The Twelve Spirits (12 Sinsal): Twelve Nicknames by Zodiac Animal
The twelve nicknames attached in turn to the twelve earthly branches according to your zodiac animal (from Earth Spirit to Heaven), and how to read them.
What are the Twelve Spirits?
The Twelve Spirits (12신살) are twelve nicknames attached, one each, to the twelve earthly branches, counted from the lower character of your birth year, that is, your zodiac animal. For each character in the four pillars of your chart, and for the characters that arrive with the Luck Cycle (대운) and each year, you see which nickname it carries and read from that your temperament and the mood of that period.
How they are set
The twelve animals are divided into four groups of three (triple combination, 삼합): Monkey, Rat and Dragon (申子辰), Tiger, Horse and Dog (寅午戌), Snake, Rooster and Ox (巳酉丑), and Pig, Rabbit and Goat (亥卯未). The Earth Spirit (지살) goes on the first character of the group your animal belongs to, and from the next branch on, in order, come Peach Blossom (년살), Moon Spirit (월살), Exposure (망신살), General (장성살), Saddle (반안살), Travelling Horse (역마살), Six Harms (육해살), Canopy (화개살), Robbery (겁살), Calamity (재살) and Heaven (천살).
| Spirit | Plain meaning | Monkey, Rat, Dragon | Tiger, Horse, Dog | Snake, Rooster, Ox | Pig, Rabbit, Goat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 지살 (Earth Spirit) | A new start, the beginning of movement | 申 | 寅 | 巳 | 亥 |
| 년살 (Peach Blossom) | Same as Peach Blossom (도화): charm, popularity | 酉 | 卯 | 午 | 子 |
| 월살 (Moon Spirit) | Things get blocked and go slowly | 戌 | 辰 | 未 | 丑 |
| 망신살 (Exposure) | Losing face, or your inner self being laid bare | 亥 | 巳 | 申 | 寅 |
| 장성살 (General) | A commanding streak, the power to lead | 子 | 午 | 酉 | 卯 |
| 반안살 (Saddle) | Your standing rises and steadies | 丑 | 未 | 戌 | 辰 |
| 역마살 (Travelling Horse) | Movement, change, far roads | 寅 | 申 | 亥 | 巳 |
| 육해살 (Six Harms) | Small hindrances, minor ailments | 卯 | 酉 | 子 | 午 |
| 화개살 (Canopy) | Deepening in solitude; art, religion, study | 辰 | 戌 | 丑 | 未 |
| 겁살 (Robbery) | Unexpected loss, something taken | 巳 | 亥 | 寅 | 申 |
| 재살 (Calamity) | Being shut in or caught up in gossip | 午 | 子 | 卯 | 酉 |
| 천살 (Heaven) | The unavoidable variables of heaven | 未 | 丑 | 辰 | 戌 |
For example, for someone born in a Rat (子) year, 酉 is Peach Blossom (the same as 도화), 寅 is the Travelling Horse and 辰 is the Canopy. The 午 of the year 2026, 丙午 (byeong-o), becomes Calamity for Monkey, Rat and Dragon people, General for Tiger, Horse and Dog people, Peach Blossom for Snake, Rooster and Ox people, and Six Harms for Pig, Rabbit and Goat people.
Spirits with frightening names
Some, such as Robbery, Calamity, Exposure and Heaven, sound frightening just from the name. These are names that people of old attached to mean "be careful," and they do not mean that such things will necessarily happen. Exposure can be read as "your inner self shows easily, so watch your words and actions," and Robbery as "prepare for sudden spending or loss." Halmeoni does not frighten people with the spirits either, and goes on to say what you can do about them.
The basis: your animal or your birth day?
Whether the Twelve Spirits are read from the animal (the year branch) or from the lower character of the birth day (the day branch) differs from school to school. Traditionally the animal is the basis, and these days many places look at the day branch as well. Halmeoni reads the Twelve Spirits by the animal, and for Peach Blossom (도화), Travelling Horse (역마) and Canopy (화개) it also looks by the day branch.
Each pillar's Twelve Spirit name appears at the very end of the lower row under that pillar on the chart card. In the reading, only one is mentioned, and only when it is really needed.