module 02 ten stems
Module 02: Characteristics of the Ten Chinese Numeral System (Chapter 3)
Overview
When living on the globe earth, Fu Xi (伏義) discovered that:
- Wood element has tree (yang) and grass (yin)
- Fire element has the sun (yang) and dim lights/candle (yin)
- Earth element has the mountain (yang) and soil/farmland (yin)
- Metal element has the heavy metal plates or huge axe (yang) and mineral/stones/gems beneath soil (yin)
- Water element has the ocean (yang) and rain (yin)
Critical rule: You cannot just take the information straight from the characteristic tables and start predicting. You must consider the root (通根), and the strength of the other five elements (五行) in the chart and make meaning into the Bazi chart.
Understanding Root (根 / 通根)
With Root (通根): Like a true, fully-grown version of the element. A Jia (甲) yang wood tree with root in the hidden Chinese numeral system (藏干) has an identical jia yang wood — that birth owner is a TRUE tree and has the full characteristics listed in the table.
Without Root (无根): Like a chopped-down tree that has turned into a chair or table or cupboard. The birth owner is very flexible and versatile (变东变西) in their career. Without root also tends to start their career at a young age and sometimes leave home young.
Intelligence of a Day Master
For a jia (甲) yang wood birth owner (or any element), intelligence is determined by the balance of wood and fire (木火通明). Both wood AND fire must be visible and well-balanced in the birth chart for a jia yang wood birth owner to be considered highly intelligent.
(1) Jia 甲 — Yang Wood
Jia (甲) represents a root waiting to erupt from the land. If it erupts, it has great potential to grow into a tall tree. In the Bazi birth chart, if the birth owner is a jia (甲), he or she is very likely to be the eldest son or daughter in the family, or is treated like the eldest child with full respect.
Table 4: (1) Jia 甲 Yang Wood
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Concept | Kind 木主仁 |
| Figure | Leader, manager, director, general, marshal, famous people |
| Form | Straight, square, tall, fair, muscular, chiselled face, dark hair, thick brows |
| Temperament | Majestic, righteous, noble, influential, forgiving, kind, patient |
| Body | Head, finger nails, brain, liver, guts, bones |
| Feel | Aching, bloating |
| Animal | Pangolin, tortoise shell, lobster, tortoise, hawksbill turtle, seashell, snails, crabs |
| Plant | Huge tree, shelled fruit, peanuts, almond, chestnut, melon seeds |
| Object | Books, cotton, clothes, furniture, paper, landscape |
| Geographic | Smokeless bittern, thick column, structural, coffin, high-pitched land, provincial capital, capital, office, celebrity residence, tall buildings, offices |
| Location | East |
| Weather | Wind, spring, morning |
| Food | Delicacy, delicious, high end food, sour |
| Colour | Green |
Intelligence Examples for Jia (甲) Yang Wood
Principle: For Jia yang wood, intelligence requires wood (木) and fire (火) to be visible and well balanced (木火通明).
Example 1 — Moderate Intelligence (Page 68)
| Hour | Day | Month | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stem | 庚 Geng | 甲 Jia | 乙 Yi | 丁 Ding |
| Branch | 午 Wu | 寅 Yin | 巳 Si | 丑 Chou |
| Hidden Stems | 己 丁 | 戊 丙 甲 | 庚 戊 丙 | 辛 癸 己 |
Answer: 3 wood + 3 fire elements (fire stronger because born in fire month). 1 wood + 3 fire in hidden roots (fire stronger still).
Conclusion: Moderate intelligence and not so witty. The strong fire also indicates potential danger of suicidal or physical/mental health issues or behavioural issues, such as anger management especially after alcohol consumption.
Example 2 — Intelligent and Witty (Page 69)
| Hour | Day | Month | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stem | 己 Ji | 甲 Jia | 辛 Xin | 丙 Bing |
| Branch | 巳 Si | 戌 Xu | 卯 Mao | 辰 Chen |
| Hidden Stems | 庚 戊 丙 丁 辛 戊 | 乙 癸 乙 戊 |
Answer: 2 wood + 2 fire (wood strong because born in spring). 2 wood + 2 fire in hidden roots (good balance).
Conclusion: Intelligent and witty because there is a well balance of fire and wood 木火通明.
Height Example — Jia Wood and Water (Pages 62–65)
Principle: Water grows wood. To be tall for Jia yang wood, you need water in the birth chart. Wood also represents the amount of hair on your head.
Female chart — 154cm (short, no water):
| Hour | Day | Month | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten God | 正财 | 命主 | 正官 | 食神 |
| Stem | 己 Ji | 甲 Jia | 辛 Xin | 丙 Bing |
| Branch | 巳 Si | 戌 Xu | 卯 Mao | 辰 Chen |
| Hidden Stems (Hour 巳) | 庚/七杀, 戊/偏财, 丙/食神, 丁/伤官, 辛/正官, 戊/偏财 | 乙/劫财, 癸/正印, 乙/劫财, 戊/偏财 |
- Strength score: 日主旺度 97 87 77 67 57 47 37 27 17 7
- +580 luck cycle: 辛 壬 癸 甲 乙 丙 丁 戊 己 庚
- -620 luck cycle: 巳 午 未 申 酉 戌 亥 子 丑 寅
Below 20 years old (丑 Ox, 寅 Tiger luck pillars) is her growing tall period, yet there is no water in the luck cycle either — explaining short stature. Although Mao (卯) represents Spring where water grows wood ideally, the fire, earth, and wood elements absorb most of the water.
Male chart — 178cm (average, water in luck cycle):
| Hour | Day | Month | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten God | 七杀 | 命主 | 劫财 | 伤官 |
| Stem | 庚 Geng | 甲 Jia | 乙 Yi | 丁 Ding |
| Branch | 午 Wu | 寅 Yin | 巳 Si | 丑 Chou |
| Hidden Stems | 己/正财, 丁/伤官, 戊/偏财 | 丙/食神, 甲/比肩 | 庚/七杀, 戊/偏财, 丙/食神 | 辛/正官, 癸/正印, 己/正财 |
- Strength score: 日主旺度 93 83 73 63 53 43 33 23 13 3
- +215 luck cycle: 乙 丙 丁 戊 己 庚 辛 壬 癸 甲
- -885 luck cycle: 未 申 酉 戌 亥 子 丑 寅 卯 辰
Below 20 years old (寅 Tiger, 卯 Rabbit, 辰 Dragon luck pillars) is his growing tall period, and there is water (壬癸) to help him grow tall!
Five-element strength box (旺相死囚休) — same Jia chart (page 65):
| 旺 Strongest | 相 Strong | 死 Weakest | 囚 Weaker | 休 Weak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 木 Wood | 火 Fire | 土 Earth | 金 Metal | 水 Water |
Wood is strong (旺) — this person has thick hair too.
Health Example (Page 71)
| Hour | Day | Month | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten God | 七杀 | 命主 | — | 伤官 |
| Stem | 庚 Geng | 甲 Jia | 乙 (summer) | 丁 Ding |
| Branch | 午 Wu | 寅 Yin | 巳 Si | 丑 Chou |
| Hidden Stems | 己 丁 | 戊 丙 甲 | 庚 戊 丙 | 辛 癸 己 |
Five-element strength box:
| 旺 | 相 | 死 | 囚 | 休 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 火 Fire | 土 Earth | 金 Metal | 水 Water | 木 Wood |
Answer: Health is poor. Why? Because wood day birth owner is weak in the summer (check Table 3) and there is insufficient water to strengthen the wood in this birth chart.
Extra Tips for Jia (甲) Yang Wood
- Jia yang wood likes ding (丁) yin fire (vice versa) — called "甲木引丁火". This means the ding yin fire in the year column (father location) likes, cares for and respects the jia yang wood owner.
- He is a useful person especially after 40 years old. Why? Because geng (庚) yang metal appears at the hour column (时柱). Geng yang metal axe chops jia yang wood and makes the birth owner a well-behaved person. Additionally, with geng yang metal in the birth chart, it is easy for jia yang wood to find a career he is happy with. Remember — no over-countering!
- For jia yang wood to grow well, he needs sun (bing 丙 yang fire) and rain (gui 癸 yin water), not ren (壬) yang water. Jia yang wood prefers hidden gui yin water. If wood touches ren yang water it will rot — meaning promotion or job seeking is a major problem.
- Jia yang wood with hidden water in the hidden stem can save money better than those with water appearing in the Chinese numeral system (天干) and Chinese animal zodiacs (地支).
- If the wood is strong, yet fire is weak in the jia yang wood birth chart, it is not easy for the birth owner to find a job. Why? Because too much wood can diminish the fire.
- Remember that it takes time to grow from a small plant into a huge tree. Therefore, jia yang wood must be patient when building his career.
- Jia (甲) yang wood born between 1–5pm must learn to manage his or her finances extremely well at his or her old age.
Elder Child Discussion — Jia (甲) vs. Other Day Masters (Page 58)
You may ask: "I am the eldest child or eldest son or eldest daughter, but I am not jia (甲)." Here is why:
What the ancestor is trying to say about jia (甲) is that the birth owner who is born as jia day has a higher probability of being the eldest child. However, the actual role depends on the full chart context.
Example — Jia 甲 Day Master (eldest child traits):
| Hour | Day | Month | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten God | 七杀 | 命主 | 劫财 | 伤官 |
| Stem | 庚 Geng | 甲 Jia | 乙 Yi | 丁 Ding |
| Branch | 午 Wu | 寅 Yin | 巳 Si | 丑 Chou |
| Hidden Stems | 己/正财, 丁/伤官 | 戊/偏财, 丙/食神, 甲/比肩 | 庚/七杀, 戊/偏财, 丙/食神 | 辛/正官, 癸/正印, 己/正财 |
Example — Yi 乙 Day Master (eldest child through chart context):
| Hour | Day | Month | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten God | 食神 | 命主 | 偏印 | 食神 |
| Stem | 丁 Ding | 乙 Yi | 癸 Gui | 丁 Ding |
| Branch | 亥 Hai | 未 Wei | 丑 Chou | 未 Wei |
| Hidden Stems | 甲/劫财, 壬/正印 | 乙/比肩, 丁/食神, 己/偏财 | 辛/七杀, 癸/偏印, 己/偏财 | 乙/比肩, 丁/食神, 己/偏财 |
The family listens to her and respects her as the eldest child. She is also majestic, righteous, noble, influential, lead, forgiving, kind, and patient. Why? Wood is strong (旺) in her birth chart (born in spring), giving her elder-child characteristics despite being Yi rather than Jia.
(2) Yi 乙 — Yin Wood
Yi (乙) yin wood with root (通根) is like vegetables planted in a garden or farm — afraid of loneliness.
Yi yin wood without root (无根) is like a flower in a vase — more fragile; more suitable to work indoors.
Table 5: (2) Yi 乙 Yin Wood
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Concept | Kind 木主仁 |
| Figure | Chinese traditional medicine (TCM) doctor, woman, wife, artist, painter, writer |
| Shape | Slender, slight slouched, fair skin, thin face, bone laxity, good-looking, well-dressed |
| Temperament | Kind, soft, benevolent, attachment, depression, sensitive, submissive, selfish, soft texture, art, culture, soft, curvy |
| Body | Liver, guts, intestines, hair, nervous system, fallopian tubes, virginal, lymph, hand, leg, shoulder |
| Feel | Aching, bloating |
| Animal | Earthworm, snake, swan, dragon, sea cucumber, silkworm, birds |
| Plants | Chinese medicine herbs, plants, small trees, fruit trees, tender vines, cucumber, willow branches, morning glory, creeper |
| Object | Beautiful carved beams, beautiful art piece, gourd, wood carving, oil painting, chair, office, bed, decorative items, nice bedroom, door, window, pipeline, rattan chair, noodles |
| Geographic | Grassland, garden, fruit forest, art museum, beauty salon, beautiful building |
| Location | East |
| Weather | Wind, moon, spring, morning |
| Colour | Pale green, turquoise |
Extra Tips for Yi (乙) Yin Wood
- If yi yin wood has roots (通根), it is a flower planted in soil — afraid of loneliness. If your spouse is yi yin wood with roots, you better always accompany your spouse.
- If yi yin wood has no root (无根), suitable for indoor career; better to work for someone than start own business.
- Yi yin wood with bing (丙) sun yang fire and gui (癸) yin water in the birth chart is easier to succeed — needs helpers to assist.
- Male yi yin wood with roots has a habit of taking good care of his hairstyle. Yi yin wood loves to dress well (爱打扮).
- When yi yin wood is damaged in the birth chart, the person has lots of white hair and sometimes loss of hair.
- Use a little of xin (辛) yin metal (like a scissor) to trim yi yin wood is okay, but not geng (庚) yang metal axe — else trouble in the birth chart.
- Yi yin wood likes to be near jia yang wood — the grass looks good near the tree.
- Yi (乙) yin wood born between 5–7pm must learn to manage his or her finances extremely well at his or her old age.
(3) Bing 丙 — Yang Fire
Bing (丙) sun yang fire with root (通根) is like forest fire — very impulsive with decisions on money, career, health, and marriage.
Bing (丙) sun yang fire without root (无根) is like the sun — can be very lonely.
Table 6: (3) Bing 丙 Yang Fire
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Concept | Well mannered 火主礼 |
| Figure | Influential & powerful people, director, decisive people, chemical worker, furnace job, power plant worker, bully |
| Shape | Voluptuous, rounded face, little moustache, short hair, pinkish face |
| Temperament | Short-tempered, tough, vanity, justice, impatient, impulsive, hope, bright, authoritative, trouble, tough, fast, furious, decisive, polite, warm |
| Body | Eyes, blood, lips, heart, small intestine, swollen area, inflammation |
| Feel | Hot, burning, itch |
| Animal | Horse, ox, pig, donkey |
| Plant | Stalked fruit, pear, peach, watermelon, pumpkin, lotus, apple |
| Object | Bright things, light, stove, transformer, chimney, window, petrol kiosk |
| Geographic | Kitchen, highland, furnace, power plant, bright places |
| Location | South |
| Weather | Sunny, hot, summer, afternoon |
| Colour | Red, purple |
Extra Tips for Bing (丙) Yang Fire
- Bing sun yang fire people are usually easily taken for granted — everyone expects the sun to rise every day.
- Bing sun yang fire born in winter has the highest popularity rate — everyone is happy to see the sun in winter!
- Bing sun yang fire is best not born at night (3–5pm onward into night). Who needs the sun at night?
- Bing sun yang fire loves the ocean ren (壬) yang water and jia (甲) yang wood — but not too much water.
- Bing sun yang fire also loves jia yang wood — provides endless fire. Needs to be well educated to do well.
- Bing sun yang fire is afraid of ji (己) yin earth — signifies disaster to marriage, family, health and wealth.
- Dislikes metal element that exhausts them.
- Bing sun yang fire born between 7–11pm must learn to manage his or her finances extremely well at his or her old age.
(4) Ding 丁 — Yin Fire
Ding (丁) yin fire with roots (通根) is like a candle — always well-dressed.
Ding (丁) yin fire without roots (无根) is like a lantern — best not to work with the wrong person.
Whatever it is, ding yin fire is very fragile, yet has the power to light up the world. It's good to have jia (甲) yang wood to protect it from being blown off.
Table 7: (4) Ding 丁 Yin Fire
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Concept | Well mannered 火主礼 |
| Figure | Lover, singer |
| Form | Beautiful with class, snow pinkish skin, thin silky hair, wide forehead, sharp ears |
| Temperament | Good temper but scheming, hope, perseverance, develop, sharp, provocative, sarcastic, top notch, protrude, outstanding |
| Body | Eyes, teeth, heart, blood, blood vessel, bone spurs, fleshy thorns, penis |
| Feel | Hot, burning |
| Animal | Insects that bite, mosquitoes, flea, wasp, bee, gadfly, thorn animals, porcupine, wild boar, snake |
| Plant | Thorny plants or fruits, rose, Chinese rose, locust tree, cactus, pine tree, pomegranate, chestnut, rambutan, jujube, hazelnut |
| Object | Things that glow, light, knife, sword, syringe, nail, toothpick, bill, article, walking stick, incense, electronic devices, certificate, fireworks, lighter, mobile phone, bullet, small metal stuff, jewellery, stove |
| Geographic | Road intersection, caves, corner, roof |
| Location | South |
| Weather | Stars, sunny, summer, noon |
| Colour | Red, purple |
Extra Tips for Ding (丁) Yin Fire
- Ding yin fire born at night is more outstanding than ding yin fire born in the day. Who can see the ding yin candle fire in the day?
- Ding yin fire needs jia (甲) yang wood to do better.
- To live well, ding yin fire must always express their feelings and thoughts to their loved ones, and they need a home.
- Ding yin fire born between 11pm–1am must learn to manage his or her finances extremely well at his or her old age.
(5) Wu 戊 — Yang Earth
Wu (戊) yang earth with root (通根) is a strong and sturdy mountain. Wu yang earth is not afraid of jia wood countering it or any form of water exhausting it.
Wu (戊) yang earth without root (无根) is like a huge patch of solid wall or road — easily stepped over by people.
Table 8: (5) Wu 戊 Yang Earth
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Concept | Reliable 土主实 |
| Figure | Accountant, financial institution, cashier, banking staff, property developer, property agent, miner, farmer, respectable figures |
| Form | Stout, chiselled face, fair yellowish skin, fleshy |
| Temperament | Decisive, hot-tempered, generous, dumb, dementia, slow, honest, forgiving, sincere, straightforward |
| Body | Nose, chest, breast, buttock, stomach, abdomen |
| Feel | Heavy |
| Animal | Ox, pig, camel, bear, penguin, panda |
| Plant | Broad leaves or fleshy fruits grown from earth: banana, sunflower, poplar, pumpkin, yam, sweet potato, potato, carrot |
| Object | Pottery, earth-made products, porcelain bowl/cup/spoon/tank/tile, cement products, capital, money, finance |
| Geographic | Patio area, living room, wall, cement roof beam, graveyard, earth, agency, consultancy, cement factory |
| Location | Central |
| Weather | Stars, galaxy, clouds, cloudy day |
| Colour | Yellow, brown, earth tones |
Extra Tips for Wu (戊) Yang Earth
- Wu yang earth with root (通根) and all five elements in the birth chart has the greatest opportunity to grow rich — lots of mineral and gems are usually beneath the mountain.
- When you see wu (戊) yang earth + jia (甲) yang wood + geng (庚) yang metal (all in the birth chart), the greatest opportunity to overcome challenges and become successful.
- You have to be clear, transparent, and concise with wu yang earth about dealing with money. Not comfortable with hidden money or complicated money matters.
- Wu (戊) yang earth born between 7pm–11pm must learn to manage his or her finances extremely well at his or her old age.
(6) Ji 己 — Yin Earth
Ji (己) yin earth with root (通根) is represented as soil in the farmland.
Ji (己) yin earth without root (无根) is like soil in a flower pot — the nurturing environment is extremely important.
Ji yin earth has strong capability of absorbing water — therefore they are very tolerant and adaptable to changes.
Table 9: (6) Ji 己 Yin Earth
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Concept | Reliable 土主实 |
| Figure | Advisor, planner, advertiser, meditator, people with body condescension, people who love to snack |
| Form | Thin, skinny, rounded face |
| Temperament | Sad look, muffled voice, less active, quiet, submissive, planning, desire, evil thoughts, creativity, thrifty, beat around the bush, stingy, messy, many ideas, taboo, meticulous thoughts |
| Body | Mouth, nipple, belly button, calf, spleen, intestine, bowels |
| Feel | Heavy heart |
| Animal | Snail, octopus, squid, curl-up animals, hibernating animals like snake, bear, cat, dog |
| Plant | Curled plants without unfolding, buds in bud: Chinese cabbage, chrysanthemum, mimosa, plant bud |
| Object | Pottery, earthen crafts, porcelain craft, curled things, rope, thread, roll, food, rubbish, poo |
| Geographic | Pit hole, drain, toilet, underground sewerage, trash, wet floor, graveyard, cemetery, farm, lowland, balcony, dirty stuff |
| Location | Southwest |
| Weather | Stars with cloud, dark clouds, cloudy day |
| Colour | Yellow, yellowish green brown |
Extra Tips for Ji (己) Yin Earth
- Rabbit mao (卯) appearing in the 10-year luck cycle (大运) or year (流年) can signify disaster.
- Ji yin earth needs bing (丙) sun yang fire and gui (癸) yin water in the birth chart to do well.
- Avoid ren (壬) water — ji yin earth will be in disaster. Better to have water element in the hidden stem.
- Ji (己) yin earth born between 11pm–1am must learn to manage his or her finances extremely well at his or her old age.
(7) Geng 庚 — Yang Metal
Geng (庚) yang metal with root (通根) is a strong piece of axe.
Geng (庚) yang metal without root (无根) is like a piece of raw metal — great capability of helping others but incapability of helping own self.
Both types require ding (丁) yin fire to shape it into a usable piece of material such as a sword. However, bing (丙) yang fire will severely injure geng yang metal.
Table 10: (7) Geng 庚 Yang Metal
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Concept | Righteous 金主义 |
| Figure | Military, police, underworld, technology, capable, arbitrary |
| Form | Slim and tall physique, strong bones, long face shape, fair skin |
| Temperament | Energetic, alert, majestic yet hot-tempered, rigid, obstacle, block, fight, courage, high spirit, kill, ferocious, brutal, dangerous, tough and tired |
| Body | Head, skeleton, lung, big intestine, skin, shoulder and back |
| Feel | Painful |
| Animal | Ferocious animals, tiger, wolf, lion, poisonous snake, biochemical virus |
| Plant | Stem of the plant, root, shell of fruit |
| Object | Rock, stone craft, stone beast, window, bones, weapon, robots, car, metal products, tough question |
| Geographic | Roadway, checkpoint, toll, steel plant, mining machinery |
| Location | West |
| Weather | Thunder, autumn, evening |
| Colour | White, grey, silver |
Extra Tips for Geng (庚) Yang Metal
- Geng yang metal are tough people and are not afraid of trouble. Sometimes they are the troublemakers. Best to mind their own business.
- Geng yang metal born between 1–3am and 5–7pm must learn to manage his or her finances extremely well at his or her old age.
(8) Xin 辛 — Yin Metal
Xin (辛) yin metal with root (通根) is like a beautiful piece of ring — gracious and refined.
Xin (辛) yin metal without root (无根) is like a rough stone not yet polished into a gem.
Table 11: (8) Xin 辛 Yin Metal
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Concept | Righteous 金主义 |
| Figure | Sinner, criminal, revolutionaries, reformer, religious person |
| Form | Long and squarish, fair skin, long face with concaved cheeks |
| Temperament | Loyal, gentle and delicate, egoistic yet materialistic, weak determination, mistake, problem, rebellious, innovative, revolution, change |
| Body | Teeth, bone, lung, skin and hair, pimple, tumour, bone spurs, acne, smallpox, sperm |
| Feel | Painful |
| Animal | Parasites leeching or virus growing in the body, insects with diameter less than one centimetre, animal eggs |
| Plant | Granular food, soybeans, sorghum, sweet corn, petite flowers such as jasmine, flower and fruit |
| Object | Small metal objects, accessories, artwork such as ring, necklace, bracelet, small ornaments, key, screw, Buddha beads, small knife, watch, jewellery, valuable objects, money, seal, safe box, skeleton, corpse |
| Geographic | Window, road, stone, cement, metal processing plant, watch factory, jewellery factory, handicraft factory |
| Location | West |
| Weather | Thunder, stars, autumn, evening |
| Colour | White, silver, grey |
Extra Tips for Xin (辛) Yin Metal
- Xin yin metal with root (通根) are very talented businessmen, usually easier to succeed in career.
- Xin yin metal is very scared of earth elements — earth can remove the shine of xin yin metal. Experiences hidden sickness with too much earth.
- Xin yin metal needs strong water such as ren (壬) yang water to polish its shine or remove the earth element to regain good fortune.
- Ding (丁) fire is another element xin yin metal does not like — can signify hidden illness.
- Xin (辛) yin metal born between 5–7am must learn to manage his or her finances extremely well at his or her old age.
(9) Ren 壬 — Yang Water
Ren (壬) yang water with roots (通根) is like a huge ocean — very active, adventurous, daring, and uncontrollable of emotions.
Ren (壬) yang water without roots (无根) is like a huge dam — difficult to notice their contribution.
Table 12: (9) Ren 壬 Yang Water
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Concept | Wisdom 水主智 |
| Figure | Pregnant lady, aquatic, breeder, traveller, voyager, sailor, gangster, fisherman |
| Form | Dark skinned, big eyes, double eyelid, sway walking, long hair, thick brow |
| Temperament | Gentle, scheming look, brave, witty, indulging, capricious, enthusiastic, majestic, accommodate, romantic |
| Body | Hair, eye, artery, heart, bladder, uterus, calf |
| Feel | Swelling and painful |
| Animal | Aquatic, fish, prawn, crab, tortoise |
| Plant | Lotus, zizania, kelp, seaweed, narcissus |
| Object | Blanket, curtain, lampshade, pool, tap water, bathroom, water pipe, fire-fighting supplies |
| Geographic | Wave, lake, river, sea, pavement, human traffic, cinema, entertainment venues, hall, restaurant, station, pier, airport, prison |
| Location | North |
| Weather | Rainy day, winter |
| Colour | Black, blue |
Extra Tips for Ren (壬) Yang Water
- Ren yang water must have wu (戊) yang earth to control their bizarre emotion and behaviour. Well-behaved and easier to succeed when they meet wu yang earth.
- Ren (壬) yang water born between 7–11am must learn to manage his or her finances extremely well at his or her old age.
(10) Gui 癸 — Yin Water
Gui (癸) yin water with root (通根) is like rain water.
Gui (癸) yin water without root (无根) is like a cloud — can help others but not own self.
Table 13: (10) Gui 癸 Yin Water
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Concept | Wisdom 水主智 |
| Figure | Melon farmer, vegetable farmer, tea farmer, drunkard, lewd person, prisoner, trapped person, destitute person |
| Form | Short and tanned, rounded face, small shoulder, low pitched |
| Temperament | Scheming and fear of trouble, sentimentality, no opinion, restraint, constraint, hardship, trekking, mobility, change, kinky |
| Body | Foot, private part, veins, kidney, eyeball, sperm, mole, saliva, tears, mucus, sweat, pee |
| Feel | Numbness |
| Animal | Waterfowl, duck, swan, wild goose, crane, black fly |
| Object | Alcohol, vinegar, salt, tea, beverage, paint, soup, liquid items, shoes |
| Geographic | Wetland, pond, water tower, ditch |
| Location | North |
| Weather | Rainy day, late night, winter |
| Colour | Black, blue |
Extra Tips for Gui (癸) Yin Water
- Gui yin water requires xin (辛) yin metal to strengthen their ability because metal grows water.
- Gui yin water are smart, lovable, romantic, and very protective of themselves. Do not reveal true self easily.
- Gui (癸) yin water born between 11am–1pm must learn to manage his or her finances extremely well at his or her old age.
Five Pairs of Chinese Numeral System Combination (天干五合)
In I-Ching (易经) concepts, there are five pairs of Chinese numeral system combination (天干五合). The combination is like chemistry — like when you mix potion A with potion B = Potion C result. Therefore, the original potion A or potion B may be transformed into potion C.
Table 14: Five Pairs Combination (Complete — Page 102)
| Five Pairs | Why? | Becomes | Concept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jia + Ji (甲己) | The tree is planted on the soil; when it rots or dies, it will dissolve into the soil | Earth | Loving couple |
| Yi + Geng (乙庚) | A soft wood attached to a sharp metal plate becomes a usable metal axe | Metal | Righteous couple |
| Bing + Xin (丙辛) | When the fire touches the fine jewellery, both will be transformed into water | Water | Bullying couple |
| Ding + Ren (丁壬) | When there is fire and water, you can expect the growth of a plant | Wood | Lustrous couple |
| Wu + Gui (戊癸) | Underneath the mountain lies the lava; when there is a volcano eruption, you will see burning hot lava flowing out | Fire | Mismatch couple (e.g. the husband is ten years older than the wife) |
Conditions for a Successful Five Pairs Combination (Page 103)
In the ancient book, it is recorded that there are four conditions for the five pairs of Chinese numeral system to be combined successfully:
- The two elements to be paired must be nearby each other
- The last hidden stem in the month season must have the required combination element
- The twelve animal zodiacs must have the three animal combination forming the required combination element
- The required combination must be strong in the birth chart
Important: 95% of the time, the birth chart may show a Chinese numeral system combination but it is unsuccessful (合而不化).
Worked Example — Yi 乙 + Geng 庚 Combination into Metal (Page 103)
| Hour | Day | Month | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten God | 劫财 | 命主 | 正财 | 偏印 |
| Stem | 辛 Xin | 庚 Geng | 乙 Yi | 戊 Wu |
| Branch | 巳 Si | 午 Wu | 丑 Chou | 寅 Yin |
| Hidden Stems | 庚/比肩, 戊/偏印, 丙/七杀 | 己/正印, 丁/正官 | 辛/劫财, 癸/伤官, 己/正印 | 戊/偏印, 丙/七杀, 甲/偏财 |
Five-element strength box:
| 旺相死囚休 |
|---|
| 土金水木火 |
Metal is strong in this birth chart.
Why Yi + Geng combination is SUCCESSFUL here:
- (i) Yi 乙 + Geng 庚 are nearby each other (day and month columns)
- (ii) The last hidden stem in the month season (丑 Ox) is metal (辛) → metal is present
- (iii) Snake (巳) + (Rooster 酉) + Ox (丑) → has a hidden animal combination into metal (已酉丑合金)
- (v) Metal is strong in the birth chart
Result: combination into metal SUCCESSFUL — 乙庚合化金
What does this mean for the birth owner?
The Geng (庚) yang metal birth owner obeys his father and elder brother, which is the month Chinese numeral system Yi (乙) sitting in the father and brother position — but deep inside him he does not like them. Why? Whenever you see a five pair Chinese numeral system (天干) combo (successful or not), it usually means a compatibility on the surface, but actually a sign of incompatibility deep inside. When the two elements combo, they may lose the originality of their own element. For example, when Yi (乙) + Geng (庚) = metal, then Yi (乙) loses its original wood element to compromise Geng (庚) metal element.
When Yi (乙) + Geng (庚) = metal is successful, the metal element is greatly strengthened — this can be good or bad, depending on whether the birth owner needs metal or not in his birth chart.
Being unfavourable to the birth owner means his metal friends are troublemakers in his life. His eldest child or sons could be the troublemaker too (metal in hour column). There is a tendency for bankruptcy or poor luck when he is in a metal luck cycle. He can use wood, fire and water to weaken the strong metal in his birth chart.
Extra Tips for Five Pairs Combination (Page 106)
- Female charts discourage combination pairs, while male charts discourage clash (女命怕合，男命怕冲). This is a taboo in ancient Chinese culture for a female to be sociable and friendly to everyone, especially towards the opposite gender.
- When there is a combination, it can mean the birth owner (命主) is very sociable and friendly to everyone.
Next module: Chapter 4 — The Twelve Chinese Animal Zodiacs