The five elements are the frame that connects every component of a chart. This page holds five computed tables plus the gateway to one page per element — every cell checkable against the engine.
Two independent groupings: trines take growth–peak–tomb, meetings take the season by direction. Cross-checks: each trine opens on the yang stem growth branch; each meeting closes on another trine tomb.
Earth appears in 8 branches, the other elements in 5 — the corner-dwelling of earth is visible in the totals. Each element page lists the branch names.
A missing element, and how the count is actually done
Whether an element is missing has three defensible answers, and they differ in how much weight the stems hidden inside each branch are given. The three counts side by side, and what the answer is and is not good for, are on a dedicated page: Missing element: the three counting conventions →
FAQ
How do the five elements map onto a bazi chart?
Stems come in yin-yang pairs per element; branches group by main qi, with earth taking four. Each element page shows the full distribution across hidden stems, combinations and growth stages.
Why does earth own four branches yet has no trine?
Chou, Chen, Xu and Wei carry earth as main qi while serving as the tomb branch of the water, wood, fire and metal trines. Earth participates through the frames of the other four elements.
How do trines differ from seasonal meetings?
A trine groups growth, peak and tomb branches (e.g. Hai–Mao–Wei); a meeting groups branches by direction (e.g. Yin–Mao–Chen for the east). The two groupings differ, and every meeting closes on another trine tomb.
Why does a five-harmony pairing never combine into its own element?
The engine table gives: Jia–Ji to earth, Yi–Geng to metal, Bing–Xin to water, Ding–Ren to wood, Wu–Gui to fire. No stem combines into its own element.
Can I check these numbers myself?
Yes. Every card and table comes from the same engine, and the hub states two cross-checks you can run yourself: each trine opens on the yang stem growth branch, and each meeting closes on another trine tomb.
Reference index
Every enumerable component of ba zi has its own page here. Each page is computed by the same engine and can be checked item by item — none of it is a personality table.