丑

About

丑 (Chǒu, the Ox branch) is the 2nd of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Earth element, Winter. Hidden stems: 己 (main), 癸, 辛 (residual). Six Harmony: 子丑合土 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 巳酉丑 → Metal. Clash: 丑未沖 (storage release). Penalty: 丑戌未 (Bullying Penalty). Harm: 丑午害.⁠‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​⁠

丑 is the Ox — the frozen fields of late winter (季冬), and the double-hour 01:00–03:00, when the ox rises to work before dawn. An Earth "storage" branch (四库), it is a vault holding three stems: 己 earth, 癸 water and 辛 metal. In the Metal triad 巳酉丑 it is the storehouse where Metal is kept.⁠‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​⁠

Key Attributes

Element

Earth

Season

Winter

Zodiac animal

Ox

Hidden stems

己 (main) · 癸 · 辛 (residual)

Six Harmony

子丑合土

Three Harmony

巳酉丑 → Metal

Clash

丑未沖 (storage release)

Penalty

丑戌未 (Bullying Penalty)

Harm

丑午害

In a chart, this means…

In a chart, 丑 contributes Earth with reserves inside — storage branches carry layered, mixed influence rather than one pure note. It is traditionally associated with endurance and slow accumulation: winter ground holding seed until spring. Context decides which of its layers matters.⁠‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​⁠

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