The 10 heavenly stems are: JIA 甲 (Yang Wood), YI 乙 (Yin Wood), BING 丙 (Yang Fire), DING 丁 (Yin Fire), WU 戊 (Yang Earth), JI 己 (Yin Earth), GENG 庚 (Yang Metal), XIN 辛 (Yin Metal), REN 壬 (Yang Water), and GUI 癸 (Yin Water).

 

Chinese word Bazi 八字 means “eight characters” (of the Chinese language), and the name derives from the way the traditional Chinese calendar organizes time.

Each person is born at a precise moment which is defined by four pillars: the Year pillar, the Month pillar, the Day pillar, and the Hour pillar. Since each pillar is composed of the combination of two characters, then each moment, still according to the ancient calendar, is defined by a total of eight characters, hence the name Bazi.

Each pillar of a Bazi chart results from the combination of a heavenly stem and an earthly branch. In total, there are 60 possible combinations.

The 10 heavenly stems are: JIA 甲 (Yang Wood), YI 乙 (Yin Wood), BING 丙 (Yang Fire), DING 丁 (Yin Fire), WU 戊 (Yang Earth), JI 己 (Yin Earth), GENG 庚 (Yang Metal), XIN 辛 (Yin Metal), REN 壬 (Yang Water), and GUI 癸 (Yin Water).

These heavenly stems appear in their pure state at the top of the Bazi chart, which tradition relates to the “heaven” (literal translation of the Chinese character tian 天), a term that is widely used in divinatory traditions and traditional Chinese philosophy but whose meaning varies depending on the contexts.

In a Bazi chart, heavenly stems represent the most apparent “energies” qi 气 in a person’s life, but they only become consistent realities when rooted in the earthly branches of the Bazi chart.