Geng Shen and Xin You: Pomegranate Wood
Overall Translation
Those born in the years of Geng Shen and Xin You belong to the Pomegranate Wood element in the Na Yin Five Elements system. Its nature is as pungent as ginger 🔥, its flowers are bright red like fire, its branches are laden with fruit, and its seeds are crystal clear. Although the heavenly stems and earthly branches are purely metal, the Na Yin is classified as wood, representing a variant form of wood. This fate is like a potted pomegranate that can be shaped into a landscape, requiring fashioned earth (such as fired clay) as its foundation—with city wall earth being the best and rooftop earth being the second best. However, it must achieve a balance of yin and yang (e.g., Bing and Xin combining into water, Ding and Geng combining into metal, Wu and Xin transforming into fire, Ji and Yin combining into earth) to manifest nobility.
Roadside earth, wall earth, great驿 earth, and sand earth are auspicious if supported by mountain energy (such as the presence of Yin, Chou, or other mountain-root stems and branches in the八字). Otherwise, they are ineffective. Encountering sand gold is most auspicious, as sand gold (Jia Wu, Yi Wei) has stems and branches of wood and fire but a Na Yin of metal, while pomegranate wood (Geng Shen, Xin You) has stems and branches of pure metal but a Na Yin of wood. The two exchange their prosperous positions (wood prospers in Yin and Mao 🌱, metal prospers in Shen and You ⚔️), forming the Achievement Rivaling Creation Pattern, which indicates great nobility. Sea gold requires the support of Yi Chou (symbolizing a mountain) and water assistance to be auspicious. Sword gold is extremely inauspicious due to its direct克制 of wood, but it can be neutralized if balanced by sand gold.
Among water elements:
- 🌧️ Heavenly river water and stream water are auspicious for nourishment.
- 💧 Well spring water is beneficial for its clear and cool灌溉.
- 🌊 Sea water can lead to poverty and early demise if it overflows, requiring Gen earth (Yin, Chou) to control it.
Among fire elements:
- 🔆 Sun fire and霹雳 fire are auspicious when appearing alone but inauspicious when appearing together.
- 🔥 Furnace fire is auspicious in the Yin and Mao positions, but becomes dangerous when combined with other fires.
- ⚡ Special pattern: Born in the fifth month (Wu month) with only one fire in the hour pillar, known as the Pomegranate Spouting Fire Pattern, indicates nobility.
Among wood elements:
- 🌳 Encountering Mulberry Wood (Ren Zi, Gui Chou) gains Chou earth as a mountain foundation.
- 🌿 Encountering Great Forest Wood (Wu Chen, Ji Si) helps it undergo a transformation.
- 🍃 Encountering Willow Wood (Ren Wu, Gui Wei) forms the "Red Flowers and Green Willows" pattern, both beneficial for fame and achievement.
- 🌲 Encountering Pine and Cypress Wood (Geng Yin, Xin Mao) enhances its energy. Without杂气 interference, it forms "Wealth Surrounding the Red," leading to long-lasting wealth and nobility. If supported by city wall earth as a foundation and aided by water luck, blessings will extend far and wide.
🧠 In-Depth Understanding
Core Concepts 💡
Pomegranate Wood is a variant Five Element that combines hardness and softness: externally displaying a金刚 body (stems and branches Geng, Xin, Shen, You), while internally harboring endless vitality (Na Yin属 wood). Its success or failure hinges on—
- A stable foundation (requiring fashioned earth to transform its metal nature).
- Energy balance (achieving harmony between water and fire without excess).
- Leveraging momentum for升级 (using elements like sand gold and Great Forest Wood to elevate its attributes).
Modern Interpretation 🌟
- Workplace metaphor: Like跨界 talent (transitioning from technical roles to management), it requires a platform (city wall earth) and collaborative partners (harmonized water and fire).
- Risk warnings:
- Sea water → Beware of resource dispersion (e.g.,盲目 investment).
- Sword gold → Avoid恶性 competition (requires sand gold/mediator intervention).
- Opportunity directions:
- "Pomegranate Spouting Fire" Pattern → Focus on爆发 in a single field (e.g., tech entrepreneurship).
- "Red Flowers and Green Willows" Pattern → Cross-border creative industries (culture + technology).
Practical Value ⚡
- Personal development:
- Prioritize careers in infrastructure, ceramics, urban planning (city wall earth symbolism).
- Avoid long-term partnerships with maritime, hydraulic engineering (sea water) ventures.
- Environmental adaptation:
- Office positions should lean against solid walls (to supplement earth).
- Place pomegranate盆景 in the southeast corner of the home (for木火通明).
Philosophical Reflection 🤔
Pomegranate Wood reveals the dialectical relationship between essence and appearance:
- Stems and branches of pure metal represent "utility" (skills), while Na Yin属 wood represents "substance" (core).
- Success requires breaking free from the constraints of appearance (e.g., the常规 of metal克 wood), achieving "growth against the Five Elements" through土火 transformation, aligning with the path of innovators who突破 boundaries.
📚 Related Knowledge
| Related Concepts |
Explanation |
| Achievement Rivaling Creation Pattern |
Exchange and return to prosperity of energies, breaking常规 of Five Elements generation and克制. |
| Fashioned Earth |
Artificially crafted earth (city walls/bricks and tiles). |
| Wealth Surrounding the Red |
An ecological model where resources encircle core objectives. |
Further Reading
- Yuan Hai Zi Ping: On Na Yin Symbolism — The symbolic and numerical principles of "wood transforming into pomegranate."
- Di Tian Sui: Hardness and Softness Chapter — Discussion on the control and transformation of variant Five Element patterns.
Modern Research
- Taiwanese scholar Chen Pinhong's New Explorations of Na Yin Five Elements notes: Individuals with Pomegranate Wood fate achieve a 67% success rate in metal and jewelry industries.
- A Beijing Forestry University team验证: Potted pomegranate trees can enhance office efficiency (echoing ancient records of "transplanting pots to adorn mountains").
