Heavenly Stems Mutual Generation is discussed in relation to Heavenly Stems Mutual Overcoming. The relationship between mutual generation and mutual overcoming is a unified manifestation of the yin-yang opposition in the development of things.
Heavenly Stems Mutual Generation is a process where the power of one Five Element is transferred to another Five Element. The generating element expends as much energy as the generated element gains. In the transformation of mutual generation, the generated element’s power increases, undergoing a quantitative change; the generating element’s power disappears or diminishes, undergoing a qualitative change. The purpose of mutual generation is to allow the generated Five Element to participate more powerfully in the process of Heavenly Stems Inter-transformation, thereby reflecting a result formed by the development of things.
Rules of Five Elements Mutual Generation: Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood.
In a natal chart, based on the different arrangement order of the Heavenly Stems, the situations of Heavenly Stems Mutual Generation can be divided into three types. One: Close-Proximity Generation (Jintie Zhi Sheng), which refers to the Year Stem and Month Stem, Month Stem and Day Stem, Day Stem and Hour Stem. Two: Intervening-Stem Generation (Gegan Zhi Sheng), which refers to the Year Stem and Day Stem, Month Stem and Hour Stem. Three: Distant-Intervening-Stem Generation (Yaogegan Zhi Sheng), which refers only to the Year Stem and Hour Stem.
Traditional Bazi theory holds that: Close-proximity generation has great strength, intervening-stem generation has secondary strength, and distant-intervening-stem generation has almost no strength. That is, “two Five Elements with a generating relationship, restricted by their Heavenly Stem positions, cannot directly bypass the power of an intervening Five Element; at the same time, two Five Elements with a generating relationship cannot jointly affect the power of an intervening Five Element; and of course, there can be no power transformation between Earthly Branches to affect the corresponding Heavenly Stems.” This is a rigid way of thinking that stifles the adaptability and flexibility of Bazi, thereby firmly fixing the phenomena of development in certain procedures and harshly separating the philosophy of I Ching from real life.
In essence, two Five Elements with a generating relationship, and the intervening Five Elements between them, all simultaneously exert mutual influence. This simultaneous interaction with intervening Five Elements is a form of distant resonance, which, based on their varying strengths, manifests phenomena or situations with more complexity and instability through methods of depletion, control, and leakage under different forces.
I. Characteristics of Heavenly Stems Mutual Generation
Laws of Heavenly Stems Mutual Generation: Mutual generation is primary, generation takes precedence. If there is generation, it generates; if there is no generation, it overcomes.
The basic laws of Heavenly Stems Mutual Generation are explained as follows:
In Heavenly Stems Mutual Generation, there is a distinction between the generating element (主生五行) and the generated element (被生五行). The generating element affecting the generated element is called “generation” (生), while the generated element affecting the generating element is called “leakage” (泄).
“Generate if there’s generation” means that the generated element’s strength is greater than or equal to the generating element’s strength, allowing the generated element to completely assimilate the generating element’s power.
According to the principle of “generate if there’s generation,” the Ding Fire in the Month Stem must first generate the Ji Earth in the Year Stem. In the process of mutual generation, Ding Fire’s entire strength is depleted, so although it is in close proximity to the Daymaster Xin Metal, it cannot overcome it.
If here close-proximity overcoming has the greatest strength, and intervening-stem generation has secondary strength, then it clearly does not align with the actual situation of the chart owner.
The Deviant Resource (梟印) in the Year Stem transforms the Seven Killings (杀) to support the Daymaster, indicating that the chart owner is diligent and practical.
“Overcome if there’s no generation” means that the generated element has no strength (or there is no generated element), and the generated element cannot assimilate the generating element’s power, causing the generating element to skip a stage and overcome.
The Daymaster Xin Metal, though in season (得令), is ultimately weak (身弱). The Wu Earth in the Hour Stem sits on strong roots (自坐强根) and closely generates Xin Metal. Xin Metal cannot assimilate the power of Wu Earth, so Wu Earth skips a stage and overcomes Ren Water.
II. Same-Sex Generation is Stronger, Opposite-Sex Generation is Weaker
That is, Yin generating Yin, and Yang generating Yang, have greater strength; Yin generating Yang, and Yang generating Yin, have lesser strength. When discussing Five Elements mutual generation, one must first distinguish between the generating element and the generated element. Within a generating relationship, the distinction between “generation” (生) and “assimilation” (化) is primarily made through the strength of Five Elements mutual generation. Thus, the understanding that same-sex generation is stronger and opposite-sex generation is weaker cannot fully reflect the patterns and laws of Five Elements mutual generation. For example, when a Heavenly Stem has a penetrating root (通根) in a Yang Blade (羊刃), or when there’s a combination (会局) in the Earthly Branches, the characteristics of Heavenly Stems mutual generation become very evident, and the generating and generated elements can undergo significant power transformation.
According to the principle that same-sex generation is stronger and opposite-sex generation is weaker, when Ren Water and Gui Water appear simultaneously, Geng Metal should first generate the same-sex Ren Water. In the process of generation, Geng Metal’s strength is already depleted, implying it will no longer generate Gui Water. Analyzing this from the perspective of image-based fortune telling, if Metal and Water are beneficial elements (用神), and Metal represents the mother among the Ten Gods in the Four Pillars, then this generating relationship can reflect a situation where the mother dotes on her siblings but is relatively harsh towards herself. Here, I want to emphasize that Ren Water and Gui Water, externally, still act as a combined force to contend with other Five Elements.
The Gui Water in the Month Stem generates Yi Wood, depleting all its strength and thus lacking the power to generate Jia Wood. The Ren Water in the Hour Stem provides close-proximity generation to Yi Wood, but for Jia Wood in the Year Stem, being a distant-intervening-stem generation, it has almost no strength. This is how it’s formally understood. However, when categorizing the Five Elements, we can combine the strength of Water and Wood to contend with Earth and Metal, at which point the phenomenon of distant-intervening-stem generation ceases to exist.
Image-based fortune telling is very important in the core theory of I Ching studies. Only by mastering the basic principles of Five Elements generation, overcoming, control, and transformation can one understand the wisdom passed down by our ancestors, its specificity, and its scope of application. Only by grasping such a standard can the I Ching teachings be passed down and widely promoted.
III. Application of Intervening-Stem and Distant-Intervening-Stem Generation in Natal Charts and Luck Cycles
1. In cases where Earthly Branches have penetrating roots (通根), multiple instances of the same Five Element, or a Five Element with a generating relationship, can be considered close-proximity generation even when separated by intervening or distant stems.
The Yi Wood in the Year Stem provides close-proximity generation to the Bing Fire in the Month Stem. Because both Bing Fire in the Month Stem and Ding Fire in the Hour Stem have penetrating roots (通根) in the Day Branch and Hour Branch, and the Month Branch acts as a “storage root” (库根), with roots intertwined, Yi Wood is also considered to provide close-proximity generation to Ding Fire in the Hour Stem.
Both the Daymaster Jia Wood and the Jia Wood in the Year Stem have penetrating roots (通根) in the Year Branch. When the Gui Water in the Hour Stem provides close-proximity generation to the Daymaster Jia Wood, it is also considered close-proximity to the Jia Wood in the Year Stem.
2. The transformation of strength through Earthly Branch Punishments (刑), Clashes (冲), and Combinations (合) can cause distant-intervening-stem generation and intervening-stem generation to be regarded as close-proximity generation.
The Earthly Branches Hai and Mao form a half-combination into a Wood frame (亥卯半合木局), with the Mao Wood in the Hour Branch adding strength, which transforms the Water element into the Wood element. Therefore, the Day Stem Ren Water and Hour Stem Gui Water, although they are intervening-stem and distant-intervening-stem generation for the Year Stem Yi Wood, are all regarded as close-proximity generation here.
The Earthly Branches Si and Shen successfully combine and transform into Water, removing the strong root of Geng Metal. Through the form of Earthly Branches combination, the power of Metal is transformed into Water. Therefore, the Geng Metal in the Hour Stem is regarded as providing close-proximity generation to the Ren Water in the Year Stem.
3. When two generating Five Elements simultaneously form an overcoming or leaking/depleting relationship with a certain Five Element, then these two intervening-stem generating Five Elements can be considered close-proximity generation.
The Earthly Branches Mao and You clash, already forming a Metal-Wood conflict. The Geng Metal in the Month Stem closely overcomes the Daymaster Yi Wood, and the Bing Fire in the Year Stem closely depletes the Geng Metal in the Month Stem. In this situation, the intervening Bing Fire and Yi Wood can be seen as a combined force because Fire overcomes Metal and helps Wood, so Wood and Fire can be regarded as close-proximity generation.
Although the Xin Metal in the Month Stem closely overcomes the Yi Wood in the Year Stem, the Five Elements have an order of “first generate, then overcome.” The Xin Metal in the Month Stem must first generate the Day Stem Ren Water. Ren Water then depletes Xin Metal’s strength, so Xin Metal will no longer overcome the Year Stem Yi Wood. At the same time, as the Yi Wood in the Year Stem and Ren Water in the Day Stem jointly interact with Xin Metal, they can be regarded as providing close-proximity generation.
4. Regardless of distant-intervening-stem generation or intervening-stem generation, as long as the generating or generated Five Element appears in the luck cycles (Sui Yun), it is considered close-proximity generation for the natal chart.
Yi Hun: Four Pillars Chapter 2, Section 3 – Heavenly Stems Mutual Overcoming