The Ten Heavenly Stems: Reading Jia to Gui Through the Di Tian Sui
Four of the eight characters in a BaZi chart are Heavenly Stems. They are more than the five elements under other names: Jia and Yi are both Wood, but Jia is a towering tree and Yi a climbing vine; Bing and Ding are both Fire, but Bing is the sun and Ding a candle flame. The Di Tian Sui (滴天髓), among the most respected BaZi classics since the Ming and Qing dynasties, gives each stem a verse of four-character lines on its nature and needs. This page is about the stem as a symbol. For a stem read as you, your personality and life, see the Ten Day Masters.
The ten stems at a glance
| Stem | Yin / Yang | Element | Imagery | Opening lines of the verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jia 甲 | Yang | Wood | a towering tree, timber for beams | 甲木參天，脫胎要火 Jia Wood towers to the sky; to shed its husk it needs Fire. |
| Yi 乙 | Yin | Wood | flowers, grasses and vines: pliant, resilient plants | 乙木雖柔，刲羊解牛 Yi Wood, though soft, can carve up the Goat and the Ox. |
| Bing 丙 | Yang | Fire | the sun, fire that shines on everything | 丙火猛烈，欺霜侮雪 Bing Fire is fierce and blazing; it scorns frost and mocks snow. |
| Ding 丁 | Yin | Fire | a lamp, candle or hearth fire: soft light that lasts | 丁火柔中，內性昭融 Ding Fire is soft and centered; its inner nature is bright and clear. |
| Wu 戊 | Yang | Earth | a mountain, a city wall, thick heavy earth | 戊土固重，既中且正 Wu Earth is solid and weighty, both central and upright. |
| Ji 己 | Yin | Earth | fields and gardens: moist soil that can be farmed | 己土卑濕，中正蓄藏 Ji Earth is low and damp, central and upright, it stores and holds. |
| Geng 庚 | Yang | Metal | blades and ore: metal not yet worked | 庚金帶煞，剛健為最 Geng Metal carries a killing edge, the most unyielding of all. |
| Xin 辛 | Yin | Metal | jewels and ornaments: fine, warm-toned metal | 辛金軟弱，溫潤而清 Xin Metal is soft and yielding, warm, smooth and clear. |
| Ren 壬 | Yang | Water | rivers and the sea: water on the move | 壬水通河，能洩金氣 Ren Water joins the rivers and can drain off the qi of Metal. |
| Gui 癸 | Yin | Water | rain, dew and springs: fine water that seeps in | 癸水至弱，達於天津 Gui Water is the weakest of all, yet it reaches the Heavenly Ford. |
The general verse: five yang, five yin
The Di Tian Sui opens its section on the stems by dividing them into yang and yin: 五陽皆陽丙為最，五陰皆陰癸為至。五陽從氣不從勢，五陰從勢無情義。
- 五陽皆陽丙為最 (Of the five yang stems, Bing is the most yang): among the five yang stems, Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng and Ren, Bing Fire is the yang of the yang.
- 五陰皆陰癸為至 (of the five yin stems, Gui is the most yin): among the five yin stems, Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin and Gui, Gui Water is the yin of the yin.
- 五陽從氣不從勢 (The five yang follow their own qi, not the prevailing force): a yang stem has qi of its own. Give it even a little root and it does not easily change with its surroundings.
- 五陰從勢無情義 (the five yin follow the prevailing force, without clinging): a yin stem goes along with the prevailing force; when the surroundings are strong, it follows them. The phrase often rendered "without loyalty" means it does not dig in, not that it is morally lacking.
That is also why follow structures in BaZi turn up mostly with yin day stems: a yin stem goes along with a chart's dominant force more readily. See follow structures.
The five stem combinations and four clashes
| Combination | Transforms to | Classical name |
|---|---|---|
| Jia–Ji | Earth | The Combination of Uprightness |
| Yi–Geng | Metal | The Combination of Benevolence and Righteousness |
| Bing–Xin | Water | The Combination of Awe and Control |
| Ding–Ren | Wood | The Combination of Passion (an old name for the emotional pull between the two) |
| Wu–Gui | Fire | The Combination of Detachment |
Each yang stem combines with the yin stem five places after it (Jia with Ji, Yi with Geng, and so on). A combination does not always transform: that depends on whether the month branch and the rest of the chart support the transformed element; see transformation structures. The stems also have four clashes: Jia–Geng, Yi–Xin, Bing–Ren and Ding–Gui, pairs with the same polarity whose elements control each other. Wu and Ji sit at the center and have no clash.
A stem on the year, month or hour pillar
| Position | Common reading |
|---|---|
| Year stem | Family background, early surroundings, the first impression you give |
| Month stem | Your stage for study and work, parents and siblings, your role in society; the month stem is the one most visible to others |
| Day stem | You (the Day Master) |
| Hour stem | Children and the younger generation, later life, long-term plans and work |
The same stem speaks about different areas of life depending on where it sits. Geng Metal on the month stem is often read as rules and pressure in your working world; on the hour stem, as a streak of toughness in later life or long-term plans. For the full meaning of each position, see the palaces of the Four Pillars.
Your day stem in the Di Tian Sui: the verse's conditions, checked one by one
Enter your date of birth (the hour is optional). You will see your day stem's verse, whether each line that sets out a checkable condition holds in your chart, and whether your year, month and hour stems produce, control or combine with your day stem. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Uses your Gregorian birth date, with the day changing at 11 p.m. "On a stem" means it appears on the year, month or hour stem; "hidden in the branches" means it appears among the hidden stems of the branches.
Three common misunderstandings
The stems are just the five elements under another name.
There are only five elements; split by yin and yang, they become ten stems. Jia and Yi are both Wood yet behave very differently: Jia is upright and grows straight up, Yi is pliant and borrows strength. The ten verses of the Di Tian Sui are about exactly this difference between stems of the same element and opposite polarity.
Yang stems are stronger than yin stems.
"The five yang follow their own qi" says a yang stem has a mind of its own and does not easily change with its surroundings, not that it is stronger. A yin stem knows how to go with the flow, and in many situations that keeps it safer.
A stem combination always transforms.
Combining is a mutual pull; transforming needs conditions. The month branch has to support the transformed element and nothing in the chart can strongly break it. Most combinations simply bind: the two stems hold each other in place.
The ten stems, one by one
A straight word: an old verse is a point of view, not a verdict
The Di Tian Sui is one of the most respected classical texts on BaZi from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and its section on the ten stems sums up each stem's nature and needs in four-character lines. Its strength is its brevity, and so is its weakness: commentators over the centuries have read the same line in different ways. We test the lines that set out checkable conditions against real charts and present the rest as written, without stretching them into predictions of good or bad fortune. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment.
What does your day stem need, according to the Di Tian Sui?
The in-depth reading sets out your day stem's nature and needs together with the rest of your chart, across twelve areas including career, love and money.
Ten Heavenly Stems FAQ
What are the ten Heavenly Stems?
Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren and Gui (甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸). Jia and Yi are Wood, Bing and Ding Fire, Wu and Ji Earth, Geng and Xin Metal, Ren and Gui Water; Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng and Ren are yang, and Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin and Gui are yin.
What is the Di Tian Sui's section on the ten stems?
The Di Tian Sui is one of the most respected classical BaZi texts from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its section on the stems gives each one a verse of four-character lines on its nature and needs, such as "Jia Wood towers to the sky; to shed its husk it needs Fire" and "Yi Wood, though soft, can carve up the Goat and the Ox."
What does "the five yang follow their own qi, the five yin follow the prevailing force" mean?
A yang stem has qi of its own; with any root at all, it does not easily change with its surroundings. A yin stem more readily goes along with the dominant force in the chart. It is one reason follow structures appear mostly with yin day stems.
What are the five stem combinations?
Jia–Ji combine (transforming to Earth), Yi–Geng (to Metal), Bing–Xin (to Water), Ding–Ren (to Wood) and Wu–Gui (to Fire). A combination does not always transform; it depends on whether the month branch and the whole chart support the transformed element.
How is a Heavenly Stem different from the Day Master?
The Day Master is the stem of the day pillar and stands for you; "Heavenly Stem" covers the top character of all four pillars. This cluster is about the stem as a symbol; for a stem read as your own personality, see the Ten Day Masters.