Heavenly Stem 癸 (Gui)

The ten Heavenly Stems are the upper characters of each pillar. 癸 is the 10th stem and the yin form of Water: gentle, perceptive and quietly nourishing; it seeps in rather than overwhelms. When 癸 is the stem of your day pillar it becomes your Day Master; in other positions it is read through its relation to the Day Master.

Besides appearing openly on a pillar, 癸 can be hidden inside Earthly Branches. Hidden stems are weaker than visible ones but count as roots and as Ten Gods in a detailed reading.

• 子子 Zi癸 · main qi
• 丑丑 Chou己 癸 辛 · middle qi
• 辰辰 Chen戊 乙 癸 · residual qi

The twelve growth stages describe a stem's life cycle across the branches, from Birth (长生) to Peak (帝旺) to Tomb (墓). 癸 reaches Birth in 卯 Mao, Peak in 亥 Hai and Tomb in 未 Wei.

• 子子 ZiComing of Age (临官)
• 丑丑 ChouCapping (冠带)
• 寅寅 YinBathing (沐浴)
• 卯卯 MaoBirth (长生)
• 辰辰 ChenNurture (养)
• 巳巳 SiConception (胎)
• 午午 WuExtinction (绝)
• 未未 WeiTomb (墓)
• 申申 ShenDeath (死)
• 酉酉 YouSickness (病)
• 戌戌 XuDecline (衰)
• 亥亥 HaiPeak (帝旺)

Yin stems here follow "yang forward, yin backward". Some schools apply the yang sequence to yin stems as well.

In the sixty-pillar (甲子) cycle, a stem only pairs with branches of the same polarity, so 癸 appears in exactly six pillars. Each has a Na Yin (纳音) sound-element name from the classical table.

When 癸 is not the Day Master, its meaning depends on who is. The same character is a companion to one Day Master and an officer or wealth star to another.

• 甲甲 Jia Yang WoodDirect Resource (正印)
• 乙乙 Yi Yin WoodIndirect Resource (偏印)
• 丙丙 Bing Yang FireDirect Officer (正官)
• 丁丁 Ding Yin FireSeven Killings (七杀)
• 戊戊 Wu Yang EarthDirect Wealth (正财)
• 己己 Ji Yin EarthIndirect Wealth (偏财)
• 庚庚 Geng Yang MetalHurting Officer (伤官)
• 辛辛 Xin Yin MetalEating God (食神)
• 壬壬 Ren Yang WaterRob Wealth (劫财)
• 癸癸 Gui Yin WaterFriend (比肩)

癸 and 戊 form one of the five stem combinations, associated with Fire. Adjacent stems combine most strongly (for example month stem next to day stem). Transformation into Fire is usually only accepted when the month branch supports Fire and nothing breaks the pair.

癸 clashes with 丁: Fire and Water are in a controlling relation with the same polarity, the harshest form of the cycle.

Through the five-element cycles, 癸 (Water) generates 甲 Jia and 乙 Yi, is generated by 庚 Geng and 辛 Xin, controls 丙 Bing and 丁 Ding and is controlled by 戊 Wu and 己 Ji. Same-polarity pairs act more forcefully; opposite-polarity pairs are gentler and often attract.

Strong in winter; supported by metal in autumn; in summer it evaporates and needs support; it moistens dry earth and nourishes wood.

• Year stem: the outer environment and early years; 癸 here colours the background of the chart.
• Month stem: closest to the season and to the Day Master; 癸 here is often the most influential visible stem.
• Day stem: 癸 is the Day Master — see the 癸 Day Master guide.
• Hour stem: later life, plans and outcomes in traditional reading; 癸 here shows how the chart "finishes".

Charts on this site use the published rule set: true solar time by default, the year changes at 立春 (Start of Spring), months change at the 12 节 solar terms and the day changes at 23:00. Example charts below are computed live by the same engine.

A practical way to study 癸 is to collect a few real charts where it appears in different positions — as Day Master, as month stem and hidden in a branch — and compare how its Ten God label changes. The BaZi calculator shows the label on every pillar, so you can check each example in seconds. Pair this page with the Water element guide and the Ten Gods overview to see the same facts from three angles: the character, its element and its relation to the Day Master.