The Target Relationship Map: Yong, Yuan, Ji, and Chou
Last updated 10/7/2026
After choosing the target, derive the three role families around it. This is a Five-Phase relationship map, not another set of Six Spirits.
| Working label | Source term | Mechanical definition |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Yong Shen (用神) | The element carried by the selected line |
| Support | Yuan Shen (元神) | The element that generates the target |
| Obstacle | Ji Shen (忌神) | The element that controls the target |
| Support-blocker | Chou Shen (仇神) | The element that controls support and generates the obstacle |
“Support” and “obstacle” describe relationships to the selected target. They are not moral labels.
Derive the map
Start with the target element and use the Five-Phase cycles.
| Target | Support generates target | Obstacle controls target | Support-blocker controls support and generates obstacle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Water | Metal | Earth |
| Fire | Wood | Water | Metal |
| Earth | Fire | Wood | Water |
| Metal | Earth | Fire | Wood |
| Water | Metal | Earth | Fire |
You can recompute each row. For a Wood target, Water generates Wood. Metal controls Wood. Earth controls Water and generates Metal. Therefore Water is support, Metal is obstacle, and Earth is the support-blocker.
Apply it to Case 00035
Example type: documented chart mechanics; no outcome judgment.
The selected target is Child / Yin Wood at line 2. The relationship map is therefore:
- target element: Wood;
- support family: Water;
- obstacle family: Metal;
- support-blocker family: Earth.
This lesson does not yet decide whether a particular Water, Metal, or Earth line can act. Visibility, movement, calendar state, and transformed behavior are later checks. Here the artifact is only the derived map.
Keep line roles separate from Six Relative names
The target’s Six Relative name remains Child. “Support” is not a sixth relative. It is a temporary relationship assigned after the target has been chosen.
If the target changes, the entire support map must be recomputed. Do not carry support and obstacle labels from one question into another chart task.
Trap and stopping condition
Do not scan the chart for a dramatic “enemy” and call it Ji Shen. The obstacle is derived from the target element, not from tone or symbolism.
Stop if the target itself is not settled. A support map built around two unresolved target candidates creates false precision; return to selection first.
Claim sources: Zengshan Buyi, “Yong Shen, Yuan Shen, Ji Shen, Chou Shen,” checked composite printed pp. 21–22/PDF pp. 22–23; Bushi Zhengzong, chapter 27, “Yuan, Ji, and Chou Shen.” The English labels “target,” “support,” “obstacle,” and “support-blocker” are UAYA working terms; the derivation follows the cited generation/control definitions.
Next, choose the correct route into the chart: selection methods.