Are the Lion and Elephant Spirit Guardians compatible?

The board reads them as secret friends, among the stronger branch relations in the twelve. On the first of four layers the pairing scores between 59 and 79, depending on which two birth years are actually being read — the branch relation is fixed, the year elements are not. That layer carries weight 0.30 and reads the birth years only; the other three read the two charts, so this is where a reading starts rather than where it lands.

Which birth years does this pairing cover?

1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 on one side and 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043 on the other — 64 combinations in total, and they do not all read alike. The community repeats every twelve years but the year element turns on a ten-year cycle, so 1986 with 1995 and 1998 with 2007 are two different readings of the same pairing.

Does a strong branch relation mean this pairing always works?

No. It means the year layer starts high, and that layer is 0.30 of four. Two people whose communities agree can still differ everywhere the charts are read, which is exactly why the Lion Spirit Guardian and the Elephant Spirit Guardian are not the whole answer about anybody.

Secret friends

The Lion and Elephant Spirit Guardians

Plant and Water · first-layer scores from 59 to 79

Birth years 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 read against birth years 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043. That is 64 combinations, and the branch relation between the two communities — secret friends — is the same in all of them. What is not the same is the year element behind each birth, which is why the first-layer score across this page runs from 59 to 79 rather than sitting on one number.

Together

The Lion Spirit Guardian arrives with the ambition and the Elephant Spirit Guardian arrives with the goodwill, and the second is what makes the first survivable. This pairing works because the Elephant Spirit Guardian does not compete: it is unbothered by a partner who wants the front of the room, and it keeps the relationships the Lion Spirit Guardian burns through on the way there. Water feeds Plant in the element cycle, which is the same statement made twice.

What it costs

The risk is that the generosity is simply taken. The Elephant Spirit Guardian is over-trusting by disposition and slow to say it has had enough; the Lion Spirit Guardian is impulsive and does not think to check. Years can pass before either notices the account has been running one way. It holds where the Lion Spirit Guardian is the one who asks first.

All 64 birth-year combinations

Grouped by the Lion Spirit Guardian's year. Within each group the branch relation is fixed and only the element cycle moves, which is the whole reason a pairing is not one answer.

Born 1950 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1950 and 1959	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1950 and 1971	Metal and Metal	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1950 and 1983	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1950 and 1995	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1950 and 2007	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1950 and 2019	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1950 and 2031	Metal and Metal	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1950 and 2043	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor

Born 1962 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1962 and 1959	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1962 and 1971	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1962 and 1983	Water and Water	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1962 and 1995	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1962 and 2007	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1962 and 2019	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1962 and 2031	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1962 and 2043	Water and Water	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor

Born 1974 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1974 and 1959	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1974 and 1971	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1974 and 1983	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1974 and 1995	Plant and Plant	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1974 and 2007	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1974 and 2019	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1974 and 2031	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1974 and 2043	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor

Born 1986 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1986 and 1959	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1986 and 1971	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1986 and 1983	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1986 and 1995	Fire and Plant	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1986 and 2007	Fire and Fire	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1986 and 2019	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1986 and 2031	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1986 and 2043	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond

Born 1998 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1998 and 1959	Earth and Earth	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1998 and 1971	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1998 and 1983	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1998 and 1995	Earth and Plant	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1998 and 2007	Earth and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1998 and 2019	Earth and Earth	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1998 and 2031	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1998 and 2043	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond

Born 2010 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2010 and 1959	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2010 and 1971	Metal and Metal	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2010 and 1983	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2010 and 1995	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2010 and 2007	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2010 and 2019	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2010 and 2031	Metal and Metal	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2010 and 2043	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor

Born 2022 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2022 and 1959	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2022 and 1971	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2022 and 1983	Water and Water	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2022 and 1995	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2022 and 2007	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2022 and 2019	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2022 and 2031	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2022 and 2043	Water and Water	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor

Born 2034 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2034 and 1959	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2034 and 1971	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2034 and 1983	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2034 and 1995	Plant and Plant	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2034 and 2007	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2034 and 2019	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2034 and 2031	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2034 and 2043	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor

These readings are the first of the board's four layers — the birth years alone — and it carries weight 0.30 of the result. The other three read the two charts rather than the two communities, so a strong or difficult year layer is where a reading starts, not where it lands.

Either community on its own

Frequently asked

Are the Lion and Elephant Spirit Guardians compatible?: The board reads them as secret friends, among the stronger branch relations in the twelve. On the first of four layers the pairing scores between 59 and 79, depending on which two birth years are actually being read — the branch relation is fixed, the year elements are not. That layer carries weight 0.30 and reads the birth years only; the other three read the two charts, so this is where a reading starts rather than where it lands.
Which birth years does this pairing cover?: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 on one side and 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043 on the other — 64 combinations in total, and they do not all read alike. The community repeats every twelve years but the year element turns on a ten-year cycle, so 1986 with 1995 and 1998 with 2007 are two different readings of the same pairing.
Does a strong branch relation mean this pairing always works?: No. It means the year layer starts high, and that layer is 0.30 of four. Two people whose communities agree can still differ everywhere the charts are read, which is exactly why the Lion Spirit Guardian and the Elephant Spirit Guardian are not the whole answer about anybody.

This page reads two communities. The board reads two people — four layers, of which the year pillars above are the first. Two birth years is enough to start.

Open the Bonding Map