Twelve Earthly Branches (Shi Er Di Zhi) Complete Foundation — Direction, Season, Hour, Zodiac, Hidden Stems • TIMEACTOR

Twelve Earthly Branches: The Full Map

Each branch is a bundle — direction, season, hour, animal, hidden stems all in one symbol

The Twelve Earthly Branches (十二地支 shí èr dì zhī) are the densest information carriers in Bazi. Every branch packs: direction, season, lunar month, two-hour period (shichen), zodiac animal, hidden stems, and Five Element. Yin (寅 yín): northeast / early spring / month 1 / 03:00-05:00 / Tiger / hides Jia, Bing, Wu. Mao (卯 mǎo): due east / mid-spring / month 2 / 05:00-07:00 / Rabbit / hides Yi. Chen (辰 chén): southeast / late spring / month 3 / 07:00-09:00 / Dragon / hides Yi, Wu, Gui. Si (巳 sì): southeast / early summer / month 4 / 09:00-11:00 / Snake / hides Bing, Wu, Geng. Wu (午 wǔ): due south / mid-summer / month 5 / 11:00-13:00 / Horse / hides Ding, Ji. Wei (未 wèi): southwest / late summer / month 6 / 13:00-15:00 / Goat / hides Yi, Ji, Ding. Shen (申 shēn): southwest / early autumn / month 7 / 15:00-17:00 / Monkey / hides Geng, Ren, Wu. You (酉 yǒu): due west / mid-autumn / month 8 / 17:00-19:00 / Rooster / hides Xin. Xu (戌 xū): northwest / late autumn / month 9 / 19:00-21:00 / Dog / hides Xin, Ding, Wu. Hai (亥 hài): northwest / early winter / month 10 / 21:00-23:00 / Pig / hides Ren, Jia. Zi (子 zǐ): due north / mid-winter / month 11 / 23:00-01:00 / Rat / hides Gui. Chou (丑 chǒu): northeast / late winter / month 12 / 01:00-03:00 / Ox / hides Ji, Gui, Xin.

Twelve Branches quick-reference: Yin Mao Chen = spring wood, east. Si Wu Wei = summer fire, south. Shen You Xu = autumn metal, west. Hai Zi Chou = winter water, north. Four Cardinals (四正 sì zhèng): Zi, Wu, Mao, You (pure, single hidden stem). Four Growths (四生 sì shēng): Yin, Shen, Si, Hai (three hidden stems each). Four Tombs/Storages (四墓库 sì mù kù): Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei (earth-dominant, multi-storage).

1. The three-category branch system

Four Cardinals (Zi, Wu, Mao, You): purest direction, purest hidden stems. Zi only stores Gui water. Wu stores Ding fire + Ji earth. Mao only stores Yi wood. You only stores Xin metal. These are the pure anchor points of Five Element force. Four Growths (Yin, Shen, Si, Hai): each stores three Heavenly Stems, messy energy but highest vitality — they're starting points, birthplaces. Yin stores Jia-Bing-Wu. Shen stores Geng-Ren-Wu. Si stores Bing-Wu-Geng. Hai stores Ren-Jia. Four Tombs (Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei): earth-dominant, each storing multiple stems. Chen: Yi-Wu-Gui. Xu: Xin-Ding-Wu. Chou: Ji-Gui-Xin. Wei: Yi-Ji-Ding. Three categories, three priorities in reading: Cardinals for purity and direction, Growths for origin and vitality, Tombs for storage and accumulation.

2. Direction and Five Element assignment

Yin-Mao-Chen = East Wood (Yin northeast, Mao due east, Chen southeast). Si-Wu-Wei = South Fire (Si southeast, Wu due south, Wei southwest). Shen-You-Xu = West Metal (Shen southwest, You due west, Xu northwest). Hai-Zi-Chou = North Water (Hai northwest, Zi due north, Chou northeast). Direction matters because it dictates where a branch's force concentrates. Multiple east-wood branches clustering together = wood's directional momentum takes shape. Directional attributes get heavier weight in Feng Shui crossover readings — but in pure Bazi, they still inform how branch combinations and clashes resolve spatially.

3. Month and shichen — the two clocks

Month clock (lunar): Yin = month 1, Mao = 2, Chen = 3, Si = 4, Wu = 5, Wei = 6, Shen = 7, You = 8, Xu = 9, Hai = 10, Zi = 11, Chou = 12. Month Branch IS the Month Pillar — governs 50% of the chart's baseline power. Shichen clock: Zi 23-01, Chou 01-03, Yin 03-05, Mao 05-07, Chen 07-09, Si 09-11, Wu 11-13, Wei 13-15, Shen 15-17, You 17-19, Xu 19-21, Hai 21-23. The Hour Pillar is your birth shichen — it reads the closing chapter and late-life resolve. Critical distinction: Month Branch tells you what season you were born into (the environment). Hour Branch tells you what time of day you arrived (the personal rhythm). Both matter. A Winter Month (Hai/Zi/Chou) + a Summer Hour (Si/Wu/Wei) = someone born into cold who warms up later in life. Reverse = born into heat who cools. Month + Hour together give you the full thermal arc of a life.

4. Hidden stems — reading what's stored beneath

Hidden stems (藏干 cáng gān) are the Heavenly Stems buried inside each Earthly Branch. They're the branch's internal resources. A branch may appear as one thing on the surface but carry a different element's power below. Cardinal branches store one stem — simplest to read. Growth branches store three — most complex, most potential. Tomb branches store two or three — accumulators. When reading a branch, always check its hidden stems: they're the unspoken layer of the chart, often the key to understanding why someone's surface behavior doesn't match their deeper drive.

Judgment Dimensions

Career & Wealth

Love & Relationship

Personality

Health

Classical Sources

Practical Application

Memorize the four-season rhythm: Yin-Mao-Chen = spring wood (east). Si-Wu-Wei = summer fire (south). Shen-You-Xu = autumn metal (west). Hai-Zi-Chou = winter water (north). Cardinals: purest. Growths: three hidden stems. Tombs: earth-based storage. Once internalized, every chart becomes spatial.
Month Branch first, always: When you get a chart, identify the Month Branch instantly. It sets 50% of the baseline. Is it Cardinal/Growth/Tomb? What hidden stems? From here, judge whether the Day Master has seasonal support.
Shichen as closing signal: Hour Pillar's branch reads the late-life verdict. Someone with a weak Month Branch but strong Hour Branch = late bloomer. Strong Month, weak Hour = early peak, late fade.

Follow-up Questions

Q:Why do Growth branches store three stems while Cardinals store only one?

Growth branches are birthplaces — energy is just emerging and still mixed with transitional elements. Cardinals are at peak purity — the energy has separated, so only the pure element remains. Tombs are final collection points — mixed again because everything gathers there.

Q:Does branch direction matter in Bazi or only in Feng Shui?

Direction matters in Bazi but differently than in Feng Shui. In Bazi, direction tells you where a branch's force concentrates — east-wood branches cluster = wood pressure from one direction. It affects how combinations and clashes resolve. Feng Shui applies it to physical space; Bazi applies it to force dynamics.