从零开始学八字（六）：干支知识下篇

Overall Interpretation

This section builds on the foundation of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches established in the previous chapter, focusing on Stem-Branch Image Manifestation (干支易象) — that is, the myriad phenomena and correspondences associated with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. This is the most fundamental content in BaZi astrology and the material that requires the most rote memorization. The image method itself has no fixed rules; only the principle method (理法) does. With only twenty-two characters in the stems and branches, matching them to all things in the world relies solely on the image method, which is extremely difficult to do with precision. It must be combined with multiple factors — Structures (格局), Palaces (宫位), Ten Gods (十神), Six Relatives (六亲), Star Deities (神煞), and Strength/Weakness (旺衰) — for cross-referenced positioning. This gives rise to the principles "two images fix one image" and "three images fix one image." The following sections detail the image correspondences for the Heavenly Stems, the Earthly Branches, and human body matching verses.

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I. Image Correspondences of the Heavenly Stems 🌿

Jia Wood (甲木) 🌳

• Nature: Trees, wood (dead wood becomes timber; living wood remains a tree), tall buildings, utility poles
• Human Body: Head, meridians, channels, liver, gallbladder, limbs
• Characteristics: Jia Wood represents the head. If the chart has Fire governing the nerves, damaged Jia Wood suggests susceptibility to head ailments

Yi Wood (乙木) 🌱

• Nature: Flowers and grass, soft wood, vines, plants, silk threads, clothing fibers, writing brushes
• Human Body: Feet, shins, wrists, joints, meridians, hair
• Characteristics: Yi Wood is supple wood, contrasting with the rigidity of Jia Wood. The writing brush image indicates skill in writing and painting

Bing Fire (丙火) ☀️

• Nature: Fire of the sun, radiant and colorful things, film and television, the Internet, media, calligraphy and painting, performance, speech
• Human Body: Eyes, nerves, blood, blood pressure
• Characteristics: Bing Fire governs radiance and dissemination. Industries involving color and brightness are often associated with it; high blood pressure also reflects excessive Bing Fire

Ding Fire (丁火) 🕯️

• Nature: Starlight, lamplight, spiritual light in darkness, thoughts, culture, metaphysics, theology, electronics, the Internet, newspapers, articles
• Human Body: Eyes, blood vessels, heart, nerves
• Characteristics: Ding Fire is the star of mystery, possessing strong ideological character. The distinction from Bing Fire: Bing governs visual media (moving images), Ding governs cultural media (static text)

Wu Earth (戊土) ⛰️

• Nature: Great earth, hills and mounds, buildings, real estate, temples, antiques, collectibles, things of a construction-related or archaic nature
• Human Body: Stomach and spleen, nose, skin, muscles
• Characteristics: When Wu Earth is prominent in the Hour Pillar, the person generally has a larger nose (as the Hour Pillar represents the gateway). The personality is honest and somewhat slow-paced

Ji Earth (己土) 🌾

• Nature: Garden soil, agricultural produce, mud-based construction, dust, fruits, cement, freckles
• Human Body: Skin, pancreas
• Characteristics: Wu Earth is tall and coarse; Ji Earth is low and fine. People with Ji Earth tend to be reserved and cautious

Geng Metal (庚金) ⚔️

• Nature: Hardware, steel, ores, machinery, finance, military, police, surgery, hospitals, roads
• Human Body: Large intestine, bones, teeth, throat and pharynx, navel, lungs; calcium deficiency is also linked to Geng Metal
• Characteristics: Geng Metal carries the stern, punitive energy of the White Tiger. People with strong Geng Metal are formidable, hot-tempered, and stubborn

Xin Metal (辛金) 💎

• Nature: Jewelry, musical instruments, the guzheng (zither), pens (pen nibs), finance, medicine, metalworking, law
• Human Body: Lungs, throat
• Characteristics: Xin Metal is finished metal — fine and refined. Geng Metal is the rough police officer; Xin Metal is the meticulous legal scholar. The personality is versatile and agile

Ren Water (壬水) 🌊

• Nature: Water of the vast sea, trade, maritime shipping, lakes, aquatic products, petroleum
• Human Body: Bladder, blood, circulatory system
• Characteristics: Ren Water surges and flows mightily. Such people possess resourcefulness and resilience

Gui Water (癸水) 💧

• Nature: Rain and dew, tears, springs, frost, ink, metaphysics, intellect, strategy
• Human Body: Eyes
• Characteristics: Gui Water is black; Wu-Gui combine to form Fire, hence the eye image — because the black pupil of the eye is what perceives light. Such people enjoy literature and possess cultural inclinations

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II. Image Correspondences of the Earthly Branches 🗺️

Zi Water (子水) 💧

• Attributes: Outer yang, inner yin; water of streams and vast oceans; the first of the twelve earthly branches; the eleventh lunar month. Position: due north. Color: like ink. Hence the image of the Ink Pool (墨池)
• Correspondences: Water, yin water, groundwater, sewers, hidden currents, cold water, rivers, lakes, seas, ponds, wells, ditches
• Human Body: Bladder, ear canals, blood, urinary system, reproductive system
• Special Configuration: Those born in a Zi year with Gui Hai in the Hour Pillar are called "Water Returns to the Sea" (水归大海) or "Twin Fish Swimming in Ink" (双鱼游墨), indicating outstanding literary talent

Chou Earth (丑土) 🏞️

• Attributes: The depths of winter in the twelfth lunar month; contains water vapor, hence moist earth; yin in nature; the Metal Treasury (金库). Colors: black and yellow. Chou is the Willow Bank (柳岸) — it contains water, earth, and metal; a bank is a heap of earth that can hold back the flow of water
• Correspondences: Earth pits, mud, swamps, paddy fields, bridges, palaces, graves, metal mines, mining sites, embankments, damp earth
• Human Body: Abdomen, spleen
• Special Configuration: Those born in a Chou year with Ji Wei in the Hour Pillar are called "Moon Shining Over the Willow Branch Tips" (月照柳梢), a superior configuration of destiny

Yin Wood (寅木) 🌲

• Attributes: Early spring; the first lunar month; yang in nature; color: green. Yin is the Vast Valley (广谷) — its position is northeast (Gen), Gen is the mountain, and it is the place where Wu Earth grows
• Correspondences: Trees, large trees, Buddha statues, bridges, tall buildings, deep mountains, the place where the tiger crouches
• Human Body: Four limbs, gallbladder, pulse channels, hands and feet, body hair, fingernails
• Special Configuration: Yin years correspond to the Tiger. Those born in a Yin year with Wu Chen in the Hour Pillar are called "The Tiger's Roar in the Vast Valley" (广谷虎啸), commanding authority over vast distances

Mao Wood (卯木) 🌿

• Attributes: Mid-spring; the second lunar month; all things grow; trees appear luxuriantly green like jade, hence the name Jade Forest (琼林). Position: due east. Element: Wood
• Correspondences: Small groves, shrubbery, flowers and grass, pliable trees (such as willows), doors and windows, streets, fences, red-light districts, lawns, vegetable gardens
• Human Body: Liver, four limbs, ten fingers, body hair
• Special Configuration: Those born in a Mao year with Si or Wei in the Hour Pillar are called "Rabbit Entering the Moon Palace" (兔入月宫), considered auspicious

Chen Earth (辰土) 🌾

• Attributes: Late spring; the third lunar month; water-moistened earth in which the roots of all things grow. Chen is the Marshland (草泽) — a vast wetland where waters gather. Chen lies slightly east of center, serving precisely as the Water Reservoir
• Correspondences: Wet mud, reservoirs, wells, springs, ponds, swamps, ditches, earthen mounds, farmland, paddy fields
• Human Body: Skin, muscles, shoulders, chest, stomach, digestive system
• Special Configuration: Chen combined with Ren Xu or Gui Hai is honored with the configuration "Dragon Returning to the Sea" (龙归大海)

Si Fire (巳火) 🔥

• Attributes: Early summer; the fourth lunar month; fire gradually gains strength. Si is the Great Post Station (大驿) — a densely populated place where roads converge (Si contains Bing Fire and Wu Earth, and beneath it connects to the Wu Horse)
• Correspondences: Populated centers, small towns, roads, temples, towers and pavilions, smoke and fires
• Human Body: Throat, teeth, anus, eyes, cardiac system
• Special Configuration: Those born in a Si year encountering a Chen hour — Si corresponds to the Snake, Chen the Dragon, and the Snake transforms into the Azure Dragon — this configuration is called "A Thousand-Mile Dragon Colt" (千里龙驹)

Wu Fire (午火) ☀️

• Attributes: Midsummer; the fifth lunar month; fire reaches its peak intensity. Wu is the Beacon Tower (烽堠) — positioned due south; its Five Elements are Fire and Earth; colors: red and yellow. It is a place of war and fire
• Correspondences: Arid, scorched places; kilns and smelting furnaces; battlefields; sandy war grounds; places of smoke and flame; grand halls; opulent mansions; stadiums; horse stables; pastures
• Human Body: Eyes, head, heart and blood system
• Special Configuration: Those born in a Wu year with Chen in the Hour Pillar — Chen is the True Dragon; when the True Dragon appears the Horse withdraws — called "A Horse in the Dragon's Service" (马代龙驹)

Wei Earth (未土) 🌻

• Attributes: Late summer; the sixth lunar month; yin energy deepens as fire gradually weakens. Wei is the Flower Garden (花园) — Mao Wood flourishes and forms dense forests on its own; Wei is the grave-treasury of Wood, like flowers and trees growing in mixed abundance within the walls
• Correspondences: Dry earth, Wood Treasury, gardens, courtyards, wall embankments, dry wells, newly dug graves, woodworking shops, forest farms, lumber mills, vegetable gardens, orchards, restaurants and taverns
• Human Body: Stomach, wrists, skin, muscles, spleen, digestive system

Shen Metal (申金) 🔔

• Attributes: Early autumn; the seventh lunar month; the place where Ren Water and Wu Earth have their longevity; a sturdy, durable yang metal. Shen is the Renowned Capital (名都) — its position belongs to Kun (southwest), with terrain vast and boundless
• Correspondences: Halls of immortals, great roads, city towers, ancestral shrines, killing and punitive energy, metal objects, large metal equipment and machinery, ores
• Human Body: Large intestine, meridians, lungs, bones, respiratory system
• Special Configuration: Those born in a Shen year encountering a Hai hour are said to have the auspicious image "The Pillar of Heaven and Earth" (天地泰斗)

You Metal (酉金) 🛎️

• Attributes: Mid-autumn; the eighth lunar month; Xin Metal has a pure white, clear color — yin metal. You is the Temple Bell (寺钟) — You is Metal, positioned in Xu-Hai (which constitute the Gate of Heaven); a bell is metal, and when struck its sound pierces through the Gate of Heaven. Position: due west. Temples represent the Buddhist realm of the West
• Correspondences: Small metal objects and equipment, metal farm implements, needles, alcohol, steles and tablets, streets and alleys, iron towers, temples, chickens
• Human Body: Bones, small intestine, essence and blood, lungs, respiratory system
• Special Configuration: You encountering Yin is called "The Bell Rings in the Valley Echo" (钟鸣谷应), considered auspicious

Xu Earth (戌土) 🏜️

• Attributes: Late autumn; the ninth lunar month; the Fire Treasury (火库). Dull iron and stubborn metal require it to be forged into useful implements. Xu is the Burned Plains (烧原) — in deep autumn plants and trees wither, and farmers burn the grass before plowing, hence the name. Chen and Xu are places the Nobleman star does not visit
• Correspondences: Barren earth, cave dwellings, gas stations, transformers, substations, oil refineries, oil depots, mines, caverns, the Gate of Heaven, the Gate of Life, slaughterhouses, prisons, jail cells, detention centers, execution grounds, penal arenas, funeral parlors, graves, temples and monasteries, ridges and hills, places of incense and worship
• Human Body: Legs, Gate of Life (mingmen), ankles and feet, stomach, skin, muscles
• Special Configuration: Those born in a Xu year encountering a Mao branch are called "Spring Encroaching Upon the Burned Remains" (春入烧痕)

Hai Water (亥水) 🌌

• Attributes: The tenth lunar month; a blanket of white snow covers everything; the earth holds no warmth, and Metal generates chills. Hai is the Suspended River (悬河) — a great river surging forth without return. Hai is also the Gate of Heaven (天门)
• Correspondences: Temples, water places (rivers, streams, lakes, seas), ditches and channels, pig farms, towers and pavilions, granaries
• Human Body: Head, kidneys and scrotum, blood, urinary system
• Special Configuration: For those born in a Hai year, if the Day Pillar or Hour Pillar contains Yin or Chen, this is called "Water Arching Toward the Thunder Gate" (水拱雷门)

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III. Verses for Human Body Correspondence 📜

Zang-Fu Organs Verse

Jia is the Gallbladder, Yi the Liver, Bing the Small Intestine;
Ding the Heart, Wu the Stomach, Ji the Spleen's domain;
Geng is the Large Intestine, Xin belongs to the Lungs,
Ren is the Bladder, Gui stores in the Kidneys.
The Triple Burner is likewise entrusted to Ren,
And the Pericardium returns with Gui to its den.

Body Part Verse

Jia for the head, Yi for the neck, Bing seeks the shoulders;
Ding for the heart, Wu for the ribs, Ji belongs to the abdomen;
Geng is the navel wheel, Xin belongs to the thighs,
Ren for the shins, Gui for the feet, covering the entire frame.
Zi belongs to the Bladder, water channels, and the ears,
Chou serves as the uterus-belly and is linked to the spleen;
Yin is the Gallbladder, hair, pulses, and both hands,
Mao Wood covers the ten fingers and the inner liver's land;
Chen Earth is the skin, shoulders, and chest category,
Si is the face, throat, teeth, and the lower anus in reality;
Wu Fire's spirit governs the eyes,
Wei Earth involves the stomach, diaphragm, and spine's rise;
Shen Metal is the Large Intestine, meridians, and Lungs,
You holds essence and blood where the Small Intestine hangs;
Xu holds the Gate of Life, legs, ankles, and feet,
Hai Water pertains to the head and the kidneys' seat.
If trusted to defer with care and uphold these laws for ill's decree, even Qi Bo and Lei Gong would spread the praise gracefully.

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🧠 Deeper Understanding

Core Concepts 💡

The myriad images of all things, complexity managed through simplicity. The stems and branches amount to just twenty-two characters, yet they must correspond to the ten thousand manifestations of the world. The core logic is not a "one-to-one mapping" but rather achieving accuracy through multi-layered cross-referencing of image meanings. The text specifically emphasizes the principle "two images fix one image" and "three images fix one image" — only when factors such as Structures, Palaces, Ten Gods, Star Deities, and Strength/Weakness converge on the same piece of information does its certainty become sufficiently high. Taking an image in isolation hits the mark less than one time in a hundred.

The image method has no rules; the principle method has rules. The image method is an open-ended associative system that sets no boundaries of its own; the principle method (generation and control, structures, strength/weakness, etc.) is what possesses operable, logical rules. Only by combining both does one achieve the correct path.

Modern Interpretation 🌟

The essence of stem-branch image correspondences is an ancient classification and coding system of cognition. Viewed through a modern lens, it shares common ground with semiotics and the process of "categorization" in cognitive science:

• The difference between Bing Fire and Ding Fire resembles the conceptual divide in modern communication studies between "visual media" and "print media." Bing Fire is the fire of the sun, corresponding to visual and dynamic forms of communication (film, television, internet, live streaming); Ding Fire is the fire of starlight, corresponding to textual and ideological forms (newspapers, articles, academia). In today's age of self-media, a person with strong Bing Fire in the chart may be better suited to short videos, live streaming, and other forms of visual expression, while one with strong Ding Fire may excel in long-form writing and knowledge output.

• The division of labor between Geng Metal and Xin Metal can be mapped to modern career classifications: Geng Metal governs "hard execution" fields such as military-police work, surgery, and mechanical manufacturing; Xin Metal governs "precision-for-compliance" fields such as law, actuarial finance, and jewelry craftsmanship. This distinction parallels the personality typologies in modern vocational psychology, contrasting "action-oriented" and "rules-oriented" temperaments.

• The diversified correspondences of Xu Earth — gas stations, transformers, substations, oil depots, prisons, execution grounds, funeral parlors — despite appearing disorderly, share a core characteristic: energy transformation and boundary places. Xu is the Fire Treasury — a site for storing and releasing energy — hence modern energy facilities naturally fall into this category; Xu also carries a killing, terminal atmosphere, thus corresponding to places of punishment and funeral rites.

• Combining palace positions with image interpretation: The text notes that "only Jia Wood in the Year or Hour Pillar may represent the head," exemplifying the logic that position determines function. The Year Pillar is the root and the Hour Pillar the fruit; the head, being at the top of the body, thus relates to the Year Pillar (head/early years) or the Hour Pillar (gateway/appearance). Only through such interaction can Jia Wood's "head" image become valid. This line of thinking is highly consistent with the modern systems theory view that "the same element assumes different functions in different positions."

Practical Value ⚡

1. A reference framework for health assessment: The stem-branch/organ correspondence verses provide an entry point for combining TCM's "Five Movements and Six Qi" with destiny analysis. For example, those with Xin Metal under attack may pay attention to the condition of their lungs and respiratory tract; those with Gui Water suppressed should be mindful of kidney and urinary health. This serves as a risk prompt, not a deterministic prophesy.

2. Occupational guidance: The industry correspondences among the Heavenly Stems can assist career planning — such as those with strong Bing-Ding Fire being suited to culture, media, or the Internet; those with strong Geng-Xin Metal fitting finance, law, machinery, or medicine; those with strong Ren-Gui Water being suitable for trade, logistics, aquatic products, or consulting. Nevertheless, a full-chart, comprehensive judgment is required, and one must never reach conclusions based on a single pillar alone.

3. Learning strategy: The text recommends "first memorize three to five images for each stem and branch, then gradually expand." This incremental learning approach aligns with cognitive regularities — first establishing core categories, then enriching the associative network through practice. Beginners should not try to grasp everything perfectly at once but should anchor with commonly used image meanings and let their understanding expand naturally through engagement.

Philosophical Reflection 🤔

Stem-branch imagery embodies a poetics of mapping. Associating the burning plains of Xu with transformers and funeral parks acknowledges both the underlying logic — interfaces of transformation, boundaries, final conclusion — and the core of ten thousand images through a language of analogical metaphors passing over a gap that separate empirical categories. Cognition always works by weaving associations through selected anchors of experience.

Behind the imagery of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches lies a "holographic correspondence" cosmology—where the human body, society, and nature mirror one another within a single symbolic system. This thinking resonates with the Western Hermetic principle of "As above, so below," and is likewise continuous with the traditional Chinese concept of "unity of heaven and humanity."

Yet one must remain clear-eyed: the imagery system is an open associative framework, not a closed determinism. It offers a "lens for viewing the world," not a "formula for predicting the world." Modern learners should approach it with an attitude of falsifiability and reviewability, treating divinatory conclusions as concrete hypotheses to be tested and revised in actual life, rather than blindly accepted. This is precisely the deeper significance of the original text's emphasis on "two images confirming one image": the more evidence, the more reliable the judgment.

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📚 Related Knowledge

Associated Concepts

Further Reading

• San Ming Tong Hui (The Comprehensive Compendium of Three Destinies): The most systematic treatment of the Five Elements, Stems and Branches, and Nayin, providing deep insight into the theoretical foundations of Stem-Branch imagery
• Di Tian Sui (River of Heaven's Marrow): Renowned for its reasoning and method, helping to understand how Stem-Branch imagery integrates with strength and structural patterns
• Mei Hua Yi Shu (Plum Blossom Yijing): A classic application of universal imagery in divination, serving as a cross-reference for Eight Character (BaZi) image-taking
• Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine): The theory of visceral organs and meridians in traditional Chinese medicine, mutually corroborating with the Stem-Branch–human body correspondence formulas

Modern Research

In recent years, some scholars have attempted to bring the Stem-Branch imagery system into dialogue with conceptual metaphor theory in cognitive linguistics. Imagery is, in essence, a culturally embedded metaphorical system—for instance, "Jia wood as the head" is based on the embodied experience of a tree standing tall and upright, while "Ren water as the bladder" derives from a functional analogy of fluid metabolism. This perspective helps demystify the system, framing the ancient imagery methodology as a culturally specific cognitive model rather than a supernatural law of correspondence. Meanwhile, some researchers have approached it from a big data angle, attempting statistical analyses of associations between natal chart Stem-Branch combinations and variables such as health and career. Though no breakthrough conclusions have yet emerged, these efforts offer new avenues for the modern validation of traditional imagery methods.