Exploring the Chinese traditional system of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, we find that it is not only an ancient method of recording years but also contains rich philosophy and cosmology. This article will provide you with a detailed table of Heavenly Stem and Day Pillar, helping you to deeply understand this system and apply it in daily life and academic research.

Basic Concepts of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches

The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are a set of symbolic systems used in ancient China for recording years, months, days, and hours. There are ten Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui; and twelve Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai. These symbols not only represent cycles of time but also correspond to the Five Elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth), forming a complex cosmological model.

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for Recording Years

In the year-keeping method, the Heavenly Stem comes first, followed by the Earthly Branch, such as 2005 being the Year of the Yi You. The calculation of the Heavenly Stem is based on the last digit of the year, while the Earthly Branch is determined by the remainder after dividing the year number by 12. For example, the last digit of 2005 is 5, corresponding to YI; 2005 divided by 12 leaves a remainder of 1, corresponding to YOU. Additionally, other years can be calculated based on known Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch years or directly looked up in a table.

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for Recording Months

The Earthly Branch of the month is fixed, while the Heavenly Stem is determined according to the Heavenly Stem of the year and the order of the month. For example, in the year of Jia or Ji, the first month is Bing Yin; in the year of Yi or Geng, the first month is Wu Yin, and so on. Through simple rhymes, we can easily remember the combinations of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for each month.

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for Recording Days

The day's stems and branches start from Jiazi, cycling every 60 days. For instance, January 1st, 1989 was a Ding You day, so June 7th, 60 days later, was also a Ding You day. There are various methods for finding the day's stems and branches, but the simplest way is to look it up in a perpetual calendar.

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for Recording Hours

The Earthly Branch of the hour is fixed, while the Heavenly Stem is determined based on the day's Heavenly Stem. For example, on a day of Jia or Ji, the midnight hour (Zi) is paired with Jia to form Jia Zi; on a day of Yi or Geng, the midnight hour is paired with Bing to form Bing Zi, and so on. In this way, we can calculate the Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch of each hour.

Yin-Yang, Five Elements, and Nayan

Yin-Yang and the Five Elements are core concepts in ancient Chinese philosophy. Yin and Yang represent two opposing aspects of things, while the Five Elements refer to Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Nayan is an attribute determined by the combination of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. It originates from the Sixty Jiazi Nayan Table and is derived through specific calculation methods.

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the Heavenly Stem and Day Pillar Table, covering the basic concepts and practical applications, including methods for recording years, months, days, and hours. With this knowledge, you can better understand the ancient Chinese concept of time and cosmology and apply these traditional wisdoms to modern life.