LEARN · 60 YEARLY ENERGIES
The 60 Year Energy Cycle (流年)
The same sixty stem branch combinations that define the Jiazi pillars also describe the energetic signature of every year. Each year carries one of these sixty energies; the cycle returns every sixty years. Use this index to find the energy that any historical or future year carries.
Year Energy versus Pillar Personality
The sixty Jiazi combinations describe two different things. As natal pillars, they describe the personality of someone born under that combination. As yearly energy (流年, liunian), they describe the energetic tone of any year carrying that combination, regardless of who is reading the year. This page indexes the year level interpretation; for the personal natal pillar version, see the 60 Pillar Guide.
Filter by Stem Element
#1
The Pioneering Strategist
Yang Wood · Yin Water
1864 · 1924 · 1984
#2
The Patient Cultivator
Yin Wood · Yin Earth
1865 · 1925 · 1985
#3
The Beacon Flame
Yang Fire · Yang Wood
1866 · 1926 · 1986
#4
The Candle in the Garden
Yin Fire · Yin Wood
1867 · 1927 · 1987
#5
The Mountain Reservoir
Yang Earth · Yang Earth
1868 · 1928 · 1988
#6
The Hidden Furnace
Yin Earth · Yang Fire
1869 · 1929 · 1989
#7
The Forged Edge
Yang Metal · Yin Fire
1870 · 1930 · 1990
#8
The Jeweler in the Garden
Yin Metal · Yin Earth
1871 · 1931 · 1991
#9
The Open Ocean
Yang Water · Yang Metal
1872 · 1932 · 1992
#10
The Dewdrop on a Blade
Yin Water · Yin Metal
1873 · 1933 · 1993
#11
The Sentinel Pine
Yang Wood · Yang Earth
1874 · 1934 · 1994
#12
The Rooted Floodplain
Yin Wood · Yang Water
1875 · 1935 · 1995
#13
The Lighthouse
Yang Fire · Yin Water
1876 · 1936 · 1996
#14
The Hearth Keeper
Yin Fire · Yin Earth
1877 · 1937 · 1997
#15
The Mountain Forest
Yang Earth · Yang Wood
1878 · 1938 · 1998
#16
The Spring Field
Yin Earth · Yin Wood
1879 · 1939 · 1999
#17
The Forged Foundation
Yang Metal · Yang Earth
1880 · 1940 · 2000
#18
The Tempered Blade
Yin Metal · Yang Fire
1881 · 1941 · 2001
#19
The Sun Lit Sea
Yang Water · Yin Fire
1882 · 1942 · 2002
#20
The Garden Mist
Yin Water · Yin Earth
1883 · 1943 · 2003
#21
The Bonsai Master
Yang Wood · Yang Metal
1884 · 1944 · 2004
#22
The Pruning Vine
Yin Wood · Yin Metal
1885 · 1945 · 2005
#23
The Sunset Watch
Yang Fire · Yang Earth
1886 · 1946 · 2006
#24
The Floating Lantern
Yin Fire · Yang Water
1887 · 1947 · 2007
#25
The Levee
Yang Earth · Yin Water
1888 · 1948 · 2008
#26
The Fertile Plot
Yin Earth · Yin Earth
1889 · 1949 · 2009
#27
The Axe in the Forest
Yang Metal · Yang Wood
1890 · 1950 · 2010
#28
The Pruning Shears
Yin Metal · Yin Wood
1891 · 1951 · 2011
#29
The Tidal Reservoir
Yang Water · Yang Earth
1892 · 1952 · 2012
#30
The Steam Cloud
Yin Water · Yang Fire
1893 · 1953 · 2013
#31
The Sun Touched Tree
Yang Wood · Yin Fire
1894 · 1954 · 2014
#32
The Climbing Vine
Yin Wood · Yin Earth
1895 · 1955 · 2015
#33
The Furnace Forge
Yang Fire · Yang Metal
1896 · 1956 · 2016
#34
The Refiner’s Lamp
Yin Fire · Yin Metal
1897 · 1957 · 2017
#35
The Twin Mountains
Yang Earth · Yang Earth
1898 · 1958 · 2018
#36
The River Bank
Yin Earth · Yang Water
1899 · 1959 · 2019
#37
The Tempered Stream
Yang Metal · Yin Water
1900 · 1960 · 2020
#38
The Mineral Vein
Yin Metal · Yin Earth
1901 · 1961 · 2021
#39
The Rainforest
Yang Water · Yang Wood
1902 · 1962 · 2022
#40
The Spring Brook
Yin Water · Yin Wood
1903 · 1963 · 2023
#41
The Cliff Forest
Yang Wood · Yang Earth
1904 · 1964 · 2024
#42
The Sun Warmed Vine
Yin Wood · Yang Fire
1905 · 1965 · 2025
#43
The Solar Disc
Yang Fire · Yin Fire
1906 · 1966 · 2026
#44
The Field Lantern
Yin Fire · Yin Earth
1907 · 1967 · 2027
#45
The Mineral Mountain
Yang Earth · Yang Metal
1908 · 1968 · 2028
#46
The Polished Field
Yin Earth · Yin Metal
1909 · 1969 · 2029
#47
The Anvil Watch
Yang Metal · Yang Earth
1910 · 1970 · 2030
#48
The Silver Tide
Yin Metal · Yang Water
1911 · 1971 · 2031
#49
The Open Sea
Yang Water · Yin Water
1912 · 1972 · 2032
#50
The Winter Spring
Yin Water · Yin Earth
1913 · 1973 · 2033
#51
The Old Growth Forest
Yang Wood · Yang Wood
1914 · 1974 · 2034
#52
The Garden Vine
Yin Wood · Yin Wood
1915 · 1975 · 2035
#53
The Sun Reservoir
Yang Fire · Yang Earth
1916 · 1976 · 2036
#54
The Inner Beacon
Yin Fire · Yang Fire
1917 · 1977 · 2037
#55
The Sun Touched Mountain
Yang Earth · Yin Fire
1918 · 1978 · 2038
#56
The Twin Field
Yin Earth · Yin Earth
1919 · 1979 · 2039
#57
The Master Smith
Yang Metal · Yang Metal
1920 · 1980 · 2040
#58
The Master Jeweler
Yin Metal · Yin Metal
1921 · 1981 · 2041
#59
The Reservoir Wall
Yang Water · Yang Earth
1922 · 1982 · 2042
#60
The Closing Tide
Yin Water · Yang Water
1923 · 1983 · 2043
Frequently asked questions
What is the 60-year energy cycle?
The 60-year energy cycle is the sexagenary cycle applied to time: the same sixty combinations of Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch that name the pillars also describe the energetic signature of each year. Every year carries one of these sixty energies, and the full cycle returns to its start after sixty years.
What is the difference between yearly energy and a birth pillar?
The sixty stem-and-branch combinations describe two different things. As a birth pillar, a combination describes the personality of a person born under it. As yearly energy, also called liunian, the same combination describes the energetic tone of a whole year for everyone, regardless of when they were born. This hub indexes the year-level reading.
How do I find the energy of a particular year?
Every year maps to one of the sixty stem-and-branch combinations, so you can look up any past or future year by its energy. Use the index on this page, filter by the stem element if you like, and open a combination to see its archetype, its five-element makeup and the list of years that carry it.
How does yearly energy relate to your own chart?
Yearly energy interacts with the elements in your birth chart, which is what gives a year its personal flavour for you. The same year can feel supportive for one chart and demanding for another, depending on how the year's elements combine with or clash against your own balance of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.
Why does the energy cycle repeat every 60 years?
The ten Heavenly Stems, which carry the five elements in yin and yang form, cycle alongside the twelve Earthly Branches, which carry the animals. Ten and twelve only realign after sixty steps, so the full combination of stem and branch repeats once every sixty years.
THE SYSTEM
Where this fits in Chinese astrology
The 60-year cycle each year draws its character from — the calendar behind every forecast.