Earthly Branches
Glossary · Last updated: 2026-07-26
The twelve Earthly Branches (地支) name hours, months, and years in traditional Chinese timekeeping. Each branch maps to one Sheng Xiao animal.
Your Rat or Ox identity in folk astrology usually comes from the earthly branch of your birth year, counted from Lunar New Year.
Hour branch
Ba Zi adds an hour branch (e.g. Zi hour 23:00-01:00). Birth time unlocks that pillar; date-only tools skip it.
Related
Main reading and tools
These are the main reading and calculator pages. Use them for a daily note, a birth-sign tool, or a pair check.
- Today's Horoscope hubAll twelve Western sun-sign daily pages, plus links into the seven-tradition reader.
- Horoscope & Zodiac CompatibilityTwo birth dates for Western, Chinese, and Vedic folk pairing, plus every sun-sign hub.
- Zodiac Sign CalculatorWestern sun sign from birth date, with element, modality, and ruler.
- Vedic Rising Sign CalculatorLagna estimate when you have birth date, time, and place.
- Vedic Moon Sign CalculatorJanma Rashi and nakshatra when birth time and city are available.