Obstacles.Resistance becomes useful when it reveals what must change.
Obstacles (關干), used in this annual derived-star catalogue, is a Year-Branch-to-opposite-Branch caution marker. It is associated with hindrance, delay and competing forces. It does not prove that plans will fail or that opposition will become harmful.
Do not force the blocked route before understanding why it is blocked.
關 suggests a gate, pass, checkpoint or barrier. In the annual auxiliary-star table used here, 關干 is mapped to the Branch directly opposite the natal Year Branch, giving it a natural image of resistance, confrontation or incompatible direction.
Constructively, it can prompt better sequencing, contingency planning, negotiation and route correction. Its shadow is stubborn escalation, blaming every delay on external forces, or abandoning a viable plan before diagnosing the bottleneck.
This lookup is a named annual-star convention. A matching Branch may also form one of the six ordinary Earthly Branch clashes, but the full clash must still be analysed through pillar position, structure, timing and actual circumstances.
Find the Year Branch, then move to its direct opposite.
Each Branch maps to the Branch six positions across the twelve-Branch cycle.
| Year Branch | Obstacles · 關干 Branch |
|---|---|
| 子 Zi · Rat | 午 Wu · Horse |
| 丑 Chou · Ox | 未 Wei · Goat |
| 寅 Yin · Tiger | 申 Shen · Monkey |
| 卯 Mao · Rabbit | 酉 You · Rooster |
| 辰 Chen · Dragon | 戌 Xu · Dog |
| 巳 Si · Snake | 亥 Hai · Pig |
| 午 Wu · Horse | 子 Zi · Rat |
| 未 Wei · Goat | 丑 Chou · Ox |
| 申 Shen · Monkey | 寅 Yin · Tiger |
| 酉 You · Rooster | 卯 Mao · Rabbit |
| 戌 Xu · Dog | 辰 Chen · Dragon |
| 亥 Hai · Pig | 巳 Si · Snake |
Six opposite pairs: 子午 · 丑未 · 寅申 · 卯酉 · 辰戌 · 巳亥.
Locate the marker, then diagnose the bottleneck.
Identify the Year Branch
Use the Earthly Branch of the natal Year Pillar.
Take the opposite Branch
Read directly across to the target Branch.
Check the chart
Look for the target among the remaining natal Branches.
Classify resistance
Separate capacity, timing, process, incentives and relationship barriers.
Use resistance to improve the route.
Define the constraint
Name the single condition currently preventing progress.
Reduce dependency
Create a second route where one person, approval or resource controls everything.
Find the opposed interests
Clarify what each party protects before proposing a trade.
Stage the commitment
Test reversibly, gather evidence and expand only after the blockage is understood.
A Rat Year finds Obstacles at Wu.
Find 子 Zi · Rat in the first column. The table returns 午 Wu · Horse.
From Year Branch to constraint review
Resistance deserves diagnosis, not superstition.
No failure guarantee
The marker does not prove that plans, careers or relationships will fail.
No enemy assumption
Opposition may reflect incentives or constraints rather than malice.
No clash shortcut
A full Branch-clash reading requires pillar context and chart structure.
No single-star reading
Season, Ten Gods, strength and interactions remain primary.
No forced breakthrough
More effort can worsen a badly designed route.
Use measurable tests
Define the bottleneck, intervention and evidence of improvement.
Find the barrier. Redesign the route. Advance with evidence.
Place Obstacles inside the wider interaction and risk structure.
Derived Stars Hub
Return to the complete catalogue.
BaZi Knowledge Hub
Place the marker inside full chart structure.
Clash, Harm and Combination
Study actual Branch interactions beyond the auxiliary label.
Separating Edge
Compare hard resistance with communication gaps.
Obstacles identifies resistance—not an inevitable defeat.
How do I find Obstacles here?
Find the natal Year Branch in the table and check whether its directly opposite Branch appears elsewhere in the natal chart.
Does it mean my plan will fail?
No. It prompts closer examination of constraints, sequencing and competing interests.
Is it the same as an Earthly Branch clash?
The lookup uses the same six opposite pairs, but a full clash interpretation requires pillar placement, chart structure and timing.
How should I respond to it?
Define the bottleneck, create alternatives, clarify incentives and test the next step reversibly.
What is its shadow expression?
Stubborn escalation, premature surrender, external blame or treating normal resistance as fate.