Are the Snake and Elephant 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?

1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 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 1989 with 1995 and 2001 with 2007 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 Snake Spirit Guardian and the Elephant Spirit Guardian produce is specific and nameable — which makes it something to plan around rather than a verdict.

Opposing axis

The Snake and Elephant Spirit Guardians

Fire and Water · first-layer scores from 22 to 42

Birth years 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 read against birth years 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043. 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

The most private community in the twelve against the most open one. The Elephant Spirit Guardian says what it thinks while it is thinking it; the Snake Spirit Guardian says a fraction of what it has already concluded. Each is genuinely useful to the other — the Elephant Spirit Guardian is where the Snake Spirit Guardian can stop calculating, and the Snake Spirit Guardian is what keeps the Elephant Spirit Guardian from being taken.

What it costs

Water controls Fire here, and the Elephant Spirit Guardian's openness really does douse the Snake Spirit Guardian, who experiences it as exposure rather than as trust. The Snake Spirit Guardian then withholds harder, and the Elephant Spirit Guardian — being trusting — does not notice for a long time, and then feels foolish about all of it at once.

All 64 birth-year combinations

Grouped by the Snake 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 1953 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1953 and 1959	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1953 and 1971	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1953 and 1983	Water and Water	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1953 and 1995	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1953 and 2007	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1953 and 2019	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1953 and 2031	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1953 and 2043	Water and Water	Same element	34 · Patience Bond

Born 1965 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1965 and 1959	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1965 and 1971	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1965 and 1983	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1965 and 1995	Plant and Plant	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1965 and 2007	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1965 and 2019	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1965 and 2031	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1965 and 2043	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve

Born 1977 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1977 and 1959	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1977 and 1971	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1977 and 1983	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1977 and 1995	Fire and Plant	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1977 and 2007	Fire and Fire	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1977 and 2019	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1977 and 2031	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1977 and 2043	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond

Born 1989 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1989 and 1959	Earth and Earth	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1989 and 1971	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1989 and 1983	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1989 and 1995	Earth and Plant	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
1989 and 2007	Earth and Fire	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1989 and 2019	Earth and Earth	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
1989 and 2031	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
1989 and 2043	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond

Born 2001 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2001 and 1959	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2001 and 1971	Metal and Metal	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
2001 and 1983	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2001 and 1995	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2001 and 2007	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2001 and 2019	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2001 and 2031	Metal and Metal	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
2001 and 2043	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve

Born 2013 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2013 and 1959	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2013 and 1971	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2013 and 1983	Water and Water	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
2013 and 1995	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2013 and 2007	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2013 and 2019	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2013 and 2031	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2013 and 2043	Water and Water	Same element	34 · Patience Bond

Born 2025 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2025 and 1959	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2025 and 1971	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2025 and 1983	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2025 and 1995	Plant and Plant	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
2025 and 2007	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2025 and 2019	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2025 and 2031	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2025 and 2043	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve

Born 2037 with the Elephant Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2037 and 1959	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2037 and 1971	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2037 and 1983	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2037 and 1995	Fire and Plant	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2037 and 2007	Fire and Fire	Same element	34 · Patience Bond
2037 and 2019	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	42 · Learning Curve
2037 and 2031	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	22 · Patience Bond
2037 and 2043	Fire and Water	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 Snake and Elephant 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?: 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 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 1989 with 1995 and 2001 with 2007 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 Snake Spirit Guardian and the Elephant 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