Chinese Astrology Reference
The Sexagenary Cycle
干支 Ganzhi
60 stem-branch pairs. 60 years. The oldest living calendar system on Earth. 2026 is 丙午 Bingwu — Fire Horse.
60
Unique Pillars
10
Heavenly Stems 天干
12
Earthly Branches 地支
3,600+
Years of recorded use
What is the Sexagenary Cycle?
The sexagenary cycle (干支 Gànzhī, also 六十甲子 Liùshí Jiǎzǐ) is a 60-year calendar system that forms the foundation of Chinese astrology. It pairs 10 Heavenly Stems (天干 Tiāngān) with 12 Earthly Branches (地支 Dìzhī) in a rotating sequence that cycles through all 60 unique combinations before repeating.
How the Math Works
10 stems × 12 branches = 120 possible pairs. But because they advance simultaneously (not every combination), the cycle produces exactly 60 unique pairs before resetting. Since 60 is the lowest common multiple of 10 and 12, each combination appears exactly once per cycle.
10
Stems
×
12
Branches
→
60
Unique pairs
Ancient Origins
Oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE) record the sexagenary cycle for day-counting — making it one of the oldest continuously-used timekeeping systems in human history. By the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), it had expanded to label years, months, hours, and Ba Zi birth charts.
In Ba Zi (Four Pillars) astrology, the sexagenary cycle governs all four pillars of a birth chart — year, month, day, and hour. The Year Pillar is the most publicly discussed (your "Chinese zodiac sign"), but the Day Master — the stem of your birth day — is considered the most significant for personality analysis. Calculate your full Ba Zi chart →
The 10 Heavenly Stems (天干 Tiāngān)
The Heavenly Stems are the celestial component of the cycle — associated with the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), each appearing in both Yang (positive, masculine) and Yin (receptive, feminine) polarity.
| # | Character | Pinyin | Element | Polarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 甲 | Jiǎ | Wood | Yang |
| 2 | 乙 | Yǐ | Wood | Yin |
| 3 | 丙 | Bǐng | Fire | Yang |
| 4 | 丁 | Dīng | Fire | Yin |
| 5 | 戊 | Wù | Earth | Yang |
| 6 | 己 | Jǐ | Earth | Yin |
| 7 | 庚 | Gēng | Metal | Yang |
| 8 | 辛 | Xīn | Metal | Yin |
| 9 | 壬 | Rén | Water | Yang |
| 10 | 癸 | Guǐ | Water | Yin |
The 12 Earthly Branches (地支 Dìzhī)
The Earthly Branches are the terrestrial component — each paired with one of the 12 zodiac animals, one of the Five Elements, and a 2-hour period of the day.
| # | Character | Pinyin | Animal | Element |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 子 | Zǐ | 🐭 Rat | Water |
| 2 | 丑 | Chǒu | 🐂 Ox | Earth |
| 3 | 寅 | Yín | 🐯 Tiger | Wood |
| 4 | 卯 | Mǎo | 🐰 Rabbit | Wood |
| 5 | 辰 | Chén | 🐉 Dragon | Earth |
| 6 | 巳 | Sì | 🐍 Snake | Fire |
| 7 | 午 | Wǔ | 🐴 Horse ← 2026 | Fire |
| 8 | 未 | Wèi | 🐑 Goat | Earth |
| 9 | 申 | Shēn | 🐒 Monkey | Metal |
| 10 | 酉 | Yǒu | 🐓 Rooster | Metal |
| 11 | 戌 | Xū | 🐕 Dog | Earth |
| 12 | 亥 | Hài | 🐷 Pig | Water |
The Complete 60 Jiazi (六十甲子)
All 60 stem-branch combinations in sequence. Color-coded by element. Years shown are Li Chun boundaries (approx. Feb 4). Position 43 — 丙午 Bingwu — is 2026.
1
甲子
Jiǎzǐ
Wood Rat
1984 · 2044
2
乙丑
Yǐchǒu
Wood Ox
1985 · 2045
3
丙寅
Bǐngyín
Fire Tiger
1986 · 2046
4
丁卯
Dīngmǎo
Fire Rabbit
1987 · 2047
5
戊辰
Wùchén
Earth Dragon
1988 · 2048
6
己巳
Jǐsì
Earth Snake
1989 · 2049
9
壬申
Rénshēn
Water Monkey
1992 · 2052
10
癸酉
Guǐyǒu
Water Rooster
1993 · 2053
11
甲戌
Jiǎxū
Wood Dog
1994 · 2054
12
乙亥
Yǐhài
Wood Pig
1995 · 2055
13
丙子
Bǐngzǐ
Fire Rat
1996 · 2056
14
丁丑
Dīngchǒu
Fire Ox
1997 · 2057
15
戊寅
Wùyín
Earth Tiger
1998 · 2058
16
己卯
Jǐmǎo
Earth Rabbit
1999 · 2059
19
壬午
Rénwǔ
Water Horse
2002 · 2062
20
癸未
Guǐwèi
Water Goat
2003 · 2063
21
甲申
Jiǎshēn
Wood Monkey
2004 · 2064
22
乙酉
Yǐyǒu
Wood Rooster
2005 · 2065
23
丙戌
Bǐngxū
Fire Dog
2006 · 2066
24
丁亥
Dīnghài
Fire Pig
2007 · 2067
25
戊子
Wùzǐ
Earth Rat
2008 · 2068
26
己丑
Jǐchǒu
Earth Ox
2009 · 2069
29
壬辰
Rénchén
Water Dragon
2012 · 2072
30
癸巳
Guǐsì
Water Snake
2013 · 2073
31
甲午
Jiǎwǔ
Wood Horse
2014 · 2074
32
乙未
Yǐwèi
Wood Goat
2015 · 2075
33
丙申
Bǐngshēn
Fire Monkey
2016 · 2076
34
丁酉
Dīngyǒu
Fire Rooster
2017 · 2077
35
戊戌
Wùxū
Earth Dog
2018 · 2078
36
己亥
Jǐhài
Earth Pig
2019 · 2079
39
壬寅
Rényín
Water Tiger
2022 · 2082
40
癸卯
Guǐmǎo
Water Rabbit
2023 · 2083
41
甲辰
Jiǎchén
Wood Dragon
2024 · 2084
42
乙巳
Yǐsì
Wood Snake
2025 · 2085
43
丙午
Bǐngwǔ
Fire Horse
2026 ← NOW
44
丁未
Dīngwèi
Fire Goat
2027 · 2087
45
戊申
Wùshēn
Earth Monkey
2028 · 2088
46
己酉
Jǐyǒu
Earth Rooster
2029 · 2089
49
壬子
Rénzǐ
Water Rat
2032 · 2092
50
癸丑
Guǐchǒu
Water Ox
2033 · 2093
51
甲寅
Jiǎyín
Wood Tiger
2034 · 2094
52
乙卯
Yǐmǎo
Wood Rabbit
2035 · 2095
53
丙辰
Bǐngchén
Fire Dragon
2036 · 2096
54
丁巳
Dīngsì
Fire Snake
2037 · 2097
55
戊午
Wùwǔ
Earth Horse
2038 · 2098
56
己未
Jǐwèi
Earth Goat
2039 · 2099
59
壬戌
Rénxū
Water Dog
2042 · 2102
60
癸亥
Guǐhài
Water Pig
2043 · 2103
Know your birth year? Find all four pillars of your Ba Zi chart — year, month, day, and hour.
Calculate My Jiazi Pillars →2026: The Bingwu Year (丙午)
丙午
43rd Jiazi Pillar
Why 2026 Is Exceptional
Bingwu is the most intensely Fire-dominant pillar in the cycle. The Bing stem (丙) is Yang Fire — solar, radiant, maximum outward energy. The Wu branch (午) is the Horse, which carries inherent Fire as its primary element. This double-Fire loading creates the rarest energetic signature: no moderation, no counterbalance, pure yang solar force.
In Ba Zi analysis, Bingwu years produce extremes: breakthrough innovation or destructive volatility, legendary charisma or burnout. The Fire Horse (火马) personality born in 1906, 1966, and 2026 embodies this amplified energy.
The Hinoeuma Effect
The 1966 Bingwu year caused Japan's birth rate to drop 25% — from 18.5 to 14.5 births per 1,000 people — due to the Hinoeuma superstition about Fire Horse daughters. Approximately 463,000 fewer births than expected. It remains the only documented case of an astrology belief measurably reshaping national demographics.
Read: Fire Horse Woman & the Hinoeuma Superstition →2026 Dates (Li Chun Boundary)
- Bingwu year begins
- February 4, 2026
- Chinese New Year
- February 17, 2026
- Bingwu year ends
- February 3, 2027
- Pillar position
- 43rd of 60
- Previous occurrence
- 1966 (60 years ago)
- Next occurrence
- 2086
For a complete deep-dive on the 2026 Bingwu pillar including its relationship to your Ba Zi chart, see: Bing Wu 2026 (丙午) — Complete Year Guide →
Common Questions
What does 干支 (Ganzhi) literally mean? ↓
干 (Gān) means "trunk" or "stem" — referring to the Heavenly Stems (天干), which represent celestial, Yang forces from above. 支 (Zhī) means "branch" or "limb" — referring to the Earthly Branches (地支), which represent terrestrial, Yin forces below. Together, Ganzhi captures the cosmological structure of Chinese timekeeping: heaven and earth in continuous interplay.
Why does the cycle have 60 combinations, not 120? ↓
Because Yang stems only pair with Yang branches, and Yin stems only pair with Yin branches. The 10 stems alternate Yang-Yin (甲Yang, 乙Yin, 丙Yang…) and the 12 branches alternate the same way (子Yang, 丑Yin, 寅Yang…). Since polarity must match, only 60 of the 120 mathematical combinations are astronomically valid — giving the cycle its elegant 60-year structure.
How do I find my Day Master from the cycle? ↓
Your Day Master is the Heavenly Stem of your birth day pillar — the most important element in Ba Zi analysis. The day cycle runs in the same 60-combination sequence, but requires precise calculation using Julian Day Numbers. Our free calculator handles this automatically — enter your birth date and time to find your Day Master and all four pillars.
Calculate your Day Master →Is the sexagenary cycle the same as the Chinese zodiac? ↓
Related but not identical. The "Chinese zodiac" popularly refers to the 12-year animal cycle (Rat, Ox, Tiger… Pig). The sexagenary cycle is the full 60-year system that includes both the animal (via Earthly Branch) and its elemental modifier (via Heavenly Stem). So "2026 is the Year of the Horse" is the 12-year view; "2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse (Bingwu)" is the full 60-year view.
From Cycle to Birth Chart
Find Your Jiazi Pillars
The sexagenary cycle governs all four pillars of your Ba Zi chart — year, month, day, and hour. Enter your birth details to see exactly where you sit in the 60-year cycle.
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