六沖 (Branch Clashes, Liù Chōng) — “Six Clashes”. Six pairs of opposing branches that destabilise each other when present together in a chart. The classical 沖 register indicates volatility, conflict, and forced movement.
BaZi 六沖: classical interaction patterns
Branch clashes (沖) describe pairs of earthly branches at opposite positions in the 12-branch cycle, separated by 180°. When two clashing branches appear together in a chart's four pillars, the configuration produces a register of instability, conflict, and forced change — the two branches cannot peacefully coexist; one or both must yield. Classical doctrine reads clashes as time-coded events: a clash between the year and day pillar may indicate friction with the family of origin; a clash between the day and hour pillar may indicate friction in late life or with offspring.
The branch clashes register is one of five classical interaction patterns (沖合刑害) that BaZi practitioners look for when reading a chart. The other four are clashes (沖), trines (三合), hexes (六合), penalties (三刑), and harms (六害). A complete chart reading identifies all activated configurations across the four pillars and reads them in the context of the Day Master, the Useful God, and the luck-pillar transitions.
Frequently asked questions
What are BaZi branch clashes?
Six pairs of opposing branches that destabilise each other when present together in a chart. The classical 沖 register indicates volatility, conflict, and forced movement. The classical 六沖 register is one of the five branch-interaction patterns BaZi practitioners look for when reading a chart's four pillars (year, month, day, hour).
How many branch clashes are there?
6 classical branch clashes are recognised in the standard BaZi doctrine. Each is listed above with its branch combination, classical register, and link to the dedicated reference page.
Are branch clashes always bad?
No. The default register is volatility, but the actual impact on a chart depends on which elements are involved, where in the chart they appear, what the Day Master needs, and which luck pillar is currently operating. Chart-aware reading is the only way to know whether a specific configuration helps or harms a specific chart.
BAZI 1:1 CONSULTATION
Get a chart-aware BaZi reading for your specific question.
Master Sean Chan’s BaZi consultation reads your full four-pillar chart against your specific question — including which branch clashes, trines, hexes, penalties, and harms are activating in your chart, and what they mean for the issue you’re working through.
Master Sean Chan’s free BaZi Calculator plots your full four-pillar chart from your birth date and time. Use it to see which branches are present in your chart and identify the interactions that may be activating.
Master Sean Chan’s BaZi Bootcamp covers the full doctrine of branch interactions — clashes, trines, hexes, penalties, harms — and how they activate in luck-pillar transitions. Teaches the methodology these reference pages deliberately omit.