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The Chinese Calendar

[Feng shui | The Lo Shu Square | Yin & Yang Principle | The 5 Element |

| The Chinese Calendar |The 8 Trigrams | Qi (Dragon Breath]

 


The Chinese Calendar System consists of the combination of:-

The Ten Heavenly Stems + The Twelve Earthly Branches


The Ten Heavenly Stems

Heavenly Stem

Element

Planet

Direction

Jia (hard wood)

Wood

Jupiter

East

Yi (soft wood)

Wood

Jupiter

East

Bing (sun fire)

Fire

Mars

South

Ding (kitchen fire)

Fire

Mars

South

Wu (mountain earth)

Earth

Saturn

Centre

Ji (sand earth)

Earth

Saturn

Centre

Geng (rough metal)

Metal

Venus

West

Xin (refined metal)

Metal

Venus

West

Ren (sea water)

Water

Mercury

North

Gui (rain water)

Water

Mercury

North

+

 The Twelve Earthly Branches

Earthly Branch

Element

Hour of Birth

Direction

Rat

Water

11.00pm - 12.59am

North

Ox

Earth

1.00am - 2.59am

North-East

Tiger

Wood

3.00am - 4.59am

North-East

Rabbit

Wood

5.00am - 6.59am

East

Dragon

Earth

7.00am - 8.59am

South-East

Snake

Fire

9.00am - 10.59am

South-East

Horse

Fire

11.00am - 12.59pm

South

Ram

Earth

1.00pm - 2.59pm

South-West

Monkey

Metal

3.00pm - 4.59pm

South-West

Rooster

Metal

5.00pm - 6.59pm

West

Dog

Earth

7.00pm - 8.59pm

North-West

Pig

Water

9.00pm - 10.59pm

North-West

Combined together to form 1 Cycle in the Chinese calendar:

Illustration showing the Time Cycle in the Chinese Calendar SystemLooking at the diagram on the right, 1 Cycle of the lunar calendar consists of 180 years.

Each cycle is divided into 3 groups: Upper, Middle and Lower. Each group comprise 3 periods. Each period is 20 years.

We are now in the Period 7 of the lower period. In eight years time in the year 2004, we will be entering PERIOD 8.

For Example: 1924 to 1983 belongs to the Middle Period & 1924 consists of Jia + Rat: (Periods 4, 5 & 6 form the Middle Period)

Period

Year

Heavenly Stem

Earthly Branch

Period

Year

Heavenly Stem

Earthly Branch

4

1 (1924)

Jia

Rat

5

31 (1954)

Jia

Horse

4

2 (1925)

Yi

Ox

5

32 (1955)

Yi

Ram

4

3 (1926)

Bing

Tiger

5

33 (1956)

Bing

Monkey (Metal)

4

4 (1927)

Ding

Rabbit

5

34 (1957)

Ding

Rooster (Metal)

4

5 (1928)

Wu

Dragon

5

35 (1958)

Wu

Dog

4

6 (1929)

Ji

Snake

5

36 (1959)

Ji

Pig

4

7 (1930)

Geng

Horse

5

37 (1960)

Geng

Rat

4

8 (1931)

Xin

Ram

5

38 (1961)

Xin

Ox

4

9 (1932)

Ren

Monkey (Metal)

5

39 (1962)

Ren

Tiger

4

10 (1933)

Ren

Rooster (Metal)

5

40 (1963)

Ren

Rabbit

4

11 (1934)

Jia

Dog

6

41 (1964)

Jia

Dragon

4

12 (1935)

Yi

Pig

6

42 (1965)

Yi

Snake

4

13 (1936)

Bing

Rat

6

43 (1966)

Bing

Horse

4

14 (1937)

Ding

Ox

6

44 (1967)

Ding

Ram

4

15 (1938)

Wu

Tiger

6

45 (1968)

Wu

Monkey (Metal)

4

16 (1939)

Ji

Rabbit

6

46 (1969)

Ji

Rooster (Metal)

4

17 (1940)

Geng

Dragon

6

47 (1970)

Geng

Dog

4

18 (1941)

Xin

Snake

6

48 (1971)

Xin

Pig

4

19 (1942)

Ren

Horse

6

49 (1972)

Ren

Rat

4

20 (1943)

Ren

Ram

6

50 (1973)

Ren

Ox

5

21 (1944)

Jia

Monkey (Metal)

6

51 (1974)

Jia

Tiger

5

22 (1945)

Yi

Rooster (Metal)

6

52 (1975)

Yi

Rabbit

5

23 (1946)

Bing

Dog

6

53 (1976)

Bing

Dragon

5

24 (1947)

Ding

Pig

6

54 (1977)

Ding

Snake

5

25 (1948)

Wu

Rat

6

55 (1978)

Wu

Horse

5

26 (1949)

Ji

Ox

6

56 (1979)

Ji

Ram

5

27 (1950)

Geng

Tiger

6

57 (1980)

Geng

Monkey (Metal)

5

28 (1951)

Xin

Rabbit

6

58 (1981)

Xin

Rooster (Metal)

5

29 (1952)

Ren

Dragon

6

59 (1982)

Ren

Dog

5

30 (1953)

Ren

Snake

6

60 (1983)

Ren

Pig

For example: 1984 to 2043 belongs to the Lower Period:

(Periods 7, 8 & 9 form the Lower Period)

Period

Year

Heavenly Stem

Earthly Branch

Period

Year

Heavenly Stem

Earthly Branch

7

1 (1984)

Jia

Rat

8

31 (2014)

Jia

Horse

7

2 (1985)

Yi

Ox

8

32 (2015)

Yi

Ram

7

3 (1986)

Bing

Tiger

8

33 (2016)

Bing

Monkey (Metal)

7

4 (1987)

Ding

Rabbit

8

34 (2017)

Ding

Rooster (Metal)

7

5 (1988)

Wu

Dragon

8

35 (2018)

Wu

Dog

7

6 (1989)

Ji

Snake

8

36 (2019)

Ji

Pig

7

7 (1990)

Geng

Horse

8

37 (2020)

Geng

Rat

7

8 (1991)

Xin

Ram

8

38 (2021)

Xin

Ox

7

9 (1992)

Ren

Monkey (Metal)

8

39 (2022)

Ren

Tiger

7

10 (1993)

Ren

Rooster (Metal)

8

40 (2023)

Ren

Rabbit

7

11 (1994)

Jia

Dog

9

41 (2024)

Jia

Dragon

7

12 (1995)

Yi

Pig

9

42 (2025)

Yi

Snake

7

13 (1996)

Bing

Rat

9

43 (2026)

Bing

Horse

7

14 (1997)

Ding

Ox

9

44 (2027)

Ding

Ram

7

15 (1998)

Wu

Tiger

9

45 (2028)

Wu

Monkey (Metal)

7

16 (1999)

Ji

Rabbit

9

46 (2029)

Ji

Rooster (Metal)

7

17 (2000)

Geng

Dragon

9

47 (2030)

Geng

Dog

7

18 (2001)

Xin

Snake

9

48 (2031)

Xin

Pig

7

19 (2002)

Ren

Horse

9

49 (2032)

Ren

Rat

7

20 (2003)

Ren

Ram

9

50 (2033)

Ren

Ox

8

21 (2004)

Jia

Monkey (Metal)

9

51 (2034)

Jia

Tiger

8

22 (2005)

Yi

Rooster (Metal)

9

52 (2035)

Yi

Rabbit

8

23 (2006)

Bing

Dog

9

53 (2036)

Bing

Dragon

8

24 (2007)

Ding

Pig

9

54 (2037)

Ding

Snake

8

25 (2008)

Wu

Rat

9

55 (2038)

Wu

Horse

8

26 (2009)

Ji

Ox

9

56 (2039)

Ji

Ram

8

27 (2010)

Geng

Tiger

9

57 (2040)

Geng

Monkey (Metal)

8

28 (2011)

Xin

Rabbit

9

58 (2041)

Xin

Rooster (Metal)

8

29 (2012)

Ren

Dragon

9

59 (2042)

Ren

Dog

8

30 (2013)

Ren

Snake

9

60 (2043)

Ren

Pig

After the year 2043, the Chinese Calendar starts a fresh with another new Cycle for a further 180