The Meaning of Void Branches in BaZi
Void Branches is a BaZi auxiliary concept associated with emptiness, delay, incompleteness, and outcomes that may be difficult to fully realize. Learn its Four Pillars meaning and how it is identified through the ten-day cycle of the Day Pillar.
Void Branches is a distinctive auxiliary concept in BaZi. The term evokes emptiness, absence, and outcomes that fail to fully materialize. In traditional BaZi theory, it represents a state of “emptiness,” indicating absence, delay, or incompleteness in a particular area.
Void Branches is an auxiliary marker within a BaZi chart. Its presence suggests a tendency toward a vacant or unrealized position. This may appear as plans being delayed, expectations not being fulfilled, or results falling short of what was anticipated.
This symbolism is not automatically inauspicious. It is better understood as a state in which Qi is not fully substantial.
What Are Void Branches?
Chinese Name: 空亡
Pinyin: Kōng Wáng
English Name: Void Branches
Core Meaning: Emptiness, vacant position, non-fulfillment, delay
The concept comes from the Ten-Day Cycle system within the sixty Jiazi combinations. Each ten-day cycle contains ten Heavenly Stems but twelve Earthly Branches, leaving two branches unused. These two are regarded as the Void Branches of that cycle.
Traditional theory describes such branches as positions where Qi does not fully arrive or where the position lacks substance.
The Yuanhai Ziping records the six cycle groups and their corresponding Void Branches.
In BaZi interpretation, Void Branches represents an area where something may be delayed, weakened, unrealized, or difficult to make concrete.
What Do Void Branches Represent?
- Plans falling through: Matters related to the voided area may change unexpectedly or fail to produce the expected result.
- Delay and waiting: Progress may be slower, requiring more time before results become visible.
- Relationships becoming insubstantial: Relationships associated with a voided pillar may feel distant or lack practical support.
- An open space for renewal: Void can also represent clearing, transition, or an empty position that later allows something new to enter.
Void Branches in the Four Pillars
| Pillar | Possible Emphasis |
|---|---|
| Year Pillar | Early family support or ancestral connections may feel limited, distant, or unstable. |
| Month Pillar | During upbringing or youth, plans may be delayed, or relationships with parents and peers may feel less substantial. |
| Day Pillar | When the Day Branch is void, it may relate to marriage, partnership, or uncertainty in self-positioning. |
| Hour Pillar | It may relate to plans in later life, children, or expectations that do not develop as anticipated. |
The pillar position indicates where the tendency toward delay or insubstantiality may appear. It does not guarantee failure.
How to Identify Void Branches in a BaZi Chart
In the Tao & Form BaZi Calculator, Void Branches is identified by determining the ten-day cycle of the Day Pillar, then checking whether any of the Four Pillars contain the two corresponding Void Branches.
| Day Pillar Cycle | Void Branches |
|---|---|
| Jia Zi cycle（甲子旬） | Xu Dog（戌）, Hai Pig（亥） |
| Jia Xu cycle（甲戌旬） | Shen Monkey（申）, You Rooster（酉） |
| Jia Shen cycle（甲申旬） | Wu Horse（午）, Wei Goat（未） |
| Jia Wu cycle（甲午旬） | Chen Dragon（辰）, Si Snake（巳） |
| Jia Chen cycle（甲辰旬） | Yin Tiger（寅）, Mao Rabbit（卯） |
| Jia Yin cycle（甲寅旬） | Zi Rat（子）, Chou Ox（丑） |
If any Earthly Branch in the Four Pillars matches the two Void Branches of the Day Pillar’s cycle, the chart is marked as containing Void Branches.
Main References
- Yuanhai Ziping, Volume 1, discussion of Void Branches.
- Sanming Tonghui, Volume 3, discussion of Void Branches.
- Wuxing Jingji, Volume 15.
