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Si (巳) Earthly Branch in Bazi

Si (巳) is branch 6 of 12, classified as Yin Fire. Learn its month, double-hour, hidden stems, harmony, clash, trine, and reading limits.

Chinese
巳
Pinyin
Sì
Also known as
Si · Si Fire · Snake Branch · Yin Fire Branch

Editorially reviewed:

Overview

Si (巳) is the Yin Fire branch associated with early summer. It is a calendrical and structural chart symbol, not a stand-alone zodiac personality label.

At a glance

Character and reading
巳 · Sì
Sequence position
6 of 12
Yin-Yang and phase
Yin Fire
Zodiac animal
Snake
Solar month and season
4th solar month · begins near Start of Summer · Early summer
Conventional double-hour
09:00–10:59
Hidden stems
丙 Fire · 戊 Earth · 庚 Metal
Core relations
Harmony: Shen (申) · Clash: Hai (亥) · Metal trine with You (酉) and Chou (丑)

Definition and place in the cycle

Si is sixth in the cycle and opens the traditional summer sequence.

Si (巳) is classified as a Yin Fire 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

Si (巳) governs the 4th solar month · begins near start of summer and is associated with early summer. The listed civil-clock double-hour is 09:00–10:59.

Si marks the beginning of summer Fire, while its internal structure still records more than one elemental layer. 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

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

Bing, Wu, and Geng are conventionally hidden in Si, so Fire, Earth, and Metal relations may all become relevant under the right chart conditions.

Branch relations and reliable reading boundary

Si (巳) forms a Six Harmony pair with Shen (申), a Six Clash axis with Hai (亥), and a Metal trine group with You (酉) and Chou (丑). 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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