PATRICK SIA · QIMEN LEARNING SERIES · CHAIBU METHOD
庚 Geng: One Heaven Stem, Nine Earth-Stem Combinations
A practical guide to reading 庚 above another stem in a Qi Men Dun Jia chart—what the traditional pattern suggests, and how it may show up in everyday decisions.
庚 Geng is Yang Metal. Yang Metal often brings pressure, confrontation or a decisive edge. The pairings below show when that force can resolve a matter and when stepping back is wiser. This guide translates nine 庚 Heaven-Stem pairings into plain-language possibilities for business, career, relationships and learning.
The nine 庚 Geng combinations at a glance
Select a combination to jump to its practical interpretation.
Retreat wins 庚 + 丙
Guest advantage 庚 + 丁
Dispute · mitigation 庚 + 戊
Major caution 庚 + 己
Formal complaint risk 庚 + 庚
Open conflict 庚 + 辛
Travel · money 庚 + 壬
Maze · lost contact 庚 + 癸
Return · resolution
Practical interpretation of each pairing
庚 + 乙 — step back before pressing
The guide’s core cue is Advance loses; retreat wins. This is a starting tendency, not a verdict; check the Door, Star, Deity and palace condition. Business: Do not push deal; retreat/reposition. Career: Step back from conflict. Relationships: Give space; avoid forcing. Study: Review quietly; do not compete head-on.
Practical question: Where would repositioning serve me better than forcing?
庚 + 丙 — know who has the upper hand
The guide’s core cue is Guest advantage; Host disadvantage. This is a starting tendency, not a verdict; check the Door, Star, Deity and palace condition. Business: Competitor/client has upper hand. Career: External party wins; internal team loses. Relationships: Other party dominates. Study: Opponent/competitor stronger.
Practical question: Am I the host or guest in this question, and who benefits?
庚 + 丁 — a good Door may soften a dispute
The guide’s core cue is Lawsuit; good door can save; bad door worsens. This is a starting tendency, not a verdict; check the Door, Star, Deity and palace condition. Business: Legal/compliance risk; good door mitigates. Career: Disciplinary issue; strong support can save. Relationships: Private issue becomes dispute. Study: Rules issue; good support helps.
Practical question: What supportive conditions and practical advice could contain this?
庚 + 戊 — 太白天乙伏宫: reduce exposure
The guide’s core cue is 太白天乙伏宫: Strongly unfavourable for major plans or action; full-chart factors may mitigate. This is a starting tendency, not a verdict; check the Door, Star, Deity and palace condition. Business: Avoid a new deal or major commitment; reduce exposure and seek alternatives. Career: Poor timing for a career move; preserve options and wait for clearer support. Relationships: Repair is difficult now; pause conflict and reassess rather than declare it hopeless. Study: Delay a major decision if possible and strengthen preparation.
Practical question: Which commitment can wait while I protect resources?
庚 + 己 — follow rules and lower escalation
The guide’s core cue is formal complaint and restriction risk. This is a starting tendency, not a verdict; check the Door, Star, Deity and palace condition. Business: Legal/contract risk high. Career: Disciplinary/legal trouble. Relationships: Blame and conflict; avoid escalation. Study: Rule breach risk; comply strictly.
Practical question: What procedure or agreement must I check before acting?
庚 + 庚 — 太白同宫 / 战格: de-escalate
The guide’s core cue is 太白同宫 / 战格: Open conflict, rivalry, accidents or disruption. This is a starting tendency, not a verdict; check the Door, Star, Deity and palace condition. Business: Strong competition and conflict; protect assets and avoid escalation. Career: Open rivalry or a harsh environment; document facts and de-escalate. Relationships: Direct confrontation and stubbornness; use a neutral mediator. Study: High-pressure competition; focus on preparation, not conflict.
Practical question: How can I document facts and avoid a damaging confrontation?
庚 + 辛 — avoid an avoidable trip or loss
The guide’s core cue is Not suitable for travelling; worse money losses. This is a starting tendency, not a verdict; check the Door, Star, Deity and palace condition. Business: Avoid travel-based deals; money loss. Career: Business trip or move unfavourable. Relationships: Distance creates problems. Study: Do not travel for exam unless necessary.
Practical question: Is travel essential, and how can I limit financial risk?
庚 + 壬 — restore the missing communication
The guide’s core cue is Many blockages; lost contact; lost in maze. This is a starting tendency, not a verdict; check the Door, Star, Deity and palace condition. Business: Communication breakdown; process maze. Career: Stuck in bureaucracy; lost contact. Relationships: No clarity; silent treatment. Study: Lost direction; need guidance.
Practical question: Which contact, instruction or process has gone missing?
庚 + 癸 — 大格: a stalled matter may conclude
The guide’s core cue is possible return or resolution; childbirth symbolism needs medical care. This is a starting tendency, not a verdict; check the Door, Star, Deity and palace condition. Business: Awaited people or decisions may arrive; disputes may conclude. Confirm with the full chart. Career: A stalled matter may reach resolution; do not read it as automatic legal blockage. Relationships: A person may return or contact may resume; a conflict may stop. Study: A delayed result/person may arrive and an appeal may conclude; avoid rushing.
Practical question: What evidence would confirm the return or resolution?
A simple reading example
Suppose you are weighing a decision and the relevant palace shows Heaven 庚 above Earth 乙. The first cue is retreat wins. Ask: Where would repositioning serve me better than forcing? Then inspect the Door, Star, Deity, palace strength, emptiness and the relationship of the asker to the matter. The pair alone cannot decide the outcome.
The principle to remember
Read the pairing, then read the chart. 庚 Geng describes the Heaven Stem, while the Earth Stem below it changes the expression. Traditional labels are pattern cues; business, career, relationship and academic examples are teaching applications, not guaranteed events.
For a foundation in the individual stems, explore Meaning of the Stems. To practise chart reading with structured guidance, see Qimen Training.
Learning note: This post adapts Patrick Sia's Stem + Stem 格局: Chaibu Practical Guide. Classical 十干克应 labels and practical life-aspect interpretations are kept distinct. Always weigh Door, Star, Deity, palace condition, Fuyin/Fanyin, emptiness, other relevant patterns and the question. Health, legal and danger symbols are cautions, not diagnoses or certain outcomes; obtain qualified advice for real concerns. Qi Men is educational guidance, not medical, legal or financial advice.