The 12 Eartly Branches
The earthly branches provide a Chinese system for the calculation of time.
This system was built from observations of the orbit of Jupiter, that was divide into 12 zodiacal sections by ancient Chinese astronomers.
The 12 branches are connected to the 12 months of the year, the seasons and the 12 Chinese zodiacal signs. The 12 stems form the basis of the system of zodiacal double hours.
The 12 earthly branches
| Branch | Zodiac | Season | Month | Meaning | |||
| 1 | 子 | zǐ | Rat | winter | 11 | 23:00-01:00 | Yang begins to develop while yin reaches it’s zenith |
| 2 | 丑 | chǒu | Ox | 12 | 01:00-03:00 | New buds begin come out of the ground | |
| 3 | 寅 | yín | Tiger | spring | 1 | 03:00-0500 | Yang energy develops increasingly |
| 4 | 卯 | mǎo | Rabbit | 2 | 05:00-07:00 | Yang energy begins to prosper | |
| 5 | 辰 | chén | Dragon | 3 | 07:00-09:00 | There is a changing or shaking | |
| 6 | 巳 | sì | Snake | autumn | 4 | 09:00-11:00 | There comes the end of the blossom |
| 7 | 午 | wǔ | Horse | 5 | 11:00-13:00 | Yin begins to develop while yang reaches it’s zenith | |
| 8 | 未 | wèi | Goat | 6 | 13:00-15:00 | Fruits begin to ripe | |
| 9 | 申 | shēn | Monkey | summer | 7 | 15:00-17:00 | Crops are ripe for the harvest |
| 10 | 酉 | yǒu | Rooster | 8 | 17:00-19:00 | Crops wither away | |
| 11 | 戌 | xū | Dog | 9 | 19:00-21:00 | The harvest is finished | |
| 12 | 亥 | hài | Pig | winter | 10 | 21:00-23:00 | Crops are stored |
In chronoacupuncture the 12 earthly branches are often combined with
the 10 heavenly stems. Together they form the sexagenary cycle, a group of unique stem and branch combinations.
