What are the 10 Heavenly Stems?

The ten Heavenly Stems (天干) are Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui. They represent the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) each split into a Yang and a Yin form, and they sit on top of each pillar in a BaZi chart.

What is the difference between Yang and Yin stems?

Yang stems (Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, Ren) are active and outward — the tree, the sun, the mountain, the sword, the ocean. Yin stems (Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, Gui) are receptive and refined — the vine, the candle, the soil, the jewel, the dew. Both express the same element differently.

How do Heavenly Stems relate to the Day Master?

The Heavenly Stem of your day pillar is your Day Master, the character that represents you. The other stems in the chart are read in relation to it through the Ten Gods system.

Are Heavenly Stems the same in Korean Saju?

Yes. In Korean Saju the Heavenly Stems are called Cheongan (천간) and use the same ten characters and meanings. Saju and BaZi share the same underlying system.

Which element is my Heavenly Stem?

Jia and Yi are Wood; Bing and Ding are Fire; Wu and Ji are Earth; Geng and Xin are Metal; Ren and Gui are Water. The first of each pair is Yang and the second is Yin.

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天干

The 10 Heavenly Stems (天干)

The ten Heavenly Stems are the celestial half of every pillar — the Five Elements split into Yang and Yin, each with a vivid personality of its own.

What Are the Heavenly Stems?

The ten Heavenly Stems (天干, Tian Gan) are the "sky" layer of a BaZi chart. They take the Five Elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water — and split each into a Yang (active, outward) and a Yin (receptive, refined) form, giving ten distinct signs. The top character of each of your four pillars is a Heavenly Stem, and the day-pillar stem is your Day Master.

The Ten Stems at a Glance

Stem	Korean	Element	Polarity	Image
甲 Jia	갑	Wood	Yang	Tall tree, beam
乙 Yi	을	Wood	Yin	Grass, flowers, vine
丙 Bing	병	Fire	Yang	The sun
丁 Ding	정	Fire	Yin	Candle, lamp, starlight
戊 Wu	무	Earth	Yang	Mountain, wall
己 Ji	기	Earth	Yin	Field, garden soil
庚 Geng	경	Metal	Yang	Axe, sword, raw ore
辛 Xin	신	Metal	Yin	Jewelry, fine blade
壬 Ren	임	Water	Yang	Ocean, great river
癸 Gui	계	Water	Yin	Dew, rain, mist

Personality of Each Stem

Wood — 甲 Jia & 乙 Yi

甲 Yang Wood is the tall, straight tree: upright, ambitious, and principled, a natural pioneer who grows toward the light. 乙 Yin Wood is grass and vine: flexible, sociable, and quietly persistent, bending without breaking.

Fire — 丙 Bing & 丁 Ding

丙 Yang Fire is the sun: radiant, warm, generous, and impossible to ignore. 丁 Yin Fire is candlelight: focused, considerate, and illuminating in a quiet, personal way.

Earth — 戊 Wu & 己 Ji

戊 Yang Earth is the mountain: dependable, steady, and protective. 己 Yin Earth is cultivated soil: nurturing, resourceful, and endlessly accommodating.

Metal — 庚 Geng & 辛 Xin

庚 Yang Metal is the axe or sword: decisive, just, and direct. 辛 Yin Metal is jewelry: refined, precise, and attentive to beauty and reputation.

Water — 壬 Ren & 癸 Gui

壬 Yang Water is the ocean: dynamic, broad-minded, and resourceful. 癸 Yin Water is dew and rain: gentle, intuitive, and quietly penetrating.

Stems combine and clash with one another in set patterns (for example, Jia and Ji form an Earth combination). These interactions, together with the Earthly Branches below them, are what give each chart its unique texture.

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