"We are 78% compatible" — this is how compatibility in BaZi is expressed. No. It is considered that within the system there is not a single number; rather, there are several layers of interaction between two charts, and a pair may be brilliant on one layer while tense on another. This guide is a step-by-step methodology: exactly what masters compare, in what order, and how to interpret the result.
1 Step 1. Day Masters: The Chemistry of Two "Yous"
The first layer concerns the relationship between your Day Masters (日主 rì zhǔ — "Day Master"): the elements that represent your partners. Wood and Fire indicate nourishment (one ignites the other), Metal and Wood signify control (one cuts the other), while two Earths suggest either rivalry or brotherhood. A special case is the combination of Heavenly Stems (天干合 tiān gān hé — "combination of Heavenly Stems"): pairs such as 甲己 (jiǎ jǐ) or 丁壬 (dīng rén) literally "fuse together" — a strong attraction that, however, says nothing yet about the quality of the shared life.
2 Step 2. Day Branches: Spouses' Palaces
The Earthly Branch of the Day Pillar is the Spouse Palace (夫妻宫 fū qī gōng — "palace of husband and wife"), where the chart "stores" the partner. Observe how the two branches interact:
| Interaction | Signs | What does it mean for a couple? |
|---|---|---|
| Six Harmonies Combination (六合 hé liù) (Lü He) | 子丑, 寅亥, 卯戌, 辰酉, 巳申, 午未 | Best sign: the palaces embrace, and partners naturally complement each other's daily life. |
| Triple Harmony (San He — Sān Hé) (San He — Triple Combination) | 申子辰, 寅午戌, 巳酉丑, 亥卯未 | Ally by Element: Shared Goals, Team Play |
| Clash (冲) (Chun) | 子午, 丑未, 寅申, 卯酉, 辰戌, 巳亥 | Classic "Magnet-and-Sparks": passion with conflicts; demands maturity, not escape. |
| Punishment (xíng) (Blue) | 寅巳申, 丑戌未, 子卯… | Chronic friction over trifles; cured by dividing zones of responsibility. |
| Harm ( hài ) (hai) | 子未, 丑午, 寅巳… | A slow erosion of trust; the couple needs honest conversations, not guesses. |
Important: A clash of palaces is not a death sentence; it is a diagnosis of the relationship style. Such couples live brightly and argue loudly, and they are helped by a buffer—separate work schedules, their own territories, a third element as a mediator in the interior and habits.
3 Step 3. Elemental Balance: How You Heal Each Other
The most underrated layer. Every BaZi chart has a Useful God (yòng shén — "Useful God"), the element lacking in the chart to achieve balance. The strongest unions are those where the partner... is your required element: for a weak Fire, shivering in a winter chart, a "water" partner will extinguish the last embers, while a "wood" one will add fuel. The check is simple: compare the Useful God (yòng shén) of both with each other's Day Masters.
4 Step 4. Relationship Stars
Above the Four Pillars structure, one examines the stars: Peach Blossom (táo huā — "peach blossom") represents charm and the risk of flirtation; when positioned in her sector, it signifies the marriage star. The Lonely Star (gū chén guǎ sù) indicates a need for personal space. If both partners have a strong Peach Blossom, they must agree on boundaries; if one has the "Lonely Star," the other should not interpret this as coldness.
5 Step 5. Period Synchronization
The final layer is time. Compare the Luck Pillars (大運 dà yùn — "Pillars of Fortune") of both partners and examine the upcoming ten years: if one is in an ascending phase while the other is in a dormant period, the couple will face asymmetry (one pulling forward while the other recovers), so it is better to know this in advance. In practice, the most stable marriages are not those with "perfect charts," but rather pairs with compatible charts Strong and weak years.
6 How to compile the conclusion
1. Day Masters: Nourishment, Control, and Combination — the basic chemistry.
2. Spouse Palaces: Combination (hé) is positive; Clash (chōng), Punishment (xíng), or Harm (hài) indicate work zones.
3. Useful God (yòng shén): Does each partner give the other their element—the "healing" quality of the union.
4. Stars: Temperaments and Boundaries.
5. Periods: Are the upcoming ten years synchronized?
The result is not a percentage, but a map of the union: where the couple has support and where it is fragile. With such knowledge, a "difficult" compatibility often lasts longer than an "ideal" one—because it knows its weak points.
Check your relationship across all five layers.
Complete compatibility analysis: Day Masters, Spouse Palaces, Useful Gods of both partners, Relationship Stars, and Period Synchronization — with practical recommendations.
Calculate CompatibilityAdjacent analyses: Marriage in BaZi, When to expect a partner?, Why are the "wrong" ones chosen?.