgan
Your Day Master is the heavenly stem of the day you were born, the top character of your day pillar, and saju treats it as you. Everything else in the chart is read in relation to it. There are ten Day Masters, from Gap Wood, the tall pine, to Gye Water, the rain, and they are the closest thing saju has to an MBTI type. When someone says "I'm a Byeong Fire", they mean their Day Master. It is calculated from your birth date using the solar calendar, not your zodiac animal.
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Heavenly Stems
천간 · 天干 · cheongan
The heavenly stems are ten characters that pair the five elements with yin and yang: 甲 Gap and 乙 Eul (Wood), 丙 Byeong and 丁 Jeong (Fire), 戊 Mu and 己 Gi (Earth), 庚 Gyeong and 辛 Sin (Metal), 壬 Im and 癸 Gye (Water). Each yang stem is the big, outward version of its element and each yin stem is the subtle, inward one, so Gap is a tall tree and Eul is a climbing flower. Stems sit on top of each pillar and describe what shows on the surface.
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Earthly Branches
지지 · 地支 · jiji
The earthly branches are twelve characters, best known as the twelve zodiac animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. In saju they also mark months, hours and directions, and each one carries an element and a season. Branches sit underneath the stems in every pillar and are more complicated than they look, because most of them hold hidden stems inside. If stems are what people see, branches are the ground you are standing on.
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Year Pillar
연주 · 年柱 · yeonju
The year pillar is the stem and branch of your birth year, and its branch gives you your zodiac animal. In saju the year flips at Ipchun, around February 4, not on January 1 or Lunar New Year, so a January baby belongs to the previous year's pillar. Traditionally the year pillar describes your outer world, ancestry and early social life. It matters, but less than people think. Your day pillar says far more about your personality than your birth year does.
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Month Pillar
월주 · 月柱 · wolju
The month pillar is the stem and branch of your birth month, measured by solar terms rather than calendar months. A saju month starts on one of the twelve jeol, so March 3 is usually still the Tiger month. The month branch is the season you were born into, and it carries the most weight when judging whether your Day Master is strong or weak. Classical readers call it the command center of the chart, and it is where most of the seasonal personality flavor comes from.
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Day Pillar
일주 · 日柱 · ilju
The day pillar is the stem and branch of your birth day. The stem is your Day Master and the branch beneath it is your spouse palace. There are sixty possible day pillars, from 甲子 to 癸亥, and Korean saju fans love them because they add a second layer to the ten Day Masters: two Gap Wood people can feel very different if one sits on water and the other on metal. Day pillars cycle continuously, one per day, regardless of month or year.
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Hour Pillar
시주 · 時柱 · siju
The hour pillar comes from your birth time, in two-hour blocks named after the branches, starting with the Rat hour around 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. It adds the last two of your eight characters and traditionally describes your later life, inner wishes and children. Many people do not know their birth hour, and Korean readers commonly work with three pillars when it is missing. Our readings use three pillars from your birth date and say so. If you were born near midnight, schools differ on which day you belong to.
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Five Elements
오행 · 五行 · ohaeng
The five elements, or five phases, are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Every stem and branch belongs to one of them. They are less like physical substances and more like five kinds of energy: Wood grows, Fire spreads, Earth holds, Metal cuts and refines, Water flows and stores. Saju reads how they feed and control one another in your chart. Nobody is "missing" an element in a dramatic sense; some just show up more quietly than others.
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Yin and Yang
음양 · 陰陽 · eumyang
Yin and yang are the two polarities running through every element. Yang is outward, bright, moving and direct; yin is inward, soft, concentrated and subtle. In saju, each element has a yang stem and a yin stem, so Byeong Fire is the sun and Jeong Fire is a candle. Polarity also decides the Ten Gods: the same element can be a Friend or a Rob Wealth depending on whether it matches your polarity. Neither is better. A candle and the sun are both very useful, just at different times of day.
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Generating Cycle
상생 · 相生 · sangsaeng
Sangsaeng is the generating or feeding cycle of the elements: Wood feeds Fire, Fire makes Earth (ash), Earth produces Metal, Metal carries Water, and Water nourishes Wood. In a chart, the element that feeds your Day Master is your Resource and the element you feed is your Output. In compatibility, a feeding relationship tends to feel supportive and easy, though the one doing the feeding can get tired if it never flows back. It is the friendlier half of the element map.
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Controlling Cycle
상극 · 相剋 · sanggeuk
Sanggeuk is the controlling cycle: Wood breaks up Earth, Earth dams Water, Water puts out Fire, Fire melts Metal, and Metal cuts Wood. It sounds hostile, but control is how things get shape. A river without banks is a flood, and a tree that is never pruned blocks the light. In your chart, what you control is your Wealth and what controls you is your Officer. In compatibility, a controlling pair often has real chemistry plus a power question the two people need to talk about.
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Ten Gods
십신 · 十神 · sipsin
The Ten Gods are ten relationship labels that describe how every other character in your chart relates to your Day Master. They come from two things: which element it is (same, feeding, fed, controlling, controlled) and whether its polarity matches yours. The ten are Friend, Rob Wealth, Eating God, Hurting Officer, Indirect Wealth, Direct Wealth, Seven Killings, Direct Officer, Indirect Resource and Direct Resource. Despite the dramatic English names, they are not gods. Think of them as ten roles in the cast of your life.
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Sipsin / Sipseong
십신 / 십성 · 十神 / 十星 · sipsin, sipseong
Sipsin and sipseong are the two Korean names for the Ten Gods, and you will see both on Korean saju sites. Sipsin (十神) is the older term; sipseong (十星, "ten stars") is common in modern Korean apps. They mean the same thing: the ten relationship roles between your Day Master and the rest of your chart. Grouped in pairs, they cover peers (비겁), output (식상), wealth (재성), officer (관성) and resource (인성). Learning these five groups is the fastest way to read any chart.
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Friend (Bigyeon)
비견 · 比肩 · bigyeon
Bigyeon, literally "shoulder to shoulder", is the Ten God for the element that matches your Day Master in both element and polarity. For a Gap Wood person, another 甲 is a Friend. It stands for peers, siblings, teammates, independence and self-confidence. Lots of Friend energy reads as self-reliant and stubborn; a Friend in the spouse palace often means you want a partner who feels like an equal or a best friend. The shadow side is competition with the very people standing next to you.
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Rob Wealth (Geopjae)
겁재 · 劫財 · geopjae
Geopjae is the same element as your Day Master with the opposite polarity, so for Gap Wood, 乙 Wood is Rob Wealth. The scary English name comes from the idea that a rival can take your share. In personality terms it is boldness, competitiveness, social courage and a talent for rallying people. In love, Rob Wealth in the spouse palace often adds passion and rivalry. It is not a sign that anyone will rob you. It is the energy of someone who plays to win.
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Eating God (Siksin)
식신 · 食神 · siksin
Siksin, the Eating God, is the element your Day Master feeds, with matching polarity. For Gap Wood, that is 丙 Fire. It is the star of enjoyment, appetite, steady creativity and generosity: cooking for friends, making things, taking pleasure seriously. Classical texts consider it one of the gentlest and luckiest stars, a sign of ease and talent. An Eating God in the spouse palace often reads as an affectionate, playful partner style. Too much can tip into comfort over growth.
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Hurting Officer (Sanggwan)
상관 · 傷官 · sanggwan
Sanggwan, the Hurting Officer, is the element your Day Master feeds with opposite polarity. For Gap Wood, it is 丁 Fire. The name means it "harms the officer", the star of rules and authority, which tells you everything: this is the energy of wit, talent, performance and rebellion. Hurting Officer people are quotable, creative and allergic to pointless rules. In love it adds sparkle and a critical streak. Classical writers worried about it; modern readers mostly see the artist and the debater.
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Indirect Wealth (Pyeonjae)
편재 · 偏財 · pyeonjae
Pyeonjae is the element your Day Master controls, with matching polarity. For Gap Wood, 戊 Earth. It is linked to opportunity, movement, generosity, risk-taking and a flexible relationship with resources: the friend who finds the deal and then pays for everyone. In a spouse palace it often reads as an adventurous, generous love style. We never treat Wealth stars as promises about money. They describe how you handle resources and opportunity, not how much you will have.
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Direct Wealth (Jeongjae)
정재 · 正財 · jeongjae
Jeongjae is the element your Day Master controls, with opposite polarity. For Gap Wood, that is 己 Earth, which also forms Gap's heavenly combination. It is the star of steady effort, careful planning, reliability and the satisfaction of a budget that balances. In traditional, gendered saju it was the "wife star" for men; we read it gender-neutrally as a practical, faithful partner energy. In personality terms, Direct Wealth people tend to be organized, loyal and suspicious of get-rich-quick anything.
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Seven Killings (Pyeongwan)
편관 · 偏官 · pyeongwan / chilsal
Pyeongwan, also called 칠살 (七殺, Seven Killings), is the element that controls your Day Master with matching polarity. For Gap Wood, that is 庚 Metal, the axe. Despite the name, nobody is killed. It describes pressure, intensity, courage, discipline and the kind of challenge that forges people. Seven Killings people often thrive in crises and hold themselves to tough standards. In a spouse palace it often reads as attraction to strong, intense partners, which is exciting and worth handling with care.
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Direct Officer (Jeonggwan)
정관 · 正官 · jeonggwan
Jeonggwan is the element that controls your Day Master with opposite polarity. For Gap Wood, that is 辛 Metal. It is the star of order, fairness, reputation, duty and doing the right thing even when nobody is watching. Traditional saju called it the "husband star" for women; we read it gender-neutrally as a principled, steady partner energy. Direct Officer people make trusted leaders and loyal partners, and they can be a little too attached to rules. The heavenly combinations are all Direct Officer or Direct Wealth pairs.
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Indirect Resource (Pyeonin)
편인 · 偏印 · pyeonin
Pyeonin is the element that feeds your Day Master with matching polarity. For Gap Wood, that is 壬 Water. It stands for unconventional learning, intuition, niche expertise, spirituality and the urge to understand things from strange angles. Indirect Resource people often have odd hobbies and sharp instincts. In a spouse palace it tends to draw you to partners who are unusual, wise or a little mysterious. Too much can make someone overthink and withdraw. Its old nickname, 도식, worried it would "steal the food" of the Eating God.
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Direct Resource (Jeongin)
정인 · 正印 · jeongin
Jeongin is the element that feeds your Day Master with opposite polarity. For Gap Wood, that is 癸 Water, gentle rain on the roots. It is the star of nurture, education, protection, patience and being looked after. Direct Resource people tend to be thoughtful learners who value safety and kindness. In a spouse palace, it often reads as wanting a partner who feels nurturing, almost like home. The shadow side is passivity: waiting to be taken care of instead of going after what you want.
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Strong Day Master
신강 · 身强 · singang
Singang means your Day Master is strong: the chart has a lot of the same element or the element that feeds it, especially in the birth month. Strong charts tend to be self-starting, resilient and stubborn. The classical goal is balance, so a strong Day Master benefits from elements that express, use or shape its energy. Strength is not a score of how good your life will be. It is closer to an introvert or extrovert reading: a description of how your energy behaves, not a verdict.
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Weak Day Master
신약 · 身弱 · sinyak
Sinyak means your Day Master has less support in the chart, with fewer characters of its own element or the element that feeds it, and often a birth month that does not favor it. A weak Day Master is not a weak person. It tends to describe someone sensitive to their environment, collaborative, adaptable and strongly shaped by the people around them. The classical advice is to lean on supportive elements: rest, mentors, allies. Many brilliant, tough people have weak Day Masters on paper.
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Season Support
득령 · 得令 · deukryeong
Deukryeong means your Day Master "obtains the command" of the season: the birth month's main qi is your own element or the one that feeds you. A Wood Day Master born in spring has it; a Wood Day Master born in autumn usually does not. Along with 득지 (support from the day branch) and 득세 (support from other characters), it is one of three classic checks for strength. The four Earth months (辰, 未, 戌, 丑) are tricky, because their main qi is Earth even though they sit at the end of a season.
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Root
통근 · 通根 · tonggeun
Tonggeun means your Day Master has a root: its element appears among the hidden stems of a branch in the chart. A tree with roots is hard to blow over, even if the trunk looks thin. For example, Gap Wood sitting on a Dragon branch (辰) is rooted because 辰 hides 乙 Wood. Roots in the month or day branch count most. Simplified calculators often only look at the main qi, which is why two sites can disagree about whether you are strong or weak.
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Useful God
용신 · 用神 · yongsin
Yongsin, the useful god, is the element a chart most needs to find balance. A very strong Day Master usually benefits from elements that drain or shape it; a weak one from elements that support it; a chart born in deep winter often needs Fire for warmth. Korean practice uses the useful element for lucky colors, directions and timing. Schools disagree on how to find it, and serious readers argue about it for hours. We use the idea loosely, as "what helps you feel balanced", not as a prescription.
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Luck Cycles
대운 · 大運 · daeun
Daeun are ten-year luck cycles calculated from your month pillar, moving forward or backward through the sixty pillars. Their direction depends on the yin or yang of your birth year and, traditionally, your gender, and their starting age comes from the distance between your birthday and the nearest solar term. Korean readers weigh daeun heavily when talking about timing. Our readings do not show luck cycles, because they need details we do not ask for and because we focus on personality, not forecasts.
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Annual Luck
세운 · 歲運 · seun
Seun is the luck of a particular year, read by comparing that year's pillar with your chart. 2027, for example, is 丁未, a Fire Goat year, and each Day Master relates to it through the Ten Gods. Annual readings are popular around Lunar New Year and Ipchun in Korea. Traditional readers always look at seun together with your current ten-year cycle. On Bom & Yeon, year pages describe themes and moods for each soul, never guarantees about what will happen.
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Solar Terms
절기 · 節氣 · jeolgi
The 24 solar terms divide the year by the sun's position, every 15 degrees along its path. Twelve of them, called 절 (jeol), mark the start of each saju month: Ipchun opens the Tiger month around February 4, Gyeongchip opens the Rabbit month around March 6, and so on. That is why saju months do not match calendar months, and why a birthday close to a solar term needs the exact time. Korean almanacs list the terms to the minute, and a correct saju calculator uses them.
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Ipchun
입춘 · 立春 · ipchun
Ipchun, "spring stands up", is the first solar term of the year, when the sun reaches 315 degrees, usually on February 4. In saju it is the real New Year: your year pillar and zodiac animal change at Ipchun, not on January 1 or Lunar New Year. Born January 20? You still belong to the previous year's animal. Korean families celebrate it by taping 立春大吉, "great luck as spring begins", beside the front door. In 2027 Ipchun falls on February 4 at 10:46 Seoul time.
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Manseryeok
만세력 · 萬歲曆 · manseryeok
Manseryeok, the "ten-thousand-year calendar", is the almanac Korean saju readers use to convert a birth date into pillars. It lists every year, month and day pillar along with the exact minute of each solar term. Today most manseryeok are apps or websites, often based on data from the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. If a saju site gives you a different Day Master than another, it is usually because one of them skipped the solar-term step or used the wrong time zone.
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Gunghap (Compatibility)
궁합 · 宮合 · gunghap
Gunghap is Korean saju compatibility, traditionally consulted before marriage and now mostly for fun, crushes and situationships. A full gunghap compares two whole charts: Day Masters, day branches (spouse palaces), element balance, useful elements and timing. Popular apps often reduce it to a score. Our compatibility pages compare two Day Masters, which is the headline layer, and we say plainly what that leaves out. No compatibility reading can tell you whether a relationship will last; people do that part.
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Spouse Palace
일지 / 배우자궁 · 日支 / 配偶者宮 · ilji / baeujagung
The spouse palace is the branch of your day pillar, the character sitting right under your Day Master. Classical saju reads it as your closest relationship space: what you look for in a partner and how you behave in intimacy. Its hidden stems and their Ten God roles add detail. A Direct Resource there suggests wanting a nurturing partner; Seven Killings suggests attraction to intensity. In compatibility, Korean readers compare two people's spouse palaces for combinations, clashes and 원진.
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Heavenly Stem Combination
천간합 · 天干合 · cheongan-hap
The heavenly stem combinations are five classic pairs that attract each other: 甲己, 乙庚, 丙辛, 丁壬 and 戊癸. Each joins a yang stem with the yin stem it controls, so every pair is a Direct Wealth and Direct Officer relationship. In compatibility, a stem combination between two Day Masters is read as natural magnetism, the classic "we just clicked". Old texts say the pair can transform into a new element under the right conditions; most modern readers treat that as rare and focus on the attraction.
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Heavenly Stem Clash
천간충 · 天干沖 · cheongan-chung
Heavenly stem clashes are pairs of stems that face off directly: 甲庚, 乙辛, 丙壬 and 丁癸 are the four classic clashes, same polarity, one element controlling the other from the opposite direction. Some schools use a wider list that also counts pairs such as 丙庚 or 戊壬. A stem clash between two Day Masters adds friction, honesty and spark, which can be energizing or exhausting depending on the people. It is a pattern to understand, not a sign a relationship is doomed. Plenty of happy couples clash on paper.
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Six Harmonies
육합 · 六合 · yukhap
The six harmonies are pairs of earthly branches that bond: Rat and Ox (子丑), Tiger and Pig (寅亥), Rabbit and Dog (卯戌), Dragon and Rooster (辰酉), Snake and Monkey (巳申), Horse and Goat (午未). In compatibility, a six-harmony pair between two day branches is read as a quiet, comfortable closeness, the kind of person who feels easy to be around. It is one of the branch relationships Korean gunghap apps look at first, alongside clashes and 원진.
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Three Harmonies
삼합 · 三合 · samhap
The three harmonies are trios of earthly branches that together form one element: Monkey, Rat and Dragon (申子辰) make Water; Tiger, Horse and Dog (寅午戌) make Fire; Snake, Rooster and Ox (巳酉丑) make Metal; Pig, Rabbit and Goat (亥卯未) make Wood. Two out of three is a half harmony and still counts. In compatibility, a three-harmony link between two people's branches reads as shared goals and team energy, the friends who become business partners.
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Branch Clash
충 · 沖 · chung
A branch clash happens between two earthly branches sitting directly opposite each other on the zodiac wheel: Rat and Horse, Ox and Goat, Tiger and Monkey, Rabbit and Rooster, Dragon and Dog, Snake and Pig. Clashes bring movement, change and friction. In a single chart, a clash can describe restlessness or a life with lots of moves. Between two people's day branches, it often feels like strong attraction plus very different rhythms. It is energy, not a curse.
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Punishment
형 · 刑 · hyeong
Hyeong, usually translated "punishment", is a set of branch relationships associated with tension, friction and lessons learned the hard way. The best-known groups are Tiger, Snake and Monkey (寅巳申), Ox, Dog and Goat (丑戌未), and Rat with Rabbit (子卯), plus self-punishing branches such as two Horses. The English word sounds harsh; the modern reading is closer to "recurring friction that forces growth". We do not use hyeong in our compatibility pages, and we would not panic about it in yours.
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Harm
해 · 害 · hae
Hae, or "harm", describes six branch pairs that quietly undermine each other's harmonies, for example Rat and Goat (子未) or Ox and Horse (丑午). It is the subtlest of the branch relationships, the kind of mismatch that shows up as small misunderstandings rather than big fights. Some Korean readers pay attention to it in gunghap; many skip it. It is not part of our compatibility scoring, which focuses on Day Masters.
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Wonjin (Resentment Pairs)
원진 · 怨嗔 · wonjin
Wonjin pairs are six combinations of earthly branches traditionally linked to mutual irritation: Rat and Goat (子未), Ox and Horse (丑午), Tiger and Rooster (寅酉), Rabbit and Monkey (卯申), Dragon and Pig (辰亥), Snake and Dog (巳戌). Korean gunghap apps check wonjin between partners' year or day branches constantly, and older relatives sometimes worry about it. The fair reading: two rhythms that rub. Our compatibility pages leave wonjin out because they compare Day Masters only, and we say so.
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Sixty-Pillar Cycle
육십갑자 · 六十甲子 · yuksip gapja
Yuksip gapja is the cycle of sixty stem-and-branch pairs, from 甲子 to 癸亥. Ten stems and twelve branches line up in order, so the cycle only repeats after sixty steps. It counts years, months, days and hours. A person's 60th birthday, 환갑, celebrates the year pillar returning to where it started. Each of the sixty pairs is also a possible day pillar, which is why Korean saju fans talk about "60 ilju types" the way personality fans talk about subtypes.
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Zodiac Animal (Tti)
띠 · tti
Tti is your Korean zodiac animal, taken from the branch of your year pillar. If someone asks "What's your tti?", they want to know if you are a Rabbit, a Dragon and so on. In saju the animal changes at Ipchun, around February 4, so early-year babies belong to the previous year's animal, a rule many popular websites get wrong. Your tti is fun small talk, but in a full saju reading your Day Master and day pillar say much more about personality.
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Twelve Life Stages
십이운성 · 十二運星 · sibi unseong
The twelve life stages describe how strong a stem feels in each branch, using the image of a life cycle: birth (장생), bathing, coming of age, prime (건록), peak (제왕), then decline, rest, storage and a new conception. Gap Wood is "born" in the Pig branch and peaks in the Rabbit. Some stage names sound gloomy in translation; they are about phases of energy, not events in your life. Korean day-pillar guides often mention them, and we treat them as flavor.
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Prime Branch (Geonrok)
건록 · 建祿 · geonrok
Geonrok is the branch where a stem is in its prime, the stage of the twelve-stage cycle right before its peak. For Gap Wood it is the Tiger (寅), for Gyeong Metal the Monkey (申), for Sin Metal the Rooster (酉). A Day Master sitting on its geonrok branch, like 甲寅 or 庚申, is self-supporting and independent. Traditional readers associate it with earning your own way and standing on your own feet, which matches what most of these pillars say about themselves.
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Blade (Yangin)
양인 · 羊刃 · yangin
Yangin, the "blade", is the branch where a yang Day Master's power peaks, for example the Horse (午) for Byeong Fire or the Rat (子) for Im Water. It symbolizes force, courage and decisiveness, and classical texts treat it as a double-edged sword: strong leadership when balanced, impatience and conflict when not. Schools disagree on yin stems. On our pages, yangin is a personality flavor that explains why some pillars feel so intense, never a warning.
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Gwaegang
괴강 · 魁罡 · gwaegang
Gwaegang is a classical label for a small group of day pillars, usually 庚辰, 庚戌, 壬辰 and 戊戌, with some lists adding 壬戌. These pillars are associated with strong will, leadership, intelligence and a dramatic, all-or-nothing streak. Old Korean folklore made a fuss about gwaegang women being "too strong"; modern readers mostly see confident, decisive people and roll their eyes at the old commentary. We treat it as a personality signal for intensity.
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Same-Element Pillar
간여지동 · 干與支同 · ganyeojidong
Ganyeojidong describes a pillar whose stem and branch share an element, such as 甲寅 (Wood on Wood), 丙午 (Fire on Fire) or 壬子 (Water on Water). It doubles the element's energy. As a day pillar, it usually makes the Day Master strong and self-reliant, with a peer energy in the spouse palace, so these people often want an equal partner and dislike being managed. The growth edge is flexibility. About a dozen day pillars fit the definition, and lists vary on the Earth ones.
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Climate Balance
조후 · 調候 · johu
Johu means balancing a chart's climate: warming a chart born in deep winter, cooling and moistening one born in high summer. The Qiong Tong Bao Jian built its whole method on this idea, pairing each Day Master with what it needs in each month. A Gap Wood born in January wants 丙 Fire, the sun; a Gyeong Metal born in summer wants Water. In personality terms, johu explains why some people need warmth and encouragement and others need calm and cooling down.
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Di Tian Sui
적천수 · 滴天髓 · jeokcheonsu
The Di Tian Sui, read in Korean as 적천수, is a classical saju text whose title means something like "the essence that drips from heaven". It is written in short, dense verses about each stem and about strength and balance. Lines like 甲木參天, "Gap Wood reaches the sky", or 癸水至弱, "Gye Water is the softest", come from it. Korean professional readers study it closely. We borrow its imagery to describe personalities, not its verdicts.
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Qiong Tong Bao Jian
궁통보감 · 窮通寶鑑 · gungtong bogam
The Qiong Tong Bao Jian, read in Korean as 궁통보감, is a classical saju manual organized by Day Master and birth month. For each of the 120 combinations it says which elements the chart needs, usually framed as climate: winter wood needs sunlight, summer metal needs water, Sin Metal loves to be washed by 壬 Water. It is the main source of the idea of 조후, climate balancing. Its images are beautiful, and many of our day-pillar descriptions borrow them.
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Peach Blossom
도화 · 桃花 · dohwa
Dohwa, the peach blossom star, is one of the 신살 (special stars) and falls on the Rat, Rabbit, Horse or Rooster branch depending on your year or day branch. Traditionally it signals charm, attractiveness and social magnetism, the kind of person people notice in a room. Older texts fussed about romance and scandal; modern Korean pop saju mostly uses it to explain why someone is effortlessly popular. We mention it as a personality flavor and never as a forecast about love.
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Travel Star
역마 · 驛馬 · yeokma
Yeokma, the post-horse star, falls on the Tiger, Snake, Monkey or Pig branch depending on your year or day branch. It is linked to movement: travel, moving house, jobs on the road, restlessness and curiosity about elsewhere. In old Korea it described messengers and merchants; today people use it to explain the friend who has lived in four cities. It is a flavor, not an instruction to buy a plane ticket, though nobody will stop you.
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Special Stars
신살 · 神殺 · sinsal
Sinsal are special symbolic stars layered on top of the main chart, such as peach blossom (도화), the travel star (역마) and the flower-canopy star for artistic or spiritual leanings. There are dozens, and schools disagree about many of them. Some have alarming names that older readers used to frighten clients. Modern Korean readers tend to treat sinsal as seasoning on the main dish, which is the Day Master and the balance of elements. We use only a few gentle ones and skip the scary ones.
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