The ten stems are the five elements in yin and yang pairs. Learn them once and the whole system opens up:
- Jia 甲 — Yang Wood: the great tree. Upright, pioneering, protective.
- Yi 乙 — Yin Wood: the vine or flower. Flexible, charming, quietly tenacious.
- Bing 丙 — Yang Fire: the sun. Radiant, generous, visible.
- Ding 丁 — Yin Fire: the candle or lamp. Warm, focused, steady light.
- Wu 戊 — Yang Earth: the mountain. Solid, reliable, immovable.
- Ji 己 — Yin Earth: the garden soil. Nourishing, adaptable, fertile.
- Geng 庚 — Yang Metal: the axe. Decisive, strong, frank.
- Xin 辛 — Yin Metal: the jewel. Refined, sensitive, precise.
- Ren 壬 — Yang Water: the ocean or river. Ambitious, free, hard to hold.
- Gui 癸 — Yin Water: the rain or spring. Subtle, intuitive, penetrating.
Why the stems matter
The Day Stem of your chart is your Day Master — the “you” that everything else balances around. The Year Stem sets the social climate of your generation; the Month Stem colours your habits; the Hour Stem reveals your inner life. Together they are the four upper characters of the eight.
You already know one stem without studying: the Chinese year is named by its stem and branch, so 2026 is Bing Wu (丙午, Yang Fire Horse) and 2027 is Ding Wei (丁未, Yin Fire Goat).
Read your own stems
Cast your four pillars and you will see your four stems and four branches immediately. The intro essay explains the structure; this list tells you what each upper character is actually saying about you.
Dig deeper: cast your own chart and the I Ching oracle — free, deterministic and in plain English.