What are Heavenly Stems?
Heavenly Stems (Tiangan 天干) or Ten Stems (Shigan 十干) are ten characters representing the energy of heaven. In Bazi (Four Pillars), the upper character of each pillar is a Heavenly Stem.
The Heavenly Stems are formed by assigning Yin and Yang to each of the Five Elements, creating 10 stems. They are divided into Yang (陽) stems with active energy and Yin (陰) stems with passive energy.
| Element | Yang Stem | Yin Stem |
|---|---|---|
| Wood (木) | Jia (甲) | Yi (乙) |
| Fire (火) | Bing (丙) | Ding (丁) |
| Earth (土) | Wu (戊) | Ji (己) |
| Metal (金) | Geng (庚) | Xin (辛) |
| Water (水) | Ren (壬) | Gui (癸) |
The Ten Heavenly Stems
甲 Jia Wood (Yang Wood)
Large tree, beam. Upright, strong, with leadership qualities. High self-esteem and pioneering, but may lack flexibility.
乙 Yi Wood (Yin Wood)
Grass, vines, flowers. Soft, flexible, and highly adaptable. Delicate and artistic, but may be dependent.
丙 Bing Fire (Yang Fire)
Sun, great fire. Bright, passionate, and active. Honest and bold, but may be hasty and hot-tempered.
丁 Ding Fire (Yin Fire)
Candle, lamp. Warm, delicate, and deeply considerate. Polite and cultured, but may be timid.
戊 Wu Earth (Yang Earth)
Mountain, embankment, vast land. Reliable and embracing. Trustworthy, but may be stubborn and slow.
己 Ji Earth (Yin Earth)
Garden, field. Gentle and practical. Meticulous and sincere, but may be passive.
庚 Geng Metal (Yang Metal)
Iron, rock, sword. Strong and decisive. Loyal and brave, but may be cold and rough.
辛 Xin Metal (Yin Metal)
Jewelry, needle. Delicate, sensitive, and perfectionist. Refined and intelligent, but may be overly sensitive and picky.
壬 Ren Water (Yang Water)
Ocean, great river. Wise and grand in scale. Embracing and pioneering, but may be capricious.
癸 Gui Water (Yin Water)
Rain, dew, stream. Intelligent with excellent intuition. Adaptable and clever, but may be indecisive.
Understanding Yourself through Day Master
In Bazi, the Day Master (Rigan 日干) represents 'yourself'. Your basic personality is determined by which Heavenly Stem is your Day Master.
How to Find Your Day Master
The Heavenly Stem of the Day Pillar in your Bazi reading is the Day Master. For example, if your Day Pillar is 'Jia-Zi (甲子)', your Day Master is 'Jia Wood (甲)'. Our service automatically calculates your Day Master when you enter your birth information.
Differences Between Yang and Yin Stems
- Yang Stems: Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, Ren - Active, proactive, extroverted
- Yin Stems: Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, Gui - Passive, reactive, introverted
Even within the same element, Yang and Yin stems manifest differently. Yang stems are strong and direct, while Yin stems are gentle and indirect.