What it means
桃花 is the peach blossom: beautiful, fragrant and brief. A chart with this star draws attention without trying. People notice, remember and are drawn in. In older readings that was a warning, especially for women: romance, scandal, a life complicated by desire. That is why it carries the suffix sal (殺), a harmful influence.
The modern reading has turned around. In an age of screens, being noticed is an asset, and Koreans now speak of dohwasal as the star of entertainers, influencers, salespeople and anyone whose work depends on being liked. K-pop idols are routinely said to have it.
How to find it
Take the branch of your Day pillar and find its group. If the branch on the right appears in another pillar, that pillar carries the Peach Blossom.
| Day branch is one of | Peach Blossom |
|---|---|
| 寅 Tiger, 午 Horse, 戌 Dog | 卯 Myo (Rabbit) |
| 申 Monkey, 子 Rat, 辰 Dragon | 酉 Yu (Rooster) |
| 巳 Snake, 酉 Rooster, 丑 Ox | 午 O (Horse) |
| 亥 Pig, 卯 Rabbit, 未 Goat | 子 Ja (Rat) |
SajuPaste labels this Peach Blossom. The same table counted from the year branch is one of the twelve year-branch stars (年殺, Nyeonsal) and is labelled Peach Blossom (year).
Why these four branches
The Peach Blossom is always one of 子, 午, 卯 or 酉, the four branches that sit at the centre of a season and hold a single pure element. Each is also the Bath stage of its group’s element, the phase of the twelve life stages where the newborn is washed: exposed, charming and unguarded.
Reading it by pillar
- Year or month pillar: charm that shows in public and within the family circle. Old texts call this Peach Blossom inside the wall and treat it kindly.
- Day pillar: attraction centred on the self and the marriage.
- Hour pillar: Peach Blossom outside the wall, traditionally read as romance beyond the home, and today as appeal that grows later in life.
What to watch
Attention is not the same as affection. The cautions that remain useful are being distracted by admirers, relying on charm where effort is needed, and attracting people you did not intend to. A Peach Blossom that is clashed by another branch is read as relationships that begin and end abruptly.