In more detail
The stem and branch sequences advance together and return to the same pair after sixty steps. This glossary uses the calendar sequence, without adding future luck-cycle forecasts.
Sixty Stem-Branch Pairs · Gan-Zhi Cycle
The characters
- 六liùsix
- 十shíten
- 甲jiǎJia, the first Heavenly Stem
- 子zǐZi, the first Earthly Branch
Together, 六十甲子 reads “the sixty Jia-Zi”: the cycle is named after its first pair, 甲子.
Sources
- 三命通会 卷一 · 论支干源流、总论纳音：仅取干支相配与六十序列
- Hong Kong Observatory · Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches: tables and the Eight Characters
These terms describe a traditional symbolic framework. Chart interpretation and our naming method remain experimental.