Hidden stems table
The twelve earthly branches each hold one to three heavenly stems. Use this table with the Ten Gods table to see what each branch brings to your Day Master.
| Branch | main | middle | residual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 子 Zi | 癸 Gui (Water) | — | — |
| 丑 Chou | 己 Ji (Earth) | 癸 Gui (Water) | 辛 Xin (Metal) |
| 寅 Yin | 甲 Jia (Wood) | 丙 Bing (Fire) | 戊 Wu (Earth) |
| 卯 Mao | 乙 Yi (Wood) | — | — |
| 辰 Chen | 戊 Wu (Earth) | 乙 Yi (Wood) | 癸 Gui (Water) |
| 巳 Si | 丙 Bing (Fire) | 戊 Wu (Earth) | 庚 Geng (Metal) |
| 午 Wu | 丁 Ding (Fire) | 己 Ji (Earth) | — |
| 未 Wei | 己 Ji (Earth) | 丁 Ding (Fire) | 乙 Yi (Wood) |
| 申 Shen | 庚 Geng (Metal) | 壬 Ren (Water) | 戊 Wu (Earth) |
| 酉 You | 辛 Xin (Metal) | — | — |
| 戌 Xu | 戊 Wu (Earth) | 辛 Xin (Metal) | 丁 Ding (Fire) |
| 亥 Hai | 壬 Ren (Water) | 甲 Jia (Wood) | — |
FAQ
Why do branches hide stems?
Each branch is a season slice; besides its main element it carries traces of the neighbouring seasons. Hidden stems make those traces countable.
Do all hidden stems count equally?
No. The main qi weighs most. In our approach a hidden stem matters most when it also appears in the heavenly stems.
Where do I see them for my chart?
The free chart lists hidden stems under each pillar.