What does twelve earthly branches mean?

The Twelve Earthly Branches is an important concept in China's traditional culture and a part of heavenly stems and earthly branches's theory in Zhouyi. The twelve earthly branches refer to 12 zodiac signs: ugly, yin, hair, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu and Hai. Each zodiac represents different attributes and characteristics, which are used to predict people's fate, wealth and geomantic omen.

In Zhouyi, the earthly branch is a basic attribute of Yin-Yang and Five Elements, which is used to describe concepts such as time, space and direction. The twelve earthly branches take the twelve earthly branches as a cycle, representing different time passes and changes, and each earthly branch represents a specific attribute of Yin-Yang and Five Elements. Each lunar year corresponds to one earthly branch. For example, the earthly branch in 2023 is the year of Bingzi, and the earthly branch in 2024 is the year of Ding Chou.

The twelve branches have other meanings besides representing the meaning of time. In geomantic omen, earthly branches are used to indicate the direction and position in a space, and each earthly branch has a corresponding direction and attribute. In numerology, earthly branches are used to predict a person's fate and fortune, as well as personality characteristics and preferences.

In a word, the Twelve Earthly Branches is an important concept in China culture, which complements the traditional theories such as heavenly stems and five elements, and is widely used in divination, numerology, geomantic omen, cultural inheritance and so on. Understanding and applying the meaning of the Twelve Earthly Branches can help us better understand the traditional culture of China and draw wisdom and inspiration from it.