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Heavenly Stem 04 of 10 · 天干

丁

Ding

dīng

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

One sign, one fixed coordinate

What stays fixed for Ding

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

Sequence position
4 of 10

After 丙 Bing; before 戊 Wu.

Five Combination · 五合
壬 Ren

The reciprocal partner five positions away in the stem sequence.

Fixed clash
辛 Xin

The opposing stem named by the fixed reference table.

Six meetings in sixty positions

Every Ding pillar in the cycle

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

  1. Position 04丁卯Example year 1987
  2. Position 14丁丑Example year 1997
  3. Position 24丁亥Example year 2007
  4. Position 34丁酉Example year 2017
  5. Position 44丁未Example year 2027
  6. Position 54丁巳Example year 2037

Inside the Earthly Branches · 藏干

Where 丁 is carried as a hidden stem

Branches contain one to three interior stems in a fixed order. 丁 appears inside 3 branches; its primary, middle or residual role stays attached to each occurrence.

  1. 01

    午

    Horse · Wu

    Fire branch

    primary

    The branch’s principal interior stem

  2. 02

    未

    Goat · Wei

    Earth branch

    middle

    The second stem in the branch’s interior order

  3. 03

    戌

    Dog · Xu

    Earth branch

    residual

    The final stem in the branch’s interior order

Open the complete hidden-stem map

When 丁 is the Day Master · 日主

How Ding names all ten stem relationships

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