Five Phases & Ganzhi

Ganzhi

The 10 Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches are paired in sets of 60 to record years, months, days, and hours.

Heavenly Stems

Jiǎ, Yǐ, Bǐng, Dīng, Wù, Jǐ, Gēng, Xīn, Rén, Guǐ — ten in total. They are the top character in each of the Four Pillars.

Earthly Branches

Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai—twelve in total. It is the lower character in each pillar of the Four Pillars.

Five Elements (Wǔ Xíng)

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water. Each Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch belongs to one of these phases, and the derivation of a birth chart is largely based on their generating and overcoming relationships.

Generating

Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood. The former nourishes the latter.

Mutual Conquest (Xiāng Kè)

Wood克Earth, Earth克Water, Water克Fire, Fire克Metal, Metal克Wood. The former restrains the latter.

Hidden Stems

The one to three Heavenly Stems contained within each Earthly Branch. The strength of an Earthly Branch is only clear when its Hidden Stems are considered.

Yin-Yang

The concept of dividing things into two opposing aspects, such as firmness and yielding, movement and stillness. The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches each have yin and yang, and the generating and overcoming relationships of the Five Phases are also divided by yin and yang.

Sea-Metal

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, associated with Jiazi and Yichou, classified as Metal in the Five Elements.

Furnace Fire

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, assigned to the pillars Bingyin and Dingmao, belonging to the Fire element.

Dalimu (Big Forest Wood)

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with Wuchen and Jisi, belonging to the Wood element.

Roadside Earth

One of the sixty Jiazi Nayin, associated with Geng Wu and Xin Wei, belonging to the Earth element.

Sword Blade Metal (Jiàn Fēng Jīn)

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, associated with Rénshēn and Guǐyǒu; its Five Element is Metal.

Shan Tou Huo

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with Jia Xu and Yi Hai, belonging to the Fire element.

Jianxia Shui (Stream Water)

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with the earthly branches bingzi and dingchou; its five-element attribution is Water.

Cheng Tou Tu

One of the sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with Wuyin and Jimao, belonging to the Earth element in the Five Phases.

White Wax Gold

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with Gengchen and Xinsi, belonging to the Metal element.

Willow Wood

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with Renwu and Guiwei, belonging to the Wood element.

Spring Water in the Rock

One of the Nà Yīn (纳音) of the Sixty Jiǎzǐ (六十甲子), paired with Jiǎ Shēn (甲申) and Yǐ Yǒu (乙酉), with the Five Elements attribute of Water.

Wǔshàng Tǔ (Roof Earth)

One of the sixty Jiazi Nayin combinations, associated with Bǐngxū and Dīnghǎi, belonging to the Earth element in the Five Phases.

Thunderclap Fire (Pī Lì Huǒ)

It is one of the nayin of the Sixty Jiazi cycle, paired with Wùzǐ and Jǐchǒu, and its five-element attribute is fire.

Pine and Cypress Wood

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, associated with Gengyin and Xinmao; its Five Elements attribute is Wood.

Changliu Shui

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with Renchen and Guisi, with the five-element attribute of Water.

Gold in Sand (Shā Zhōng Jīn)

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin (納音) combinations. It corresponds to Jiǎwǔ (甲午) and Yǐwèi (乙未) and belongs to the Metal (金) element in the Five Phases.

shān xià huǒ (Fire Below the Mountain)

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with Bǐngshēn and Dīngyǒu, belonging to the Fire element in the Five Phases.

Ping Di Mu (Level-Ground Wood)

One of the Nayin of the Sixty Jiazi, paired with the Ganzhi Wuxu and Jihai, and belonging to the Wood element.

Wall Earth (Bì Shàng Tǔ)

English translation (one sentence, under 200 characters): One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with Gengzi and Xinchou, with the Five Elements attribute of Earth.

Jin Bo Jin

English translation, keep it to one sentence, under 200 characters: One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, associated with the heavenly stems and earthly branches Ren Yin and Gui Mao, belonging to the Metal element in the Five Phases.

Covering Lamp Fire (Fù Dēng Huǒ)

One of the sixty nayin, associated with Jiǎ Chén and Yǐ Sì, belonging to the Fire element.

Tian He Shui (Heavenly River Water)

One of the sixty *Jiazi Nayin*, associated with the years *Bingwu* and *Dingwei*; its Five Element is Water.

Dayi Earth

One of the sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with Wushen and Jiyou, belonging to the Earth element in the Five Phases.

Chai Chuan Jin

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin elements, associated with the years Geng Xu and Xin Hai, belonging to the Metal element in the Five Phases.

Mulberry and Cudrania Wood (Sāng Zhè Mù)

One of the sixty Jiazi Nayin, associated with the years Renzi and Guichou, belonging to the Wood element.

Dàxī Shuǐ (Great Stream Water)

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with Jiǎyín and Yǐmǎo, with the Five Element attribute of Water.

Sand in Earth (Shā Zhōng Tǔ)

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin, paired with Bǐngchén and Dīngsì, its Five Elements nature is Earth.

Heavenly Fire (tiān shàng huǒ)

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin pairings, corresponding to Wu Wu and Ji Wei, with the elemental attribute of Fire.

Pomegranate Wood (Shíliu Mù)

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin (Nà Yīn), paired with Gēngshēn and Xīnyǒu, belonging to the Wood element in the Five Phases (Wǔxíng).

Dahai Shui

One of the Sixty Jiazi Nayin; assigned to Renwu and Guihai; its Five Phases element is Water.