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Heavenly Stem 02 of 10 · 天干

乙

Yi

yǐ

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

One sign, one fixed coordinate

What stays fixed for Yi

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

Sequence position
2 of 10

After 甲 Jia; before 丙 Bing.

Five Combination · 五合
庚 Geng

The reciprocal partner five positions away in the stem sequence.

Fixed clash
己 Ji

The opposing stem named by the fixed reference table.

Six meetings in sixty positions

Every Yi pillar in the cycle

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

  1. Position 02乙丑Example year 1985
  2. Position 12乙亥Example year 1995
  3. Position 22乙酉Example year 2005
  4. Position 32乙未Example year 2015
  5. Position 42乙巳Example year 2025
  6. Position 52乙卯Example year 2035

Inside the Earthly Branches · 藏干

Where 乙 is carried as a hidden stem

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

  1. 01

    卯

    Rabbit · Mao

    Wood branch

    primary

    The branch’s principal interior stem

  2. 02

    辰

    Dragon · Chen

    Earth branch

    middle

    The second stem in the branch’s interior order

  3. 03

    未

    Goat · Wei

    Earth branch

    residual

    The final stem in the branch’s interior order

Open the complete hidden-stem map

When 乙 is the Day Master · 日主

How Yi names all ten stem relationships

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