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Heavenly Stem 01 of 10 · 天干

甲

Jia

jiǎ

Jia is the yang expression of the Wood 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
乙 Yi
A spring garden of pine, bamboo, flowers, water and distant mountains
Spring · EastThis landscape visualises the traditional seasonal and directional correspondences of Wood. Jia's yang position is supplied by the stem itself.

One sign, one fixed coordinate

What stays fixed for Jia

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

Sequence position
1 of 10

After 癸 Gui; before 乙 Yi.

Five Combination · 五合
己 Ji

The reciprocal partner five positions away in the stem sequence.

Fixed clash
戊 Wu

The opposing stem named by the fixed reference table.

Six meetings in sixty positions

Every Jia pillar in the cycle

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

  1. Position 01甲子Example year 1984
  2. Position 11甲戌Example year 1994
  3. Position 21甲申Example year 2004
  4. Position 31甲午Example year 2014
  5. Position 41甲辰Example year 2024
  6. Position 51甲寅Example year 2034

Inside the Earthly Branches · 藏干

Where 甲 is carried as a hidden stem

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

  1. 01

    寅

    Tiger · Yin

    Wood branch

    primary

    The branch’s principal interior stem

  2. 02

    亥

    Pig · Hai

    Water branch

    middle

    The second stem in the branch’s interior order

Open the complete hidden-stem map

When 甲 is the Day Master · 日主

How Jia names all ten stem relationships

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