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Astrology wiki

Explore wiki concepts, word origins, evidence and their connections to traditions and tools.

Meaning, evidence and context

Concepts A–Z

512 concepts, each with a definition, word origins, a brief epistemology and source links. Hover or focus a dotted term to preview it. Tap once for the preview, then follow the entry.

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Subject

60 terms

A
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Annual Nine Star number →

Also: annual number · annual numbers

The number from 1 through 9 assigned to the effective year by the selected annual Nine Star rule. A different year boundary can change this result near early February.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Descriptive English label; annual has Latin roots.

Annual comes through French and Latin forms associated with annus, year. The full phrase is an explanatory label for a yearly Nine Star classification, rather than an established ancient technical expression.

How we know · epistemology
Arithmetic classification under a declared convention

Published annual examples test the descending cycle. Interpretive qualities need their own attribution; this number alone supplies neither monthly numbers nor directional forecasts.

B
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Bing stem →

Also: Bing Heavenly Stem

Bing (丙) is the third Heavenly Stem, classified as Yang Fire.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Bing (丙), ordinal 3.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Stem phase and polarity are calendrical classifications, not traits.

C
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Chen branch →

Also: Chen Earthly Branch

Chen (辰) is the fifth Earthly Branch, paired with Dragon and assigned 07:00–09:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Chen (辰), ordinal 5.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Chou branch →

Also: Chou Earthly Branch

Chou (丑) is the second Earthly Branch, paired with Ox and assigned 01:00–03:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Chou (丑), ordinal 2.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

D
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Day Master →

In BaZi, the Heavenly Stem of the day pillar, used as a central reference in interpretation.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English translation of Chinese rìzhǔ, 日主.

Day renders rì and master or ruler renders zhǔ; the title singles out the day stem as the comparison's reference.

How we know · epistemology
Interpretive reference convention

The day stem becomes the reference for classifying other BaZi relationships. It is selected by calendar arithmetic, not a psychological assessment; its meaning depends on the surrounding method rather than the stem label alone.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Ding stem →

Also: Ding Heavenly Stem

Ding (丁) is the fourth Heavenly Stem, classified as Yin Fire.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Ding (丁), ordinal 4.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Stem phase and polarity are calendrical classifications, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Direct Officer →

Also: Zhèngguān 正官 · Proper Officer

The Ten Gods relation for a stem that controls the Day Master and has opposite polarity.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Zhèngguān 正官, literally ‘proper/regular official’.

‘Officer’ translates the office-holder term guān. The title is a technical contrast with partial/indirect officer, not an assessment of virtue.

How we know · epistemology
Relational classification

For Jia (甲, Yang Wood), Xin (辛, Yin Metal) is Direct Officer. It does not establish a job, authority ranking, personality type, or gendered spouse indicator.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Direct Resource →

Also: Zhèngyìn 正印 · Proper Seal

The Ten Gods relation for a stem that produces the Day Master and has opposite polarity.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Zhèngyìn 正印, literally ‘proper/regular seal’.

‘Resource’ is a practitioner-facing English label; yìn literally denotes a seal/imprint. The reason for the traditional metaphor is not inferred here.

How we know · epistemology
Relational classification

For Jia (甲, Yang Wood), Gui (癸, Yin Water) is Direct Resource. It does not measure education, parental support, intelligence, or protection.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Direct Wealth →

Also: Zhèngcái 正財 / 正财 · Proper Wealth

The Ten Gods relation for a stem controlled by the Day Master and of opposite polarity.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Zhèngcái 正財, literally ‘proper/regular wealth’.

‘Direct’ is a conventional translation for zhèng in this paired nomenclature; no claim is made that it is morally superior or historically original.

How we know · epistemology
Relational classification

For Jia (甲, Yang Wood), Ji (己, Yin Earth) is Direct Wealth. It does not measure income, predict prosperity, or assign a gendered relationship role.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Double-hour →

Also: Chinese hour

One of twelve traditional daily time divisions, each roughly two modern hours; the clock basis must be stated.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Descriptive English translation.

Double states that the traditional time unit spans two modern hours; the English label explains size rather than reproducing shíchen, 時辰.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional division of the day

The twelve divisions can be assigned using a declared clock basis. Civil, mean solar and apparent solar time can disagree near boundaries, so an hour label is incomplete without explaining which time was used.

E
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Earth phase →

Also: Yin Earth · Yang Earth

In BaZi’s Five Phases, Earth corresponds to Wu (戊, Yang Earth) and Ji (己, Yin Earth).

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English translation of Chinese tǔ, 土.

Earth here means soil or ground. Phase distinguishes this traditional category-name from the planet Earth.

How we know · epistemology
Stability symbolism and phase convention

Wu/Ji are phase labels derived from the chart. Earth here is neither the planet nor soil, and does not establish psychological stability.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Earthly Branch →

Also: Earthly Branches

One of twelve cyclical labels associated with animals and other correspondences; it is not a physical astronomical branch.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English translation of Chinese dìzhī, 地支.

Earthly renders dì and branch renders zhī. The name identifies the twelve-part companion series to the Heavenly Stems.

How we know · epistemology
Historical cyclical notation

The twelve branches encode recurring time divisions and inherited correspondences. Animal names identify symbolic associations; they do not provide biological or psychological evidence about a person born under a branch.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Eating God →

Also: Shíshén 食神 · Food God

The Ten Gods relation for a stem produced by the Day Master and sharing its polarity.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Shíshén 食神, literally ‘food/eat spirit/deity’.

‘Eating God’ is a literal-style English label. The historical reason for this conventional name is not established here.

How we know · epistemology
Relational classification

For Jia (甲, Yang Wood), Bing (丙, Yang Fire) is Eating God. The category follows the produced-by direction plus polarity; it is not evidence of appetite, talent, or health.

F
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Fire phase →

Also: Yin Fire · Yang Fire

In BaZi’s Five Phases, Fire corresponds to Bing (丙, Yang Fire) and Ding (丁, Yin Fire).

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English translation of Chinese huǒ, 火.

Fire names flame or burning; phase marks its use as a changing-process category within wǔxíng.

How we know · epistemology
Expression symbolism and polarity convention

Bing/Ding distinguish polarity within one phase. Fire’s expressive symbolism does not measure enthusiasm, body temperature or a physical energy output.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Five phases →

Also: wuxing · Wu Xing

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water as cyclical symbolic processes in Chinese traditions, rather than modern chemical elements.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English translation of Chinese wǔxíng, 五行.

Wǔ means five; xíng concerns movement or operation. Phases and agents convey that process sense more directly than a substance-only reading of elements.

How we know · epistemology
Correlative symbolic model

The phases organize relationships such as generation and control within Chinese traditions. They describe a conceptual cycle; treating them as chemical elements or measured quantities in a person's body changes the kind of claim being made.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Four Pillars →

Also: BaZi · Bazi · Saju

A chart using stem–branch pairs for birth year, month, day and double-hour; calendar and clock conventions matter.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English translation of a Chinese name.

Sìzhù, 四柱, means four pillars; Bāzì, 八字, means eight characters. Saju is the Korean reading of the four-pillar name.

How we know · epistemology
Calendar-derived interpretive framework

Four pairs are calculated from birth data under stated seasonal and clock rules. A date near a term or day boundary can change a pillar; the derived pattern is not a measured personality or a fixed life trajectory.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Friend →

Also: Bǐjiān 比肩 · Companion

The Ten Gods relation for a stem of the same phase and same polarity as the Day Master.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Bǐjiān 比肩, literally ‘shoulder alongside/parallel shoulder’.

‘Friend’ is an English teaching label; the literal Chinese points to side-by-side comparison. A historical naming origin is not asserted.

How we know · epistemology
Relational classification

For a Jia (甲, Yang Wood) Day Master, another Jia is Friend. It classifies a relation; it does not prove friendship or prescribe a social role.

G
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Geng stem →

Also: Geng Heavenly Stem

Geng (庚) is the seventh Heavenly Stem, classified as Yang Metal.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Geng (庚), ordinal 7.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Stem phase and polarity are calendrical classifications, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Gui stem →

Also: Gui Heavenly Stem

Gui (癸) is the tenth Heavenly Stem, classified as Yin Water.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Gui (癸), ordinal 10.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Stem phase and polarity are calendrical classifications, not traits.

H
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Hai branch →

Also: Hai Earthly Branch

Hai (亥) is the twelfth Earthly Branch, paired with Pig and assigned 21:00–23:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Hai (亥), ordinal 12.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Heavenly Stem →

Also: Heavenly Stems

One of ten labels paired in sequence with the twelve Earthly Branches to form a sixty-step cycle.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English translation of Chinese tiāngān, 天干.

Heavenly renders tiān and stem renders gān. The plant-like English name identifies one set of the traditional stem–branch pairing.

How we know · epistemology
Historical cyclical notation

The ten stems form an ordered calendar vocabulary whose sequence can be checked. Their phase and polarity correspondences are traditional classifications, not observations of ten distinct forces acting on a birth.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Hidden stem →

Also: Hidden stems · Cánggān 藏干 · Branch-hidden stem · Zhī zhōng suǒ cáng tiāngān 支中所藏天干

In BaZi, a Heavenly Stem listed within an Earthly Branch rather than shown as that pillar’s visible upper stem.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Chinese cánggān 藏干: cáng means ‘store, conceal’ and gān is the shortened form of tiāngān, ‘Heavenly Stem.’

The literal sense describes the conventional placement of a stem within a branch. This entry does not assert a single date, author or universal origin for the membership tables used by later schools.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional BaZi chart convention and interpretive input

A hidden stem is a stated member of a branch under a source table; it is not a measured quantity or an automatic prediction. Traditional texts compare stems concealed in branches with the day stem, but any judgment about strength, roots, seasonal command, combinations or future events requires additional named rules.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Hurting Officer →

Also: Shāngguān 傷官 / 伤官 · Wounding Officer

The Ten Gods relation for a stem produced by the Day Master and of opposite polarity.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Shāngguān 傷官, literally ‘injure/harm officer’.

The translation preserves the character-level sense; its naming history and any school-specific interpretation require separate evidence.

How we know · epistemology
Relational classification

For Jia (甲, Yang Wood), Ding (丁, Yin Fire) is Hurting Officer. The name is not a forecast of injury, insubordination, or a person’s moral character.

I
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Indirect Resource →

Also: Piānyìn 偏印 · Partial Seal · Dàoshí 倒食 · Xiāoshén 梟神 / 枭神

The Ten Gods relation for a stem that produces the Day Master and shares its polarity; traditional aliases include Partial Seal, Inverted Food and Owl Spirit.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Piānyìn 偏印, literally ‘partial/side seal’; Mingli Tanyuan also lists dàoshí 倒食 (‘inverted food’) and xiāoshén 梟神 (‘owl spirit’) as aliases.

The aliases are traditional nomenclature, not forecasts or moral descriptors. Their early naming history remains unverified. Owl and Devouring Food are contextual interpretive names in some texts, not unconditional replacements for every Indirect Resource.

How we know · epistemology
Relational classification

For Jia (甲, Yang Wood), Ren (壬, Yang Water) is Indirect Resource. No inference about learning style, family, health, or an omen follows from the label alone.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Indirect Wealth →

Also: Piāncái 偏財 / 偏财 · Partial Wealth

The Ten Gods relation for a stem controlled by the Day Master and sharing its polarity.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Piāncái 偏財, literally ‘side/partial wealth’.

‘Indirect’ is a common English counterpart to Direct Wealth; the literal term does not itself establish a factual source of income.

How we know · epistemology
Relational classification

For Jia (甲, Yang Wood), Wu (戊, Yang Earth) is Indirect Wealth. The classification does not distinguish ethical from unethical money or predict a financial event.

J
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Ji stem →

Also: Ji Heavenly Stem

Ji (己) is the sixth Heavenly Stem, classified as Yin Earth.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Ji (己), ordinal 6.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Stem phase and polarity are calendrical classifications, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Jia stem →

Also: Jia Heavenly Stem

Jia (甲) is the first Heavenly Stem, classified as Yang Wood.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Jia (甲), ordinal 1.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Stem phase and polarity are calendrical classifications, not traits.

L
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Lichun →

Also: Li Chun · Beginning of Spring · Lìchūn · Risshun · Start of spring · 立春

The solar term at 315° apparent solar longitude, called Lìchūn in Mandarin and Risshun in Japanese. Choosing this instant as an astrological year boundary is a separate method convention.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Mandarin Lìchūn and Japanese Risshun: readings of 立春.

The shared calendrical name is translated Beginning of Spring or Spring Commences. NAOJ records the Japanese reading りっしゅん. These are different language readings of a seasonal term, not evidence that all associated divination methods share identical rules.

How we know · epistemology
Astronomical marker and boundary choice

Astronomy fixes the 315° instant; local time conversion supplies its civil date. An annual divination method may instead use a fixed February 4 boundary. Retain that distinction, and do not treat this seasonal label as a local-weather observation.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Lunar New Year →

The first day of a new year in a lunar or lunisolar calendar. In the modern Chinese reference calendar, the first day of month one changes the official Gan-Zhi year.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Descriptive English compound; lunar derives from Latin lunaris, from luna (Moon).

New Year names the beginning of a calendar year. Lunar specifies its connection with a Moon-based calendar; Chinese calendar rules also use the solar year, so lunisolar is the more complete calendar description.

How we know · epistemology
Named civil-calendar boundary

This entry describes the modern Chinese convention. Other cultures have their own calendars and new-year observances. The first lunar month boundary and the Li Chun solar-term instant can fall on different dates.

History, methods & personal reading →

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Lunisolar calendar →

A calendar combining lunar months with adjustments that keep the year aligned with the seasons.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Latin-derived scientific compound.

Luni- comes from luna, Moon, and solar from sol, Sun; the compound names calendar rules using both cycles.

How we know · epistemology
Rule-based astronomical calendar

Month starts and intercalation rules connect lunar cycles with the solar year. Calendars can differ through reference meridians and adopted rules even when using the same sky, so conversion requires naming the calendar rather than only its broad type.

M
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Main qi →

Also: Běnqì 本氣 · Běnqì 本气 · Primary qi

In the named BaZi branch table, the hidden stem explicitly designated as the branch’s principal qi. It is a category rather than a numerical strength estimate.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Chinese běnqì 本氣, rendered here as main or principal qi.

The source uses 本氣 as a column heading beside its hidden-stem lists. The English label identifies that column; it does not establish a first coinage or a universal weighting system.

How we know · epistemology
Source-specific interpretive designation

The Wise Society teaching table names one main stem for each branch. That designation can be reproduced; how it contributes to strength or seasonal command needs a separate method.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Mao branch →

Also: Mao Earthly Branch

Mao (卯) is the fourth Earthly Branch, paired with Rabbit and assigned 05:00–07:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Mao (卯), ordinal 4.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Metal phase →

Also: Yin Metal · Yang Metal

In BaZi’s Five Phases, Metal corresponds to Geng (庚, Yang Metal) and Xin (辛, Yin Metal).

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English translation of Chinese jīn, 金.

Jīn can mean metal or gold; metal is the broader English rendering used for this wǔxíng category.

How we know · epistemology
Analytical symbolism and polarity convention

Geng/Xin classify polarity; their analytical symbolism is interpretive. A Metal count is not a measure of intelligence or metal in the body.

N
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Nine Star Ki →

Also: Kyūsei · Nine Star

A family of divinatory calendar practices relating nine numbered designations to qualities and directions. This explorer implements one annual cycle with two explicitly named year boundaries.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English rendering with Japanese terminology.

Kyūsei, 九星, names nine stars in Japanese divinatory terminology. Ki is a reading of 気, whose meanings include air, breath, atmosphere and disposition. The English title combines these terms; this word history does not establish a single origin date or lineage for every modern Nine Star practice.

How we know · epistemology
Symbolic calendar cycles

The selected rule assigns a calendar number; associated qualities belong to a symbolic framework. A correct number does not measure a physical star or verify a personality claim. Fixed February 4 and the Atlas 315° alternative are distinct conventions.

P
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Palace →

Also: Zi Wei palace

A chart compartment representing a topic in systems such as Zi Wei Dou Shu; it is not automatically a Western house.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English rendering of Chinese gōng, 宮.

Palace names a residence or enclosure; the chart use translates the traditional palace metaphor for a compartment assigned a topic.

How we know · epistemology
System-specific topic assignment

A palace organizes a tradition's topics within its chart structure. Its meaning comes from that system's naming and placement rules; matching a palace number to a Western house number does not establish equivalent interpretations.

R
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Ren stem →

Also: Ren Heavenly Stem

Ren (壬) is the ninth Heavenly Stem, classified as Yang Water.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Ren (壬), ordinal 9.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Stem phase and polarity are calendrical classifications, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Rob Wealth →

Also: Jiécái 劫財 / 劫财 · Rob Wealth Star

The Ten Gods relation for a stem of the same phase as the Day Master and opposite polarity.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Jiécái 劫財, literally ‘seize/rob wealth’.

The English rendering follows the literal components. This record does not claim that the term describes a person’s conduct or a chart’s outcome.

How we know · epistemology
Relational classification

For Jia (甲, Yang Wood), Yi (乙, Yin Wood) is Rob Wealth. Its alarming literal English label is a technical name, not a prediction of theft or financial loss.

S
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Seasonal meetings →

Also: Three meetings · Sānhuì 三會 · Sānhui 三会 · Sanhui · Earthly Branch seasonal meetings · Dìzhī sānhuì 地支三會 · 三會 · 三会

In BaZi teaching, four conventional three-branch directional-seasonal groups: Yin–Mao–Chen (Wood/spring), Si–Wu–Wei (Fire/summer), Shen–You–Xu (Metal/autumn), and Hai–Zi–Chou (Water/winter); the tool reports full membership when all three distinct member branches occur.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Chinese sānhuì 三會: sān means ‘three’; huì means ‘meet, assemble, converge.’

‘Seasonal meetings’ specifies the directional and seasonal use of the label in this entry. 三會/三会 are traditional and simplified written forms; romanization renders the modern Mandarin reading and does not establish one historical pronunciation.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional seasonal-directional correspondences and calendar-derived membership calculation

The native tool reports a complete listed group only when its three different branches appear in the four calculated pillars. Its four phase/season labels follow a traditional correlative table; they are not measured energy, proof that a group has ‘transformed,’ or a prediction. The origin and exact status of ‘three meetings’ as a single standardized BaZi term varies across later teaching lineages, so this entry does not assign it a single author or date.

History, methods & personal reading →

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Seven Killings →

Also: Qīshā 七殺 / 七杀 · Partial Officer 偏官 · Seven Sha

The Ten Gods relation for a stem that controls the Day Master and shares its polarity; it is also called Partial Officer.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Qīshā 七殺, literally ‘seven killings’; the same source gives piānguān 偏官, ‘partial officer’, as an alias.

The historical text records the alternate name. It does not warrant literal forecasting from the English name. Partial Officer (偏官, piānguān) is a common related label; some classical treatments distinguish it by whether the relation is restrained.

How we know · epistemology
Relational classification

For Jia (甲, Yang Wood), Geng (庚, Yang Metal) is Seven Killings/Partial Officer. The name is not a prediction of violence, danger, criminality, or death.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Sexagenary cycle →

Also: Gan-Zhi · sexagenary year

A sixty-step cycle formed by pairing the ten Heavenly Stems with the twelve Earthly Branches in order.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Latin-derived numerical adjective.

Sexagenary comes from Latin sexagenarius, of sixty. The cycle name describes sixty successive stem–branch combinations.

How we know · epistemology
Modular calendar arithmetic

Advancing both sequences together produces sixty distinct stem–branch pairs. The cycle is mathematically reproducible, but assigning it to a year, day or hour still needs a calendar anchor and an explicit rollover rule.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Shen branch →

Also: Shen Earthly Branch

Shen (申) is the ninth Earthly Branch, paired with Monkey and assigned 15:00–17:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Shen (申), ordinal 9.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Shichen →

Also: shíchen · 時辰

Shichen (時辰) is a traditional two-hour time unit; HKO assigns 23:00–01:00 to Zi and continues in twelve intervals.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Mandarin shíchen (時辰), a calendrical time-unit name.

The exact historical character derivation is not asserted here.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

The unit and intervals are timekeeping conventions, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Si branch →

Also: Si Earthly Branch

Si (巳) is the sixth Earthly Branch, paired with Snake and assigned 09:00–11:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Si (巳), ordinal 6.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Six clashes →

Also: Six oppositions · Liùchōng 六沖 · Liùchōng 六冲 · Earthly Branch six clashes · Dìzhī liùchōng 地支六沖 · Six-clash pair · 六沖 · 六冲

In BaZi, six fixed opposing pairs of Earthly Branches: Zi–Wu, Chou–Wei, Yin–Shen, Mao–You, Chen–Xu and Si–Hai.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Chinese liùchōng 六沖: liù means ‘six’; chōng means ‘rush against’ or ‘clash.’ Pinyin is editorial romanization, not evidence of a single historical pronunciation or a universal psychological meaning.

‘Six clashes’ translates the relation label. The English wording does not turn a detected pair into a diagnosis, a forecast or an automatic bad outcome.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional branch-pair convention and interpretive input

A clash is a sourced relationship label for a listed opposite pair. The detector can report its presence and pillar positions; it does not measure conflict, prove a life outcome or establish that either branch overcomes the other.

History, methods & personal reading →

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Six combinations →

Also: Six harmonies · Liùhé 六合 · Earthly Branch six combinations · Dìzhī liùhé 地支六合 · Six-combination pair · 六合

In BaZi, six fixed pairs of Earthly Branches conventionally recognized as combinations: Zi–Chou, Yin–Hai, Mao–Xu, Chen–You, Si–Shen and Wu–Wei.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Chinese liùhé 六合: liù means ‘six’; hé means ‘combine, join, accord’ in this compound. Pinyin is editorial romanization, not evidence of a single historical pronunciation or a universal English equivalent.

‘Six combinations’ is the literal, least interpretive English label. ‘Six harmonies’ is also common, but should not imply that every occurrence is beneficial or that the two branches automatically change into another phase.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional branch-pair convention and interpretive input

A combination is a sourced relationship label for a listed pair of branches. Detecting the pair in a calculated chart is mechanical; claims that it binds, transforms, helps, harms or predicts an event belong to a named interpretive method and are not established by pair membership alone.

History, methods & personal reading →

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Solar term →

Also: jieqi · 24 solar terms

One of 24 seasonal markers at successive 15° steps of the Sun’s tropical longitude.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English calendrical translation.

Solar identifies the Sun-based divisions called jiéqì, 節氣. Term carries the sense of a marked division or period in the seasonal year.

How we know · epistemology
Astronomical seasonal marker

Each term is fixed by a tropical solar longitude, making its instant calculable. Its local calendar date depends on time conversion, while associated seasonal descriptions reflect the cultural and geographic setting of the calendar.

T
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Ten Gods →

Also: Shíshén 十神 · Ten Relationships · Ten Stars

In BaZi, ten named relationships assigned by comparing another stem with the Day Master through Five-Phase direction and yin–yang polarity.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Chinese shíshén 十神, literally ‘ten spirits/deities’.

The literal name is documented as a traditional label. This draft makes no claim about when the name was coined or that it describes literal supernatural beings.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional/practitioner interpretive classification

The label is a rule-based chart relation, not a measured personality trait, forecast, or scientific finding. A label alone does not establish strength, favourability, or an event outcome.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Three harmonies →

Also: Three combinations · Sānhé 三合 · Sanhe · Earthly Branch three harmonies · Dìzhī sānhé 地支三合 · 三合

In BaZi, four conventional three-branch groups: Shen–Zi–Chen, Hai–Mao–Wei, Yin–Wu–Xu and Si–You–Chou; the tool reports full membership when all three distinct member branches occur.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Chinese sānhé 三合: sān means ‘three’; hé means ‘join, combine, accord.’

‘Three harmonies’ is a common English rendering; ‘three combinations’ stays closer to the literal relation label. The compound names a conventional group and does not assert that all chart occurrences are harmonious in an everyday or psychological sense.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional branch-group convention and calendar-derived membership calculation

The chart calculation can establish only whether each cited three-branch membership set is complete among the four visible Earthly Branches. Traditional explanations associate the sets with phases and a birth–prosperity–storage sequence, but those correspondences are inherited interpretive material, not a measured property of a person. A complete set does not by itself establish transformation, strength, precedence or a forecast.

History, methods & personal reading →

W
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Water phase →

Also: Yin Water · Yang Water

In BaZi’s Five Phases, Water corresponds to Ren (壬, Yang Water) and Gui (癸, Yin Water).

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English translation of Chinese shuǐ, 水.

Water names the familiar fluid; phase identifies its role as one category in the traditional fivefold process scheme.

How we know · epistemology
Fluidity symbolism and polarity convention

Ren/Gui specify polarity within the model. Associations with fluidity or intelligence do not measure cognitive ability, emotional depth or bodily water.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Wei branch →

Also: Wei Earthly Branch

Wei (未) is the eighth Earthly Branch, paired with Goat and assigned 13:00–15:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Wei (未), ordinal 8.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Wood phase →

Also: Yin Wood · Yang Wood

In BaZi’s Five Phases, Wood corresponds to Jia (甲, Yang Wood) and Yi (乙, Yin Wood).

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
English translation of Chinese mù, 木.

Wood names tree or timber; phase places that material image within the wǔxíng classification. It is a translated category-name.

How we know · epistemology
Growth symbolism and calendar convention

Growth imagery supplies a symbolic analogy; Jia/Yi assignments follow calendar rules. Neither directly measures a person’s adaptability or capacity to develop.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Wu branch →

Also: Wu Earthly Branch

Wu (午) is the seventh Earthly Branch, paired with Horse and assigned 11:00–13:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Wu (午), ordinal 7.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Wu stem →

Also: Wu Heavenly Stem

Wu (戊) is the fifth Heavenly Stem, classified as Yang Earth.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Wu (戊), ordinal 5.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Stem phase and polarity are calendrical classifications, not traits.

X
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Xin stem →

Also: Xin Heavenly Stem

Xin (辛) is the eighth Heavenly Stem, classified as Yin Metal.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Xin (辛), ordinal 8.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Stem phase and polarity are calendrical classifications, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Xu branch →

Also: Xu Earthly Branch

Xu (戌) is the eleventh Earthly Branch, paired with Dog and assigned 19:00–21:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Xu (戌), ordinal 11.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

Y
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Yi stem →

Also: Yi Heavenly Stem

Yi (乙) is the second Heavenly Stem, classified as Yin Wood.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Yi (乙), ordinal 2.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Stem phase and polarity are calendrical classifications, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Yin branch →

Also: Yin Earthly Branch

Yin (寅) is the third Earthly Branch, paired with Tiger and assigned 03:00–05:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Yin (寅), ordinal 3.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

You branch →

Also: You Earthly Branch

You (酉) is the tenth Earthly Branch, paired with Rooster and assigned 17:00–19:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name You (酉), ordinal 10.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

Z
Chinese & East Asian calendars

Zi branch →

Also: Zi Earthly Branch

Zi (子) is the first Earthly Branch, paired with Rat and assigned 23:00–01:00 in the hour table.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese calendrical name Zi (子), ordinal 1.

Historical character derivation is not established by the cited calendar tables.

How we know · epistemology
Calendrical convention

Branch ordinal, animal and hour range are calendrical mappings, not traits.

Chinese & East Asian calendars

Zi Wei Dou Shu →

Also: Tử Vi · Purple Star astrology

A Chinese astrological system assigning symbolic stars to twelve palaces; its stars are not all physical celestial objects.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Romanized Chinese system title: 紫微斗數.

Zǐwēi is the traditional astral name retained by the system; dǒu refers to the Dipper and shù to numbers or reckoning. Tử Vi is its Sino-Vietnamese counterpart.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional symbolic chart construction

Birth-calendar inputs and placement rules distribute named stars among palaces. Many labels are constructed roles rather than observed bodies; interpretation should preserve this system's own palace and transformation rules instead of borrowing Western chart meanings.