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Shen (申) Earthly Branch in Bazi

Shen (申) is branch 9 of 12, classified as Yang Metal. Learn its month, double-hour, hidden stems, harmony, clash, trine, and reading limits.

Chinese
申
Pinyin
Shēn
Also known as
Shen · Shen Metal · Monkey Branch · Yang Metal Branch

Editorially reviewed:

Overview

Shen (申) is the Yang Metal branch associated with early autumn. It is a calendrical and structural chart symbol, not a stand-alone zodiac personality label.

At a glance

Character and reading
申 · Shēn
Sequence position
9 of 12
Yin-Yang and phase
Yang Metal
Zodiac animal
Monkey
Solar month and season
7th solar month · begins near Start of Autumn · Early autumn
Conventional double-hour
15:00–16:59
Hidden stems
庚 Metal · 壬 Water · 戊 Earth
Core relations
Harmony: Si (巳) · Clash: Yin (寅) · Water trine with Zi (子) and Chen (辰)

Definition and place in the cycle

Shen is ninth in the cycle and opens the traditional autumn sequence.

Shen (申) is classified as a Yang Metal Earthly Branch. Its animal is a calendrical mnemonic; neither the animal nor the phase alone establishes personality, strength, or outcome.

Season, solar month, and double-hour

Shen (申) governs the 7th solar month · begins near start of autumn and is associated with early autumn. The listed civil-clock double-hour is 15:00–16:59.

Shen begins autumn Metal while still carrying transitional layers from the preceding seasonal movement. Solar-term boundaries and the time standard used for a chart can shift the practical calendar or hour boundary, so calculate the chart rather than guessing from a date or wall clock alone.

Hidden stems and chart role

Shen (申) conventionally contains 庚 Metal, 壬 Water, 戊 Earth. Hidden stems describe internal elemental layers and possible roots; this page does not assign fixed weights because schools and calculation methods differ.

Geng, Ren, and Wu are conventionally hidden in Shen, linking Metal with Water movement and Earth support inside one branch.

Branch relations and reliable reading boundary

Shen (申) forms a Six Harmony pair with Si (巳), a Six Clash axis with Yin (寅), and a Water trine group with Zi (子) and Chen (辰). A listed relation is a structural possibility, not proof of a favorable, harmful, or transformed result.

  • Read month command, pillar position, hidden stems, visible stems, support, control, and timing together.
  • Do not reduce an Earthly Branch to its zodiac animal or one personality adjective.
  • Do not assume that a harmony, clash, or trine automatically activates or decides the whole chart.

Sources and editorial basis

  1. Hong Kong Observatory: Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches
    An official modern reference for the canonical stem and branch orders, the sexagenary cycle, and calendrical use.
  2. 《御定星曆考原》卷一
    A historical source for stem and branch Yin-Yang, Five Phase, direction, seasonal, and calendrical correspondences.
  3. 《淵海子平》 (Yuanhai Ziping)
    A foundational Ziping reference for branch months, hidden stems, roots, and stem-branch relationships.
  4. 《子平真詮》 (True Explanations of Ziping)
    A major reference for month-command, structure, and contextual Bazi interpretation.
  5. OpenFate Editorial Methodology
    OpenFate separates deterministic chart calculation, traditional interpretation, and modern editorial explanation.
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