Jia Shen Day Pillar 甲申

The Day Pillar is the two characters of the day you were born: a Heavenly Stem on top (your Day Master, the “you” of a Saju chart) and an Earthly Branch below (your inner self and spouse palace). In Jia Shen (甲申), the Day Master is Jia Wood (a tall tree growing straight up) sitting on the Monkey branch, whose element is Metal.

You sit on the metal that governs you (Seven Killings), a life that is always tempered under tension. Responsible and with a strong sense of justice, you are strong in a crisis, but you push yourself and fatigue builds up.

Jia Wood is like a great tree reaching straight toward the sky. You are not afraid to step up and lead, and once you set a goal you push toward it to the end. People often see you as a pillar to lean on, and you draw your energy from starting things and breaking new ground. You can come across as stubborn, so listening a little more to others’ advice leads to bigger growth.

What makes Jia Shen different from the other five Jia Wood Day Pillars is the branch it sits on, covered below.

With Shen beneath your Day Master, you are realistic, witty and good at solving problems. There is sharp Metal energy in your spouse seat, so you are drawn to capable, no-nonsense people. So you don’t lose feeling while weighing efficiency, spend time on “emotional conversation” too.

The energy of strong charisma (Seven Killings) sits in your spouse seat, so you are drawn to driven, tough partners. There may be tension and conflict, but it can be a relationship that helps each other grow.

Jia Wood is a dependable, big-tree kind of partner. When you like someone you step forward and protect them, and you take promises and responsibility seriously. Easy to lean on, but if you insist on your own way the other person can feel pressed; listening first keeps the love steady.

Seven Killings here means: Seven Killings (Pian Guan) stands for strong drive and a spirit of challenge, and sometimes for pressure and trials too. You have a competitor’s nature that shows true worth in a crisis and often stand out in seats with heavy responsibility. You can often be in situations of stress and burden, so it helps to prepare your own way of releasing tension in body and mind.

Extinction (Jue): the energy of being cut off and starting anew. Lots of change and dramatic turns, but a big power for fresh starts.

Hidden inside the Monkey branch: Wu (Earth, 7 days), Ren (Water, 7 days), Geng (Metal, 16 days). These quieter energies show up in private, under stress or later in life.

Areas to look after: liver, gallbladder, eyes, muscles and nerves.

Too much Wood energy makes irritation and anger rise easily, and you may often get headaches, a stiff neck and shoulders, and tired eyes. Rather than reaching for alcohol to dampen anger, work it off with walking and stretching.

Too little Wood energy can leave muscles and ligaments stiff, eyes tired and motivation low. Top up the energy of growth with green vegetables, regular stretching and morning sunlight.

• Six Harmony: the Monkey pairs with the Snake. People with a Snake Day Branch often feel an easy pull toward you.
• Three Harmony: the Rat · Dragon · Monkey form a Water team, so those animals tend to bring out your best.
• Clash: the Monkey clashes with the Tiger. It is not doom, only a spot where friction and change come easily.
• Perfect match on stem and branch: Ji Si (己巳) combines with Jia Shen on both the stem and the branch.
• Opposite pillar (most friction): Geng Yin (庚寅): its stem is Seven Killings to you and its branch clashes with yours.

Day Pillars are one part of compatibility. For a full comparison of two charts, try the compatibility reading.

Your Day Pillar depends on your birth date, not your birth year. Enter your date of birth in the Day Pillar finder or get a complete chart with the free Saju calculator, which also gives your Day Master strength, Useful God and Luck Cycles.