子

About

子 (Zǐ, the Rat branch) is the 1st of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支) — Water element, Winter. Hidden stems: 癸 (main). Six Harmony: 子丑合土 (whether it fully transforms depends on chart context). Three Harmony: 申子辰 → Water. Clash: 子午沖 (direct clash). Penalty: 子卯 (Uncivilised Penalty). Harm: 子未害.⁠‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​⁠

子 is the Rat — first of the twelve branches, the pivot of deep winter. It marks the mid-winter month (仲冬) and the midnight double-hour (23:00–01:00): the moment the old day ends and the new one quietly begins. A "peak" branch (四正), it is Water at its purest, holding a single hidden stem, 癸. In the Water triad 申子辰 it is the crest of the wave.⁠‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​⁠

Key Attributes

Element

Water

Season

Winter

Zodiac animal

Rat

Hidden stems

癸 (main)

Six Harmony

子丑合土

Three Harmony

申子辰 → Water

Clash

子午沖 (direct clash)

Penalty

子卯 (Uncivilised Penalty)

Harm

子未害

In a chart, this means…

In a chart, 子 contributes pure, concentrated Water — peak branches bring one element undiluted. It is traditionally associated with midnight's stillness and with currents running beneath calm surfaces. Its weight in any reading depends on the surrounding chart.⁠‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​⁠

Related Entities