Six Clashes (Liu Chong) 六冲
Liù Chōng · Branches six positions apart: opposite hours, months and directions.
What it means
Liu Chong pairs each branch with the one directly opposite it in the twelve-position cycle: Zi with Wu, Chou with Wei, Yin with Shen, Mao with You, Chen with Xu, Si with Hai. Because the branches also map onto hours, months and compass sectors, a clash is literal — midnight against noon, the eleventh month against the fifth, North against South.
Why it matters
Clash is the strongest negative entry in the tables and the one most often mistranslated as "enemy". The classical reading is movement and incompatible timing rather than hostility: clash years are associated with travel, relocation and changes of job, and clash pairs with relationships that are stimulating and unstable rather than doomed. A clash between two storehouse branches is sometimes read as opening both.
| Pair | Animals | Elements |
|---|---|---|
| 子午 | Rat and Horse | Water vs Fire |
| 丑未 | Ox and Goat | Earth vs Earth |
| 寅申 | Tiger and Monkey | Wood vs Metal |
| 卯酉 | Rabbit and Rooster | Wood vs Metal |
| 辰戌 | Dragon and Dog | Earth vs Earth |
| 巳亥 | Snake and Pig | Fire vs Water |
Where this site uses it
Clashes drive the Sui Po exclusions on the auspicious date pages, the caution months in every yearly forecast, and the lowest scores in the compatibility tables.