Hook.Untangle the obligation before it becomes the operating system.
Hook (勾煞 / 勾神), or Gou, is one position in the paired 勾絞 pattern. It is associated with entanglement, stagnation and unresolved obligations. It does not predict litigation, confinement, injury or betrayal.
When progress keeps catching, identify what still has a claim on you.
勾 means to hook, catch or pull. Hook and Crossing Sha occupy opposing Branches three positions ahead of and behind the Year Branch. The image is useful for commitments, disputes or dependencies that remain caught rather than cleanly concluded.
Constructively, Hook supports follow-through, boundary clarification and deliberate closure. Its shadow is clinging, circular argument or trying to force movement without releasing the point of entanglement.
This catalogue uses a simplified non-gendered convention: Hook is three Branches ahead and Crossing Sha is three behind. Older texts sometimes swap the names by gender and yin–yang category.
Find the natal Year Branch, then move three Branches forward.
The opposing Branch, three positions behind the Year Branch, is Crossing Sha.
| Year Branch | Hook · 勾 | Opposing Crossing Sha · 絞 |
|---|---|---|
| 子 Zi · Rat | 卯 Mao · Rabbit | 酉 You · Rooster |
| 丑 Chou · Ox | 辰 Chen · Dragon | 戌 Xu · Dog |
| 寅 Yin · Tiger | 巳 Si · Snake | 亥 Hai · Pig |
| 卯 Mao · Rabbit | 午 Wu · Horse | 子 Zi · Rat |
| 辰 Chen · Dragon | 未 Wei · Goat | 丑 Chou · Ox |
| 巳 Si · Snake | 申 Shen · Monkey | 寅 Yin · Tiger |
| 午 Wu · Horse | 酉 You · Rooster | 卯 Mao · Rabbit |
| 未 Wei · Goat | 戌 Xu · Dog | 辰 Chen · Dragon |
| 申 Shen · Monkey | 亥 Hai · Pig | 巳 Si · Snake |
| 酉 You · Rooster | 子 Zi · Rat | 午 Wu · Horse |
| 戌 Xu · Dog | 丑 Chou · Ox | 未 Wei · Goat |
| 亥 Hai · Pig | 寅 Yin · Tiger | 申 Shen · Monkey |
Position rule: Hook = Year Branch +3 · Crossing Sha = Year Branch −3. The targets always oppose each other.
Locate the marker, then identify the unresolved claim.
Identify the Year Branch
Use the Earthly Branch of the natal Year Pillar.
Take the Hook Branch
Read directly across to the target Branch.
Check the chart
Look for the target among the remaining natal Branches.
Assess real exposure
Review obligations, boundaries, dependencies and repeated negotiation loops.
Turn entanglement into a clean decision path.
Name what is unfinished
Record the commitment, owner, deadline and completion condition.
Clarify the limit
State what you can provide, what you cannot and when it ends.
Stop circular bargaining
Separate settled points from the decision that remains open.
Design clean closure
Complete, renegotiate or release the dependency.
A Rat Year finds Hook at Mao.
Find 子 Zi · Rat in the first column. Hook is 卯 Mao · Rabbit; the opposing Crossing Sha is 酉 You · Rooster.
From Year Branch to entanglement review
An entanglement marker is not proof of punishment or confinement.
No litigation prediction
The marker cannot determine whether a legal dispute will occur.
No confinement claim
It does not predict imprisonment, restraint or loss of freedom.
No hostile-intent claim
Entanglement does not prove manipulation or betrayal.
Keep the pair visible
Hook and Crossing Sha are opposing positions.
Do not gender the formula
This modern lookup records both positions without swapping names by gender.
No single-star reading
Structure, timing, behaviour and evidence remain primary.
Name the hook. Resolve the claim. Restore movement.
Place Hook inside the wider communication and boundary structure.
Derived Stars Hub
Return to the complete catalogue.
BaZi Knowledge Hub
Place the marker inside full chart structure.
Curled Tongue and Crossing Sha
Review verbal friction and entanglement carefully.
Litigation Charms
Distinguish reputation tension from documented disputes.
Hook is an entanglement prompt—not a sentence.
How do I find Hook?
Move three Branches forward from the natal Year Branch. Crossing Sha sits three Branches behind.
Are Hook and Crossing Sha the same?
They are paired opposing positions, but describe different sides of entanglement.
Why do some tables swap the names?
Older conventions apply gender and yin–yang categories. This catalogue displays both positions without gender-based swapping.
Does Hook predict legal trouble?
No. Use it as a secondary prompt to examine obligations and boundaries.
What should I do?
Name the unfinished claim, clarify ownership and define completion, renegotiation or exit.