A common misunderstanding says that if someone’s birth animal clashes with yours — say a Rabbit vs. Rooster — that person must be an enemy or a source of lifelong bad luck. That’s not how it works. A clash is simply an opposition between two Earthly Branches, not a personal sentence. Personality differences can exist, but they don’t automatically make two people incompatible.
Clashes do bring disruption. They force movement, break stagnation, and create change — and people naturally find that uncomfortable. The clash period can be painful or unsettling, yet it may also trigger necessary growth. For someone stuck in an unhappy marriage, a clash that leads to separation might be wrenching in the short term but ultimately liberating. Likewise, a clash that hits the branch representing a harmful habit could jolt a person out of a destructive cycle, allowing positive transformation.
That said, clashes aren’t always helpful. When a clash strikes a chart’s wealth element, it can indicate financial loss. If it targets one’s resource element, it might point to health problems, loss of possessions, or emotional hardship. In short: clashes are disruptive forces that can bring either difficult lessons and long‑term benefits or plain trouble, depending on which parts of the chart they affect and how the person responds.
The liu he clashes, or 6 clash, are:
- Zi + Wu (Rat + Horse)
- Chou + Wei (Ox + Goat)
- Yin + Shen (Tiger + Monkey)
- Mao + You (Rabbit + Rooster)
- Chen + Xu (Dragon + Dog)
- Si + Hai (Snake + Pig)
Zi + Wu
A Rat–Horse clash brings disruption and restless energy. In a natal chart it points to a life marked by instability—frequent changes, ups and downs, and shaky footing in work, home or relationships. If the clash appears during a Luck Pillar (for example, a Horse‑born person encountering a Rat luck cycle in later years), expect a decade of heightened movement, shifting circumstances or possible health concerns while that clash remains active.
Chou + Wei
An Ox–Goat clash usually brings blockages and setbacks. Projects stall or fail to come together cleanly, and even when something seems to work out, a related complication often appears. Because this clash centers on Earth energy, it can also cloud the mind—creating confusion, uncertainty, and difficulty knowing what one truly wants.
Yin + Shen
A Tiger–Monkey clash mainly disturbs the emotional side of life. It often shows up as unfulfilled desire—wanting someone or something that never quite materializes, or caring for a person whose feelings aren’t returned. Emotional frustration, missed chances, and inner restlessness are common themes.
Physically, this clash can also point to accident‑type mishaps, especially affecting the legs or limbs. Care in travel and physical activity is wise during periods when this opposition is active.
Mao + You
A Rabbit–Rooster clash often shows up as broken trust and hidden hostility. During such periods, confidants may turn cold or act deceptively, and the person experiencing the clash might also be tempted or forced into betrayal by difficult circumstances. On a physical level, this opposition is linked to problems in the reproductive system—issues affecting the genital area or illnesses such as cervical or prostate conditions.
Chen + Xu
This opposition often shows up as physical blows to the body—typically affecting the chest or back, and sometimes the ankles and feet. It also signals relocation: moving home, changing properties, or even emigrating. If the clash appears early in life, it can mean childhood moves or injuries to the torso or lower limbs.
Si + Hai
A Snake–Pig clash is relatively mild compared with other oppositions. It typically shows up as irritation born from meddling—getting involved in matters that aren’t yours, sticking your nose into other people’s business, or offering unsolicited help. The result is annoyance and disruption: friction caused more by busybody behavior than by deeper, structural problems.
How bad is a clash?
A clash is not always bad. But assuming that it’s bad, to judge how serious a Clash is in a BaZi chart, follow a few clear steps.
1) Decode the Clash itself
- Identify the nature of the clash (emotional, physical, financial, etc.).
- Note which element is being affected. If a supportive or crucial element is being attacked, the clash is likely to be severe.
- Consider what life area that element governs in the chart: a clash to a favourable element brings disruption; a clash to an unfavourable one may relieve pressure or trigger necessary change.
2) Check the Palace (branch) involved
- Clashes that strike different branches have different weight. A clash hitting the Year Branch behaves differently from one in the Month, Day or Hour.
- Generally, clashes to the Month and Day Palaces tend to be more personally significant than those in the Year or Hour, but you must read each case in the context of the whole chart.
Combine both layers: the type and element involved plus the branch affected. Only by evaluating both can you gauge whether a clash will be a passing stir, a useful catalyst for growth, or a serious disruption that requires preparation and mitigation.
3) A third factor is timing: does the clash sit inside the natal chart (an internal clash), or does it only appear when certain Annual or Luck Pillars arrive (an external clash)?
- External clashes show up at specific times and usually bring sharp, obvious disruption — sudden shifts to health, relationships, career or living situation. The upside: because they’re tied to predictable cycles, you can often see them coming and take practical or psychological steps to prepare and respond.
- Internal clashes are built into the birth chart itself. These tend to produce more ongoing, inward conflicts — recurring doubts, internal debates or gradual pressure from circumstances already present in the person’s life. They’re less likely to be dramatic single events and more likely to shape a pattern of tension that must be managed over time.
4) Finally, ask the practical question: what part of the chart is the clash actually hitting? Identify which of the 5 elements. Then determine what aspects of life does it involve.
Framing the clash in terms of the element in relation to the self-element gives you the working context to decode its real-world impact — whether it targets earnings, support networks, authority, creativity, or personal reserves.
Once you know which factor is affected, you can map that back onto the person’s life: career, health, relationships, finances, motivation, and so on. That makes it possible to judge whether the clash will be a minor jolt or a major disruption, and to prioritize practical responses and preparations accordingly.