Are the Snake and Monkey 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?

1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 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 1989 with 1992 and 2001 with 2004 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 Snake Spirit Guardian and the Monkey Spirit Guardian are not the whole answer about anybody.

Secret friends

The Snake and Monkey Spirit Guardians

Fire and Metal · first-layer scores from 59 to 79

Birth years 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 read against birth years 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040. 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

Two of the quickest communities in the twelve, working on different timescales. The Monkey Spirit Guardian improvises and the Snake Spirit Guardian has already thought three moves ahead, so between them very few problems stay problems for long. They also entertain each other, which over twenty years is not a small thing.

What it costs

Neither community is entirely straight with the other. The Snake Spirit Guardian withholds by instinct and the Monkey Spirit Guardian will bend a detail to keep things moving, and each recognises the habit immediately because each has it. Trust here builds slowly and goes fast. Fire controls Metal in the cycle, which is the shape of it: the Snake Spirit Guardian is usually the one setting the terms.

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 Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1953 and 1956	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1953 and 1968	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1953 and 1980	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1953 and 1992	Water and Water	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1953 and 2004	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1953 and 2016	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1953 and 2028	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1953 and 2040	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor

Born 1965 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1965 and 1956	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1965 and 1968	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1965 and 1980	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1965 and 1992	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1965 and 2004	Plant and Plant	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1965 and 2016	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1965 and 2028	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1965 and 2040	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond

Born 1977 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1977 and 1956	Fire and Fire	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1977 and 1968	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1977 and 1980	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1977 and 1992	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1977 and 2004	Fire and Plant	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1977 and 2016	Fire and Fire	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1977 and 2028	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1977 and 2040	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond

Born 1989 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1989 and 1956	Earth and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1989 and 1968	Earth and Earth	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1989 and 1980	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1989 and 1992	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1989 and 2004	Earth and Plant	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1989 and 2016	Earth and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1989 and 2028	Earth and Earth	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1989 and 2040	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor

Born 2001 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2001 and 1956	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2001 and 1968	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2001 and 1980	Metal and Metal	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2001 and 1992	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2001 and 2004	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2001 and 2016	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2001 and 2028	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2001 and 2040	Metal and Metal	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor

Born 2013 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2013 and 1956	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2013 and 1968	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2013 and 1980	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2013 and 1992	Water and Water	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2013 and 2004	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2013 and 2016	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2013 and 2028	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2013 and 2040	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor

Born 2025 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2025 and 1956	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2025 and 1968	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2025 and 1980	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2025 and 1992	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2025 and 2004	Plant and Plant	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2025 and 2016	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2025 and 2028	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2025 and 2040	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond

Born 2037 with the Monkey Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2037 and 1956	Fire and Fire	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2037 and 1968	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2037 and 1980	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2037 and 1992	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2037 and 2004	Fire and Plant	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2037 and 2016	Fire and Fire	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2037 and 2028	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2037 and 2040	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · 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 Snake and Monkey 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?: 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 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 1989 with 1992 and 2001 with 2004 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 Snake Spirit Guardian and the Monkey 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