Five Movements & Six Qi

The heavenly stem makes the movement; the earthly branch makes the qi. From your birth year’s stem-branch we derive that year’s climate-energy pattern and constitutional lean.

Winter SolsticeMinor ColdGreat ColdStart of SpringRain WaterAwakening of InsectsSpring EquinoxPure BrightnessGrain RainStart of SummerGrain BudsGrain in EarSummer SolsticeMinor HeatGreat HeatStart of AutumnEnd of HeatWhite DewAutumn EquinoxCold DewFrost DescentStart of WinterMinor SnowMajor SnowJueyin Wind-WoodShaoyin Sovereign FireShaoyang Minister FireTaiyin Damp-EarthYangming Dry-MetalTaiyang Cold-Water太阳寒水厥阴风木少阴君火太阴湿土少阳相火阳明燥金Water Movement · ExcessSky: 少阴君火 · Spring: 阳明燥金
2026 year
Annual Movement
Water Movement
太过
nature
Sky Governor
少阴君火
Spring Ruler
阳明燥金

Year in summary

Water in excess — cold prevails and the heart-fire is afflicted. Cold injures the kidneys: chills, cold limbs, aching cold joints. Warm and tonify kidney yang, eat warming foods, moxa CV4 and DU4, keep warm in winter.

Sky & Spring

Shaoyin Sovereign Fire governs the sky, Yangming Dry-Metal is at the spring. The first half runs hot; the second half turns dry.

Sky Governor · First half

Fire prevails; hotter climate

Spring Ruler · Second half

Dry-Metal at the spring — dry, parched air

Six host/guest qi steps
First Qi
Jueyin Wind-Woodhost
太阳寒水guest
Great Cold, Start of Spring, Rain Water, Awakening of Insects
Second Qi
Shaoyin Sovereign Firehost
厥阴风木guest
Spring Equinox, Pure Brightness, Grain Rain, Start of Summer
Third Qi
Shaoyang Minister Firehost
少阴君火guest
Grain Buds, Grain in Ear, Summer Solstice, Minor Heat
Fourth Qi
Taiyin Damp-Earthhost
太阴湿土guest
Great Heat, Start of Autumn, End of Heat, White Dew
Fifth Qi
Yangming Dry-Metalhost
少阳相火guest
Autumn Equinox, Cold Dew, Frost Descent, Start of Winter
Final Qi
Taiyang Cold-Waterhost
阳明燥金guest
Minor Snow, Major Snow, Winter Solstice, Minor Cold

Health risk & prevention

Vulnerable organs
Kidney (excess), Heart (afflicted)
Common conditions
Chills, cold lower-back pain, stiff joints, edema, heart-yang chest tightness, frequent night urine
Recommended foods
Mutton, ginger, chive, walnut, longan, black bean
Acupoints
DU4, CV4, BL23, BL15
Avoid
Cold raw food, cold exposure, overwork, late nights
Prevention & careWarm yang and dispel cold, protect heart and kidney: moxa DU4, CV4, BL23; angelica-ginger-mutton soup; keep warm in winter, protect the feet; eat less cold; some sun; massage BL15.
First half runs hot — guard against heatstroke and cardiovascular spikes; second half dries the lung, so nourish yin.

This analysis draws on the traditional Huangdi Neijing for reference only. For real health issues consult a qualified doctor; for any herbal formula consult a professional — do not self-prescribe.

How to read this

What is this?

Five Movements and Six Qi is the Chinese-medical framework for inferring each year’s climate and disease trends. The stem sets the "movement" (wood/fire/earth/metal/water, excess or deficiency); the branch sets the "six qi" of sky governor and spring ruler. From the outside in, the dial is: 24 solar terms, six host-qi steps, six guest-qi steps, twelve branches, with the year’s stem-branch, movement, and sky/spring at the center.

What does it solve?

It does not pin you to a single label; it gives a whole year’s "climate bias" — which qi runs strong, whether the first half is hot or damp, the second dry or cold, and from that the vulnerable organs and the prevention direction.

How to read it

Use the arrows to change the year. Read the movement, sky governor and spring ruler at the center; the six-step host/guest table shows the dominant qi each step; the health-risk block lists vulnerable organs, common conditions and prevention (foods, points, cautions). The pointer marks the current host-qi step.