Get Chinese AstrologyChinese astrology atlas

Heavenly Stem 03 of 10 · 天干

丙

Bing

bǐng

Bing is the yang expression of the Fire phase. In a pillar it supplies phase and polarity; the Earthly Branch beside it supplies the animal and the twelve-position time coordinate.

Polarity
Yang
Phase partner
丁 Ding
A summer garden of red blossoms, a kiln, pavilion and sunlit mountains
Summer · SouthThis landscape visualises the traditional seasonal and directional correspondences of Fire. Bing's yang position is supplied by the stem itself.

One sign, one fixed coordinate

What stays fixed for Bing

Wherever 丙 appears—year, month, day or hour—it remains Yang Fire. Its position in a chart changes; these identities and stem-to-stem partners do not.

Sequence position
3 of 10

After 乙 Yi; before 丁 Ding.

Five Combination · 五合
辛 Xin

The reciprocal partner five positions away in the stem sequence.

Fixed clash
庚 Geng

The opposing stem named by the fixed reference table.

Six meetings in sixty positions

Every Bing pillar in the cycle

The ten stems and twelve branches advance together. 丙 therefore meets six branches before the sixty-position sequence returns to its opening pair.

  1. Position 03丙寅Example year 1986
  2. Position 13丙子Example year 1996
  3. Position 23丙戌Example year 2006
  4. Position 33丙申Example year 2016
  5. Position 43丙午Example year 2026
  6. Position 53丙辰Example year 2036

Inside the Earthly Branches · 藏干

Where 丙 is carried as a hidden stem

Branches contain one to three interior stems in a fixed order. 丙 appears inside 2 branches; its primary, middle or residual role stays attached to each occurrence.

  1. 01

    寅

    Tiger · Yin

    Wood branch

    middle

    The second stem in the branch’s interior order

  2. 02

    巳

    Snake · Si

    Fire branch

    primary

    The branch’s principal interior stem

Open the complete hidden-stem map

When 丙 is the Day Master · 日主

How Bing names all ten stem relationships

As the day stem, 丙 becomes the comparison point. The target stem's phase selects one of five relationship pairs, then its polarity selects the named member of that pair.

  1. 01甲JiaYang WoodIt generates the Day Master · same polarity偏印Indirect Resourcepiān yìn
  2. 02乙YiYin WoodIt generates the Day Master · different polarity正印Direct Resourcezhèng yìn
  3. 03丙BingYang FireSame phase · same polarity比肩Friendbǐ jiān
  4. 04丁DingYin FireSame phase · different polarity劫财Rob Wealthjié cái
  5. 05戊WuYang EarthDay Master generates it · same polarity食神Eating Godshí shén
  6. 06己JiYin EarthDay Master generates it · different polarity伤官Hurting Officershāng guān
  7. 07庚GengYang MetalDay Master controls it · same polarity偏财Indirect Wealthpiān cái
  8. 08辛XinYin MetalDay Master controls it · different polarity正财Direct Wealthzhèng cái
  9. 09壬RenYang WaterIt controls the Day Master · same polarity七杀Seven Killingsqī shā
  10. 10癸GuiYin WaterIt controls the Day Master · different polarity正官Direct Officerzhèng guān
Read the complete Ten Gods rule