The Twelve Life Stages: The Twelve Cycles of EnergyFree

The twelve life stages compare the strength that emerges when a Heavenly Stem meets an Earthly Branch to the span of a human life.

It starts with Birth, followed by Bath, which represents washing oneself and passing through youth, and then Cap, the young adult stage where one puts on proper clothes and belt.

After Prosperity, when one enters official service and works actively, and Peak, which boasts the strongest energy, come Decline, where power gradually wanes, and Sickness.

Passing through Death, where energy stops, Tomb, where it is buried, and Extinction, where it is cut off, the cycle returns to Conception, which conceives new life, and Nurture, growing inside the womb.

Among the heavenly energies, Yang Stems move forward in regular order, while Yin Stems move in reverse.

For example, Yang Wood meets Birth at the Pig, reaches Prosperity at the Tiger, and arrives at Peak at the Rabbit.

Yang Fire and Yang Earth reach Birth at the Tiger, Prosperity at the Snake, and Peak at the Horse.

Yang Metal has Birth at the Snake, Prosperity at the Monkey, and Peak at the Rooster. Yang Water has Birth at the Monkey, Prosperity at the Pig, and Peak at the Rat. In contrast, the Yin Stem Yin Wood starts Birth at the Horse and reaches Prosperity at the Rabbit.

Many people get frightened when they see characters like Sickness, Death, or Tomb.

However, a scary name does not mean your saju is bad at all.

For instance, Tomb can be read as a special gift for calmly gathering and storing energy. Death means stillness, but it is also interpreted as deep concentration and total focus on one thing.

Start by checking which stage appears when your Day Master, the character that is you, meets your Day Branch directly underneath.

The twelve life stage found in your Day Pillar is crucial for reading your innate personality.

Checking through your birth chart whether your energy is currently expanding outward or gathering strength inward will help you greatly.