三合 (Branch Trines, Sān Hé) — “Three Harmonies”. Four sets of three branches each that combine into a unified element. The classical 三合 register indicates strong cooperation, mutual amplification, and structural strength.
BaZi 三合: classical interaction patterns
Branch trines (三合) describe sets of three earthly branches that, when present together in a chart's four pillars, combine into a single dominant element. The configuration produces a register of structural strength, cooperative momentum, and amplified expression of the trine's element. Classical doctrine treats trines as one of the most-watched favourable patterns: a chart with a complete trine carries the trine's element as a dominant force regardless of the Day Master's element, often generating windfall opportunities or sustained cooperative success in the trine's domain.
The branch trines 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 trines?
Four sets of three branches each that combine into a unified element. The classical 三合 register indicates strong cooperation, mutual amplification, and structural strength. The classical 三合 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 trines are there?
4 classical branch trines 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 trines always good?
No. The default register is cooperative amplification, 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.