Seven Killings

What Seven Killings means, and why it is “seventh”

Seven Killings represents forceful restraint. Traditional discussions of authority connect it with command, enforcement and military orders. In a modern analogy, unavoidable external demands or compulsory requirements can help explain this controlling relationship.1

“Seven” comes from the stem sequence. Counting Jia as one, the order Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng reaches Geng at seven. Geng Metal also controls Jia Wood. Starting from any other stem and counting cyclically to seven likewise reaches the same-polarity stem that controls it.1, 2

Sha is written with two related characters in traditional texts, emphasizing the controlling force. The name does not mean there are seven separate killings in a chart, nor does it diagnose violent behavior. Traditional combination analysis asks whether that force is appropriately restrained or channeled.

How to find Seven Killings

Geng controls Jia through Metal controlling Wood, and both are yang: Geng is Seven Killings. For a yin-Wood Yi Day Master, Geng becomes Direct Officer; Yi's Seven Killings is yin-Metal Xin.

The stems contained in a branch are called hidden stems and are compared with the Day Master individually. Shen contains Geng, Ren and Wu. For Jia, same-polarity Geng Metal controls it and is Seven Killings; Ren Water generates it and is Indirect Resource; Wu Earth is controlled by it and is Indirect Wealth. One Shen can thus contain three Ten God relationships.

Seven Killings’ strength and the restraint the Day Master needs

The degree of restraint depends on Seven Killings’ own strength. Autumn supports Geng Metal; Geng hidden in Shen provides a foothold, called a root. Earth generates Metal, while Fire controls it. Jia Wood’s strength must be assessed separately.

Weak Jia facing strong Geng may need less control or more nourishment. Strong Jia with slight Geng may instead need Metal’s restraint: Earth generating Metal can strengthen it, while more Fire may restrain it excessively. San Ming Tong Hui distinguishes these opposing conditions in its Indirect Officer discussion.1

When Jia needs relief from Metal, Fire and Water can participate in two different paths. Fire controls Metal directly; Metal can also generate Water, which generates Wood. Eating God restraining Killings and Killings–Resource generation name these two paths.

Eating God directly restraining Seven Killings

Jia Wood generates Bing Fire, which shares its yang polarity and is Eating God. Geng Metal controls Jia with shared polarity and is Seven Killings. Bing can control Geng: the Fire generated by the Day Master restrains the Metal controlling it. This is Eating God restraining Seven Killings:

Bing Fire (Eating God) → controls Geng Metal (Seven Killings) → which otherwise controls Jia Wood (Day Master)

When Geng is strong and Jia needs less pressure, Bing can restrain Geng. But Jia also supplies Bing, so producing Fire consumes some of Wood's energy. The assessment therefore includes whether the Day Master can sustain this output and whether Eating God is strong enough to act.1, 2

If Seven Killings is slight and a strong Jia needs its restraint, further heavy control by Bing can go too far. San Ming Tong Hui distinguishes strong Killings needing control from weak Killings suffering excessive control. “Restrained” is not enough without assessing the degree.1

Resource channeling Seven Killings toward the Day Master

The other path uses Water. Ren Water generates Jia Wood with shared polarity, making it Indirect Resource. Geng Metal can generate Ren. Metal that controls Jia can therefore also participate in successive Metal–Water–Wood generation, providing another source of support:

Geng Metal (Seven Killings) → Ren Water (Indirect Resource) → Jia Wood (Day Master)

This is the Killings–Resource generating sequence. It uses Metal generating Water and Water generating Wood, unlike Fire directly controlling Metal. It serves a purpose when the Day Master needs support and Resource is able to supply it.1, 2

If Ren is weak and controlled by Wu Earth Wealth, it may be unable to receive and channel Geng's energy. Wu also generates Geng, strengthening Killings. Wealth then both controls Resource and generates Killings; the presence of Resource alone does not show the problem has been resolved.

Is Indirect Officer exactly the same name?

In a Ten Gods lookup, Indirect Officer is normally another name for Seven Killings: same-polarity control of the Day Master. San Ming Tong Hui also uses a contextual distinction, calling it Indirect Officer when restrained and Seven Killings when unrestrained. That evaluates a combination without changing the basic Jia–Geng relationship.1

When reading a text, distinguish a list of names from a discussion of restraint and channeling. The definite difference from Direct Officer is shared versus opposite polarity, rather than “bad” versus “good” people.

FAQ

Does having Seven Killings establish a Seven Killings pattern?

No. A Seven Killings pattern organizes analysis of the whole chart, generally beginning with the birth month’s branch. For Jia born in Shen month, Shen’s principal hidden Geng Seven Killings can provide the starting point, followed by the other interactions. Geng in the year or hour stem initially establishes only Seven Killings at that position.

Must both Eating God and Resource be present?

No. Eating God controlling Killings and Killings generating Resource are different paths, not a checklist that must be completed. Resource can also control Eating God. If both appear, examine which path is being used and whether the other interferes.

References

• Wan Min Ying, San Ming Tong Hui, Siku Quanshu edition, vol. 5: Indirect Officer; Eating God.
• Wei Qian Li, Qian Li Ming Gao: Six Gods.