What Are the Four Cardinal Directions?
The Four Cardinal Directions (Sizheng) refer to the four Earthly Branches Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, corresponding respectively to due north, due south, due east, and due west. They are also known as the "Four Cardinal Positions" or "Four Cardinal Squares."
In terms of Hidden Stems, the most distinctive feature of the Four Cardinal Directions is that each branch conceals only a single Primary Qi Heavenly Stem, without Secondary Qi or Remaining Qi:
| Branch | Direction | Five Element | Hidden Stem (Primary Qi Only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zi | Due North | Water | Gui Water |
| Wu | Due South | Fire | Ding Fire (also conceals Ji Earth) |
| Mao | Due East | Wood | Yi Wood |
| You | Due West | Metal | Xin Metal |
Why Do the Four Cardinal Directions Have the Purest Hidden Stems?
The Four Cardinal Directions sit at the cardinal positions, at the "peak" moment of each season:
- Zi: Winter Solstice — Yin qi at its extreme, yet a first stirring of Yang arises; Water nature at its purest
- Wu: Summer Solstice — Yang qi at its extreme, yet a first stirring of Yin arises; Fire nature at its purest
- Mao: Spring Equinox — Wood qi at its peak, Yin and Yang in balance
- You: Autumn Equinox — Metal qi at its peak, Yin and Yang in balance
Precisely because they occupy the most "pure" temporal nodes within the Four Seasons, the Heavenly Stems concealed within the Four Cardinal Directions are singular and clean, without admixture of residual qi from the preceding or following Solar Terms.
Mnemonic for Remembering Hidden Stems
Zi conceals Gui, Mao conceals Yi, You conceals Xin, Wu conceals Ding and Ji.
Though Wu's Primary Qi is Ding Fire, it additionally conceals Ji Earth (since Fire generates Earth, and Wu, as the extreme of Fire, naturally gives rise to Earth). This is the sole exception among the Four Cardinal Directions.
The Four Cardinal Directions and the Destiny Chart
- When the Day Branch falls on a Cardinal Direction, the person tends to have a distinct personality and clear goals, with unmixed Five Elements qi
- Charts with many Cardinal Direction branches have concentrated energy, but if clashes are excessive (Zi-Wu clash, Mao-You clash), the resulting upheaval is severe
- When Cardinal Directions are clashed (Zi-Wu clash, Mao-You clash), because their Hidden Stems are simple, the impact is more direct and violent than clashes among the Four Corners