The Twelve Earthly Branches: Hidden Stems, Commanding Stems and Images

「月支子水占魁名，溪澗汪洋不盡清；天道陽回行土旺，人間水暖寄金生。若逢午破應無定，縱遇卯刑還有情；柱內申辰來合局，即成江海發濤聲。」

Zi heads the branches, where yang returns at the winter solstice. It fears clashing with Wu; joined by Shen and Chen in a water frame it surges like the sea.

「隆冬建丑怯冰霜，誰識天時轉二陽；暖土誠能生萬物，寒金難道只深藏。刑沖戌未非無用，類聚雞蛇信有方；若在日時多水木，直須行入巽離鄉。」

Chou is the damp earth of deep winter, holding a store of metal. It joins Si and You in a metal frame; with much water and wood it welcomes warm southern fire luck.

「艮宮之木建於春，氣聚三陽火在寅；志合蛇猴三貴客，類同卯未一家人。超凡入聖惟逢午，破祿傷提獨慮申；四柱火多嫌火地，從來燥木不南奔。」

Yin begins spring and hides Bing fire. It joins Wu and Xu in a fire frame and fears clashing with Shen; with much fire it should not run further into fire.

「卯木繁華稟氣深，仲春難道不嫌金；庚辛疊見愁申酉，亥子重來忌癸壬。禍見六沖應落葉，喜逢三合便成林；若歸時日秋金重，更向西行患不禁。」

Mao is mid-spring blossom, the purest wood. It fears heavy metal and too much water; clashing with You it sheds its leaves, joined by Hai and Wei it becomes a forest.

「辰當三月水泥溫，長養堪培萬木根；雖是甲衰乙餘氣，縱然入墓癸還魂。直須一鑰能開庫，若遇三沖即破門；水木重逢西北運，只愁原土不能存。」

Chen is the damp earth of late spring that nurtures roots and stores water. A measured clash opens its store; too many break the door.

「巳當初夏火增光，造化流行正六陽；失令庚金生賴母，得時戊土祿隨娘。三刑傳送翻無害，一撞登明便有傷；行到東南生發地，燒天烈火豈尋常。」

Si is early summer at full yang, hiding Geng metal and Wu earth. It is unharmed by Shen, but clashing with Hai hurts; in eastern and southern luck its fire blazes.

「午月炎炎火正升，六陽氣續一陰生；庚金失位身無用，己土歸垣祿有成。申子齊來能戰剋，戌寅同見越光明；東南正是身強地，西北休囚已喪形。」

Wu is midsummer fire at its height, hiding Ji earth. Shen and Zi water bring conflict; joined by Yin and Xu it shines brighter.

「未月陰深火漸衰，藏官藏印不藏財；近無亥卯形難變，遠帶刑沖庫亦開。無火怕行金水去，多寒偏愛丙丁來；用神喜忌當分曉，莫把圭璋作石猜。」

Wei is the dry earth of late summer and the store of wood, hiding Ding and Yi. It joins Hai and Mao in a wood frame; clashes open its store; a cold chart welcomes fire.

「申金剛健月支逢，水土長生在此宮；巳午爐中成劍戟，子辰局裏得光鋒。木多無火終能勝，土重埋金卻有凶；欲識斯神何所似，溫柔珠玉不相同。」

Shen is hard metal and the birthplace of water. Forged by Si and Wu fire it becomes a blade; with Zi and Chen it forms a water frame; too much earth buries it.

「八月從魁已得名，羨他金白水流清；火多東去愁寅卯，木旺南行怕丙丁。柱見水泥應有用，運臨西北豈無情；假能三合能堅銳，不比頑金未煉成。」

You is mid-autumn's purest metal, refined like jewellery. It fears too much fire and wood; water and moist earth help, and joined by Si and Chou it grows sharper.

「九月河魁性最剛，漫雲於此物收藏；洪爐巨火能成就，鈍鐵頑金賴主張。海窟沖龍生雨露，山頭合虎動文章；天羅雖是迷魂陣，火命逢之獨有傷。」

Xu is the dry earth of late autumn and the store of fire, the hardest-natured branch. It tempers raw metal; clashing with Chen brings rain, joining Yin brings eloquence.

「登明之位水源深，雨雪生寒值六陰；必待勝光方用土，不逢傳送浪多金。五湖歸聚原成象，三合羈留正有心；欲識乾坤和煖處，即從艮震巽離尋。」

Hai is the wellspring of early winter at full yin. It hides Jia wood and joins Mao and Wei in a wood frame; a cold chart welcomes eastern and southern luck.