The Void (Kongwang): Present yet absent: helper stars weaken, ominous stars are defused
The classics say the Void is “present yet absent”: a helper star in the Void loses its good, an ominous star in the Void loses its harm, and a family palace in the Void points to a looser bond with those relatives. There is also the saying that “a clashed Void is filled”: once clashed, it becomes real again. This page lays out how to find it, what the old books say and a reading closer to modern life, with a lookup so you can check your own chart.
How to find the Void
| Ten-day cycle of the day pillar | Day pillars in it | Void branches |
|---|---|---|
| Jia-Zi cycle | Jia-Zi to Gui-You | Xu 戌, Hai 亥 |
| Jia-Xu cycle | Jia-Xu to Gui-Wei | Shen 申, You 酉 |
| Jia-Shen cycle | Jia-Shen to Gui-Si | Wu 午, Wei 未 |
| Jia-Wu cycle | Jia-Wu to Gui-Mao | Chen 辰, Si 巳 |
| Jia-Chen cycle | Jia-Chen to Gui-Chou | Yin 寅, Mao 卯 |
| Jia-Yin cycle | Jia-Yin to Gui-Hai | Zi 子, Chou 丑 |
Ten stems paired with twelve branches leave two branches over in every ten-day cycle, called a xun. Those two branches have no stem to pair with, and they are that cycle’s Void.
How we counted: our engine cast one chart for every day from 1960 to 2005, with the birth hour drawn by a fixed-seed random sample, 16,802 charts in all, and checked each star by the formal method on this page.
What the classics say, and a closer modern reading
Traditional view: The classics say the Void is “present yet absent”: a helper star in the Void loses its good, an ominous star in the Void loses its harm, and a family palace in the Void points to a looser bond with those relatives. There is also the saying that “a clashed Void is filled”: once clashed, it becomes real again.
Modern reading: The Void is closer to a hollow state: what that pillar stands for feels hard to grasp and takes extra effort to make concrete. It is not ominous; an ominous star falling in the Void is actually good news.
Where it sits and how to read it
- Year or month pillar in the Void: a looser tie with your early surroundings or parents, or leaving home early.
- Hour pillar in the Void: relationships with children and younger people need more tending.
- The day branch can never fall in its own Void (the Void is derived from the day pillar), so schools differ on reading the Spouse Palace; some use the Void derived from the year pillar.
- When a luck pillar or annual pillar clashes a Void branch, tradition calls it “filling”: in that period, what the pillar stands for becomes concrete.
Always read a star back through the Five Elements and the Ten Gods. On a favorable element, helper stars get better and even ominous stars can become assets; on an unfavorable one, helper stars lose value and an ominous star’s reminder deserves more attention. For what each pillar stands for, see the four pillar palaces; for how to tell favorable from unfavorable, see favorable elements.
Does any of your pillars fall in the Void?
Enter your birth date (Gregorian calendar) to check all 22 common stars at once: whether you have each one, which pillar it sits on, and how it was found. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Uses your Gregorian birth date; the day changes at 11 p.m. with the late Zi hour. Without a birth hour, the hour pillar cannot be read.
Two common misunderstandings
Having the Void in your chart is terrible.
The Void means present yet absent, and it cuts both ways: helper stars weaken, ominous stars are defused. It is about empty and full, not good and bad.
The Void is rare.
By our count about 42.0% of charts have at least one of the year, month or hour branches in the day pillar’s Void. It is a very common structure.
Other symbolic stars
A straight word: symbolic stars are footnotes, not fate
Symbolic stars are labels the ancients pinned onto a chart, some auspicious and some ominous, but what really decides a chart is the strength of the Five Elements and how the Ten Gods combine. A helper star on an unfavorable element loses value; an ominous star on a favorable element can become an asset. Whatever stars you find, treat them as a reminder or a small bonus. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment only.
Beyond the Void, which other stars does your chart carry?
Symbolic stars are only footnotes. The in-depth reading starts from the Five Elements, the Ten Gods and what is favorable for you, and covers personality, career, love and money together.
The Void FAQ
How do I find the Void?
See which ten-day cycle the day pillar belongs to: the Jia-Zi cycle voids Xu and Hai, Jia-Xu voids Shen and You, Jia-Shen voids Wu and Wei, Jia-Wu voids Chen and Si, Jia-Chen voids Yin and Mao, Jia-Yin voids Zi and Chou. A year, month or hour branch on either of those is in the Void.
Is the Void ominous?
Not necessarily. It means present yet absent: helper stars in the Void lose force, and ominous stars in the Void are defused.