A plain-language definition for anyone researching earthly branch, what it is, where it comes from, and how practitioners use it.
85 plain-language definitions · Cited sources · Persona-authored
By Master Wei Lin · Updated August 3, 2026
Chinese Metaphysics Scholar
What is earthly branch?
The twelve Earthly Branches (地支 Dì Zhī) are the lower character of each pillar in a BaZi chart and the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac: 子 Rat, 丑 Ox, 寅 Tiger, 卯 Rabbit, 辰 Dragon, 巳 Snake, 午 Horse, 未 Goat, 申 Monkey, 酉 Rooster, 戌 Dog, 亥 Pig.
The twelve branches each carry a fixed Wu Xing element and Yin-Yang quality: Rat (子) is Yang Water, Ox (丑) is Yin Earth, Tiger (寅) is Yang Wood, and so on. Each branch also corresponds to a month (Tiger month is roughly February, Rat month is December), a two-hour period of the day (Rat hour is 23:00-01:00), and a year in the 12-year zodiac cycle.
Branches are richer than stems because each branch contains hidden stems (藏干 cáng gān), additional Wu Xing influences embedded within it. The Tiger branch (寅), for instance, contains hidden Yang Wood (甲) as primary, Yang Fire (丙) as secondary, and Yang Earth (戊) as tertiary. The classical sources read these hidden stems as additional layers of the chart.
The twelve Earthly Branches appear in oracle-bone inscriptions from the Shang dynasty (around 1300 BCE), making them one of the oldest Chinese counting systems. They became associated with the twelve zodiac animals during the Han dynasty (2nd century BCE - 2nd century CE). The Yuan Hai Zi Ping integrated them into the BaZi system. Modern lineage holders including Joey Yap and Master Raymond Lo continue to publish detailed branch analyses.
In BaZi, the four Earthly Branches of a chart (one per pillar) describe the foundational qi underneath the visible expression of the stems. The branches also interact via the San He (三合) trines, Liu He (六合) pairs, Chong (冲) clashes, and Hai (害) harms, relationships that are central to BaZi compatibility analysis.
Most people first encounter the Earthly Branches through the Chinese Zodiac, the year branch is the zodiac animal. The classical sources observe this is a useful entry point, but a full BaZi reading uses all four branches (year, month, day, hour), not just the year.
These glossary terms are closely connected to earthly branch:
Twelve (十二地支 shí èr dì zhī). They correspond to the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac.
Each branch contains one to three 'hidden' Heavenly Stems (藏干 cáng gān). For example, the Tiger branch contains Yang Wood (primary), Yang Fire (secondary), and Yang Earth (tertiary). These add Wu Xing layers to the chart beyond what the visible stems show.
Each year in the 12-year cycle is governed by one branch, starting with Rat. Recent Rat years include 2008 and 2020; Tiger years include 2010 and 2022. Note that Chinese New Year typically falls in late January or early February, so the boundary is lunar.
The Chinese Zodiac uses the twelve Earthly Branches as its twelve animals. The branches themselves are a more general counting system that also applies to months, days, and hours, not just years.
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