Short answer
Find your pair
Find your element, then the other person's. Each line says what their element is to you, in one picture. Tap a line to read the full guide for that pair.
If you're Wood
- WoodMirrorTwo Wood trees, one sky. You grow side by side.
- FireYou feedYour Wood is the log. Fire is the bonfire.
- EarthYou tameYour Wood roots break up Earth so new things grow.
- MetalTames youMetal trims your Wood, and you grow back stronger.
- WaterFeeds youWater keeps your Wood growing, even in a dry spell.
If you're Fire
If you're Earth
- WoodTames youWood roots through your Earth and shakes up your routine.
- FireFeeds youFire warms your Earth and makes it rich.
- EarthMirrorTwo Earth mountains. Nobody is moving, and that is fine.
- MetalYou feedYour Earth feeds Metal, like gold growing deep in the ground.
- WaterYou tameYour Earth gives Water banks, so it goes somewhere.
If you're Metal
- WoodYou tameLike an axe, your Metal cuts back Wood's wild growth.
- FireTames youFire melts your Metal and reshapes your edges.
- EarthFeeds youEarth feeds your Metal, like gold growing deep in the ground.
- MetalMirrorTwo Metal blades. High standards, zero small talk.
- WaterYou feedYour Metal gives Water a clean, clear source.
If you're Water
- WoodYou feedYour Water keeps Wood green and growing.
- FireYou tameYour Water cools Fire before it burns the house down.
- EarthTames youEarth gives your Water banks, so you finally go somewhere.
- MetalFeeds youMetal feeds your Water, like dew gathering on cool metal.
- WaterMirrorTwo Waters run deep, and overthink together.
Pairs that feed
Each element feeds the next one around a circle: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and back to Wood. These pairs tend to feel easy and warm. One side gives what the other needs to grow.
- Wood and FireWood feeds Fire, like dry logs keeping a fire alive.
- Fire and EarthFire feeds Earth, as it burns down to ash, and ash becomes soil.
- Earth and MetalEarth feeds Metal, like gold and iron growing deep in the ground.
- Metal and WaterMetal feeds Water, like dew gathering on cool metal.
- Water and WoodWater feeds Wood, like rain waking up a garden.
Pairs that tame
Each element also tames another one: Wood breaks up Earth, Earth gives Water banks, Water cools Fire, Fire softens Metal, Metal cuts back Wood. These pairs rub. That friction pushes both people past their habits.
- Wood and EarthWood tames Earth, like roots breaking up hard ground.
- Earth and WaterEarth tames Water, like a riverbank keeping a river on its path.
- Water and FireWater tames Fire, like rain putting out a campfire.
- Fire and MetalFire tames Metal, like a blacksmith's forge softening steel.
- Metal and WoodMetal tames Wood, like an axe.
For the curious: the proper names
- Productive cycle 相生
- The classical name for the feeding circle.
- Controlling cycle 相剋
- The classical name for the taming circle.
- Day Master 日主
- Your core element: the top character of your birth day.
No bad combinations
There are no bad combinations, only dynamics you understand and dynamics you don't.
Element pairs are the broad strokes. Two real people bring two full charts, each with 8 characters and its own mix, so the same pair can play out very differently. Use these guides as words for what you feel, and compare with a friend free when you want the real reading.