Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches with the Five Elements
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.