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The Hidden Stems
Lorraine Wilcox, L.Ac.
August 1999
The Hidden Stems (Cang2 Gan1) are an extremely important aspect of Zi Ping Ba Zi, also known as the Four Pillars.
Explanation of why each branch contains particular stems often does not receive much discussion in many Four Pillars books in English. This
discourse will outline and explain the importance of the Hidden Stems in the interpretation of the Four Pillars.
The stems are the heaven level. The branches are the earth level. The Hidden Stems are the man level.
Each of the branches has one or more of the heavenly stems hidden inside. Every branch has a stem with its own element and up to two other
stems within. This gives the branch additional elemental relationships to other stem/branch combinations. The Hidden Stems are as follows:
The Hidden Stems
Branch Hidden Stems
Zi Gui
Chou Ji, Gui, Xin
Yin Jia, Bing, Wu
Mao Yi
Chen Wu, Yi, Gui
Si Bing, Wu, Geng
Wu Ding, Ji
Wei Ji, Ding, Yi
Shen Geng, Ren, Wu
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You Xin
Xu Wu, Xin, Ding
Hai Ren, Jia
The Hidden Stems are derived from the branch relationships such as the Three Meetings (San1 Hui4), the Three Unities (San1 He2), and, to
a lesser degree, the Six Unities (Liu4 He2). There are other factors involved such as whether the branch is one of the Four Directions, the
Four Corners, or the Four Earths.
The Three Meetings are a strong relationship among Branches.
The Three Meetings are basically the relationship of the four seasons. The branches represent, among other things, the 12 months of the
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year. Hai, Zi and Chou belong to winter and relate to water. Yin, Mao and Chen belong to spring and relate to wood. Si, Wu and Wei belong
to summer and relate to fire. Shen, You and Xu belong to autumn and relate to metal.
The Three Meetings
Branches Create Seasons
Hai, Zi, Chou Water Winter
Yin, Mao, Chen Wood Spring
Si, Wu, Wei Fire Summer
Shen, You, Xu Metal Autumn
Examine the following diagram of the Hidden Stems. The Element given on the outside of the diagram is the element of the Three Meetings,
or the seasonal energy.
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First notice that the branches in each of the four groups of the Three Meetings contain a stem that has the same element as the group it is in.
For example, Yin, Mao and Chen are grouped together as they are the spring months and they relate to the wood Element. These three
branches each contain Jia or Yi, the wood stems.
The Four Directions
The Four Directions are Zi (North), Mao (East), Wu (South), and You (West). Between them each of the five yin stems is hidden once as
follows:
The Four Directions (whether yin or yang branches) each have the yin stem of their own element hidden inside.
Zi (yang water) has Gui (yin water)
Mao (yin wood) has Yi (yin wood)
Wu (yang fire) has Ding (yin fire)
You (yin metal) has Xin (yin metal)
Wu is the only branch of the Four Directions to have a second Hidden Stem in addition to the above. It contains Ji (yin earth) as well as Ding.
The explanation is as follows:
All the yin stems are assigned to one of the Four Directions except Ji. Wu branch is able to contain Ji as fire easily feeds earth. This earth
also appears due to Wus relationship with Wei. According to the Six Unities (Liu4 He2). Wu and Wei together transform to earth.
The Four Corners
The Four Corners all hide yang branches because the Four Corners signify activity. They all contain the yang stem of their own element.
Hai ( yin water) contains Ren (yang water)
Yin (yang wood) contains Jia (yang wood)
Si (yin fire) contains Bing (yang fire)
Shen (yang metal) contains Geng (yang metal)
They also contain the yang stem of the next element of the four seasonal elements (associated with the Three Meetings). In most cases this is
the generated element, but since earth is considered center and not one of the four seasons, Si (yin fire) contains Geng (yang metal).
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Hai (yin water) contains Jia (yang wood)
Yin (yang wood) contains Bing (yang fire)
Si (yin fire) contains Geng (yang metal)
Shen (yang metal) contains Ren (yang water)
Since the Four Corners are active and yang they move forward clockwise toward the generated element.
The Four Corners also all contain Wu (yang earth stem) except Hai. Perhaps they need earth to stabilize excessive activity, except Hai (yin
water), which being fairly yin is not as active. Or, perhaps it is earth left over from the prior branch: Chou leaks into Yin, Chen leaks into Si,
and Wei leaks into Shen. However, Xu cannot leak into Hai as Xu is dry earth and Hai is water.
The Four Earths
The Four Earths hide the earth stem with the same nature inside them.
Chen and Xu (yang earth) hold Wu (Yang earth)
Chou and Wei (yin earth) hold Ji (yin earth)
They also hold the yin stem of their own season as defined in the Three Meetings.
Chou (yin earth in the winter) holds Gui (yin water)
Chen (yang earth in the spring) holds Yi (yin wood)
Wei (yin earth in the summer) holds Ding (yin fire)
Xu (yang earth in the autumn) holds Xin (yin metal)
The Four Earths also hold the yin stem of the previous element of the four seasonal elements. This is also the same element as the
associated Three Unities (see below). In most cases this is the element that generates the season, but since earth is considered center and
not one of the four seasons, Xu (yang earth) contains Ding (yin fire).
Chou (yin earth in the winter) holds Xin (yin metal)
(Chen (yang earth in the spring) holds Gui (yin water)
Wei (yin earth in the summer) holds Yi (yin wood)
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Xu (yang earth in the autumn) holds Ding (yin fire)
The Four Earths are more yin and heavy in nature. This is why they move backwards, counter-clockwise toward their generating element.
The Three Unities (San 1 He2)
This is the second strongest branch combining relationship.
The Three Unities are found by making four equilateral triangles when the branches are placed in a circle like the face of a clock.
There are two methods of calculation. The Western method of calculation counts to the branch four positions away. For example, if you start
with Zi then Chou is one position away, Yin is two, Mao is three, and Chen is four. The Chinese method of calculation counts five positions
because they call the original position one. For example, if Zi is one, then Chou is two, Yin is three, Mao is four and Chen is five.
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But, regardless of the method employed, Zi and Chen, two branches in one group of the Three Unities, are related by the Three Unities.
If two or three of a group of the Three Unities are found together they may combine and transform into another element as listed in the table
below. This element is the same as the element of the branch belonging to the Four Directions.
The Three Unities
Branches Create Direction
Shen, Zi, Chen Water North
Si, You, Chou Metal West
Yin, Wu, Xu Fire South
Hai, Mao, Wei Wood East
Notice that the first branch in each group in the table above is one of the Four Corners. The second is one of the Four Directions (which
defines the element of the combination), and the third is one of the Four Earths. Notice also that the element of the corner branch feeds the
element of the direction branch (if you discount earth as in the Three Meetings or the four seasons).
The cycle begins with the Four Corners as they represent movement. They also feed the related direction branch from an elemental point of
view. This is the low part of the cycle, but rising.
The direction branch is the high part of the cycle and also the defining part as far as element is concerned.
The earth branch is the low part again, but the low part due to decline. It is said to be the grave or the bank of this relationship. [The
Chinese term is Mu4, which means grave or tomb. However, this is not necessarily a negative term, as the Chinese traditionally believed that
the proper burial of an ancestor could bring great benefit for the next three generations].
From the above table you can see that Chen would be the water bank, Chou the metal bank, Xu the fire bank, and Wei the wood bank. This is
also reflected in the Hidden Stems (as we have seen). This affects the quality of each of the earth branches and helps to explain why Chou
and Wei have quite different characteristics, even though both are yin earth branches.
From the above discussion we can revise the Three Unities table above to:
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The Three Unities Revision
Generator Peak Bank Holds
Shen Zi Chen Water
Si You Chou Metal
Yin Wu Xu Fire
Hai Mao Wei Wood
The Four Earth Branches are Wet or Dry
The following table is a summary of the branch relationships, transformations, and hidden stems of the earth branches. This supplies new
information as to whether an earth branch is wet or dry.
The Three Unities Revision
The Four Earths Yin / Yang Hidden Stems Grave or Bank Season Wet or Dry
Chou Yin Ji, Xin, Gui Metal Winter Wet
Chen Yang Wu, Yi, Gui Water Spring Wet
Wei Yin Ji, Ding, Yi Wood Summer Dry
Xu Yang Wu, Xin, Ding Fire Autumn Dry
Chou and Chen are both wet as they either bank water or belong to the winter, the water season. The hidden stems for both also have water.
Chou is cold and wet as it belongs to the winter. Chen is thin as it is related to the spring and wood. Wood dominates this earth, making
it thin.
Wei and Xu are considered dry, as there is no water to be found in any of their columns in the above table. In fact, both have fire element from
their hidden stems, bank, and/or season. Both of these are strong earths as both contain the fire element, which generates more earth.
Lorraine Wilcox, 1999, All Rights Reserved
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[Editors Note: Lorraine Wilcox is a Licensed Acupuncturist and an instructor of Xuan Kong Feng Shui and Zi Wei Dou Shu Astrology. For
further information, Lorraine welcomes contact at xuankong@yahoo.com or at lorraine@amfengshui.com in affiliation with The
American Feng Shui Institute as Assistant to Master Larry Sang.]