Earth Rat
Wù Zǐ, yang
- Stem
- 戊 earth, yang
- Branch
- 子 rat
- 納音
- 霹靂火 Thunderbolt Fire
- Years
- 1948, 2008, 2068
Each listed year runs from its boundary to the next one, and it depends on the convention. Early dates in the calendar year can belong to the year before.
About this year
Earth dams water, and in 戊子 the stem holds the branch in check: 戊 is yang earth and 子, the Rat, is water. That is the overcoming cycle running from top to bottom. It occurred in 1948 and 2008.
The 納音 is Thunderbolt Fire, and Sanming Tonghui calls it a fire inside water that only a divine dragon could produce. The form sits in the place of water and a single yang stirs within it. Neither earth nor water is fire, so the name is best read as a position tag with a striking picture attached.
Where this text comes from
The 納音 name follows the Wikisource text of 三命通會, volume 1, the only witness we found for the full set of names. The polarity of the stems and branches and the generating and overcoming cycles follow 五行大義 volume 2.
- 三命通會 卷一 (Wikisource 三命通會/卷一, SIMPLIFIED script as stored on Wikisource)
Retrieved 2026-11-09
- 五行大義 卷二 (Wikisource 五行大義/2, traditional script)
Retrieved 2026-11-09
The English here is our own plain wording, not a translation of a single source.