Understanding the 12 Earthly Branches
The Earthly Branches (지지, Jiji; 地支; also called "Terrestrial Branches") — 子 丑 寅 卯 辰 巳 午 未 申 酉 戌 亥 — are the "earth" layer of every Saju chart. If the Heavenly Stems (천간, Cheongan; 天干; also "Celestial Stems") represent heaven's clear, fast-moving energy above, the branches represent the ground beneath: the season, the soil, the concrete circumstances in which that energy actually plays out. This is shared vocabulary across Korean Saju and Chinese BaZi — the same system — so the "Twelve Earthly Branches" you meet in a BaZi reading are these exact twelve. You already know them as the twelve zodiac animals — Rat, Ox, Tiger, and so on through Pig — but in Saju they are seasonal forces first and animal symbols second.
For how the Branches pair with the Stems and how the Korean, Chinese, and pinyin terms align, see the Saju–BaZi glossary.
Arranged in a circle, the twelve branches reveal their zodiac animals and elemental seasons at a glance.
The 12 Branches Through the Year
Each branch is tied to an animal, a five-element quality, a season, and a lunar month. The cycle begins in spring:
Spring (Wood Awakens)
- In (寅, Yín) — Tiger, Yang Wood, ~February. Spring's first breath; everything stirs awake.
- Myo (卯, Mǎo) — Rabbit, Yin Wood, ~March. Spring peaks, green everywhere.
- Jin (辰, Chén) — Dragon, Yang Earth, ~April. Spring gives way to summer; a moist earth transition.
Summer (Fire Dominates)
- Sa (巳, Sì) — Snake, Yin Fire, ~May. Summer arrives, fire energy climbs.
- O (午, Wǔ) — Horse, Yang Fire, ~June. Peak heat, sun blazing overhead.
- Mi (未, Wèi) — Goat, Yin Earth, ~July. Summer wanes; a dry, warm earth transition.
Autumn (Metal Sharpens)
- Shin (申, Shēn) — Monkey, Yang Metal, ~August. Harvest begins, autumn clarity.
- Yu (酉, Yǒu) — Rooster, Yin Metal, ~September. Harvest peaks, metal energy cuts clean.
- Sul (戌, Xū) — Dog, Yang Earth, ~October. Autumn fades toward winter's chill.
Winter (Water Retreats)
- Hae (亥, Hài) — Pig, Yin Water, ~November. Winter starts, life withdraws inward.
- Ja (子, Zǐ) — Rat, Yang Water, ~December. Deepest cold, yet the seeds of renewal already stir.
- Chuk (丑, Chǒu) — Ox, Yin Earth, ~January. Winter's last grip before spring breaks through.
Quick Reference Table
| Branch | Pinyin | Animal | Element | Season / Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja (子) | Zǐ | Rat | Yang Water | Winter · Dec |
| Chuk (丑) | Chǒu | Ox | Yin Earth | Winter · Jan |
| In (寅) | Yín | Tiger | Yang Wood | Spring · Feb |
| Myo (卯) | Mǎo | Rabbit | Yin Wood | Spring · Mar |
| Jin (辰) | Chén | Dragon | Yang Earth | Spring · Apr |
| Sa (巳) | Sì | Snake | Yin Fire | Summer · May |
| O (午) | Wǔ | Horse | Yang Fire | Summer · Jun |
| Mi (未) | Wèi | Goat | Yin Earth | Summer · Jul |
| Shin (申) | Shēn | Monkey | Yang Metal | Autumn · Aug |
| Yu (酉) | Yǒu | Rooster | Yin Metal | Autumn · Sep |
| Sul (戌) | Xū | Dog | Yang Earth | Autumn · Oct |
| Hae (亥) | Hài | Pig | Yin Water | Winter · Nov |
Notice the four Earth branches — Jin, Mi, Sul, Chuk. They sit at the seams between seasons, softening one element into the next. This is why Earth is often described as the balancing, mediating agent of the five.
Hidden Stems (支藏干)
Every branch conceals one to three Heavenly Stems inside it, called hidden stems (jijang-gan). They are not decorative. Because the outer branch shows the season while the hidden stems reveal what energies are actually stored in that soil, they often decide which "structure" (格) a chart forms. For example, In (寅) hides Wood as its main energy but also carries a seed of Fire, which is why a spring-Wood person can quietly warm into ambition. The Ziping Zhenquan, one of the three foundational classics, builds much of its method for reading a chart on exactly these hidden stems.
When Branches Meet: Combine, Clash, Punish
Branches rarely act alone; they react to one another, and those reactions are where a reading comes alive:
- Three Harmony (삼합, 三合) — three branches (e.g. In–O–Sul) merge into one powerful elemental "team," here a Fire bureau.
- Six Harmony (육합, 六合) — a pair bonds, such as Ja–Chuk, blending their energies.
- Clash (충, 沖) — two opposite branches collide head-on (Ja–O, In–Shin), signalling movement, change, or friction.
- Punishment / Break / Harm (형·파·해, 刑·破·害) — subtler tensions that bring instability, cracks, or small harms.
These interactions matter because a chart is not static. When a Luck Pillar (대운) or Annual Pillar brings in a new branch, it may clash with, harmonize with, or unlock a branch you were born with — and life pivots accordingly. A single Ja–O clash arriving in a given year can mark a move, a job change, or a restless season.
Why the Month Branch Leads
Of the four branches in a chart, the Month Branch carries the most weight. It fixes the season of your birth, and season is the strongest single influence on how warm, cold, dry, or damp your elemental balance is. Traditional practice — from the Ziping Zhenquan to the Qiong Tong Bao Jian (窮通寶鑑), which reads charts through climate — anchors the chart's structure on this Month Branch. A Wood Day Master born in the Myo (卯) month of deep spring is Wood standing in Wood's own season: rooted and confident. The same Day Master born in the Yu (酉) month of autumn stands in cutting Metal, a very different life.
Curious how the branches interact in your own Saju — which harmonies, which clashes, which hidden stems shape your chart? Look up your own reading at Saju Analysis.