The Ten Gods are among the most common—and most misunderstood—BaZi terms. “Gods” here does not mean deities. They are functional names for five relationships: peers, output, wealth, authority and resources, each divided by yin-yang relation into ten roles. No role is permanently lucky or unlucky.
The five functional groups
Peer and Rob Wealth form the peer group: self-direction, allies, competition and resource sharing. Eating God and Hurting Officer form output: expression, craft, production and challenges to rules. Direct and Indirect Wealth concern exchange, income, budgets and practical responsibility. Direct Officer and Seven Killings concern order, duty, pressure and formal evaluation. Direct and Indirect Resource concern learning, protection, credentials, tradition and alternative knowledge.
Every role must be read in context. Rob Wealth under effective structure can support joint action and risk-taking; without restraint it may erode retention through division or impulsive expansion. Hurting Officer supported by Resource can become technical invention; conflict with institutions becomes more likely only when it directly attacks authority without regulation.
Direct and indirect do not mean good and bad
Direct and indirect arise first from yin-yang relation, not moral ranking. Direct Wealth tends toward stable delivery, budgets and sustainable operation; Indirect Wealth toward fluid opportunity, markets and external resources. Direct Resource leans toward systems, tradition and credentials; Indirect Resource toward specialist knowledge, intuition and unconventional paths.
Every role changes between workable and excessive forms. Resource can support learning and protection, yet too much Resource without Output may prolong preparation and delay release. Authority can establish duty and boundaries, yet excessive pressure without support may become a chronic burden.
Why position changes the meaning
The same role in the Year Stem, Month Stem, Day Branch or Hour Branch operates in a different sphere. Visibility also differs between an exposed stem and a hidden stem inside a branch. Seasonal command, exposed stems and branch primary qi generally outweigh residual hidden qi; occurrences cannot simply be added as equal points.
A Ten Gods reading therefore needs at least four facts: function, position, seasonal and root support, and combination with other roles. A list saying “you have Seven Killings, Direct Resource and Rob Wealth” is not yet an interpretation.