The Twelve Earthly Branches

Compare all 12 Earthly Branches by animal, Korean reading, polarity, element, season, traditional hour, and Qiora Hidden Stems.

Short answer: The Twelve Earthly Branches (地支) form the repeating sequence Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The sequence labels years, Saju months, days, and traditional two-hour periods. Each Branch has a fixed polarity, a primary element, an animal label, and a Hidden Stem (地藏干) inventory.

The animal is the easiest label to remember, but it is not the whole Branch. Rat does not mean "a Rat personality," and Dragon is not a free upgrade to legendary status.

This atlas is for lookup. Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches explains the basic structure, Seasons and the Month Branch explains month boundaries, and Hidden Stems explains what sits inside each Branch.

All twelve at a glance

Branch	Korean reading	Animal	Polarity and primary element	Seasonal position	Traditional hour	Hidden Stems: Residual · Middle · Main
子	Ja (자)	Rat	Yang Water	winter center	23:00 to 01:00	· · Gye Water
丑	Chuk (축)	Ox	Yin Earth	winter end	01:00 to 03:00	Gye Water · Sin Metal · Gi Earth
寅	In (인)	Tiger	Yang Wood	spring start	03:00 to 05:00	Mu Earth · Byeong Fire · Gap Wood
卯	Myo (묘)	Rabbit	Yin Wood	spring center	05:00 to 07:00	· · Eul Wood
辰	Jin (진)	Dragon	Yang Earth	spring end	07:00 to 09:00	Eul Wood · Gye Water · Mu Earth
巳	Sa (사)	Snake	Yin Fire	summer start	09:00 to 11:00	Mu Earth · Gyeong Metal · Byeong Fire
午	O (오)	Horse	Yang Fire	summer center	11:00 to 13:00	· Gi Earth · Jeong Fire
未	Mi (미)	Goat	Yin Earth	summer end	13:00 to 15:00	Jeong Fire · Eul Wood · Gi Earth
申	Sin (신)	Monkey	Yang Metal	autumn start	15:00 to 17:00	Mu Earth · Im Water · Gyeong Metal
酉	Yu (유)	Rooster	Yin Metal	autumn center	17:00 to 19:00	· · Sin Metal
戌	Sul (술)	Dog	Yang Earth	autumn end	19:00 to 21:00	Sin Metal · Jeong Fire · Mu Earth
亥	Hae (해)	Pig	Yin Water	winter start	21:00 to 23:00	· Gap Wood · Im Water

The Hidden Stem order matches Qiora's detailed data. It begins with Residual Qi (餘氣) and Middle Qi (中氣). Main Qi (本氣) comes last. Blank positions are genuinely blank; do not fill them to make the table look tidier.

Branch polarity is a fixed property of the Branch; it is not copied from the polarity of Main Qi. Rat is Yang even though Gye Water is Yin. Snake is Yin even though Byeong Fire is Yang. Horse is Yang even though Jeong Fire is Yin. Keep the Branch field and the Hidden Stem field separate.

Read the hour ranges as half-open intervals: Rat begins at 23:00 and ends immediately before 01:00; Ox begins at 01:00, and so on. At an exact boundary, let Qiora calculate from the verified birthplace, time zone, and Hour settings rather than choosing a Branch by eye.

Qiora's English standard uses Korean-style readings: Sa for the Snake Branch 巳 and Sin (신), pronounced roughly like "sheen," for both the Monkey Branch 申 and the Yin Metal Stem 辛. Use the Hanja and chart row to distinguish the two forms of Sin.

The Hidden Stem columns in this atlas are a fixed reference inventory. Their presence here does not mean the Basic prompt supplies them or that every listed Stem is an active root.

Storage Branches and root strength

Dragon, Goat, Dog, and Ox are the four Earth Branches that close the seasonal arcs. They are often discussed as tomb-or-storage Branches (墓庫). A stored Stem is present in the inventory, but its presence does not automatically make it an effective root. Qiora treats stored Stems as potential roots until position, season, climate, and any supplied activation or interaction are reviewed.

Im Water inside Monkey is a Middle Qi associated with the Long Life Stage (長生). It can be a meaningful growth-stage root under Qiora's reviewed rule. Im Water inside Pig is Main Qi and provides a more direct root. The two positions are not interchangeable, and neither one alone completes a Day Master strength judgment.

Four positions, one Branch sequence

A Branch can appear in more than one calendar position.

The Year Branch supplies the familiar zodiac-animal label.
The Month Branch marks a phase of the solar-term year.
The Day Branch is the lower character of the Day Pillar.
The Hour Branch labels a traditional two-hour period.

The same Rat Branch keeps its polarity, primary element, and Hidden Stems in each position. Its position changes the question being asked. A Year Rat and an Hour Rat are not interchangeable predictions.

Month Branches change at the twelve monthly jie boundaries, the Solar Terms that open the Saju months. They do not change on the first day of a Gregorian or lunar month or at every one of the twenty-four Solar Terms. Hour blocks are traditional reference spans. Qiora resolves the recorded local civil time with the verified time zone. When enabled, longitude-based True Solar Time adjusts the Hour Pillar only.

Rat

Reference card: Ja (자), Yang Water, winter center, 23:00 to 01:00.

Rat contains Gye Water as Main Qi and no Middle or Residual Qi. Its Branch polarity is Yang even though its only Hidden Stem is Yin Water. Branch polarity and Hidden Stem polarity are separate data fields.

As a Month Branch, Rat begins near Daeseol in early December. As an Hour Branch, it crosses midnight. Under Qiora's Early Rat rule, the Day Pillar changes at 23:00, so a birth around that boundary needs exact local-time verification.

Atlas question: Is this Rat being read as a year, month, day, or hour position, and which boundary matters?

Rat does not prove cleverness, secrecy, wealth, fertility, or a love of midnight snacks.

Ox

Reference card: Chuk (축), Yin Earth, winter end, 01:00 to 03:00.

Ox contains Gye Water as Residual Qi, Sin Metal as Middle Qi, and Gi Earth as Main Qi. It is an Earth Branch at the end of the winter arc. Primary element and seasonal position answer different questions.

As a Month Branch, Ox begins near Sohan in early January. Its stored Water and Metal do not become equally active roots just because they appear in the inventory. Position, season, and Qiora's reviewed root rules still matter.

Atlas question: What is being stored through winter's end, and which hidden layer can function in practice?

Ox does not prove patience, stubbornness, labor, property, or family duty.

Tiger

Reference card: In (인), Yang Wood, spring start, 03:00 to 05:00.

Tiger contains Mu Earth as Residual Qi, Byeong Fire as Middle Qi, and Gap Wood as Main Qi. Wood is its primary element, while Fire and Earth add internal layers.

As a Month Branch, Tiger begins at Ipchun and opens the Saju spring. Ipchun is also the Year Pillar boundary used by Qiora. A birth near that moment may require both Year and Month fields to be checked.

Atlas question: What is beginning to grow, and what do the inner Fire and Earth contribute?

Tiger does not prove courage, leadership, aggression, travel, or an adventurous personality.

Rabbit

Reference card: Myo (묘), Yin Wood, spring center, 05:00 to 07:00.

Rabbit contains Eul Wood as Main Qi and no Middle or Residual Qi. One Hidden Stem does not make the Branch simple in every reading; position and interactions still matter.

As a Month Branch, Rabbit begins near Gyeongchip in early March. Its Wood corresponds to the center of the spring arc, but the Month Branch remains one part of the chart rather than a complete strength verdict.

Atlas question: Where is Wood most seasonally established, and what supports or redirects it?

Rabbit does not prove gentleness, popularity, aesthetics, romance, or conflict avoidance.

Dragon

Reference card: Jin (진), Yang Earth, spring end, 07:00 to 09:00.

Dragon contains Eul Wood as Residual Qi, Gye Water as Middle Qi, and Mu Earth as Main Qi. It is an Earth Branch placed at the end of spring.

As a Month Branch, Dragon begins near Cheongmyeong in early April. Stored Water in Dragon is a potential root under Qiora's reviewed rules, not an automatically effective one. Storage, season, climate, and activation need separate review.

Atlas question: What is closing the spring phase, and what remains stored inside the Earth?

Dragon does not prove power, success, spirituality, fame, luck, or exceptional status.

Snake

Reference card: Sa (사), Yin Fire, summer start, 09:00 to 11:00.

Snake contains Mu Earth as Residual Qi, Gyeong Metal as Middle Qi, and Byeong Fire as Main Qi. The Branch is Yin Fire even though its Main Qi Stem is Yang Fire.

As a Month Branch, Snake begins near Ipha in early May and opens the summer arc. Qiora's current English detail displays this Branch as Si (Snake), while this atlas also gives the Korean reading Sa. Both refer to 巳.

Atlas question: What enters the summer phase, and how do the inner Earth and Metal affect the Fire?

Snake does not prove mystery, seduction, strategy, jealousy, danger, or transformation.

Horse

Reference card: O (오), Yang Fire, summer center, 11:00 to 13:00.

Horse contains Gi Earth as Middle Qi and Jeong Fire as Main Qi, with no Residual Qi. Its Branch polarity is Yang while its Main Qi Stem is Yin Fire.

As a Month Branch, Horse begins near Mangjong in early June. Its traditional hour contains noon, but "noon fallback" in Qiora is a technical substitute for unknown time, not proof that someone has an Hour Horse.

Atlas question: Is this a confirmed Horse position, and how does its Fire feed the inner Earth?

Horse does not prove freedom, popularity, speed, restlessness, travel, or public visibility.

Goat

Reference card: Mi (미), Yin Earth, summer end, 13:00 to 15:00.

Goat contains Jeong Fire as Residual Qi, Eul Wood as Middle Qi, and Gi Earth as Main Qi. It is an Earth Branch closing the summer arc.

As a Month Branch, Goat begins near Soseo in early July. Its Fire and Wood are stored in specific inner positions, not mixed into one generic "Earth personality."

Atlas question: What is summer carrying into the Earth phase, and which stored element still has support?

Goat does not prove kindness, artistry, dependence, domesticity, worry, or group harmony.

Monkey

Reference card: Sin (신), Yang Metal, autumn start, 15:00 to 17:00.

Monkey contains Mu Earth as Residual Qi, Im Water as Middle Qi, and Gyeong Metal as Main Qi. Its inner Water can matter as a growth-stage root under Qiora's reviewed rules.

As a Month Branch, Monkey begins near Ipchu in early August and opens the autumn arc. Qiora writes Monkey 申 as Sin, the same Romanized Korean reading used for the Yin Metal Stem 辛. Use the Hanja and chart row, not the Roman letters alone, to tell them apart.

Atlas question: What begins to contract or refine, and where can the inner Water move?

Monkey does not prove intelligence, tricks, business skill, adaptability, technology, or mischief.

Rooster

Reference card: Yu (유), Yin Metal, autumn center, 17:00 to 19:00.

Rooster contains Sin Metal 辛 as Main Qi and no Middle or Residual Qi. Here 辛 is a Hidden Stem inside Rooster 酉; it is not the Monkey Branch 申.

As a Month Branch, Rooster begins near Baengno in early September. Its Metal sits at the center of the autumn arc, but season alone does not finish a strength or usefulness judgment.

Atlas question: What is being refined or separated, and which chart relationship gives the edge a purpose?

Rooster does not prove precision, vanity, speech, perfectionism, beauty, or criticism.

Dog

Reference card: Sul (술), Yang Earth, autumn end, 19:00 to 21:00.

Dog contains Sin Metal as Residual Qi, Jeong Fire as Middle Qi, and Mu Earth as Main Qi. It is an Earth Branch at the end of autumn.

As a Month Branch, Dog begins near Hanro in early October. Stored Fire and Metal remain tied to their positions and conditions. A list of contents is not yet a judgment about usable force.

Atlas question: What closes the autumn phase, and what does this Earth preserve or contain?

Dog does not prove loyalty, protection, law, suspicion, duty, or friendship.

Pig

Reference card: Hae (해), Yin Water, winter start, 21:00 to 23:00.

Pig contains Gap Wood as Middle Qi and Im Water as Main Qi, with no Residual Qi. Im Water as Main Qi can provide a strong root for a supplied Im Water Stem when the rest of the chart supports that reading.

As a Month Branch, Pig begins near Ipdong in early November and opens the winter arc. Its internal Wood points toward the next growth cycle, but it does not turn every Pig placement into a promise of renewal.

Atlas question: What is entering storage, and how does the inner Wood prepare for later movement?

Pig does not prove generosity, pleasure, laziness, innocence, abundance, or emotional depth.

Use Qiora without mixing the layers

In Qiora's Four Pillars grid, the upper cell is a Stem and the lower cell is a Branch. Tap a lower cell to see its animal, primary element, polarity, and representative Ten God. That Branch Ten God is calculated from Main Qi; it is not the complete Hidden Stem inventory.

The free on-screen cell detail can show that Main Qi representative Ten God, but the copied Basic prompt does not list Branch Ten Gods or the full Hidden Stem table. Premium provides Residual, Middle, and Main Qi, their Ten Gods and weights, plus advanced root, strength, interaction, Special Star, and Luck Pillar data. Keep the free cell label, the atlas's fixed inventory, and Premium's weighted analysis as three distinct layers.

If birth time is unknown, Qiora's public Hour Pillar (時柱) remains ?. Qiora may use 12:00 noon in local civil time internally as a technical placeholder with True Solar Time turned off, so a copied prompt may contain a noon-derived Hour marked as estimated. Noon is not the recorded birth time. If birthplace and time zone were not collected, the placeholder's time-zone basis is provisional too.

The fallback Hour Branch, all of its Hidden Stems and Ten Gods (十神), and every Hour-position claim are provisional. Surface-element totals, whole-chart element-force assessments, Day Master strength, Chart Structure, Useful God, detected interactions, and Special Stars are also provisional when the fallback affected them.

When the actual time becomes available, recalculate. Qiora applies its 23:00 Early Rat rule to the Day Pillar using local standard time after removing any daylight saving offset: the 23:00 hour, from 11:00 p.m. to midnight, belongs to the next Day Pillar. Check the exact monthly jie boundary and Ipchun where relevant. True Solar Time correction affects the Hour Pillar only; it does not change the Day Pillar or move the Year and Month boundaries.

A Branch lookup card

Branch Hanja and animal:
Korean reading / Qiora English label:
Chart position:
Data source: atlas / Qiora cell detail / Basic / Premium
Polarity and primary element:
Seasonal position or half-open hour block:
Residual Qi:
Middle Qi:
Main Qi:
Boundary checked: none / 23:00 Day / monthly Solar Term / Ipchun
Confirmed or provisional:
One question this position allows:
One claim the animal cannot prove:

Fill the card from supplied data, not memory. Leave blank Hidden Stem positions blank; the worksheet will be fine.

Quick questions

Is my zodiac animal the same as my whole Saju?

No. The familiar zodiac animal is the Year Branch, one character in an eight-character chart.

Why does one Branch contain several elements?

Its primary element follows Main Qi, while supplied Middle and Residual Qi may add other Hidden Stems.

Are Branch hours modern clock rules?

They are traditional two-hour correspondences, not modern time-zone rules. Qiora first resolves local civil time from the verified birthplace and time zone, then applies longitude-based True Solar Time to the Hour Pillar when birth time is known. At an exact Hour boundary, use the calculated result rather than the lookup table alone.

Does the Branch animal describe personality?

No. The animal is a memory label. Position, element, season, Hidden Stems, interactions, and the full chart are required for interpretation.

Why are Dragon, Goat, Dog, and Ox Earth Branches in four different seasons?

They close the spring, summer, autumn, and winter arcs. Seasonal position and primary element are related reference layers, not the same field.

Can unknown birth time change my Branches?

Yes. The Hour Branch is unknown, and an actual birth in Qiora's 23:00 Early Rat hour can also change the Day Branch. Near Ipchun, both the Year and Month Branches may change. Near another monthly jie boundary, the Month Branch may change. Keep the affected fields provisional until the recorded local time, calendar, birthplace-derived time zone, and boundary settings are verified.

Source and editorial notes

Korean readings and animal labels follow S07.
Month boundaries and approximate start dates follow S09, but exact transition moments must be calculated for the relevant year and place.
Hidden Stems follow Qiora's Residual, Middle, Main order in S12.
The 12 Branch-hour spans are traditional reference periods; Qiora's selected time and correction rules govern actual calculation.
Fixed animal personalities, careers, health traits, relationship outcomes, and luck claims were excluded.
Last fact check: 2026-07-31.

Use the animal to remember the Branch, then use the Branch data to answer the question.