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Heavenly Stem 05 of 10 · 天干

戊

Wu

wù

Wu is the yang expression of the Earth 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
己 Ji
A late-summer landscape of terraces, grain fields and an earthen courtyard
The turn of each season · CentreThis landscape visualises the traditional seasonal and directional correspondences of Earth. Wu's yang position is supplied by the stem itself.

One sign, one fixed coordinate

What stays fixed for Wu

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

Sequence position
5 of 10

After 丁 Ding; before 己 Ji.

Five Combination · 五合
癸 Gui

The reciprocal partner five positions away in the stem sequence.

Fixed clash
壬 Ren

The opposing stem named by the fixed reference table.

Six meetings in sixty positions

Every Wu pillar in the cycle

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

  1. Position 05戊辰Example year 1988
  2. Position 15戊寅Example year 1998
  3. Position 25戊子Example year 2008
  4. Position 35戊戌Example year 2018
  5. Position 45戊申Example year 2028
  6. Position 55戊午Example year 2038

Inside the Earthly Branches · 藏干

Where 戊 is carried as a hidden stem

Branches contain one to three interior stems in a fixed order. 戊 appears inside 5 branches; its primary, middle or residual role stays attached to each occurrence.

  1. 01

    寅

    Tiger · Yin

    Wood branch

    residual

    The final stem in the branch’s interior order

  2. 02

    辰

    Dragon · Chen

    Earth branch

    primary

    The branch’s principal interior stem

  3. 03

    巳

    Snake · Si

    Fire branch

    residual

    The final stem in the branch’s interior order

  4. 04

    申

    Monkey · Shen

    Metal branch

    residual

    The final stem in the branch’s interior order

  5. 05

    戌

    Dog · Xu

    Earth branch

    primary

    The branch’s principal interior stem

Open the complete hidden-stem map

When 戊 is the Day Master · 日主

How Wu names all ten stem relationships

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