Heavenly Stems clashing means that two Five Elements with a clashing relationship simultaneously consume equal amounts of energy. Due to the influence of clashing forces, the Five Elements clashing produces different forms and meanings. When both the clashing relationship and clashing forces are very obvious, there is also an aspect that is not easily perceived or is easily overlooked.
For example, in real life, Metal overcoming Wood is like driving a nail into a wooden board. So, how is a nail driven into a wooden board? It’s force; force determines the depth to which the nail penetrates the board. While ensuring a certain amount of force is applied, as the nail is fully driven into the board, the board must also expend an equal amount of reactive force. The board must consume a volume equal to the nail’s volume; only then can the board firmly restrain the nail’s presence.
Throughout the entire process of Metal overcoming Wood, the draining (transforming), consuming, and restraining between the two Five Elements with a clashing relationship are fully demonstrated. Therefore, Heavenly Stems clashing implies restraint, attack, confrontation, and containment.
Rules of the Five Elements clashing: Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal.
In a birth chart, due to the limitations of the Heavenly Stems’ positional arrangement, the forms of clashing are also divided into three situations:
First is Adjacent Clashing, which includes the Year Stem and Month Stem, Month Stem and Day Stem, Day Stem and Hour Stem; second is Separated Clashing, specifically the Year Stem and Day Stem, Month Stem and Hour Stem; third is Remote Clash, specifically the Year Stem clashing with the Hour Stem.
Ancient people similarly believed that among these three types of Heavenly Stem clashes: an immediate clash has the greatest power, a separated clash has secondary power, and a remote clash has almost no power. The one-sidedness of this understanding is due to the Five Elements’ interactions the impact of the strength of these interactions on Heavenly Stems at different positions in the natal chart not being deeply considered. Therefore, its applicability is relatively limited.
Regarding the effect of the Five Elements’ interactions on the Heavenly Stems in the natal chart, one must not only consider the arrangement of the Heavenly Stems but also the magnitude of the Five Elements’ interactions and their specific effects on Heavenly Stems at different positions. Therefore, the intuitive Heavenly Stem generation, restraint, control, and transformation, very easily leads to a superficial understanding and perception. ” Mutual Transformation of Heavenly Stems” is precisely aimed at addressing these situations.
The relationship of the Five Elements’ mutual restriction is not that simple. If we want to demonstrate Metal restricting Wood, it’s not about placing a wooden board on the ground, nor is it about nailing a nail into the board; rather, it’s about driving the nail into the board. The wooden board also doesn’t solely bear the impact of the nail; beneath the board, there’s the effect of the ground, and the interactive force of the iron hammer driving the nail.
This phenomenon reflects that the relationship of Metal restricting Wood can only be completed under the influence of other conditions. When considering Metal restricting Wood in isolation, the existence of other conditions must be taken into account.
Therefore, the generating and restricting relationships in the Four Pillars are not solely about the strength of close proximity. The extent of the effect of close proximity must also be influenced by intervening stems, or even distantly separated stems. The magnitude of the heavenly stems’ influence is determined by the earthly branches’ Punishments, Clashes, Combinations, and Harms. In other words, the inherent strength of the earthly branches and the strength of their Punishments, Clashes, Combinations, and Harms directly influence the generating and restricting relationships and outcomes between the positions of the heavenly stems.
Generally, there are several situations for heavenly stems’ mutual restriction:
1. Greed for Generation Forgets Restriction
For a Five Element that is closely restricted, if an element that drains it also appears simultaneously, the principle of mutual generation should take precedence, The principle of mutual generation taking precedence is followed.
If, for a dominant restraining element, an element that drains it appears, and its strength is greater than or equal to the dominant restraining element, then after the dominant restraining element has exhausted all its strength, it can no longer restrain the next element.
In the month pillar, Bing Fire Seven Killings sits on its own “Chang Sheng” position, closely restraining the Geng Metal day master. In the year pillar, Ji Earth emerges, closely draining the Bing Fire. After the Bing Fire’s entire strength is transformed by the Ji Earth, it does not restrain the Geng Metal day master.
II. When the Restrainer is Restrained, It Does Not Restrain
This refers to a situation where an element that restrains the dominant restraining element appears, and its strength is greater than or equal to the dominant restraining element. The dominant restraining element’s strength is then constrained, preventing it from exercising its power to restrain.
In the month pillar, Wu Earth Seven Killings sits on its own “Chang Sheng” position, rooted in the year branch, closely restraining the Ren Water day master. In the year pillar, Yi Wood Hurting Officer emerges, rooted in the month branch, closely restraining the Wu Earth. The Wu Earth is restrained and does not restrain the Ren Water.
The Geng Metal in the month pillar, with the day branch as its strong root, closely restrains the Jia Wood day master. In the earthly branches, three Yin clash with one Shen, clashing away the Shen Metal. The Bing Fire in the year pillar closely restrains the Geng Metal. The Geng Metal is excessively restrained and does not restrain the Jia Wood (it can also be understood that Geng Metal is counter-restrained, becoming a case of wood being too abundant and metal lacking)。
III. When the Restrainer Gains Support, Its Restraining Power Increases
This refers to the emergence of elements that generate the dominant-controlling element, with their strength being equal to or less than the dominant-controlling element.
The day master Wutu sits on a “long life” position, has roots in the annual branch and hourly branch, closely controls the monthly Gui water, and the hourly Ding fire further generates the day master Wutu, increasing Wutu’s power to control Gui water.
The monthly Ren water controls the day master Ding fire, and the annual Geng metal wealth star is close to Ren water, increasing Ren water’s power to control Ding fire.
Four, Intervening and Distant Heavenly Stems Controlling Each Other
The Heavenly Stems represent external forms, but they must express the intrinsic and substantial meaning of the Earthly Branches.
1. Through the rooting of Earthly Branches, intervening or distant Heavenly Stems controlling each other can also be regarded as closely controlling each other.
The hourly Jia wood controls the day master Ji earth, because both the day master Ji earth and the annual Ji earth are rooted in the hourly branch, and the rooting of Earthly Branches does not distinguish between near and far. Therefore, while the hourly Jia wood controls the day master Ji earth, it also controls the annual Ji earth.
2. Through the power conversion of punishment, clash, combination, and harm between Earthly Branches, intervening or distant Heavenly Stems controlling each other can be regarded as closely controlling each other.
Through Earthly Branches Si and Shen combine to form water Successfully, Water overcoming Fire also appeared in the Heavenly Stems, because Heavenly Stems reflect the intrinsic essence of Earthly Branches, and Earthly Branches also simultaneously influence the power of Heavenly Stems. Thus, the Ren Water of the hour stem against the Ding Fire of the month stem is also considered “tightly attached”.
The Seven Killings on the month and Gui Water on the hour are separated stems clashing. Through the influence of the Yi-Hai clash of the Earthly Branches, the separated stem clash of the Heavenly Stems can be seen as a tightly attached clash.
Yihun’s Four Pillars, Chapter 2, Section 4: Heavenly Stems Combinations