Foundations of Liu Ren - Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches & Five Elements
The Building Blocks
Before you can read the signs, you need to understand the language. Here are the essential concepts.
The Ten Heavenly Stems
Think of these as the “skeleton” of Chinese time-keeping. There are 10 of them, and they cycle endlessly:
| # | Stem |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jia |
| 2 | Yi |
| 3 | Bing |
| 4 | Ding |
| 5 | Wu |
| 6 | Ji |
| 7 | Geng |
| 8 | Xin |
| 9 | Ren |
| 10 | Gui |
The Twelve Earthly Branches
These are the “skin” — they follow the zodiac animals you already know. Each one represents a 2-hour block of the day:
| Branch | Hours | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Zi | 23:00-01:00 | Midnight |
| Chou | 01:00-03:00 | Before Dawn |
| Yin | 03:00-05:00 | Tiger Hour |
| Mao | 05:00-07:00 | Rabbit Hour |
| Chen | 07:00-09:00 | Dragon Hour |
| Si | 09:00-11:00 | Snake Hour |
| Wu | 11:00-13:00 | Horse Hour |
| Wei | 13:00-15:00 | Goat Hour |
| Shen | 15:00-17:00 | Monkey Hour |
| You | 17:00-19:00 | Rooster Hour |
| Xu | 19:00-21:00 | Dog Hour |
| Hai | 21:00-23:00 | Pig Hour |
Direction Map
Each branch also has a compass direction. This matters for “where to look” when searching for lost items:
| Branch | Direction |
|---|---|
| Zi | North |
| Chou | Northeast |
| Yin | Northeast |
| Mao | East |
| Chen | Southeast |
| Si | Southeast |
| Wu | South |
| Wei | Southwest |
| Shen | Southwest |
| You | West |
| Xu | Northwest |
| Hai | Northwest |
The Five Elements (Wu Xing)
Everything in the universe is made of these five building blocks. They interact in predictable ways:
Generating Cycle (相生)
Fire → Earth → Metal → Wood → Water → Fire
Controlling Cycle (相克)
Fire → Water → Wood → Metal → Earth → Fire
Element Details
| Element | Description | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | Growth, spring, east | East |
| Fire | Heat, summer, south | South |
| Earth | Stability, center, harvest | Center |
| Metal | Contract, autumn, west | West |
| Water | Cool, winter, north | North |
The Six Spirits (Shen Sha)
These spiritual influences add flavor to your readings. Each position in Xiao Liu Ren has an associated spirit:
| Spirit | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Qinglong | Auspicious | When you need help or protection |
| Liuhe | Harmony | Before signing contracts |
| Zhuque | Communication | News arriving, verbal matters |
| Baihu | Danger | Health concerns, accidents |
| Gouchen | Legal Issues | Official matters, disputes |
| Xuanwu | Theft/Secrets | Hidden things, underwater |
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