The 10 Heavenly Stems

The 10 heavenly stems are a Chinese system of ordinals that first appear during the Shang dynasty (1250 BC), as the names of the ten days of the week. They were also used in the Shang-period ritual as names for dead family members, who were offered sacrifices on the corresponding day of the Shang week.

 

The 10 stems belong to one of the 5 elements and have an alternating YinYang polarity. Each stem follows the cyclical changes of nature in chronological order.

 

The 10 heavenly stems

Stem		PinYin	Polarity	Element	Meaning
1	甲	jiǎ	yang	wood	Tender buds split pods
2	乙	yǐ	yin		Seedling grows up day by day
3	丙	bǐng	yang	fire	Growth becomes notable
4	丁	dīng	yin		Seedling becomes big and strong
5	戊	wù	yang	earth	Crop is growing luxuriantly
6	己	jǐ	yin		Crop is ripe
7	庚	gēng	yang	metal	Renovation takes place
8	辛	xīn	yin		New life begins to shape
9	壬	rén	yang	water	It is becoming pregnant
10	癸	guǐ	yin		Next generation begins to sprout

 

In chronoacupuncture the 10 heavenly stems are often combined with
the 12 earthly branches. Together they form the sexagenary cycle, a group of unique stem and branch combinations.