What is Thông Quan?

What is Thông Quan in Bát Tự?

Thông Quan (通關) literally means opening a pass, clearing a road. In Bát Tự (BaZi), this concept refers to an element or one of the Ten Gods acting as an intermediary, dissolving the state of mutual clash between two opposing sides in a chart. As a result, the qi of the Five Elements is not blocked but flows, and the destiny structure becomes more harmonious.

The book Trích Thiên Tủy (compiled, by tradition, by Liu Ji), in the chapter Thông cách, opens with the line: "the two intentions are meant to connect, but between them a pass blocks the way; if that pass is opened, then everywhere they can bring joy to each other." The commentary in the book explains that yin and yang qi wish to harmonize and generate each other, so Wood and Earth are connected through Fire, Fire and Metal through Earth, Earth and Water through Metal, Metal and Wood through Water, Water and Fire through Wood. If in between they are blocked, subjected to punishment or clash, or seized by a robber, this is called a pass blockage. In the structure or in the annual and luck cycles, if a useful god is brought in to combine and remove that blockage, this is called thông quan.

Why is Thông Quan important in destiny analysis?

When two elements in a chart clash strongly, for example Metal controlling Wood or Water controlling Fire, if there is no intermediary factor, the destiny structure easily falls into a state of tension, bringing disadvantage to areas such as health, career and relationships. Thông Quan appears as a bridge, transforming a controlling relationship into a generating one, helping the useful god exert its effect and reducing danger.

According to the commentary in the Thông cách chapter of Trích Thiên Tủy, the connecting element is determined for each specific pair of mutual control: Metal and Wood are connected by Water, Water and Fire are connected by Wood. This is a point to note when analyzing, because not every element standing in the middle can serve as a bridge; it must be the element that matches the generating and controlling relationship of the pair being blocked.

How is the Thông Quan useful god understood?

The Thông Quan useful god is the element or Ten God chosen as the useful god because of its ability to dissolve clash and control. Usually, this element must be present in the chart or appear in the luck cycles to play its role. When analyzing, one considers whether the intermediary element has enough strength; if it is weak, the effect of dissolution will be limited.

Distinguishing Thông Quan from easily confused concepts

Thông Quan differs from an ordinary Useful God in that it focuses on dissolving a specific clash, while the Useful God is the factor needed to balance the whole chart. Thông Quan also differs from Hóa Khí (transformation of qi), because Hóa Khí is the transformation of the nature of an element, whereas Thông Quan is only a temporary bridge that helps qi flow. In addition, Thông Quan is not the same as Điều Hậu (climate adjustment), because Điều Hậu aims to adjust the climate within the destiny structure.

Applying Thông Quan in practice

In destiny analysis, when a chart shows strong clash and control, one usually looks for the intermediary element to determine the Thông Quan useful god. If this element is prosperous and supported by generation, the course of luck may be smoother. Conversely, if the intermediary element is controlled or too weak, the effect of dissolution will decrease. This is traditional knowledge of a reference nature, not yet verified by science.

How do different schools understand it?

• The classical Tử Bình school: Thông Quan is seen as a necessary factor to dissolve clash and control between elements, helping the destiny structure become more harmonious. Determining the Thông Quan useful god is based on the generating and controlling principles of the Five Elements. This understanding follows the Thông cách chapter in Trích Thiên Tủy, where pass blockage and thông quan are clearly distinguished: where there is a blockage it is a pass blockage, and where the blockage is removed it is thông quan.
• Modern application: Some researchers today emphasize that Thông Quan is not only an intermediary element but also the flow of qi throughout the whole chart, including the balance among the Ten Gods. This is an expansion of the concept, not a named school with its own texts.
• Practical application: This focuses on determining the Thông Quan useful god within luck cycles to predict times of smooth progress or obstacles, with less discussion of abstract theory. This too is only an application direction, not a named school.

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