酉

About

酉 (Yǒu, the Rooster branch) is the 10th of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Metal element, Autumn. Hidden stems: 辛 (main). Six Harmony: 辰酉合金 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 巳酉丑 → Metal. Clash: 卯酉沖 (cutting clash). Penalty: 酉刑酉 (self-penalty). Harm: 酉戌害.⁠‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​⁠

酉 is the Rooster — mid-autumn (仲秋) and the double-hour 17:00–19:00: sunset, when the birds return to roost. A "peak" branch (四正), it is Metal at its purest, holding a single hidden stem, 辛. In the Metal triad 巳酉丑 it is the finished blade — refinement complete, with the cool clarity of the harvest moon.⁠‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​⁠

Key Attributes

Element

Metal

Season

Autumn

Zodiac animal

Rooster

Hidden stems

辛 (main)

Six Harmony

辰酉合金

Three Harmony

巳酉丑 → Metal

Clash

卯酉沖 (cutting clash)

Penalty

酉刑酉 (self-penalty)

Harm

酉戌害

In a chart, this means…

In a chart, 酉 contributes pure Yin Metal — precision undiluted. It is traditionally associated with exactness, aesthetics and the discipline of routine: the rooster keeps time. Its actual edge, soft or sharp, is set by the rest of the chart.⁠‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​⁠

Related Entities