Earthly Branches — Di Zhi (地支)

The twelve branches

How branches work in Liuyao

In a Liuyao reading, each of the six lines is assigned a branch based on which trigram it belongs to and whether it is in the inner (lower) or outer (upper) position. The branch carries the line's elemental identity — for example, a line assigned the branch Yin (寅) is a Wood line, while a line assigned Shen (申) is a Metal line.

The branch also determines how the line responds to the day and month of the reading. A Wood line cast in a Wood month is said to be "in season" and therefore strong and active. The same line cast in a Metal month is being controlled and therefore weakened. This temporal sensitivity is one of the features that distinguishes Liuyao from simpler forms of I Ching interpretation.

Branches and the six relatives

The branch of each line also determines its relationship to the "subject line" — the line that represents the querent or the matter being asked about. When the subject line's element generates another line's element, that line is a "children" or supportive force. When another line's element controls the subject, it represents an obstacle or opposing force. These relationships are the basis of the six relatives system.

For beginners, the most important thing to understand is that branches are not just labels — they are the mechanism by which Liuyao connects the hexagram to real time and real relationships. The same hexagram means something different depending on when it is cast and which lines are active.

Xunkong (void branches)

One important concept related to branches is Xunkong — the "empty" or void branches. In each ten-day cycle of the traditional calendar, two branches are considered void. Lines assigned those branches are weakened or temporarily inactive, regardless of their elemental strength. This is why the date of a reading matters so much in Liuyao practice.