Combinations and Clashes in Saju — How the Characters Attract and Collide
Saju does not stop at reading its eight characters one by one. Character and character pull toward or push against each other, giving rise to new energy — these relationships are called combinations and clashes. Reading the combinations and clashes within a chart shows which energies gather and which positions waver, and the very same lens applies when reading the bond between two people in a compatibility chart.
What Are Combinations and Clashes
A combination is a relationship in which two characters draw together and bind, or transform into a new element; a clash is a relationship in which two characters meet head-on and shake each other. If combination speaks of union, harmony, and binding, clash speaks of collision, upheaval, and provocation. A combination is not always good, nor a clash always bad — a needed energy can be tied up and rendered useless by combination, while a blocked energy can be opened by a clash. So combinations and clashes must be read within the balance of the whole.
The Heavenly Stem Combination — Union of the Upper Characters
The Heavenly Stem combination is the pairing and binding of the ten upper characters, the Heavenly Stems, and there are five such pairs in all. Gap meets Gi and transforms into Earth; Eul meets Gyeong and transforms into Metal — two characters mingle and issue a new elemental energy. When a Heavenly Stem combination forms, the characters set their hearts on each other and may forget their own roles, and where conditions align they can transform entirely into another element. It symbolizes the joining of the inner heart with the outwardly shown disposition.
The Triple and Six Harmonies of the Branches
The twelve lower characters, the Earthly Branches, also have combinations that draw together. The triple harmony is a relationship in which three branches gather to form one strong elemental bureau — as when Sin, Ja, and Jin gather to form a Water bureau. When all three assemble, the bureau is complete; even two together revive that energy as a half-harmony. The six harmony is a relationship in which two branches pair and bind, seen as a quiet and private union. The combinations of the branches show how energy gathers on the ground of everyday reality.
The Clash — The Place That Meets Head-On
A clash is a relationship in which two facing branches collide head-on; among the twelve branches there are six such clash pairs. Characters opposite in direction and season — Ja and O, In and Sin — meet and shake each other. A place where a clash occurs runs strong with the energy of change, movement, and conflict, and the domain that pillar represents is said to ripple. Yet a clash can also be the occasion that wakes a stagnant energy into motion, so it is not to be seen as purely inauspicious.
Combinations and Clashes That Carry Into Compatibility
Combinations and clashes are not read only within a single person's chart — they apply just as directly when two people's charts are set side by side. When their Day Stems form a Heavenly Stem combination, or their Year Branches bind through triple or six harmony, the attraction and accord are seen as strong; when they meet in a clash, there is friction and stimulation. So traditional compatibility traces the combinations and clashes between two charts to read the grain of a bond. Many combinations read as an easeful relationship; a mix of clashes reads as a dynamic one.
Combinations and clashes are the pattern of bonds formed as the characters of a chart attract and collide — and also the key to reading compatibility. If you are curious about the combinations and clashes in your own chart, or the bond between two people, see it for yourself through a Saju or compatibility reading.