🌀 Where Did the 60 Ganji Really Come From?
From Nomadic Aryans to the Vedas: A Familiar Yet Foreign Origin Story
The system we call the “60 Ganji” (sexagenary cycle) is often considered a tradition unique to East Asian cultures.
But—
Did this intricate structure of time really originate solely in the East?
What if its roots stretch much further back—
to the ancient rhythms of nomadic life?
🐎 The Aryans – “The Noble Ones”
The Aryans were ancient nomads who called themselves Arya, meaning “noble” or “honorable.”
Thousands of years ago, they roamed the vast grasslands of present-day Kazakhstan and southern Russia,
spreading culture and cosmology as they migrated and settled.
Their linguistic, mythological, and philosophical footprints remain scattered across Iran, India, and Europe.
📜 The Vedas and the Order of the Cosmos
Among the most significant contributions of the Aryans is the Veda—
one of humanity’s oldest known religious texts.
Settling in India, they developed this sacred scripture, which would go on to form the foundation of Hinduism and Buddhism.
Within the Vedas, we find deeply philosophical concepts such as:
- Samsara (Cycle of Rebirth)
- Karma (Cause and Effect)
- R̥ta (Cosmic Order)
These ideas reflect a cyclical understanding of time, moral consequence, and cosmic balance—
echoing the same philosophical undercurrents found in East Asia’s 60 Ganji.
🌌 Time as Rhythm: The Cycles of Heaven and Earth
The 60 Ganji system is not merely a numerical pattern.
It combines the 10 Heavenly Stems with the 12 Earthly Branches,
producing a repeating 60-year cycle that aligns with seasonal shifts, celestial motions, and human destiny.
Could this be a reflection of the nomads’ relationship with sky and land—
those who read the stars from horseback and chose their paths by sensing the flow?
Today, this ancient rhythm still lives on—
in our calendars, our horoscopes, and the deeply encoded patterns of Saju (Four Pillars of Destiny).
🌏 A Crossroads of Philosophy and Civilization
Tracing the origin of the 60 Ganji leads us beyond regional tradition—
to a meeting point of East and West,
of nomadism and agriculture,
of sky and soil.
It may well be that the 60 Ganji is not just a cultural relic,
but one of the oldest “languages of time” ever created by humankind gazing up at the heavens.
🌾 Riders of the Steppes, Who Left Behind the Philosophy of Time
For nomads, direction and time were survival skills.
They had to constantly move,
never missing the cycles of seasons, stars, the sun, and the moon.
A life that demanded rhythmic patterns, spatial awareness,
and a calculable structure of time.
So I cautiously raise a hypothesis—
Could the current 60-Gapja (Six Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches),
have originated from the Aryan way of thought?
The traces of a time algorithm that remains in the East,
may have first sprouted quietly
somewhere across the ancient steppes thousands of years ago.
Of course,
there are no definitive academic sources
that confirm the exact origins of the 60-Gapja.
But traces of the ancient Aryans
continue in the genetic and cultural lineage of the Xinjiang Uyghur region today.
And their perception of time—
it’s not entirely impossible that it flowed into the East.
One important caveat—
The term “Aryan” is now almost taboo in the West.
It was misunderstood by 19th-century European scholars
as a racial concept,
and was later misused by Hitler
to justify the idea that Germans were the rightful heirs of the Aryan race,
fueling racial supremacy.
As a result, “Aryan” became a word stained
by war, genocide, and violence.
But originally, the Aryans
were not a “superior race”—
they were ancient migrants who contemplated time and order.
So perhaps,
when we revisit the meaning of the 60-Gapja, we can say this:
It is not merely a divination system.
It is the Philosophy of Time left behind by the riders of the steppes.
In modern-day South Korea,
marriage is a matter of personal choice.
Individuals decide freely,
and they bear the consequences of that choice themselves.
But during the Joseon Dynasty, things were quite different.
Back then, marriage wasn’t driven by personal emotions—
it was a social ritual, strictly conducted according to Confucian customs.
To get married, one had to follow a series of ceremonial steps
known as “Yuk-Rye (六禮),” the Six Rites.
This was called a “Hon-Rye (婚禮),” or traditional wedding ceremony.
And this Hon-Rye was not simply a promise of love—
it was a socially binding contract between two families,
based on formal rituals and etiquette.
When a man or woman reached marriageable age,
the parents of both families would begin discussing the marriage
through a matchmaker, often called a maepa.
The bride and groom usually hadn’t even seen each other’s faces,
and were expected to accept the fate chosen by their parents.
In particular, for noble families (yangban),
family status (munbeol) and saju compatibility (gung-hap) were the most crucial factors.
The groom’s family would first send a marriage proposal letter (honseoji) to the bride’s family.
If accepted, the two families would compare the couple’s Four Pillars of Destiny (saju palja)
and choose an auspicious date (giril) to proceed with the marriage.
After that, wedding gifts and dowries were exchanged,
and on the appointed day, the wedding ceremony was held.
But this was no romantic celebration—
it was a solemn ritual where family honor and Confucian decorum were formally fulfilled.
At the time, there was no real concept of “divorce” as we know it today.
Instead, only the husband held the power to cast out his wife,
a practice known as sobak (掃黜)—
a patriarchal and authoritarian form of rejection.
So then, what about today?
As of 2024,
the official number of divorces in South Korea stands at approximately 91,000 cases.
While this figure has slightly decreased compared to the past,
it still remains around the OECD average,
and is considered relatively high among major Asian countries.
Marriage is one of the most important decisions in life.
However, many people make this choice swept up by a moment of attraction or the mood of the time.
And in the end—
they often find themselves looking back on their lives,
filled with regret and reflection that came too late.
But—
exactly 12 years ago,
there was a man who shook up South Korea.
People said of him:
“He hit the jackpot.”
That man was none other than Lee Sang-soon.
So the question is—
what kind of Saju (Four Pillars of Destiny)
did he possess
to end up building a life
with Korea’s top superstar, Lee Hyo-ri?
Let’s now take a closer look
at the hidden secrets within his K-Bazi.✨
Perhaps the first question many people have is—
“What kind of family did Lee Hyo-ri marry into?”
Lee Sang-soon’s family background is quite complex and layered.
To begin with, his paternal side is relatively modest.
His father was known to run a small snack restaurant as a self-employed business owner.
On the other hand, his maternal side is known for its wealth.
His maternal grandfather and uncle operated a high-end restaurant business,
with a solid foundation in the food service industry.
In other words, Lee Sang-soon’s upbringing came from a multi-layered background—
one side rooted in humble simplicity,
the other offering economic comfort and cultural refinement.
Lee Sang-soon is a skilled guitarist and composer,
who has long been a core member of several band projects.
In addition to that,
through solo work and as a radio DJ,
he has quietly maintained his own unique tone and identity across various fields.
More than just a musician—
he’s someone who has steadily walked his own path in life,
a true artist in every sense of the word.
The only solo album he has released is the EP Leesangsoon,
which came out in 2021.
However, even this album wasn’t a flashy commercial project aimed at mainstream success.
It was more of a quiet, delicate work that reflected his personal emotions.
Lee Sang-soon is not the type of “lead-singer solo artist”
who stands alone in the spotlight.
Rather, he is a sensitive supporter—
a musician who shines brighter in collaboration,
someone who brings out the best in others with his gentle musical touch.
One of the most striking features in Lee Sang-soon’s Saju is the presence of the Wealth Star, Im-Su (壬水), which is hidden within the hidden stems of Sin-Geum (申金), the Branch of the Month Pillar.
However, this Im-Su doesn’t just remain hidden.
It also appears clearly in the Heavenly Stem of the Month as Pyeonjae (偏財, Unorthodox Wealth),
exerting a strong and distinct influence across the entire Saju chart.
Such a configuration is typically interpreted in two ways:
1️⃣ The person comes from a financially well-off family, or
2️⃣ The spouse is extremely famous or wealthy.
In Lee Sang-soon’s case,
it clearly leans more toward the second interpretation.
Another notable feature is the Nyeon-Ju (Year Pillar), where Gap-In (甲寅) is located.
In the Heavenly Stem, we see Gap-Mok (甲木), representing Pyeongwan (偏官, Unorthodox Authority),
while in the Earthly Branch, In-Mok (寅木) firmly supports that authority—
a classic structure often associated with traditional “governmental or official roles” in K-Bazi.
Had the Fire element (Hwa 火)—which functions as the Inseong (印星, Resource Star)—
appeared visibly in the chart,
this configuration might have aligned well with a career in public service or bureaucracy.
However, in this Saju, Fire exists only in the hidden stems of In (寅) and Sul (戌),
remaining invisible on the surface.
In other words,
this is not the kind of Saju that thrives within rigid systems or hierarchical organizations.
Rather, greater fortune opens up when the person lives by their own emotions and style—
outside of conventional frameworks.
In 2009, Lee Sang-soon first met Lee Hyori through an introduction by Artist Jung Jae-young.
However, that encounter was more of a fleeting connection,
and at the time, it didn’t develop into a meaningful relationship.
Then in 2011, the two met again.
No one knows what invisible thread of fate brought them back together—
but this reunion marked the beginning of their serious relationship.
What’s interesting is that as early as 2008,
Lee Sang-soon had already entered a new Daewoon (Decade Luck Pillar) called Byeong-Ja (丙子).
This period marks the arrival of Fire (Hwa 火) energy—
which had been completely absent in his original Saju (K-Bazi) structure.
It brought a major shift in the tone, atmosphere, and emotional landscape of his life.
“When love blinds a woman, no one can stop her.”
Just like this age-old saying—
Lee Hyori and Lee Sang-soon charged forward with unstoppable love,
and eventually, they announced their marriage under the public spotlight.
However, public opinion at the time was mixed.
While many welcomed and celebrated the news,
there were also voices of confusion, envy, and even jealousy.
Nevertheless,
the couple moved to Jeju Island,
choosing a quiet and grounded life.
And as time passed,
the public’s heart slowly warmed to them.
But one question still lingers:
Did this couple consult a master fortune-teller for compatibility advice?
Or was it a reckless leap of faith, a “go big or go home” kind of gamble?
Considering they were already well into adulthood when they met,
and still exchange unwavering glances without having children—
perhaps that “blinding love”
is still going strong to this day.
👉 In the next chapter,
we’ll dig deeper into the heart of their love story through the lens of K-Bazi (Four Pillars of Destiny).
