Stems and branches are like longitude and latitude on a map; branches are the horizontal palace coordinates, stems the vertical energy switches.
What This Question Is Really Asking
Some find stems and branches dry and skip them, then cannot follow palace-stem flights; stems and branches are the most basic foundation, unavoidable.
The Underlying Logic
Ten stems: Jia Yi Bing Ding Wu Ji Geng Xin Ren Gui, each with different transformations.
Twelve branches: Zi Chou Yin Mao Chen Si Wu Wei Shen You Xu Hai, setting the twelve palaces.
Each branch palace pairs with a stem, the palace stem, which activates flights.
The birth-year stem sets natal transformations, e.g. Bing year Tian Tong Lu and Lian Zhen Ji.
A Step-by-Step Way to Read It
- First memorize the ten stems order, yin-yang and elements
- Then memorize the twelve branches order and zodiac animals
- Understand stems and branches combine into sixty Jia Zi
- See how the twelve palaces pair with branches
- See each palace stem, understand stem flights
- Practice setting transformations with the birth-year stem
Three Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Skipping stems and branches to flights, unable to follow
Mistake 2: Memorizing without understanding use
Mistake 3: Fixing branches and palaces rigidly, missing relative relationships
Back to Your Own Chart
Stems and branches read the coordinates for chart building and flights. Memorize them and understand palace stems, and later transformations have a foundation.
Reading Order
- Cast the natal chart first and locate the palaces and major stars tied to heavenly stems and earthly branches basics before judging anything
- Open the triple-direction of those palaces and count the auspicious, malefic and assistant stars separately
- Check where the natal Four Transformations land to set the chart's baseline tone
- Read the decade-limit transformations to see whether the heavenly stems and earthly branches basics line is activated in this stage
- Then read the annual transformations and the year's palace to pin down this year's trigger and timing
- Layer natal, decade and year before concluding, then decide how to act rather than labeling good or bad