Are the Whale and Taurus 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?

1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032 on one side and 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033 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 1984 with 1985 and 1996 with 1997 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 Whale Spirit Guardian and the Taurus Spirit Guardian are not the whole answer about anybody.

Secret friends

The Whale and Taurus Spirit Guardians

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

Birth years 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032 read against birth years 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033. 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 single strongest one-to-one bond in the twelve, and the least glamorous one. The Whale Spirit Guardian finds the opening; the Taurus Spirit Guardian is still there eleven months later making it real. Neither community can do the other's half — the Whale Spirit Guardian goes quiet in the long middle of anything, and the Taurus Spirit Guardian will not move until it has been shown the route. Put them together and the gap in each closes exactly.

What it costs

What strains it is pace. The Whale Spirit Guardian reads the Taurus Spirit Guardian's deliberation as obstruction, and the Taurus Spirit Guardian reads the Whale Spirit Guardian's speed as a decision taken without it. Both readings are wrong and both keep recurring. The pairing runs on the one thing neither community offers naturally: saying what it is about to do before it does it.

All 64 birth-year combinations

Grouped by the Whale 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 1948 with the Taurus Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1948 and 1949	Earth and Earth	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1948 and 1961	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1948 and 1973	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1948 and 1985	Earth and Plant	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1948 and 1997	Earth and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1948 and 2009	Earth and Earth	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1948 and 2021	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1948 and 2033	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond

Born 1960 with the Taurus Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1960 and 1949	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1960 and 1961	Metal and Metal	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1960 and 1973	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1960 and 1985	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1960 and 1997	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1960 and 2009	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1960 and 2021	Metal and Metal	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1960 and 2033	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor

Born 1972 with the Taurus Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1972 and 1949	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1972 and 1961	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1972 and 1973	Water and Water	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1972 and 1985	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1972 and 1997	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1972 and 2009	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1972 and 2021	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1972 and 2033	Water and Water	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor

Born 1984 with the Taurus Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1984 and 1949	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1984 and 1961	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1984 and 1973	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1984 and 1985	Plant and Plant	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1984 and 1997	Plant and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1984 and 2009	Plant and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1984 and 2021	Plant and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1984 and 2033	Plant and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor

Born 1996 with the Taurus Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
1996 and 1949	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1996 and 1961	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1996 and 1973	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1996 and 1985	Fire and Plant	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1996 and 1997	Fire and Fire	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
1996 and 2009	Fire and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
1996 and 2021	Fire and Metal	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
1996 and 2033	Fire and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond

Born 2008 with the Taurus Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2008 and 1949	Earth and Earth	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2008 and 1961	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2008 and 1973	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2008 and 1985	Earth and Plant	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2008 and 1997	Earth and Fire	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2008 and 2009	Earth and Earth	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2008 and 2021	Earth and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2008 and 2033	Earth and Water	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond

Born 2020 with the Taurus Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2020 and 1949	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2020 and 1961	Metal and Metal	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2020 and 1973	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2020 and 1985	Metal and Plant	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2020 and 1997	Metal and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2020 and 2009	Metal and Earth	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2020 and 2021	Metal and Metal	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2020 and 2033	Metal and Water	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor

Born 2032 with the Taurus Spirit Guardian's years

Pairing	Year elements	Element cycle	Year layer
2032 and 1949	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2032 and 1961	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2032 and 1973	Water and Water	Same element	72 · Steady Harbor
2032 and 1985	Water and Plant	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2032 and 1997	Water and Fire	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2032 and 2009	Water and Earth	Controlling cycle	59 · Growing Bond
2032 and 2021	Water and Metal	Nourishing cycle	79 · Steady Harbor
2032 and 2033	Water and Water	Same element	72 · 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 Whale and Taurus 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?: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032 on one side and 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033 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 1984 with 1985 and 1996 with 1997 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 Whale Spirit Guardian and the Taurus 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