Wu Earth Day Master (戊): the Yang Earth stem in BaZi
Last checked · verse from the Di Tian Sui on Chinese Wikisource; tables calculated
戊 (Wu) is the fifth Heavenly Stem, the yang partner of 己 Ji in earth. The Di Tian Sui opens its verse with "Wu earth is solid and heavy, central and upright", and its annotation describes Wu as the earth of hills and ridges.
Stem
戊 Wu
Element and polarity
Yang Earth
Combines with
癸 Gui (Fire)
Clashes with
none (earth stem)
The Wu verse in the Di Tian Sui (滴天髓)
Verse traditionally attributed to Jingtu (京圖), with the annotation attributed to Liu Ji (劉基, Ming dynasty); quoted from Chinese Wikisource. The translation is ours.
戊土固重，既中且正，靜翕動闢，萬物司命，水旺物生，火燥囍潤，若在坤艮，怕沖宜靜。
Wu earth is solid and heavy, central and upright. At rest it gathers in; in motion it opens out; it governs the life of all things. Where water is strong, things grow; where fire is dry, it welcomes moisture. If it sits in Kun or Gen (the trigram positions of 申 and 寅), it fears a clash and prefers stillness.
The verse uses human words (kind, loyal, filial) for how the stems act on one another in a chart; it does not describe people.
What the annotation says
Wu is the earth of hills and ridges, higher, thicker and drier than Ji, and Ji's source. In spring and summer its qi opens and things are born; in autumn and winter it closes and things are completed, so it governs the life of all things. Being yang, it likes moisture and dislikes dryness. Sitting on 寅 it fears 申, and sitting on 申 it fears 寅, because a clash shakes its root.
The annotation opens with 「戊為山岡之土」 (the earth of hills and ridges). Summarized in our words from the annotation on the same 天干論 page on Wikisource.
Earth in the Huainanzi (淮南子)
The Huainanzi, 天文訓 chapter, lists each direction with its element, season, planet and animal, and ends with the two stems of its days.
中央，土也……執繩而制四方。其神為鎮星，其獸黃龍，其音宮，其日戊己。
Direction: Center · Season: none (it 'governs the four directions') · Planet: Saturn (鎮星) · Animal: Yellow Dragon (黃龍) · Note: gong (宮)
Ten Gods for a Wu Earth Day Master
What each of the ten stems is called, seen from this Day Master.
| Stem | Element | Ten God | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| 甲 Jia | Yang Wood | Seven Killings | 七杀 Qi Sha |
| 乙 Yi | Yin Wood | Direct Officer | 正官 Zheng Guan |
| 丙 Bing | Yang Fire | Indirect Resource | 偏印 Pian Yin |
| 丁 Ding | Yin Fire | Direct Resource | 正印 Zheng Yin |
| 戊 Wu | Yang Earth | Friend | 比肩 Bi Jian |
| 己 Ji | Yin Earth | Rob Wealth | 劫财 Jie Cai |
| 庚 Geng | Yang Metal | Eating God | 食神 Shi Shen |
| 辛 Xin | Yin Metal | Hurting Officer | 伤官 Shang Guan |
| 壬 Ren | Yang Water | Indirect Wealth | 偏财 Pian Cai |
| 癸 Gui | Yin Water | Direct Wealth | 正财 Zheng Cai |
Twelve stages of Wu (长生十二宫)
A yang stem runs forward through the branches from its Growth stage.
| Branch | Animal | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 寅 Yin | Tiger | 长生 Growth |
| 卯 Mao | Rabbit | 沐浴 Bath |
| 辰 Chen | Dragon | 冠带 Cap and Belt |
| 巳 Si | Snake | 临官 Taking Office |
| 午 Wu | Horse | 帝旺 Prosperity |
| 未 Wei | Goat | 衰 Decline |
| 申 Shen | Monkey | 病 Sickness |
| 酉 You | Rooster | 死 Death |
| 戌 Xu | Dog | 墓 Tomb |
| 亥 Hai | Pig | 绝 Extinction |
| 子 Zi | Rat | 胎 Conception |
| 丑 Chou | Ox | 养 Nurture |
The six Wu day pillars
Wu pairs only with the yang branches, so it appears in six of the sixty pillars.
| Pillar | No. in the cycle | Na Yin | Void branches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 戊辰 Wu Chen | 5 | 大林木 Forest Wood | 戌亥 |
| 戊寅 Wu Yin | 15 | 城头土 City Wall Earth | 申酉 |
| 戊子 Wu Zi | 25 | 霹雳火 Thunderbolt Fire | 午未 |
| 戊戌 Wu Xu | 35 | 平地木 Flatland Wood | 辰巳 |
| 戊申 Wu Shen | 45 | 大驿土 Highway Earth | 寅卯 |
| 戊午 Wu Wu | 55 | 天上火 Sky Fire | 子丑 |
Wu is also a hidden stem in 寅 Yin, 辰 Chen (as the main stem), 巳 Si, 申 Shen and 戌 Xu (as the main stem).
Next Wu days
China Standard Time dates; one day in every ten.
- Oct 21, 2026 · 戊辰
- Oct 31, 2026 · 戊寅
- Nov 10, 2026 · 戊子
- Nov 20, 2026 · 戊戌
- Nov 30, 2026 · 戊申
- Dec 10, 2026 · 戊午
FAQ
How do I find out if my Day Master is Wu Earth?
Your Day Master is the stem of your day pillar. Enter your birth date, time and time zone in the BaZi calculator; if the day pillar starts with 戊, your Day Master is Wu.
What is a Wu Earth Day Master?
A BaZi chart whose day pillar has 戊 (Wu) as its stem. Wu is the fifth of the ten Heavenly Stems, the yang stem of earth. The Di Tian Sui annotation describes it as the earth of hills and ridges (戊為山岡之土).
What is the difference between Wu and Ji?
Both are earth. Wu (戊) is the yang stem and Ji (己) the yin one. The Di Tian Sui annotation describes Wu as the earth of hills and ridges and Ji as the earth of fields and gardens. Wu combines with Gui and Ji with Jia.
Which stem combines with Wu, and which clashes with it?
Wu combines with 癸 Gui (the 戊癸 combination, associated with Fire). Wu and Ji earth have no clashing stem in the usual list of four stem clashes.
How common is a Wu Day Master?
The day stems repeat every ten days without a break, so exactly one day in ten is a Wu day. The next ones are Oct 21, 2026, Oct 31, 2026, Nov 10, 2026 (China Standard Time dates).
Where does Wu sit in the twelve stages?
In the usual twelve-stage table, Wu has its Chang Sheng (Growth) in 寅 Yin and its Di Wang (Prosperity) in 午 Wu; as a yang stem it moves forward through the branches.
Other Day Masters
Sources: 滴天髓 (Di Tian Sui), 天干論, on Chinese Wikisource; 淮南子 (Huainanzi), 天文訓, on Chinese Wikisource; Ten God names as in 淵海子平 (Yuan Hai Zi Ping) on Chinese Wikisource. This page describes the traditional system and quotes classical texts; it is not a character reading, a prediction or advice. Terms are given in simplified characters; quotations keep the script of their source. Day pillars: how they are calculated and checked.