Modern Interpretation of Sinsal (Gods & Killings): Superstition or Psychological Pattern?

Introduction: Is Sinsal Superstition?

There is a long-standing debate in the Saju community. The orthodox school says, "Sinsal is trivial technique, do not look at it," while the practical school says, "Details cannot be solved without Sinsal."

Sin (God) means auspicious action, Sal (Killing) means ominous action. In the past, this was seen as unavoidable curse or blessing. But from a modern psychological perspective, Sinsal is 'intense energy patterns imprinted on the unconscious'. Energy itself is neither good nor bad. It's only a matter of how it's used.

Historical Evolution

Sinsal originated from Li Hezhong's Old Method Saju (Year-centric) in the Tang Dynasty, before Ziping Saju (Day-centric). As the paradigm shifted to Day-centric after the Song Dynasty, Sinsal was pushed to the periphery, but it survived in folk practice due to its powerful accuracy. In modern times, there is an active movement to reinterpret it as vocational aptitude or temperamental characteristics.

Modern Interpretation of Major Sinsal

1. Dohwasal (Peach Blossom Star): Charm Capital

In the past, it was despised as "lewd energy that ruins the family." But in modern capitalist society, Dohwa is the ultimate weapon.

• Traditional: Debauchery, affairs, opposite sex problems.
• Modern: The power to attract public attention. It is essential 'Erotic Capital' for celebrities, YouTubers, influencers, and sales.
• Application: People with strong Dohwa must have jobs that reveal themselves to turn the evil into good. If hidden, it festers inside.

2. Yeokmasal (Travel Horse Star): Global Nomad

In the past agricultural society, leaving one's hometown was a disaster. So Yeokma was an "evil star of wandering without settling."

• Traditional: Dying away from home, separation, instability, wandering.
• Modern: Activity and Expansibility. Core competency in trade, diplomacy, travel, logistics, and IT (movement via internet).
• Application: If you tie a person with strong Yeokma to a desk, they get sick. They must become digital nomads or go abroad to find relief.

3. Baekho Daesal (White Tiger Great Killing): Pressure and Explosiveness

A terrifying star meaning "bitten by a tiger and seeing blood." It meant sudden accidents or bloody events.

• Traditional: Sudden death, accidents, surgery, misfortune.
• Modern: Intense focus and professionalism. Great success in jobs that see blood (doctors, nurses), handle life and death (soldiers, police), or use explosive energy (athletes).
• Application: Baekho energy is like a 'pressure cooker'. If this pressure is not sublimated into professional skills, it explodes into accidents. You must hold a surgical scalpel or sweat it out through sports.

4. Hwagaesal (Elegant Cover Star): Solitary Artistic Soul

Meaning "covering brilliance," it is a star of cutting off from the secular world and taking refuge in religion or art.

• Traditional: Loneliness, separation, destiny to become a monk or nun.
• Modern: Philosophical thought and artistic talent. Writers, researchers, religious figures, counselors. The power to dive inward and draw up deep wisdom.
• Application: People with Hwagae need periodic 'cave time'. Solitude should be used as 'creative isolation', not loneliness.

5. Gwimun Gwansal (Ghost Gate Star): Between Genius and Madness

Meaning "gate where ghosts enter and exit." Sensitive and highly intuitive.

• Traditional: Mental illness, possession, nervous breakdown.
• Modern: Genius inspiration and paranoid detail. Artists, programmers, architects. Finding minute errors others miss or creating original worlds.
• Application: Taking up a profession that requires sharp nerves becomes 'Up-sang Dae-che' (replacing karma with profession).

Deep Dive: Sinsal as Psychological Archetypes

Borrowing the concept of Archetypes from Jungian psychology, Sinsal are universal characters existing in our unconscious.

• Dohwasal = Lover Archetype
• Yeokmasal = Explorer Archetype
• Baekho Daesal = Warrior Archetype
• Hwagaesal = Sage Archetype

Having Baekho Sal in my chart means an 'angry tiger' or 'brave warrior' lives inside me. If I give this warrior a sword (medicine, cooking) or a gun (soldier, police), he becomes a hero, but if I repress and cage him, he becomes a beast that bites his master.

Practical Application: Up-sang Dae-che (Job Replacing Karma)

The core of Sinsal theory is not "avoiding" but "using". Wisdom is needed to replace ominous energy with a job (Karma).

• Hyeonchim Sal (Needle Star): If you take a job using syringes (medical), pens (writer), scissors (designer), or acupuncture (oriental doctor), the evil disappears.
• Hyeong Sal (Punishment Star): If your destiny involves prison or lawsuits, you become a prosecutor or lawyer and imprison or mediate others. Exercising the power of punishment.

Conclusion: There are No Evil Stars, Only Evil Uses

If classical Saju judged "Good or Bad," modern Saju analyzes "Character". A mundane chart without Baekho Daesal causes no major accidents, but also produces no great energy to change the world. Charts of great figures are mostly full of Sinsal.

Do not fear the 'Sal (Killings)' in your chart. It is the most powerful and dangerous weapon God has given you. You just haven't learned how to use it yet.

References:

• Kim Dong-man, Modern Understanding of Sinsal Theory
• C.G. Jung, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious