十二支方位 · twelve branches around one horizon
Chinese zodiac directions
The animal cycle is also a compass ring. Each Earthly Branch occupies one 30-degree sector, beginning with Rat at north and proceeding clockwise. The same order names twelve double hours and twelve solar-term months.
- Sectors
- 12 × 30°
- Opposing axes
- 6 × 180°
- Cardinal anchors
- Rat · Rabbit · Horse · Rooster
North at zero · clockwise by thirty degrees
The complete branch compass
A bearing below marks the centre of a branch sector. Its edges sit fifteen degrees either side. Rat therefore centres on 000° and covers 345°–015°; Horse centres on 180° across the same north–south axis.
- 01 · One fixed order
- Rat → Ox → Tiger continues clockwise through Pig, then returns to Rat.
- 02 · Four exact cardinals
- 子 Zi · Rat is north; 卯 Mao · Rabbit east; 午 Wu · Horse south; 酉 You · Rooster west.
- 03 · Sector, not a single ray
- The named bearing is the centre line. Every branch owns the full 30° interval printed in its record.
- 04 · One ring among several
- Eight trigrams and twelve branches are different divisions of the same horizon; they should not be collapsed into one list.
Direction · hour · month · relationships
All twelve sectors in branch order
Each record joins coordinates that belong to the same branch. Follow its animal for the full branch reference, its clock period for the hour page, or its opening solar term for the month boundary.
01子 000°Rat
Zi branch · Yang
- Compass
- North345°–015° sector
- Double hour
- 23:00–00:59
- Branch month
- Major SnowMonth 11 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Water
- Opposite
- 午 Wu · Horse
- Six Harmony
- 丑 Chou · Ox
02丑 030°Ox
Chou branch · Yin
- Compass
- North-northeast015°–045° sector
- Double hour
- 01:00–02:59
- Branch month
- Minor ColdMonth 12 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Earth
- Opposite
- 未 Wei · Goat
- Six Harmony
- 子 Zi · Rat
03寅 060°Tiger
Yin branch · Yang
- Compass
- East-northeast045°–075° sector
- Double hour
- 03:00–04:59
- Branch month
- Start of SpringMonth 1 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Wood
- Opposite
- 申 Shen · Monkey
- Six Harmony
- 亥 Hai · Pig
04卯 090°Rabbit
Mao branch · Yin
- Compass
- East075°–105° sector
- Double hour
- 05:00–06:59
- Branch month
- Awakening of InsectsMonth 2 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Wood
- Opposite
- 酉 You · Rooster
- Six Harmony
- 戌 Xu · Dog
05辰 120°Dragon
Chen branch · Yang
- Compass
- East-southeast105°–135° sector
- Double hour
- 07:00–08:59
- Branch month
- Clear and BrightMonth 3 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Earth
- Opposite
- 戌 Xu · Dog
- Six Harmony
- 酉 You · Rooster
06巳 150°Snake
Si branch · Yin
- Compass
- South-southeast135°–165° sector
- Double hour
- 09:00–10:59
- Branch month
- Start of SummerMonth 4 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Fire
- Opposite
- 亥 Hai · Pig
- Six Harmony
- 申 Shen · Monkey
07午 180°Horse
Wu branch · Yang
- Compass
- South165°–195° sector
- Double hour
- 11:00–12:59
- Branch month
- Grain in EarMonth 5 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Fire
- Opposite
- 子 Zi · Rat
- Six Harmony
- 未 Wei · Goat
08未 210°Goat
Wei branch · Yin
- Compass
- South-southwest195°–225° sector
- Double hour
- 13:00–14:59
- Branch month
- Minor HeatMonth 6 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Earth
- Opposite
- 丑 Chou · Ox
- Six Harmony
- 午 Wu · Horse
09申 240°Monkey
Shen branch · Yang
- Compass
- West-southwest225°–255° sector
- Double hour
- 15:00–16:59
- Branch month
- Start of AutumnMonth 7 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Metal
- Opposite
- 寅 Yin · Tiger
- Six Harmony
- 巳 Si · Snake
10酉 270°Rooster
You branch · Yin
- Compass
- West255°–285° sector
- Double hour
- 17:00–18:59
- Branch month
- White DewMonth 8 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Metal
- Opposite
- 卯 Mao · Rabbit
- Six Harmony
- 辰 Chen · Dragon
11戌 300°Dog
Xu branch · Yang
- Compass
- West-northwest285°–315° sector
- Double hour
- 19:00–20:59
- Branch month
- Cold DewMonth 9 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Earth
- Opposite
- 辰 Chen · Dragon
- Six Harmony
- 卯 Mao · Rabbit
12亥 330°Pig
Hai branch · Yin
- Compass
- North-northwest315°–345° sector
- Double hour
- 21:00–22:59
- Branch month
- Start of WinterMonth 10 from Li Chun
- Own phase
- Water
- Opposite
- 巳 Si · Snake
- Six Harmony
- 寅 Yin · Tiger
Relations made visible
Diameters, triangles and seasonal arcs
Several named branch relationships are positions on this circle before they are interpreted in a chart. The geometry explains why every branch has one clash, belongs to one Three Harmony group, and sits inside one seasonal meeting.
- 六冲 · Six Clashes
Six opposing diameters
Two branches six positions apart sit 180° across the circle.
- 三合 · Three Harmony
Four 120° triangles
Three branches four positions apart complete one phase-governed group.
- 三会 · Three Meetings
Four seasonal arcs
Three consecutive branches complete spring, summer, autumn or winter.
Six Clashes · 六冲
Every branch meets one opposite
Read the complete Six Clashes guide →- 子Rat000°01180°午Horse180°
- 丑Ox030°02180°未Goat210°
- 寅Tiger060°03180°申Monkey240°
- 卯Rabbit090°04180°酉Rooster270°
- 辰Dragon120°05180°戌Dog300°
- 巳Snake150°06180°亥Pig330°
Three Harmony · 三合
The four triangles
- 水120° steps
- 木120° steps
- 火120° steps
- 金120° steps
Three Meetings · 三会
The four seasonal arcs
- 木30° steps
- 火30° steps
- 金30° steps
- 水30° steps
One order · three different units
A direction is also an hour and month position
The branch stays the same while the measuring unit changes: thirty degrees of the horizon, two civil hours of the day, or one solar-term month of the year. These are coordinated labels, not claims that an hour literally points in a direction.
- 子CompassNorth000°Double hour23:00–00:59Rat hourMonth opens大雪 · Major SnowBranch month 11
- 卯CompassEast090°Double hour05:00–06:59Rabbit hourMonth opens惊蛰 · Awakening of InsectsBranch month 2
- 午CompassSouth180°Double hour11:00–12:59Horse hourMonth opens芒种 · Grain in EarBranch month 5
- 酉CompassWest270°Double hour17:00–18:59Rooster hourMonth opens白露 · White DewBranch month 8