Are the Lion and Monkey Spirit Guardians compatible?

The board reads them as opposing axis, one of the harder branch relations in the twelve. On the first of four layers the pairing scores between 22 and 42, 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 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040 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 1992 and 1998 with 2004 are two different readings of the same pairing.

Does a difficult branch relation mean this pairing cannot work?

No. It means the year layer starts low, and that layer is 0.30 of four. Pairings on this footing routinely agree everywhere the charts are read, and the friction the Lion Spirit Guardian and the Monkey Spirit Guardian produce is specific and nameable — which makes it something to plan around rather than a verdict.

Opposing axis

The Lion and Monkey Spirit Guardians

Plant and Metal · first-layer scores from 22 to 42

Birth years 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 read against birth years 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040. That is 64 combinations, and the branch relation between the two communities — opposing axis — 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 22 to 42 rather than sitting on one number.

Together

Two communities used to winning, doing it in ways the other finds faintly disreputable. The Lion Spirit Guardian goes straight at a thing; the Monkey Spirit Guardian goes around it. The Lion Spirit Guardian thinks the Monkey Spirit Guardian is cutting corners, the Monkey Spirit Guardian thinks the Lion Spirit Guardian is wasting effort, and both are watching the same result arrive.

What it costs

Metal controls Plant in the cycle, so the Monkey Spirit Guardian tends to out-manoeuvre the Lion Spirit Guardian, and the Lion Spirit Guardian tends to work it out afterwards. That sequence is what turns a rivalry into a grievance. It works where the two are pointed at something outside the pairing, and badly where they are not.

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 Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1950 and 1956	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1950 and 1968	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1950 and 1980	Metal and Metal	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1950 and 1992	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1950 and 2004	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1950 and 2016	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1950 and 2028	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1950 and 2040	Metal and Metal	Same element	34 · Patience Bond

Born 1962 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1962 and 1956	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1962 and 1968	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1962 and 1980	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1962 and 1992	Water and Water	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1962 and 2004	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1962 and 2016	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1962 and 2028	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1962 and 2040	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve

Born 1974 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1974 and 1956	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1974 and 1968	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1974 and 1980	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1974 and 1992	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1974 and 2004	Plant and Plant	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1974 and 2016	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1974 and 2028	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1974 and 2040	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond

Born 1986 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1986 and 1956	Fire and Fire	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1986 and 1968	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1986 and 1980	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1986 and 1992	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1986 and 2004	Fire and Plant	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1986 and 2016	Fire and Fire	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1986 and 2028	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1986 and 2040	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond

Born 1998 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1998 and 1956	Earth and Fire	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1998 and 1968	Earth and Earth	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1998 and 1980	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1998 and 1992	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1998 and 2004	Earth and Plant	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1998 and 2016	Earth and Fire	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1998 and 2028	Earth and Earth	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1998 and 2040	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve

Born 2010 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2010 and 1956	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2010 and 1968	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2010 and 1980	Metal and Metal	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
2010 and 1992	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2010 and 2004	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2010 and 2016	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2010 and 2028	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2010 and 2040	Metal and Metal	Same element	34 · Patience Bond

Born 2022 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2022 and 1956	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2022 and 1968	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2022 and 1980	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2022 and 1992	Water and Water	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
2022 and 2004	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2022 and 2016	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2022 and 2028	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2022 and 2040	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve

Born 2034 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2034 and 1956	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2034 and 1968	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2034 and 1980	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2034 and 1992	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2034 and 2004	Plant and Plant	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
2034 and 2016	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2034 and 2028	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2034 and 2040	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond

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 Monkey Spirit Guardians compatible?: The board reads them as opposing axis, one of the harder branch relations in the twelve. On the first of four layers the pairing scores between 22 and 42, 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 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040 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 1992 and 1998 with 2004 are two different readings of the same pairing.
Does a difficult branch relation mean this pairing cannot work?: No. It means the year layer starts low, and that layer is 0.30 of four. Pairings on this footing routinely agree everywhere the charts are read, and the friction the Lion Spirit Guardian and the Monkey Spirit Guardian produce is specific and nameable — which makes it something to plan around rather than a verdict.

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