Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches with the Five Elements
The Ten Heavenly Stems
Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui — each carries its own yin-yang and Five-Element nature:
| Stem | Yin-Yang & Element | Symbolic Imagery |
|---|---|---|
| Jia (甲) / Yi (乙) | Yang Wood / Yin Wood | Great trees / Flowers and grass |
| Bing (丙) / Ding (丁) | Yang Fire / Yin Fire | The sun / Lamps and candles |
| Wu (戊) / Ji (己) | Yang Earth / Yin Earth | Mountains / Farmland and gardens |
| Geng (庚) / Xin (辛) | Yang Metal / Yin Metal | Swords and blades / Pearls and jade |
| Ren (壬) / Gui (癸) | Yang Water / Yin Water | Rivers and seas / Rain and dew |
The Twelve Earthly Branches
Zi (子), Chou (丑), Yin (寅), Mao (卯), Chen (辰), Si (巳), Wu (午), Wei (未), Shen (申), You (酉), Xu (戌), Hai (亥) — these correspond to the twelve zodiac animals, the months, and the two-hour periods of the day.
The hidden stems within each Earthly Branch (for example, Yin hides Jia, Bing, and Wu) determine the true composition of Five-Element strength.
The Generating and Overcoming Cycles of the Five Elements
- Generating (相生): Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood
- Overcoming (相克): Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal, Metal overcomes Wood
Stem-Branch Relationships
- Six Harmonies (六合): Zi-Chou, Yin-Hai, Mao-Xu, Chen-You, Si-Shen, Wu-Wei — cooperative affinity
- Three Harmonies (三合): Shen-Zi-Chen (Water), Yin-Wu-Xu (Fire), Si-You-Chou (Metal), Hai-Mao-Wei (Wood) — combining into a bureau with great power
- Six Clashes (六冲): Zi-Wu, Chou-Wei, Yin-Shen, Mao-You, Chen-Xu, Si-Hai — opposition and impulsive conflict
- Punishments and Harms (刑害): The Yin-Si-Shen triple punishment, the Chou-Xu-Wei triple punishment, the Zi-Mao punishment, etc. — hidden harm and disputes
- Void (空亡): The branch falling into the ten-day cycle's void loses its strength — matters become hollow and fail to materialize
These relationships are universally applied across BaZi charts, Qi Men Dun Jia charts, and Zi Wei Dou Shu annual readings — they form the underlying grammar of the entire destiny-analysis system.