Chapter 14: Detailed Discussion of the Twelve Earthly Branches and the Chinese Zodiac
After the guests left, Chunlai made me a cup of tea and took out his notebook.
I explained to him the twelve Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu and Hai.
I said, "The Heavenly Stems refer to matters in the sky, and the Earthly Branches refer to matters on earth. So, the Earthly Branches have three meanings.
The first meaning is: [corresponding to time]. There are 24 hours in a day and 12 earthly branches. Each earthly branch governs 2 hours.
The second meaning is: [corresponding to the Chinese zodiac]. There are 12 earthly branches and 12 Chinese zodiac signs, and each earthly branch corresponds to one Chinese zodiac sign.
The third meaning is "relating to the direction," which is what Feng Shui masters often refer to as "Zi Shan Wu Xiang." Zi Shan refers to the mountain behind the house, and Wu Xiang refers to due south. You don't need to understand this right now.
The three characteristics of the Earthly Branches are: corresponding time, corresponding zodiac sign, and corresponding direction.”
Chun said: "Master, you are so kind. You are better at summarizing than my Chinese teacher in college."
I started explaining them one by one.
1. [Zi Shi] - [corresponding time] refers to 23:00 in the evening to 1:00 in the morning of the next day.
[Corresponding Zodiac Sign] - Rat, as rats often come out during this time. Also, rats are known for their prolific sexual performance and exceptional reproductive potential during this time.
Now let's look at the meaning of the word "zi." I asked Chunlai, "Wife, is it a respectful title?"
Chunlai shook his head.
I said, "It's a respectful title. Zi is a respectful title. For example: Laozi, Zhuangzi, Confucius, Mencius, Mozi, Master, Gongzi, Junzi, Xianzi..."
Chunlai asked, "So son is also a respectful title?"
"Yes, the ancients were very polite. However, they would usually modestly call someone "this is my son" or "this is my kid, my child."
When a child grows up, respects his elders, practices filial piety, and becomes a person worthy of respect, he is called a son.
Those who are not worthy of respect are [dogs, brats, prodigals, and ordinary people].
Chunlai asked, "Why does [zi] mean respect?"
"From traditional to simplified Chinese, the character 子 is composed of [了] + [一]. 一 is 子, meaning one who understands everything and possesses wisdom."
Chunlai sighed: "Chinese culture is so profound and extensive, and it has its own system."
Now I will tell you the second word for Spring: [ugly]
2. [Ugly] - [corresponding time] is 1:00-3:00 in the evening.
[Corresponding Zodiac Sign] - Ox. Why Ox? In the agricultural era, oxen were farmers' most valuable tools, and people held them in high regard.
In winter, when people feel particularly cold, they remember to add straw to their cows to keep them warm. During the farming season, they feed them grass so they can plow the fields early in the morning. The later it gets, the hotter the sun gets, so they have to start early.
The following is an explanation of [丑] from a literal perspective. Chou means [接], it is the [bond] of alternation between yin and yang. At night, the yang energy rises from 1 to 3 o'clock.
In addition, the word "ugly" does not mean "ugly, ugly, or not good-looking."
The traditional Chinese character for "丑" looks like this: 丑. The left side is 右, which represents wine, and the right side is the character for "鬼." This means a drunkard who staggers when walking is called "丑."
Next, I will explain the character "Yin"
3. Yin——[corresponding time] is 3:00-5:00 in the evening.
[Corresponding zodiac sign]——[Tiger]. Why is it the tiger? If it doesn’t catch food during the day, it will be very hungry at night.
Tigers have learned from long-term practice that humans are in deep sleep at 3-5 o'clock, at which time they sneak out to hunt for food. They bite off the necks of pigs, cows, and dogs and carry them away.
Let's look at the character "陰". It is the same as "罩". When a tiger is looking for food, it uses other conditions to protect itself.
During the day, it hides in the grass, small mounds, and behind trees, aiming at its prey and leaping up. At night, it uses the cover of darkness.
4. Let’s look at [卯] again.
【卯】——【corresponding time】is 5:00-7:00 in the morning.
[Corresponding Zodiac Sign] - Rabbit. Why Rabbit? Because rabbits are timid and only come out to look for food when it's light. The Rabbit in the Year of the Rabbit represents light and dawn.
Look at the character [卯] again, it means “to appear”, which means the sun has come out. At this time, the ancient officials were going to the court to see the emperor, and the court began to discuss matters, which was called [点卯], which means to punch in.
It was time for the military camp to go out for drill, also known as "rolling in the morning." The officer called out a name, Wan Shanhong. Wan Shanhong loudly reported: "Here I am."
Chunlai laughed out loud.
5. Let’s look at [辰] below.
【辰】——【Corresponding time】is 7:00-9:00 am.
[Corresponding Zodiac Sign] - Dragon. Why the dragon? If we divide a person's life into childhood, adolescence, youth, middle age, prime age, and old age, then the period between 7 and 9 a.m. corresponds to the youth period, called "lively and vigorous." Like a dragon breaking through the water and leaping into the sky.
Look at the character "辰" (Chen). It resembles a shell, stacked one, two, and three layers. So pregnancy is pregnancy. The uterus is like a shell, nurturing life, and finally, the human emerges from the lower shell. And then there's the character "唇" (lips), which opens and closes like a shell.
6. Next, let’s talk about [Si]
【Si】——【Corresponding time】is 9:00-11:00 in the morning
[Corresponding Zodiac Sign] — Snake. Why snake? Snakes become active at this time, crawling out of their holes to bask in the sun.
Let's look at the character "Si" again. It represents a coiled snake. My friend, it's just lying there, basking in the sun. Don't mess with it; it won't hurt you.
Of course, if you're bored and want to kick it, just wait and see. Snakes are very vengeful animals.
Therefore, in life, you should be careful when getting along with people born in the Year of the Snake.
7. Let’s talk about [noon]
【Lu】——【Corresponding time】is 11:00 am to 13:00 pm
[Corresponding Zodiac Sign] - Horse. Why Horse? Because at noon, when everyone rests, horses also need to rest. However, horses sleep standing up. You can't tell they're resting, so you think they're active.
Let's look at the character "午" (noon). It means rebellion. Think about it: from sunrise to zenith (noon), and then to 1 p.m., doesn't the sun begin to rise and then set? From rising to setting, it's rebellious.
So, it's not hard for you to understand what "disobey" means. And the word "迕" means to go against the grain.
8. Let’s talk about [not yet]
【未】——【Corresponding time】is 13:00-15:00 in the afternoon
[Corresponding Zodiac Sign] - Sheep. Why sheep? Ancient people usually herded sheep between 3:00 and 5:00 PM, known as "sheep out on the slopes." This is when the sheep are most active, grazing best and growing the most fat.
Look at the character "未" (wei), which is a character with a horizontal stroke above it, pointing to the future, the upward direction. If you add a horizontal stroke below it, it becomes the character "末" (mo), meaning the end.
9. Now let’s talk about [Shen]
【申】——【Corresponding time】is 15:00-17:00 in the afternoon
[Corresponding Zodiac Sign] - Monkey. Why monkey? Because monkeys are most active between 3 and 5 p.m. They're seen clawing, climbing, and leaping, making noises among the branches and calling out.
Look at the character "申" (shen), which means straight up and down. "Shengyao" (shouyao), which means straightening the whole body. A gentleman is someone who dresses respectably, looks straight ahead, stands straight, and is very graceful.
10. Let’s talk about the character [You].
【You】——【Corresponding time】is 17:00 in the afternoon - 19:00 in the evening
Corresponding Zodiac Sign: Rooster. Why Rooster? Because at this time, roosters return to their roosts. People born at this time tend to be homesick.
When you look at the character "You" again, imagine it as a wine jar. Words related to "You" also have to do with wine. For example: brew, intoxicated, drunk, drunken, have a drink, sauce, memorial service...
11. Let’s talk about the character [戌].
【Xū】——【Corresponding time】is 19:00-21:00 in the evening
Corresponding Zodiac Sign: Dog. Why is it a dog? At this time, dogs generally stay at home, guarding the house. Therefore, people born in the Year of the Dog are very loyal. That's why.
Let's look at the character 戌 (Xū), which means to defend or guard. For example, 守边 (Shubian) refers to the troops stationed at the border.
12. Let’s talk about the character [亥].
【亥】——【Corresponding time】is 21:00-23:00 in the evening
[Corresponding Zodiac Sign] - Pig. Why Pig? At this time, in the dead of night, the Pig is already snoring, sound asleep.
Let's look at the character [亥]. It means cutting. It represents the last hour of the chen (day of the chen). After sleeping until 11 p.m., the hours are cut and the Zi (midnight hour) begins.
So when you cough, it is also a kind of cutting, cutting and spitting out the phlegm from your throat.
Having said this, I took a few sips of tea and concluded:
"The twelve Earthly Branches represent the cycle of day and night. The corresponding zodiac animals are arranged in order based on the times of their activity. The time of birth of each person carries the shadow of their zodiac animal. For example, I, Wan Shanhong, was born at the hour of You, which corresponds to the time when the rooster returns to the roost. Therefore, I am particularly homesick and love being with my family.
You try to understand the nature of animals so that you can understand your own behavior."
Chunlai left the table, bowed, and said, "Master, listening to your words will save me from studying in vain."
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