Forward Yang Stems and Reverse Yin Stems
Understand the Yang-forward and Yin-reverse rule used in many Twelve Life Stage tables, its calculation effect, and why the convention must be declared.
Overview
Under the common Yang-forward, Yin-reverse convention, Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren advance through the branch order, while Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui move in reverse from their own Changsheng anchors. This is a table convention for stage assignment, not a claim that Yang people progress and Yin people regress.
At a glance
- Forward stems
- Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, Ren
- Reverse stems
- Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, Gui
- Forward order
- Normal branch sequence
- Reverse order
- Opposite branch sequence
- Requirement
- Own anchor for each stem
- Boundary
- Not a value judgment
Polarity selects the traversal direction
The five Yang stems use the ordinary Zi-to-Chou-to-Yin branch direction, while the five Yin stems count through the same twelve branches in reverse.
Each stem still begins from its own Changsheng branch, so direction alone is insufficient to calculate a result.
- Use polarity from the reference stem.
- Pair direction with the correct anchor.
Direction changes the branch-to-stage mapping
Reversing the traversal changes which branch receives Muyu, Guandai, Linguan, and every later stage for a Yin stem.
A report that omits the direction rule may show a valid-looking label that cannot be reproduced by another table.
- Display the convention in methodology.
- Keep calculated and source-table values in parity.
Document school differences instead of hiding them
Received tables and modern teaching lineages do not all handle Yin stems identically. A defensible product selects one convention for calculations and records alternatives as editorial context.
Changing the default requires versioning and must not silently rewrite previously frozen charts or articles.
- Preserve historical report versions.
- Name alternative conventions without merging outputs.
Forward and reverse are technical directions
The rule does not rank Yang as advancement or Yin as decline, and it does not describe a person’s moral character, gender expression, career trajectory, or life progress.
Interpretation should remain attached to the selected stem, branch, pillar, and wider chart evidence.
- Avoid social or gender stereotypes.
- Do not narrate reverse movement as failure.
Sources and editorial basis
- 《御定星曆考原》卷一《御定星曆考原》卷五十七「十二宮」：陽干順布、陰干逆布，各干仍以自身長生支為起點A historical source for stem and branch Yin-Yang, Five Phase, direction, seasonal, and calendrical correspondences.
- 《三命通會》 (Sanming Tonghui)《三命通會》卷二論陰陽順逆與五行寄生：陰陽運行是取位規則，不是人物優劣判語A historical compilation covering stems and branches, Ten Gods, Nayin, Shen Sha, and multiple classical pattern systems.
- OpenFate Editorial Methodology陽干順行陰干逆行頁聲明採用表與版本，保護凍結報告，並排除性別、人格與人生進退的字面推論OpenFate separates deterministic chart calculation, traditional interpretation, and modern editorial explanation.