BaZi World — Complete Reference: The 32 Building Blocks of BaZi
BaZi (八字, Four Pillars of Destiny) is the classical Chinese system that maps a birth moment onto four pairs of characters. Every chart, in any school, is built from the same 32 elements: the 10 Heavenly Stems (天干), the 12 Earthly Branches (地支), and the 10 Gods (十神). This page is the flat-HTML reference for BaZi World, the interactive 3D version of this material at schoolofbazi.com/world. All content is public, classical, sect-independent material presented in the most widely-taught convention; where classical sources genuinely split, that is said plainly.
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The 10 Heavenly Stems (天干)
The celestial energy forces cycling through time. A person’s Day Master is one of these ten — the central lens for reading a chart. Each stem is one of the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) in one of two polarities (Yang or Yin).
甲 Jiǎ — Yang Wood
甲 (Jiǎ) is the 1st of the 10 Heavenly Stems (天干) in BaZi — Yang Wood. Season: Early Spring · Direction: East · TCM organ: Liver / Gallbladder. Combines with 己 (甲己合土 — whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Produces 丙丁; controls 戊己.
甲 is Yang Wood — pictured for centuries as the tall, straight tree: timber growing upward toward light, visible from a distance, slow to bend. First of the ten stems, it carries a sense of beginnings, uprightness and steady, patient growth. Traditional imagery makes it the pillar and the beam — the wood that holds structures up. Its combination partner among the stems is 己 (甲己合土).
乙 Yǐ — Yin Wood
乙 (Yǐ) is the 2nd of the 10 Heavenly Stems (天干) in BaZi — Yin Wood. Season: Late Spring · Direction: East · TCM organ: Liver / Gallbladder. Combines with 庚 (乙庚合金 — whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Produces 丙丁; controls 戊己.
乙 is Yin Wood — the grass, the vine, the flowering plant. Where 甲 grows straight, 乙 bends, winds, and finds its way around obstacles; the storm that snaps a tree leaves the grass standing. Its classical character is flexibility, grace and quiet persistence. Second of the ten stems, it completes the Wood pair. Its combination partner is 庚 (乙庚合金).
丙 Bǐng — Yang Fire
丙 (Bǐng) is the 3rd of the 10 Heavenly Stems (天干) in BaZi — Yang Fire. Season: Early Summer · Direction: South · TCM organ: Heart / Small Intestine. Combines with 辛 (丙辛合水 — whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Produces 戊己; controls 庚辛.
丙 is Yang Fire — the sun itself in classical imagery: radiant, warm, impossible to ignore, shining on everyone impartially. It is the most outwardly expressive of the ten stems, associated with openness, enthusiasm and natural visibility. Where its Yin counterpart 丁 focuses light, 丙 floods the world with it. Its combination partner is 辛 (丙辛合水).
丁 Dīng — Yin Fire
丁 (Dīng) is the 4th of the 10 Heavenly Stems (天干) in BaZi — Yin Fire. Season: Late Summer · Direction: South · TCM organ: Heart / Small Intestine. Combines with 壬 (丁壬合木 — whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Produces 戊己; controls 庚辛.
丁 is Yin Fire — the lamp, the candle, the star: a small flame that holds steady through the night. Classical imagery gives it focus rather than blaze — light for what is near at hand, warmth offered quietly and precisely. It is also the flame of the hearth and the forge, associated with refinement and insight. Its combination partner is 壬 (丁壬合木).
戊 Wù — Yang Earth
戊 (Wù) is the 5th of the 10 Heavenly Stems (天干) in BaZi — Yang Earth. Season: Transitional · Direction: Centre · TCM organ: Spleen / Stomach. Combines with 癸 (戊癸合火 — whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Produces 庚辛; controls 壬癸.
戊 is Yang Earth — the mountain, the city wall, the dam: mass that does not move. Classical imagery makes it the great stabiliser, the ground that holds rivers to their courses and shelters what lives upon it. Among the stems it stands for reliability, containment and quiet authority. Its combination partner is 癸 (戊癸合火).
己 Jǐ — Yin Earth
己 (Jǐ) is the 6th of the 10 Heavenly Stems (天干) in BaZi — Yin Earth. Season: Transitional · Direction: Centre · TCM organ: Spleen / Stomach. Combines with 甲 (甲己合土 — whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Produces 庚辛; controls 壬癸.
己 is Yin Earth — the field, the garden soil: earth that receives, holds and grows things. Where 戊 is the unmoving mountain, 己 is cultivated ground — soft, fertile, hospitable to whatever is planted in it. Classical imagery associates it with nurture, tolerance and quiet usefulness. Its combination partner is 甲 (甲己合土).
庚 Gēng — Yang Metal
庚 (Gēng) is the 7th of the 10 Heavenly Stems (天干) in BaZi — Yang Metal. Season: Early Autumn · Direction: West · TCM organ: Lungs / Large Intestine. Combines with 乙 (乙庚合金 — whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Produces 壬癸; controls 甲乙.
庚 is Yang Metal — ore, axe and unforged steel: metal in its raw, forceful state. Classical imagery gives it the clean severity of autumn frost — cutting away what is finished so the new can come. Among the stems it stands for decisiveness, justice and strength in action. Its combination partner is 乙 (乙庚合金).
辛 Xīn — Yin Metal
辛 (Xīn) is the 8th of the 10 Heavenly Stems (天干) in BaZi — Yin Metal. Season: Late Autumn · Direction: West · TCM organ: Lungs / Large Intestine. Combines with 丙 (丙辛合水 — whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Produces 壬癸; controls 甲乙.
辛 is Yin Metal — the finished jewel, the polished blade, gold and pearl: metal after refinement. Classical imagery gives it discernment and delicacy — value produced through pressure and polish. Among the stems it is associated with precision, taste and a certain quiet pride in quality. Its combination partner is 丙 (丙辛合水).
壬 Rén — Yang Water
壬 (Rén) is the 9th of the 10 Heavenly Stems (天干) in BaZi — Yang Water. Season: Early Winter · Direction: North · TCM organ: Kidneys / Bladder. Combines with 丁 (丁壬合木 — whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Produces 甲乙; controls 丙丁.
壬 is Yang Water — the ocean, the great river: water in motion at scale. Classical imagery gives it breadth, momentum and resourcefulness — water that finds every channel, carries every cargo, and cannot be held in one shape for long. Among the stems it stands for vision, drive and fluid intelligence. Its combination partner is 丁 (丁壬合木).
癸 Guǐ — Yin Water
癸 (Guǐ) is the 10th of the 10 Heavenly Stems (天干) in BaZi — Yin Water. Season: Late Winter · Direction: North · TCM organ: Kidneys / Bladder. Combines with 戊 (戊癸合火 — whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Produces 甲乙; controls 丙丁.
癸 is Yin Water — rain, dew, mist and spring water: the gentlest stem, and the last of the ten. Classical imagery gives it patience and pervasiveness — water that asks no attention yet reaches everything, nourishing quietly from below. It is associated with intuition, subtlety and endurance. Its combination partner is 戊 (戊癸合火).
The 12 Earthly Branches (地支)
The temporal containers — months, hours, years. Each branch carries a zodiac animal, a season, and one to three hidden stems (main, secondary, residual — by relative strength).
子 Zǐ — Rat
子 (Zǐ, the Rat branch) is the 1st of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Water element, Winter. Hidden stems: 癸 (main). Six Harmony: 子丑合土 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 申子辰 → Water. Clash: 子午沖 (direct clash). Penalty: 子卯 (Uncivilised Penalty). Harm: 子未害.
子 is the Rat — first of the twelve branches, the pivot of deep winter. It marks the mid-winter month (仲冬) and the midnight double-hour (23:00–01:00): the moment the old day ends and the new one quietly begins. A "peak" branch (四正), it is Water at its purest, holding a single hidden stem, 癸. In the Water triad 申子辰 it is the crest of the wave.
丑 Chǒu — Ox
丑 (Chǒu, the Ox branch) is the 2nd of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Earth element, Winter. Hidden stems: 己 (main), 癸, 辛 (residual). Six Harmony: 子丑合土 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 巳酉丑 → Metal. Clash: 丑未沖 (storage release). Penalty: 丑戌未 (Bullying Penalty). Harm: 丑午害.
丑 is the Ox — the frozen fields of late winter (季冬), and the double-hour 01:00–03:00, when the ox rises to work before dawn. An Earth "storage" branch (四库), it is a vault holding three stems: 己 earth, 癸 water and 辛 metal. In the Metal triad 巳酉丑 it is the storehouse where Metal is kept.
寅 Yín — Tiger
寅 (Yín, the Tiger branch) is the 3rd of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Wood element, Spring. Hidden stems: 甲 (main), 丙, 戊 (residual). Six Harmony: 寅亥合木 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 寅午戌 → Fire. Clash: 寅申沖 (cutting clash). Penalty: 寅巳申 (Ungrateful Penalty). Harm: 寅巳害.
寅 is the Tiger — the first month of spring (孟春) and the double-hour 03:00–05:00, when night turns toward day. A "growth" branch (四生), it is where things begin: Yang Wood 甲 is its main hidden stem, with 丙 fire and 戊 earth stored beside it. In the Fire triad 寅午戌, 寅 is the birthplace where Fire first kindles.
卯 Mǎo — Rabbit
卯 (Mǎo, the Rabbit branch) is the 4th of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Wood element, Spring. Hidden stems: 乙 (main). Six Harmony: 卯戌合火 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 亥卯未 → Wood. Clash: 卯酉沖 (cutting clash). Penalty: 子卯 (Uncivilised Penalty). Harm: 卯辰害.
卯 is the Rabbit — mid-spring (仲春) and the double-hour 05:00–07:00: sunrise, when the day's doors open. A "peak" branch (四正), it is Wood at its purest, holding a single hidden stem, 乙. In the Wood triad 亥卯未 it is the crest — spring in full leaf, growth at its most tender and most rapid.
辰 Chén — Dragon
辰 (Chén, the Dragon branch) is the 5th of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Earth element, Spring. Hidden stems: 戊 (main), 乙, 癸 (residual). Six Harmony: 辰酉合金 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 申子辰 → Water. Clash: 辰戌沖 (storage release). Penalty: 辰刑辰 (self-penalty). Harm: 卯辰害.
辰 is the Dragon — the last month of spring (季春) and the double-hour 07:00–09:00: morning mist over wet fields. An Earth "storage" branch (四库), it is the richest vault of the twelve: 戊 earth as its main stem, with 乙 wood and 癸 water stored within. In the Water triad 申子辰 it is the reservoir where Water is banked.
巳 Sì — Snake
巳 (Sì, the Snake branch) is the 6th of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Fire element, Summer. Hidden stems: 丙 (main), 庚, 戊 (residual). Six Harmony: 巳申合水 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 巳酉丑 → Metal. Clash: 巳亥沖 (direct clash). Penalty: 寅巳申 (Ungrateful Penalty). Harm: 寅巳害.
巳 is the Snake — the first month of summer (孟夏) and the double-hour 09:00–11:00, when the sun climbs in earnest. A "growth" branch (四生), its main hidden stem is 丙 Yang Fire, with 庚 metal and 戊 earth stored beside it. In the Metal triad 巳酉丑, 巳 is — perhaps surprisingly — where Metal is born: refining begins at the forge fire.
午 Wǔ — Horse
午 (Wǔ, the Horse branch) is the 7th of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Fire element, Summer. Hidden stems: 丁 (main), 己. Six Harmony: 午未合火 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 寅午戌 → Fire. Clash: 子午沖 (direct clash). Penalty: 午刑午 (self-penalty). Harm: 丑午害.
午 is the Horse — midsummer (仲夏) and the double-hour 11:00–13:00: high noon, the sun at its zenith. A "peak" branch (四正), it is Fire at maximum, holding 丁 fire as its main hidden stem with 己 earth beside it. In the Fire triad 寅午戌 it is the blaze itself — the crest of heat and light.
未 Wèi — Goat
未 (Wèi, the Goat branch) is the 8th of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Earth element, Summer. Hidden stems: 己 (main), 丁, 乙 (residual). Six Harmony: 午未合火 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 亥卯未 → Wood. Clash: 丑未沖 (storage release). Penalty: 丑戌未 (Bullying Penalty). Harm: 子未害.
未 is the Goat — the last month of summer (季夏) and the double-hour 13:00–15:00: the drowsy heat after noon. An Earth "storage" branch (四库), it holds 己 earth as its main stem with 丁 fire and 乙 wood stored within — warm soil with summer's memory inside. In the Wood triad 亥卯未 it is where Wood is stored.
申 Shēn — Monkey
申 (Shēn, the Monkey branch) is the 9th of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Metal element, Autumn. Hidden stems: 庚 (main), 壬, 戊 (residual). Six Harmony: 巳申合水 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 申子辰 → Water. Clash: 寅申沖 (cutting clash). Penalty: 寅巳申 (Ungrateful Penalty). Harm: 申亥害.
申 is the Monkey — the first month of autumn (孟秋) and the double-hour 15:00–17:00, when the day begins its descent. A "growth" branch (四生), its main hidden stem is 庚 Yang Metal, with 壬 water and 戊 earth stored beside it. In the Water triad 申子辰, 申 is where Water is born — autumn springs feeding winter's rivers.
酉 Yǒu — Rooster
酉 (Yǒu, the Rooster branch) is the 10th of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Metal element, Autumn. Hidden stems: 辛 (main). Six Harmony: 辰酉合金 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 巳酉丑 → Metal. Clash: 卯酉沖 (cutting clash). Penalty: 酉刑酉 (self-penalty). Harm: 酉戌害.
酉 is the Rooster — mid-autumn (仲秋) and the double-hour 17:00–19:00: sunset, when the birds return to roost. A "peak" branch (四正), it is Metal at its purest, holding a single hidden stem, 辛. In the Metal triad 巳酉丑 it is the finished blade — refinement complete, with the cool clarity of the harvest moon.
戌 Xū — Dog
戌 (Xū, the Dog branch) is the 11th of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Earth element, Autumn. Hidden stems: 戊 (main), 辛, 丁 (residual). Six Harmony: 卯戌合火 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 寅午戌 → Fire. Clash: 辰戌沖 (storage release). Penalty: 丑戌未 (Bullying Penalty). Harm: 酉戌害.
戌 is the Dog — the last month of autumn (季秋) and the double-hour 19:00–21:00, when lamps are lit and the dog takes up its watch at the gate. An Earth "storage" branch (四库), it holds 戊 earth as its main stem with 辛 metal and 丁 fire stored within. In the Fire triad 寅午戌 it is where Fire is banked — the hearth's embers kept safe overnight.
亥 Hài — Pig
亥 (Hài, the Pig branch) is the 12th of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Water element, Winter. Hidden stems: 壬 (main), 甲. Six Harmony: 寅亥合木 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 亥卯未 → Wood. Clash: 巳亥沖 (direct clash). Penalty: 亥刑亥 (self-penalty). Harm: 申亥害.
亥 is the Pig — the first month of winter (孟冬) and the double-hour 21:00–23:00, when the household settles toward sleep. A "growth" branch (四生) and the last of the twelve, it holds 壬 Yang Water as its main stem with 甲 wood stored beside it. In the Wood triad 亥卯未, 亥 is where Wood is born — winter waters already raising spring's forests.
The 10 Gods (十神)
Not deities: the ten relational roles any stem can play relative to a Day Master, derived from element relationship and polarity match.
比肩 Bǐjiān — Peer
比肩 (Bǐjiān, "Peer") is one of the Ten Gods (十神) of BaZi — the role a stem plays relative to the Day Master: same element as the day master, same polarity. Direct/Indirect counterpart: 劫財.
比肩 ("shoulder to shoulder") is the god formed when a stem shares the Day Master's element and polarity — its exact peer. It stands for equals: colleagues, teammates, friends who walk at your pace, and the self-reliance that comes of knowing your own kind. Classical readings associate it with independence, steadiness under competition, and resources shared among equals.
劫財 Jiécái — Competitor
劫財 (Jiécái, "Competitor") is one of the Ten Gods (十神) of BaZi — the role a stem plays relative to the Day Master: same element as the day master, opposite polarity. Direct/Indirect counterpart: 比肩.
劫財 ("wealth-taker") is formed when a stem shares the Day Master's element but not its polarity — kin, yet differently charged. It is the bolder sibling of 比肩: the rival, the daring partner, the friend who borrows without asking. Classical readings associate it with boldness, sociability, and the tension between camaraderie and competing for the same resources.
食神 Shíshén — Output
食神 (Shíshén, "Output") is one of the Ten Gods (十神) of BaZi — the role a stem plays relative to the Day Master: what the day master produces, same polarity. Direct/Indirect counterpart: 傷官.
食神 ("the eating god") is formed when the Day Master produces a stem of its own polarity — expression flowing naturally outward. It is the god of ease: cooking, craft, art, play, the pleasure of making things without strain. Classical readings associate it with creativity, contentment, nourishment, and a temperament that disarms hostility rather than confronting it.
傷官 Shāngguān — Unconventional Output
傷官 (Shāngguān, "Unconventional Output") is one of the Ten Gods (十神) of BaZi — the role a stem plays relative to the Day Master: what the day master produces, opposite polarity. Direct/Indirect counterpart: 食神.
傷官 ("the officer-wounder") is formed when the Day Master produces a stem of opposite polarity — expression with an edge. Its very name records its classical reputation: brilliance that chafes against authority (what it "wounds" is the orderly 正官). It stands for performance, wit, innovation, and the refusal to leave rules unquestioned.
七殺 Qīshā — Seven Killings
七殺 (Qīshā, "Seven Killings") is one of the Ten Gods (十神) of BaZi — the role a stem plays relative to the Day Master: controls the day master, same polarity. Direct/Indirect counterpart: 正官.
七殺 ("seven killings") is formed when a stem controls the Day Master with the same polarity — pressure without the buffer. The name is positional: counting from any stem, its same-polarity controller stands seventh. It is the god of raw challenge: the drill instructor, the crisis, the adversary that forges. Classical readings associate it with courage, command and survival instinct.
正官 Zhèngguān — Direct Officer
正官 (Zhèngguān, "Direct Officer") is one of the Ten Gods (十神) of BaZi — the role a stem plays relative to the Day Master: controls the day master, opposite polarity. Direct/Indirect counterpart: 七殺.
正官 ("the proper officer") is formed when a stem controls the Day Master from the opposite polarity — discipline that fits, like a well-tailored uniform. It is the god of order: law, duty, position, reputation, the structures a person upholds and is upheld by. Classical readings make it the emblem of integrity and public trust.
偏印 Piānyìn — Indirect Resource
偏印 (Piānyìn, "Indirect Resource") is one of the Ten Gods (十神) of BaZi — the role a stem plays relative to the Day Master: produces the day master, same polarity. Direct/Indirect counterpart: 正印.
偏印 ("the offset seal") is formed when a stem produces the Day Master with the same polarity — nourishment through an unconventional channel. It is the god of the self-taught: intuition, specialised or unusual study, insight arrived at alone. In one specific configuration — suppressing the easeful 食神 — classical texts give it a darker name: 梟神, the owl.
正印 Zhèngyìn — Direct Resource
正印 (Zhèngyìn, "Direct Resource") is one of the Ten Gods (十神) of BaZi — the role a stem plays relative to the Day Master: produces the day master, opposite polarity. Direct/Indirect counterpart: 偏印.
正印 ("the proper seal") is formed when a stem produces the Day Master from the opposite polarity — nourishment that fits. The seal (印) was the emblem of office and legitimacy: this god stands for what supports and certifies a person — learning, mentors, protection, a good name inherited rather than seized. Classical readings associate it with scholarship, kindness and security.
偏財 Piāncái — Indirect Wealth
偏財 (Piāncái, "Indirect Wealth") is one of the Ten Gods (十神) of BaZi — the role a stem plays relative to the Day Master: what the day master controls, same polarity. Direct/Indirect counterpart: 正財.
偏財 ("offset wealth") is formed when the Day Master controls a stem of the same polarity — resources held with an open hand. It is the god of circulating fortune: opportunities, ventures, windfalls, money that moves. Classical readings associate it with generosity, sociability and commercial instinct — wealth as a current to ride rather than a store to guard.
正財 Zhèngcái — Direct Wealth
正財 (Zhèngcái, "Direct Wealth") is one of the Ten Gods (十神) of BaZi — the role a stem plays relative to the Day Master: what the day master controls, opposite polarity. Direct/Indirect counterpart: 偏財.
正財 ("proper wealth") is formed when the Day Master controls a stem of opposite polarity — resources managed with a fitted grip. It is the god of earned things: salary, savings, property maintained, results built by diligence. Classical readings associate it with practicality, thrift, dependability, and the satisfactions of honest accumulation.
Relationship reference
Production cycle (相生): Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood.
Control cycle (相克): Wood → Earth → Water → Fire → Metal → Wood.
Five Stem Combinations (五合): 甲己合土 · 乙庚合金 · 丙辛合水 · 丁壬合木 · 戊癸合火. Presented as "combine"; whether a combination fully transforms depends on chart context.
Six Harmonies (六合): 子丑合土 · 寅亥合木 · 卯戌合火 · 辰酉合金 · 巳申合水 · 午未合 (semi-harmony; classical sources genuinely split on what, if anything, it produces — no fixed transformation is shown).
Three Harmonies (三合): 申子辰 → Water · 亥卯未 → Wood · 寅午戌 → Fire · 巳酉丑 → Metal. A two-branch half-harmony is genuinely weaker than a full triad.
Six Clashes (六沖): 丑未沖 and 辰戌沖 (storage release — two Earth storage branches forced open) · 子午沖 and 巳亥沖 (direct clash — Water against Fire, mutual) · 寅申沖 and 卯酉沖 (cutting clash — Metal cutting Wood, one-sided).
Penalties (刑): 寅巳申 (Ungrateful Penalty) · 丑戌未 (Bullying Penalty) · self-penalties 子刑子 / 午刑午 / 酉刑酉 / 亥刑亥 (the self-penalty set is a point where classical sources vary; flagged for accuracy review).
Harms (六害): 子未害 · 丑午害 · 寅巳害 · 卯辰害 · 申亥害 · 酉戌害.
All interpretive prose on this page and the entity pages is placeholder pending accuracy review by Master Yi Xin (content policy: classical basics, most widely-taught convention, no lineage attribution).