Different Standards for Determining the Five Elements

Seasonal Strength and Weakness of the Five Elements (Commonly used for Eight Gates and Nine Stars)

TIP

The Four Seasons and Five Elements are mainly related to the strength and weakness of the Eight Gates and Nine Stars

"Ji" (季) is the last of the "Meng, Zhong, Ji" (first, middle, last) months. In a year of twelve months, three months form a season, and the last month in these three months is called "Ji". Therefore, the "Ji" months are the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th months. These refer to the lunar calendar; the solar calendar does not have this concept. The "Ji" months have the attribute of Earth.

The states of the Five Elements in different seasons are as follows:

Spring: (First and second months) Wood flourishes, Fire thrives, Water rests, Metal is confined, Earth perishes;

Summer: (Fourth and fifth months) Fire flourishes, Earth thrives, Wood rests, Water is confined, Metal perishes;

Autumn: (Seventh and eighth months) Metal flourishes, Water thrives, Earth rests, Fire is confined, Wood perishes;

Winter: (October, Eleventh Month) Water flourishes, Wood thrives, Metal rests, Earth is imprisoned, Fire dies;

Four Seasons Months: Earth flourishes, Metal thrives, Fire rests, Wood is imprisoned, Water dies.

Elemental Attributes of the Earthly Branch of the Month Pillar (Four Pillars and Eight Characters System)

Judgment is made according to the earthly branch of the month. For example, in the Wuzi month, the earthly branch is Zi, which belongs to Water, so the monthly command is Water. However, this method in Qimen Dunjia is only used for arranging the Four Pillars and is not directly used to determine the strength and weakness of the elements.