Earthly branch 6 of 12

Snake 巳 Branch: Hours 09:00–10:59, Fire & Trine

巳 Si is branch 6 of 12: the Snake, Yin Fire, hours 09:00–10:59, month opening at Lìxià 立夏. It clashes with Pig and joins the Metal trine with Rooster and Ox.

巳Si

Double hour09:00–10:59
DirectionSouth-southeast
Fixed phaseFire

What 巳 names

01
The hour
09:00–10:59
Traditionally the hour snakes leave their burrows without troubling anyone.
02
The month
立夏 Lìxià
Start of Summer opens it — month 4 counted from 立春, not from January.
03
The direction
South-southeast
The twelve branches divide the compass as they divide the day.
04
The phase
Fire
十二支五行 — the phase the branch itself carries.

Inside 巳: season and hidden stems

summer · yin Fire. The branch contains 丙 (primary fire), 庚 (middle metal), 戊 (residual earth). Compare the full hidden-stem register →

All branch memberships

丑 Ox: Shared Three Harmony group
寅 Tiger: Six Harm; Shared Punishment group
巳 Snake: Same branch
午 Horse: Shared Three Meeting group
未 Goat: Shared Three Meeting group
申 Monkey: Six Harmony; Six Destruction; Shared Punishment group
酉 Rooster: Shared Three Harmony group
亥 Pig: Six Clash

Its fixed relations

冲 · Clash
Pig 亥
Six places opposite, so the two never share a season or an hour.
六合 · Six harmony
Monkey 申
One of six pairs whose positions balance across the cycle.
三合 · Trine
Snake · Rooster · Ox
Four places apart, governing the Metal phase together.

The Snake in the Great Race

Place6of 12

Coiled unnoticed around the Horse's hoof for the crossing, the Snake slid free at the bank and startled it — sixth by surprise rather than by speed.

Read the complete Great Race story →

The five Snake pillars

Move around the circle

What 巳 names

The hour

The month

The direction

The phase

Inside 巳: season and hidden stems

All branch memberships

Its fixed relations

Pig 亥

Monkey 申

Snake · Rooster · Ox

The Snake in the Great Race

The five Snake pillars

The twelve branches