Seven Killings (Qi Sha)
In a Nutshell
One of the Ten Gods: the element that controls the Day Master with the same Yin/Yang polarity — also called the Indirect Officer (Pian Guan).
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Definition | Controls the Day Master, same Yin/Yang polarity |
| Examples | A Jia Day Master seeing Geng; Yi seeing Xin; Bing seeing Ren |
| Alternate name | Pian Guan (Indirect Officer) |
| In branches | Judged by the branch's primary Hidden Stem — e.g., a Jia Day Master seeing Shen |
What Are the Seven Killings
The Ten Gods are the ten names given to every stem and branch in a chart based on two things: how it relates to the Day Master through the Five Elements' Generating and Controlling cycles, and whether its Yin/Yang polarity matches the Day Master's. If the Day Master is the "you" at the center of the chart, the Ten Gods are the ten stock characters in its drama — roughly like how planets take on roles such as the teacher, the challenger, or the provider in Western astrology, except here each role is derived purely from element relationships and polarity.
The Seven Killings (Qi Sha), also called the Indirect Officer, is the role defined by one rule: it controls the Day Master, and it shares the Day Master's Yin/Yang polarity. For example, a Jia (Yang Wood) Day Master is controlled by Metal, and Geng (Yang Metal) shares Jia's Yang polarity — so a Jia Day Master seeing Geng is Seven Killings. Likewise Yi seeing Xin, Bing seeing Ren, and so on. For Earthly Branches, the judgment goes by the branch's primary Hidden Stem: a Jia Day Master seeing Shen counts, because Shen's primary Hidden Stem is Geng.
The *Zi Ping Zhen Quan* devotes a chapter, *Lun Pian Guan* (On the Indirect Officer), to this god. It opens with a famous line: "The Killing attacks the self — hardly a lovely thing — yet the charts of the truly eminent often contain the Seven Killings." In other words, although the Seven Killings is a controlling force, many distinguished charts contain it; everything depends on whether it is refined and channeled. The text goes on: "The Seven Killings delight in being restrained by the Eating God, and dread being fed by Wealth or Seal" — tradition holds that the Eating God is the right tool to tame the Killings, while Wealth or Seal stars that feed it are the worst companions. In temperament, the traditional lore leans toward decisiveness, courage, a strong sense of responsibility, and forceful execution — and, when unrefined, toward impatience or an overbearing air.
For family roles, the lore varies with the chart owner's gender: in a man's chart the Officer/Killings pair traditionally stands for children; in a woman's chart the Killing is one traditional reference for a secondary husband. These are common sayings only; any real reading must consider the whole chart. The Ten Gods Analyzer tool on this site lists each pillar's Ten God under the given Day Master. The key to the Seven Killings is the single rule — "it controls me, same polarity" — kept distinct from Direct Officer: opposite polarity is Direct, same polarity is the Killings.
Classical sources
Zi Ping Zhen Quan (True Interpretation of Zi Ping)
*Sha yi gong shen, si fei mei wu, er da gui zhi ge, duo cun qi sha.* "The Killing attacks the self — hardly a lovely thing — yet the charts of the truly eminent often contain the Seven Killings."
Source: Zi Ping Zhen Quan · Lun Pian Guan (On the Indirect Officer)
Paraphrase: The Seven Killings is a force that controls the Day Master and looks unlovely, but many eminent charts contain it — everything depends on refinement and channeling.
*Qi sha xi shi shen yi zhi fu, ji cai yin yi zi fu.* "The Seven Killings delight in being restrained by the Eating God, and dread being fed by Wealth or Seal."
Source: Zi Ping Zhen Quan · Lun Yong Shen (On the Useful God)
Paraphrase: Tradition holds that the Seven Killings should be tamed with the Eating God, and that Wealth or Seal stars feeding it are most to be avoided.
*For entertainment purposes only.*