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LEARN · 60 JIAZI · THE SEXAGENARY CYCLE

The 60 Pillars of Chinese Astrology (Sexagenary Cycle)

Sixty unique combinations of Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch — the Jiazi (甲子) cycle — that form the foundation of Chinese astrology, calendar science, and the Energy Chart system. Each pillar carries a distinct elemental signature and personality archetype.

What is the Sixty Pillar Cycle?

The sexagenary cycle (六十甲子, liushi jiazi) is the oldest continuously used dating system in human civilization, stretching unbroken from the Shang Dynasty into the present. It pairs ten Heavenly Stems with twelve Earthly Branches in a fixed mathematical sequence, yielding sixty unique combinations before the cycle returns to its starting point. Each combination carries a precise elemental signature: a polarity and Five Element identity for the stem, and a corresponding identity for the branch including its associated zodiac animal.

In personal astrology, your year, month, day, and hour of birth each correspond to one of these sixty pillars. The day pillar in particular is the seat of your Day Master — the heavenly stem that represents your core elemental identity. This page indexes every one of the sixty pillars with its archetype and elemental composition. Click any pillar to read the full guide.

How to Read These Pages

Each pillar on this page is named by its actual energetic composition (Yang Wood with Yin Water, Yin Fire with Yang Earth, and so on) rather than by the romanized Chinese name. The traditional Chinese name (such as 甲子) and pinyin (such as Jia Zi) are still shown on every detail page for reference and search.

This framing reflects the dominant hidden energy (本气, běn qì) of each branch, which is what truly shapes the pillar's personality in classical BaZi interpretation. For four branches in particular (Rat 子, Snake 巳, Horse 午, and Pig 亥), this naming differs from the popular surface label and reflects the more accurate classical reading.

Example. The first pillar of the cycle, classically known as 甲子 (Jia Zi), is shown here as Yang Wood with Yin Water (Rat) — Yang Wood is the visible stem (甲), and Yin Water is the dominant hidden energy (癸) inside the Rat branch (子). This naming captures what the pillar actually does, not just what it sounds like.

Read our complete methodology →

Filter by Stem Element

#1
Yang WoodYin WaterRat
The Pioneering Strategist
Yang Wood
with
Yin Water
Rat
#2
Yin WoodYin EarthOx
The Patient Cultivator
Yin Wood
with
Yin Earth
Ox
#3
Yang FireYang WoodTiger
The Beacon Flame
Yang Fire
with
Yang Wood
Tiger
#4
Yin FireYin WoodRabbit
The Candle in the Garden
Yin Fire
with
Yin Wood
Rabbit
#5
Yang EarthYang EarthDragon
The Mountain Reservoir
Yang Earth
with
Yang Earth
Dragon
#6
Yin EarthYang FireSnake
The Hidden Furnace
Yin Earth
with
Yang Fire
Snake
#7
Yang MetalYin FireHorse
The Forged Edge
Yang Metal
with
Yin Fire
Horse
#8
Yin MetalYin EarthGoat
The Jeweler in the Garden
Yin Metal
with
Yin Earth
Goat
#9
Yang WaterYang MetalMonkey
The Open Ocean
Yang Water
with
Yang Metal
Monkey
#10
Yin WaterYin MetalRooster
The Dewdrop on a Blade
Yin Water
with
Yin Metal
Rooster
#11
Yang WoodYang EarthDog
The Sentinel Pine
Yang Wood
with
Yang Earth
Dog
#12
Yin WoodYang WaterPig
The Rooted Floodplain
Yin Wood
with
Yang Water
Pig
#13
Yang FireYin WaterRat
The Lighthouse
Yang Fire
with
Yin Water
Rat
#14
Yin FireYin EarthOx
The Hearth Keeper
Yin Fire
with
Yin Earth
Ox
#15
Yang EarthYang WoodTiger
The Mountain Forest
Yang Earth
with
Yang Wood
Tiger
#16
Yin EarthYin WoodRabbit
The Spring Field
Yin Earth
with
Yin Wood
Rabbit
#17
Yang MetalYang EarthDragon
The Forged Foundation
Yang Metal
with
Yang Earth
Dragon
#18
Yin MetalYang FireSnake
The Tempered Blade
Yin Metal
with
Yang Fire
Snake
#19
Yang WaterYin FireHorse
The Sun Lit Sea
Yang Water
with
Yin Fire
Horse
#20
Yin WaterYin EarthGoat
The Garden Mist
Yin Water
with
Yin Earth
Goat
#21
Yang WoodYang MetalMonkey
The Bonsai Master
Yang Wood
with
Yang Metal
Monkey
#22
Yin WoodYin MetalRooster
The Pruning Vine
Yin Wood
with
Yin Metal
Rooster
#23
Yang FireYang EarthDog
The Sunset Watch
Yang Fire
with
Yang Earth
Dog
#24
Yin FireYang WaterPig
The Floating Lantern
Yin Fire
with
Yang Water
Pig
#25
Yang EarthYin WaterRat
The Levee
Yang Earth
with
Yin Water
Rat
#26
Yin EarthYin EarthOx
The Fertile Plot
Yin Earth
with
Yin Earth
Ox
#27
Yang MetalYang WoodTiger
The Axe in the Forest
Yang Metal
with
Yang Wood
Tiger
#28
Yin MetalYin WoodRabbit
The Pruning Shears
Yin Metal
with
Yin Wood
Rabbit
#29
Yang WaterYang EarthDragon
The Tidal Reservoir
Yang Water
with
Yang Earth
Dragon
#30
Yin WaterYang FireSnake
The Steam Cloud
Yin Water
with
Yang Fire
Snake
#31
Yang WoodYin FireHorse
The Sun Touched Tree
Yang Wood
with
Yin Fire
Horse
#32
Yin WoodYin EarthGoat
The Climbing Vine
Yin Wood
with
Yin Earth
Goat
#33
Yang FireYang MetalMonkey
The Furnace Forge
Yang Fire
with
Yang Metal
Monkey
#34
Yin FireYin MetalRooster
The Refiner’s Lamp
Yin Fire
with
Yin Metal
Rooster
#35
Yang EarthYang EarthDog
The Twin Mountains
Yang Earth
with
Yang Earth
Dog
#36
Yin EarthYang WaterPig
The River Bank
Yin Earth
with
Yang Water
Pig
#37
Yang MetalYin WaterRat
The Tempered Stream
Yang Metal
with
Yin Water
Rat
#38
Yin MetalYin EarthOx
The Mineral Vein
Yin Metal
with
Yin Earth
Ox
#39
Yang WaterYang WoodTiger
The Rainforest
Yang Water
with
Yang Wood
Tiger
#40
Yin WaterYin WoodRabbit
The Spring Brook
Yin Water
with
Yin Wood
Rabbit
#41
Yang WoodYang EarthDragon
The Cliff Forest
Yang Wood
with
Yang Earth
Dragon
#42
Yin WoodYang FireSnake
The Sun Warmed Vine
Yin Wood
with
Yang Fire
Snake
#43
Yang FireYin FireHorse
The Solar Disc
Yang Fire
with
Yin Fire
Horse
#44
Yin FireYin EarthGoat
The Field Lantern
Yin Fire
with
Yin Earth
Goat
#45
Yang EarthYang MetalMonkey
The Mineral Mountain
Yang Earth
with
Yang Metal
Monkey
#46
Yin EarthYin MetalRooster
The Polished Field
Yin Earth
with
Yin Metal
Rooster
#47
Yang MetalYang EarthDog
The Anvil Watch
Yang Metal
with
Yang Earth
Dog
#48
Yin MetalYang WaterPig
The Silver Tide
Yin Metal
with
Yang Water
Pig
#49
Yang WaterYin WaterRat
The Open Sea
Yang Water
with
Yin Water
Rat
#50
Yin WaterYin EarthOx
The Winter Spring
Yin Water
with
Yin Earth
Ox
#51
Yang WoodYang WoodTiger
The Old Growth Forest
Yang Wood
with
Yang Wood
Tiger
#52
Yin WoodYin WoodRabbit
The Garden Vine
Yin Wood
with
Yin Wood
Rabbit
#53
Yang FireYang EarthDragon
The Sun Reservoir
Yang Fire
with
Yang Earth
Dragon
#54
Yin FireYang FireSnake
The Inner Beacon
Yin Fire
with
Yang Fire
Snake
#55
Yang EarthYin FireHorse
The Sun Touched Mountain
Yang Earth
with
Yin Fire
Horse
#56
Yin EarthYin EarthGoat
The Twin Field
Yin Earth
with
Yin Earth
Goat
#57
Yang MetalYang MetalMonkey
The Master Smith
Yang Metal
with
Yang Metal
Monkey
#58
Yin MetalYin MetalRooster
The Master Jeweler
Yin Metal
with
Yin Metal
Rooster
#59
Yang WaterYang EarthDog
The Reservoir Wall
Yang Water
with
Yang Earth
Dog
#60
Yin WaterYang WaterPig
The Closing Tide
Yin Water
with
Yang Water
Pig

Frequently asked questions

What is the 60-year sexagenary cycle?
The sexagenary cycle is the oldest continuously used dating system in the world, pairing the ten Heavenly Stems with the twelve Earthly Branches in a fixed sequence to produce sixty unique combinations before it repeats. Each combination, or pillar, carries a precise elemental signature and an associated zodiac animal, and the cycle has run unbroken from ancient times into the present.
How is a jiazi pillar read?
Each pillar pairs a Heavenly Stem above with an Earthly Branch below. The stem gives a yin or yang polarity and one of the five elements, while the branch carries its dominant hidden element and a zodiac animal. Reading a pillar means combining these: for example, Yang Wood above with the Rat branch below, whose dominant hidden energy is Yin Water. This combination is what shapes the pillar's personality archetype.
How do the 60 pillars relate to your birth chart?
In a full reading your year, month, day and hour of birth each correspond to one of the sixty pillars. The day pillar is especially important because its Heavenly Stem is your Day Master, the core element that represents you. The other pillars add context around that center, which is why two people can share an animal yet have very different charts.
Why are the pillars named by their elements here?
Each pillar on this page is named by its actual energetic makeup, such as Yang Wood with Yin Water, rather than only by its romanized Chinese name. This reflects the dominant hidden energy of the branch, which is what truly shapes the pillar in classical interpretation. The traditional Chinese name and pinyin still appear on every detail page for reference and search.
What is the difference between the 60 pillars and the Chinese zodiac?
The twelve-animal zodiac is one layer of the system, drawn from the twelve Earthly Branches alone. The sixty pillars combine those branches with the ten stems and their elements, giving a much more specific portrait. Your zodiac animal repeats every twelve years, but your full pillar combination only repeats every sixty.
THE SYSTEM

Where this fits in Chinese astrology

The alphabet your Energy Chart is written in: 60 stem-branch pillars, one for each year, month, day and hour.

Chinese Astrology Guide →Your Energy ChartThe 60 Element Signs