Chinese Calendar 1
Free Module 1: Principles of Feng Shui
Chapter 6: The Chinese Calendar
The Chinese  Calendar System consists of the combination of:-
The Ten Heavenly Stems + The Twelve Earthly Branches
The Ten Heavenly Stems
 
| | Heavenly Stem | Element | Planet | Direction |  | Jia (hard wood) | Wood | Jupiter | East |  | Yi (soft wood) | Wood | Jupiter | East |  | Bing (sun fire) | Fire | Mars | South |  | Ding (kitchen fire) | Fire | Mars | South |  | Wu (mountain earth) | Earth | Saturn | Centre |  | Ji (sand earth) | Earth | Saturn | Centre |  | Geng (rough metal) | Metal | Venus | West |  | Xin (refined metal) | Metal | Venus | West |  | Ren (sea water) | Water | Mercury | North |  | Gui (rain water) | Water | Mercury | North | 
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+
 The Twelve Earthly Branches
 
| | Earthly Branch | Element | Hour of Birth | Direction |  | Rat | Water | 11.00pm - 12.59am | North |  | Ox | Earth | 1.00am - 2.59am | North-East |  | Tiger | Wood | 3.00am - 4.59am | North-East |  | Rabbit | Wood | 5.00am - 6.59am | East |  | Dragon | Earth | 7.00am - 8.59am | South-East |  | Snake | Fire | 9.00am - 10.59am | South-East |  | Horse | Fire | 11.00am - 12.59pm | South |  | Ram | Earth | 1.00pm - 2.59pm | South-West |  | Monkey | Metal | 3.00pm - 4.59pm | South-West |  | Rooster | Metal | 5.00pm - 6.59pm | West |  | Dog | Earth | 7.00pm - 8.59pm | North-West |  | Pig | Water | 9.00pm - 10.59pm | North-West | 
 | 
The Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches combine together to form 1  Cycle of the Lunar Calendar:-
 
Looking at the diagram, 1 Cycle of the lunar calendar consists of 180 years.
Each cycle is divided into 3 groups: Upper, Middle and Lower. Each group comprise 3 periods. Each  period is 20 years.
We are now in the Period 7 of  the lower period. In eight years time in the year 2004, we will be entering PERIOD 8 in year 2004.