The general name for Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu and Hai. Also called twelve branches. In ancient China, the twelve earthly branches were used to track time and months. The earthly branch time is to divide a day into 12 periods, which are represented by the twelve earthly branches. Zi hour is from 23 to 1 o'clock, Chou hour is from 1 to 3 o'clock, etc., which are called twelve hours. According to the earthly branch calendar, the month in which the winter solstice occurs is called the Zi month, the next month is called the Chou month, and so on. The earthly branches match the order of the ten heavenly stems, forming Jiazi, Yichou... Guihai, with a sixty-year cycle used to record days and years.
Earthly Branches
(1) Twelve earthly branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu and Hai.
Mr. Nan Huaijin said in "Miscellaneous Theory of the Book of Changes": "The five elements cooperate with the heavenly stems to cover so many things. When they are combined with the earthly branches, it is different. There are twelve earthly branches: Zi, Chou and Yin. , Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai. Some people write the earthly branches as "dizhi", which means the branches of the stem, which are actually the "branch", which is the role of the earth itself. In the solar system, the relationship between the moon and the earth and the relationship between solar terms will be discussed in detail later.
First of all, there are two major schools of medicine in ancient China. In terms of health preservation, one focuses on the intestines and stomach. One group focuses on the kidneys. Most diseases come from the gastrointestinal tract, but from my experience, doctors in the south pay more attention to the stomach, especially older people, while doctors in the north also pay attention to the maintenance of the kidneys. With kidney deficiency, all symptoms will appear after middle age. The more open sexual knowledge education is, the more diseases will occur in young people. The reason is kidney deficiency, so we must take care of it.
As for the earthly branches, If you only study the academic thoughts and general principles of the "Book of Changes", there is no need to study the five elements and stems and branches. If you want to understand the relationship between the Bagua in the "Book of Changes" used in astronomy, geography and other aspects in China for thousands of years, you must first study it. I understand the Five Elements and Stems. A professor of science wrote from abroad to ask some questions, because a book was recently published abroad, which believed that there is a hole in the south pole of the earth, and there is another world in the hole, and there are humans, and so are flying saucers. From the center of the earth, etc. These are all questions related to the "Book of Changes". I wrote back and told him that this is not surprising. The Chinese have long said that the earth is active. As for whether there are humans in the center of the earth, it is a question. Another way to say it. Regarding the issue of the connection between the north and south poles in the middle of the earth, Taoists said thousands of years ago, and also said that all parts of the earth are connected. There are books to prove these words, but none of us have gone there. Just pay attention to it. There is also a saying that there is a hole behind the Yellow Emperor's mausoleum that can lead to Nanjing. However, there is another school in the West that says that human beings came from outer space. This is also said by Taoists in ancient China. The ancient king also came down from the sky, and Buddhism also said so. These Taoist sayings can be found in "Tao Zang"
The above story is to explain the thought and origin of the five elements. There is an absolute relationship with astronomy and geophysics, but it is a pity that it was only used in divination and fortune-telling. This is only because our past culture did not develop towards science.
We have already introduced the Heavenly Stem. Let’s introduce the Earthly Branches. The Earthly Branches mentioned above are Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai. What are the twelve Earthly Branches? It is the earth itself, moving in the solar system, and interfering with each other among the planets. It is supported by a force invisibly.
We know that there are ten heavenly stems, which are the five elements. The two-pole path is the change of yin and yang in the five elements, and the six-digit branch is the change of yin and yang into twelve digits. As for the origin of these names, it has little to do with the "Book of Changes" and is in traditional Chinese culture. Another system of doctrine has been mentioned before. As for the definition of each word of Tianqian, there are many interpretations. It is difficult to draw a conclusion as to which explanation is completely correct: Ruzi is the phenomenon of the occurrence of all things. Ugly means hub, etc. Each has its own explanation, so I won’t discuss it for now. In addition, based on the history of Chinese cultural development and from the perspective of military philosophy, some people interpret the Ten Heavenly Stems such as A, B, C, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui as representatives of the ten ancient weapons, such as "A" is a sharp weapon mounted on a wooden pole, "B" is a knife, etc. There is no consensus on which one is correct.
(2) Earthly Branches Yin and Yang
1. Zi, Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen and Xu are Yang, Chou, Mao, Si, Wei, You and Hai are Yin. This divides yin and yang into odd and even.
2. Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu and Wei are Yang, Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Zi and Chou are Yin. The four seasons are divided into yin and yang, with spring and summer as yang and autumn and winter as yin.
(3), Twelve Branches and Five Elements
Yinmao belongs to wood, Yin is Yang wood, and Mao is Yin wood.
Siwu belongs to fire, Wu is Yang fire, and Si is Yin fire.
Shen You belongs to gold, Shen is Yang metal, and You is Yin metal.
Zihai belongs to water, Zi is Yang water, and Hai is Yin water.
Chou Wei in Chenxu belongs to earth, Chenxu belongs to Yang earth, and Chouwu belongs to Yin earth. Weixu is dry soil, Chouchen is wet soil. Dry soil contains fire; wet soil contains water.
Twelve Tibetan stems: Zi - Gui, Chou - Jiguixin, Yin - Jia, Bingwu, Mao - Yi, Chen - Wuyigui, Si - Bingwugeng, Wu - Dingji, Wei - Already Ding Yi, Shen - Geng Ren Wu, You - Xin, Xu - Wu Xin Ding, Hai - Ren Jia.
(4), twelve branches and four o'clock directions
Yinmao is wood in the east, fire is in the south at noon, gold is in the west at Shenyou, water is in the north of Haizi, and earth is in the four seasons of Chenxu Chou.
Shaoyang is seen in Yin, strong in Mao, and weak in Chen. Yin Mao Chen belongs to wood, Sichun, and is the east.
The sun is seen at Si, strong at noon, and weak at the end of the day. Siwu is not in the fire category, and is in the south of Xia Dynasty.
Shaoyin is found in Shen, strong in You, and weak in Xu. Shen Youxu belongs to the metal, and is the west in Siqiu.
Taiyin is seen in Hai, strong as Zi and weak as ugly. Haizi Chou belongs to water, Si Dong, and belongs to the north.
(5), Twelve Monthly Jian
The first month is Jian Yin, the second month is Jian Mao, the third month is Jian Chen, the fourth month is Jian Si, the fifth month is Jian Wu, the sixth month is Jian Wei, and the seventh month is Jian Wei. Shen is built in the month, You is built in the eighth month, Hai is built in the ninth month, Zi is built in the eleventh month, and Chou is built in the twelfth month.
Monthly construction is based on the twelve festival orders, that is, after the beginning of spring, Yinmu will be in power, after the awakening of insects, Maomu will be on duty, and after the Qingming Festival, I will be on duty. I will imitate this.
(6) The twelve hours govern the twelve hours
23-1 o’clock is Zi hour, 1-3 o’clock is Chou hour, 3-5 o’clock is Yin hour, and 5-7 o’clock is Yin hour. Mao hour, 7-9 o'clock is Chen hour, 9-11 o'clock is Si hour, 11-13 o'clock is noon hour, 13-15 o'clock is Wei hour, 15-17 o'clock is Shen hour, 17-19 o'clock is Unit time, and 19-21 o'clock is Unit time. Xu hour, 21-23 o'clock is Hai hour.
(7) The twelve dominating zodiac signs
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster , Xu dog, Hai pig.
(8), Twelve rules the human body
Twelve rules the body: Zi is the ear, Chou is the belly, Yin is the hand, Mao is the finger, Chen is the shoulder and chest, Si is Face, pharynx and teeth, Wu is the eyes, Wei is the spine, Shen is the meridians, You are the essence and blood, Xu is the gate of life, legs and feet, and Hai is the head.
The twelve organs govern: Yin is the gallbladder, Mao is the liver, Si is the heart, Wu is the small intestine, Chenxu is the stomach, Chouwei is the spleen, Shen is the large intestine, You is the lungs, Hai is the kidneys and pericardium , the son is the bladder and triple burner.
(9) Earthly branches combine to transform earthly branches and Liuhe: Zichou combines to transform earth, Yinhai combines to transform water, Maoxu combines to transform fire, Chenyou combines to transform metal, Sishen combines to transform water, Wuwei combines to transform, Turn into fire and turn into earth
Those that match each other have the meaning of cooperation, union, and reconciliation. The year, month, day, and hour of a person’s birth—the earthly branches of the four pillars, if one or two of the above groups are seen, they are compatible. . Combining, division produces combination and Ke combination, the combinations include: Yinhai combines, Hai water produces Yin wood; Chen You combines, Chen earth produces You metal; Wu does not combine, Wu fire produces Wei earth. Kehe You, Zi Chou He, Chou Earth Ke Zi Water; Maoxu He, Mao Mu Ke Xu Tu; Si Shen He, Si Fire Ke Shen Metal. This is the perfect combination. There is also the principle of combining and counter-inhibiting. For example, if Zishui is strong but Chou is weak, Zishui will overcome Chou Earth; if Xu Earth is strong but Mao is weak, it will be Earth restraining Wood; if Shen Metal is strong but weak, it will be Metal restraining Fire.
The degree of integration depends on the prosperity and decline of the Transformation God. The more prosperous the Transformation God, the greater the degree of integration; the weaker the Transformation God, the smaller the degree of integration.
Those whose fortunes are in harmony are auspicious and have good interpersonal relationships. Good things will come to you unexpectedly, even if you don’t want them. Those whose fates are forbidden to be in harmony but are in harmony will be in danger of bad luck and bad interpersonal relationships. Bad things will come without looking for them, and they cannot be pushed away even if they want to. Earthly Branches Sanhe Bureau
Shen Zichen combines the water bureau, Haimaowei combines the wood bureau, Yinwuxu combines the fire bureau, and Siyouchou combines the gold bureau.
The three-combination game is the game of birth, prosperity and tomb. Water is born in Shen, prosperous in Zi, and buried in Chen, so Shen Zichen is in harmony with the water situation. The wood grows in Hai, thrives in Mao, and dies in Wei, so Haimao does not combine with the wood position. Fire is born in Yin, flourishes in Wu, and dies in Xu, so Yinwuxu combines with the fire situation. Metal is born in Si, prosperous in You, and buried in Chou, so Si, You and Chou are alloyed with each other.
The Shenzi half-combine is water, the Haimao half-wood, the Yinwu half-fire, and the Siyou half-alloy. A prosperous half-combination game is inferior to a three-combination game.
Tomb prosperous half-combination game: Zichen half-water game, Maowei half-wood game, Wuxu half-fire game, Youchou half-alloy game. The power of a half-combination game with prosperous tombs is less than that of a half-combination game with a prosperous life.
The semi-combination bureaus of birth and tombs: Haiwei Gongmu bureau, Shenchen Gongshui bureau, Si Chou Gongjin bureau, Yinxu Gonghuo bureau. The semi-combination of life and tomb has the least power.
Three combinations turn wealth into prosperous wealth, and those who like to use wealth will benefit business operations, have more wealth and profit, gain more benefits from people and wives, gain more benefits from wives, and have long-lasting wealth. Those who are jealous of wealth are often trapped by their property, and are often burdened by their wives and women. Disasters and disasters are also mostly caused by wealth and women, and they spend their lives running around and working hard.
If the Sanhe Bureau turns the official into a prosperous official, and those who like to use the official will benefit the official career, win more people and support, get more support from others, and the official fortune will be prosperous. If officials are jealous enemies, those with official power will often be trapped by fame and power; common people will have many official positions in their lives, be timid and cowardly, and suffer from constant illness and injury.
Three combined seals turn into a prosperous seal, and those who like to use the seal will be rich in nobles, and will be beneficial to the literary, educational, and scholarly careers; those who are jealous of enemies will have many backers but no backers, making it difficult to achieve success on their own.
(10). Earthly branches clash
Ziwu clashes, Chou does not clash, Yinshen clashes, Maoyou clashes, Chenxu clashes, and Sihai clashes.
The earthly branches are in conflict, which means the directions are opposite, Zishui is in the north, Wuhuo is in the south, Chouyin lives in the northeast, Weishen lives in the southwest, Mao lives in the east, You lives in the west, Chensi lives in the southeast, and Xuhai Living in the northwest. They are all in relative positions, so they are hedging. Clash means hitting each other, impacting, and also means mutual restraint. When the four pillars are in conflict, or when the four pillars are in conflict with the luck of the year, there will be good and bad luck. If the gods of jealousy and hatred are clashed, it is good luck. Judging from the phenomenon of things, good things and auspicious things coincide with each other, while bad things, worries and evil things conflict with each other.
Liu Chong refers to the conflict and conflict between the five elements. In addition to the conflict in direction, the Tibetan stems in its branches also have the meaning of conflict and conflict. When Ziwu rushes, Gui water in Zi overcomes Ding fire in Zi, and earth in Zi overcomes Gui water in Zi. If Chou is not flushed, the Xin metal and Guishui in Chou will overcome the Yi wood and Ding fire in Chou. The earth and Ding fire in Chou will also overcome the Guishui and Xin metal in Chou. When Yin and Shen clash, Binghuo in Yinzhong overcomes Gengjin in Shenzhong, and Renshui in Shenzhong also overcomes Binghuo in Yinzhong. Mao and You clash, Xin Jin in You overcomes Yi Wood in Mao. When Si Hai clashes, the Wu Earth in Si Zhong overcomes Ren Shui in Hai Zhong, and the Jia Mu and Ren Shui in Hai Zhong also restrain the Wu Earth and Bing Fire in Si Hai. Chenxu rushes, Guishui in Chen overcomes Dinghuo in Xu, and Xinjin in Xu overcomes Yimu in Chen.
Who wins and who loses when the Zhongzang Qian clashes depends on the prosperity and decline of the five elements on both sides. The one with strong strength wins, and the one with weak strength loses. The loser is also said to be damaged and injured. If the four pillars, stems and branches (including the hidden stems in the branches) and the five elements are damaged, it means that the native's natural attributes (such as body, etc.) are weak or injured in some way. The good or bad of the social attributes mainly depends on the damage and benefit of the gods of joy and use, and the damage and benefits of the gods of jealousy and hatred.
The collisions are divided into distances. If they are close to each other, such as the year and the month, the month and the day, or the day and the hour, the impact will be greater; The moon and the hour are the next closest, and their force is the next greatest; the distant collision is like the year and the hour, and the distance is the furthest, and the impulse is smaller. When the distance is close, the momentum is large, and the blessings of good fortune and misfortune are also great; when the distance is far, the momentum is small, and the blessings of good fortune and misfortune are also small.
When hit, you will be more proactive, including changes (occupation, residence) and movement. If a woman's life is in conflict, her fetus will be damaged easily.
(11), Earthly Branches are punishing each other
Yin Xingsi, Si Xingshen, Shen Xingyin are unkind punishments.
Chou without punishment, Chou with Xu, and Xu with Wei are punishments based on power.
Zi Xingmao and Mao Xingzi are rude punishments.
Chenwu Youhai punished himself.
Punishment is also active, it is punishment movement, and its movement amplitude is generally small and conflicting. Disasters of natural nature mainly depend on the five elements injured by punishment. The good and bad luck of social attributes mainly depends on the gains and losses of the gods who like to use and avoid and hate. In ancient times, there was a saying that punishment caused injuries, illnesses, and official misfortunes. There is a certain truth to it. Many people who are punished by the four pillars have many injuries, illnesses, and official misfortunes throughout their lives. But this is not always the case. There are some people who have few or no injuries and no official misconduct in their lives. Therefore, when looking at life with restraint, punishment and punishment should be divided into two parts, and the specific situation should be treated in a specific way. There are also good and bad aspects of punishment.
(12) Earthly branches harm each other
Zi Wei harms each other, Chou Wu harms each other, Yin Si harms each other, Mao Chen harms each other, Shen Hai harms each other, and Youxu harms each other. .
Harmship is also mutual restraint. The good and bad luck of harming each other depends on the five elements of damage and injury, and the profit and loss of the gods of joy and taboo.