Void(空亡)
Void (Gongmang, 空亡) refers to the two earthly branches left without a partner in each ten-pair group (Sun, 旬) when the ten heavenly stems are paired with the twelve earthly branches.
The Void for the group containing your day pillar is called day-based Void; the one for your year pillar is year-based Void. When those branches appear in other pillars, their positions are traditionally read as harder to grasp or fully realize.
How it is set
| Ten-pair cycle | The ten stem-branch pairs in that cycle | Void |
|---|---|---|
| Gap-ja (甲子) cycle | 甲子 乙丑 丙寅 丁卯 戊辰 己巳 庚午 辛未 壬申 癸酉 | Sul (戌) · Hae (亥) |
| Gap-sul (甲戌) cycle | 甲戌 乙亥 丙子 丁丑 戊寅 己卯 庚辰 辛巳 壬午 癸未 | Sin (申) · Yu (酉) |
| Gap-sin (甲申) cycle | 甲申 乙酉 丙戌 丁亥 戊子 己丑 庚寅 辛卯 壬辰 癸巳 | O (午) · Mi (未) |
| Gap-o (甲午) cycle | 甲午 乙未 丙申 丁酉 戊戌 己亥 庚子 辛丑 壬寅 癸卯 | Jin (辰) · Sa (巳) |
| Gap-jin (甲辰) cycle | 甲辰 乙巳 丙午 丁未 戊申 己酉 庚戌 辛亥 壬子 癸丑 | In (寅) · Myo (卯) |
| Gap-in (甲寅) cycle | 甲寅 乙卯 丙辰 丁巳 戊午 己未 庚申 辛酉 壬戌 癸亥 | Ja (子) · Chuk (丑) |
The Void of the day pillar's ten-pair cycle is called the day Void, and the Void of the year pillar's cycle is called the year Void.
Traits
The rule is arithmetic. Counting ten pairs from Gap-ja (甲子) ends at Gye-yu (癸酉), where the stems run out and Sul (戌)·Hae (亥) remain. The Void for the Gap-ja group is therefore Sul-Hae. The next group starts at Gap-sul (甲戌), leaving Sin (申)·Yu (酉). Each of the six groups leaves two branches, producing six Void pairs. The table above lists all six, with values taken directly from the saju calendar library used by Seowoon's engine.
In plain terms, it is an “empty position”. The general interpretation is that the family roles and Ten Gods associated with that branch are present but do not carry their full force. Void in the partner seat suggests a relationship that is looser than its formal status; Void in Wealth suggests a weaker sense of holding on to money even when it comes in.
Year-based and day-based Void use different reference points, so they can identify different positions. Because the day pillar represents you, day-based Void is read first. Year-based Void is used as a supporting reference for family background and early life. If both identify the same branch, the tendency associated with that position is considered more pronounced. If they differ, they are kept separate.
Conditions that may release Void are also considered. A longstanding interpretation holds that Void is released when its branch forms a combination or clash with another branch. That is why Void is read alongside combinations and clashes rather than in isolation. Seowoon treats only the identity of the Void branches and their pillar positions as calculated facts. We do not describe a Void position as “the same as not existing”.
Seowoon's free “Void” reading calculates both year-based and day-based Void. It shows where those branches appear in your chart and which Ten Gods they represent for you. It also identifies years among the next twelve that contain your day-based Void branches.
A common misconception
“Every position in Void is meaningless” goes too far. Everyone has two Void branches under the same arithmetic rule, so Void is not a sign of an especially bad chart. If the Void branches do not appear in your chart, there is nothing there to interpret — Void is read “when present”.Something that is harder to hold on to is not the same as something absent. The calculation does not tell you to leave that part of life empty or give up on a relationship.
Check it in your chart
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Related entries
- Hidden stemsHidden stems (jijanggan, 支藏干) are heavenly stems concealed within each of the twelve earthly branches. Each branch contains one to three stems.
- Combinations and ClashesCombinations and clashes (hapchung, 合沖) describe characters that attract and bind together (combinations) or face each other from opposite positions and collide (clashes).
- Day PillarYour day pillar (ilju, 日柱) consists of the heavenly stem and earthly branch of your birth day. Among your eight birth characters, its stem—the Day Master—represents you, while its branch is the ground beneath your feet.
- Symbolic starsSymbolic stars (sinsal, 神殺) are names given to specific arrangements of characters in a saju chart. They include the twelve symbolic stars, whose twelve positions cycle from your birth year's earthly branch, and stars such as Goegang, White Tiger, and Ghost Gate, identified by particular pillars or characters.
- All of Saju Dictionary
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my Void?
Start by calculating your day pillar. If it falls between Gap-ja and Gye-yu, your Void is Sul-Hae; between Gap-sul and Gye-mi, Sin-Yu; between Gap-sin and Gye-sa, O-Mi; between Gap-o and Gye-myo, Jin-Sa; between Gap-jin and Gye-chuk, In-Myo; and between Gap-in and Gye-hae, Ja-Chuk. The free Void reading calculates this from your birth date.
Should I use year-based or day-based Void?
Day-based Void comes first because the day pillar represents you. Year-based Void serves as a supporting reference for family background and early life. Seowoon calculates both and bases its interpretation on day-based Void.
When is Void released?
A common interpretation is that a Void is resolved when its branch forms a Six Harmony · Three Harmony · Clash with another branch. For example, if Sul (戌) is in the Void and Myo (卯) is present, their Six Harmony resolves it. The calculation identifies whether the pair exists; how fully the Void is resolved is a matter of interpretation.
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