Siblings, friends, colleagues and business partners

In Four Pillars of Destiny (BaZi), siblings are found through the Peer element: the Friend and Rob Wealth, which share the Day Master’s element, not counting the day stem itself. Siblings have no palace of their own; with the parents, they are looked at through the year and month pillars. The books give no full method for friends, colleagues or business partners; this lesson extends the same idea to them.

The Peer element is siblings

比肩者，兄弟也。

Our translation: The Friend: these are siblings.

The Deep Sea of Ziping (渊海子平; Ming dynasty, 16th century) takes the Peer element as brothers and sisters. For a Yang Wood Day Master, Yang Wood stands for older brothers and Yin Wood for younger siblings, and the Tiger and Rabbit in the branches count the same way. The day stem is you, so it does not count.

The book says that whether siblings get along is judged by how strong or weak these elements stand in the chart. When there are too many Peers, it warns that siblings may compete over money and fall out.

The Deep Sea of Ziping · On Brothers and Sisters

Siblings have no palace of their own

The books give a palace for the spouse and for children, but none of their own for siblings. Siblings belong to the birth family with the parents: they are looked at through the year and month pillars, together with the Peer element. The Deep Sea of Ziping calls the month the household of parents, uncles and siblings, so it places siblings with the parents in the month pillar. For how the year and month pillars show the birth family, see the lesson on parents. The True Interpretation of Ziping (子平真诠; Qing dynasty, 18th century) adds that ancestors and siblings show less clearly in a chart, so this layer is taken only in outline, and the details still come from the Peer element.

The Deep Sea of Ziping · General Discussion of Family Relations; The True Interpretation of Ziping · On Wife and Children

Friends, colleagues and business partners

Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates (三命通会; Ming dynasty, 16th century) records two old sayings. One says that for officials, the month pillar shows their colleagues. The other says that when the branches’ three harmony and six harmony combinations are in accord, friends are found everywhere. Beyond these two lines, the books set no full method for friends, colleagues or business partners.

Comprehensive Guide to the Three Fates · Examples on Siblings

What follows extends the ten relationships to them. Keep in mind that it is an extension, not something the books themselves say.

• Friends: people on an equal footing with you; look to the Peer element.
• Colleagues: depending on whether the other person is above you, below you or on your level, look to Authority, Wealth or the Peer element.
• Business partners: for the business you run together, look to Wealth; for the people you share the profit with, look to the Peer element.

These are all tendencies; weigh them against the whole chart.

Try it on your chart

1. Find the Friend and Rob Wealth: on the stems, not counting the day stem, and as the main stem of a branch.
2. See whether the Peers are many or few, and how strong they are. If there are many Peers and the chart needs Wealth, note what to be mindful of.
3. Following the other view in Dripping Heavenly Marrow, weigh the element taken from the month branch against Wealth and the element the chart favors.
4. Siblings have no palace of their own; look at the birth family through the year and month pillars, with the parents.
5. For friends, colleagues and business partners, use the extension above, and remember that it is an extension.

See also: Family relations: the star and the palace

See also: The ten relationships to the Day Master

See also: Parents in the chart

See also: Chart structure starts from the month