Earthly Branches (地支)

In a nutshell: The Earthly Branches are 12 ancient "codes" — two more than the Heavenly Stems — that traditional Chinese culture used to track months and hours.

What Is It?

There are 12 Earthly Branches in total:

Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai

The least common multiple of 10 Stems and 12 Branches is 60, giving us the Sexagenary Cycle (六十甲子) — the rotating system the ancients used to mark years, months, days, and hours.

Why Are They Important?

Earthly Branches are more complex than Heavenly Stems — each branch hides Heavenly Stems inside (藏干), making them a crucial tool in BaZi analysis.

How to Read Them in Your BaZi Chart

There are four main things to look for in the Earthly Branches:

1. Zodiac animals: Zi is Rat, Chou is Ox, Yin is Tiger… (the most widely known reading)
2. Months: Yin month runs from Lichun to Jingzhe, Mao month from Jingzhe to Qingming… (divided by solar terms, not calendar months)
3. Hours: Zi hour is 23:00–01:00, Chou hour is 01:00–03:00… (12 two-hour blocks spanning the full day)
4. Interactions: branches form clashes, combinations, punishments, and harms — far more intricate than the Heavenly Stems

Common Misconceptions

❌ "Branches are just zodiac signs" — the zodiac is only one popular expression of the branches; their full role in BaZi runs much deeper. ❌ "The 12 branches map to 12 calendar months" — they're actually divided by solar terms (节气), which don't line up with Gregorian months. ❌ "Hidden stems can be ignored" — hidden stems are the key to identifying patterns.

📜 Classical source: San Ming Tong Hui (《三命通会》), Volume 1, "On Earthly Branches" 🔗 Next: Five Elements