What is Thiên Can?
The Heavenly Stems are ten symbols in the Stem-Branch system, used to record days, months, years and hours in East Asian calendrics.
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Open datasetThe ten heavenly stems
- The ten heavenly stems with the five-element attribution and yin-yang polarity of each.
- 10 rows, 8 columns
- Version 1.1.1, updated 2026-09-30
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What are the Heavenly Stems?
The Heavenly Stems consist of 10 symbols: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui, each associated with a Yin-Yang and Five Elements attribute.
From the article “What is Thiên Can?”
Heavenly Stem Xin: Yin Yang Five Elements Characteristics in the I Ching
Explore Heavenly Stem Xin: Yin Metal, sharp and refined nature, role in the I Ching, generating and overcoming relationships, and application.
Heavenly Stem Wu (Mau): Yin-Yang and Five Elements Characteristics in the I Ching
Explore in detail the Heavenly Stem Wu (Mau): its Yang Earth nature, position in the I Ching, interactions with other elements, and practical meanings.
Heavenly Stem Ding (Đinh): Yin-Yang and Five Elements Characteristics in the I Ching
Heavenly Stem Ding is Yin Fire: a small flame, gentle light and spreading warmth. In the I Ching it points to quiet maturity and nourishment.
The Heavenly Stem Geng: Yin Yang and Five Elements Characteristics in the I Ching
Geng is Yang Metal in the I Ching, tied to the West, autumn and the Qian hexagram, and stands for strength, decisiveness and righteousness.
The Twelve Stages of Growth in Bát Tự: A Life-Cycle Model of Rise and Decline
The Twelve Stages of Growth in Bát Tự form a life-cycle model from Birth to Nurture, gauging how strong a Heavenly Stem is across the twelve Earthly Branches.
What is the Hour Pillar in BaZi (Four Pillars)?
The Hour Pillar is one of the four pillars in BaZi, representing the birth hour and reflecting late-life fortune, children and later relationships.
Heavenly Stem Ji: Yin Yang and Five Elements Characteristics in the I Ching
Heavenly Stem Ji is the 6th of the 10 stems, tied to Yin Earth. Its I Ching traits, Five Elements ties and divination uses are explained here.
What Are the Heavenly Stem Five Combinations? The Five Pairs, Their Transformed Elements, and When Transformation Is Real
The five Heavenly Stem combinations are Giáp Kỷ, Ất Canh, Bính Tân, Đinh Nhâm and Mậu Quý, plus each pair's transformed element.
Heavenly stem clash and conflict in Bát Tự: Stem clash pairs and how to read them according to Uyên Hải Tử Bình and Trích Thiên Tủy
The heavenly stems in Bát Tự: the four clashing pairs, the pairs that only overcome one another, and how Trích Thiên Tủy speaks of stems at war.
How Are the Heavenly Stems of the Twelve Palaces on a Tử Vi Chart Calculated and What Are They Used For?
The twelve palaces of a Tử Vi chart get their heavenly stems through the Ngũ Hổ Độn method, counted forward from the Dần palace.
Why Do Childbirth Year Compatibility Checkers Give Different Results? Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches and Nạp Âm in the Tam Mệnh Thông Hội
The same parents' years match on one site and clash on another because each site compares a different part of can chi: heavenly stem, branch or nạp âm.
Where to Start When Setting Up a Liu Yao Hexagram: How the 64 Hexagrams Divide Into Eight Palaces, From the Pure Hexagram to the Fifth Generation, Wandering Soul and Returning Soul, What Element Each Palace Carries, and How Na Jia Assigns Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches
The 64 hexagrams divide into eight palaces, from the pure hexagram through the fifth generation to Wandering Soul and Returning Soul.
What Is Hidden Stems (Tang Can), Which Stems Each Earthly Branch Contains, and Why Is a Branch Character Usually Heavier Than a Stem Character?
Hidden stems are the heavenly stems concealed inside each earthly branch, layered as main qi, middle qi and residual qi.
Heavenly Stem Yi: Yin-Yang and Five Elements Characteristics in the I Ching
Heavenly Stem Yi is Yin Wood in the I Ching, linked to the Kun and Xun hexagrams and seen as gentle, adaptable and quietly resilient.
Heavenly Stem Bing: Yin-Yang and Five Elements Characteristics in the I Ching
Heavenly Stem Bing in the I Ching is Yang Fire, tied to the Li hexagram and the sun, with traits like openness, wisdom, and a risk of impatience.
Heavenly Stem Giap: Yin-Yang and Five Elements Characteristics in the I Ching
Heavenly Stem Giap carries the Yang Wood attribute, symbolizing beginnings and growth. In the I Ching, it links to the Zhen and Qian hexagrams.
Heavenly Stem Gui: Yin-Yang and Five Elements Characteristics in the I Ching
Heavenly Stem Gui (癸) is Yin Water, tied to the North and winter in the I Ching, and read through hexagrams such as Kan.
The Heavenly Stem Ren: Yin-Yang and Five Elements Characteristics in the I Ching
The Heavenly Stem Ren in the I Ching is Yang Water, tied to great rivers and the Kan hexagram. Its depth and wisdom shape how it is read.
Heavenly Talent (Thiên Tài) in BaZi Ten Gods: Meaning and Application in Destiny Analysis
Heavenly Talent in BaZi Ten Gods: its meaning, traits, and role in destiny analysis, plus how it interacts with other gods in chart reading.
Heavenly Seal (Indirect Resource) in the Ten Gods of BaZi - Meaning and Application in Destiny Analysis
Heavenly Seal in BaZi: its meaning as a Ten God, traits, positive and negative sides, and how it is applied in destiny analysis.
What is Lục Thập Hoa Giáp?
The Sixty Jiazi is a cycle of 60 sexagenary combinations of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches used to number years, months, days and hours.
What Are the Twelve Heavenly Generals and Twelve Monthly Generals of Da Liu Ren, and How Do They Differ?
Da Liu Ren builds the heaven plate from twelve Monthly Generals that shift with mid-qi, then places twelve Heavenly Generals from the Nobleman.
What is Can Chi?
Can Chi pairs the Ten Heavenly Stems with the Twelve Earthly Branches to record years, months, days and hours in the traditional East Asian calendar.
What is Nạp Âm?
Nạp Âm assigns names and Five Elements to each pair of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches in the Sixty Jiazi cycle, used to interpret destiny and fortune.
What is the Year Pillar in BaZi (Four Pillars)?
The Year Pillar in BaZi covers ages 0 to 16, bonds with grandparents and ancestors, and the social setting of early childhood.
What is the Thiên Hà Thủy (Heavenly River Water) Na Yin in the Sexagenary Cycle and its Five Elements meaning?
Thiên Hà Thủy is the Na Yin for Bính Ngọ and Đinh Mùi years, belonging to the Water element, symbolizing vastness, purity and flexibility.
Văn Xương Quý Nhân in Bát Tự by Day Stem: Table of Ten Stems to Branches, and How It Differs from Lưu Niên Văn Tinh and Học Đường
Văn Xương Quý Nhân is found by day stem to yield one branch, but its weight depends on thap than and position, not a promise of exam success.
Thiên Ất Quý Nhân in Bát Tự: How to Look It Up by Day Stem, the Verse 'Giáp Mậu Canh ngưu dương', and Where Schools Disagree
Thiên Ất Quý Nhân in Bát Tự is looked up by day stem or year stem, with two noble branches per stem, no Thìn or Tuất, and schools split on the stem Canh.
What is 24 Sơn Hướng?
24 Sơn Hướng is a system of 24 positions on the feng shui compass, each spanning 15 degrees, used to determine the orientation of houses and graves.
What is Nhật Chủ?
The Day Master (Nhật Chủ) is the Heavenly Stem of the Day Pillar in a Four Pillars chart and the central reference point for reading it.
What Are the Nine Methods for Deriving the Three Transmissions in Lục Nhâm?
Lục Nhâm derives its Three Transmissions through nine gates: tặc khắc, tỷ dụng, thiệp hại, dao khắc, mão tinh, biệt trách, bát chuyên, phục ngâm, phản ngâm.
What is Tứ Hóa?
Tứ Hóa are the four stars Hóa Lộc, Hóa Quyền, Hóa Khoa and Hóa Kỵ in Tử Vi astrology, standing for prosperity, power, reputation and adversity.
How to Read Annual Pillar and Tai Sui in BaZi: What Is Sui Yun Jing Lin
Lưu niên is the stem and branch of the year, Thái Tuế its ruler. How Tam Mệnh Thông Hội reads tuế vận tịnh lâm, phục ngâm and phản ngâm.
What is Khâm Thiên Tứ Hóa: a Tử Vi school that takes Tứ Hóa as its axis, using the stem of each palace and not only the birth year stem
Khâm Thiên Tứ Hóa is a Tử Vi school that reads charts through Lộc, Quyền, Khoa and Kỵ, flying transformations from each palace's stem.
How Are Thiên Quan and Thiên Phúc Placed by the Year Stem, and What Does 'Quý Nhân' Actually Mean Here?
Thiên Quan and Thiên Phúc are Earth auxiliary stars placed by the birth year's heavenly stem, not the branch or hour, with tables and points of disagreement.
Gui Mountain in the 24 Feng Shui Directions: Meaning and Interpretation
Gui Mountain in the 24 feng shui directions sits in the Gen palace, linked to the Water element and spanning 15 to 30 degrees.
What is the Day Pillar in BaZi (Four Pillars)?
Learn about the Day Pillar in BaZi: how to determine it, the role of the Day Stem and Day Branch, and its significance in destiny analysis.
Đà La Star in the Six Malefic Stars of Zi Wei Dou Shu: Meaning on the Chart
Đà La Star is one of Zi Wei Dou Shu's Six Malefic Stars, governing stagnation, entanglement and hidden obstacles, with meanings across the 12 palaces.
Saju: Korean Four Pillars Astrology: Origins, Calculation, and Its Place in Korean Life
Saju is Korea's Four Pillars astrology, rooted in Chinese Bazi but with its own interpretive tradition, still used for marriage and career choices.
The ten heavenly stems
The ten heavenly stems with the five-element attribution and yin-yang polarity of each.