Are the Lion and Snake Spirit Guardians compatible?

The board reads them as harm pairing, one of the harder branch relations in the twelve. On the first of four layers the pairing scores between 32 and 52, 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 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 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 1989 and 1998 with 2001 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 Snake Spirit Guardian produce is specific and nameable — which makes it something to plan around rather than a verdict.

Harm pairing

The Lion and Snake Spirit Guardians

Plant and Fire · first-layer scores from 32 to 52

Birth years 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 read against birth years 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037. That is 64 combinations, and the branch relation between the two communities — harm pairing — 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 32 to 52 rather than sitting on one number.

Together

Open ambition against concealed strategy. The Lion Spirit Guardian announces what it intends to do and the Snake Spirit Guardian does not, and each community finds the other's method slightly unfair. Plant feeds Fire, so the Lion Spirit Guardian's energy genuinely powers the Snake Spirit Guardian's plans — frequently without the Lion Spirit Guardian having been told what the plan is.

What it costs

That last sentence is the whole harm. The Lion Spirit Guardian eventually works out how much it was contributing and to what, and the Snake Spirit Guardian's instinct at that moment is to withhold further. The Snake Spirit Guardian can also hold a grievance indefinitely, which the Lion Spirit Guardian — having long since forgotten the incident — never sees coming.

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 Snake Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1950 and 1953	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1950 and 1965	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1950 and 1977	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1950 and 1989	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1950 and 2001	Metal and Metal	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
1950 and 2013	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1950 and 2025	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1950 and 2037	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond

Born 1962 with the Snake Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1962 and 1953	Water and Water	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
1962 and 1965	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1962 and 1977	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1962 and 1989	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1962 and 2001	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1962 and 2013	Water and Water	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
1962 and 2025	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1962 and 2037	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond

Born 1974 with the Snake Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1974 and 1953	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1974 and 1965	Plant and Plant	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
1974 and 1977	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1974 and 1989	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1974 and 2001	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1974 and 2013	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1974 and 2025	Plant and Plant	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
1974 and 2037	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond

Born 1986 with the Snake Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1986 and 1953	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1986 and 1965	Fire and Plant	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1986 and 1977	Fire and Fire	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
1986 and 1989	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1986 and 2001	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1986 and 2013	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1986 and 2025	Fire and Plant	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1986 and 2037	Fire and Fire	Same element	45 · Learning Curve

Born 1998 with the Snake Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1998 and 1953	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1998 and 1965	Earth and Plant	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1998 and 1977	Earth and Fire	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1998 and 1989	Earth and Earth	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
1998 and 2001	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
1998 and 2013	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1998 and 2025	Earth and Plant	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
1998 and 2037	Earth and Fire	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond

Born 2010 with the Snake Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2010 and 1953	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
2010 and 1965	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
2010 and 1977	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
2010 and 1989	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
2010 and 2001	Metal and Metal	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
2010 and 2013	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
2010 and 2025	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
2010 and 2037	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond

Born 2022 with the Snake Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2022 and 1953	Water and Water	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
2022 and 1965	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
2022 and 1977	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
2022 and 1989	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
2022 and 2001	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
2022 and 2013	Water and Water	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
2022 and 2025	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
2022 and 2037	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond

Born 2034 with the Snake Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2034 and 1953	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
2034 and 1965	Plant and Plant	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
2034 and 1977	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
2034 and 1989	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
2034 and 2001	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	32 · Patience Bond
2034 and 2013	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing Bond
2034 and 2025	Plant and Plant	Same element	45 · Learning Curve
2034 and 2037	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	52 · Growing 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 Snake Spirit Guardians compatible?: The board reads them as harm pairing, one of the harder branch relations in the twelve. On the first of four layers the pairing scores between 32 and 52, 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 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 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 1989 and 1998 with 2001 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 Snake 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