Saju Encyclopedia
Twelve Life Stages: Table & Meanings
The twelve stages describe the Day Master’s symbolic energy in each branch through a life-cycle metaphor: Birth, Bathing, Coming of Age, Establishment, Peak, Decline, Illness, Death, Storage, Severance, Conception and Nurturing. Their names do not predict medical events.
The twelve stage meanings
- Birth(長生)
- Birth: a new beginning, growth, openness and the ability to receive support.
- Bathing(沐浴)
- Bathing: sensitivity, charm, curiosity and changeability.
- Coming of age(冠帶)
- Coming of Age: confidence, ambition and readiness to enter society.
- Established strength(建祿)
- Establishment: independence, livelihood and dependable ability.
- Peak strength(帝旺)
- Peak: energy at its height, leadership, authority and stubbornness.
- Decline(衰)
- Decline: experience, caution and practical judgment after the peak.
- Weakening(病)
- Illness: lower symbolic energy, sensitivity and care; not a medical diagnosis.
- Rest(死)
- Death: symbolic stillness, contemplation, research and mental depth; not a prediction of death.
- Storage(墓)
- Storage: conservation, accumulation and thrift.
- Release(絶)
- Severance: transition, endings and the resolve to start again.
- Conception(胎)
- Conception: possibility, anticipation and optimism.
- Sheep(養)
- Nurturing: care, preparation and gentle growth.
Life-stage reference table
| Day Master / Branch | Ja(子) | Chuk(丑) | In(寅) | Myo(卯) | Jin(辰) | Sa(巳) | O(午) | Mi(未) | Sin(申) | Yu(酉) | Sul(戌) | Hae(亥) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gap(甲) | Bathing | Coming of age | Established strength | Peak strength | Decline | Weakening | Rest | Storage | Release | Conception | Sheep | Birth |
| Eul(乙) | Weakening | Decline | Peak strength | Established strength | Coming of age | Bathing | Birth | Sheep | Conception | Release | Storage | Rest |
| Byeong(丙) | Conception | Sheep | Birth | Bathing | Coming of age | Established strength | Peak strength | Decline | Weakening | Rest | Storage | Release |
| Jeong(丁) | Release | Storage | Rest | Weakening | Decline | Peak strength | Established strength | Coming of age | Bathing | Birth | Sheep | Conception |
| Mu(戊) | Conception | Sheep | Birth | Bathing | Coming of age | Established strength | Peak strength | Decline | Weakening | Rest | Storage | Release |
| Gi(己) | Release | Storage | Rest | Weakening | Decline | Peak strength | Established strength | Coming of age | Bathing | Birth | Sheep | Conception |
| Gyeong(庚) | Rest | Storage | Release | Conception | Sheep | Birth | Bathing | Coming of age | Established strength | Peak strength | Decline | Weakening |
| Sin(辛) | Birth | Sheep | Conception | Release | Storage | Rest | Weakening | Decline | Peak strength | Established strength | Coming of age | Bathing |
| Im(壬) | Peak strength | Decline | Weakening | Rest | Storage | Release | Conception | Sheep | Birth | Bathing | Coming of age | Established strength |
| Gye(癸) | Established strength | Coming of age | Bathing | Birth | Sheep | Conception | Release | Storage | Rest | Weakening | Decline | Peak strength |
Frequently asked questions
The twelve stages describe the Day Master’s symbolic energy in each branch through a life-cycle metaphor: Birth, Bathing, Coming of Age, Establishment, Peak, Decline, Illness, Death, Storage, Severance, Conception and Nurturing. Their names do not predict medical events.
Yang stems move forward from their Birth branch; yin stems move backward. Find the cell where your Day Master row meets the branch column.
Peak means the strongest symbolic energy, not the best outcome. Its interpretation depends on the chart’s overall balance; a weaker stage can be useful to an already strong chart.
Updated 2026-10-16 · K-Fortune editorial team · Calculation rules